#I feel like I have to say something about Vincent here but honestly didn't like his fs that much

[unreliablesnake]

Home is where your heart is (Vincent de Gramont x reader)

Summary: Vincent keeps you in a golden cage, but you want to get out. Winston's arrival gives you hope.

Note: Sort of the continuation of this. / If you find mistakes... that's on me. I was in a hurry. / If you want to know when I post new stuff, follow @unreliablesnakefics and hit the get notifications button. I don't have a taglist.

Warnings: afab!reader, power imbalance

An arm was protectively–or maybe possessively–wrapped around your body when you woke up in the Marquis' bed the next morning. Technically, he was still a stranger to you, yet you had fallen into his trap the night before, giving in to this primal need that he brought out of you.

At this very moment, when the fog was rising from your brain, you felt disgusted. Was the sex good? Sure. Did you lose your pride? Absolutely. So you tried to pry his arm off of yourself, hoping to get out of bed and take a long, warm shower to wash away every trace of him, but he only tightened his grip on you.

“Stay,” was all he said, but you didn't stop. When he realized you weren't giving up just because he said so, he let out a groan and forcefully turned you around to face him. “If I tell you to stay, I expect you to do it.”

You gulped, unable to decide what the best strategy was in this situation. If you resisted, he could easily get mad and hurt you. If you remained silent and nodded obediently, you would simply submit to him. “I just wanted to take a shower,” you told him quietly.

“Good, I'll join you. Later.”

His green eyes were watching you with a curious look and you could feel your cheeks heat up from the unwanted attention. This man had you in a chokehold somehow, but there was nothing you could do to escape it–and honestly, you weren't even sure if that's what you wanted.

Because as terrible as he was, he had a charming personality when he put some effort into his behavior. He was like a black hole, pulling you in and tearing you apart no matter how hard you tried to resist.

You wondered what he thought you were to him. A pet? A prisoner? A guest? Whatever the answer was, you felt like you were locked in a golden cage, kept under close surveillance by him. He barely let you out of his sight, you were always expected to be near him in case he wanted something from you.

Because there was always something–a compliment, a well-calculated touch, or a rhetorical question he didn't really need you to answer. He was giving you mixed signals and you hated it. What the hell did he want from you? Was this all what he was planning to achieve, to lure you into his bed?

“What are you thinking about, mon amour?” he suddenly asked while he pushed a strand of hair behind your ear.

Under different circumstances, it would have sounded like he truly cared, but you knew better than to believe that. He just wanted to see inside your head, probably wondering if you were plotting against him. After all, being naked in bed next to you made him vulnerable. Sure, he could protect himself, but you were also good at this game and he knew that.

“Why are you doing this?” you asked in the end. He let out a questioning hum, his palm threateningly resting on the side of your neck. “Why did you bring me here? You didn't answer my question last night.”

A small smile appeared on his lips, as if he was thinking about something funny. “I always get what I want. And this time, I wanted you,” he explained. “Do you have any idea how disarmingly beautiful you are? The first time I saw you in pictures, I didn't realize this. But when we met in person, I instantly knew that I needed you on my side.”

“As a prisoner or a slave?”

He leaned closer and kissed you surprisingly gently. “As a partner. My lover. Call it whatever you want,” he whispered against your lips.

Sadly, you believed him. You believed him when he said these words, when his hands moved from your neck to your waist, pulling you on top of him. Without him giving you an order or even saying a word, you kissed him again, and this was the best you'd felt in a long time.

Two days later he told you he was meeting someone in the Louvre and that he needed you to be there. Not like he hadn't been taking you to all of his meetings in the past days, but something was different about this one. It was almost… personal.

He didn't let you have a say in anything, he just pointed at an outfit and told you how to do your makeup. There was no freedom for you here, you knew that by now, but this was unusual, even for him. In the car the Marquis told you to start calling him Vincent, and something told you the timing wasn't a coincidence.

In the Louvre you quickly found out why he needed you to be there by his side. He was meeting Winston there, but when you wanted to stand up and welcome him, Vincent put his hand on your thigh to stop you. He didn't even look at you, he just instinctively reached out.

Winston immediately noticed his move and gave you a look of concern, but you just shook your head to make sure he didn't do or say anything that would enrage Vincent. You saw what he had done to Charon, you didn't want the same thing to happen to him.

As it turned out, he brought a message from John Wick himself, the very man who had just challenged him to a duel. He got tense, you could sense it, but you didn't say or do anything that would calm him down. Winston then presented his request regarding the Continental and his own position, but he didn't stop there. “I also want her back in New York,” he said as he looked at you.

After taking a deep breath, Vincent ran a finger down from your neck to your shoulder until his hand was once again resting on the back of the couch. “She stays with me, but the rest is guaranteed if Wick wins the duel,” he said coldly.

“That won't do. I need her in the Continental,” Winston pressed on.

“My answer is still no.” Thick silence fell between the two men, although Winston raised an eyebrow expectantly, forcing Vincent to speak up again. “Why don't we ask her?” he suggested.

He sounded sure of himself, but you were left dumbfounded by his words. Did he really think you would choose him? Were you weak around him? Maybe. Yes. But your loyalty lied with your boss, that didn't change.

“What do you say, love?” Vincent asked with his head curiously tipped to the side.

Your eyes locked with Winston's as you said, “I want to go back to New York.” You could feel the Frenchman tense up next to you, but it didn't bother you. Instead of stopping, you decided to twist the knife even more. “And I want to talk to Winston. Alone,” you clarified.

He drew in a sharp breath as he watched you, burning a hole into you with his stare. “Fine,” he said through gritted teeth. “My men will keep an eye on you, though. I don't want you to leave just yet.”

Nodding, you stood up and followed Winston outside, walking next to him with your hands folded behind your back. You were painfully aware of the two men who were walking not far behind you. Close enough to see your every move, but far enough to be out of earshot luckily. This conversation wasn't meant for them or Vincent, it was supposed to be private.

“What was this all about?” he asked, taking his chance to speak up before you.

“I failed you, I guess.” He raised an eyebrow in question, patiently waiting for your explanation, but you didn't know how to tell him what happened. Then you took a deep breath and said, “I fell straight into his trap and slept with him. I shouldn't have done that, I know, and I'm sorry.”

To your biggest surprise, he began to laugh. “That's all? I can see what he's like. He's used to always getting what he wants, I'm sure he knows how to charm a woman,” he explained. “Is this why he brought you here? I saw the way he was looking at you in New York, I can't say I would be surprised.”

“He wants me to be by his side as his lover,” you replied with a shrug. “But I don't want to stay. I just want to get out of his gravitational field as fast as I can.”

Winston came to a halt and put a hand on your shoulder. “This will be over soon, don't worry. The Table will restore the Continental and we will go on with our lives as if nothing happened,” he tried to assure you.

But despite his best effort, you couldn't calm down, especially after the words Vincent had told him on your way out about what would happen to him if John lost the duel. It was a risk you didn't want him to take, but he was probably too sure of his friend's victory to worry about the outcome.

“We will be fine,” Winston said, somehow knowing what you were thinking about.

You nodded, doing your best to believe him. “And how are you holding up after everything that happened?” you asked, glancing back at one of Vincent's men who had been in New York that day.

He took a deep breath and exhaled slowly as he thought about his answer. “I will be fine once everyone is back to normal,” he replied. “You need to hang on just a little longer, then we're going back to New York together. I promise.”

“Is John already–”

“Time is up,” one of the guards said, interrupting you by putting a hand on your shoulder.

You gave your boss a worried look, but he only nodded. “He's already here. We'll meet the Marquis tomorrow,” Winston told you with a supportive smile. “Just one more day and it will be over.”

With that he began to walk towards the exit, and you were escorted back to Vincent. When you entered the room, you were welcomed by his cold gaze. Before you could say anything, he pointed at the couch he had left while you were gone.

“Sit,” he ordered sternly, and you automatically did as you were told. “You want to leave me that badly?”

You didn't know if it was true or not, but you could have sworn you heard a hint of disappointment in his voice. As he was watching you with his hands on his hips, you felt your heart sink for some reason. Did you feel bad for him? No, that couldn't be.

“Answer me.”

“I just want to go home,” you told him quietly.

For long seconds he was just staring at you in silence, but then he cleared his throat and walked over to the couch to look down at you from up close. “You're already home.”

**********

Note 2.0: Should he stay alive after the events of the movie? Should she stay if he does? I can't decide.

[coeluvr]

You're so wonderfully devious. Your IF is so well written. I've played through it once several months ago, lost track of it, then found it again 🤗 but seriously, the complex emotions you pull out of me is what makes me keep coming back.

There's no time to not grieve for the MC. And your time jumps make it so no matter how much time has passed for MC, we don't get that relief. It makes me wonder if the MC feels that way all the time for the last 9 years if the grief we experience is just as intense. So I absolutely adore how you give MCs the ability to name a journal Alistair and to have a tattoo to keep them with you.

I don't know what to do with Rosea. I think the only way to hurt Luceris is by hurting the ones they love, Lancelot and Helios. But then this cycle of revenge continues and warps, and it's this massive spiders web because when you hurt Lancelot and Helios, then you hurt Farah, Vincent, and Hunter. It makes even more people want to put a stop to MC's machinations.

I know we're going to see it in writing, but the generational guilt on these kids [cause fuck they are basically still kids] heads is crushing.

The adults trying to alleviate guilt by saying "Mc is protected as consort" and has the "freedom to do what they want" is a poor consolation prize. They can't get rid of how they were complicit in MCs trauma.

Somehow, you have me litterally insane, tinfoil hat and all, do you play a kind MC so everyone can see how unhinged Luceris idea was? Because I'd love to play this game as quiet and kind MC, one who's forgive and try to move on, but when MCs twin died, I became just as crazy as Luceris. Now I have to be okay with the fact that I'm playing the long game of revenge and whatever that looks like.

Anyway, thank you for your work. It's amazing and I can't wait to see what happens next.

My toxic trait is I like being called evil or devious or anything insane. 🥰 Thank you for your kind words! 💗

Honestly, the time jumps do serve that purpose. Mainly because I think MC gets a little better each time jump but then something happens and it brings back what they felt that night in Vesphire.

For example, the time jump to meeting Fadiya is kind of supposed to be like "well at least someone wants to be friends with our baby" and that feeling is kind of hopeful, at least to me. With the 1st short story, I wanted to cement that feeling since it's like "world against MC but this little kid is here!!" and again it's hopeful. Chapter 2 is softer too with Fadiya, there isn't much angst until the very end where it's like "ah right, shit still sucks." and a part of the healing that the player might have felt just dies lol.

Chapter 3 is kind of different but technically MC is doing "better" or well coping better so there has been some progress on their part albeit it can be unhealthy.

I've gotten the "Oh this is kinda rushed" comment a few times but I don't think I could've taken these first few chapters more slowly since it is supposed to be kind of like a blur to MC. In my head, chapter 3 is when things are more slow for them but now they're leaving on a trip so...

I think revenge (that isn't like "get power throw him into jail") will always come with the loss of people. The only reason Luceris didn't lose people is because he didn't really have anyone to lose except for Lancelot and we all know how that's going. (Ikram doesn't count, if she refused he could just get another military general and been like okay. Don't be friends with your boss people. /j)

A Luceris that had Farah wouldn't have done that ever because she would have left him so yeah! It's normal to be stuck between what to do when you have people you care about who actually have somewhat of a normal moral compass.

Easiest way is to simply not have anyone (unless they're 100% in love with you and would throw away all their morals just for you ofc) and well maybe I can help with that! 🤭

The adults are insane and the kids are burdened with the problems that their parents are to blame for. I love the whole "burdened by the sins of your parents" trope. ✨️

God this got a bit too long lmao 😭 it was fun discussing some of the points. 🤝

[ninakuli]

What if a victim was in the chair (in the gas station) and just stayed still, didn't fight, just there? Not as a way to escape but as a trauma response.

How would the brothers react

How they react if their victim don't fight back:

Honestly sorry that I not really understand the trauma part, so I'll blurry write so if you want to see more details you can vote request again then write what kind of trauma then I'll write for you again and more.

And sorry this one are sucks :O

Special tag: @sh1n0o

Bo Sinclair:

Tbh, he will confused at first, but he really won't give a shit about this.

Most he probably will say "Good girl/boy, so obedient."

But if he feel different feeling to you (like he obsessed you) he'll little concerned about why you don't fight back or escape.

He won't apparent ask, he'll use induced to ask, cause he don't want you to know he care about you.

If you tell your trauma he'll understand because he have his own trauma too.

And if you lucky maybe he'll try to comfort you but he not really good at this kind of things.

He'll keep you a while then decide you live or death.

You two will helping each other when one of you are struggling in the trauma.

Lester Sinclair:

He not the one who kidnapped you, it's Bo order him to keep an eye on you.

He'll little concerned about, cause you never screaming or yell for help.

"Are ya fine?" He little frown and worry on face.

Then if you tell him your trauma, he'll comfort you.

Feeling guilty, and he truly want to untie you, but Bo definitely will fight him about this.

He difficulties in choosing.

"I'll untie ya k? But don't escape please." He nervously release you.

You just sit still and not running away, he thankful, and he'll chat with you.

When Bo come back will definitely dumbfounded this situation.

Then if Lester have feeling for you, he'll beg Bo not to hurt you.

When you struggling in trauma he'll help you and take good care of you, he try his best, he not really clear know how to deal but he can try.

Vincent Sinclair:

He not often in the gas station basement but Bo order so now he's here with you :) .

Silence a moment, maybe will draw something in his sketch book.

Start wondering why you not try to struggle.

Stare at you. Title his head to a side. Hesitate about ask you are okay or not.

Try to step by step to ask you.

Understand your trauma and try to comfort you, want you feel comfortable so maybe will release you a little.

He will take good care of you, cause he know how to deal with someone who in their own trauma.

He not talk much but he's a good listener.

If he have feeling he'll try to persuade Bo to keep you.

He'll help you very well when you struggling in trauma.

[honestly-oceanie]

YOU PUT ME ON AND SAID I WAS YOUR FAVORITE || soft bois edition pt.3

Synopsis: drawing something(s) on their arm/wrist/hands

《Ijekiel Alpheus, Felix Robane, Isis de Elmir, Erden Astar Halstead, Erudian Lu Soledo Belgoat, Cassian Eckard, Felix Chamberlain, Anakin, Zachary de Arno, Kiyu Ahn | gn!reader》

{Fluff♡ | ▪︎imagine/scenario▪︎}

I Have Become The Hero's Rival/Your Ultimate Love Rival

Felix Chamberlain

🦋 You were at the Chamberlain's manor, just slouching on their couch, all bored.

"What's the matter? Why do you seem to be sulking?"

🦋 Felix's sudden appearance made you jump out of your skin.

🦋 You were currently at their manor as per Claudia's request. She had ask you to come to their house to hang out, however, an hour had past but she still hasn't arrive. You had asked their servants yet they all say the same thing: "I don't know, My Lady."

🦋 You and Felix have been friends since childhood, thus you always talk to him informally and freely.

"Felix! Just right on time. Do you know where your sister possibly could be?"

"She left with Irene an hour ago."

"What?! But I did not saw them."

🦋 Felix just shrugged and you sighed. Those girls are really something, you thought. You stood up and was heading to the door but Felix stop you by grabbing your wrist.

"You're leaving, just like that? But you're already here."

"Exactly. I am here but Claudia and Irene are not here."

"But I am here, [Name]."

🦋 He saw a pen and grabbed it. "Lets have our own fun. We hadn't done this for a long time." he said. And he was right. Drawing on each other had always been a favorite hobby between the two of you, despite the scolding you'll receive later it was worth it.

🦋 You just gave him a closed eyed smile and agreed, "Alright."

🦋 Felix made sure to take a mental note to thank his sister and Irene later for helping him.

Kill The Villainess

Anakin

🦋 After finishing his part, I realized that it was the same as the one I had previously written with another character and unfortunately I have no more ideas for him. But I promise to write for him next time. If I get any idea that is.

____...______...______...______...____

Marriage of Convenience

Zachary de Arno

"Count de Arno"

🦋 You were outside playing with Nikola, having the time of your lives. Meanwhile, the Count was just staring of at his window, watching you smiling so wide and laughing so carefree.

"Would you like to take a break?"

🦋 Vincent's voice pulled him out of his trance.

"I can call for Our Lady to come here—if you'd like."

"No, no, there is no need to."

🦋 He immediately rejected the idea. Although he would like to spend some time with you, he didn't want for your happiness to be put onto halt. He does notice you becoming stiff and guarded around his presence. He honestly just wants you to feel comfortable around him like how you are currently with the little boy.

🦋 He feels it's very embarrasing and won't ever admit it but he did feel a little envious of the child you were giggling with.

🦋 He cleared his throat along with his thoughts then proceded with his work.

🦋 A little while after, he heard the door open and immediately looked up and he saw you.

"Um... s-sorry to interrupt you work I– "

"It's alright. What brings you here?"

🦋 You gave him his dinner. You asked Vincent about the Count as he was nowhere to be seen during dinner and you got worried for him. You decided to stay at his office until he finish his meal and he didn't object, wishing to spend some time with you. However, both of you were stuck in an awkward silence, neither knowing what to do nor say.

🦋 You saw an extra pen on his desk and out of habit you picked it up and started drawing on your hand, the Count just watching you quietly. After you were satisfied, you look up to see if the Count has finished his meal but instead you both locked eyes, after realization you both looked away.

🦋 You sighed, this time you decided to have courage, it's not like the Count will eat you out alive.

"You know Count, whenever I feel stressed out I woukd usually do this. It relaxes me and I also love to make arts."

🦋 Your oh so charming smile made the Zachary's heart skip a beat. Without thinking, he placed his arm in front of you.

"You can draw on mine too." He says with a little redness on his cheeks.

🦋 You were shock at first, but then chuckled and proceded to do as he said.

🦋 Zachary just looked at you with fondness evident on his eyes. This little moment will always remain forever on him.

Bonus:

Your Smile Is A Trap

Kiyu Ahn

🦋 this was only suppose to be historical manhwa's but I can't resist him. He must me protected at all times🥺

🦋 Kiyu doesn't want to be bothered with this idol thingy anymore. You know that and you respect his decision.

🦋 You were Kiyu's first friend at school, you sat behind him and since he was a new student you thought about helping him adjust. The more time you two spent together, the more the friendship blossom and eventually, you both started dating, only your families knows about this and you both prefer it this way.

🦋 That was until, his identity and real face was revealed. It was a hot mess and Kiyu is feeling pressured and you can see that so you decided to help him ease atleast.

"Kiyu, your hand." you gestured and he complied.

🦋 You picked up a colored marker that was beside you and started drawing on his face. He was surprise but sit still. That was until you started chuckling, he felt a little suspicious and ran to get a mirror.

"[Name]!!!" he screamed your name while you just laughed hysterically.

🦋 You finally calmed down after he returned with a cute pout on his face.

"Oh c'mon! We can always erase that. Here, you can draw on mine too."

🦋 Without hesistation, he picked up a colored marker and started drawing on you. Then it turn into a contest between you two.

🦋 Kiyu was clearly having fun, now the one laughing hysterically at your messy form eventhiugh he was on the same state.

🦋 Seeing him like this made you smile so wide, this was the Kiyu you know, the Kiyu you fell in love with. Having him return to his happy and innocent self made you feel relief, you hoped everyday could just like be this happy and carefree.

"What? *chuckle* why do you look like that?" He asked.

"Nothing, I'm just happy whenever I'm with you. Stop worrying about the others for now and lets have fun, yeah?"

🦋 Kiyu smiled at you gratefully. He felt really lucky to have you, he was blessed with an understanding and caring partner, what more could he ask for.

-honestly, Oceanie-

[cirilla-fiona-riannon]

Francis Drake Main Story

Translations may not always capture the exact nuances or tone of the original text. Expect grammatical errors.

On the night I received the earrings from Drake一

Comte: "Drake, you seem to have gotten used to living here, but how is your body?"

Comte asked Drake over a glass of wine at the dinner table.

Comte: "You’re somewhere between a vampire and a human, so I don’t think your bloodlust is that strong."

Drake: "You’re right."

Drake: "I’ve never felt a bloodlust strong enough to make me hungry. I guess I’m no different from a human."

Comte: "I see. In your case and Napoleon’s, the human side might still be stronger."

Comte: "As I mentioned before, there is a possibility that you will lean towards becoming a second-tier vampire if you consume blood."

Drake: "So if I don’t drink blood, I’ll mostly remain human?"

Leonardo: "Who knows? Being a half-vampire is an exceptional case. There’s a lot we don’t understand. But when the bloodlust strikes, the only thing that can satisfy the thirst is blood."

As they were talking, Arthur raised a glass containing rouge towards Drake.

Arthur: "Here’s some advice from me. Blood tastes much better when you get it directly from a girl."

Arthur: "If you bite while being intimate, it’s less likely to be noticed, and the atmosphere becomes more exciting. I highly recommend it."

Theo: "Don’t bring up lewd topics during meals, horny writer."

Vincent: "I still find the taste of blood a little unpleasant. I wish I could be satisfied with Blanc, but it’s just a substitute."

Drake: "I’m fine with it. I’m used to the taste of blood."

Everyone at the table looked surprised by Drake’s statement.

Vincent: "Drake, have you already tasted rouge?"

Arthur: "You haven’t been secretly biting Mitsuki, have you? We're not allowed to sneak around, you know?"

Mitsuki: "What!?"

Drake: "Haha! Actually, I might have taken a sip."

Mitsuki: "I promise! I haven’t been bitten! Seriously, Drake, stop lying."

I hurriedly denied it, but Drake continued while cutting the meat on his plate.

Drake: "I'm used to it because it was common in my pirate days."

Drake: "During a fight, you get hurt and covered in blood. It wasn't uncommon to swallow some of it."

Theo: "Don't bring up inappropriate topics at the dinner table, Drake."

Drake laughed and took a big bite of the meat.

While listening to the conversation, something suddenly occurred to me.

(How did Drake feel about becoming a half-vampire?)

Napoleon had agonized over being resurrected as a half-vampire against his will.

At first, Drake had doubts about living in a mansion where humans and vampires coexist, but he didn't seem bothered that he was becoming more like a vampire.

We finished our dinner as I pondered these thoughts. As the night deepened, the conversation among those relaxing in the living room revolved around Drake.

Isaac: "Drake, you were resurrected without a contract, right? Wasn't there something you wanted to do in your first life?"

Drake: "Hmm, if I had to think of something, it would be things like wanting to drink more alcohol, eat delicious food, or meet the woman of my destiny."

Isaac: "The woman of your destiny?"

Drake: "The most amazing woman."

(Woman of destiny? I think he said something like that before.)

(Oh, right. When we first met.)

------------Flashback------------

Drake: "Woman of destiny."

---------Flashback Ends---------

The words he mumbled back then must have been an overflow of his final thoughts.

(The most amazing woman, huh? It's vague, but that's probably his type of woman.)

I was a little curious but felt too embarrassed to ask.

Isaac: "You're talking about desires like alcohol, food, and women as unfinished business."

Drake: "I live honestly according to my desires."

Drake: "But if I had to force myself to mention something left unfinished, I’d say to set sail and reach the end of the sea, even if a possible demise awaits me."

Drake's eyes seemed genuinely serious as he said this.

(He really seems like someone who wants to set out to sea.)

Dazai: "It's a poetic and romantic dream for someone like you. Not fearing danger is what one would expect from a captain who has circumnavigated the world."

Drake: "Right?"

Drake: " Accomplishments and great voyages are only fun after you've taken the first step. And revenge."

Mitsuki: "Revenge?"

Drake: "My voyages were always about surviving the tumultuous seas. That's why I want revenge."

Drake: "But it won't start until I get a ship. I wonder if Comte can help with that."

Dazai: "Ahaha! Let's buy a big ship and have a party."

Isaac: "You better not, because Comte might actually buy one!"

The laughter never ceased, even at night.

Several days later, in the morning...

Mitsuki: "Huh? Drake, are you going somewhere?"

While cleaning the yard, I called out to Drake when I noticed him about to leave the mansion.

Drake: "Yup, I just need to run some errands in the city."

Mitsuki: "Are you okay going alone? You're still not very familiar with the town, right?"

Drake: "Don't worry. Dazai showed me around casinos and bars the other day."

(If it's him and Dazai, they probably hit it off and went sightseeing together.)

Mitsuki: "Just be careful not to go to unsafe places. You never know what might happen."

Drake: "Are you worried about me? This monsieur is so happy."

Mitsuki: "As your roommate, it's only natural."

He teasingly peered into my face, and for some reason, my heart skipped a beat.

Drake: "Don't worry, little fawn. I'm not going for fun today. I have other matters to attend to."

Drake: "Besides, I got my stuff back, so there's nothing to fear."

He opened his coat, revealing a knife and a gun hanging from his belt.

Mitsuki: "You're a tough one. I'll try not to worry too much. Take care."

Drake: "Yeah, see you later."

I waved my hand and resumed my work as he walked away.

(What kind of errands is he running? It's rare for him to go to town alone.)

(Is he going to meet with someone?)

He was the type of person who could easily make friends with anyone, so it wouldn't be weird if he already had friends.

(Wait, is that someone a woman?)

That thought popped into my head, bringing me back to reality.

Mitsuki: “Stop it, Mitsuki! Don’t stick your nose into someone else’s business.”

I turned my attention back to my work to sweep away those unnecessary thoughts.

Sebastian: “Mitsuki, could you bring the pets’ food later?”

Mitsuki: “Sure!”

Mitsuki: “Draco seems to really like the food you make.”

Sebastian: “I’m honored.”

Sebastian happily smiled when I told him this while doing his chores.

Sebastian was like the ultimate butler—he always went the extra mile to make sure everyone, including the pets, felt totally at ease.

Sebastian: “By the way, the name Draco sounds like it'd suit a pirate.”

Mitsuki: "I heard it was originally Drake's nickname. I think it means devil."

Mitsuki: “Huh? But if it means devil, shouldn’t it be a demon? What language is Draco?” **

I tilted my head in confusion, and Sebastian raised his index finger.

Sebastian: “Before explaining that, let’s have a quiz. What do you think is the origin of Draco?”

Mitsuki: “Draco, Draco... Wait, dragon?”

Sebastian: “Impressive, that’s correct. You got it in one shot.”

Sebastian: “Draco means dragon in Latin. In some cultures, dragons and demons are considered the same.”

Sebastian: “The surname Drake itself also derives from the word dragon, so perhaps as a homage to the awe-inspiring nature of dragons, Draco, with the meaning of devil, was used as the name.”

Mitsuki: "Wow, Sebastian, you really are something. You even know the origin of the names."

Sebastian: "Well, I used to be a historian. By the way, that person's name also has the same origin."

Mitsuki: "That person?"

Sebastian: "Vlad."

Sebastian: "His family name, Draculesti, also means dragon."

(That's an interesting connection between Drake and Vlad.)

(Come to think of it, I haven't introduced them to each other yet.)

Sebastian: "Oh dear, is it this late already?"

Sebastian: "I got carried away. Mitsuki, could you do me a favor?"

Afterward, I went to the city's university.

The favor Sebastian asked me to do was to deliver something to Isaac.

------------Flashback------------

Sebastian: "Lately, Isaac has been staying late at the university for his research."

Sebastian: "He has a unique condition where he needs to consume rouge five times a day, so could you deliver this rouge and food to him?"

---------Flashback Ends---------

(I'm here at the university, but I have no idea where Isaac is.)

I wandered around the campus, but everyone was in class, so I couldn't find anyone to ask.

(Hmm. I guess I'll have to wait for the class to end.)

Deciding on that, I looked up at the sky in the courtyard and saw the moon.

(The moon is so pretty.)

(It's quiet around here. It's making me feel so relaxed.)

Lost in the beauty of the moon, I walked without realizing someone had come out of the corner of the building.

Mitsuki: "Kyaah!"

???: "........."

I accidentally bumped into someone, and the thick book they were holding fell to the ground with a thud.

Mitsuki: "I'm sorry! Are you okay?"

???: "Be more careful."

Hey, little fawn. There's something that's been bothering me lately. It's not about the 19th century or vampires. It's about you.

Apart from me calling you little fawn, does anyone else have a nickname for you?

Because I heard Theo calling you Hondje and Dazai calling you Toshiko-san. I even heard that someone called you a guinea pig.

I can't help but wonder how they even called you that in the first place. Well, I guess they must be wondering about my nickname for you, too.

I'm a bit bummed that someone else had their own nickname for you before I did. So, I have a suggestion.

Let's not have anyone other than me—oops, I mean anyone other than me and Draco call you little fawn. Why? Because I don't like it.

Even though you're my little fawn, if everyone else starts calling you that, it'll feel like they took you away from me.

So, let's make little fawn a special privilege for us. Can I get your approval, little fawn?

Previous Part ╎ Masterlist ╎ Next Part

[dangoulains-devotion]

my humble onions on That One Bit Of Dialogue™ (you know the part) from that spooky Nibel sidequest

Prefacing this by saying I'm very chill with whatever they decide to end up doing with Vincent as long as it's interesting and not just "surprise twist for the sake of surprise twist" if u get what I mean. And seeing other theories is fun! So I thought I might share my own

But my personal first impression when he said he'd had plenty of chances to pull the trigger but couldn't doesn't necessarily mean he's talking about literally shooting sephiroth. I parsed it more as a "I knew very well that something was likely to go awry with Sephiroth even if the Jenova detail wasn't known to me, I knew that Lucrecia had chosen to experiment on her unborn child, I knew that with Hojo involved it was going to be a disaster, I knew I knew I knew. But I still couldn't bring myself to stop any of it from happening because I couldn't bear to hurt her."

From what I remember from that sit-down at the table flashback scene in Dirge, he was aware that Something was going to happen to this child but he couldn't have known what. If we're going to follow the line of pulling the trigger literally, I felt like it was more aimed at Hojo in that he regrets he didn't shoot first... My man's could've negated like All of FF7 if he'd beaten Hojo to the punch lmfaoghskhg

Vincent very much does not and has never come across as someone to kill a child or consider doing so, sure he was a turk but I feel like the whole thing with Reno after the plate drop was supposed to drive home that as much as they know certain abhorrent things are part of their job, it doesn't mean that they necessarily want to or feel good about it.

I am certainly interested still in what's gone on in the remakes with his situation of what we previously knew as him sleeping for his sins - the room itself didn't seem like it'd been untouched for 30 years and he had that speaker that let him hear yuffie and barret bantering in the elevator... If he had it as a way of alerting him to intruders, and that it would wake him up, then perhaps there was a literal "I failed to shoot" moment when the Nibelheim Incident was about to happen. He'd have known there was people down there when Sephiroth holed himself up if that was the case, maybe he considered it at that point but hesitated for several reasons

But then again! They kept Crisis Core 1:1, and when Zack finds the coffin, unless Vincent was feigning it to be anti-social, he seemed pretty out cold. So maybe he only started to actively move around/have that speaker *after* the Nibelheim Incident because it tore at him to know that something so tragic happened so close and yet he did nothing because he was asleep... So it was a choice made to be more vigilant? Who knows!

This is kinda rambly and somewhat out of order which I apologise for. It's not even my full thoughts about this damn character, we'd be here all day if I unravelled it all in detail! But I do think that, provided Dirge doesn't get retconned completely, it's likely he considers his gravest sin regarding Sephiroth was that he didn't intervene to divert the poor child's fate before it was even born. And when I say intervene I mean stop the experiment from proceeding rather than tucking his tail and letting the woman he cared for make One Real Fucked Up Choice (that's a part of Lucrecia I appreciated and kind of really hope they don't lighten or retcon about her - the way her ambition and drive was her greatest strength but also her worst traits in that it meant her sense of ethics and the like was tossed to the wayside in favour of Progress™ and Science™.)

Who knows honestly! I'm just glad we got to see him and that he's not optional anymore <3 and that he's a dork besides! I'm also very interested in his left eye... There's some parts where his left eye is much more open than his right when he's wincing or when he back flipped out of the coffin... We've seen he can close them both properly but that small detail felt intentional so I guess we'll seeeeee

I wrote this more as a tossing my 2 cents into the pool, and to organise some of my thoughts I suppose... Cid and Vincent were the two parts I was most excited for with Rebirth and after having completed it as well as side quests and the QB storyline I have much 2 think about...

If you read all the way to here then I appreciate u sticking with my rambling... I am mentally unwell about that tragic old man 🫡

[thewhumpcaretaker]

What r ur thoughts on HopelesslyDevoted(Chidi x Vincent)? :3 they’re sooo doomed bodyguard x boss yaoi

I HAVE. SO MANY. THOUGHTS.

Once again you poisoned my brain, thank you. Ever since that gorgeous fic...dang. Well, now I can yap about it!

TW: mentions of drug use and an abusive family, and NSFW stuff

Okay so first of all, let's think about the nature of a personal bodyguard in the JW universe. This is not just anyone who has the necessary qualifications. This has to be someone who is willing to die for you and who absolutely will not betray. (I believe Gianna picked Cassian for that reason but that's another story). So Chidi did something for Vincent that proved he would be loyal to the death.

What did he do? I think he was a Myrmadon who was serving under Vincent's father, back when Vincent was younger (around college-age). So they've known each other for a long time - it's actually sort of a friends-to-lovers situation. He was around Vincent, but not allowed to speak to him most of the time - or at least, it would have been awkward to do so. He just watched him from afar and became very fond of him, and they talked occasionally. At some point, perhaps during an attack by a rival family, Chidi was ordered to focus on defending property or another De Gramont family member but he disobeyed and saved Vincent's life instead. You could even go so far as to say that he saved Vincent's life instead of his father's - that would be a lot of drama. In any case, he expected to be executed for what he did, but instead, Vincent made him his personal bodyguard.

Why is Chidi so in love loyal? Because he's thoroughly charmed by Vincent. He admires him in every way. Here is a man who's breathtakingly beautiful, wildly charismatic, intelligent, talented...don't get him started on it honestly, because he could praise Vincent forever. Vincent is also more social than Chidi could ever be (this is very much an extrovert-adopts-an-introvert situation). He sees Vincent's more potentially negative characteristics too, such as his pride and arrogance, but doesn't see them as flaws. He's also one of the few people who has really seen what Vincent has been through on a personal level. They don't often talk about it, but he witnessed Vincent being mistreated by his family pretty frequently and it made him massively protective. He gets why his bien-aimé is like this.

How did Vincent fall in love? Initially, Vincent mistreated Chidi a lot. He saw someone who was hopelessly devoted to him and thought, "What a fool. Well, at least I can use him." He never did anything really awful, but he was generally rude and mocking, didn't give Chidi any breaks when working, exploded at him in anger, that kind of thing. But over time, little moments of vulnerability happened that a bodyguard inevitably sees. Being tired after a long day. Getting sick. Breaking down after an argument. And Chidi always went out of his way to make sure Vincent was comfortable in moments like that. Vincent slowly started to notice. He also noticed things that he admired about Chidi - his calmness, his determination, his emotional intelligence, his skills with not just fighting, but also cooking and even sewing (idk why but I think he likes to sew and sewed a button back on for Vincent during a fashion emergency at some point). Eventually Vincent started to wonder and secretly hope that there could be something between them, but he couldn't bring himself to say anything - it would mean too much to him to have someone who genuinely cares for him. He didn't dare to confess his feelings and test whether it was true.

So instead he started fucking him, oops! Just casually. For fun. Because they're both hot. Definitely nothing more than that...next thing you know, they're married.

Miscellaneous Things:

They’re both good at fencing and sometimes they spar together. Chidi always lets Vincent win.

Chidi always reminds Vincent that it’s his job to take care of his health in all ways, including mentally and in terms of keeping him clean from drugs.

Chidi service top!!!!

Their relationship is part of the reason why the High Table is so queer accepting - Vincent is the most influential member other than the Elder himself, and he wasn’t going to put up with any nonsense about him and Chidi being together - happy pride!!

[cherry-cola-on-ice]

They're idiots, your honor

In cosmic sort of way, Lester and you were meant for each other.

@brandnewhuman

Out of all three of the Sinclair brothers, it was shocking how much Lester and you didn't get along.

Bo attempted to be courteous. After all, you've seen the dark side of Ambrose and still choose to stay. You could tell that he didn't quite trust you. But despite that, he treated you moderately decently.

Vincent and you had a symbiotic relationship. You thrived on his quiet nature and he used your loud and boisterous attitude. You'd help him clean up after his... sculpting?

( You honestly tried not to think about what was under the wax)

And in return, Vincent helped you with your chores. Together, Vincent and you were more like siblings than Bo and you.

Definitely, more that Lester and you.

You tried to be civil with him and when that didn't work, you tried to ignore his snarky quips. But one person could only take so much, and soon you were throwing insults back.

But you never really meant them.

If you were totally honest, you kind of had a crush on him.

Maybe a little bit more than a crush.

You weren't in love with him, but everytime you saw him there was a unmistakable pang of something in your heart. Something that you guess a normal person would consider love.

But how could you possibly love someone who treated you like that?

Sitting down on the couch, Jonesy jumping up and settling down next to you, a sigh left your lips.

There was always a limit to the malice. A line both of you refused to cross. You thought you'd be the first to break, the struggle of not letting Lester know how much you loved cared for him finally getting to you.

But he fucked up.

He brought up a "no-no" subject as you do childishly called it.

(Maybe he was right?)

Your 'friends' abandonment. The fact that they judge left you there to die, only for you to be the last one standing.

"Ever think there's a reason they left ya?"

"Maybe they couldn't stand your naggin' anymore? "

"Or maybe they didn't want to be 'round a little crybaby? "

You whimpered, placing your hands over your ears. Like that was going to keep his voice away. No, you refused to cry. He wasn't going to be right.

But the tears came anyway. He was right. You were a childish crybaby, giving everyone else around you a headache with your tears and whining .

Jonsey huffed next to you, but your eyes where too screwed shut to see that man walking in. Lester felt horrible. He knew that he had messed up.

He was being the child here. Pulling the hypothetical pigtails of the girl on the playground. Calling them names and hiding their books. All because he had a crush.

He was a dick. A toxic asshole that treated someone who he cared about like garbage.

His heart broke hearing the whimper escape from your mouth. Slowly, Lester walked up to you, kneeling down "Y/n? Aww, shit. I'm sorry. I shouldn-"

"You were right. I'm nothing but a big, blubbering-"

"No! You ain't like that!"

"No, you were right. There's a reason why my friends tried to leave me to die."

"They didn't deserve you. "

You looked up at him through teary eyes. Lester gave you a smile "I had never been so happy to see someone die."

You rolled your eyes, scooting away from him "P-Please, people don't say things they don't mean. "

Lester grabbed your hands, pulling them off your ears 'No, no. Baby. I was wrong."

Your tears stopped, eyebrows knitting together "Did you just call me...baby?"

Lester eyes widened, his voice stuttering "I...uh- Maybe? "

You giggled, pulling your hands away from his. You wiped away the tear tracks off your cheek "You called me baby~"

It was Lester's turn to blush, nervously scratching the back of his head "Don't make a big deal outta it. Just slipped out. "

"Do you... have feelings for me? "

If he had been taking a drink, Lester was sure he would have spit it out. Maybe ever choked a little. At this point, that seemed less embarrassing. He nervously picked invisible threads of his thread bare flannel "Ya make it sound so... just like whatever. "

"Whatever? "

"Whatever..."

A moment of quietness passed between, the only sound was Jonsey snores. You finally broke the silence "Hey Lester, I think we've been idiots."

"Idiots? "

You smiled at the man "Yeah, absolutely fucking idiots. I think everyone knew but us."

Lester smiled back, his fingers brushing against your cheek "Oh, yeah. Everyone knew, baby. "

Lester leaned foreword, placing his lips on your forehead. You smiled at him, pushing yourself up. You gently placed your lips against his, just the lightest of touch. Lester knew this was heaven.

The giggle you let out out after the kiss was finished made his heart skip a beat. He knew for sure at that moment what he always suspected.

You were his soulmate.

[gummybugg]

find the word tag!

tagged by @digitalsatyr23 here! havent done this tag in a bit, but i have more writing now so its not so difficult to find new words :'D

rules: find the words in your writing and paste a sample here

my words to find: wrong, find, dream, and cloud

(Wasn't sure if this post warrents a content warning, but it does reference suicidal ideation, dissociation, and kidnapping, so be aware.)

...

WRONG

(from my dormant wip the mice come out at night - morgana's pov/diary entry)

I was supposed to have died that day, I found myself thinking. But this thought wasn't out of scorn or hatred for the times I had made since then, it was a matter of fact. I didn't get what I had been promised, yet this time I wasn't so sure what I had expected at the time. Morgana then and now were two cherries separated at the stem. Our concept of what we thought we needed mirrored, the reflection a jarring contrast. "You must have the wrong guy," I found myself saying, cutting through my rampant thoughts. I highly doubted there was anything Vincent could be capable of lying to us about. Even if he decided to tell the others and not me, I was at least 99% certain Juniper would have spilled it by now.

FIND

(from my wip crater city - melony's pov)

Darcy looked down at his hands and the tears that fell into them. "I'm crying." He said, as if baffled by the phenomenon. His voice grew more distant, attempting to fade seamlessly into the background noise. "Look what you've made me do." "Darcy..." I began. "It feels warm and achy. But something is there. It's times like these that make me feel real. Feel human." "Darcy, you are human." "At this moment, I am. In the next few seconds, I won't be anymore. I hate it when emotions fade out of existence..." He sat at my desk with his face buried in his hands. It was customary for when his "mind checked out," as he used to say. "Your emotions don't go away. They're just hiding." He looked up at me with hollow eyes and a slack jaw. But they weren’t hollow because they were empty; they were hollow because they had yet to return. "They're just playing a game of hide and seek.” He grunted in agitated confusion. I sighed, picking up where I left off in the clutter. “Right now, sadness is 'it' and it's having a hard time finding the others. Hmm, I'd wager that anger is hiding in a prickly blackberry bush. Fear isn't always smart, so it's hiding clear-as-day behind a tree. Happiness is relaxing way up high in a tree..." I stood on my toes to prop the last textbook at the top of the shelf. The ridiculous analogy made Darcy chuckle. "It seems it found laughter first," I stuck out my tongue. Darcy came over to help, except my balance was a bit off and the book may have accidentally slipped from my fingers. It knocked him on the head before hitting the floor with a deafening belly flop. Instead of complaining about his head, his eyes lingered on the fallen book for a few extra seconds.

DREAM

Uhhhh none i think

CLOUD

(from my wip crater city - blair's pov)

I slapped the dented trunk of the sedan shut. The trunk was a briefcase from the show Steal or No Steal, and I was the pretty lady in red. But the look on Elijah’s face told me he was not fully convinced that this was the deal of a lifetime. He was starting to get on my nerves. He didn't know how to appreciate an offer of such high demand. It was honestly insulting. However, my TV show escapade was short-lived once I realized that he wasn’t going to let up. He was really upset, wasn't he? I could see it in his vacant stare: his soul had left his body. He took a step back, hands hovering cluelessly at his sides. “Uh, Elijah? What’s wrong, man?” I leaned against the creaky trunk, which snapped further shut, almost forfeiting my balance. It really needed more bungee cords, come to think if it. “This…this isn’t even one of the guys that harassed me.” “Come again?” Elijah was such a joker. “Blair…” The abstraction of my friend clutched my shoulders, causing the damp fabric to press into my skin. His hollow eyes sat constricted in their sockets, white about to burst in urgency. “It’s just some guy with green hair…” “Yeah, and…?” I raised a brow. Of course, he had green hair. What was he going on about? I saw a man with the same colored hair as one of the guys Elijah described, then I…wait, where did I even find this guy? I don’t even remember his face. And it would really be embarrassing to double-check by popping open the trunk. Had I really…? I searched the swirling green clouds for an answer. Then Elijah called my name and my wandering eyes found their way back to his.

...

gently tagging @asterhaze @ditzybitzyspider @forthesanityofsome @frostedlemonwriter @new-royston-cursebreakers and anyone else

rules: find the words in your writing and paste a sample here

your words to find: pull, back, away, and whenever

...

crater city mayhem taglist (dm to be added/removed): @writeouswriter @lyra-brie @digitalsatyr23 @talesfromtheunknowable

[chidoroki]

182 Days of TPN - Day 168

Chapter 168: "Dad"

I know this is the same room Isabella & Peter were seen having their discussion in back during ch165, but to just have two plain chairs in such a large, empty room seems so extra. Regardless of that, I do like the panel of the trio here, even though they're surprised to find no one here due to the fake footage Peter fooled Vincent with that lead them there.

Dunno how all the kiddos are hearing Peter's message since the teams seem to only have one person with a communication device but whatever. Perhaps he's speaking loud enough for everyone to hear.

Although I have a hard time believing the Ratri men were able to tie up the Adam clones without a fight, I guess anyone will yield once you hold them at gunpoint. Also, the absence of Hayato in this panel is a nice hint to his role next chapter.

While the demon guards don't cause much of a problem during the rest of the story, it still would've been better if the kids killed them off instead of put them to sleep. I get that they didn't wanna kill if they didn't have to, but it would've been one less thing to worry about. Hearing about Sonju & Mujika's execution definitely adds to the stress. Not as much as their deaths could have, but we're thankful Peter was stupid enough to actually wait three days.

Along with all the citizens who drank the evil blood being killed, the Ratri clan and the higher-up demons taking control of the government, let's add the plan to assemble a ton of new Lambda farm into the mix as well. Talk about a big time panic. The premium farms don't sound so bad now huh?

Oh Vincent, you dunno these kids as well as you thought if you honestly believe they would shoot the adults in front of them. Emma, Ray, Don & Gillian couldn't manage to fire a shot at Andrew back when he held Dominic & Alicia hostage after the shelter raid. You're best bet would've been Oliver. This goes back to that old post of mine wondering who, among the kids, would be able to shoot at another human, but I still believe Ray could manage it, if only as a last resort.

The thought of Norman firing at another person was always a toss up for me though. Of course he showed no mercy towards demons during this WM phase, so even with the clear difference between demon and human, I wouldn't have been completely surprised if that cold persona of his came back with a vengeance once he heard Vincent get shot. Peter's been a thorn in Norman side ever since Lambda, so having this bastard personally hurt one of his friends just adds fuel to the fire. Norman (& Ray) did often mention taking down Isabella & Krone back during their GF days if they wanted to escape successfully, so they have level of brutality, it's just been real lowkey. Thankfully none of the children need to get blood on their hands. They've suffered enough already.

Please never say those words with your mouth. No one in this world considers you as that.

Hell yeah Oliver, let him know what's up!! I love that he, Zack & Gillian feel so strongly about the word "dad" because of the relationship they had with Lucas. The same can be said about Ayshe & her father but I can ramble more about all that next chapter.

Favorite panel/moment:

If you've been around me for a while, then you already know how damn hilarious this panel of Norman is to me.

I mean, in context, it's pretty serious, but thanks to a silly edit I've made years ago, I can't look at this panel anymore and not laugh like an idiot. So, now's the perfect time to upgrade it from a noticeable bad edit I made in the car on my phone once upon a time to something more worthy to use every time I lose my mind.

[blametheeditor]

I just had this idea, wouldn’t the smell of the giants be amplified for the smalls? Everything else is amplified. David’s cologne would be overpowering to anyone unfortunate enough to be near him (he would wear it you can not change my mind). Like the bacteria that creates smell would be more/bigger to tinies than to the giants so in my peanut brain it makes sense! I understand if this makes you uncomfortable though as smell is… weird. Just an idea I wanted to share. Have a great day!

Anon, I have made an entire saga on your idea alone.

It just didn't want to work with me! So I made three separate stories, all about 2,000 long, and then I combined them together. I'm not lying when I say I want to write another one to tag onto it.

So I hope you feel validated! We will have peanut-sized brains together because I absolutely agree and love it! AND, I hope you have a great day as well!

Ignorance At Its Finest

Content Warnings: Cursing. Mentions of murder. Mentions of death. Treating people as lesser than. Unintentionally making someone scared. Being uncaring toward others. Being unsympathetic toward others.

It's all fun and game until Fritz claps back with the 'you smell like'

___________________________

David never thought him wearing cologne would ever be an issue.

Look, he’s a business man. He understands certain things are luxuries, knows the difference between needs and desires.

He’s also a very wealthy man who doesn’t need anyone telling him how to live his life.

Besides, out of everything he has, from the house that’s considered too big for only one person to live in, to the insanely expensive car that sits in his garage and is used once a year, he never thought something that costed a fourth of what one suit in his wardrobe does would make such a ruckus.

Yet here he is.

"Excuse me?”

“The cologne needs to go,” Vincent repeats as he continues to walk toward the door. Because this was stated at the very end of their first meeting, the purple man making it seem as if this is final.

“Hold on!” David exclaims, standing up to follow the other. “You can’t just say-!”

“I did.”

“-there’s no reason-”

“There is.”

“-you have no right-”

That’s when Vincent turns with a look of murder in his eyes. “Oh Davey, I have every right. Besides, it’s just cologne! You’re not going to die without it. The same can’t be said if you keep it, though!”

And that’s how David was left, staring open mouthed after the thing that criticized him for wearing cologne.

He ignores it. Because as much as Vincent terrifies him, it was an inconsequential thing. Honestly he’s unsure how the purple man even knew he was wearing it. Unlike high school boys, he knows how to properly wear it, not to mention it was only spritzed across his neck and not his wrists.

“Go wash your hands and face.”

David knew the name ‘Scott Cawthon’ didn’t belong to a fellow giant. As much as he loathed the idea of one of the lowly creatures technically in a position higher than himself, there wasn’t much he could do.

The only saving grace was the fact the man hadn’t been to his restaurant yet. Only phone calls demanding certain information as well as reviewing the documents that had a singular letter missing. Though it wasn’t certainly fun to realize the resident mutated grape favored the little pest. Meaning when he first hung up on Scott bitching at him, he got a lovely visit, and therefore has to keep himself from so much as accidentally ending the call before his supervisor was truly done.

Today was a special day, however. Apparently, wanting a human to get transferred to his restaurant required a personal visit from the voice over the phone. ‘Ensure the poor boy won’t get stepped on by an egotistical asshole of a giant’ was the exact quote.

When he first spotted the miniscule thing standing in his doorway, he wasn’t impressed. Unlike David as he sits at his desk with gelled hair and a full piece suit, Scott apparently thought appropriate work attire consists of a graphic t-shirt and shirts, his hair left to do as it pleases.

With the words acting as greeting, David’s pissed. “Would you like to repeat that?”

Scott doesn’t hesitate. “Go. Wash. Your. Hands. And. Face.”

“You little-”

“You want a human to come work for you,” the man snaps. “I’m the one who gets to approve or deny your request.”

David glares as it becomes clear Scott does in fact have power over him. And unlike Vincent, someone who should have it considering he stands only an inch shorter than the giant, it’s a human who couldn’t stop being squeezed in a fist or kicked by a shoe.

Yet here they are. Scott having the upper hand with his position in the company, and an extremely dangerous giant who’s at his beck and call.

“May I ask why?” David snarls.

“Your cologne. I know Vince brought it up on your first day.”

Goddamn it!

“What is with you dumbasses and cologne? It’s not like it’s hurting you.”

Scott goes silent. Looks him up and down. “David, out of everyone you could’ve requested to get transferred, why did you want a human?”

He’s not admitting that might’ve only crossed his mind to check once he saw the impressive notes regarding Fritz Smith.

You could’ve backed out.

And let someone waste potential like that?

You own a giant only restaurant. What could a little pest like him do for you?

…that’s a valid question.

“Is this an interrogation?”

“This is an interview. If you have adequate answers for a job description that is nigh-impossible for someone who stands no taller than the fingers of the customers who come here, then we can move onto what you’ll be doing to ensure his safety.”

“I need a face for the restaurant,” David begins with a scowl. “His profile states the animatronics are extremely respectful and mindful of him, some even say they ‘favor’ him. And considering the long list of being fantastic with customer service, glowing reviews, and coworkers stating how reliable he can be as well as the person to go to in any situation, he would be a valuable asset to have him assisting in customer relations while I focus on the business.”

Scott gives a look. “Is it safe to assume you want a secretary?”

Yes.

“My animatronics should be overseen by someone with experience. Considering the dark past Fazbear Corporation hired me specifically to eradicate.”

“God I hate business men.”

“Did I pass your test?” David sneers.

Scott wipes a tired hand over his face. Sighs because he knows the giant is right.

“David, I know this is hard to believe, but the world doesn’t revolve around you. Meaning Fritz will need safety precautions put in place-”

“I’m not an idiot, Scott.”

“-and giants realizing how much they affect humans. This includes your footsteps causing earthquakes, yelling capable of bursting our ear drums, and cologne being almost suffocating.”

David finds himself stopping himself midsentence as the last part registers. Because, of course, he never thought about nor cared how any of his actions effected their smaller counterparts. Not to mention he tries to avoid them all together.

“Aren’t you technically a mile away?”

“I can smell it from here.”

The business man immediately scoffed. “Bull-”

“I’m sure you get plenty of compliments on it, I was getting a nice warm smell with spice undertones when I was first entering the hallway. But standing here, I feel like I’m going to get knocked out from the earthy musk, and the flower doesn’t help mixed in with citrus and chocolate.”

David’s mouth drops for a second before he snaps it shut.

“No more cologne.”

. . .

Fritz is well aware David wears cologne.

When he was first getting transferred, Scott had approached him to ensure he was okay with changing restaurants. And not just the typical checking how far the commute will be and confirming his pay will stay the same or increase. No, the meeting was more in the direction of-

“Your boss will be an egotistical giant who thinks humans are nothing more than pests.”

Honestly, Fritz appreciated the sandy haired man warning him. Despite the older being a human himself, certain things are obvious when someone owns or works for a business that’s categorized as ‘giant only’. He might be a naïve teenager, but it’s impossible to completely avoid belittling comments and actions that every human receives at least once in their life.

Those who live in human only cities might not, but it’s guaranteed working at a restaurant that caters to both counterparts.

“It sounds…interesting.”

Scott had stared at him. “You’re seriously considering it.”

“Think of it this way,” Fritz grinned, held his hands out to physically stop the judgement. “On one hand he was definitely too prideful to back out again once he realized I was human. But if you didn’t immediately tell him no once meeting him, then it sounds like he’s willing to make some changes!”

“And turn you into a stress ball.”

The redhead tensed up at that. Paled at the thought that, if he agreed to it, then he’ll be completely at the whim of not just one giant, but an entire restaurant.

He knows there’s multiple reasons for people wanting to go to only businesses. Taking into account the fact they’re talking about a children’s restaurant, putting giants and humans together isn’t always the best idea. Kids get rowdy, don’t understand the moving action figure is actually a person, and it’s almost impossible to constantly stare at the ground while waiting tables.

Not every giant who works or goes there will treat him like a nuisance who shouldn’t be there.

But for those who do, would he feel comfortable knowing not even his boss cares if he’s safe or not?

“…what’s the updated job description?”

“Greeter,” Scott grunted, watched the surprised expression before he continued. “As well as animatronic watcher, coordinator, and on-hand assistant.”

“Like, on-hand-?”

“I can guarantee you will be grabbed randomly multiple times without being asked first, and not just by David. Your potential coworkers weren’t too happy about me being there. Not as much as your boss, but they won’t respect your preference on how to be picked up. Or if you’d want to be in a hand at all for that matter.”

Fritz looked down in thought. Nearly flinched at someone stepping outside the human hallway they walked in to speak privately.

Snapped his head up with something akin to panic. “Did they touch you-”

“No,” Scott stated gently. Smirked. “They know not to so much as look at me. I’m worried about you.”

Fritz hadn’t known where exactly the human blatantly worried for his safety has in the chain of command. Knew he was the person to go to when it came to hiring, finalizing reports for those who ‘quit’ or got fired, but even a lowly waiter knew the name ‘Scott Cawthon’ held respect and power behind it.

He didn’t have to ask the redhead. Could’ve denied David’s request for any number of reasons without even bringing it up to said employee. Or approved without a second thought and let the teenager get thrown into a circumstance without so much as a warning.

But he had gone to the restaurant. Berated the giant none too fond of those who stand no more than 3 inches tall.

Fritz didn’t want that to be for nothing.

“When can I start?”

Scott sighed. Ruffled his hair. Whacked him upside the head with a look that said ‘you’re an idiot’.

“Tomorrow. And heads up, he wears cologne.”

Fritz was actually confused why that had been a necessary add-on. He works around giants all day long, and never had that been brought up before. He’s noticed when customers and his coworkers come in wearing it, so it’s nothing notable.

He realized why on his first day at his ‘new’ job.

He wasn’t really paying attention at first. David hadn’t been at the door to greet him, instead waiting inside his office just like he had with Scott. Meaning Fritz was more focused on simply surviving the restaurant.

No one would open the door for him. It was Fritz vs. making the perfect timing behind a family while avoiding catastrophic shoes and a slow but very unhuman friendly door.

No one would look at him for more than one second, and even then it was only to sneer down at him. So he had to locate the elusive office himself.

No one would offer a hand either, meaning he was thoroughly terrified trying to get to the wall to travel in safety, forced to sprint as fast as possible and hope some kid didn’t stomp or grab him.

Once he reached the hallway toward the back of the restaurant, had gotten far enough from joyful screams of kids he could actually hear his own thoughts, that’s when he realized two things.

One, he made a terrible mistake agreeing to be transferred.

Two, he could smell something warm with a hint of a spiced undertone.

Fritz didn’t think much of it other than it being a weird second thought. He only continued to travel further into the hallway after spotting a sliver of light escaping from a doorway.

On the plus side, there weren’t any giants walking in and out of the hallway. He was able to take his time and let his racing heart slowly calm down.

But the closer he got, and admittedly worried that if that had been the greeting he received from his coworkers than how is his boss going to react, he couldn’t shake the smell from his thoughts.

It kept getting stronger. Nearly dizzying. He could pick out specific notes from floral, to ‘earthy’, to chocolate.

It hit him as soon as he knocked on the door barely open enough for a human to slip inside. Remembered Scott warning about David wearing cologne.

“I do believe you’re 5 minutes late.”

Fritz tensed up, allowing terror to clench his heart, truly afraid he might be crushed without a second thought. And of course, no one would care. No one would report a lowly human employee ‘disappearing’.

Scott would.

He took a deep breath, nearly choking on the overwhelming smell. “I’m sorry, sir. It won’t happen again.”

Since the beginning of the meeting, he hadn’t been looked at once. The giant suited man remained turned toward his computer, speaking without even looking at the teenager he wanted to hire. But finally hazel eyes much colder than Scott’s glanced over at him.

“Make sure you’re here ten minutes early tomorrow.”

You know, I wonder what I’d prefer. Death by a glare, or death by suffocation via perfume.

“Yes sir.”

Surprisingly, that was the end of it. No specific task to complete. No instructions on what his first day should have. Not even a tour. He was dismissed.

So Fritz did as Fritz’s do. He found the animatronics and immediately struck a deal of having a safe way of getting around the restaurant as well as back up if need be. The best part? He had a long list of bribes thought of on how to convince them to help, but apparently them interacting with a human was enough to bargain with.

And that was that. He had coworkers he could trust as much as possible because Lefty gets grabby when Orville’s around and a boss who ‘trusted’ him on knowing what to do.

He learned the flow of Fazbear Entertainment Center as well as the rules. It really boiled down to getting work done in a timely manner and never bug David. And that meant, if there’s a problem, you make someone ‘David’.

It used to be the day guard named Greg. Until Greg was faced with the issue that Lefty apparently couldn’t keep his paws off the arcade machines. Their boss said ‘take care of it’ and his giant coworker had no idea what to do.

Fritz knew he wasn’t turned to because they realized he didn’t just teleport from place to place. Knew his giant coworkers didn’t pay attention to who exactly swept him off the counter. With the smug look given before a singsong ‘Red!’ it’s safe to say they thought this would be the thing to get him fired.

It’s a right of passage being ‘David’. Fail, and you’re fired without hesitation. Pass, and you get to keep your job.

“Hey Lefty? What if we challenged each other’s high score on the game you choose. I win, you promise to only play before we open and after we close.”

“I win, and I get to challenge you once a day whenever I want.”

Fritz won. Unlike the bear, his other coworkers thought he was delusional for one, trying to bargain with Lefty, and two, think he could play a machine meant only for giants. As if there’s no fancy electronics that can be plugged into any game and allow him to play normally. And if they cared about his safety, they would’ve realized long ago all of the animatronics not only helped him, but respected him with the things he did to make their day better.

Of course, that problem was an easy fix in his eyes.

The issue was that he became ‘David’.

Sometimes it was about the animatronics fighting. Others it was about his coworkers. But a large portion/ was calming angry customers.

He’ll admit, it was draining. But it earned him a lot of respect being able to navigate the best solution for an upset mother or Greg angry at Lefty for hiding his things.

He loves the bear, but the bear is the bane of his existence.

The thing is, with being ‘David’, the true David Harrison took notice.

“Fritz.”

The redhead had to force himself not to jump at the semi-familiar voice he only distantly heard. Because why would the business man waste his time on lowly employees, especially the one human he hired.

Which was fine with Fritz! He didn’t want to be constantly berated with comments of ‘pest’ or looks of hatred or be terrified he’ll get grabbed in a fist and squeezed as if he’s some kind of living stress ball-

“Yes sir?”

“Are you able to join me in my office?”

I don’t have a choice, do I?

“Of course!”

He should’ve expected it. He was standing on the counter for the register. Near the edge because, with how many times his coworkers both giant and animatronics alike grab him, it makes it easier for everyone to just pluck him from his work.

It scared him with the speed David grabbed him. And then he was overwhelmed by the suffocating smell of vanilla/earth/flower.

He couldn’t breathe. And being held in a tighter fist than most giants didn’t help either.

By the time they got to the office, Fritz simply freed onto the desk to catch himself from falling on his face, he felt light-headed.

It’s a miracle he hadn’t tripped and fell. Not with how he stumbled a few times before standing with his legs apart, hands held straight on either side, the world seeming to spin, and with each deep breath he took he was only slapped with yet another wave of the cologne.

David stared at him with an unamused look. “What are you doing?”

Fritz panted, trying to breathe without perfume tainting the air, coughing as it just seems to be everywhere. “C-Cologne.”

He received a blank stare. And knowing Scott being as thoughtful as he was, he’s sure the eldest guard had made a comment about it.

It looks like he’ll just have to get used to it.

. . .

David realizes he is the only one who doesn’t realize how much his actions effect humans.

He’ll admit, he’s egotistical. And despite the fact he’s a giant and therefore should be knowledge of how his actions effect those no taller than 3 inches less tall, he doesn’t take the time to be self-aware concerning the smaller counterparts until he’s addressed and told he needs to change a few habits.

It happened when he didn’t watch the ground as he walked, something Vincent had to physically yank him back from possibly stepping on Scott.

It happened when he didn’t realize he turns whatever he’s holding into a stress ball, James seemingly appearing to save Fritz with the redhead too panicked to speak.

It happened when he allowed himself to forget he had a human in his pocket, Mike promising to kick his ass if he ever forgot about a Jerber, and by extension, Irish Jig, Egged Jackass, Hell Spawn, or Phone Guy ever again.

David trusts the others to tell him when he needs to pay more attention, or change something in his routine. Not because he truly trusts them, but because he has much better things to do than realize what the humans he interacts with need.

The only problem is, while the other giants are more self-aware and therefore will watch and teach him how to ensure no one gets severely injured by his hands, they don’t know everything. And if one of his human ‘coworkers’ ever brought up something to him, he would’ve forgotten about it in seconds.

That’s what he believed happened with his cologne. Because Vincent doesn’t count when it came to his first week of meeting the mutated grape.

The only time David remembers anyone bringing up his cologne was during a birthday party at what’s considered Fazbear Entertainment’s ‘first location’. Considering Mike’s the night guard, he’s usually asked to assist the day guard to ensure everyone is safe. Especially due to the restaurant being a mixed one for humans and giants alike, a large party can become concerning.

The only problem was Mike getting sick and needing to stay home.

If this had been before multiple locations being shut down and needing to turn a new leaf less the entire franchise is shut down for good, any human would’ve been asked. Meaning Jeremy would’ve been contacted, though most likely Scott being forced to take his place.

But this was after. So to keep up the good name David bent over backwards to accomplish, a giant had to be found.

Vincent was an obvious no. James apparently had classes to attend.

That’s why David of all people got summoned.

“You do realize I’m a restaurant owner,” he growled down at Scott. Who, surprisingly, hadn’t looked smug in the slightest seeing him at Mike’s location instead of his own. More just looked tired.

He hated it more that Fritz, Eggs, and Scott had been told to come as well. But apparently three humans working together can’t replace an actual giant.

“David, I might be your supervisor, but Afton had to approve someone ‘unqualified’ to take role of a day guard.”

“No one’s qualified.”

“That’s why I put air quotes around it. Just watch for any humans getting grabbed. Mike can do it, so it can’t be that hard.”

David knew what the bastard was doing, comparing him to Mike of all people. But it worked, and he fell silent. Obediently watched the running kids. Upset with himself he had forgotten to bring earplugs considering he can’t duck into his office once a headache began to form.

Realized with a start Fritz had seemingly disappeared from the human area.

In the back of his mind, he knew the redhead at worked at that location previous to being transferred. He also was aware that, despite Mike being Mike, their lead guard knew how to protect both humans and giants alike. Was arguably the best for keeping track and stopping some brat from snatching someone up before it happened.

David doesn’t really watch his only human employee in the giant only restaurant he owns. He both loathes and appreciates the comparison, but he is a bit like Afton in the way Scott is protected purely by name and association across all locations. Everyone who comes into Fazbear Entertainment Center knows Fritz is his human that is never to be touched.

But unlike Afton, no one at Freddy Fazbear’s know the redhead is his. Not when he’s only stopped at the location previously to draft plans on better improving the reputation past the ‘rumors’ of murder and missing night guards.

David cursed before quickly leaving his post, eyes scanning across tables in the hopes of spotting a living action figure having been abandoned. He moved onto searching the floor, wanting to not think about any human attempting to dodge and hide from giants unknowing and uncaring if the smaller counterparts ended up underfoot.

While his search was methodical, he didn’t see a single glimpse of a human. No miniscule flame of-

“HARRISON!”

David froze. Turned toward where he could’ve sworn he heard “Eggs?”

“TABLE! PARTY HAT!”

The business man hadn’t known what he was expecting, but it certainly hadn’t been the human mechanic breathing in relief when a cheap purple and red hat was lifted up to free him. Yet there he was, and David had no choice but to offer a hand that was immediately leapt onto.

Despite the fact Fritz was still missing, he took a moment to look at the chosen item to keep Eggs trapped. “Were you yelling my name the entire time?”

“If you ever became a human 101,” the blond began, slumped into the curled fingers cupped protectively against the giant’s chest. “Don’t ever make a sound until you know a trusted giant is around.”

“How the hell did you know it was me?”

“Dude, I can smell you from a mile away. We need to get Fritz from Freddy, though.”

The idea of Eggs apparently smelling him left his mind the second the human he specifically went looking for was brought up. “Freddy as in…”

Eggs gave him a look like he was losing it. “Fazbear? How many Freddy’s do you know!”

David rolled his eyes. Dropped the blond into his suit pocket. Made his way over to the animatronics locked on stage. “How would I immediately assume Freddy Fazbear had him.”

“Because despite that fact he’s your employee,” said bear begun with a growl, David left frozen at the hostile tone. “You allowed someone to grab him right in front of you.”

“Have anything to say for yourself, David?” Chica added, looking smug as hell.

David. Demeaning and angry attitudes. He had forgotten not all locations were like his animatronics, programmed to address everyone formally by last name and be nothing more than passive aggressive.

“It’s busy,” the giant bristled. “And I realized he was missing and went looking for him. Now hand him over.”

Freddy’s ears flicked unhappily, but his paw offered the redhead as Bonnie snipped “Shit wouldn’t have let either of them get swiped.”

“Well I’m not Mike. Your fucked up night guard will be back by tonight.”

The animatronics didn’t say anything else as he walked away. Or maybe they had, and he was too focused on checking Fritz over for injuries.

“Mr. Harrison, I’m fine,” told him the human had been more shaken up than he let on, voice wavered and hands shook as his prodding fingers were shoved away. “Thank you for finding us.”

“Thanks for trapping me in a pocket, bitch!”

Scott agreed to forcing the two to have a time out once they were put where they belonged. It wasn’t able to be long, not with the party still scheduled for another hour, but David didn’t let any of the three out of his sight after that.

That’s what lands them to now, with him frozen at the door after walking in for their weekly get-together after Eggs called over to him.

“Harrison, is that a new perfume?”

David mentally stumbles over his words until he finally manages a few. “You can smell it from there?”

He can barely see where the blond stands on a table several feet away. He’d be impressed if he wasn’t unnerved and hoping it was guessed purely to try and get inside his head.

He can’t even confirm the miniscule head is tilting in confusion. “Uh, yeah?”

No fucking way.

“No you can’t.”

“Still an earthy smell like your other one,” Scott joins in, freezing David in his tracks once again. “There’s a really small hint of vanilla instead of chocolate. Vince would be the one who can name the flower if he was here tonight, but that’s different too.”

How in the hell-

“Please tell me it’s not on your wrists,” Fritz pipes up if a bit tiredly.

“What’s that supposed to mean!”

At the sound of him being almost distraught, everyone at the table looks over at him, the humans exchanging looks.

“David,” Scott probes. His gentle tone encourages the giant to finally walk the last stretch to the table. “Do you realize just how much your cologne affects us?”

“No.”

“Vince told me he addressed it with you on your first day,” the human deadpans.

David can believe that. He’s also aware of how much the purple man is a bitch.

“I had also made a comment…” Eggs prods.

Yes. Though it was small. And again, he can’t trust the blond for shit.

Scott face palms as frustration slowly appears. “I also told you when we first met.”

Now David does not remember that in the slightest.

The business man looks the information over in his head. Turns it this way and that. Comes to the conclusion the humans in their group including Fritz are being dramatic. Though it’s hard to explain knowing the key notes to his newest cologne, Eggs could’ve found out and did reckon before tonight just to mess with him.

Despite being silent before, James straightens up. “So, much like how our voices are loud even when we’re whispering, smells act in the same way.”

David doesn’t miss Fritz glancing between him and the horror guard. “Right. When giants wear cologne or perfume, it’s pretty potent. Sometimes gets a little overwhelming, especially around the wrists if we’re picked up.”

“Then it might be a good idea we’re conscious of not wearing too much. Never on the wrists.”

David knows what James was doing. This is how he explained humans shouldn’t be treated like a stress ball at least unknowingly, a calm and specific explanation so it’s easy to understand.

Of course, it works. He’ll change his habits concerning putting cologne on before leaving the house. “You’ll just have to deal with it tonight.”

“Because James said something,” Scott snaps.

“Be happy I'm listening at all.”

“Because you never do!” the eldest guard exclaims, standing up as he begins to gesture. “I guarantee Fritz brought up not being able to breathe at least three times before giving up. I did bring it up and proved it when we first met, but you didn’t bother to even remember. Eggs constantly patronizes you with comments regarding it. But you don’t listen until a God damned giant tells you!”

Well I can trust a giant’s judgement, I can’t trust a human’s.

David nearly says it. And then he sees Fritz’s expression like he’d been betrayed.

“I…hadn’t realized,” the giant says carefully.

Scott narrows his eyes. Eggs makes a motion that says ‘bullshit’.

“In the future,” David sighs. “I will try to listen better.”

“Bet $50 it’ll last a week at the most.”

“$100 it’s two,” the business man immediately fires back at the smug looking blond.

“I’ll give it a day,” Scott snarls.

[thethrobbingmembers]

THE THROBBING MEMBERS REVIEW: The Devil in Winter by Lisa Kleypas

I wanted to be horny about this book, but they kept being racist. - Catherine

St. Vincent may not know his flowers, but he knows a bitch when he sees one. Also, this book had the perfect ratio of degrading misogyny to "Let Me Massage Your Feet." - Smurf

Honestly, romance novels have trained me that if it's not love at first sight then it's not real. -Margo

Both problematic in a fun way and problematic in an unfun way. -Lily

I Can Change Him: A Novel. (Though you could say the innovation here is that she's able to do so with very little effort on her part.) -Cindy, guest reviewer

Dream Cast

Evie

Sebastian

Theme Song: Young Lover by St. Vincent

Summary: Evie, an unloved wallflower, needs to marry quickly so that her evil family doesn't kill her for her fortune. Sebastian, who kidnapped Evie's friend in the last book, is prime husband material. Evie convinces Sebastian to elope with her. Will they fall in love? Who knows???

Review:

Here's what I remember about this book: KIDNAPPING (tragically offscreen), eloping, being cold in a carriage, DEAD DAD, attempted kidnapping again but not in a sexy way, egregious racism, and then way too much plot devoted to club management.

Here's what I took away from this book: Lisa Kleypas, like many authors, wants to write a sexy villain character but can't COMMIT. We know that Sebastian kidnapped someone in the last book, but the Sebastian we meet in this book would never do such a thing. He's too damn nice. His character has transformed to be loving and gentle, all while Kleypas tries to convince us that he's a bad, bad boy.

Here's what else I remember: the insanely racist treatment of Cam. Every time he's on page, he's referred to by his race instead of, you know, his NAME and he exists purely to ravish one of Evie's friends and then not even be her love interest in the next book. The story would be fun, but the racism takes away so much.

-Sarah

6/10 stars

Additional Ratings

Historical Accuracy: 2/10

Lisa Kleypas didn't seem to know what year it is, and neither did we.

Sexy Sex: 8/10

Loved it, loved how problematic it was. Could have been 10/10 but Kleypas never goes full crazy. BOO.

Trauma Score: 5/10

Evie's dad dying was genuinely a huge bummer. Also, Sebastian has a blink-and-you'll-miss-it tragic backstory, but I blinked and so I missed it.

Nicknames: -5/10

Child was fine at the start but he kept going back to it. WHY? Also, Evie's dad called her "Tangletongue" because of her stutter. Absolutely brutal.

Mystery: 7/10

No one figured out the big twist except Sarah, who feels gaslit.

Notes: This book was so fun and then the author would say something truly deranged.

[beauzos]

don't want to keep inundating op of the previous reblogged post with tags so gonna keep talking about Jerome Horn here. okay, so there's this bit in the second late chapter i wrote where he asks Vincent if he'd have the guts to kill Beau if he had to, and Vincent says no, and Jerome flat out says "love means doing the right thing, and that includes killing him."

and i don't think Jerome is a bad person for saying that necessarily. callous and weird, sure. he is profoundly good at compartmentalizing things and distancing himself emotionally from what he views as work; killing Beau is work, not a matter of anything personal, no matter how personal it actually is. and honestly i think he feels most comfortable when he is hunting someone than anywhere else. it's what he's good at, and the rest of his life is just killing time.

Jerome strikes me as the type of person who isn't really capable of forming long-term, committed relationships with people, outside of the casual work relationships he has to Casey and Luis. he is deeply bonded to them, to be clear, but he wouldn't bother with them if they didn't work with him to hunt for criminals. i think the bond he has with the both of them is the closest thing he will ever get to having a romantic bond with anyone, and he has no recognition of how he feels about it.

i think Casey Heywood probably has an unhealthy attachment to Jerome in turn. i'm not sure Casey has a life outside of working with Jerome, just as much as Jerome doesn't have one either. i think they're almost in love with each other, but i don't know if they actually are for sure. Casey understands himself a hell of a lot more, but he keeps it buttoned up the way Jerome does because he'd never be brave enough to express anything directly to him. Jerome's never given him a reason to believe that Jerome even likes him that much.

Luis Bravo is different because he's happily married and has adult children. he has a life, has lived a full life outside of the deputy work he does with Jerome and Casey, but he still cares very deeply about the both of them. Luis is probably around his early 50s, late 40s at the youngest. Jerome is about 25, Casey is maybe 28-30. i would reckon he has a familial bond with the two of them. they're like little cousins or brothers or something, even though Jerome is the one calling the shots at all times.

i don't know if he's aware of the intensity of the bond Jerome has to the rest of them; he strikes me as someone who keeps that all buttoned up at all time. the man's man-type deal where he can't just express his emotions, let alone affection of any kind to other men!! he only expresses himself in very safe ways; anger, humor and mockery, that sort of thing. it's 1885, so what else could he do?

i don't even know if Jerome Horn is gay or aroace. he's kind of an enigma that way, and i think he's really interesting. he does care about people, but he never allows himself to make that obvious. he's just this man with perfect separations between every part of himself, and perfect emotional distance between himself and the bonds he forms with others. yet in that distance is a lot of immense, deep love that he has never allowed himself to comprehend or even acknowledge.

[mediawhorefics]

also please talk to me about your favourite Van Gogh AND his favourite quote 🎨

but that could take HOURS !!!!!!!

seriously though, my favourite van gogh painting is the mulberry tree

when i first started making tentative plans to get a visa for NZ, i strongly considered making a longer pit stop in california to go see this painting in person. that's how abnormal i am about it. honestly, i haven't bought my ticket yet so i'm lowkey still considering it....

i feel like the reasons as to why it's my favourite are kinda silly and intangible, but i love the autumnal colours, the warmth of it. autumn is my favourite season and it's so stunning here in qc that there's something comforting and homely to me about it? i'm not an expert in art but i think the contrast between those oranges/yellow/rust with the depth of that blue sky is just so striking. and i love the fact that those iconic van gogh brushstrokes make the tree almost look like a flame. it's kinda giving moses and the burning bush? i'm not religious at all but there's something fascinating about the various ways we can interpret such a simple depiction. i just love her.

my second favourite is head of a skeleton with a burning cigarette.

mostly because it's hardcore af and seeing it in person was such an emotional experience for me. everyone who thinks it's fine to destroy artworks because we have pictures of them is a fucking moron, there's not a single photo of this painting that could have prepared me for the depth of the black and the effect it has on the overall painting. it's gorgeous and it's funny and i love all the different interpretations of it too? vincent was in art school at the time and didn't particularly like it. he thought the whole thing was pretentious as hell and i always read a bit of mockery/a bit of a fuck you to the establishment in it, which simply delights me. i also love the interpretation that this might be a self-portrait in some way? (if it is, it's my favourite one.) and i love how, with what we know of smoking now, it can totally be read as an anti-smoking ad. there's something so modern about it. it's just great. and it's different than the post paris van gogh people know best? this is his pre-meeting vivid colours era and i'm very fond of it.

now quotes.... i can't possibly pick one. here are a couple of depression quotes. reading them for the first time felt like being kicked in the chest by a horse. i felt seen and, actually, so incredibly moved by the universality of human suffering. this idea that across time and through incredibly different circumstances someone could articulate what i was feeling so clearly... there's something magical and comforting about that, despite the pain. it was one of those special moments that so vividly removes the distance between us and the past and just... reminds us that people have always been people, that we have always been going through this since the beginning of time. and somehow, through a very difficult and incredibly lonely moment in my life, i felt companionship. how wonderful: the power of the written word. etc etc.

the first one is this: “For me, life may well continue in solitude. I have never perceived those to whom I have been most attached other than as through a glass, darkly.” which is a sentiment that i felt so sharply throughout my life that it was almost surreal to see it echoed so plainly.

and the second one is of course:

A caged bird in spring knows perfectly well that there is some way in which he should be able to serve. He is well aware that there is something to be done, but he is unable to do it. What is it? He cannot quite remember, but then he gets a vague inkling and he says to himself, ‘The others are building their nests and hatching their young and bringing them up,’ and then he bangs his head against the bars of the cage. But the cage does not give way and the bird is maddened by pain. 'What a ne'er-do-well,’ says another bird passing by – what an idler. Yet the prisoner lives and does not die. There are no outward signs of what is going on inside of him, he is doing well, he is quite cheerful in the sunshine. 

But then the season of the great migration arrives: an attack of melancholy. He has everything he needs, say the children who tend him in his cage – but he looks out, at the heavy thundery sky, and in his heart of hearts he rebels against his fate. I am caged, I am caged and you say I need nothing, you idiots! I have everything I need indeed! Oh, please give me the freedom to be a bird like other birds.

That kind of ne'er-do-well of a person resembles that kind of ne'er-do-well of a bird. And people are often unable to do anything, imprisoned as they are in I don’t know what kind of terrible, terrible, oh, such terrible cage.

I do know that there is a release, the belated release. A justly or unjustly ruined reputation, poverty, disastrous circumstances, misfortune, they all turn you into a prisoner. You cannot always tell what keeps you confined, what immures you, what seems to bury you, and yet you can feel those elusive bars, railings, walls. Is all this illusion, imagination? I don’t think so. And then one asks: my God, will it be for long, will it be forever, will it be for eternity?

Do you know what makes the prison disappear? Every deep, genuine affection. Being friends, being brothers, loving, that is what opens the prison, with supreme power, by some magic force. Without these one stays dead. But wherever affection is revived, there life revives. Moreover, the prison is sometimes called prejudice, misunderstanding, fatal ignorance of one thing or another, suspicion, false modesty.

i think it's pretty self-explanatory and all i can say is: this man knew what it felt like to be at your lowest. i mean.... 'i am caged, i am caged, and yet you see nothing?' and 'my god, will it be for long, will it be forever, will it be for eternity?' ooooooooooooof.

here are a few others quote that always make me go !!!!!

“many people seem to think it foolish, even superstitious, to believe that the world could still change for the better. and it is true that in winter it is sometimes so bitingly cold that one is tempted to say, ‘what do i care if there is a summer; its warmth is no help to me now.’ yes, evil often seems to surpass good. but then, in spite of us, and without our permission, there comes at last an end to the bitter frosts. one morning the wind turns, and there is a thaw. and so i must still have hope.”

“but you must love with a high, serious intimate sympathy, with a will, with intelligence, and you must always seek to know more thoroughly, better, and more..”

“still, a great deal of light falls on everything.”

“How much sadness there is in life. Still, it won’t do to become depressed, one should turn to other things, and the right thing is work, but there are other times when one can only find peace of mind in the realization: I, too, shall not be spared by unhappiness.”

and that one time he said: “poverty stops the best minds in their tracks”. like... yeah vincent. it really does.

anyways i could do this for 50h but my copy of he book has about 6-7 post-its on every page and i just can't dig in properly rn. suffice to say i love him.

[rainagaintomorrow]

Naw, see this is what I'm talking about! Y'all really are shady as hell on Tumblr but wanna act so friendly in the discords. That's what's funny to me, personally!

I actually don't feel called out or criticised take my trauma to therapy like an adult unlike other people here. I was minding my black business until I saw y'all had said something absolutely out of pocket and I thought "oh I think not on this delightful Monday". Sounds like you specifically are feeling a little defensive though nonomyre.

I just think it's wild, y'know really wild, that you've determined that a character who's never spoken is abusive...? Cause you fully said people vilifying Vincent as a takes that missed (or in my words, wack ass takes) but like... Alexis being vilified isn't a weird take to you? But people making Cutie an abuser IS? that's just wild like make it make sense? The cognitive dissonance is really strong, huh? Like Vincent gets to be complex? Cutie, who for all intents and purposes abused someone's trust and crossed their boundaries, gets to be complex? But Alexis doesn't????

"I'll admit some projection" SOME? Some sweetheart? We've never heard this character talk outside of imperium (not canon) and really the most anyone's talked about Alexis had been Sam. You know.... The ex? Don't get me wrong I love Sam Collins like I love long walks on the beach and rechargable vibrators (which is to say A LOT) but... You're only gonna hear one side of the story of an admittedly very messy break up? Okayyyy....

Like... If Lovely said "no" to being turned, and then lovely was dead, gone, do not pass go do not collect $200, y'all are saying you honestly wouldn't have had something to say about it? That Vincent should have let them die? Interesting.

Y'all are saying if you had the opportunity to save someone you cared for deeply, someone whose life was in jeopardy and you could fix it right then and they said no, that you'd let them die? Because that's a really fucking hard decision to make, to decide whether you should or shouldn't save someone. I mean maybe y'all are really staunch supporters of DNRs in which case I'm glad you're very passionate about medical law, but Alexis wasn't a medical professional.

God, we barely know anything about her and your "facts" are as much projection as my thoughts of her being nuanced!

It's not like Kody's limp dick busted ass, which is someone consciously choosing to take advantage of someone else because they can and they have power. We don't know for sure WHAT the situation even WAS! Because all we heard was from Sam! Who is very deep in it and obviously is not objective, and that's fine because his life was altered forever. He's got like... All the skin in the game. And his feelings are absolutely valid because it isn't what he wanted and not only did he feel betrayed but like he didn't get the chance to try. I hear that.

But bro... The bare minimum evidence does not suggest to me that Alexis is a horrible person who was trying to control Sam. I didn't write Alexis, sure, so I don't know for sure, but I'm pretty fucking good at reading between the lines as any critical examination of literature requires. I'm also pretty fucking good at reading people and figuring out the difference between someone's memory and subjective experience versus what actually happened. I've been trained, I'm literally being trained again, it's a clinical skill I have to use every day.

If you want Alexis to be an abuser and a bad person Just Because, that's cool because it obviously means something to you. But saying that's a fact and not actually your own conjecture based on the content, the way you read it, your experiences, and your own projection.... That's the part I take issue with. You're shutting down other people's interpretations by saying they're not right but you are which... Is interesting. You get to be the expert and ultimate decider on Alexis? Interesting.

I guess we really must be listening to different YouTube videos.

Anyway the whole thing is very telling about how y'all act direct vs indirect. Like you can say you're not subtweeting but... ion know about that one chief. Block me, it's fine. Block my bestie who literally didn't do anything, but you've been actin real shady towards as well, okay. But you're not gonna talk shit, say you're not talking shit, and act like you're sitting here innocently with these honestly weak ass takes. You put it in the tag, you brought it to the world and unfortunately for you I witnessed you dishing shit on Al Gore's unholy internet, but now you can't take the criticism back?

Your victim identification is showing, and it's telling, that's all I have to say on that. 🤦🏾‍♀️🤦🏾‍♀️😬😬

[mermaidsirennikita]

Hello hello I come bearing Sleepover Asks!

I don't know if it's too many of them but could you rank your fave Kleypas heroes 👀 (feel free to do a heroine version too I just felt like it was alot for one post ahahah)

Aw, how kind! I will for sure do a ranking of my favorite Kleypas heroes. Keep in mind that I'm keeping a few books that I knoooow will be hits (Again the Magic, Then Came You, etc) for when I'm reeeeeeally going off the rails and need something to calm me. So this is not a complete or accurate list.

But!

Derek Craven, Dreaming of You. As the movie title goes, Ieri, Oggi, Domani. I love competence, I love a dark side, I love a man being so overcome by emotion that he just loses his shit.

Kev Merripen, Seduce Me At Sunrise. Honestly, maybe the angstiest hero I've ever read. And I do love angst. I especially love angst with kidnapping.

Sebastian St. Vincent, Devil in Winter. Did somebody say... KIDNAPPING??? Not my classic hero type but theeeee definitive slutty rake hero.

Rhys Winterborne, Marrying Winterborne. It recently struck me that we should make very clear that... five fucking minutes... does not GENERALLY allude to his sexual prowess. By the way, I was sold on Winterborne when he sexually harassed Kathleen and asked her if she wanted a bit o' rough after she ruined his thing with Helen, so I liked him before it was cool.

Marcus Marsden, It Happened One Autumn. We love a lord in the streets, freak in the sheets type.

Leo Hathaway, Married by Morning. I have a thing for a crouching tiger, hidden dom type. I also think that Leo is one of the only Kleypas heroes who's said "pussy" on the page, so. Points.

Like, this is the collection of heres that I think of as *my guys* with Kleypas. That doesn't mean I don't enjoy the others--I really like Keir and Gabriel, I've come to reevaluate Devon Ravenel and enjoy him a lot more, I like Nick Gentry, I think Ross Cannon is a good hero (bad first name, sigh), Jack Devlin is obviously good, Simon Hunt is an icon. Some of these books I really need to re-read sometime, too.

I know that the heroes I don't see the hype for AT THIS TIME are West Ravenel (I'm sorry that book just really didn't grab me and I really really really believe that Leo Hathaway is how you do reformed mess while keeping the edge, while West is what happens when you overdo it), Christopher Phelan (did not connect with that book), Tom Severin (I think he would've sparked with a livelier heroine, Cassandra was just too innocent for him), and Harry Rutledge (another heroine mismatch issue).

And then there are more that I'm just not jazzed about or dislike.