#I hope this made at least a little bit of sense!😅😂

[gamma-gal-24]

for the ask game ive got 2 options for johnny and emma

🐎 - Cowboy AU or

🩸 - Vampire AU

pick ur posion👀

OUGH WHAT A CHOICE THIS IS!! How to choose, how to choose!😭

You know what, I'm goung with the cowboys simply because I feel like Johnny would enjoy western movies!😂

So without further ado, here's Johnny Bravo and Emma Encore in a Cowboy AU!✨

🐴🐴🐴🐴🐴🐴🐴🐴🐴🐴🐴🐴🐴

Okay, picture this- It's almost high-noon, the desert sun is high in the sky and tumbleweeds cartwheel across the dusty town streets. All seems to be calm and peaceful when the sheriff rides in towards the saloon.

Parling her black stallion at the trough, she hops off the saddle, spurs jingling at her heels. Sheriff Encore strides in with a bandanna over her face and makes her way across the saloon over to the bar.

She takes a seat leans against the counter, uncovering her face to shoot the barkeep a bright smile. His big, blonde pompadour makes him hard to miss. He's so big and dramatic compared to everyone else in town; it makes her laugh.

"Afternoon, Bravo! Pour me whatever you recommend, I can't decide today." Emma says with a grin and a laugh. Johnny turns abruptly, glass in one hand and a rah in the other. "HUH-YUH-!" He exclaims, almost dropping everything he holds. "Miss Emma, you say that every time you come in! How come you never know what you want? Is that a woman thing?"

The sheriff just laughs, the upbeat music playing from the piano doing nothing to drown her out. She takes off her hat and sets it on the counter. She comes in every day at thw same time and has Johnny make her two of whatever he likes, one for her, and the other she leaves for him with a wink. It's the same every day.

"You should know better than to ask questions by now, Mister Bravo." She chuckles, watching him pour something into thw glass he had just "cleaned." Johnny was never very tidy. The neatest thing about him was his hair, which he refused to put a hat over. He spills half the drink on the counter every time.

Johnny shoots her one if his smoking, boyish smirks and a wave of his brows. That barkeep is just such a flirt. "Now why would I wprry about knowin' better when I could just get to knkw you instead?"

*end scene😚*

Anyhoo, in case none of that made a lick of sense, in a Cowboy AU Emma would be a sherrif and Johnny the barkeep(who low-key doesn't know what he's doing.)

The dusty little town of Aron is a peaceful one- there aren't hardly any bandits or fights, no, the lady sheriff keeps them all away... Until one day she can't.

A pack of wanted bandits ride in long after sunset and gang up on Emma five to one... And I'm sad to say it doesn't turn out well for her.😓

Johnny and the bar oatrons can hear the commotion outside, but it's only after Emma stumbles in badly wounded that anyone understands what's happened! Of course Johnny is mortified, he's never seen his sheriff hurt before!

He practically plows through half the tables in the saloon to get to her before she falls.

He and his Momma sneak her out to back to see the doctor, but Johnny is far from satisfied. Nobidy lays a hand on *his* sheriff and gets away with it, or his name isn't Johnny Bravo!

And so, with a flip of his hair and a flex or three, he stomps out into the night to deal with those thugs himself!

Now, does.he get his butt kicked? Most assuredly. But does he manage to win anyways and sent those varmints running for the hills? Absolutely!

Come sunrise everybody's having a ball, celebrating in Johnny's honor!

And once Emma, (all banged up but still a kickin') pulls him aside, she gives him two things...

A badge.... And a kiss.

And so the Sheriff and her new deputy ride off into the sunset and live happily ever after. The end.🤠💕💓💕

[starrynights-sunnyskies]

as the flowers bloom, my heart does too ⋆*·ﾟmisa x putellas!femreader, social media au, (7/-)

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when your relationship ends and all you want to do is hide and cry, flowers suddenly start to appear on your doorstep.

or; misa hating to see a pretty girl cry and suffer and going out of her way to cheer her up while staying anonymous

fic: see my masterlist 🤍

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yourusername: hello madrid 🌼 Liked by sofie.svava, frejaolofssonn, ona.battle and 1,289 others

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ingridengen Sweetest girl!!

username1 😮

marialeonn16 Floraaaa mi favoritaaa 😎

sofie.svava Yay, the princess has arrived! 👼🎀

albaps9 oh dear is the car still ok ↳ yourusername i'm a better driver than you ↳ albaps9 iM a bETtER dRiVeR THAn yOu ↳ yourusername you can't even drive manual 😙

janafernandez3 Aw, what beautiful flowers!! 😍 ↳ claudiaapina from her 'secret' admirer, I bet! ↳ jennihermoso Cough, secret admirer turned girlfriend, cough! ↳ ona.battle They're so goals together 😭 ↳ patri8guijarro Uhhh, you know who SHE is?!!! ↳ ona.battle 🤷‍♀️ ↳ __cata13 HOW ↳ janafernandez3 Just a little common sense, girls 😅 ↳ keirawalsh hasn't it been obvious right from the start or do i just spend too much time on social media to have seen it all happen? 😳 ↳ aitanabonmati The last one, you clown 😁

marisabel_rguez Have fun in Madrid, YN! Hope you have a good time 😎 ↳ yourusername ass 🤣

username2 hello, more MisaxYn content? 🤞

username3 Driving six hours to Madrid for funsies?.... hmmm I wonder why 😳 ↳ username4 she could've just taken the train but ok ↳ username5 Maybe the u-haul was already filled to the brim so she decided to bring the rest herself 🤭 ↳ username6 👀 ↳ username7 uhhh they wouldn't, would they? ↳ username5 Oh, but they might! 😌 ↳ username7 🕵️‍♀️🧐

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Text Messages

ale 🐻 You post a picture before telling me you've arrived? I love you pero can you please stop worrying me like that. I called you like so many times. ale 🐻 I just had the most nerve wracking seven hours of my life, you know?? you ○○○ you ALE you im okay im okay! you fuck i'm so sorry, my phone died and then i arrived and misa and sofie took me in and they immediately took me out to eat and i just kind of forgot im so so so so so so so sorry and i love you the most in the whole entire world. you're the best sister ever and i'm the luckiest shithead there is. t'estimo, t'estimo, t'estimo!!!! ale 🐻 Bé, I was just really worried about you, I didn't like not hearing anything from you. You're my whole world, too. Next time make sure it's fully charged when you know you'll go out for a long time. What would you have done if you had needed help? Not saying this to scare you, but you know that. So, how was the drive? Did you at least take a few breaks? you boring, lots of rain and traffic. aaaand no breaksies because i didn't want to arrive in the middle of the night bc the traffic had set me back some hours. misa has a game tomorrow and i didn't want her to lose any sleep 😅 ale 🐻Next time you take regular breaks, yes? I'm sure Misa would understand and want the same. Can you please Facetime mami? you i will. petons to you all and olga 😘 you and nala! Delivered

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↳ 6h ago: marisabel_rguez added to their story

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Direct Messages albaps9 corrupting the missus to support real madrid, i see? misa, are you even trying to get along with alexia? 😂 marisabel_rguez Jeje 😆 Had to show her a little bit of our Madrid culture, of course! It's tradition to attend a game! albaps9 in the putellas household, it's also tradition to support barca, so have fun holding onto your head! albaps9 no, but all jokes aside. i might not have said this to you in person yet, but i want you to know how happy i am that you're with my sister. i don't think anyone else could've pulled her out of the deep end and love and treat her the way she deserves. you made her see her own worth again, believe that she was deserving of all the good things, and gave us our girl back. i'll never be able to properly thank you, but i want you to know how grateful we all are nonetheless. marisabel_rguez Thank you for telling me. But you don't need to thank me for doing all that. I love her, it's only normal that I treat her accordingly. She's my entire world, Alba. albaps9 i still don't think you realise how much your love and care for her means to her and the rest of us, and how it has impacted us as a family. but remember that we're proud to call you family too. okay? albaps9 unless you hurt her and end up destroying all the progress she's made, maria isabel. then i'll fucking come for you and alexia won't be your only problem. marisabel_rguez I would expect you to do so then! She's really lucky with you two. She loves you very much, so I'm also happy to be part of your circle. albaps9 🥹🥹 okay but you don't even seem the slightest bit intimidated? 🤣 marisabel_rguez Oh no, I know you're bark and bite! I just know I don't have to be afraid because that worst case scenario will never happen! albaps9 thank you misa ❤️

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tagged: marisabel_rguez, frejaolofssonn, carolinemoller_, haleyraso, yourusername sofie.svava: Supporting the boys with my favourite madridistas Liked by claudia.zornoza, carolineweir95, haleyraso and 12,493 others

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frejaolofssonn Gooooooaaaaal golgolgolgolgol 🤩

carolineweir95 Supporting the men but wearing Misa jerseys, I'm so here for it haha ↳ sofie.svava Someone insisted 🙊 liked by marisabel_rguez ↳ marisabel_rguez And we couldn't resist her! liked by yourusername

username1 Did sofie just... ↳ username2 Yes 😭😬😬😬 ↳ username3 she's removed yn from the tags now 🤭 ↳ username1 Too late man lmao

claudia.zornoza Vamos 💪🏼

haleyraso 💅🏽

username4 it sure is real love if someone raised on barca sets even one foot inside santiago bernabeu and it's not in the away-section liked by 12 others

username5 The Misa appreciation is spreading 😛 ↳ username6 and rightly so!! ↳ username7 I wonder who's behind that 🧐👀

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marisabel_rguez: Happy life. Liked by albaps9, bff2, jennihermoso and 18,329 others

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username1 we know who this is why dont u just tag her lmao srsly ↳ username2 Honestly, do they truly still think they're being slick 🤦‍♀️ ↳ username3 I don't even get the point in keeping it private, like what's the big deal? ↳ username4 maybe they just don't care but don't want to indulge people like you all

marialeonn16 😊

albaps9 ❤️ ↳ albaps9 but that tush will always be mine 😭

sofie.svava 💖

haleyraso Awww

username7 I love how they're slowly growing more comfortable letting the world in ):

sofiajakobsson 😘

bff1 ummm hey? hands to yourself. she's still my snookums until she officially has your last name 🤣 liked by alexiaputellas ↳ yourusername omg stop embarrassing me ↳ marisabel_rguez ✋🏽😳🤚🏽

ingridengen The sweetest together!

salmaparalluelo 😍

jennihermoso 👀

username4 You forgot the other half of the caption ↳ username5 Happy wife, happy life? ↳ username4 Ding-ding-ding! ↳ username6 don't think they'll get married so long as alexia is still lurking in the background 🤣

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yourusername: madrid, you were good to me!! (plus a little surprise i discovered at the petrol station on my way home. te amo mas que a la vida en sa) Liked by bff3, fridolinarolfo, haleyraso and 2,499 others

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albaps9 hmmm i wonder whyyyy liked by yourusername

salmaparalluelo Pls yn confirm that you-know-who and the anonymous admirer are the same person!! ↳ jennihermoso 👀 ↳ yourusername hehe ↳ janafernandez3 !!!!!!!!!!!!! ↳ ona.battle We want to know 😱 ↳ marialeonn16 Oh, but we know 😌 ↳ ingridengen yup!! ☺️ ↳ jennihermoso 👀 ↳ ona.battle ???

username1 the note in the car is the cutest 😔

username2 I want a Misa too, care to loan her out?

alexiaputellas Proud of you and how strong you are. You kept fighting and look at you now. You deserve all this happiness, ma germana petita. T'adoro. ↳ yourusername t'estimo tant tant tant

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yourusername: feliç diada de sant jordi, la meva gent🌹 Liked by ingridengen, alexiaputellas, albaps9 and 940 others

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marisabel_rguez Horrible choice of clothing, I should give you some of my shirts to wear ↳ yourusername you're acting as if half of them aren't already at my place ↳ marisabel_rguez Right where they should be 😉

bff1 feliç sant jordiiii

begovargas 🌹

alexiaputellas 🌹📖🐉🌹

marisabel_rguez And I love when you speak Catalan!!!! liked by yourusername

janafernandez3 feliç sant jordi, el meu amic 🌹

aitanabonmati Feliç Sant Jordi, YN!

claudiaapina feliç sant jordi! 😊

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↳ 5h ago: marisabel_rguez added to their story ↳ 4h ago: marisabel_rguez added to their story ↳ 1h ago: marisabel_rguez added to their story

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marisabel_rguez: este camiseta 💪🏼 Liked by yourusername, sofie.svava, realmadridfem and 14,398 others

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alexiaputellas Visca Barca!!!!! ↳ yourusername be nice... 🤨

yourusername oh wow black is your colour too 🤭 ↳ yourusername (keeping the rest of my thoughts to myself bc alexia's lurking here) ↳ alexiaputellas Yes, behave... 🤨

sofie.svava looking gewd amiga!!! 😇

realmadridfem Nuestro orgullo 💪🏼🤩

haleyraso ✨👏

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username1: o-oka…okay.. ma’am 😳 Liked by username2, yourusername, username3 and 548 others

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username2 lucky person who gets to keep her ↳ username3 @/yourusername 👋 ↳ username12 how shallow of you ↳ username2 she's gorgeous??? and look at that smile 😪 ↳ username4 don't act like you didn't see the other two pics 🤥

username3 LOL HI YN

username4 yn we see you liking 🤣 ↳ username3 I can just imagine her kicking her feet and giggling

username1 okay i understand yn now ↳ username2 And you didn't before?!!?!? liked by 25 others ↳ username3 SHAME

yourusername 🤩🥹😳 liked by 120 others ↳ username5 and i oop- ↳ username10 🤣😭 ↳ username11 pls fangirl again it gave us life last time ↳ username6 girl don't hold back, we know what you're thinking ↳ username2 Alexia isn't here now, come on, let it go 🤭

username6 Misaaa

username7 😣

username8 🤯

username9 Hahaha Misa in that suit summoned yn again ↳ username10 can you blame her? 😱 ↳ username11 everything about that picture is making me swoon!

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yourusername: girl's trip to celebrate one of my besties getting married!!!! Liked by albaps9, bff2, bff3 and 5,439 others

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bff1 what happens in croatia stays in croatia

bff2 💃👩‍👩‍👧‍👧

username1 😍

judebellingham 😁😎 liked by 230 others

alexiaputellas Sunscreen! 😅 ↳ bff3 Don't worry, I'm on it! 😊 ↳ alexiaputellas 😊

username1 i want a friend group like that </3 ↳ username2 fr

albaps9 jealous!!

marisabel_rguez 😣

bff3 🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰

jennihermoso Guapa!

begovargas Sunflower in human form! 🌻

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Text Messages

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17:48 m 💌 I hope you're having a great time together. Don't forget to drink enough if you're out in the sun a lot! (And I don't mean alcohol, jajaja) ✓ m 💌 Ah, no... pls don't tell me you fell asleep in the sun again ☹️ m 💌 I have to go now so I'll call you later tonight. Te amo mas que nadie and take care!! ✓ 22:36 m 💌 Just saw your post. Are you trying to make me miss you even more? I miss seeing your gorgeous face, it always makes me so happy seeing you. m 💌 You know it’s been torture not having you around, right? m 💌 I miss you so much, YN ✓✓ you i miss you too, my love. the most. i'll be back before you know it! more rested than ever 😚💅🏽 and don't worry, i didn't fall asleep. we were on a boat! i'll tell you more in a bit on the phone. you soon we’ll see each other again, vale? we can go on a trip of our own. for now, just try not to miss me too much 😘 you sent you a photo ▼

m 💌 ○○○ m 💌 Oh, you fucking did not! you oh but i fucking did tho 🥺🥺🥺🙃 m 💌 YN. you si, chula? you ○○○ you misa? you i'm sorry you ☹️ Delivered

Incoming call m 💌

accept

"Are you alone right now?"

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a/n: wishing you the sweetest start of your week! i hope someone does something nice for you and if not, then here's a flower from me to you already 🌻

[uhbasicallyjustmilex]

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=SAEjwwo9S1g

So I know everyone knows this interview off by heart and it’s been spoken about A MILLION TIMES but I would just love love to hear you ramble about from 10:20 onwards bc omg it’s just so sweet and your thoughts on things are always perfection :’) like Miles seems like he’s keeping an eye on Alex for the whole interview and playing off his humour but the fond/amused/exasperated ‘please do’ that he says when Alex goes ‘just to add to that’, and how he sort of glances at Martin in an ‘ah where is this going’ sort of way is just gorgeous xD and the way he squeezes his eyes shut, just waiting to feed off whatever Alex says but wondering what on earth is about to come out of his mouth is just so tender and pure 😭😂 like miles you sweetheart xD

omg i will take ANY opportunity to ramble about this absolute gem of an interview (and about them generally, as we know lol)

anyway yeah, this whole interview truly is peak milex derangement - and this little section in particular??? ughhh it just feels like such an intimate insight into their humour and the way they mess around together. like you can tell they're a bit bored with the interview, and it makes me wonder if this is what they get like when they're bored and restless on bus journeys, waiting for soundcheck etc - if they descend into the same affectionate, humorous madness that no one else quite knows how to deal with. it feels like such a window into their everyday lives and way of interacting, and ugh i just love it, how easy it is to imagine them talking in silly voices and being totally wrapped up in each other in all these other scenarios 🥺

one of absolute my favourite things about this clip is how you can just tell how UTTERLY in tune they are with each other - even when they're not really that engaged with the situation they're in. the way they know each other's subtlest inflections of expression and twist of phrase without even thinking about it. it's all so totally instinctive, and i actually think their interchanges like these, when we get a glimpse into their unique alex-and-miles humour, are at least as intimate as a lot of their more *ahem* explicitly intimate moments onstage. because they just show the way they completely and utterly get each other, how they've built up this whole way of interacting that's just them. miles and alex and no one else.

and you're totally right, you can FEEL the fond exasperation radiating from miles, and also like - idk, just this quiet delight he's clearly taking in alex's presence? it's something you see with both of them a LOT, this sense that they just love being around each other and (even in situations like this where they’re not really into what’s happening around them) there’s nowhere else they really want to be. idk how to explain it, it just feels like there’s just this underlying sense of completion and contentedness when they’re with each other - probably because they’re able to truly be their whole selves when they’re together 🥺

UGHHHHH they make me so emotional 😩

also all the suggestiveness of the “little finger” bits and the way you can SEE miles trying not to get the giggles??? absolute gold 😭

oh dear, i fear this has been ended up being a much longer ramble than i intended, i hope at least some of it made sense 😅 thank you so much for your lovely words and for giving me the opportunity to flail about our two favourite smitten idiots, i love asks like these 🥰🥰

PS i’m so sorry it took me so ridiculously long to answer this - i actually thought i’d posted it weeks ago, but just came across it when i was sorting through my drafts this afternoon 🤦🏻‍♀️

[shiro-s2e2-erukinzu]

I got a little sidetracked on Saturday, so now I'll share my thoughts on episode 31 of the Spy X Family anime...

I THOUGHT THAT IT WAS AN AMAZING EPISODE with an intriguing thing about it...!! 😲

So let's talk about episode 31 shall we...? 😁

So, the biggest thing that I noticed while watching this episode was that this is the first time that they not only adapted 2 full chapters (Missions 46 and 47), but also part of a third chapter (Mission 48, 8 and a half pages to be exact 😌) for the anime...!! 😲 (I'm only counting the main numbered Missions this conversation and not the Short Missions or the Omake chapters mainly because they are mostly extra content that is also [sometimes not] canon...)

And just to clarify, I do not think that this is a bad thing, I just find what they did for this episode very intriguing...!! 😄 It actually makes a lot of sense that the anime would have to start adapting more than 1 to 2 chapters per episode, mainly because Endo started to do more chapters (not all of them) with less pages!! 😁 Honestly, the only thing about this episode that makes me a little bit upset is that the chapter that I thought would be a perfect finale to this season may not end up being the last episode anymore...! 😩 But, I'm still holding out hope though!! 🤞

Anyway, besides how chapters were adapted this time around, there were at least 4 dialogue changes that I noticed in this episode...!! 😁

Change Number 1:

Anya calls Loid sappy in the manga, while in the anime, she calls him lonesome. I personally prefer Anya calling Loid sappy for missing Yor because I just think that it was cuter...!! 😊

Change Number 2:

Now, McMahon saying saying that Zeb is about to soil himself is bad, but saying Zeb is gonna POOP HIS PANTS is worse...!! 🤣 When I was watching the anime, I was like:

"DAMN, MCMAHON!! YOU DID NOT HAVE TO DO ZEB LIKE THAT...!!!" 😂🤣😂🤣😂

I like both lines, but the anime version made me laugh more...!! 😖

Change Number 3:

Yor says Director McMahon in the manga, while in the anime just says Director. Honestly, nothing too major...! I just noticed this difference when looking back through the manga...!! 😁

And finally...

Change Number 4:

I honestly like both lines, but I think I prefer how the manga version is praised...! 😎

And I think that's all I wanted to talk about for this episode...! I'm definitely loving how the Cruise Arc is coming along in the anime thus far, so I gotta say that WIT STUDIOS and CloverWorks absolutely are KILLING IT!! 😆 Also, one of mine absolute favorite scenes in this arc is happening next week in the anime and I CAN'T WAIT TO SEE IT!! 😁

I wanted to post this review on Saturday, but I like I said, I got sidetracked yesterday... 😅 So, I'll be seeing manga readers later today and anime fans next week as usual...!! 😊

[annislittleshopofhorrors]

It’s the food truck guys in the back. 😂 there over there like….”wow, thats the Captain America guy, right?”

I’m like, well at least I know they must not be in the filming shot because if so, they are terrible extras……unless the scene is his character being known in the neighborhood for going after a woman everyone knows he has no chance with, so the guys were background characters making fun of his character for having flowers in his bag and trying to win the rich lady with food from a food truck (note: I love food trucks, absolutely nothing wrong about them, some of the most amazing food, but some people making six figures or more might look down on them, opposed to some fancy restaurant) oooh I think I came up with a new theory on what the movie scenes could be. 😁

My brain goes crazy with random thoughts….hi ADHD, and ummm I hope the above makes a lick of sense……it made sense in my head. 😅

I didn't even notice the guys in the background. I was a little bit distracted by other things 😂.

And we don't judge food trucks. I love food trucks. I can't wait for the next food truck festival in my area. 😊

[lightlycareless]

First, it hurts— [side story]: When Hitomi met Naohiko.

Depictions of brief sucession mentioned on the main story, First, it hurts—, a Naoya Zen'in x Reader fic, which you can find here! (totally recommend reading that first :>)

Summary: While Hitomi and you were working on fixing a few garments, Naohiko makes a sudden appearance. You fully expect him to be insufferable, as he often is, leading you to fear for Hitomi's safety. You'd be soon surprised, however, that not only is she capable of handling herself, but that he's also perceptive to her words.

You inevitably believe there is more than what meet's the eye, Hitomi refuses profusely—but reality begs to differ.

Chapter warnings: none :> except that Naohiko is a jerk and Hitomi is a tsundere. Who would've guessed?

A/N: Now this... is a side story I would've neeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeveeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeer imagine writing in a thousand years. I mean, it was just so out of the nowhere, and yet, it made sense. hehe. At least for me 😅🤭This succession was referenced over here, in chapter 29 :>

I enjoyed expanding a bit more on Haruko, Hitomi, and somewhat Naohiko. Their characters tend to get a bit lost in the great scheme of things, so it was definitely refreshing to write this piece of fluff haha. Also, I'm going to write their character profiles and whatnot, I'm just having a rough time with them cause goddam… I haven't even planned most of their background, or at least in a detailed matter 😂 Will let you know when that happens.

Also, I have some extra notes at the end of the chapter over at the ao3 version; I don't usually like putting notes at the end in tumblr's format so... hehe. Just letting you know if you want to read them :>

As always, reblogs, likes and comments are always appreciated ❤❤ Happy reading!

Ao3 link.

In more ways than one, Haruko considered this to be her first official job. 

Didn’t mean she wasn’t aware of what duties looked like —given the rough circumstances of her upbringing, that’s all she’d ever known— but it was the first time she was given one that came with rather handsome benefits: such as a permanent residence (even though it wasn’t hers per say, it was still infinitely better than moving from one inn to the other) daily warm food (the days of wondering what she’s going to eat are nothing but a distant memory) and most importantly, a hefty paycheck that will not only help support her, but her family as well. 

That last being the most important point of them all, always has been, but even more so as of lately due to a newest addition! That being a beautiful baby girl, born just a few months before getting this job. In other words, another little sister to dote on!

Haruko knows very well she doesn’t have much of a say in what her and Hitomi’s money is being used on once in their mother’s hands, but she at least hopes it’s going towards adorable clothes for her baby sister, as well as professional photoshoots and postage for them to see!

Unfortunately, as expected from a workplace, those would be the only privileges she would get. And all that she had to do to conserve them was one simple thing, what she was hired for: cook.

Cooking was a skill that, if her memory served her well, she was always naturally inclined to. It was both the easiest and tastiest way to distract her and those around her, from their hash reality—oh, how she loathed the times she wasn’t able to indulge in it. 

Thanks to her consistency, she polished her skills enough to be rightfully recognized as talented, and what started as a hobby soon became a profession, landing her an opportunity at the prestigious Zen’in estate. 

Haruko, as excited she was for this change of course, she was also… concerned, for she wasn’t given a single piece of information about them or their lifestyle, or even an example of the work environment she was going to be in (She already had a basic idea due to her allegedly being hired on the spot, which for many this hinted a terrible background. But Meiko, the housekeeper, refuses to admit such accusations), only that she was to “obey their every whim” and that was it. 

This only made her intrigue for her new employers grow bigger and bigger, but upon realizing Meiko wasn’t to give her anything else outside her duties, she resorted to filling in the blanks herself: the Zen’in were rich. Like, rich rich. Stupidly so, evident by lavishness that suffocated her throughout the extensiveness of their property on her first tour around the estate.

«What an unexpected twist of events! I never thought I’d have the opportunity to see a mansion like this one!» she mused as she observed the thousands of luxuries she’s never even heard of in her life «It’s like straight out of a fairy tale!» 

Either way, that topic would be something that she’d grow accustomed to with due time, quickly escaping her curiosity in favor of adapting to her new life and job.

Kind of. As much as she wanted to do that… she found it incredibly difficult to do so. Because it’s only here that she realized there was a vast difference when it came to doing what she wanted, when she wanted and how she wanted it, to what others expected from her—The love and joy she once had for her hobby soon turned into a tedious nightmare, not even her favorite thing to do while cooking, which was getting a sample of whatever she’s preparing at the moment, was to save her from Zen’in regulations.

Haruko would, unfortunately, find out the hard way.

“What are you doing?!” Meiko shrilled as soon as she saw Haruko take a spoonful of the soup before her and take it near her mouth. Even if it was taken from a different spoon from the one she was using, an action performed under the most sanitary conditions, the housekeeper still labeled her actions as the highest of transgressions—she might as well spit on the kettle itself! “Drop what you’re doing, immediately!”

“Wh—what?!” Haruko cried, wide eyes and skin pale as she swirled in the direction of the piercing voice, all while continuing to carefully blow on the hot sample she managed to sneak moments prior—completely oblivious to the incriminating nature of her actions “What’s going on?!”

“What do you mean what’s going on?” The older woman scowled as she stomped her way towards the young cook, her fiery gaze showing an unwavering determination of snatching the spoon out of her hand.

Which Haruko had intercepted as soon as it present itself, consequentially forcing her to plunge the utensil into her mouth before the woman was even able to grasp her arm, caring less that the liquid was still boiling hot and swiftly swallowing its contents, much to Meiko’s shrieking dismay, who couldn’t do anything but allow her mouth to fall wide open as she observed blatant disrespect occurring before her “WHAT?! You—You spit it out! Spit it out, now!”

“It’s—I was just—” Haruko stammers as Meiko proceeds to harshly grab her by the shoulders and rattle her, as if trying to induce her into throwing up, which no matter how hard she tried, she would not relent—cause even if she was caught in the act, she’d be damned to waste perfectly good food!  “Stop! I was just trying it! To see if it’s good!”

“Oh, no. I don’t think you’re just trying it! I’ve watched you for a while��you see? I’ve seen how you made it a habit to pick on the food whenever you think no one is seeing” Meiko bickered “I thought I made it clear when I hired you—the food is for the master’s only, not for commoners like you! Ah, why can’t you be more like your sister? At least she knows not to meddle in things that are not her business!”

In that way, Haruko was never, truly, like her sister. 

Ever since a young age it had been blatantly obvious that she and her sister were, although physically similar, contrastingly different.

Hitomi, even when she was the youngest of the two (not anymore) was always the calm, observant, rational, non-intrusive one. The one that committed to any given instruction, down to the smallest details, and without complaint—even exceeding expectations.

So it wasn’t surprising to hear that she’d adapted well to the Zen’in estate and its innerworkings—Haruko couldn’t recall a moment where anyone complained about her, contrary to her of course, whom the housekeeper seemed to have a personal vendetta against.

But in that matter, she can’t say she’s envious of her sister, because thanks to her continuous commitment Hitomi has been dumped with nothing but layers and layers of work—on her on words:

“From simple stitches to straight up making new garments—there’s not a moment of tranquility for myself! You’d think I’m the only seamstress here!”

The last thing she knew of her sister’s tasks was her tending the clothes of the small… army? Or whatever they were (Haruko definitely doesn’t know, and yet again, this only adds another layer of mystery towards them) and fix them back to their previous state, good as new some dared to say, or even better.

And with a very specific stitching, Hitomi disclosed, which added once again to the mystery surrounding the famed kukuru unit and the Zen’in family. Just what did they do that required such specifications from her sister, but yet, couldn’t be divulged to them so freely?

Guess she’ll never know, at least not right now, when all of her thoughts were struck by the horrifying sight of Meiko grabbing the kettle, walking over to the sink, and dumping its contents on it.

“Wha—what arE YOU DOING?!” Haruko cried while rushing to the housekeeper, doing her best to stop the older woman’s errant charade, but it was too late. All of the soup was completely gone, drained down the sewer, never to be seen again… “Noooo!!! That—That was perfectly good food!” she wailed; eyes stuck on the sink as tears began to form in the corners of her eyes.

“From this point forward, this is what will happen to all the food you dare touch” Meiko warns as she throws the container onto the sink, clanking loudly upon hitting the surface.  “As you said, I just threw away perfectly good food for no apparent reason—in the eyes of anyone else, this could be labeled as a loss. And naturally, if I keep doing so the masters will eventually become suspicious, suspicious enough to demand a reason behind this unprompted wastage. Now, I’m usually the one to deal with these matters, but I’m feeling rather generous today to let someone else take the lead. Can you guess who I have in mind?”

Haruko doesn’t answer, nor does she need to, for Meiko understands her message was efficiently delivered upon seeing the way her face drops.

“That’s right” Meiko frowns “You. And if you don’t want that to happen again, keep your mouth shut and your hands to yourself!”

The housekeeper exits the kitchen soon after that, but not without leaving behind a proper punishment for her transgression, which was redoing that day’s meal from scratch, as well as forbidding her from eating until she’s cleaned all of the kitchen… by herself. Undoubtedly, Meiko’s attempt to shove indoctrination inside her head.

This was the other side of the coin when it came to cooking, the one Haruko did not like and couldn’t do without feeling she was slowly dying inside. Thus it came to no one’s surprise that Meiko would choose something like that as castigation for her. 

With occasional snickers from nearby servants, to laments of those who wouldn’t wish this kind of predicament even to their worst enemies, Haruko was forsaken to scrub, scrub, and scrub the dirty plates, remove all grease from kitchen appliances, and put everything back in place once the masters were done—all while ruminating in the horror of the murder she’d witnesses a few instances ago, as well as the sadness of having to skip out on trying the fantastic meal she’d prepared; apparently the family was commemorating one of the many achievements of the heir, and so, only the best was to be served that day. Oh, how horrible indeed.

Trying to shake off the disappointments of her actions, and the fact that she won’t be able to eat until she’s done with this task, her mind takes this moment to recognize she hadn’t met either of the masters, or at least… not in distinguishable matters. 

She at least knows some of their names, such as Ogi, Jinichi, and the heir Naoya, son of Naobito, the leader.

But outside of that? They’re all a mystery to her. It’s like they don’t even exist to her—they’re just faceless figures that pay her salary and let her live there. Ones that were to be nothing but a blur for her, that is, until their peculiar tastes helped her distinguish them from one another.

For example, Naobito likes to drink alcohol whenever he can. It’s why the fridge, as well as some cabinets around the kitchen (and some rooms of the estate…), are filled to the brim with sake and other imported beverages. The reason why she had to learn all about these “hangover remedies” from one day to the other. At one point, she truly believed that the Zen’in were harboring a house full of raging alcoholics… when in reality, it was just one.

The next one is Ogi, his younger brother, the vegetarian. Through and through—No meats of any kind, that being: red meats, white meats, or even seafood. Nothing, just… vegetables and fruits. Sometimes he’ll even skip on having any other animal-derived products such as egg, or dairy, in favor of eating… well, plants. With some rice on the side if he was feeling particularly adventurous. Haruko wonders how a man like that (or a complete family, she’d later discover) could even exist, wondering if he didn’t miss the good ol’ taste of a nicely prepared steak, or freshly caught fish… or even be married, with kids! Thankfully, her duties rarely pertain to him, with his wife, the ever-frightening Junko, tending personally for him.

From there, Jinichi. He’s the easiest to describe: he likes to eat. A lot. And everything too. Haruko is her happiest when it comes to preparing his meals, because she gets to cook for virtually hours on hours, and with ingredients of the finest quality she has never ever dreamed of seeing in her life! Of all, he’s the only one she’s genuinely curious to know better.

Does he only like eating, or does he also like cooking? Would he like to indulge in a conversation of how his food is made, or does he prefer to eat in complete silence? Is he the kind of person to send his compliments to the chef, or takes these gestures for granted, for she’s just another member in the staff’s entourage? Lastly, is he a slow, or a fast eater? She hopes to get the answer to these questions one day.

And lastly, but not least, the heir. Now he’s a figure that she’s not really that interested in unveiling due to the nasty comments that seem to plague him wherever he’s brought up. From being labeled as a complete tyrant, to nothing more than a brat, he’s what many would consider a… flee on sight kind of person.

She’s yet to make a definite decision regarding him away from external factors; but even then, she can’t help but wonder just how accurate were the nasty comments some of the staff would say whenever his entourage wasn’t around. If they were true, then she was glad she had been able to avoid experiencing them first hand… until now that is. 

From there, she still had to conclude what kind of food he liked according to her experience, since whenever he was home the kitchen was tasked to prepare all kinds of delicacies. Well, even with this distinctiveness, Haruko was still able to find a common denominator amongst them all: miso soup. That, and the way she always has to prepare a bit more whenever he’s around naturally leads her to assume that of all things he’s tried in his life, this was one he liked the most.

It’s undeniable that many mysteries remained regarding their existences, from their type of personality, to what they like to do in their free time… and what they did for a living to uphold their rich lifestyle—and that was only for the ones she knew of, there were apparently still many more to uncover…

Normally, most of the staff members would’ve kept in their lane and minded their own business—but Haruko’s unrelenting inquisitiveness and need for information was… well, perseveringly what set her apart from the rest. But she shouldn’t be blamed so severely, after all, is what kept her alive throughout these boring moments.

«I’ve never seen this kind of secrecy with my previous employers» Haruko sighed as she reached over for the nearby latex gloves, sliding her hands into them before starting to work on the pile of dirty plates inside the sink. «Makes me think they’re trying to make up for something, maybe they’re ugly? Is that it?»

“Hey”

«Hmm, no. I think I would’ve heard that by now, considering how gossip seems to fly amongst the staff» she concludes, starting to diligently scrub the inside of a kettle with a sponge «Does that mean they’re handsome… no. Of course not. Just because they’re not ugly doesn’t mean they’re handsome! But imagine that? A hottie for a boss? I wouldn’t mind that, hehe!»

“Hey!”

«Though, of all people, I think I’d rather not see the heir. He sounds horrifying! A man like that can only be hideous both on the inside and the outside. But I do wish I could see Jinichi-sama. What kind of man would enjoy my food so delightfully…?»

“Uh, are you deaf?! Helloo!!!”

«Maybe I’ll be lucky to ever see the light of day after I’m done with these dishes, if Meiko-san doesn’t find it in herself to punish me with even more work» she sighs once more, placing the kettle upside down and besides the sink for it to dry before moving onto the next plate.

But before she was able to do as much, a strong grasp took hold of her shoulders, abruptly rattling her back to reality. It’s so brusquely, that she’s forced to drop whatever item she was holding back down to the sink, loudly crashing with the rest of the utensils, but not as powerful as her now thundering heart and sharp gasp.  

As if it were a severe case of déjà vu, Haruko quickly reacts by swirling her head—wide-eyed and ears ringing— onto the direction of the culprit behind this crude interjection, fearfully wondering what exactly did she do wrong this time. She was being extra careful too! Oh, why did fate have to be so cruel to her today?!

Haruko is mentally preparing herself to receive Meiko’s stern face as soon as she’s done turning around, because she’s the only one who had manhandled her like this in the past. No one else had the audacity to do so… so by process of elimination, all pointed to her.

Thus, to say that she was shocked upon seeing that the person who bewildered her—far from being the housekeeper or even her sister—was someone she had never seen in her life… was an understatement.

A tall man with piercing gray eyes, slightly disheveled dark hair, deep as the night, with sharp features that only made her feel miniscule, was there instead, to receive her.

His imposing presence and intense stare, asides from rendering her speechless, also reminded her of a cat—no, a bigger, more menacing feline. Like a lion. One that’s ready to pounce on its enemy given the opportunity due to the intensity in which he silently continues to scrutinize her—and as if that wasn’t disturbing enough, her inability to recall when he entered the kitchen only worsened her petrification.

Well, if she hadn’t been so enthralled in creating the fictional, fantastic version of her employers, she would’ve noticed the approaching sounds footsteps long ago, which had begun just a few feet away from the kitchen door, passing through the frame and making their way to her side, the man repetitively calling out to her as she simply plunged deeper and deeper into her thoughts—and… and were those tears on her face?? Seems Haruko was still affected by the wrongdoings committed against her food even after hours of its occurrence—only to be treated with silence, which inevitably made him assume he was being intentionally ignored.

But moving past the murderous intent lingering behind his sharp eyes, the second thing that managed to catch her eye were his strikingly good looks—which managed to overcome her fear, now filling her with embarrassment, which surfaced through her reddening cheeks and the further tightening of her throat.

Features that were to be unrecognized by the young man as he eventually relented his strong hold on her, having deemed her full attention on him, and returning to the main topic at hand—not without chastising her, of course.

“It should be mandatory to get the staff’s ears checked before hiring them—seriously, what were you doing? You wash dishes with your hands not your ears, there’s no excuse for you to not have heard me!” He scowls, and Haruko, who was originally fascinated by his charming looks, abruptly pulls back to the present with his crude words. Her fantasy shattered upon being reminded that good appearances don’t often align with good spirits.

If she had to describe this awful sensation, it would be nothing less than being “swiftly slapped across the face” or “being dumped with a bucket full of ice-cold water”—disappointing interpretations indeed, but not enough to discourage her, since Meiko was often much worse than that. “Anyways, I’m not here to question the housekeeper’s decisions, I’m here for something else”

“How may I help you?” Haruko, after overcoming these emotional trials, queried while straightening out her rumpled skirt due to the commotion, careful enough to not dampen the fabric with her soaked rubber gloves, before finally lifting her gaze to him.

He holds on to his answer, apparently in favor of squinting his eyes at her, as if he were scrutinizing (even more) her mere existence—a contrasting, unexpected behavior from someone to have after relaying how much of a big deal it was to not be attended. 

The longer he kept her on edge, the louder and faster her thoughts seemed to become, to the point where she thought she was going to blackout or something due to the lack of an answer!

Being cornered by a handsome (although a bit rude) mysterious young man was certainly… not what she envisioned. It’s not touching or romantic, it’s absolutely atrocious!

The silence was killing her—oh, what could this enigmatic man want with someone as innocent, hard-working, and absolutely wronged due to her circumstances, as her?! Is he there to double down on Meiko’s actions and make her life even more unbearable?? Or worse…

Is she about to get fired?! 

That’s it. This is her end. Her life on the Zen’in estate, after only a few months, cut short due to her nature. Oh, what will her mother think?! Her poor baby sister is going to starve!!

“Where is your sister?”

Now that…

That was something she did not expect.

Dumfounded, she immediately raises her eyebrows, eyes rapidly blinking, in an attempt to reset her conscience or something and confirm that his words hadn’t been a misjudgment from her ears, or perhaps even some kind of foul play intended to toy on her already tortured soul, now involving her sister! Would Meiko really go that low just to prove a point?

Logically thinking… No. She wouldn’t, at least… not with someone as “insignificant” as her, as she always liked to compare when in the hierarchy of things, and certainly not against someone as talented as Hitomi, as stated before by Meiko.

Or maybe someone from the staff decided to play along??

Impossible, she holds a rather amicable relationship with everyone she works with. Yes, even if some of them were mocking her predicament, it was nothing… that serious (or so she believes) and if anything, they always compliment her food! So there’s no way they could’ve planned this cruel joke on her…

That only leaves one last possibility, the most exciting and hopeful of them all: the one that declares that this man… was looking for his sister… for no other particular interest… outside of a personal one?!

Once the dots connect, Haruko gasps.

Pushing through the awkwardness of being abruptly plucked from the realm of her thoughts, to encounter a rather stern yet alluring face that only a few could withstand without quivering in the spot, a sudden revelation appears. One that manages to slowly drift away her anxiety and replace it with interest (nosiness, really), eager to know how accurate her version of events is and what this could mean for her sister!

“Why—Why do you need to know that?” Haruko casts the bait by feigning indignation, hoping that this would either reveal his true intentions with Hitomi, or at least move him a step closer to. Yet, as much as she tries to act indifferent to this whole situation, she couldn’t dare look him in the eye—he remains, even with her newfound interest, very much intimidating.

“That’s a first” Naohiko scoffs to himself, a general comment thrown to the air with no expected response in mind, so it naturally passes undetected to Haruko.  Still his intentions lay clear beneath his words to those that dare ponder further, revealing that his surprise not only pertained to the witnessing of her theatrical reaction for a simple inquiry, but for the questioning of his orders as well.

Were new hires always this… peculiar?

“You’re Hitomi’s sister, right?” He goes on, with a tone that would make anyone feel stupid for asking something so obvious—Haruko ignores it, in fact, she’s thriving on the fact that he knows who she is! That could only mean one thing…

That he’d done her homework regarding her sister! He was definitely interested in her, because why else would he investigate her personal life if he didn’t?! 

She can’t help but inwardly smirk with joy at the thought.

“Yes, I am” Haruko plays along. “But how do you know that?”

«Is she for real? Can’t she see it’s blatantly obvious?» Naohiko huffed “Because you two are identical—like, eerily so. If it weren’t for the short hair, I would’ve thought you were her”

It’s not the first time Haruko is told that she looks like her sister, or vice versa—if anything, it was a pretty common observation when they were younger. 

As time passed of course, the two began to grow out their individual features, as well as style each other in the way they liked; but back when their individualism was short, their mother often opted to dress them alike just of the fun of it—hair and everything—and this would even lead them to be confused as twins.

Could this mean that either… She looked as young as Hitomi, or Hitomi looked as old as her. Well, one year doesn’t really make much of a difference, but it’s sometimes that the sisters would sometimes jokingly discuss from time to time.

“Oh, so you’ve met her” Haruko emphasizes and close to his breaking point, Naohiko groans while rolling his eyes.

“Oh my god, just tell me if you know where she is, it’s an urgent matter!” he demands, and his words just make her already labored heart beat faster out of excitement!

«A confession, perhaps?!»

If that’s the case, she won’t stand in the way of love!

“She’s supposed to be at the south wing, helping the other seamstress” Haruko eventually divulges “But be careful! She’s quite… eccentric when she’s working, and might even—”

But before she was even able to finish her sentence, the man had left the same way he had seemingly arrived, quickly and without a trace, leaving her behind with nothing but her train of hyper thoughts for an exciting, unforeseen succession unraveling before her eyes.

Even when she was one to dislike being rudely dismissed, she took no offense to his action, simply labeling it as his own eagerness to find her sister! And how could she be upset by it? She’d do the same if she was in his shoes!

If anything, his actions gave her a much-needed boost of energy to finish her work, absolute motivation to find out what is next for Hitomi’s unforeseen admirer! Oh, will a relationship bloom from it?! Is he to be her future brother-in-law? She couldn’t wait to hear all about it!!

But for now, she’ll limit her attention to cleaning the kitchen.

After her seemingly endless shift was finally done, the first thing that Haruko does after saying her goodbyes to the lingering staff and leaving behind her “uniform”—an apron and a bandana— is head straight to her and Hitomi’s shared bedroom, where she knows is to be getting ready for the night, intending to barrage her with all kinds of questions pertaining to the succession she imagined already occurred a few moments ago.

It's all that has tormented her mind since happening, keeping her occupied, fueling in a way to survive through the tedious punishment Meiko had given her (making the housekeeper’s intentions useless, for Haruko didn’t learn anything about discipline—certainly not by gossiping of one of the masters!) and get to the end of the day.

But even when she was literally dying to know what happened, she managed to portray an incredible sense of restraint by giving them enough time to have their conversation—Haruko wasn’t about to finish her work and then find out that her sister hadn’t spoken to this young man just yet!

In that way, could one say that Meiko’s punishment wasn’t as fruitless as it seemed…?

So in between a combination of doing the bare minimum, as well as rushing her work from time to time to appear committed, she manages to adequately clean everything to perfection before scampering through the halls, quietly to not get herself into any more trouble, but quick enough to reach to her destination without wasting any more time than necessary. 

Haruko eventually arrives at the chambers, with her cheeks red and quick gasps, but this wouldn’t stop her, not even when her chest pleaded her to stop for a minute to regain her breath, as she moves on to abruptly slide the doors open and storm inside.

Her entrance had been, in accordance to her behavior, so alarming and sudden that the half-dressed woman inside didn’t have enough time to process what was happening, forcing her to screech as a reaction.

“What the—HARUKO! Couldn’t you have knocked?!” the seamstress—although slightly more relaxed upon finding out who was the perpetrator behind the intrusion— sternly berates her as she rushes to cover whatever modesty she had left with her nearby clothes, the shivers she was experiencing from the cold night while changing into her nightgown were promptly discarded and replenished by the blazing agitation and indignation of her sister barging into their room.

It's intense enough for her to urgently ask Haruko to close the door immediately, less she wants her to be exposed to an unwanted passerby?!

“Close the door already! Don’t you see I’m changing?! How would you like it if I did the same to you?!”

“Oh, sorry, sorry!” Haruko breathes and in one swift movement, slams the door shut behind her. The two sisters silently look at each other, as if giving enough time for both to compose themselves. Once their breathing begins to calm down, the cook takes the first step by walking towards Hitomi and taking a seat just beside her on their conjoined futons. 

Hitomi doesn’t bother to ask why she’d barged so agitatedly into their room once her heart adopts regains its healthy patter, opting instead to resume changing into her pajamas, greeting her sister while doing so—After all, it was of a common occurrence for Haruko to be all hyperactive when in a new environment. 

Not that she never used to react by matching her energy, exerting herself to grow worried about every single time she arrived like this, until she eventually that realized most of Haruko’s attention dwelled in… well, not irrelevant things, but certainly not urgent, and it soon became a “crying wolf” situation between the two.

The youngest of the two still cared for her, that much is indisputable, she’s just learned to… be selective on when to “freak out”

Taking that into consideration, Hitomi could already guess what her reaction was all about.

The seamstress had learned of the small incident that occurred with Meiko just a few hours ago, and she inwardly sighs at the notion of having to hear her sister complain about this.

She’d already lost count of how many times she’d told her this, but if she’d only listened to her advice, which was to obey what the housekeeper ordered and abstain from trouble… well, she wouldn’t be getting into so much trouble to begin with!

Ah, sometimes she feels as if she were the older sister, and not the other way around.

Well, this wouldn’t be the first time she was right when discussing her sister.

However, she would be wrong in guessing that tonight’s conversation would pertain to Meiko at all. 

“You won’t believe what happened to me today!” Haruko begins, slightly ruffling her hair so as to remove the imprint of having to wear all-day her bandana, before grinning and crossing her legs “But before I go on, did someone come looking for you today?”

“Looking for me?” Hitomi murmurs, standing up and reaching over for a brush on their small vanity table before heading back to her sister’s side and starting to work through the knots of her long, brown hair. “Yeah, why do you ask?”

“Oh, he did!” Haruko gasps and Hitomi, who was already confused by the relevancy of this question, sinks further into her confusion, turning her head to face her sister as if the explanation rested on her playful features. “How long has this been happening?!”

“You need to be… more specific, Haruko. I have no idea what you’re talking about”

“What do you mean you have no idea?! There was a tall pretty boy looking for you a few hours ago! I told him where you were and that was the last I heard of him, but he knew that you and I were sisters so that means that he knows you well!” Haruko excitedly explains, as if retelling her favorite scene from a tv show. And for her, that might just be it.

But Hitomi, who had never been one to partake in such things due to her attention lingering on seemingly more important things, could only sigh and grumble out of displeasure.

“Haruko…”

 “Why didn’t you tell me about him, hm? You know you can tell me anything! Oh, did you think I would like him too and steal him?? That hurts me, Hitomi! I hope you know I would never do something like that to you!”

“Haruko” 

“Of course not! You’re my sister and if you’re happy with him I’ll fully support you! But wait, Meiko said something about not being able to date!” she gasps, clasping her hands over her mouth at the sudden implication of the indecent “Does that mean this will be kept under covers, a secret?! Am I the only one that knows of this??”

“Haruko!”

“I shall keep your secret! They will have to kill me if they ever want to get the truth out of me, and even then, I’ll take it to the grave!” the cook proudly declares “You can put your secret in my hands, sister, I will gladly put my life on the line for you!”

“HARUKO!” Hitomi interrupted “Stop! Where did you even get these ideas from?! And what pretty tall boy are you talking about??”

“You have MORE THAN ONE?!” Haruko yelped a bit too loudly and Hitomi immediately tackled her, careful enough to not drop her back to the futon, but efficient enough to clasp her hands over her mouth and silence her. Of all things that she would have understood from her words, that’s the interpretation she decided to take?!

“No, you idiot!! I mean—why can’t you be specific for once about the things you’re talking about??” she flusters “Who went to see you?? And promise me to only respond to what I ask you in your indoor voice, or I won’t lift my hands from your mouth and I’m going to sleep on top of you!”

Haruko frowns, groaning before nodding one, two times, agreeing to her terms. It was just too juicy of a topic to speak in such a controlled tone, but if she was to get to the bottom of this (and live for the next day) then she’ll compromise.

Hitomi, although a bit hesitant, is eventually convinced by her gestures and slowly begins to peel her hands from her mouth—silently praying that this hadn’t been a mistake. 

“It was a tall man, with dark hair, gray eyes. And he kind of looked like a cat—no, like a tiger or a lion!” Haruko heatedly whispered “Very intimidating. I don’t think I’ve ever seen a man like that before, and I certainly didn’t think that he’d be your type!”

“Please don’t say that” Hitomi sighs, crossing her arms while carefully going through her sister’s words in efforts of figuring out who she was referring to.

«Tall, dark hair, gray eyes… Just who is she talking abo—oh!» 

And then, it all clicks.

When it does, the seamstress’ confusion is quickly thrown out the window and replaced with embarrassment—no, frustration would be a more accurate description—for infuriating reasons that would be revealed soon enough.

“What’s wrong, Hitomi?” Unable to ignore the blatant anger on her sister’s face, Haruko asks.

“That’s—What exactly did he ask you? And what else did you say?!” Hitomi fretted. What happened to keeping an indoor voice?

“No—nothing!” she flinches, caught off guard by her sister’s unusual outburst. But even with this uncommon commotion, Haruko is not to deny that getting to see her sister flustered for the first time in her life was very… entertaining.  “I mean—nothing bad, he just asked about you and I told him where to find you, he was quite rude though, he didn’t even say thank you!” she says, carefully leaving out the fact that she was toying with him at one point… for it might get the wrong message across.

“Of course, he wasn’t going to say thank you!” Hitomi groans, her concern reaching new highs by each passing second. “Do you even know who he is? He’s one of the masters, Naohiko-sama!”

“One… one of the masters?” Haruko doubts, slightly pressing her brows together “What do you mean one of the masters…?”

“It’s exactly as it sounds, Haruko—He’s one of the many sons of the leader! You’ve met the other, right? Naoya-sama—That’s his brother! Oh, don’t tell me you actually did something you weren’t supposed to!”

“No! Of course not! As I said, nothing bad. If anything, he was the one that was rude!” Haruko justifies, as if this could amount to anything when it comes to the job she’s going to inevitably lose thanks to her uncontrolled silliness—oh, why must she always be like this?

And as if Hitomi could read her mind, she warns.

“Not that I support that kind of behavior, but you have to be careful if you want to keep this job! Aren’t you already on thin ice with Meiko-san??”

“Oh… so you heard that…?” Haruko chuckles nervously, instinctively scratching the back of her neck. Hitomi sighs.

“I think everyone did—it’s all my mentor could talk about. Besides, I assumed something was up when you didn’t join me for dinner”

“Yeah… I was forced to stay behind while everyone left!”

“That’s why you should be careful with how you behave! More so with the masters… specifically with him—he’s… I don’t know how to say it, odd?”

“Odd?” And as if the worry of her losing her job wasn’t as important, she refocuses on what exalted her in the first place by prodding Hitomi and her perception of this young master. “What do you mean by odd?”

“We could start by how he went looking for you just to ask for me? Isn’t that weird by itself? He’s one of the masters! Couldn’t he just ask the housekeeper or something?”

“Now that you put it that way, I guess it makes sense. Maybe he just wanted to get a precise answer since, you know, we’re sisters and all that—but that’s not important! What’s important is… why was he looking for you in the first place?” Haruko tilts her head to the right, before a devilish smirk begins to part her lips “Hmmmm???”

“Oh, stop it” Hitomi rolls her eyes, playfully slapping her shoulder while her sister chuckles. “It’s just that he… well, he’s been following me for a while now, and I have yet to figure out why”

“How long has that been going on?”

Shortly after she started working with the kukuru unit.

Before that, Hitomi was able to enjoy a life of uneventful days, filled with nothing more but audits she considered menial for someone of her ability. 

The seamstress before her, her now mentor, thought it necessary to test her knowledge before pushing her onto heavier tasks. After all, she was only 17 when she got admitted into the Zen’in estate, so how much would a young girl like her know about sewing?

Apparently, a lot. Because whatever obstacles seamstress placed, Hitomi was able to overcome them easily and quickly—coincidentally, the two most sought-after features for someone in her field

From there, her mentor moved her up to something a bit more difficult, and that was, to create a whole new garment from scratch, while using one of the most expensive fabrics she could find. 

It’s an examination that most tailors, even those that are highly experienced might find intimidating from time to time in fear of wasting materials, but not for Hitomi, whose performance was not only satisfactory for her, but for her “client” as well, who promised to commission her in the future shall the occasion arise. 

They’d be the only to leave feeling accomplished, because all that Hitomi could think of this job was: «how disappointing. I was expecting a challenge»

Now that her skills were adequately assessed, the senior seamstress decided to put her talents somewhere she thought necessary, and that takes us to the first point.

The kukuru unit were popular amongst tailors and not because they were the best dressed of the estate, but rather, for their obligation in ruining their uniforms. By their consistency, one could even say they did so intentionally, as if trying to get a rise of those poor souls that were left behind to tend to their mistakes.

Everyone knew these things were due to the nature of their job, but that didn’t mean the workers couldn’t complain, or retaliate in that matter, about it. Eventually leading some to simply… not do it. Or do a poor job once one of the members dared complain—which was rare on its own since the Zen’in weren’t known for being avid defendants of those they considered less.

Thus, Hitomi’s mentor thought she’d struck gold when she came along. With someone of her outstanding talent, she could easily dump her with all the things no one wanted to do and that’d be the end of it! 

Everyone would be happy, and yes, including Hitomi, whom even though she didn’t take long to catch the seamstress’ intention and slightly resent her for that, as well as the simplicity of the job and the sudden increase it represented on her workload (didn’t she want a challenge?) still took this task with great pride since it was at the end of the day, something she continued to greatly enjoy. 

And that seemed to be the story of her flourishing career at the Zen’in estate… that is, until her arrival to this new “department” suddenly made her responsibilities a bit… intriguing. 

Hitomi had gotten the idea, due to the amount of work she was getting, that she was to be both the only person to do the job, and the only one who cared to do so. 

Sure, her mentor was there too to help her from time to time, but as days went by, she came to the conclusion that this was only to appear… relevant to the staff, for in due time, according to the words the housekeeper confided her with, Hitomi was fated to be her inevitable replacement. A dreadful conversation she’s thankful for not being responsible for. 

Either way, she knew that whatever happened outside her needles and fabrics was not to be of her business, simply staying on her lane and enjoying that fact that now, finally, after all those tedious, ridiculous examinations, she could do her job in complete solitude, without a shadowing mentor, just as how she liked it. 

Or at least, that’s what she thought would occur, until one unremarkable weekday morning, fate decided to prove her wrong.

It was as clear as day to notice such discrepancy: the distant presence of someone looming just around the corner, from the usual quiet, empty halls, that is. 

Hitomi didn’t think much of it at first, outside of labeling it the expected curiosity of the inhabitants towards the newest addition to their staff. But as this continued to happen, weeks into her being hired, she began to believe that this “attention” had stopped being from simple intrigue, and now, it was borderline concerning. 

With enough diligence, Hitomi was eventually able to distinguish the unsolicited presence to be from a young man, one of the masters, as her mentor would eventually reveal.

Naohiko, she’d discover later on, had limited himself to observe her at a distance, with few exceptions of approaching her to either add more garments to her pile of work, or lay down more unprompted gestures in the shape of comments, such as “are you doing all of these yourself?” and “don’t mess them up”

All things that bothered her in a way one could only imagine. As she said before, she was never one to like crowds she didn’t previously approve of, or commentary from people she deemed ignorant about the subject if she hadn’t asked for it. 

But perhaps the one thing that irritated her the most, was that even with all of these things… he never dared approach her directly. Not even to introduce himself. He just barged into her workplace, doubled her tasks, gave her unwanted commentary, and left! 

And that’s how it continued to be up until that day.

But if her animosity for having someone trailing her wasn’t enough, her natural overprotectiveness over her family further ignited her anger towards him upon hearing that not only did Naohiko had the audacity to seek her sister the moment he didn’t caught wind of her, but he had also been rude to her!

With Haruko’s disclosure of events, it’s obvious that this situation is not going to end anytime soon, unless someone does something. And that someone was to be her. 

Thus, after briefly explaining who this incredibly exasperating man was to her, effectively brushing away any indications of a romance flourishing between the two (kind of, Haruko wasn’t about to die on that hill just yet), Hitomi took on a new responsibility, which was to put an end to both his stalking and save his sister from whatever funny idea he might get!!

She was well aware of how hypocritical this was going to sound coming from her, considering how much energy she spends warning her sister to behave according to the surroundings in efforts of avoiding trouble; but because of that is why Hitomi thinks it’s of absolute importance that she does this herself!

Haruko has been struggling with adapting to her new lifestyle due to her nature, the housekeeper already having a close eye on her was bad as it is… so she certainly didn’t need anything else obstructing her stay here.

This is where Hitomi’s reputation steps in. Because she was much closer to the housekeeper, having a more respectable relationship with her compared to her sister, she knows that if she were to act… improperly, she more likely than not leave unscathed—perhaps with a small warning—but nothing she can’t handle.

It was set. She’ll wait for the moment Naohiko approaches her, and then, she’ll tell him to leave them alone once and for all.

The anticipated moment arrives just as planned, if not better than expected—Naohiko’s shadowy presence becoming apparent at the corner of her eye just minutes after starting her duties.

Hitomi had waited for this moment since she closed her eyes the night prior, patiently, diligently counting the hours, if not minutes, she’ll finally be able to see him and confront him and his stalking, imprudent charades.

She’s thankful that today her mentor had decided to not accompany her, leaving her completely alone to do what she had in mind. There was to be no one to put a stop to doing the (wrong) thing she was about to do, lessening the chances of her being reprimanded. 

The young seamstress keeps quiet, feigning that all of her attention is on the torn garments before her and not on the figure at the distance who now began to approach her. 

Hitomi manages to briefly lift up her gaze from her work and take a glimpse at his direction, quickly noticing that he was not empty handed for the day: Naohiko was carrying a few garments she supposes wants to be fixed by her, the reason behind his movement. 

Even with her carefully concocted plan, she’s still able to squeeze in a quick minute to question his actions. Why did he personally bring his clothes? Doesn’t he have staff to do that for him? For a weirdo like him, probably not.

«But that’s good for my cause» she muses as she hears his footsteps coming closer and closer «He’ll be walking right into my trap»

And once his shadow is casted to her side, signifying his closeness, her plan begins.

“I heard you went looking for my sister the other day”

Naohiko, who had limited his interactions with her to minimal hums and glances, stops. Holding the garments he was intending to put down on her already big pile of work just a few inches above it before turning his head to see her, manifestly bewildered.

“I… did” he cautions, taking a step back to get a better look at her and her stern face. He’s never seen her like this, she’s always so… emotionless when working. Naohiko thinks he likes her previous emotions a bit better. “What’s it to you?”

Predictable, is what Hitomi thinks. More when considering the words Haruko used to describe him—rude. What a way to respond.

“A problem” Guess he’ll have to try harder if he wants to intimidate her! “That’s what it is to me”

“I fail to see how that is anyone’s problem, really” Naohiko retorted “I was just asking for directions since you weren’t here when you were supposed to”

«Supposed to?» Hitomi scrutinizes «And how would he know that? Don’t tell me he knows my schedule now!»

“All complaints and questions of my whereabouts should be handled with the housekeeper directly” She says “Thus, I’d appreciate it if you kept things professional by leaving my sister out of this—She’s in a completely different assignment, after all”

“Not that I intended to look for her again” Naohiko groans, rolling his eyes “It’s not her I’m interested in anyways”

She already had a basic understanding that someone as persistent as him would certainly be interested in her one way or the other, but for some reason, Haruko’s teasing tone from last night’s conversations suddenly flashes across her mind.

I think he liiiikes you.

Hitomi shakes the jest out of her mind as soon as it appears. Not only was it uncalled for, but completely baseless. Nothing but the result of Haruko’s imaginative creation and her need to salvage herself from boredom. 

Naohiko was just being weird, rude, and highly condescending. There could be no other motive behind his words but to make less of her.

…Right?

“What about me interests you?” she coaxed, her curiosity for his defense prompting her to do so.

“You, of course, and your amazing skills” Naohiko admits, and the tone he uses could only be described as… irritation? One that pertained to having been interrogated with a stupidly obvious question, which had an even more obvious answer at that.

But she doesn’t share that sentiment, at all, because for the first time in her life, she’s caught off guard by his words.

Of all things he could’ve said, such as something about appearance—like most men would often do, because what else could he possibly say about her?— he decided to… comment on her work, further intriguing her.

“Me?” Hitomi probes, blinking.

“Do you see anyone else here?” He scoffed “Yes, of course you! I don’t want anyone else touching my clothes if it isn’t you!” And as if to make a point, he finally throws his clothes on the nearby pile. “I knew it was someone new when I got my stuff back—kind of hard to ignore since the work from the other seamstress was always so… brutish, like she doesn’t care how it looks as long as it’s fixed, or that we’re paying her to do so! 

But you’re different. Your seams are always so clean, sturdy, yet delicate. There’s a certain craftsmanship behind your hands that not only shows that you know what you’re doing, but that you actually enjoy it too. Passing my fingers through your orderly stitching feels like—I don’t know, liquid gold or something, like warm bread fresh out of the bakery—So yeah, it's obvious I’m interested in you. You’re the best goddamn seamstress in the estate, probably the whole city too, and I’d be stupid to not take advantage that I have you here at arm’s reach”

At this revelation, all that Hitomi can do is stare at him, dumbfounded, while trying to process the barrage of commendations she’d been tackled with.

It’s… completely different from the outcome she expected upon interceding this situation, not even in her wildest dreams did she think this would be the path this confrontation would take. 

This would be the first time anyone has ever appreciated her work the way he has done. Yes, she’s heard positive comments from others in the past, beginning with her mother and sister, and the occasional addition of the housekeeper, but outside of that, it was either dismissing reminders that this was her job, so performing less than expected wasn’t an option, or excessive amounts of work she ultimately decided to take as regards for a job well done.

Never, in any point of her life, had she’d been blessed with such a beautiful description of her work, even when the delivery was a bit harsh from his end, that one might think she was being pranked. Did he even notice the things he’d just told her?

Well, even if he hadn’t… his consistency was enough to prove that he at least, deep inside him, genuinely meant some of them. One could even think his appreciation went further than that, considering how he went on and on about them… 

And to make matters more impressive, he was also the first person that appreciated her work since arriving to the estate. She’s worked with other masters, with Naobito, Ogi, and none of them had ever spoken a word towards her skills. And really, she was ok with it—there’s something about their distance that she found calming.

But Naohiko, in other words, didn’t care. And such an approach achieved him one of her milestones—he, a master of the Zen’in clan, had personally recognized her.

An honor that, alongside the authenticity behind his actions and words, was something that slowly, but surely, began to warm her cheeks. 

But it still wasn’t enough to impress her away from the main objective behind their conversation, promptly returning her back to earth—although remaining humble enough to recognize his words.

“Thank you, but I’m still going to ask you to stop seeking my sister” she says, eyes darting down to the ground for a quick second, an effort to clear her slightly turmoiled head, before returning to him.

Considering his background, Hitomi expects him to go on about how it was none of her business, that if she wanted him to leave her sister alone then she should stick to her schedule or something.

But just as it happened moments ago, she’s to be received with another surprise.

“Ok” he concedes “Only if you promise to tend for all my clothes from this point forward”

With a catch, of course.

“I will not make such promises” Hitomi deliberates what is the most adequate response in this situation, considering that is not something for her to decide. If he wants to achieve such a thing, he’ll have to discuss it with Meiko. 

“Alright, seamstress. But don’t say I didn’t warn you” he smirks. Naohiko continues to be an enthralling mystery to her due to his… peculiar reaction to her rejection.

“The least you could do is call me by my name—Hitomi” she says, unimpressed by his response. Even with his kind words, he manages to continue being a jerk. “If you’re going to threaten me, or if you want me to consider your request, that is” 

“How… interesting, seamstress. Guess you’ll just have to wait and see” Is all that he responds with, giving her a chuckle before turning around and then disappearing into the halls. 

Hitomi is left behind to wonder what his eerie words meant, as well as ruminating on the way she referred to him before his departure. Does she regret what happened? Personally, no. She did what was right, therefore no one can say she didn’t try.

Well, maybe she was a bit regretful. Her concern lying with her sister and the possible consequences she had unleashed on her due to her boldness. If only she didn’t get distracted by his compliments, then maybe things would have gone differently!

Nonetheless, what’s done is done. And all that she, and Haruko, can do is prepare for impact. For the moment Naohiko either decides to complain about her “courage” with the housekeeper, or the letter of their termination, whatever comes first.

And as day passed by, Hitomi grew more and more anxious at the seeming silence of Naohiko, trying to figure out if he’s already done something to their detriment and she had yet to notice, keeping a close eye on the housekeeper and any lingering rumors affecting their employment, or worse, the involvement of other masters…

Eventually finding out that not only neither of these concerns had occurred, but instead, he’s decided to take a completely different approach.

And that is, help her.

Whenever she voiced the need of, let’s say, thread, needles, or even a new sewing machine because the old one was beyond repair, not a day would pass before she’d have them delivered straight to her, wherever she might be, ready for usage.

Still, these deliveries could’ve been done by anyone, right? How was Hitomi so sure that it was Naohiko behind these orders, when it easily could’ve been the senior seamstress instead?

Well, because all of them were accompanied with a note that often said “Nice excuse—but you’ll need to do better than that if you want to skip work” Hitomi always rolled her eyes when reading such words, another indication that this had been the work of none other than Naohiko himself.

Not even her mentor, who had worked in the Zen’in estate far longer than Hitomi, got to enjoy these privileges in her time, simply limiting herself to file in said request with the housekeeper and hope there was some leftover budget to oblige such purchases.

Thus, if there was any lingering doubt of his appreciation for her work, it was completely eradicated with these gestures. And Hitomi… well, she began to feel a combination of feelings. Starting with confusion, embarrassment, but most of all… fascination.

And why wouldn’t she? She was getting state-of-the-art equipment to do her work to begin with. From there, Haruko has yet to say anything about Naohiko, that isn’t of a teasing nature of course, worsening when she caught wind of his gestures towards her, so at least… that’s dealt with.

These were all things she certainly found… interesting. To the point she was even compelled to repair his clothes exclusively, just as he requested.

Yet, as much as she was being impressed by him, she knew that she couldn’t approach her work in this matter. Hitomi didn’t want this to affect her job in any shape or form. Whatever he wanted to do, whatever intended with her… it would have to remain strictly professional. So, she had to show impartiality in fairness for all of those she was working for.

…

…

…

Fine. She’ll admit that after all the attention he’s given her, she did concede in at least one thing, that being allowing him to “supervise” her (as he’d like to say) whenever she was working on his garments. 

A deal that was already struck without her prior consideration, it’s just that now she finally gave it her approval.

Turns out Naohiko could be quite enjoyable to have a conversation with, when he wasn’t being a jerk, of course. Which he continued to be even when she was helping him out, but the more they got to talk with one another, the more comfortable Hitomi felt to put a stop to his brattish ways whenever he got out of line.

Naohiko wasn’t very reciprocatively to her efforts, but he eventually learned to accept them. A bit. Kind of. Eh, there’s still much work to do.

But moving past that, she really enjoyed her conversations with him. With Naohiko being an avid movie enjoyer, his retellings were always lively. 

Whenever speaking of his latest watch, he’d describe the scenes with such… impact, that she felt as if she were in the actual cinema watching the movie alongside him–which was something that she greatly enjoyed more, considering she wasn’t able to enjoy such things due to her limited lifestyle.

And Naohiko, on the other hand, also seemed to enjoy her company. Being able to discuss the things he liked without being interrupted or dismissed immediately after beginning was… certainly a privilege of his own he never thought to receive in his life. 

Even though there were moments he wished she’d just seen the movie so she could give him some commentary about certain scenes or plot-twists. Well, that was to be nothing more than a small setback in the great scale of things. He still looked forward to their conversations, and if he truly wanted her to witness a certain keypoint with her own eyes, he'd set up a T.V. and invite her to watch said movie, or even take her to the movies. Find out what kind of genre is her favorite white at it… Ah, someday.

Given their growing familiarity, it was only natural that these conversations would begin to occur more and more often, expanding from the moments she was working on his garments to general sewing tasks… or when she wasn’t working at all. 

For today, Naohiko found time to accompany her while she was working on a rather important project, creating a kimono for one the future wife of one of his many relatives.

The fabric was of a lovely navy blue, decorated with patterns of white flowers and golden intricacies—perfectly matching the seasonal trends. There was such beauty with the combination, that the second eldest of Naobito’s sons chose it as a topic of discussion.

“You like fabric, don’t you, seamstress?” he says. Naohiko is sitting beside her, intently watching her focus on the work at hand as he lazily leans back on his arms. 

“Hitomi” She cautions, eyes diligently on the sewing machine so as to not sew her finger. She’d press the pedal ever so softly from time to time—the fabric for that garment was one of those that, if not cared for carefully, will move alongside the machine. An inconvenience for sure, but she’ll get over it soon enough. “But I guess. Would be kind of ironic if I didn’t, considering what I do for a living”

“I thought so” he says, eyes now on her hands. Naohiko wonders if she’d pricked herself before with a needle, or has she always been this cautious? “I’m just saying so because the villagers are going to set up a market tomorrow, and sometimes a merchant comes with really good fabrics—thought you’d like to know”

“Is that where you get your clothes?” Hitomi asks. She’s noted that his clothes were far from average when it came to quality, leading her to believe that aside from being a movie critic, he was also a fashionista. Would make sense considering his attention to detail with her stitches, no regular mortal would bother to care about such a thing if they didn’t like fashion, at least a bit. “I guess I could check it on my day off, tomorrow”

“Really? What were you planning to do?” he tilts his head.

“Nothing much” she admits, taking her foot off the pedal once stitching the pieces together, pulling it towards her to cut the remaining thread and move onto the next section. “Probably send a letter to my mom, or just hang around at the estate with my sister since she still has to work”

“Well, your sister is going to be here every day so I still think you should go down to the village and look around, maybe buy some fabrics to make something for yourself. The mail is also there so, two birds one stone”

She hums pensively.

“What?” he raises an eyebrow “I mean, surely you know how to make something for yourself”

“Obviously” she murmurs, still looking at her work. “It worries me there was even a doubt about that”

“Not from me” Naohiko responds “Because I know for a fact that there's no one else that can do what you do”

Hitomi holds back a smile. She could listen to that phrase all day…

“Ah, well, that’s just my suggestion” He shrugs “Thought it was a good one since you seem like the type of person that would look good in everything, I mean, you’re pretty and all, that’s already a huge advantage on your side”

At his words, Hitomi’s mind comes to a screeching halt—both figuratively, and literally.

Naohiko’s implicit admission, and the implication behind them, not only managed to render her mind blank —still attempting to process the veracity of them, while being nothing less than shocked— but also, rattle her out of her focus by making her accidentally press on the pedal a harsher than desired, derailing her stitching to go beyond where she intended to finish; and as if that wasn’t enough, crookedly as well.

The rigorous sound of the sewing machine manages to momentarily snap her out of trance, forcing a quick gasp out of her as soon as realizing her mistake and hastily reaching for the seam ripper in an attempt to salvage her work. 

But even with these combinations of successions effectively spiraling her down a turmoil of thoughts and emotions, between worries that her work might become unfixable if not proceeding accordingly and attempting to put the blame of her distraction on him, there was one question that prevailed amongst all.

Did he… did he really… just call her pretty?

That fact is to be undisputable, even when Hitomi still had doubts of it, but whatever the motives behind those words, they would continue to remain a mystery as he moves on to tease her with his following words.

“What happened there, seamstress?” Naohiko says, doing nothing to hold back his hyena-like laughter, entertained by her reaction. He’s completely oblivious to the inner workings that lead her to act that way, and his actions are certainly not doing anything to help him understand. “Thought you were the best in the area, haha!!”

“Oh, shut up!” she snaps, face tinted red as she furiously continues to rip the seams of her askew work. He simply continues to jest “If you’re not going to help, then don’t bother me!”

“Why are you so angry? You’re not hurt, are you?” He asks, inching closer to take a better look at her hands, carefully grabbing her wrist to do so—her cheeks further flare at the motion. “See? Nothing bad, learn to take a joke from time to time, Hitomi. Life is much more than a wrong stitch, but if it bothers you so much, I’ll buy you more fabric.”

Embarrassed and emotionally exposed, but mostly the first, the seamstress pulls her hand back to her chest as soon as she could, leaving it there as her mind plunders yet again, into another turmoil of emotions.

Oh, she’s definitely in it now. In Naohiko’s trap, that is.

The one that intended to humiliate her, of course. Because why else would he say something like that if it wasn’t with that goal in mind? And after all she’s done for him…. Offering exclusivity to his garments when he knew damn well that wasn’t available in her options! How infuriating indeed.

Hitomi was only grateful that her mistake wasn’t that grave to begin with, a quick fix once she regains her composure and that she’s relatively unharmed, aside from getting emotionally flustered.

As well as relieved that Haruko hadn’t been around to see such an exchange, because if she had, it would be more than obvious that she’ll never get over it. Her sister would be prompted to go on and on about how he likes her and what not, till the end of time.

Or at this point, how she’s starting to like him too. Because even when irritated by his actions, she still managed to find some charm behind th—.

What?

Did she just… did she just think that?!

No, of course not!

She doesn’t like him. That’s absolutely ludicrous. Hitomi doesn’t like him; she only likes his words— and that’s completely different.

After all, who doesn’t enjoy being recognized by their work and skills, ones that she’d honed throughout years and years of dedication? And only for this moment, appearance as well? Everyone, that’s who! 

It was only natural that Hitomi would feel somewhat… mesmerized by these attentions, and subsequently the person they came from—beginning to think that he wasn’t so bad looking himself—

Oh, there she goes again, getting distracted by him!! 

Besides, she had to remember that any kind of fraternization amongst staff members was strictly prohibited—more so with the masters! — and Hitomi cared too much for her job and what it meant for her family to be clumsy and lose it!

So, in other words, even if she wanted to… pursue something, she knew she couldn’t.

If only her sister’s persistence (or perhaps quick observation?) weren’t the first ones to make such commentary, perhaps she wouldn’t be in this dilemma to begin with. Life was certainly easier when all that she had to worry about was doing her job correctly, sending money to her family, dote on her baby sister, guide her older sister, and overall… survive.

But even when she’s carefully planned all of her life up to his point, she won’t deny that of all things she imagined happening at the Zen’in estate, getting close to one of the masters was certainly not amongst them.

Despite this discrepancy, she’s not going to allow herself to indulge in it. Not even when she already began to find some charm in Naohiko’s… vices and virtues, it was something that had to stop right then and there, for her sake.

That doesn’t mean she can’t write about it to her mom next time she goes to the post office, or that she’ll be able to stop her sister from spreading the wrong idea, already envisioning how she’s going to pester about it from the moment the sun dawns to when it sets—although Hitomi suspects she’s already past that point.

Or even… perhaps… daydream about an alternate universe where she’ll be able to pursue a relationship with him… without it having to interfere with her other responsibilities, getting to enjoy his attention full heartedly, from time to time.

No, that will not come to be.

She will never accept wanting to revel in such a thing. She’ll never concede to his unprompted attention, irritating companionship, or even dumb antics. 

Hitomi will never admit Naohiko’s presence in her life…

At least, out loud.

[hungrydolphin91]

So. Dolphin. Tell me about these little guys :3 (Persona edition) What are they like? What are their names? Backstory perchance? Mwehehe

Bonus:

*johnny yong bosch voice* PERSONA! thanks for getting me into this franchise btw, though my knowledge is still limited to the 60 hours we've played of P4 Golden so far and the bits you've shared about 3 and 5. Thus I can say with tenuous confidence that these guys aren't from those games at least? 😅

So who are they? Well first there's Psychic Chie aka, uh, Rosalind. I can see her filling a similar role as Chie though, being sorta loud and easily flustered and probably has a mad crush on whoever the protagonist is. She's got those Leia Rolando/Lynne from Ghost Trick vibes of being very cheerful and trying her best but oops! Problems instead! And maybe trauma!

I like the floating heart shaped beads around her, I hope she uses them as her weapon 💓 She's probably like "teehee I'm gonna beat you with cuteness!" and then it's like 'oh no Rosalind, you made the Shadows fall in love with you instead!' 'Oopsies!!' *canned laughter*

Next is a character whose art style looks like Q or Q2, and the pattern on their skirt suggests they go to Yasogmai High too? So either this is from a social link I didn't do (I never did join the drama club did I 😅) or they're a Q-exclusive character who is part of the same world as the P4 guys.

But that's all I got for the Naoto-esque deductions, time to make stuff up. This is Linette, a level-headed but quiet sophomore. She's not shy, she just doesn't speak much unless prompted. She probably has all of the braincells of the group, unless corndogs are involved, and then all sense goes out the window (I'm assuming you chose this picture for a reason and it's not just a coinidence she's eating one 😅).

She's probably an NPC who like helps you measure your social links or something, but occassionally she also shows up during plot events to say a couple helpful lines and then dip so the player cans solve the problem themselves. Or maybe she is a social link herself in a community garden or something, she does have a powerful (and adorable) flower motif going. Very cute. I think I'd like this character. Is she romanceable?

And then finally we have this sexy evil looking guy. I'm not sure if he's actually bad or just likes to look morose and debonair but I'm gonna say he's an antagonist at least, probably not the final boss though. You're not important enough for that.

Since he's bad he probably has a name like Eddelgard or Evangelion or something that starts with an 'E' because all bad guys have 'E' names, right Pav? ;) EXCEPT in Persona, where they all have 'A' names instead, so naturally this guy's name is Avangelion.

[It has occurred to me that Persona games usually give their characters Japanese names so I have a 0 percent chance of getting these names right. oh well.]

So Avangelion here has the swept back hair and the corsage because he wants to look like a ladies man and all the NPCS love him BUT the protagonist and party know his true nature, that he's actually manipulative and cunning (I'm probably slandering this guy sorry hope he's not your favorite 😂). He has some grand egotistical schemes where he's in charge of everything because he should be because he's better than everyone else and he says this aloud and somehow the NPCs are still like 'aw isn't he such a gentleman??💗'

It's either that, or he's a perfectly normal party character who like. Uses swords and magic and stuff. That's a possibility too.

And that's them! Thanks for letting me ruin these characters, I had heaps of fun making shit up 😂 feel free to send more if you'd like! Also feel free to take this chance to infodump the truth in the notes.

(Oh, and the bonus, Crazy Dancin' Mark. We all know and love him, beloved character of the Dancing All Night spinoffs.)

[hinar3dx]

OKAY. First of all: CONGRATULATIONS ON THE BABY!!!!!! I don’t know if you’ve mentioned it anywhere, but I had NO idea, so congrats!!!! If you don’t mind me asking, how far along are you, and how are you feeling? (Feel free to skip over this if you’re not comfortable sharing!)

Second of all: Everything you said made sense and definitely cleared some things up for me, so thanks!!

And Last but not least: I’m glad my asks bring a little bit of joy to y’all’s day! I literally love y’all’s fic, so telling y’all how much I like it is the least I could do. (Plus, your responses make my day too!)

-Your Obedient Reader

Hi!

I briefly mentioned it in some author’s notes, just that my due date was approaching so we would be taking a hiatus. I’m 9 months pregnant. The baby should be here in around 3 weeks 😅 it’s been kinda rough. The first five and a half months were horrible but it was smooth sailing after that! Thank you for the congrats!

I’m so glad things got cleared up! Honestly, I could talk about the things we have planned for this fic for hours, but that would include me spoiling everything so I’m trying not to go that far 😂 I normally just call R3DX up and we brainstorm/generally talk about it, but it’s nice to also have someone else to discuss things about it with.

I hope this Ask Response finds you well!

-hina

[anonymooseforever007]

Y'all I think I've dug myself into a little hole here. Because y'all see I'm trying to work on this idea for a Alfie fic that I've had for a while now. And it would be that Tommy's new secretary is tasked with keeping Alfie from snooping/leaving while Tom's gone and she just kinda panics and her efforts do not go as anyone would have planned. So I'm here like half way in trying to lead up to what part I first planned the idea for and I've gotten very off track. We've gone from:

"You had been so nervous about someone trying to break in you'd almost concussed poor Arthur with his own stapler when he'd come in the back door."

to

"Wouldn't that be a story to hold over the shorter gangster though. The time he had bent Tommy's new secretary over the man's own desk in under an hour."

And I just don't know how to bring it back to where I wanna go y'all. Even though it's not much it's just been pulled to far from the tone I wanted it to go without being a bit choppy if that makes sense.

I think the circle of life for this story has broken off the rails of the crazy train and it's now on a roller coaster I'm not tall enough to ride. Or I may be tall enough to ride the straps on the chair are broken and we're headed to a big drop. At least for what I wanna do with this idea. Maybe another one but not this one.

I still do want it to end up where it originally was headed, because I really like the prompt that I stared with. But I think if I do that I'm gonna have to get rid of like half of what I've already written and I also don't wanna do that😂😅 I think I may just cut it in half where it starts to veer off and finish it from there but save the rest and take little tidbits for other things maybe?

And yeah that's about it for my vague ramble for tonight.😅 Has anyone else ever ended up doing that? Y'all get half way through a fic only to realise it's not going where you want and if you wanna go back you're gonna have to cut like half of it out? What did y'all do then? Theoretically could I possibly make two stories with the same exact beginning only different endings? I kinda wanna do that but then I have to not only finish the one I planned on but also finish the one I didn't plan on and I have no clue where I want that one to go because that bits a bit of a mess itself already. Plus I already got other stuff I wanna finish soon too and the story's it's for isn't the one I wanna do most right now, even if I have been trying get it done. But I still don't wanna get rid of the veered off part completely no either. Because even though I don't write smut I actually like the line that I made it too unexpectedly 😂 It just kinda makes me 🤭😏🤭 if that makes sense and I don't wanna delete it, even if I don't know where to put it. And yeah, has that happened to anyone else?. Ok now I promise that's the end of my ramble. Hope y'all are having a good night!!!!!! Byeeeeee!!!!

[acacia-may]

Pretty Sure "Black Clover" Took Over my Spotify Wrapped This Year 😅

I suppose I shouldn't be as surprised as I am, but a lot of my top Spotify wrapped songs this year are from my Black Clover themed playlists including my #1 song of 2022: "Line Without a Hook" which has made me think of Finral Roulacase from the first time I heard it 💚😂

Discussion under the cut

Ricky Montgomery - Line Without a Hook (feat. mxmtoon) [Official Lyric Video] - YouTube

I'm particularly fond of the version featuring mxmtoon which added some of my favourite lines, including: "I can’t speak fast or else I’ll crack/It’s the price I pay for going back/And I’ve dreamed to be seen/Now I’ve got it, do I want it?" Really speaks to how Finral, at times, is really just trying to keep it together--pretending that everything is okay and not wanting to admit to himself that it isn't. Also, he desperately wants to be acknowledged and accepted--especially by his family, and (in the context of the canon) he thinks that becoming the head of House Vaude will give him that. But I think there is always that burning question of does he really know what he wants? If he does eventually get to become the his family’s heir, will it be everything he hoped it would be? Is what Finral thinks he needs to be happy, ultimately what will make him happy?

At it’s core though, this is a love song, and one of my favourite songs for Finral x Finesse (They're so cute! 💕). It's a bit of a different take on a love song and definitely up to interpretation (my sister thinks it's very sad, for instance). To me, though, it's about someone whose heart is filled with these big "explosions" of emotions but is also a little untethered and wayward like a "line without a hook.” In the end, however, the singer's heart always finds its way home to its steady, gentle safe-place, the "pond" to its restless "ocean." 💚

Also, I mean, the bridge is just so perfectly fitting for them too… (or at least I think so 😅)

"‘Cause there is something, and there is nothing

There is nothing in between

And in my eyes, there is a tiny dancer

Watching over me, he’s singing,

'She’s a, she’s a lady, and I am just a boy”

Singing, “She’s a, she’s a lady, and I am just a line without a hook'”

🥺💕

~~~

Just for fun, I'm also including another of my favourite songs that make me think of Finral, “Grace Kelly” by MIKA (which ranked at #14 on my Spotify wrapped this year). It's a bit cheeky, but I think it really speaks to his desperate desire for love and acceptance and willingness to do whatever it takes to be wanted—even to the extent of hiding or changing things about himself if he thinks it’ll make him more likable, all the while wondering why people (all those girls that shoot him down, for instance, or, especially, his family) don’t like him…

Mika - Grace Kelly - with LYRICS. - YouTube

On a certain level, especially as far as his father and stepmother are concerned, Finral really thinks that it's his fault that they don't like him--that there's something wrong with him that makes him unlikable or unworthy of being loved. He genuinely believes that if he was only more powerful, more intelligent, more responsible, more like Langris, and just "everything more" than he is, then, his parents would finally love and acknowledge him. There really is that desperation there--that "How can I help it, how can I help it? How can I help what you think?" And that loss of a sense of identity, where he tries to put on these airs (tries be charming, for instance) when that's really just not who he is.

“I could be brown, I could be blue, I could be violet sky I could be hurtful, I could be purple, I could be anything you like Gotta be green, gotta be mean, gotta be everything more Why don't you like me, why don't you like me? Why don't you walk out the door?"

Enough said.

Of course, we all know that Finral is at his best when he isn't trying so hard and is just himself. Luckily, his squad loves him for the awkward, scatterbrained but oh so genuinely sweet and sincere goofball he really is 💖

[joanna-lannister]

JC Fancast Anon here! 👋 

Hi! How are you? How’s it going? I hope you’re doing well and have gotten a good lil treat recently! I (I’m in the US) got lavender lemonade at a lavender farm booth at the farmers market and am obsessed! I hope you’ve had a good week in general☺️

I LOVE YOUR NEW ICON 😍😍😍 ngl I had a moment where I was scrolling and (not reading any URLS) went “wait I’ve scrolled a lot where is Jo?” Sorry I call ya Jo not Marie since I don’t actually know you 😅😅 I hope you don’t mind, if you do I will remember and try to stop! anyway it’s a super cute icon 💕 

I wanted to update you on my coach umbrella! It mostly works 😂 it is very much for light rain, or short walks/runs from the car to my job when it’s a heavy rain. It been a HIT on sunny walks 😉 3 compliments at least now!

Also! I watched 1 (just 1 so far 😅) Sofia Coppola film, Marie Antoinette! I LOVED IT! The costumes! The colors! The vibes! 😍😍😍😍 also young Jaime Dornan omfg had no idea he was in it! What a hottie!

Are you excited for S2 of HOTD? I’m kinda nervous about it cause it was made during the strike but a part of me hopes GRRM helped improve it a bit??? Idk I THINK I’m excited!

Anyway just checking in with ya, summer is coming up so I hope you can stay dry and cool (we get stupid humid in the summer hope you don’t suffer that!)

-❤️ JC Fancast Anon

HIIII! Sorry for the late reply, as I said last night my meds were kicking in and my brain was like "Time to fall asleep!" 😂

I'm fine as I can be, still struggling with sleep and depression tho, but I'm writing which helps a lot and keeps me busy. Lavender lemonade? Didn't know that existed but that sounds delicious 👀

AAAAH I'M GLAD YOU LOVE MY NEW ICON! ❤️ It's giving me modern au Cersei summer vibes. And I don't mind you calling me Jo! it makes a lot of sense actually. And it's kinda funny because that's how I nickname JC's daughter in my fics 😂😂 But I'm still getting used to the change of this new icon, I feel a bit weird about it because I was so used to the red lips lmao

I'm glad your umbrella mostly works! AND YES COMPLIMENTS! It's always nice to get some 😌

YES MARIE ANTOINETTE! IT'S MY FAVE! I'm so glad you loved it, the aesthetic is pure pleasure to the eyes. And yes, he's a hottie! You should try The Virgin Suicides next (and if you can, read the book too). I have Priscilla on my laptop that I need to watch, but I keep procrastinating 😬

About HOTD, I'm kinda both excited and scared at the same time! I hope the storylines and the writing will be handled way better than in S1, but we won't have any time jumps (I think the quality of the first season suffers from those time jumps) so I have some faith it might be better? Also, I keep looking at the spoilers and leaks, I can't help myself 😂😭

And yes, summer is coming up! I hope we won't suffer a heat wave but ugh, I have little faith in that 😭 I hope but it will be a nice summer tho, and that you can stay dry and cool too!

[appreciatingtokrev]

that's really nice to heard that you guys managed to turn it around then! hopefully, your friendship will last for many years to come 🙂 i recently had to cut off a friend for 8 years because she went too far since she let bad experiences define her too much and i couldn't do it anymore 😭 it did made me realise that friendship or any general relationship does take work but it won't happen if the other party doesn't listen 😅 i'm a mac user and it's not available for IOS users expect for the iPhones but you can get GI on an iPad but most don't know this. Mac aren't really great for games anymore, you can't download any from steam now. that does make sense and maybe the company just abandoned it since they don't see a need switch version considering the success.

I've heard that the gacha concept is bad for ppl with gambling issues though like some ppl do impulse buy on there a lot. i've gave into playing honaki star because i wanted to be there from the start. which one do you prefer? i like honkai star more, how about you?

you are right, i got a bit lost there and we don't have the high school system on my end so i have to look up fms 😅 are you still in high school then (?) where i live, ppl your age are at university or they're retaking the previous year to get into uni.

i read the manga a while back so i've looked it up and you're correct. that is a good point, koko does seem more likely to change compare to inupi. that's true since even mitusya was still a member in bad toman and mikey disappeared and kisaki's influence. i wonder that cause koko to change that much in the bonten timeline though? because he definitely knew what he was doing then by signing up to it willingly.

it is a bit hard and long 😅 which version of venti do you want to cosplay? that is a shame but more interesting characters will appear where you might want to cosplay them instead and like you said, you could always start now.

tbh, anime merchandise is pretty expensive so if you could order it, it would be a little bit hard to find reasonable prices 😭 there are limited edition perfumes of TR that cost at least 100+ for just ONE, i was talking to someone and she will buy at least more than one but i was like wait, what if you don't like the scent? and then she said i'll just add it to my anime collection then and i went 💀 i would never do that, would you? making his earring must been cool though, does it jingle then? you're almost there then! wouldn't a wig be uncomfortable though? and hot to wear in the summer ? my cousin said the same thing about the hotness and you guys are exactly one month apart from each other, she's 16th of March lol. i'm not telling anyone that i'm cosplaying 😂 i'm just going to wear it as an outfit every once in a while and i'm not buying a wig.

i'm not a makima fan either, i just like her outfit lol. the fanart of her are cool though considering how terrifying/dark they are. why don't you like her? it really was and luckily i managed to get the last one for my size otherwise i've would given up 😭 thanks, it's not perfect, there is a split at the back (at the bottom) but closet i was going to get so i'm happy.

ty!! yeah i hope so too :] oh no,, i’m sorry for you ajdjfkh losing friends you’ve had for so long is very hard but if you believe it’s better that way i’m glad you did it & i hope it doesn’t take too much of a toll on you. a few years ago me and my best friend of 8 years grew apart and well... i was pretty sad about it tbh but i mean that’s life.

hm interesting, didn’t know abt any of the technical genshin stuff bc for my laptops it’s always worked without a problem

i hate to admit it but i’ve spent money on genshin too, though it was a one-time thing and i was still financially stable afterwards (otherwise i wouldn’t have done it). but yeah, it’s definitely a problem for gambling addicts.

ohh personally i prefer genshin, probably bc it’s what got me into gaming on pc and i’ve been playing it for so long lol but i prefer honkai star rail over honkai impact for sure. i do prefer the gi/hi fight mechanics but those in hsr are very fun too and i like that they did something different for once!

yeah i mean it’s not really a highschool here either... i would explain the school system in switzerland to you but it’s a little complicated so ajfjfjhsk tbf i’m a bit older than most people in my class tho it’s not too unusual for someone my age to be where i am bc the fms & gymnasium often have people repeating a bunch of times or similar things. most people actually graduate highschool at abt 18 to 20 where i live, in my specific type of class even half a year later so 19 to 21. and i’ll graduate at 22 so yeah lol. then i’ll probably go to university

i guess koko is just more prone to crime than e.g. inupi or mitsuya? i think it has to do with his trauma relating money because he knew that getting into bonten would secure him good business (if he works well ofc, but he knows he does lol) plus the other people who ended up joining bonten wanted him to be there too so that gives him an easier time making a decision.

i’d love to cospaly just his normal outfit, the one he wears in-game! my hair’s been growing out since and i never dyed it but i actually got pretty much the same haircut as him last summer lol. now idk what i wanna do with my hair and i hate going to the hair dresser so i haven’t cut it since ajdjfkhsk.

yeah, merch is so expensive 😭 i ended up finding a store in the city where my school is at that sells some animanga merch, including tokrev (and gi) stuff, so i now have a tiny takemichi figurine and a little plushie mitsuya keychain hehe, and both weren’t too expensive. i’ve also been planning on crocheting some little tokrev dolls inspired by a silly fic i read lol but my motivation has been so low 😭 ah yeah i’ve seen a bunch of tokrev perfumes too... i mean. if she likes spending money on stuff and has enough money to do it... her choice i guess

it does jingle!! i haven’t worn it yet tho bc i don’t mind the sound but i’m pretty sure the public doesn’t lmao so i might make another that looks the same but doesn’t make any noises so i can wear it.

mhh honestly i don’t think i will care abt wearing a wig too much, it’s not for too long and while i hate tge heat i can tolerate it quite easily so. and i think it will be plenty of fun (and struggle) to style it haha

oh lol, i see i’m collecting people with birthdays similar to mine one way or another lol. that actually makes a lot of sense! her outfit very much is perfect to just wear casually so. omg i love makima fanart, especially when people incorporate a lot of symbolism and/or horror elements. she’s just so pleasing to look at in a way ajdkfjsjh. she gave me bad vibes from the start and well i dislike her for her actions, which should be pretty popular lol. any reason in particular that you dislike her? omg pretty much the same thing happened to me with my valhalla jacket jacket, i’d checked out every store in town and was SO close to giving up when i found one slightly too big (it makes my shoulders look weirdly broad but i have some ideas on shortening the sleeves to fix it) and it looked okay so i bought it.

[look-at-the-soul]

Hi! It's gossip girl❤️❤️ I missed our little messages too! Luckily school isn't too bad right now so I hoping to be able to keep up on here a bit better now! I hope you're doing well!! I got to read so of the stories you've done recently and they've all been brilliant! I especially liked the one you posted yesterday! Make your home in my heart! ❤️ it was so cute! I love how soft Tommy was with her and how he took time to care for her! ❤️❤️ and I also liked the Runway! I haven't seen Anna but I heard it's good! And I loved how you made the story begin!

I've been doing alright! My break was nice and exams went pretty well! My classes this semester are a bit harder though so that's a bit of a challenge though 😂🥲😂

And I think my anxiety is doing a bit better now! I think I may actually try to post something within. Like two weeks maybe! 

I know I mentioned I had writers block but you know what😂 I got to go home for this weekend and had to fly. So I was like determined to try and finish at least one of my stories. And not only did I finish both but I've got 20k+ words broken up over about 6 different stories done now😂 One I still need to finish though! I kinda surprised myself too because I was typing stuff on the plane and usually I'm nervous annoy people seeing that stuff. But I lucked out both times and no one was in the seat next to me, which I think helped! 😂And I actually have more ideas I wanna get done by next week too😂 It was actually your little idea about Drabble that helped me get out of it too! So thank you for that! ❤️ Once I remembered that I didn't have to write a super long story it was a bit easier for me to cut down in what wasn't important! I have some bullet point ideas or mini Drabble that I've also almost got done too! There is one idea that I may send an other ask about though! It's something I be been wanting to write because I think I have a really good idea for a line prompt. But there's I'm a little stuck because of some of the TW's that would be included in the story and I'm not sure how'd people react? Idk if that makes sense but I can explain more in the other ask if that's ok! 

And yes! Alfie is absolutely a rich character! He's one of my favorites😂 I'm so glad he made it though the series😂 

Morpheus is pretty good! It's based of a comic by Neil Gaiman about the the Lord of Dreams (Morpheus)! And it starts off after he's been imprisoned for like 100 years and finally gets free and has to build up his kingdom again! I know it's not the busy summary but it's definitely worth the watch! And the actor who plays Morpheus (Tom Sturrige? I think it's spelled) is also very nice to look at so😂😂 but it's a pretty good show!

And I've heard of Both those movies with Cillian but haven't seen them. I've especially heard people like Breakfast on Pluto! I haven't heard of Virgin River though! What's it about? 

And I will say that we have interacted before but again I've kinda been hiding around for the last little bit 😂 And I honestly started the same way as you to, only on anon then I decided to share on thing and people seems to like it so I tried sharing more😂 Then I went into hiding again but you know, I think I might come out of my cave soon😅 And thank you for all your encouragement too! You really have helped me be less nervous about it all!❤️ 

And I haven't actually seen Sex and the City, but I've heard of that one too! But I get what you mean by being apprehensive to second parts! Sometimes the producers should have just stuck to one😂 but I do know that gossip girl is on HBO if you couldn't find it! 

Ohhh and local cafe's are fun! I wish there were some more near me I could go to😂 My college is great but it's not really in a big city where there's lots of cafes😂 We do have a few boba shops that could probably work pretty well though! Does coffee flavored boba count? 😂 And ohh I did see that you were writing for them! I still haven't seen a Quiet Place two yet, but I've seen part of Anna (didn't get to finish it) and I do really enjoy the Nolan Batman's (Cillian is very good at playing the characters who are a little psycho😂) But I can't think of anything specific to see with this right now! If I think of something I'll definitely let you know though!! ❤️

Aside from all the fics I've been trying to catch up on, I have a few mystery novels I want to finish! Most of what I've read though this year had been my textbooks though 😂

And I hope your days have been going alright and will only get better from her on!🥰🥰You're amazing!! Thank you for all your advice! And I'll be sure to send that ask about you opinion on an idea I had after this! ❤️❤️❤️ 

XoXo Gossip Girl!

Hello gossip girl!!!

How have you been?

I’m glad to hear school is doing alright:) thank you so much! I’ve been writing more and faster (I think hehe) aww thank you! It makes me so happy to know you liked that story! I’m a firmly believer that Tommy would be a sweet man, he just couldn’t leave her there in the pouring rain at night… and she managed to win his heart too. (I might have a second part planned for later) but first I need to finish the ancient request I got a while ago, I think there are 2 more stories in my drafts (gotta hurry up). I’m writing the second part to The Runway!!! And I’m so excited about it 🥰 looove Lenny!

Congratulations on the good grades! Keep the hard work going ☺️ oh but I’m sure you will do it just fine! Trust yourself (best of luck with your classes!)

Remember to take deep breaths, try to think of the things that gives you peace usually (and of course post the stories you’ve been working!), it will be just fine 😉

Oh I think airports are a great source of inspiration, wow! That’s an impressive work, you have been writing a lot! It makes me so happy to hear that! Yeah I don’t like neighbors looking at what you’re doing haha I get so nervous, but you were neighbor’s free so it must’ve helped a lot. Did you keep writing? *eyes*… oh that post helped me too! Like a lot! Sometimes I pressure myself to write something long, over X words but when I read that I was like… wait a minute, some stories can work great as short, a Drabble… 🥰💕 aww you’re welcome! It makes my entire world to know you’ve found some inspiration in my silly posts… my job is done here. We don’t even realize the pressure we put on ourselves sometimes right? Some stories are mean to be short, a mini series, a long series or a one shot, and it’s perfectly fine, what really matters is that we write what we want and enjoy it.

In your other post you mention SA, but I don’t know what it means? And also TW’s? 🙈 also do you want me to post the other message with the ideas for your story? Let me know!… okay the general idea sounds great to me! I just have a few questions to fully understand the plot, which I will share on your next message if you tell me you are okay with me posting it. But to answer your dilemma, I’d say go for it because internally you’ve been thinking about it since the beginning! Don’t doubt yourself on it, whatever path you choose is going to be the right one because it’s part of your original idea 😉😊

Alfie was a great addition to the show! He is so interesting and unique, he has a lot of things to bring to the table…

Oh wow Morpheus sounds interesting 🤔 I will try to see if it’s around the platform I have subscription from, or at least a small video to get an idea of the show, although to tell you the truth? I find it hard to get hooked with another series than peaky, what have they done to me? I want/need 10 more series ahaha (said the frustrated one) 😂 but it would be good to have something else to look at.

Breakfast on Pluto was amazing, I loved his character there (I think they did it way too early tho, he could’ve won an Oscar for it years later, but we know he’s not after that… Virgin River is a small (and perfect) little town full of mountains and rivers and nice people, so Mel is a practitioner nurse,widow and she arrives to start her job at the small clinic, she meets Jack a former soldier and they fall in love, but things aren’t easy so there are a million ups and downs, a pregnant ex, the noisy neighbors, flashbacks from the war… it’s so good!

Wow don’t hide! I love interacting with you on anon messages so I guess it’s the same with your own blog 😉 but whatever makes you feel comfortable! I hope you decide to share more and more,the first one is the hardest, so… we’ll be waiting with open arms when you decide to leave the cave 💖 ah anytime sweetheart! Happy to help :)

Yeah I didn’t watch it either but a friend told me what happened and I was like O.o nope I’m not watching that hehe I mean, they left Samantha out *horror face* they had the audacity *gasp* hahah yeahI think whatever you fancy to drink works ;) what does flavored boba tastes? Ahh you *need* to watch AQP2, I was reluctant at first, but Emmett won my heart over… Anna meh, the general idea was amazing, but I think the movie had something missing? Is it just me? I mean why would they make Anna have a girlfriend and be with Lenny and the other agent…? What’s the point? Yeah living la vida loca, I get it, but (?) did he took her to Hawaii? Did the gf found out Anna cheated? I have a lot of questions haha that’s why I write for him lol and I love the psycho characters too! *high five* Jonathan Crane was great, but one of the best roles for me will always be Anthropoid and the edge of love, (love the war theme).

Oh please share the reading list! I love finding new pieces to read, I have a John Banville novel I bought back in November and I haven’t read it yet… I am too behind some stories (I need to catch up on reading asap..), but it will be around so I try to not pressure myself a lot, sometimes it’s just hard to keep up with everything. Ahah I bet you have! Luckily you will find some time to read novels and fiction during your free time ☺️

Days have been alright thanks, I’m doing my nails old way (Idont want to do gel anymore there are loads of videos saying how much damage it can make on the skin and although I really didn’t use the UV lamp like once a week, I want to protect my skin as much as I can…I’ve been writing a lot, more than usual so I’m trying to maximize the inspiration spree, days have been warmer and I want to see if I can find a friend to go to a concert in June, so wish me luck!

Thank you for your beautiful words 🥺 I am here to chat whenever you need, and to me you’re amazing as well! So brave and I wish you nothing but the best in every aspect of your life, see you around xx

[zepskies]

😍😍 Thank you so much!! Can't wait to dive into your thoughts on Part 3. 😘

I love Denise too!! I made her the reader's aunt half for that reason, and to bring the reader into Beau's inner circle easier (like you pointed out).

I have to thank you for picking up literally EVERYTHING I was putting down in this chapter. 🤣 From the Smoke Eater "soil water" easter egg to "Pivot!" to "threatening to shoot the sheriff" (but not the deputy. A la Dean. 😏) Literally all of those were intentional lol.

Oh God, my worst nightmare whenever someone suggests that 😂 I'm with the reader on that one: is watching TV interesting enough? lol

Omfg same. 😂 Like idk? I barely have time between my jobs to write and veg in front of my couch. I binged a whole season of Friends in 3 days. I consider that fun and cool? ✌🏽

Ooop, someone likes himself a professor 😏 (Thank God she's English Lit and not Paleontology 😆)

What can I say? He likes 'em smart. 😏 (But lmfao not Paleontology. Unless it's Julie.)

I honestly have such a soft spot for Walter 🥺 (Also, Seth Gabel is such a good actor 👀) I didn't like Paige because I thought she was taking advantage of him. I was surprised to find out in the end she actually had feelings for him. That kinda came out of the left field 😅

I so agree!! First of all, he was awesome in that role. A mix of creepy and childlike. But I didn't buy Paige actually developing feelings for him either. I thought she was manipulating him too. (Like okay, she didn't ask him to take the fall for her, but she did manipulate him into stealing and watching the camp/antagonizing Luke for her.)

And I totally understand why reader feels guilty over Mary's death, but it really wasn't her fault. I hope she can forgive herself at some point ❤️

Yeah, I think we would all feel the same way, you know? Even though she couldn't have prevented this, she's always going to feel responsible on some level for not stopping Mary from going alone into the woods. 💔

Jesus effing Christ! No wonder she's so upset and wanted to move 🙈 What a giant ass-douchface her ex-fiance was. Honestly, that scum doesn't deserve her tears...

Ikr?? lol I promised it would make sense. 😂 You'll hear more about doucheface as we go along.

I absolutely loved their little get-to-know coffee date! 🫶 It was exactly what they both needed. Let's be honest, their past meetings were a bit awkward, considering the circumstances (tete-a-tetes with new husbands and murder investigations) 🤣

Aww I'm so glad you loved it!! That "someone who understands how you're feeling" was all too close, huh? Their past meetings were very awkward and unorthodox, to say the least loll. But they're finally getting their more conventional meet cute moment. 🥹 (With a side helping of grief/trauma splashed in.)

Lmfaooo nice John Lithgow gif. Love that guy. But yeah, Beau was sweet for wishing he had a proper tissue, at least. 😂

Gaaaah, I felt through Jenny throughout this chapter. I got all the little hints you dropped and loved the way you described her silent pain 💔

Aw I'm glad you picked up on that. I wanted to play on the S3 threads a bit there with Jenny. 💙

This is my favorite movie, btw. I just watched it last week again lmao 🤣❤️

I LOVE that movie!!! lol Makes me want to watch it tonight. Awesome cast, awesome writing, just my level of hopeless romantic. 💕

And did you have to make that hunk of a man move furniture? And SWEAT???? Dear fucking Lord, I-I- I'm not alive anymore. Pretty sure, yep... 🥵💦 (I was full with Denise with this one. And I could just imagine her gloriously shameless face the whole time as she thirsted over him 😆)

🤪🤪 I had to, I had no choice lmao. I think Denise represented all of us in this chapter. 🤣 (Now I wish I had a gif of Beau in a sweaty t-shirt, but alas.)

Wooohooo! Are we having another date? 👀 Welp, if she's not getting on a horse for Cormac, maybe Beau will actually do it for her 😝 Can't wait for all the riding... I mean horse riding next chapter! 😏😍🤍

That we are!! Or, well, a very date-like "non-date," if you will. 😆 And you already know where Cormack failed, Beau will certainly deliver. 😜

There will be even more "riding" puns to...eh...come!! 😏🐴🐴

As always, thank you for making me smile (and occasionally snort while sipping my glass of wine.~) 💕

Take Me Home - Part 3

Pairing: Beau Arlen x F. Reader 

Summary: You are another lost soul at Sunny Day Excursions. You’re aiming to settle in Helena, Montana, where Beau Arlen is the new sheriff in town. But you’ve both got a past you’re running from. 

AN: I’m being continuously blown away by your lovely responses on this story. Thank you so much! I truly appreciate all the love for our cowboy sheriff and where TMH is going.

Word Count: 6.6K

Tags/Warnings: Angst, hurt/comfort, a heart-to-heart, flirtations, and invitations taken…

❤️ Series Masterlist

Part 3: Welcome Home

In the next twenty-four hours after Mary was found, the police’s investigation led them to a man named Walter. He’d been living in the woods, and was suspected of stalking the camp for days. 

He was arrested as a prime suspect in Mary’s murder at Sunny Day Excursions, along with Paige’s; even though they’d yet to find her body, the police did confirm that she'd never made it home to New York.

They also found Luke later that night. His body was pierced to a tree by an archer’s arrow. 

The campers were sent home shortly after Walter was arrested. 

And three days later, your aunt Denise gingerly took a seat on the edge of the couch you’d been lying in all day (and all week so far). She swept her fingers over your greasy hair in both comfort and affection. 

Denise Brisbane was your mom’s sister. She was a private investigator here in Helena. And as you found out, she actually worked with Cassie Dewell, the woman you’d met at the camp, who was still in search of a missing backpacker.

“You’ve barely moved in days, honey,” Denise said.

Her face was sympathetic and sad, watching you. Though you felt the sting of guilt, feeling like a burden that had just been unloaded on your aunt, you didn’t want to leave your warm blankets. Your body felt heavy and useless.

“Good news though. The rest of your stuff ships in tomorrow,” she said, continuing to pet your hair. “I’ll help you move into your new apartment. How does that sound?”

You gave a weak nod. “Thanks.”

She sighed. “I’m not trying to kick you out, hun. I just think it’ll be good for you to start getting on your feet.”

You agreed, wordlessly. In your head, you knew she was right. You couldn’t sleep on her couch forever, and perhaps more importantly, you couldn’t let this beat you down forever.

“You sure you don’t want to talk about it?” Denise asked, squeezing your shoulder. “Your mom wanted to get the first flight out here, but I told her I’d take care of you until you go home for the funeral.”

You were grateful for that. As much as you loved your mother, you didn’t want to be smothered right now. Your mom’s version of comfort could only include a heavy dose of smothering. The one thing you had been able to do was call Mary’s parents.

That had been a long and painful conversation. After which, you slept like the dead for two days straight.

Denise broke you out of your wandering thoughts when she handed you a business card. It had a banyan tree emblazoned on it, along with the name of a grief counseling center.

“Cassie’s actually been going here, and she’s liked it so far,” she said.

At your furrowed look of confusion, she added, “Look, it’s okay if you don’t want to talk to me, but I think it would be good for you to talk to someone. Maybe someone who understands what you’re going through.”

You sighed and flipped the card through your fingers. You really, really didn’t want to go. You could already what your father would say if he knew you went to a grief counselor. His form of “therapy” was the growing collection of bourbon behind his desk.   

But if it meant you’d stop being a lump in your aunt’s living room, then maybe you could give it a shot.

“Okay,” you nodded. Your voice was a bit coarse with disuse. Denise gave you a smile, and a warm hug that felt like home. She even offered to make your appointment for you.

You were a little annoyed though. Now you’d have to actually get up and put on a bra.

“Maybe shower first, huh?” she advised, while she helped you get up.

“Yeah, yeah,” you replied.

A hot shower, washing and styling your hair, putting real clothes on, and overall making yourself presentable actually made you feel human again. You even surprised yourself by putting on a bit of makeup.

Once you made it to the grief counseling center in your car, however, you sat in the parking lot for a minute. You had to take a moment to breathe. Because you knew you were going to be asked what happened. You were going to have to get into it all over again.

Even after you were able to leave your car and brave through the carpeted halls of the building, your hands were shaking. At the reception desk, an older woman directed you down another long hallway to the group session. It was the only one available on short notice, but she promised that if you found the session helpful, she could help you book another group session, or even a solo session.

You weren’t sure if you were ready for “solo,” but a group appealed to you. Maybe you could just sit in the back and let the others talk.

The counselor, Tom, greeted you when you walked into the right room. It was a small room with a bunch of chairs formed in a circle at the center. No room to hide, you thought with growing unease. You glanced over and saw that there were a few people already milling about, making small talk in a cluster near the circle.

“We’re gonna start here in a few minutes, but until then, you can take a seat,” said Tom. “There’s also coffee and cookies over there, if you like.”

Coffee. Coffee was warm, and it might settle your nerves and help you perk up a bit. You thanked him and went for the carafes on a small table in the back. You poured some coffee into a Styrofoam cup and poured a little sugar and creamer into it, but after you took an experimental sip, you immediately regretted it.

Tastes like damn soil water! You made a grossed out sound and spat it back into your cup.

“Yeah, wouldn’t recommend the joe,” drawled a familiar voice. 

You turned sharply to find Sheriff Beau Arlen. He gave you a sympathetic look as he reached for a cup of water. Seeing him took you by such surprise, you gasped with a slight flinch, accidentally spilling some scalding coffee on yourself in the process. 

You held the cup away from you fast, but a few drops still flecked on your jeans, and even his boots. 

“Oh my God, I’m so sorry,” you gasped again. Beau just smiled good-naturedly and grabbed a few napkins off the table.

“It’s all right,” he said. “I’m the one who snuck up on you. Accidentally, I might add.”

He handed you the napkins so you could soak up the coffee from your hand and arm. Meanwhile, he took your half-empty coffee cup and tossed it in the garbage. Your damp wad of napkins joined the cup.

And when you finally looked up at him again, you both found yourselves smiling, despite where you were. It was the first time you’d been able to smile in days.

“Sheriff Arlen,” you greeted. “I did not expect to see you here…”

His smile faltered at that, but his hand reached back to sort through his short hair at the back of his head. 

“Ah, call me Beau,” he said. “I have a feeling we’re about to get to know each other better.”

You agreed to that, just as you agreed to join him for a seat within the circle of chairs. He leaned back in his chair and swept a hand through his hair again, perhaps in a nervous gesture. You glanced over at him, saw the way he smoothed a hand down his jeans when his knee started bouncing…

Could he be as anxious as you? You had to wonder why he was here, for grief counseling of all things. The thought sobered you as more people filtered in and took their seats. Tom eventually got things started from his spot across from you in the circle.

“Okay, we’ve got a couple of first timers to this group session, so tell you what,” he said. “Let’s go around, introduce ourselves, and share something interesting. Whether it’s what you do for a living, a new hobby you picked up, or keeping it even more simple, something fun you did this week.”

You looked down at the folded hands in your lap. If binge watching entire seasons of Succession and sleeping until noon every day counted as something fun, then you were all set.

The introductions started to his left, so it took a while before it got around to you. There was that little flutter of nerves in your stomach, like you were a kid again, and it was the first day of school (but worse).

Luckily, Beau was before you. You were curious about what he would share as he let out a subtle clearing of his throat.

“Hi there, I’m Beau Arlen. Some of you know me as the new sheriff over at Helena PD.” He greeted everyone with a short wave, though he tossed you a smiling glance. “You might also be able to tell that I’m from Texas. Born and bred in Houston. I moved up here to stay close to my daughter, who’s living here with her mother…my ex-wife.”

He tacked on that last bit after a slight pause. But he recovered quicker than you could process and gestured to you next. You forced yourself to perk up, putting your “teacher’s hat” on as you tried to meet everyone’s eyes. First, you gave them your name.

“I’m also from out of town, from Chicago,” you said, glancing at Beau. His expression was encouraging. It gave you the small boost you didn’t know you needed. “I’m a college professor, formerly of the University of Chicago…but I start at Caroll College in the fall.”

Beau’s brows rose as his lips twitched upwards. You tried not to blush as you passed on the introductions to the next person.

The session itself was light overall. Tom talked about the stress that often came with the unknown—with moving past a challenging time, or tackling a new project, or even moving to a new and unfamiliar city. He didn’t force everyone to chime in about themselves, but the ones who were ready to share took the floor one by one. And by the end, you thought that you’d gleaned some useful tidbits just by listening.

Hell, maybe you’d even come back here.

When the session was over though, you were kind of relieved. You grabbed your purse and got up to leave.

“Well, that was relatively painless,” Beau said, also getting up from his seat.

“Yeah, wasn’t so bad,” you replied. Your name fell from his lips in the form of a question, earning your expectant gaze.

“Listen, uh, can I buy you a real cup of coffee?” he offered. “We might not have met under the best of circumstances, but I just heard recently that you’re Denise’s niece. Well, I’m friends with the gals over at Dewell & Hoyt, your aunt included, so I just thought it’d be good to get to know each other, being that we’re both kinda new in town, and—”

You set a light hand on his arm. That one touch was able to stop his rambling, along with the sight of your amused smile up at him.

“Coffee sounds great,” you said.

You decided there was no real harm in meeting him at the nearest coffee shop, just a few minutes away.

It was hard not to associate the sheriff with that terrible night at the camp, but you knew that wasn’t fair to him. He seemed like a nice guy, and by the way he talked about his daughter, maybe even a good man.

In your experience, a good man was hard to find.

“So, what do you teach exactly?” Beau asked. He’d just finished telling you about Emily starting a summer internship with Cassie and Denise at the private investigation agency. Like father like daughter, you’d remarked. Beau’s soft, but proud smile had been telling.

“English literature,” you replied to his question, sipping at your cappuccino. He was drinking a hot French vanilla latte, which kind of amused you. You had expected him to order an Americano or something.   

“Oh, yeah? What sort of classes?” he said.  

“The greatest hits, basically,” you explained. “Composition, English grammar, Shakespeare…Twentieth Century British Literature.”

“Oh, is that all?” he chuckled. It charmed a smile out of you. 

“I don’t know why I asked. I didn’t even go to college,” Beau said. It finally succeeded in making you laugh.

“Straight to the police academy, then?” you asked.

“Like a cannonball, heels a blazin’,” he said, miming a gunshot with his hand. 

“Like a rhinestone cowboy,” you teased. And you felt brave enough to hum the riff of the Glen Campbell song. 

Beau shook his head with a grin. He’d seen you, all tightened up and anxious throughout the group session, even though it had been pretty lightweight. He could relate to your discomfort. He’d made a conscious effort to talk very little about himself and gave the others the room to tell their stories.

Beau liked seeing you more relaxed though. He liked your smile, the glimpses of your sense of humor shining through. He liked that he was somehow able to bring that out of you for a while. 

“I still can’t believe you're Denise’s niece,” he said, once again shaking his head. “What a small world.”

“Yeah. I’ve been crashing on her couch for the past week,” you admitted. “But I have the rest of summer to settle into my new apartment, starting tomorrow. I’ve got my whole life shipping in on a truck.”

Beau nodded at that. He contemplated whether it’d be appropriate for him to offer you some help with that. The question was on the tip of his tongue, until he saw the way your mood saddened. You sat contemplating your coffee mug.

“I asked her to come,” you confessed. When your eyes met his, they shone with the beginning of unshed tears. “The camping trip was Mary’s idea, but I asked her to come with me to Helena for the week. She wouldn’t have been there if it wasn’t for me.”

Beau let out a deep breath and met you with a more somber, understanding gaze. 

“It wasn’t your fault,” he said. He was reminded that they had Walter in custody. He wasn’t yet willing to break and confess to the murders at Sunny Day Excursions, but they had him.

“I promise, we’ll get justice for Mary,” Beau added. You sighed and wiped a tear from your cheek.

“Do you think you have the right man?” you asked, speaking of Walter.

“I do,” Beau replied. “He’s being stubborn, but all the evidence points to him.”

You nodded gratefully, but you had to try and breathe through your tumultuous emotions, the way your heart was cracking with pain. You didn’t want to break down in the middle of a damn coffee shop.

Again, Beau wrestled with the inclination to cover his hand over yours. He felt like he was toeing the line between his professional capacity as a sheriff, and the fact that you were his friend’s niece. He wanted to comfort you the best he could. But sometimes, words just weren’t enough.

You took a half-hearted sip of your coffee. By now, it was lukewarm, if still tasty and sweet. It was healthier than whiskey, you supposed.

“She was like…like my sister, you know?” you said. “I feel like I failed her.”

Beau shook his head, his dark brows furrowing. He didn’t know how many times he could say it wasn’t your fault, knowing you probably wouldn’t ever believe it.

That struck a familiar bell.

“Look, I uh…I understand what you’re going through,” he admitted. Your watery gaze found his again. Your head tilted in interest.

He sighed before answering your unspoken question. “I lost my partner on the job, now a couple years back.”

“I’m sorry,” you replied, and your sympathy was as genuine as his had been for you. “I’m guessing you two were close.”

Beau’s lips quirked at one corner. “He was like my brother. Matter of fact, I think it used to make my own brother jealous.”

You processed that with a sad frown, though your brows soon rose in curiosity.

“You have a brother?”

“Yep,” Beau nodded. The brief shadows in his eyes lifted at the merciful change of topic. “Good ole’ David. I still call him Davey, even though he hates it.”

A smile played on your lips. “Older or younger?”

“Younger, by a few years,” he replied. There was a more natural gleam to his smile then. “He’s a hotshot doctor back in Houston.”

He teased, but you could see there was pride behind his eyes. It reminded you of the way he got whenever he talked about Emily.

“So you know my story. What brought you to Montana?” he asked. He wanted to see if he could help you get your mind off Mary. He didn’t know that he’d just pulled the pin on a whole other grenade. 

You let out a wry chuckle. 

“Uh, oh,” Beau said warily. 

You nodded. He did tell you his story—ex-wife with a new husband, daughter, a new job in Montana—though you still didn’t know why he was going to grief counseling. If it was because of his partner, you could understand that…but you also didn’t want to pry.

You also knew it was only fair to answer his question.

“It’s not exactly like your situation but…I was engaged,” you said at last. 

Past tense, he noted. 

“Good guy?” he asked. 

“A firefighter,” you replied. Though you knew well the rivalry that sometimes existed between cops and firefighters. Beau’s growing bemusement told you he was thinking along the same lines. 

“Ah, a smoke eater, huh?” But his smile faded. “Did something happen to him on the job?”

“No,” you said, again with that weary chuckle. It was hard for you to get this out, but you’d been wrestling with it for over six months, damn near a year. It was enough. 

“Just a couple months before the wedding, I found out he’d been cheating on me with his college girlfriend…pretty much throughout our whole relationship,” you said. 

Though you promised yourself that you’d never cry over this again, today had already been incredibly difficult. The tears came, and you couldn’t stop them. 

Beau's brows had risen high in surprise. Then, a deeper sympathy settled in his eyes.

“Jesus. How long?” he asked.

“We were together three years, engaged for about another one,” you said. “Almost four years of my life, just…”

You mimed a puff of smoke blowing out of your hand. 

“Yeah. I know the feeling,” Beau said. His tone was wry as he dragged a hand over his beard. You gave him an apologetic look.

“I’m sorry. I know my story doesn’t compare with a marriage,” you said.

“That’s not what I was gettin’ at,” he replied. “But I get it. You start to think, what the hell was it all for? …Except for my daughter.”

“Yeah. Unfortunately, I don’t have an Emily,” you said. At the same time though, you were very glad you never had kids with that man.

Beau frowned when he saw the way your face fell further, becoming distant, and lost in old memories. 

“Afterwards, I…I checked out, you know? I could barely focus on my students, my family, my friends.” Your nails drummed on the countertop. You shook your head as it all filtered through your mind again. “But the last straw was that my dad tried to get me to work things out with him, and I just…I lost it. Beau, I absolutely lost my shit.”

Beau grimaced. “What made your dad think that would work?”

“He’s a retired firehouse chief,” you said, with a purse of your lips. “He’s always had a soft spot for Michael.”

“Michael, huh?” Beau quirked a brow. “That come with a last name?”

You shot him a look of amusement. 

“What, are you going to run his LUDS?” you joked, but you couldn’t prevent a sniffle as a new wave of emotion threatened an upswell.

You felt pathetic. This man was the whole-ass sheriff of this town. He probably had more important things to do than listen to you complain about your imploded relationship. But you were also Denise’s niece. Maybe he just felt sorry for you.

He offered you a napkin. “Sorry it’s not a tissue.”

In his eyes though, you didn’t see pity. Just kindness.

“It’s okay. I can brave a scratchy napkin,” you said, laughing a little. “But after that, I knew one of two things was going to happen. Either I was going to break open my dad’s gun safe and shoot the bastard in the ass, or I had to get the hell out of Chicago. My mom and Aunt Denise suggested I come here for a visit, just to clear my head. That turned into scoping out jobs, and then apartments… Now I’m here.”

That fell between you for a moment as your companion processed it all. In hindsight, you probably shouldn’t have mentioned that whole bit about possibly shooting your ex, but he took it in stride. 

“Well, for what it’s worth, I’m glad you are,” Beau said. “Here, that is.”

You couldn’t help but blush; at his words, the deep green of his eyes, and the sincerity of his smile.

“Likewise, Sheriff,” you said.

He smirked. “Also glad you didn’t go shootin’ people in the ass.” 

You covered your face and laughed. 

Beau walked you to your car like the gentleman he was, even though it was only late afternoon. You opened the driver’s side door, but you lingered there. You turned back to him, curling a strand of hair behind your ear.

“Thanks for the coffee, and for letting me ramble, and vent, and soak up a few dozen napkins,” you said. You laughed a little in embarrassment, but he waved it off.

“It wasn’t as bad as all that, but good luck movin’ into your apartment tomorrow,” he said. Then it was his turn to hesitate. “If you need some help with that, just let me know.”

You blinked, mouth parting in soft surprise.

“Oh, thank you but…I don’t want to trouble you,” you said.

“You wouldn’t be. That’s why I offered,” he replied, smiling down at you in a way that had you melting a little bit more. “I’ve got an early shift tomorrow, but after, I could probably pull in Cassie. Maybe even Jenny, if she’s up for it. She’s one of our deputies at the PD.”

Beau recognized your hesitance.

“It wouldn’t be any trouble, I promise,” he said, holding a hand over his heart. “We’ve gotta welcome you to the neighborhood, don’t we?”

You were still a little unsure, but you agreed to it with a thank you, along with a more shy, sweet smile.

Beau liked that smile too.

Later that day, Beau remembered it was his turn to host the ritual movie night Friday with Cassie and Jenny. His trailer was too small to have it inside, so they set up Cassie’s projector out in front, by the fire. According to his friends, he was going about the night with too much cheer.

“You’re entirely too smiley to have just come from an afternoon of therapy,” Jenny pointed out. She uncapped her second beer, then passed him the bucket. He waved her off; he was still nursing his first beer of the night. If he stuck to his plan, then it’d be his only beer of the night.

“Aw, it wasn’t so bad, actually,” he said. He explained that you had been there at the group session. The moment your name was mentioned, Cassie and Jenny both raised their brows.

“Really?” Cassie remarked.

“Yeah. Losing her friend really shook her up. Understandably,” Beau said. His gaze lowered when he played through his afternoon with you in his mind. Though your situations were different, both in your lost friends and lost relationships, he realized just how much he’d understood and connected with a near stranger.

That kind of thing didn’t happen to him often, if ever before.

“But, she’s actually moving into her new place tomorrow,” he added, breaking himself out of his own head. “Speakin’ of, would you two have the time to help her and Denise out? I already said I would come by after shift tomorrow.”

Cassie and Jenny shared a certain look—the kind these women donned when they were having a private conversation with just their eyes. This time, it seemed to be about him.

“What?” he asked, his hands spreading wide.

“Nothing,” Cassie said, smiling. “Sure, I can come.”

“Yeah,” Jenny agreed, “barring nothing too crazy happens on shift.”

Beau inclined his head. “Knock on wood there. Anyway, what’re we watching?”

“Crazy, Stupid Love,” Jenny grinned, holding up the DVD cover. “For Ryan Gosling, of course.”

Beau rolled his eyes.

A few months ago, he wouldn’t have expected that he’d make friends with exclusively women in this town, but he only complained about it in times like these.

Though as it turned out, he enjoyed the movie. There were as many hilarious scenes as there were poignant ones. By the end of the night though, he was beat.

Jenny helped with the cleanup, but she ended up taking off first. It left Beau to put away the fold-up chairs with Cassie.

“So, tell me,” she said, in a leading tone and with a teasing smile. “You crushing on Glamper Girl for real now?”

Beau shot her a wry look.

“She’s not a glamper anymore,” he pointed out. “And I’m not crushing like some teenager. I just want to help her out. She’s been through a lot…and she’s Denise’s family. It’s just the right thing to do.”

Cassie laughed. “That’s a lot of over-explaining you’re doing right there, but okay, Beau.” 

He rolled his eyes, but he had to smile. “Okay, that’s it. I’m gonna have to insist you get off my property.”

“Off what, your tin can?” she retorted.

“Hey! She can hear you.”

Beau wiped the sweat from his brow strategically while he carried his end (the heavier end, he might add) of your couch. He and Jenny were trying to get it up the stairwell to your apartment on the second floor.

“Okay now, just pivot on this corner,” he instructed. “Pivot!”

 Jenny nearly dropped her end out of sheer aggravation. Her blue eyes cut down to his.

“If you say pivot one more time, I’m gonna shoot you,” she snapped.

Beau whistled in amusement. “Threatening to shoot the sheriff. Now that’s at least a misdemeanor.”

Right as he could almost see the fumes coming out of his deputy’s ears, you hustled up the stairs to help them. You picked up the middle to make it easier.

“Okay, we can do this! I think we can just tip it on its side to get it around the corner,” you said.

To everyone’s relief, your suggestion worked. Denise held the door open while the three of you got the couch up to the second floor, then into your apartment. Once the couch was successfully in the living room, you went to the kitchen and grabbed a few bottles of water out of the fridge. You handed one each to Beau and Jenny.

“Thank you guys again so much for doing this,” you said, still catching your breath. You surveyed all the boxes and furniture you all had brought in, and you realized you were crazy to think you and Denise could’ve done all of this by yourselves.

“It’s our pleasure,” Beau nodded. He gestured to his sweating face and neck. “But do you have a towel or a rag or something? You’re about to be mopping me off the floor in a minute.”

“Yeah, of course. Hold on,” you said. You went back into the kitchen and retrieved a clean hand towel. Beau used it to dry his face, neck, and the top of his chest.

You tried not to stare at the flash of tan skin near the collar of his plain gray shirt, or the wet spots clinging to his back. The sleeves were tight around his arms and across his chest, leading you to believe that despite being in his mid-forties, he kept himself in shape. 

Meanwhile, Jenny drank her water, and pretended not to notice you staring at her boss. Part of her was amused, but a good part of her felt an unfamiliar sting as well.

“Okay,” Beau clapped a hand on his jean-clad thigh after he drained his own water bottle. “What’s next?”

Your face warmed, because you knew what your aunt was about to say before she said it.

“Oh, I think it’s just your bed, right honey?” she asked you.

“All right, let’s do it. Frame, headboard, box spring, and mattress, I assume,” Beau said, rubbing his sweaty hands together. He stretched his arms in preparation.

Again, you had to admire the way his shirt pulled across his tall, broad frame. But you followed after him when he started heading out the door.

“Wait, you shouldn’t do it by yourself!” you called out, and quickly followed after him.

Denise shot Jenny and Cassie a highly amused look.

“That's what she saaaid,” Denise sing-songed. The other two women grimaced.

“Wow. That’s your niece!” Cassie exclaimed.

“And technically my boss, thanks,” Jenny added.

“What, they’re cute, aren’t they?” Denise said, gesturing at the way you and Beau left.

“This from the woman who’s been lusting after that man since the minute he got into town,” Cassie retorted.

“Well, I’m woman enough to bow out when I’ve been thwarted. By my own blood no less,” Denise replied, but her mischievous smile said it all as she breezed back into the kitchen to start unpacking the silverware for you.

She knew for a fact that you’d made dinner for later—and not just because she’d told you how much Beau liked lasagna.

Beau accepted your help, along with Cassie and Jenny’s in bringing up all the parts of your bed. He just insisted on utilizing his own power tools to put it together.

That was how you found yourself holding the headboard up straight while Beau made sure the frame was aligned. It wasn’t as easy as it looked; the wood panels had to slide into the notch in the headboard just so, before he could start drilling the bolts back in.

“Damn it,” he muttered, when one panel of the frame nearly slipped out of his hand.

“Can you actually use that power drill?” Cassie asked. “Because you’re pretty hopeless with cars.”

Beau rolled his eyes, despite his smile. “Save the belittling for later. Tryin’ to concentrate.”

After a few more minutes of sweating, mild cursing, and internal praying, you, Beau, and Cassie managed to get the bedframe put together with the headboard. Then the box spring, and finally the mattress. It marked the official end of moving in.

While Beau, Cassie, and Jenny took a much-deserved rest sitting on the couch with a round of beers, you went to the kitchen where your aunt had already preheated the oven for you. Now you just needed to pull out the two massive pans of lasagna you’d prepared the night before—as a thank you for everyone who came to help you.

Denise sidled up to you and touched your arm to get your attention.

“Good job inviting our dear Beau to lift furniture for us,” she whispered, waggling her brows. You shot her a look and shushed her.

“Do you always flirt with him like this?” you asked incredulously.

“Well, I might have to do it less blatantly if he’s gonna keep playing Mr. White Knight for you,” she teased. 

“He is not. He’s just…nice,” you whispered back. “So are Cassie and Jenny.” 

Denise gave you an amused look. “Mhmm.”

You rolled your eyes and focused on getting dinner ready.

Within the hour, the five of you were sat at your new modest dining table between the kitchen and the living room, eating lasagna and drinking iced tea. Jenny and Beau had beers alongside them, and conversation drifted from how you intended to set up the apartment, to Cassie’s still open missing backpacker case.

The parents were even more worried now, saying it was out of character for him not to check in with a phone call, despite the email he’d apparently sent them a few days ago. Beau had agreed to give Cassie whatever help she needed on the periphery, especially if further evidence revealed itself on the backpacker’s whereabouts.

Beau was already on his second helping of lasagna when he raised his gaze to you, right across from him at the table.

“Clearly you get your cooking skills from your aunt, because this is fantastic,” he said.

Denise twittered. You blushed a little as you smiled.

“Thank you. I’m glad you like it.”

There was a short lull, filled by the tapping of silverware on plates, before Denise spoke up.

“By the way,” she said, looking to you and Beau. “Did you two have a productive time at grief counseling? What did you talk about?”

It was a well-meaning, but perhaps intrusive question. Both you and Beau tensed up. Cassie gave Denise a warning look. 

“Oh, I’m sorry. You guys don’t have to answer that,” Denise amended. 

“Um, it’s okay,” you replied. “It wasn’t too bad…I think I might go again.”

Beau had a warmer smile for you. “That’s good.”

You were able to return his smile. You turned to Cassie next.

“You went there for a while, right?” you asked. Cassie nodded. 

“It was helpful,” she said. “I’m glad you’re getting something out of it.”

You took that with a nod, and returned your gaze to Beau.

“Have you been going there long?” you asked him.

He tilted his head. “Actually, yesterday was my first time too.”

Your eyes widened. “Oh, really?”

Cassie was intrigued at the way this little scene was playing out. Thought she caught the look on Jenny’s face while she watched it too. Like Jenny was studying them, not sure what to make of it all.

Beau wore a self-deprecating smile.

“Yeah. Just…hadn’t gotten around to it,” he answered you.

There was a heaviness in his voice and in his eyes that you didn’t miss, but you didn’t want to make him uncomfortable in a room full of people, even if they were his friends. 

“Well, I’ll go again if you do,” you offered, a bit bolder than you felt. Beau met your eyes across the table, and his lips lifted at the corners. 

“All right,” he said. “You got yourself a deal, miss ma’am.”

You fought against a blush rising up your neck. You glanced down and took a sip of your iced tea. 

“Look at you. Pulling out your ‘sheriff’ voice,” Cassie teased. 

“Like a rhinestone cowboy…” you sang into your glass. Your smile peeked out around the corners of it.  

Most of the table laughed. Jenny smiled, but opted for drinking her beer.

Meanwhile, Beau gave you a mock look of betrayal. His true amusement shone through his eyes. 

“I see how this is. Gang up on the Texan time,” he remarked. 

That gave Cassie an opening to ask you something, and hopefully get to know you better. Already she had an instinct about you: she liked you. And clearly Beau seemed to as well. Cassie tended to be more cautious about people, even if you were Denise’s family.

“So how are you liking the Midwest so far?” Cassie asked you. 

“So far? It’s the fresh air I needed,” you replied. 

“Oh, you should check out that art studio you wanted to see,” Denise chimed in. 

“You’re an artist too?” Beau asked, raising a brow. You chuckled.

“No, just an amateur with a handful of brushes,” you replied.

You remembered the peace you’d gotten while painting in sight of the mountains. But when you got to Denise’s house, you’d hidden away those canvases, not wanting to be reminded of that week at Sunny Day Excursions. And of Mary. 

“Oh, but have you gone horseback riding yet?” Denise asked. “I know you were gonna try on your camping trip—”

You loved your aunt. You really did, but she also had a knack for putting her foot in her mouth. The others quieted as you dimmed at the actual mention of that God-forsaken place.

“I tried,” you said. “I never actually managed to make it on the horse.” 

“Aw, well if you ever want to go, there’s a stable in town. They give lessons too,” Denise said.

You nodded and forced a smile. You went back to picking at the remnants of lasagna and salad on your plate.

When everyone began to filter out of your new apartment, each with their own set of well-wishing and a container of leftovers to take home, Beau ended up being last to leave. You had followed him to the door, where you handed him his tupperware of leftovers, and he thanked you in appreciation.

“Now I just need a microwave,” he said. “My toaster oven’s been on the fritz.”

Your brows rose in amusement. “You have a toaster oven, but not a microwave?”

“Well, let’s just say my trailer doesn’t exactly have a whole lot of space for appliances,” Beau replied, chuckling.

You smiled at that. You hesitated, but you eventually touched his hand that held the tupperware.

“Thank you again for coming here, for helping me…and for yesterday,” you said.

Beau almost didn’t realize it, but his face was getting warm. As warm as your pretty smile.

“Well, you’re very welcome,” he said. “And just puttin’ it out there, I may or may not have been riding a horse before I could walk. First memory I have is my dad putting me on Old Bess when I was four. She nearly kicked me off…not that that would happen to you. I’m just saying—” 

“I see.” Your giggle ended with a smirk. Beau tended to ramble. You weren’t sure if it was a nervous tick, or just a facet of his upbeat personality…but you found it endearing.

He leveled you with a grin. “Listen, what I mean to say is, if you’re serious about wanting to learn how to ride, I could teach you. It’s not that hard.”

You bit your lip, mentally beginning to weigh out the pros and cons. To be honest, you still had reservations, both on riding a horse, and on Beau being the one to teach you. Was he just being nice, your “friendly neighborhood sheriff,” or was your aunt onto something?

…You weren’t sure, but your instincts told you that at the very least, you could trust him with this. And trust had become hard for you to give any man.

“Okay, cowboy. Let’s ride,” you said. And you even surprised yourself with the flirtatious note in your voice. 

Beau’s grin kicked up a notch. You then exchanged numbers so you could hash out the details of when and where to meet sometime soon. Hopefully soon. 

Then you wished him a good night. 

“G’night, darlin’,” he said. He lingered in the hallway for a parting grin. “And welcome home.”

Your answering smile warmed him, long after he left your door.

AN: *rubs hands together* We're really getting into it now. 😂 Finally we have the big reveal of why she left Chicago, and the start of her and Beau's bond. You'll see more of that, and of Emily, in the next chapter...

Next Time:

You gasped and gripped even tighter with your thighs. With almost everything you had.

You were still far too unsteady for comfort on this damn horse. The poor animal whinnied, tossing his head back with a huff. Unfortunately, that just made you tense up even more as you held onto his neck. 

Beau tried not to laugh. You looked like a cat clinging to the edge of a bath.

“Okay, you needa relax a little,” he said. “He ain’t gonna buck you, long as you don’t give him a reason to.”

You shot him a narrowed look.

▶️ Keep Reading: PART 4

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[carpisuns]

The way Marinette throws Chat Noir in the trash very angrily in one moment and in the other is like, "omg!! 😍💖💗Adrien😍💖💗 is sad!!! my poor baby CAN'T be sad!!" just..... sends me, lmao. The IRONY.

I find it genuinely funny 😅 It reminds how in the New York Special she was, like, EXTREMELY flustered around Adrien and couldn't even let him touch her without turning into a tomato/making a teapot noise, and then when she sees Chat Noir she's like, "excuse me, bitch?? watcha doing here??" But the best example was in Desperada when Adrien and Chat tell exactly the same joke, and she giggles at Adrien's joke and rolls her eyes at Chat 😭😭

Like. I can't see a sudden reveal going smoothly at all. She'll absolutely FREAK OUT 😂 (To be fair, I think that the difference in treatment it's not only about her crush on Adrien. She sees Adrien as this very sensitive, sweet boy and Chat Noir as this super cocky, confident hero who needs no coddling, if it makes sense...?) Anyway, Chat will have A LOT of fuel to make fun of her........ Wax lips, three suns, buttercup.... Y'know.

haha same! glaciator 2 made me laugh so much, including the trash can bit, and it's always so funny to see how differently she reacts to adrien vs chat noir. i gotta think that she'll be embarrassed about how spazzy she was around adrien when he was really her goofy dork of a partner all along lol.

as much as i appreciate the humor/irony of it though, i totally get why the difference in treatment is frustrating for a lot of fans. i feel that too at times. i am always rooting for marinette to get to the point where she can just speak comfortably with adrien and not be so weird and nervous because that would really make their friendship blossom. like, imagine if she could hang out with adrien the way she did with chat in glaciator 2. aaaa 😭

i'm also really hoping that she learns to see chat noir differently too. i get the sense that as much as she cares about him, she does tend to see him as being a little immature, not taking the job seriously, getting into trouble, etc. i definitely agree that she seems to see chat noir as too cocky to need coddling. i feel like she thinks he's pretty unflappable—like, if he's down for a second, it's okay because he'll bounce right back. "he'll be fine; he's chat noir." but sometimes he isn't fine! and he doesn't let her see that often.

i think glaciator 1 was the first time she really saw how sensitive and genuine and gentle chat noir really is, so she knows that side of him, but not nearly as well as we do, as the audience. there's a lot she doesn't see. she doesn't know how hurt he is by the events going on, and she doesn't see how hard he's trying and how much pressure he puts on himself. like, how long was he out there cataclysming ladynoir posters 😭😭 she had no idea that he was doing that! so yeah, while i do find marinette's adrien/chat noir disconnect super interesting and entertaining, i hope we see some development where marinette starts to naturally merge them a bit in her mind. not necessarily figuring it out (although that would be cool!) but at least just expanding her view of chat noir and seeing/understanding him more clearly on an individual level before she finds out he was adrien all along.

i agree that a sudden reveal would probably not go smoothly at this point, and the shock of it could've been really funny/entertaining in previous seasons, but at this point i feel like a reveal would be more angsty than anything D: im really excited to see whatever is in store for us but i'm hoping we won't get the reveal quite yet bc i would love to see some development first!

hahaha yesssss the post-reveal shenanigans will be AMAZING. i very much enjoy the idea of adrien good-naturedly teasing marinette for all the embarrassing things she did lol

[phoenixtakaramono]

Cosmic again!! (Not Comsic 😅 guess that typo serves me right for typing out all my thoughts as I was literally running out the door for work lol) Thank you for answering my ask and for sharing your own thoughts in return! I agree with pretty much everything you said: I’m also a writer, so you were on the dot when you said that character growth is necessary in order to have a satisfactory resolution/payoff to Stolas and Blitzo being endgame (IF they are endgame; more thoughts on that in a bit.) I hope you don’t mind if I ramble to you a little more; I PROMISE I’ll give you a break after this 😂😂

Blitzo… my poor baby… there’s no two ways around it: it’s only a matter of time before he reaches his breaking point, and when he does, that’s probably when Blitzo and Stolas (hopefully temporarily 🤞🏼🤞🏼🤞🏼) go their separate ways. This confrontation is likely going to be the catalyst for Stolas reckoning with the ways he’s treated not only Blitzo, but his daughter as well. I don’t believe he hurts people intentionally. Rather, I think he’s oblivious to the feelings of others, and projects his own emotions onto them, i.e during the Loo Loo Land ep, maybe he assumed Octavia was having fun because *he* was having fun. I think it also partially explains his refusal to use Blitzo’s real name in spite of the fact Blitzo doesn’t seem all that thrilled with it and has actively called him on it: I mean, his unchecked privilege is definitely one factor lol, but it’s also likely due to the fact that, because he *intends* it to be an affectionate nickname, that’s how Blitzo feels about it too. Once the boys have confronted their inner demons (😏), it’ll make the potential healing episode all the sweeter 💕💕

Real talk??? I would also welcome a few different endings to Blitzo’s and Stolas’ story. While I’m really, really holding out for them to make things work and become a family (Stepdad Blitzo/Stepdad Stolas are my lifeblood 💖) or at least very involved in each other’s lives—I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t desperately curious to see Stolas and Barbie Wire interact— I… would actually be okay if they ultimately don’t work out. As much as it would break my heart, if the writers decide to go that route for reasons that make sense story-wise and character-wise, that make me go “as much as this hurts, I completely see why they made this decision and when I *really* think about it, there really wasn’t any other way this could’ve ended”, then yeah, I could live with that. (I’d still forever be Big Sad, though)

WHEW. OKAY. I think that about sums up my feelings about everything thus far. Other than my brother, no one else I know watches HB (it’s our sibling bonding show 😂😂) and it’s always interesting to see how people come away with different thoughts and ideas and interpretations in spite of watching the same show/reading the same book/etc.

(And btw: that Stolitz comic you drew?? *chef’s kiss* absolutely delightful. Thank you for feeding us such a delicious meal)

(Referencing this original post.)

Cosmic! (Truly, I wasn’t certain but I put the original “Comsic” just in case in the Ask and asked in the tags. Good to know my gut instinct was not off, ha.)

That’s really interesting! I liked reading your thoughts and your theorizing. Happy to bond with another creative. ;) Now you have one more person, with your brother, in your circle who you know watches the show, haha~. I pretty much am in agreement with what you typed. Our babies have so much to work through, and I hope to see them grow onscreen. And to see them interact with more characters (like Barbie Wire!) and see how they tackle whichever hurdles the plot requires them to handle. There’s indeed so many different directions the show could go down in and so far I’m excited to see what they bring to the table from a creative standpoint.

Ah, regarding being bummed out if Stolitz doesn’t work out in the show (which is a 10% possibility, I’m not denying it!), I think that—theoretically—there is very low probability of Stolitz not happening in show canon. And here’s a big reason why:

I’ve seen people theorizing why Stolitz is endgame because that is the expectation that seems to be hinted from the show, and fans have pointed those out aplenty with analysis of multiple episodes. I offer a different and brand new perspective that I haven’t seen people consider before, and that is profit and a creator’s pressure to deliver a successful show.

Personally I don’t think it’s IF; it’s a matter of how “ambitious” the creators want to be and how self-aware they are when it comes to what makes a show successful. Vivziepop is one of the content creators creating animation history by basically making an indie animation show entirely made by her hands and her curated team of VAs and artists, so they are under a lot of pressure to do well (if successful, they are essentially a case study/ business model to look up to for future aspiring creators; if they fail to deliver, then you can expect quite a few retrospective vids hailing HB as one of the biggest disappointments in YT animation history; I direct you to the videos critiquing actual TV animated series such as Star/vsthe/Forcesof/Evil and I suppose Vol/tron which had started off great but tanked in the later seasons, with the last season especially being harangued and toted as a writing failure by some reviewers lol sorryVol/tronfandom, sorrySvtFoEfandom). We’d don’t like to think of shipping being the “end all, be all” of a show’s success, but it truly is the backbone of what makes or breaks a show (as well as good writing and animation). I do think Stolitz IS endgame because shipping is a controversial matter in shows, and a great show can die in a blazing fury of disappointed fans when the “ship” that is introduced from the start, which has set the kernels for growth potential and launched thousands of fanart at this rate as well as fanfiction, isn’t fulfilled. A person’s expectations would be betrayed, and I think HB—which is popular and trending presently—might actually turn people away if the Stolitz ship does not become canonized.

Mind, this all said based on what we’ve seen from episodes 1-6, as well as the pilot episode, and what we see from the official “not truly canon Instagram accounts” a lá Blitzo and Stolas. But with Vivziepop and the storyboard artists liking/ retweeting Stolitz fanart or tweets on Twitter and/or following certain artists and/or making their own fanart and based on the interviews the voice actors have done live on YouTube (remember the question a fan asked the cast, about what advice the VA would give their own characters, and I believe what Stolas’ VA said I’m paraphrasing is Stolas needing to learn that it’s okay to love who he wants to love and be happy/ be true to himself), with all these shippy fanservicey kernels they drop, it will blow up in their faces if Stolitz is not endgame.

Take a look at what Kevin Smith did with the rebooted He/Man, and recall why it’s still divisive to this day. Let’s look at Steven/Universe, and ask ourselves what the reputation of the show would be if Steven broke up with Connie. Let’s take a look at Owl/House and ask ourselves what’d happen if Amity and Luz did not get together despite the shippy moments being set up in the show. When you set things up, you have to follow through—or else all your foreshadowing and build-up become plot holes. You would have betrayed your audience’s expectations otherwise, making them feel like they were lied to. And that is what a show should avoid.

I mean, yeah, sure, there are those fans who are more open-minded or would be alright seeing Blitzo together with any other character (*points to Striker, (Robo) Fizzarolli, Verosika, a threesome with Moxxie, etc*) so long as the animation continues to be good and the story remains serviceable, but their numbers cannot beat the large numbers that make up the Stolitz fans. That is a lot of money that the crew would be turning down if they do not “make them work out” in the end, and a lot of disappointed fans.

I’m not saying this from the perspective of a Stolitz writer and artist, but from an objective point of view of someone who would prioritize numbers and YouTube engagement. At the end of the day, HB might be a show on YT with full creative reign given to the creators, but it still makes money from engagement and views. Income is generated from viewcount, engagement, and merch—which goes back into the show and paying everyone for their work. Furthermore, a show dies when there is no interest or if people become less engaged or less interested in the story, and I guarantee that they will lose a SUBSTANTIAL number of viewers if they decide to “subvert expectations” by not making the Stolitz relationship canonized.

It is a possibility that they could end the show with both going their separate ways or having Blitzo in a different relationship and/or Stolas being a single dad or having reunited with Stella, etc etc, but that isn’t something I expect will go over well with the target audience—especially those who have been following the show for so long and have hanged their banner under this ship. If this ship sinks, the show will probably tank or suffer a viewcount loss. It is the undeniable reality. It would probably incur a lot of people’s rage (Lesson 101 of film and animation: never betray a fan’s—shipping—expectations; if you set it up, you better deliver or you are just asking for trouble and backlash).

Furthermore, HB is an indie show and passion project produced by passionate creatives like ourselves; it is not being overseen by a faceless corporate entity who decides what goes or doesn’t go in a show based on TV ratings and what they think will appeal to a broader audience—and missing the mark by a long shot, haha. We don’t have higher ups who decides what gets censored or not, what gets taken out, and when the show gets axed or not. I mean, yes, the content they choose to animate has to be carefully considered because of YT guidelines but the Vivziepop crew has more creative freedom over the writing without fear of their show being canceled early.

So I’m rather hopeful for the Stolitz ship in the foreseeable future, even if there is a small possibility of it being unfulfilled. But I’d like to remain optimistic and hopeful! 😊

Whew! This was long! Welcome to my TED Talk! Hope this was interesting to read through. :)

EDIT: Tysm! 💖 I’m happy to hear that! The comic really blew up on Twitter, haha, and even here on tumblr! As thanks for all the love, I’ll make one follow-up illustration to the comic as an “aftermath,” fully colored. I’ve provided a sneak peek of it on Twitter this morning (it’s DILF Blitzo; now we need a DILF Stolas to complete the cycle).