#I may be incredibly ace

[starsnotsquares]

Season 4 Cas was so smooth, holy guacamole! Like, damn, Dean, you’d better start appreciating this terrifying eldrich being stuffed into a male form before someone else does.

[sunb0ts]

drawing the most clinically depressing soft 7yg wrightworth but edgeworth looks gentle here and I like him so he can visit

[squirreltastrophe]

made some franmaya keychains today :3 for me and my best friend :3 cause we're literally them if they were platonic besties ever (instead of madly in love ofc)

v individual photos and also sketches yay hooray!!!!!

I love ace attorney guys............ I love girls......... I love girls who love girls also..................

[lorillee]

im really normal about them <- lie

[touyanii]

ever since that last dabi chapter and learning about his fate, i've been literally feeling physically sick every time i think about it. it makes my stomach turn and heart squeeze in my chest.

[icewindandboringhorror]

currently at That Point which occurs once every few months where one briefly begins pacing around the house teary eyed contemplating selling their own organs or becoming an online scammer or getting on anxiety meds so you can bear the risk taking required to be a hitman or so on and so forth.... why must everything so Expensive... Surely all would be healed in life if only I had one big plate of lasagna and a simple loan of $40,000 ... auoughhh....

[friedrice15]

🎶 Now let me say I'm the biggest hater

I hate the way that you walk, the way that you talk, I hate the way that you dress

I hate the way that you sneak diss, if I catch flight, it's gon' be direct 🎶

[wrightandco]

the samurai always wins is such a great song from the pw musical project / turnabout musical / taaam

It was literally the perfect ace attorney musical song

It adapted the game music perfectly

It perfectly portrayed Cody’s testimony and how silly it was but also in such a realistic way of how a kid would actually give testimony (what I saw that day was a grim display an evil man’s demise, and I stood nearby as the samurai shot lasers from his eyes!)

It perfectly portrayed Phoenix trying to be gentle and not badger Cody because he’s a kid (I’m trying to keep the steel samurai out of jail, please if you could try to go into more detail..)

but then giving up because it was so ridiculous (for what it’s worth no way on earth did Cody see this crime! WITNESS TESTIFY! This is the last time!! to the actual tune of the game music which gives me CHILLS it’s my favourite line in the song)

It perfect portrayed Edgeworth backing his own witness and his snide comments about Phoenix’s court tactics of over-pressing rather than admit that Cody is speaking rubbish (Wright the truth is this fragile youth is sure of this ruthless attack, SO STOP pressing him hoping that he’ll crack! - again to the actual tune of the game music)

It perfectly portrays the back and forth between defence and prosecution and an unruly witness is the middle, Phoenix pointing out contradictions, the judge not being in control and Edgeworth gets a sneaky line at the end referencing the elementary school trial (Wright don’t bluff that’s quite enough now cease this reprimand - Objection! - a small child alone in court you cannot understand.)

Not to mention THE RISING KEY CHANGES AT THE END and the way they’re all singing in overlapping polyphony with more and more characters gives the perfect depiction of the whole trial just being crazy out of control - plus when it’s just Phoenix and edgeworth singing over each other it gives major confrontation from les mis vibes whicH IS EXACTLY what it should be like

The whole song is just the perfect spirit of the ace attorney games and particularly that case- I love it so so much

[elshells]

Agent Ace Chapter 12 || HARLEY -1-

Rating: Teen + Word Count: 4,388 Content Warnings: Violence, weapon use, and descriptions of blood and gore; reader discretion is advised. Summary: After a heartfelt moment in the city, Harley and Jade return home, unaware of the danger that awaits them there.

↤ PREVIOUS CHAPTER

⬗

June 25 9:00 P.M. Hub District - Pandor: Manalis Residence

Jade pulled into Harley’s driveway, parking behind Ahren’s car. The headlights illuminated the front yard, which, aside from a single potted rose on the front porch, was barren and overrun with weeds. Cressida rarely had time to do any yard work.

“Are you sure it’s alright for me to come inside?” Jade asked. She studied the house through her window, resting one hand on the steering wheel. “Ahren sounded pretty frazzled over the phone. I wouldn’t want to intrude.”

“You could never,” Harley replied as she unbuckled her seatbelt. “Besides, it could be fun! The house has been so gloomy lately. We could use your sunny disposition.”

“Well… alright.” Jade shut off the car, and the headlights died away. “What the heck?”

“That’s the spirit!” Harley grinned and shoved open the door. “I hope you like slapjack. Ahren’s terrible, and since Mom’s still not here, I might actually win.”

“I’ve never played.” Jade picked up the can of spray paint from the backseat and gave it a playful rattle. “Though I have been told that I am a beast at cribbage.”

Harley laughed. She’d played cribbage with Jade enough times to know that she’d never stand a chance.

They stepped out to a hazy purple sky and the thick scent of rain. While the rest of the city never seemed to sleep, time almost stopped under the dimly-lit streets of Pandor. Peace and quiet had always been Cressida’s preference, and after everything their family had been through, Harley couldn’t say she blamed her.

Thunder rumbled faintly overhead as they walked up to the porch. Harley knocked twice on the front door, and it creaked ajar at her touch.

“Um, okay.” She peered around the edge of the door, though she saw nothing through the darkness. “Why isn’t it locked?”

“Maybe Ahren forgot?” Jade said.

Harley nodded uncertainly, doing her best to ignore the tight feeling in her chest. “Ahren? We’re here!”

She pushed the door open all the way and entered to an uncanny silence. Every light was off, shrouding the hallway and living room in shadow. Goosebumps prickled on her arms as soft footsteps padded behind her, even though she knew it was only Jade.

“Harley Manalis.”

The low voice lingered in her ear, chilling her from the inside out. She froze.

That’s not Ahren.

Light pulsed in the corner of her eye as the living room lamp flicked on. She flinched as Jade grabbed her arm with a gasp.

Ahren sat on a chair in the middle of the room, his face pale with anxiety, clutching one mangled, bloody arm to his chest. Behind him, a woman in black leather lounged on the couch, with her wedged combat boots propped up on the armrest. White-blonde hair spilled over her shoulders, and slivers of light bounced across the walls as she twirled a silver dagger in one hand. She turned her head slowly, and Harley’s breath hitched as her blue eyes pierced through her like shards of ice.

A vigilante. Harley had never met one, but somehow, she was certain.

The vigilante tilted her head to the side. “You shouldn’t have brought her along.”

Without warning, Jade released her arm. Harley watched in horror as she flew back down the hallway, as if something invisible had struck her in the gut. She yelped as the curve of her back connected with the wall, pinning her in place.

“Jade!” Harley started to move, but faltered as cold steel pressed against her throat. Her stomach dropped as she looked down to the dagger hovering in midair, the blade kissing her skin.

“Stand down,” the vigilante warned. “Not one move.”

Her heartbeat flew into a frenzy as slow footsteps thudded behind her. Jade lay rigid against the wall, fixing Harley with a wide, fearful gaze. Harley stared back, helpless and unable to speak.

The vigilante paced in a circle around Harley, stopping to face her. She held a flat, outstretched hand in Jade’s direction, while the other sat poised beneath the dagger, close enough to caress the hilt. A light hum emanated from her fingertips.

“You can decide to come with me,” the vigilante said, her voice deadly soft as the dagger edged closer to Harley, “or I’ll make the decision for you.”

“Let her go!” Ahren yelled.

The vigilante snapped her head towards Ahren, and the dagger spun to face him like a compass needle. “Silence. Don’t make me regret sparing you.”

Harley held her breath, transfixed by the floating dagger. This woman could control the dagger while holding Jade in place—without putting a finger on either. But how? Some sort of magic trick, or an optical illusion?

No. Technology. That had to be the solution—at least, it was more plausible than magic. But when did the world advance to accommodate telekinesis?

Jade let out a low cough. Harley watched from the corner of her eye as she extended her arm out in front of her, the can of spray paint trembling in her hand.

As her gaze met Harley’s, she dipped her chin into a tiny nod.

Harley furrowed her brow. “Wha—”

She broke off as the vigilante’s gaze returned to bore through her skull. Her face was inches away, so close that Harley could make out a freckle below her right eye.

“Say that again.” Her voice was sharp and no louder than a whisper.

Jade tossed the can into the air. As it sailed towards Harley, an impulse clicked inside of her, sending her into forward drive. Without breaking her gaze, she grabbed the can above her head and rammed it into the vigilante’s face.

Her arms bounced back from the recoil as the vigilante staggered back soundlessly, holding her face in her hands. Behind her, Jade collapsed off the wall with a gasp. The dagger dropped out of the air, and Harley lunged forward to catch it clumsily before it hit the floor.

Gripping it tightly, she backed into the living room, jumping as Ahren’s hand grasped her shoulder from behind. The vigilante stood up straight, staring balefully in their direction as she reached over her shoulder. With a metallic clang, she unsheathed a broad, gleaming knife the length of Harley’s forearm and leveled it in front of her.

Oh, shit.

“Get back,” Ahren muttered.

Harley clenched her teeth, her legs shaking as she lifted the dagger higher. The vigilante’s lip curled into a snarl.

With a high-pitched battle cry, Jade sprang onto the vigilante’s back, latching her arms around her neck. The vigilante spun and thrashed as Jade locked one arm and reached forward with the other, grabbing the hilt of the blade.

The vigilante took Jade by the arms and wrestled her free. She flipped her off her back and slammed her down on top of the dining room table. The knife slipped out of Jade’s fingers, pausing in midair, before soaring back to the vigilante’s hand.

Blood pumping in her ears, Harley shoved Ahren aside and lunged toward them. “Hey!”

She drove the dagger as deep as she could into her back. The vigilante crumpled to her knees with a guttural scream of shock. At the same time, Harley cried out and staggered back, hands shaking in front of her.

What did I… how did I—

She flinched as a pair of hands landed on her shoulders, which spun her around until she was staring up at Jade’s round, panicked eyes.

“Jade!” she gasped, heart hammering inside her chest. “Are you okay?”

“I’m fine!” Jade replied breathlessly as she took Harley’s wrists in her hands. “But we—”

“We need to go!” Ahren yelled from behind them. “Now!”

Jade nodded, releasing Harley to follow after Ahren as he disappeared through the front door. Harley only made it a few steps after them before a hand roughly grabbed the collar of her shirt and yanked her back. Her gut dropped, and her heels dug into the carpet as she reeled backwards and bent over the table.

Her mind froze as the vigilante’s palm struck her in the chest, looming above her with a gleaming, rabid gaze. Her hair fell in front of her face, the long strands brushing across Harley’s cheeks.

Harley huffed, pain sparking through her jaw as she clamped it shut. Adrenaline surged through her body, and a cry exploded from her mouth as she kicked her leg out with as much force as she could summon. Her foot slammed into the vigilante’s gut, knocking her away without a sound.

Harley threw her head forward and pushed off of the table. As she started her dash back towards the threshold, the door shut with a bang. The vigilante rose to her feet, with one hand reaching towards Harley.

Shit, shit, shit!

Harley’s footsteps thudded against the wooden floor as she ran back the way she came, aiming for the staircase—her next closest escape.

The stairs shook as the vigilante climbed after her. An end table with a porcelain vase sat at the top of the landing; Harley upended it, sending them both tumbling down the stairs. She barely heard the wooden crash and the shattering of the vase as she crossed the landing into her room, slamming the door and locking it shut behind her.

She’d bought herself some time, but now she’d cornered herself. She had to act fast.

As the vigilante’s footsteps grew louder, Harley shoved a bookcase in front of the door to barricade it. A second later, the walls shook as the vigilante slammed into the door repeatedly with all of her weight. The bookcase wobbled with each impact, books spilling off the shelves as it threatened to tip forward.

Harley turned away and surveyed the room, her eyes falling on her suitcase that lay half-unpacked on the floor. Nestled on top of a pile of clothes was the headphones and Uncle Kit’s communication orb. Without a second thought, she snatched them both up; there wasn’t time to take anything else.

Setting the headphones around her neck, she looked to the window. If she could get it open, she could crawl out onto the roof. But she was on the second story—it would be a long drop to the driveway, and there was nothing in here that she could use as a rope.

A loud crack sounded from behind her. Her time was up.

Her next best bet was to hide.

Dropping to her knees, Harley rolled under the bed. The wood bed frame nearly suffocated her as darkness fell over her like a blanket. She clutched the orb to her chest, holding still while dust tickled her nose.

The banging on the door stopped. From the spot under the bed, Harley saw the bottom of the bookcase shift along the floor, clunking back into its place against the wall.

The door, now open by a sliver, swung open wide.

Harley held her breath as the vigilante entered the room. The carpet softened each step she took, but every vibration ran through Harley’s body like a shudder.

The vigilante stopped in the middle of the room. Harley couldn’t see anything above her boots, but she could imagine her eyes scanning the room, like a cat stalking a mouse.

“I know you’re here.” Her voice was low, but clear. “What are you afraid of?”

Harley’s pulse skipped a beat as the vigilante took slow steps across the room, away from the bed and towards the closet. As silently as she could, Harley rolled over onto her stomach and inched over to the edge of the bed. The tip of the vigilante’s dagger became visible, wickedly sharp and slick with blood from when Harley stabbed her.

“We can help each other.” She spoke again, almost in a monotone. “Everyone else is a liability. Understand?”

In a flash, she ripped open the closet door. Fabric rippled inside before the room fell silent again. Harley squeezed out from beneath the bed and crawled over to her dresser a couple of feet away, crouching beneath it just as the vigilante turned back towards the bed. She clicked her tongue and flipped the dagger around threateningly.

“No use hiding.” She took one step towards the bed, then another. “Show yourself, before I find you first.”

Harley pressed her back against the dresser, craning her neck towards the vigilante. One more step, and she had an opening.

“Harley.” The vigilante came into view. “It’s time to be a hero.”

Harley sprang out at her from behind the dresser, reaching for the dagger. She let out a cry as the vigilante grasped her by the scruff of her neck and threw her down to the ground. Her cheek stung against the carpet, and as she lifted her head, the tip of the blade met her nose.

“Up.”

Shakily, Harley returned to her feet, holding the orb close to her body as the vigilante positioned the dagger beneath her chin. A thin trail of blood trickled down the center of the vigilante’s face, dripping off the tip of her nose.

But the gash that Harley gave her had begun to glow a brilliant blue.

Harley’s lips parted as she let out a quivering breath. “Wh-Who are you?”

The vigilante’s frown deepened. Without a word, she lifted up Harley’s chin with the dagger, forcing her to meet her stare. Harley’s heartbeat thumped against the orb.

“Shut your mouth,” the vigilante said, her voice deadly quiet. “And no sudden moves.”

At first, Harley couldn’t bring herself to disobey. Her mind raced while she was frozen in place.

I can’t go with her. I have to get out of here. I have to do something!

With a surge of strength and conviction, she turned and chucked the orb at the window. The glass pane shattered on impact, sending a shower of shards in every direction. Harley shoved the vigilante’s arm away and leaped on top of the bed. Broken glass grazed her skin as the extra momentum from the mattress sent her through the window and onto the roof.

The orb soared over the roof in slow motion. Harley dove for it with outstretched arms. As she snatched it narrowly out of the air, her foot slipped on a roof tile and she lost balance, tipping over off the edge of the roof.

A bellow of thunder rang out in the sky, mocking her.

Raindrops pelted her face as the driveway raced up to meet her. Her throat tightened as she held back a scream, and every muscle in her body tensed for the impact.

She squeezed her eyes shut. A second passed. And then another. Three seconds, four seconds.

Why hadn’t she hit the cold pavement?

Harley pried her eyes open to find herself hovering a foot off the ground, before her body dropped out of the air with a soft thud. She sat back upright on the rain-speckled driveway just in time to see the vigilante jump off the roof and float down—almost angelically—to land in front of Harley. Wind lashed through her hair as the rain mixed with blood, streaking across her face in rivulets.

The dagger glinted dully as she flipped the blade to point at Harley and held it up high.

“N-No.” Harley’s voice cracked as she scrambled away from her. “Please, no—!”

Bright light flooded Harley’s vision. She blinked and it was gone, replaced by the screeching of tires as a moving wall slammed into the vigilante. 

Harley watched in shock as she crumpled over the slick black hood of a cargo van, bouncing off the windshield before rolling off into a heap on the driveway. The dagger clattered down in front of her, blood staining the pavement as the rain washed the blade clean.

She gawked up at the van as the tinted passenger window rolled down. A strange man sat in the driver’s seat, his gaze transfixed in horror at the windshield, but Jade’s hands were on the wheel, half sitting in his lap.

“Get in!” she screamed.

After the initial second of shock, Harley seized the dagger and ran towards the van. She threw open the door and crawled up onto the seat.

“Shut the door, quickly!” The driver demanded, his voice high with stress.

Harley shot backwards, her arm almost dragging her out the open window. The dagger sailed around to the front of the truck, to the vigilante’s trembling hand.

The driver let out a shout, grabbing the wheel. “Damn! Hold on!”

He slammed his foot on the gas, and the van screeched down the driveway. Harley fell back inside, pulling the door shut behind her. Her stomach did a loop as the van pivoted around before speeding off down the road.

Breathing heavily, Harley peeled herself off the door and grabbed the center console for balance. “Who are you?” she asked the driver.

He shot her a glance from behind Jade’s head before turning back towards the road with a rigid posture. “I’ll answer that in a minute,” he panted. “But for now, I need you both to get in the back!”

Harley nodded. “O-Okay.”

Jade took her hand as they climbed off the seats and entered the doorway behind them. The back of the van was windowless and dim, lit by a long line of string lights hanging above them from wall to wall. A half-deflated air mattress lay tucked in the corner, mostly buried beneath a pile of threadbare blankets. 

Sitting atop the mattress was Ahren, who seemed occupied in wrapping up his injured arm with scraps of fabric he ripped from the blankets. He looked up, and his face fell in relief. “Harley, you made it! I wasn’t sure we’d be able to get you out of there.”

Harley’s knees buckled as she took a step forward. Jade caught her just before she fell, and the two of them collapsed next to Ahren on top of the mattress.

“Harley!” Jade’s arms wrapped around her tightly, holding her so close that Harley could feel her pulse racing against her own. “Did she hurt you? Please tell me you’re okay.”

Harley gasped for air, clinging to Jade as her body shook violently with each breath she took. She leaned back with her head on Jade’s chest as her hold around her grew tighter.

“I-I-I...” She swallowed as her eyes grew blurry with tears. “I—”

Jade shushed her gently, resting her head on top of Harley’s. Harley shut her eyes and curled her fingers around Jade’s arms, sinking into the warmth of her embrace.

Her breath hitched again. She stretched her legs out in front of her, working to relax her muscles. 

Breathe, Harley. Breathe in, breathe out.

Slowly, she peeled her eyes back open. The string lights clattered softly above her as they swung back and forth with the movement of the van. For several minutes, she stared up at them, too dazed to move or think. The heavy pattering of raindrops on the roof filled the van as Harley struggled to slow her breathing back into a steady rhythm.

“Harley.” After what felt like an hour, Jade finally spoke in a shaky whisper. “That was her. The one who broke into my apartment.”

Harley’s voice was hoarse, scratching her throat as she asked, “Are you sure?”

“Positive,” Jade replied. “As soon as I saw her face, I remembered.”

Harley nodded stiffly, reaching up to wipe the tear tracks from her cheeks. How the hell did we make it out of there alive?

Victor Kylmenko’s lifeless face loomed in her vision—the Guardian that died the morning of Sophia’s call. That vigilante had killed him. There was no questioning that now.

But why had she spared Harley?

“She’s not working alone.”

Harley sat up and turned to Ahren, who looked back at her with a face full of guilt. 

“What did you say?” she asked.

He turned his head to face the opposite wall without a response. Curious and confused, Harley followed his gaze to see a makeshift bulletin board sprawling along the wall of the van, overcrowded with papers and webs of yarn.

“Woah,” Jade said, releasing Harley from her grip. “What is that?”

Harley made her way back to her feet, approaching the wall with careful steps. A map of the city lay spread out in the center of the wall, marked with scribbles and notes that were impossible to decipher. Colorful, holographic cards had been taped all over the map, each one featuring art bearing the likeness of a Guardian.

With a jolt, Harley recognized the cards. They belonged to Heroes of Glory, a popular strategy-based game where players pitted the elite Guardians against each other to find out who would win in a fight. It had been Sophia’s favorite game as a kid, and Harley used to play occasionally with Jade and Max during lunch and study hall. 

The cards were taped to the corresponding districts of the Guardians on the card—Equinox of Blumoore, in her signature yellow and purple leather jacket, arms crossed as she smirked from behind red visors. The Falconeer of Lexdon with his swarm of birds of prey circling overhead. Barracuda of Calanell brandishing his famous spear, the hooked tip glittering in the light. Seraph of Skylar, her gaze skyward as she spread her mechanical wings in a ray of celestial light.

One Guardian in particular caught her eye—Maverick of Dantary, who Jade and Max had once dubbed ‘Space Cowboy.’ He tipped back his wide-brimmed hat with a wink, pointing the smoking barrel of a sniper rifle at Harley. The artist had clearly meant for this pose to be cheeky, but seeing it now had a much different vibe.

Maverick had been Sophia’s handler when she joined the Guard. He’d trained her as a sharpshooter and sniper, and Harley knew Sophia admired him. His card was also valuable in the game, with a unique ability written in a small script along the bottom of the card.

Double Agent: Discard a Guardian of your choice from your hand and draw a new card from the top of the deck.

Something about that ability, coupled with the fact that Maverick’s picture was present in this van at all, filled Harley with dread.

Don’t trust the Watch.

With a sinking weight in her gut, Harley turned away from the map to read the other papers on the wall. After skimming over files of medical jargon and more notes that were just as illegible as before, she found a collection of photographs. Sketches, IDs, mugshots, candid portraits—most were low resolution, and the subjects hard to make out, but the clearest ones had some familiar faces. Jade and Victor, Max and Sophia. Even Harley herself. 

Immediately, she snatched the photos off the wall and knelt down next to Jade, spreading them on top of the mattress. “Jade, look at this!”

Ahren began to interject. “Harley, what—”

“It’s Max!” Jade held his picture up to the light, and then grabbed another. “And the murdered Guardian, too. It’s like this guy is collecting evidence for their cases.”

“Not just any case,” Harley murmured. “Sophia’s case.”

Ahren cleared his throat. “I can explain.”

Harley looked up with a frown. “Ahren, what’s going on?”

“The Watch hasn’t been able to contact Sophia for days now,” Ahren said, fiddling nervously with a thread hanging loose off the wraps on his arm. “And the lack of concern on their end was suspicious. So… I may or may not have hired a private investigator to find her.”

Harley blinked. “Private investigator?”

“Detective August Bracken.” Ahren smiled wryly. “He has the best reputation in the city.”

“Better than the Watch?” Jade asked. “Or has the market for detectives been booming lately?”

Ahren shrugged. “Let’s just say he was desperate for work, and I’m desperate for answers. Plus, he showed up when I alerted him to an emergency at the house, so I have no reason to complain.”

So, that’s why he was waiting for us outside. “What do we know so far?” Harley asked.

Ahren picked up one of the photographs, staring down at it grimly. “Max’s case is one piece to a puzzle August has been trying to solve for years. The Watch may have been in on it, and Sophia had no idea what she signed up for.”

Harley’s blood froze at the mention of the Watch. She buried her face in her arms as the thought that had plagued her for days now came surging back at full force.

This can’t be happening. This can’t be happening. This—

“The Watch is behind this?” Jade’s voice sounded far away. “How?”

Ahren sighed. “Look, there’s a lot I don’t know. I don’t know what they’re hiding, and I don’t even know if they can be trusted. But what I do know—what August knows—is that they’re connected to a bigger issue. All of this is.”

Harley lifted her head. “And what’s that?”

Ahren passed her the photo in his hand. “Vigilantes.”

Harley squinted at it in the dim light. The image itself was dark, and details were hard to make out, but it looked like a full-face metal mask, expressionless except for the empty eye sockets. Upon closer inspection, she noticed a spot of ink had bled through the image, and she flipped it over to see a crude drawing of a black-and-white diamond, accompanied by a single word, this time written clearly.

Pluto.

But Harley barely noticed it. Somehow, she felt inexplicably drawn to the diamond. She knew she’d seen it before. But where?

Jade peered over her shoulder, furrowing her brow. “What’s that mean?”

Ahren took another deep breath. “It means the vigilantes have started working together.”

⬗

To be continued...

NEXT CHAPTER COMING SOON

TAG LIST: @writernopal, @mysticstarlightduck, @livums, @wotchergiorgia Message me to be added or removed!

I reserve all rights to the contents of this post. Any similarities to real-life people, places, or events are purely coincidental. Attempts to use or reproduce my work without my consent will not be tolerated. I share my work on this Tumblr account, on AO3 under the same name, and on Wattpad under the username @ persephonehale. If you read this story anywhere else or under any other name, please notify me immediately, as I am unaware of and did not consent to its distribution to any other platforms. Thank you!

[altruistic-meme]

oh yeah. so. i’m out of work for the next 2 weeks which sucks immensely. means i’m going to be operating on a day-shift schedule since that will make my life slightly easier. so if i’m posting at weird times now that’s why. i’ll be going back to night-shift schedule in August when i return to work :)

also, i’m hoping to get lots of writing done in this time! so hopefully i’ll actually manage that since i have an obnoxious amount of freetime and no idea what to do with it :’)) but maybe look forward to some new fics from me!

[slightlytoastedbagel]

Ace Markey and Eden Tobisa feel like opposite ends of a sliding scale of characters and Whit Young is the midpoint between them. Does this make any sense?

[fordtato]

Alex Hirsch will imply or say through text and subtext of books about FiddAuthor and BillFord, while Dan Povenmire and Swampy Marsh will just have Perryshmirtz moments on Chibi shorts and tiktoks... and you know, sometimes I'm glad I get to live in this world. (I made this weird train of thought connection through the ending joke in Bill's interview in the book.)

SPOILERS: Look, no matter how one feels about it, Hirsch used terminology associated with romance and breakups throughout nearly every interaction between Ford and Bill. "Attracted-to," "will-they-won't-they," "were we even partners?," starting a conversation after a fight with "Can we talk?", calling Fiddleford a "third wheel," etc. - THESE ARE QUOTES.

Also, Bill uses language that is INCREDIBLY tied to abusive relationships when talking to Ford: "who else will make you feel like this?" etc.

Hell, Bill goes on a drunken bender after the breakup. Mabel calls Ford Bill's ex, and tells him to "get over" her Grunkle.

I've seen some discussion on the timeline on whether or not it's problematic to make BillFord canon and my thoughts are: this book DEPICTING an abusive pairing (or at least using language that echoes an abusive relationship), and then framing it through the lens of an unreliable abusive narrator is not the same thing as glorifying, romanticizing, or supporting the pairing. The people reading this recognize that Bill is a villain and not to be trusted, you know? It isn't even shades of grey, it's 100% depicted as the most ruinous thing in Ford's life. Hell, I think it's just very compelling writing. I love this. I think it's so interesting. Books should be able to tackle this.

And then the Fiddauthor fodder. The FIDDFODDER. He handmakes Ford two xmas presents, and makes nothing for Emma-May??? HE COMES BACK FOR FORD AFTER HIS FIGHT WITH HIS WIFE? AND THEY WERE ROOMMATES IN COLLEGE? AND FIDDS MADE 5 PROTOTYPES TO HANDKNIT FORD GLOVES??

The book also has a reference to Ford possibly being ace. Ford has nightmares about a pop quiz asking him what he's attracted to. He answers "planning and preparation." So, I have layered feelings about these tongue-in-cheek references to asexuality without just SAYING asexuality, you know? Like when it's wrapped in a joke, I think it affects how meaningful it is, but I'm not ace, so it's up to ace people to decide how they feel about this. But I do think it's interesting.

At the very least, this book adds queer undertones to the way Ford and Bill interact. Book of Bill gave more queer undertones in the TEXT, not just subtext, to how Ford interacts with others, and while that experience is translated through an abusive relationship, it's still there.

Y'all, this man is queer. I can't believe I'm not seeing everyone talking about this. Ford is queer. I don't know how to define his relationship with Bill Cipher, but it isn't straight.

[apricotmayonaise]

my flaming hot but also niche ace attorney take is that i do not think april may was a manipulative conviving gaslight gatekeep yas queen girlboss. she was not doing any of those crimes based on her own free will. she was terrified of being murdered by her boss. like, textually. she's not putting on that ditsy sexy persona for shits and gigs and to Scam Men For Fun she's putting on that persona to avoid getting murdered by her incredibly powerful employer. the day we acknowledge that april may was not a willing accomplice is the day i can rest.

[shoukokus]

Beautiful day/night (or afternoon) may I request how the overblot characters in twisted wonderland would react to s/o culture clothing? (For example: spanish people have those beautiful colorful traditional spanish dress)

I tried not to make it too specific, so as to not exclude anyone!

Riddle Rosehearts

He firsts sees your cultural clothing while attending a ball in his hometown

It was just for a couple of days, and everyone in Heartslyabul was invited, Deuce, Trey, and Cater were there too. Ace didn't want to go to a stupid event

It took you all day to get ready, and Riddle was beyond curious why you were being so secretive

But when you finally came down the stairs, your stunning garb on display, Riddle knew it was worth the wait

When you explain the significance of your outfit, he's very touched

You waited all this time to wear something so important to you, for an event important to Riddle? Someone hold him, he's about to start crying in the ballroom

Leona Kingscholar

When his family invited him home for a long weekend, the only thing that would make it tolerable would be your presence

He said something about some fancy dinner party really offhandedly, and you came up with an idea to make even THAT fun for Leona Kingscholar

Outside of your room in his palace, he waits for you, tugging at the tie you gave him for some reason

When you come out, ready for the dinner, it all clicks into place. His tie matches your outfit and its colors. But more than that? You look incredible

He smirks as he twirls you around a little, eyeing all the details and any skin that's showing....

You tell him that you wanted to make a good impression, to be proud of your history and culture like his family is... Well, let's just say he's thinking about how to mix those two cultures

Azul Ashengrotto

Azul had potential investors coming to visit, and he was unbelievably nervous the night before

He was pacing, and triple checking all his accounts and even the freshly pressed suit laid out

He reminded you multiple times to have your own outfit ready, and you would assure him every time, don't worry... you got this

When Floyd and Jade escort you into his office a few hours before the event, he looks up and nearly breaks his pen in half

You look incredible! He stands and sputters as he compliments you. How did he get so lucky?! Where were you hiding this? It looks amazing on you and perfectly goes with your features

When you tell him the significance, he starts tearing up. He hugs you, whispering how much he appreciates you and the mindfulness you always give him

Jamil Viper

You and Jamil are having a cozy night in when the topic of cultures came up

With your full attention, Jamil tells you about the Scalding Sands and the society he grew up in

When the topic of clothes come up, you get excited, an opportunity presenting itself

You tell him to wait for just a little bit as you run to your room. He waits curiously until you finally come back

Your attire has been changed and Jamil is stunned. You look amazing!

He watches you with loving, soft eyes as you explain all the details of the outfit and what they mean

Vil Schoenheit

It was the first major event that Vil had invited you too, and the desperation to make it a good experience was palpable

A simple luncheon was surely like the jungle in Vil's world... but he was insistent that you could wear something simple yet elegant

With your cultural clothing, you decided to take the chance

Of course you would need Vil's approval so you invited him over the day before

When he enters your room and sees you inspecting yourself in the mirror, he's immediately entranced. What wonderful colors on you, how it works with your figure and features...

Telling him that it's from your culture, he's not surprised. Of course it would look perfect on you! With a kiss on the head, it is officially Vil approved

Idia Shroud

Idia finally wants to take your relationship to the next level... By showing off his costume collection!!

He has outfits from all sorts of different shows, movies, and games. It may seem silly, but they're very important to him

So the next day, you decide to reciprocate in a similar way

You invite him over for the usual game and snack night, but when he opens the door, he's greeted by you in a new, brilliant outfit

He thinks it's amazing, but is unclear on what it means. When you explain that you wanted to show him care in your own way, his hair turns a light pink

You.. showed him your important clothes in response to his important clothes? Yeah, he wants to spend the rest of his life with you

Malleus Draconia

Malleus had just bought you a ton of new clothes. It's not unusual for him to go buying up things for you when the impulse strikes

This time he had been thinking about how wonderful you'd look in some traditional Briar Valley clothing, and then... nine outfits happened

When it all arrives, an impromptu fashion starts as you try everything on to test sizes and styles

He's helping you sort through everything and hang things up when he spots an outfit he's never seen before

You tell him that it's the only change of clothes you came to Twisted Wonderland with, that it was important to your culture and meant a lot, but just hadn't the time or reason to wear it

Immediately demands to see it, and you agree. When you come out looking like the sun itself, he pulls you close and promises to keep your heritage alive and well

Requests are open!

[solxamber]

Diasomnia, 6, comedy! :D

Lessons in Love || Malleus Draconia

For the Holiday Event! || Prompt: "Say that again" ; Genre: Comedy

Malleus Draconia, the powerful and enigmatic prince of the Briar Valley, was pacing in your living room.

You sat on the couch, watching him like he was a particularly skittish cat, teetering on the edge of saying something dramatic. Eventually, you sighed and crossed your arms. “Malleus, if you’ve done something like declare war on RSA, just tell me now.”

He stopped mid-step, his shoulders stiff. “It is not about a declaration of war. I have a confession to make.”

“Good. Now spit it out.”

His lips pursed, and his cheeks took on a suspiciously pink tinge. You tilted your head, curiosity bubbling. Malleus rarely got flustered, but when he did, it was comedy gold.

“I—” he began, then stopped, his voice barely above a whisper.

“...Huh?”

“I… may have…” he mumbled again, too low for your magicless ears to catch.

“Sorry, didn’t catch that.”

“I may have…” He turned away, mumbling even quieter this time.

You blinked. “Malleus, I can’t hear you if you’re talking to the floor. Use your dragon voice.”

He shot you a betrayed look but finally sighed. “I may have accidentally…” Another mumble.

“I… sought assistance before we began courting,” he said, voice softer than a whisper.

Your curiosity peaked. “From who?”

He turned his head to the side, avoiding your gaze. “...Ace Trappola.”

You blinked. Once. Twice. Then, as the words sank in, you leaned forward. “I’m sorry, what?”

“I do not wish to repeat myself,” he said firmly, his pointed ears flushing.

“Oh, you’re definitely repeating yourself,” you said, biting back a grin. “You, Malleus Draconia, went to Ace Trappola for dating advice?”

He looked at you like he wanted the earth to swallow him whole. “I had heard rumors he had an… ‘ex-girlfriend,’ as humans call it. I sought his knowledge on how to properly court you.”

You smacked a hand over your mouth to suppress the laugh threatening to escape. “Malleus, please, you didn’t…”

“He told me to ‘play it cool’ and to call you ‘bro,’” Malleus admitted, looking deeply offended. “It was terrible advice.”

That did it. You doubled over with laughter, clutching your stomach. “He—he told you to call me bro? And you actually listened?”

“Of course not!” Malleus said, affronted. “Even I know better than to address my beloved with such disrespect.”

“Oh my god, I can’t breathe,” you wheezed, tears forming in the corners of your eyes.

He pouted, crossing his arms. “I should have sought advice elsewhere, but I was… desperate. You have a unique way of rendering me uncertain.”

He looked like he might throw himself dramatically out the window. So you did the only reasonable thing: you hugged him from behind, wrapping your arms around his waist.

He froze for a moment, his sharp edges softening under your touch. “...You mock me,” he grumbled, though he leaned into your embrace.

“Maybe a little,” you admitted, resting your cheek against his back. “But you’re also incredibly sweet for caring this much. Asking Ace of all people? That’s love.”

“But can you say that again?” you teased, grinning. “You went to Ace Trappola for help.”

“You are incorrigible,” he huffed.

You leaned up and kissed his cheek, softening the pout on his face. “And you’re adorable when you’re embarrassed. Now come here, ‘bro.’”

He groaned. “If you call me that again, I will turn Ace into a toad.”

“I’d love to see you try.”

Masterlist

[bunni-v1]

Heyyaaa

May I request dorm leaders finding out you’re a girl please? If it’s too much u can make a part 2

Dorm Leaders Find Out You're a Girl?!?!?! (NOT CLICKBAIT!!!)

TW: Mentions of transphobia (nothing awful, just literally dropping the word lol); Idia is creepy

Info: Riddle, Leona, Azul, Kalim, Vil, Idia, Malleus x Reader (Platonic or Romantic); Fluff, Comedy(?)

🍓This one is gonna be long, like 5.3k words long. I love writing the dorm leaders so damn much <3 Besides, there’s been a long wait for this one, so I hope I make it worth it! You might see some favoritism shine through, but I did my best to keep it even. Hope you all enjoy!

Tags: @kierancaz @danchann33 @arashrita @the-ace-reader @akiyamasmizuki @kitsun369 @bloomstruck (I think I got all of you)

First Years

Ortho Sebek

Second Years

Third Years

-Okay so, I know we’re all wondering, how the hell do you get away with hiding your gender for so damn long?

-Firstly, those ceremonial robes do great at hiding the figure. The only tell would maybe be your hair, but feminine men aren’t unwelcome at Nightraven College, so you mostly get a few questioning stares and that’s it.

-Secondly, Crowley wants to save his own fucking ass. He already has to hide from the press that he has a MAGICLESS student from ANOTHER DIMENSION here, he doesn’t need the fact that you are a woman ALSO on his plate. So, obviously, he helps you hide your gender from others.

-Grim knows, of course, and he keeps his mouth shut for a few yummy cans of tuna (and threats of being expelled from Crowley <3)

-Even when you were just a janitor, he couldn’t have the rumor that he put a “helpless” young woman to work. (Like it wouldn’t be expected.)

-So how do you two do it?

-Baggy ass uniform. Crowley gave you at least three sizes too big.

-Your figure is completely hidden. Sure, you look completely homeless, but at least you’re hidden.

-For your voice, you simply deepen it. After some point, you blackmail Crowley into giving you a potion to help with it, since it's so taxing on your voice. (Or maybe your voice is naturally deep!)

-Sam provides you (for an unfairly pretty penny (not too different from your original world…)) any feminine hygiene products you might need.

-Honestly, you’re set for being cared for, but it’s the adjustment period that’s the hardest part. 

-Truly, it’s very jarring to suddenly be thrown into both a magical world and be isolated in a man's world with nowhere to hide.

-At least in your world you had other women who could understand your struggles. Here though? You’re completely alone.

-You notice how… messy some of these guys could be. How some of them smell… really rancid. -How rough they were with you and each other.

-Honestly, it’s kinda eye-opening. The way men show affection to each other is oddly refreshing to watch and experience!

-Ace and Deuce specifically are a good… trial run.

-That’s not what we’re here to talk about though…

-For the most part, it's incredibly easy to hide yourself for the first while on campus. Everyone on campus is so self-absorbed that they don’t bother questioning you.

-Your only real risk factor is Savannaclaw, but it's easy to avoid those guys (minus Jack, of course).

-However, you can only hide your gender for so long… It’s mentally draining to keep up this facade all the time around people you care about.

-So… how do they find out?

Riddle

-Riddle is the last student in Heartslabyul to find out.

-It’s not like he did anything to you for you to hold off on telling him (you know, other than the whole almost killing you that one time thing), it’s just that you don’t feel inclined to tell him. 

-Simple as that.

-He also really has no reason to question your gender. 

-Riddle didn’t have must interaction with people his own age until he came to night raven college, he doesn’t have the same social ideologies as other people do.

-Nightraven college is really his first touch with society outside of his mothers very watchful, conservative eye.

-So, excuse him for not picking up on stupid little gendered norms that the other students do.

-In his eyes, you dress like a man, you act (sort of) like the other male students, and you prefer he/him pronouns. 

-There’s nothing more to it then, right? If you identify as a man, he has no reason not to treat you as such - nor should he suspect you would hide your gender like that.

-Besides, this is an all boys school! Crowley wouldn’t allow you to attend here unless you were also a boy… right?

-He is aware there are exceptions — and you are already QUITE the exception, but surely Crowley wouldn’t be so cruel as to force a young woman to attend an all boys academy.

-Ah, sweet Riddle, ever in denial.

-He isn’t STUPID though. He notices how brotherly Trey is to you. He knows (and has heard) your many “secret sleepovers” with Cater.

-He ignores these things and doesn’t comment on them simply because, well, he likes you!

-He helps to tutor you sometimes, and he’s gotten to know you through that, and he really does come around on enjoying your presence.

-So, he ignores Trey and Cater’s odd behaviors for your sake.

-You keep him and his dorm members in high spirits, why would he want to shoo something like that away?

-He doesn’t really questionthings until he… overhears a conversation between Deuce and Ace. (A rather loud one, for how supposedly secret this topic was meant to be).

-One of them had gotten in trouble with a professor, and he was going to give them a stern scolding when he overheard what they were talking about.

-“Deuce, dude, you’re gonna want to sit down for this one.”

“What is it, I’m busy trying to finish my potionology homework.”

“Seriously this one is crazy, you’re not ready for for it.”

“Ace, if you’re just messing with me I’m going to leave.”

“Dude, the prefect is a girl.”

“…What?”

-Riddle did not bother the two after that. In fact, he just walked back to his room to sit and think about what he just overheard.

-It DID make sense. You didn’t quite fit in with everyone else for reasons outside of your otherworldly origin.

-You acted differently than the typical guy here at NRC, and you seemed to get along with the peers that were more ‘traditionally feminine’ best.

-It would explain Trey’s coddling and Cater’s secretiveness.

-Still, he didn’t want to assume. This was Ace and Deuce, and Ace could just be messing around with Deuce.

-So, at your next tutoring session, he broaches the subject as politely as possible.

-“So, prefect, I have… overheard something that I wanted to ask you about.”

“Oh no, am I in trouble because of Ace and Deuce again.”

“Not… technically… I did, however, overhear them talking about… you being a woman.”

“…I’m gonna kill them.”

“I could collar them for you, if that would help.”

-The confirmation was reassuring for Riddle in multiple ways. 

-1) Ace isn’t as terrible of a person as the thought he was.

-2) He wasn’t crazy in noticing the slight differences in you and your other peers.

-Now, you and Riddle aren’t exactly super close by any means, so your interactions with each other are limited to when you’re either being tutored or with friends in Heartslabyul.

-However, he is notably more nervous than he usually is.

-He doesn’t have some super secret crush on your all of the sudden, he just… never really had a chance to interact with women before.

-His mom kept him very sheltered from the opposite gender, so he has little to no experience with them.

-On top of that, because of his mother, he does have a slight fear of women. He’s afraid he’s going to upset you and you’ll blow a fuse on him or something.

-You have to assure him that you don’t bite and you won’t suddenly start screaming at him for no reason, and then he begins to relax a bit.

-Still, he’s very sweet and gentlemanly to you.

-If you need help with anyone around campus, you should come to him and he will have them dealt with accordingly.

Leona

-Leona “Respects Women” Kingscholar.

-Leona has SLIGHTLY worse smell than Ruggie, but he also knew immediately upon your arrival that you were a girl.

-In fact, he knew you weren’t a trans man, because they smell distinctly different from the typical woman.

-There aren’t many trans people in the Savannah though, so Ruggie not being able to pick up on that doesn’t really shock him.

-Leona, however, has smelled and seen plenty of trans people in his life time — you aren’t one of them.

-He won’t lie, he’s definitely interested in you. Women where he comes from are big and strong and proud, you’re just kind of plain.

-He keeps his ever curious eye on you though, because he’s interested in how you might navigate this whole thing.

-Now don’t get it twisted, he doesn’t care about you, he’s curious about you. 

-If you were to ask him for help on something, he wouldn’t offer it. (Not that you would, you seem particularly averse to him).

-However, if he were to see some creep trying to… well… creep on you, he’d chase them away without ever having you know he did.

-He was your secret bodyguard who wouldn’t admit it even if you held a knife to his throat.

-Still, he stayed out of your way and you stayed out of his. 

-A symbiotic relationship that you weren’t even aware existed… until you got in his way.

-Like Ruggie, when you start getting a little too involved in his ahem business, he gets pretty damn annoyed.

-You’re not exactly a threat to start, but you are a little trouble maker. If you find out what he’s up to, you’ll ruin his plans completely, and he can’t have that.

-However, he’s not exactly comfortable “taking care of you” like he is his male peers.

-He respects women, okay, you can’t blame him for not wanting to purposefully hurt you. (If his mom and brother found out, he’d never hear the damn end of it)

-He sends out Ruggie to scare you off, explicitly telling him he can’t hurt you on purpose.

-He knows Ruggie already has an idea of what’s going on, so he doesn’t have any qualms with telling him to be careful with you.

-Still, despite all this, he doesn’t really broach the topic until he’s forced to.

-He’s made it known to you, at this point, that he knows your secret. 

-He hasn’t caused you any extra trouble since his overblot, and he keeps his dorm members off your back, so you have no reason to interact with him… until, again, you get yourself into trouble.

-This time it’s YOU dragging him into your mess, despite him wanting nothing to do with it.

-You are convincing, though, so he gives and allows you to stay in his dorm room — rent free! Isn’t he so nice.

-Jack offers himself for protection if you need it, but you can see that Ruggie is quite bemused with the whole situation, so you decide to turn him down.

-Leona hasn’t tried anything yet, and he really could if he wanted to.

-You decide you can trust him. (You have to trust him).

-Then presents the issue of sharing a bed.

-Leona isn’t a weird pervert, okay. He isn’t absolutely leaping at the idea to be in bed with you — he’s so sorry.

-Honestly, it makes him a bit… uncomfortable.

-Sharing a bed is something you do with family or someone you’re involved with, not the weird magic-less kid who’s at least three years too young for you.

-So, Leona, ever the women’s rights activist, approaches you with a proposition.

-“Listen, I know you’re a woman and I know you know that. We’re not sharing a bed, there ain’t no way that’s happening.”

“Oh, so would you like the poor helpless homeless woman to sleep on the floor? How cruel can you be Leona.”

“Shut up, I’m not gonna do that to you. Listen, you can have the bed all to yourself and I’ll sleep on the couch, so long as you promise not to tell a single soul about this.”

“I promise.”

-You immediately tell Ruggie the next morning, and he is sure to make sure Leona never forgets it.

-Living with Leona for the short period of time that you do is very insightful!

-He’s actually pretty funny, much smarter than he lets on, and almost brotherly to you. Which does not fit the M.O. you built of him in your head.

-He’s gruff and pushy, but he does it out of genuineness.

-You end up getting really close to him because of it. 

-His quiet and laid-back demeanor are a break from the chaos of everyone else on campus, and he doesn’t make a big deal out of anything so you can just complain and he nods along unbothered.

-Only thing you notice that upsets him is when you bring up guys who bother you.

-Those guys tend to stop bothering you shortly after. How strange…

Azul

-Azul is hands down the last person on campus you want knowing about this.

-Riddle, Ruggie, Trey, Cater and pretty much everyone with half a brain tell you to stay as far away from him as possible.

-You see him in the halls sometimes, and he doesn’t look to bad. Unapproachable, sure, but he’s a rather pretty guy. Well put together and seemingly very smart from what you’ve been told.

-He helped to subdue Grim in the opening ceremony, so you know he’s magically capable. He’s also a house warden, so that goes unspoken, I suppose.

-He seems interested in you, from what you can tell. He always waves at you when he does see you in a sort of fake friendly kind of way. 

-You’ve seen him and his little (large, very large) goonies admiring ramshackle before.

-You’ve also politely asked them to not do that when you moved in, because it freaks you out a lot. To which they all gave you very eerie smiles and walked away.

-They remind you of a very small mafia, and you decided to heed your friends warnings because of that.

-You do so successfully for a long time too. Other than the few previously stated interactions, Azul seems un-inclined to bother you, and you don’t want to catch his leering eyes.

-Little do you know, Azul has a much more watchful eye on you that you initially thought.

-Sure, you don’t have much to offer him magic wise, but you have ramshackle. Oh, how he wants ramshackle.

-You are key to obtaining it, he just… has to find something on you first.

-You’re so painfully average. Perhaps a little more pretty in the face than his other peers, but you sacrifice that with the atrociousness of your uniform. 

-Truly, nothing about you is different.

-He almost gives up until Grim delivers him an opportunity in a pretty little bow.

-You agree to his contract out of the goodness of your heart, just like he knew you would. So sweet and kind are you, to practically hand him the deed to ramshackle on a silver platter.

-He notices, however, that Jade grows a very… sudden fascination with you.

-Sure, he told both Jade and Floyd to keep and eye on you and keep you in like, but for Jade to be so interested… very odd.

-Then, shortly after, Floyd’s own interest is piqued. Alright… less odd than Jade, but to have both of their eyes on you must mean he’s missing something. (I know I previously said that Floyd found out after Azul, but I was stupid and wrong and you should never listen to me when I’m talking about Floyd).

-He tries to get it out of them by any means, Asking, blackmailing, manipulation. He really does try, but their lips are sealed tight.

-It frustrates him to no end that they know something he doesn’t, and that he can’t figure out this very big secret.

-It stumps him for so long, because he’s looking in all the wrong places for the answer.

-Meanwhile, you know that Jade and Floyd know and you are TERRIFIED waiting for Azul to use this against you.

-The suspense starts killing you and making you anxious enough that its affecting sleep, so you decide to bite the bullet and arrange a meeting with him.

-Azul is honestly delighted, because he was just going to outright force the truth from you at this point.

-“I’m glad you set up this meeting, I’ve been meaning to talk to you.”

“I know… I’ve been pretty nervous about it since Jade and Floyd started pestering me.”

“Before I talk about what I want to, I’d like to hear what you have to say. I’m a good listener after all.”

“Too good, if you ask me. Uhm, anyway, so I know that Jade and Floyd to you that I’m a girl already, but I’m really hoping you would just leave me be. You owe me after all.”

“…You’re a girl?”

“Did they not tell you…?”

-what. What? WHAT?!?!?!

-How could he not tell, he feel so incredibly stupid. Its so obvious now that he thinks about it.

-No wonder Jade and Floyd wouldn’t stop teasing him about it.

-He agrees not to let the secret out — he DOES owe you his life, after all. This is a minor trade.

-However, he does not mentally recover from this revelation for a while.

-He doesn’t treat you very different, I suppose. He’s more gentlemanly with you, and is generally more friendly, but those things come from saving a persons life regardless.

-He is, surprisingly, willing to ensure your whole gender thing doesn’t get out so long as you work a few hours at the monster lounge.

-Probably the best at keeping it to himself and making sure it doesn’t get out. You wouldn’t expect any less with Azul, though.

Kalim

-You and Kalim don’t really have much of a chance to interact.

-He seems sweet enough, and you know he’s much kinder than the rest of the dorm leaders, but you don’t really have any reason to interact with him.

-Kalim also doesn’t think too much of you. 

-You caused a ruckus at the entrance ceremony, that’s for sure, but you kinda blend into the background.

-Besides he’s a party animal — constantly hosting these huge parties at his dorm just because he can.

-As someone trying to keep out of trouble and hide such a huge secret… yeah, parties aren’t exactly your forte.

-So, when you get roped in to coming to Scarabia over winter break, Kalim is pleasantly surprised!

-He’s always excited to make a new friend, and you’re pretty infamous around school, so he’s extra excited to get to know you.

-Kalim has no reason to question anything about you, like most other people would.

-However, he isn’t stupid. He has plenty of younger sisters, and he picks up on social queues better than you’d expect.

-He definitely suspects something is off, but he figures you would tell him if something was up. 

-You actually find him quite easy to be around. He’s someone who makes it easy to let your walls down and just relax with.

-Despite his sudden mood shifts, he always makes sure that you’re happy and healthy and doing the best you can be in your position.

-However, you run out of the magical potion that deepens your voice pretty quickly, and you have to go back to dramatically straining your voice.

-You sound sick, honestly, and it makes Kalim worry. 

-He figures that you’re forcing yourself to deepen your voice so you’re still perceived as a man.

-Instead of asking you directly, as Kalim does, he goes to Jamil.

-“Jamil…”

“What do you need, Kalim?”

“Don’t you think somethings… off with the prefect?”

“Off? What are you talking about, nothings off with them.”

“No, I mean… do you think they might be… a girl?”

“…Kalim, that’s very rude to say. You need to be more respectful.”

“…You’re right, I’m sorry. Could we get him something to soothe his voice though, it sounds rough.”

-Kalim is a lot more watchful of you after that. He just… knows something is wrong, but he doesn’t want to be rude.

-It’s actually you who comes to him when no one is around for help.

-“Kalim, uhm, I need your help.”

“Sure, what’s up?”

“So, I’m pretty sure you know, but I’m not a guy… I’m a girl, and I really need help hiding it. The longer I’ve been here, the harder it’s been on me.”

-Sweetheart he is, he promises to both help you and keep your secret to himself — and he does both surprisingly well!

-He offers his private bathroom to you so you can shower in peace. 

-It’s honestly the best bath you’ve ever had with all his sweet smelling oils. Your skin feels so smooth and renewed.

-Still, even with this, you still don’t feel safe with anyone else — plus the fact that Kalim has random and horrifying mood shifts. You have to flee.

-And yet you still get dragged into more trouble with the octatrio. You still get exposed to the whole dorm by a crazed Jamil, and now have to deal with the horror that they’ll tell everyone.

-Kalim feels awful, and thus shows his forgiveness in the best way he can: giving gifts.

-You get tons of apology gifts from him in the coming months. Baskets of the best shower stuff you’ve ever had; a new, better fitted but still innocuous uniform; enough tuna to keep grim satisfied for years (and sweets that you happily keep to yourself).

-It’s so nice, but you start to feel bad. It feels like you’re taking advantage of his guilt, when you’re not really upset at anyone involved anymore.

-You’re welcome at Scarabia any time. None of his dorm members will ever cause you any trouble, and you can dress and act and sound however you want within Scarabia’s walls. 

Vil

-Miss beauty queen himself. We love Vil, we Stan Vil, we adore Vil… 

-Oh my god he’s a pain in the ass though, especially for you.

-He sees through you in an instant.

-Truly, Vil finds you to be more of a little pest than anything.

-You are constantly in trouble, you are magic less, and you decided to needlessly hide your gender.

-The last one is the worst offense in his eyes.

-Vil is someone who does not value gender, but expression. Your gender does not matter as much as your expression, therefore you hiding your expression irks him.

-He’s understanding enough in the fact that he knows you might be doing this to protect yourself, but he finds it stupid and useless, because you’re easy to see through.

-He avoids you, and you avoid him. Simple as that.

-Unfortunately for Vil, you’ve caught Rook’s eye, which means he must sit through many hours of Rook rambling on about his “findings” about you.

-When you tried out for the VDC, he was simply going to turn you and Grim away, but Rook convinced him to give you a chance.

-Rook wanted him to help your reveal your “inner beauty”, though Vil wasn’t sure if you had any of that.

-You wore baggy, horrifically ugly clothing up until winter break. Your hair was constantly a mess. Your skin was poorly taken care of, and the bags under your eyes were as dark as night.

-It almost made him feel bad for you… so despite his better judgement, he decided to invest time in you.

-Vil makes it very clear that he knows what your whole secret is.

-“I am aware of the fact that you are a woman, however, I will continue to use your preferred pronouns since it seems to bring you comfort.”

-He’s very insistent that you allow him to do your skincare AND your makeup whenever you give him the chance.

-Especially when he moves into ramshackle temporarily, he’s very insistent on maintaining your skincare routine.

-He essentially makes your entire nightly routine himself, and is right there over your shoulder making sure you do it right.

-Despite how overbearing it is, you actually make good friends with him through this.

-Being stuck alone in a room with no one but him to talk to forces you two to talk.

-You get to learn why he cares so much about appearances, and he gets to know why you hide to protect yourself.

-“It’s just… easier to pretend, because guys will bother me less that way.”

“I can’t understand why they would bother you. You’ve done nothing to them, so why would they want to do anything to you.”

“That’s the thing, I don’t know either. I just know it’s scary, and I don’t want to deal with it.”

-You move him, honestly. You’re strong even though you’re scared, and that’s beautiful. Thats what true beauty is.

-He helps you embrace your inner self and express that, while still helping you to hide your gender in a way that feels safe.

-You are always welcome at Pomefiore, and you can come to either him or Rook if you have any issues at all.

-It’s like having a big sister, almost.

Idia

-Idia has eyes everywhere.

-Every inch of that campus is (illegally) being monitored by his watchful eyes. 

-When he’s bored in class, he flicks through the cameras to amuse himself — maybe he’ll see someone slip and fall on their ass. That would be funny.

-He’s not really interested in you in particular.

-In fact, he’d like to keep a very far distance between the two of you.

-You’re… intimidating. You’ve fought some of the most powerful mages on campus and won.

-Total final boss energy, not something Idia is interested in being around.

-What he IS interested in is that wittle kitty you’ve got following you around.

-When he’s bored in class, he goes searching for Grim, and where Grim is you are sure to be.

-So, despite his aversion to you, he ends up spending a lot of time watching you.

-He starts to notice… things about you.

-He notices that you seem to put on a tough guy persona around… well… other guys in your class.

-When it’s just you and Grim though? You’re the softest softie he’s ever seen.

-It’s top tier cringe watching you try to being all macho, so he much prefers your more quiet and relaxed self you show in private.

-Seriously though, you’re a TOTALLY DIFFERENT PERSON when you’re alone with certain people.

-EVEN YOUR VOICE CHANGES!!!

-It’s so uber creepy, it’s like a jumpscare every time you drop that fake deep voice.

-If he’s being real, you’ve got a pretty voice. Honestly, you’re really pretty period. Too pretty to be a guy honestly.

-…

-….

-…..HOLY SHIT!!!

-He has to check your medical files to be sure — which he obviously has access to, thanks to having access to everything Ortho has access to.

-Blah blah blah allergies, blah blah blah horrific injuries from overblots, blah blah blah- AH HAH!

-Next to gender you are listed as… transgender man.

-He doesn’t wanna be that weird transphobic incel, but from what he’s seen? He highly doubts that.

-From what he’s seen in his (invasive) watching, you’re definitely doing the troupe of hiding your gender to better fit in.

-He feels like he’s in an anime or something.

-He doesn’t really want to bother you about it — but from watching you, you seem like someone he’d really enjoy being around.

-Ortho also insists that he’d get along with you very well!

-…It’s worth a shot right.

-He tries several times to “bump” into you, which always ends in him skittering away in fear.

-He psyches himself out every time. “They wouldn’t even wanna hang out with a loser like me.” “They’re way too cool for someone as lame as me.” 

-It’s not until you invite yourself to one of tabletop club’s meetings that he’s forced to interact with you.

-He’s really banking on the fact that you’ll be too busy talking with Azul to notice him, but then Azul leaves and its just you and him.

-Him and you…

-Both of you… in total and complete silence.

-…yep… 

-“Uhm, Idia…?”

“yES!?”

“I came here cause I wanted to talk to you, sorry for being so underhanded about it, I just couldn’t get you alone without you running off.”

“AH— I mean, ahem, okay. My bad.”

-You totally cornered him like an evil villain.

-All because you wanted to… be his friend?

-Is he dreaming, going insane perhaps, did HE get isekaied into an alternate universe where he was likable???

-Nope, Ortho just talks him up a lot, and you think his hair is cool. Huh. Kinda lame compared to what he was thinking.

-You guys talk a LOT after that. You exchange numbers and you text him about all sorts of stuff — and he’s actually interested in it!

-You learn that he’s been watching you and Grim for a long time, and while you scold him.

-You think it’s pretty funny that he’s embarrassed about his love for cute things.

-“If you’ve been keeping your eye on me for so long, you must’ve figured out that I’m a girl, right?”

“Yeah, you’re not great at hiding it. That macho guy act is suuuuper lame, you look like a noob lol.”

“Hey! I’m just copying what Deuce told me to do!”

-You guys don’t really see each other face to face very often, but like I said you text a lot.

-Sometimes he’ll text you shit like ‘I saw that, saved it for blackmail.’ After you biffed your shit on the pavement or something.

-When Idia gets more comfortable, you two spend hours on call whenever you get the chance.

-He lends you some of his precious manga, and even gives you an older TV he had laying around so you can watch stuff at ramshackle.

-Sometimes he invites you over to play video games with him and Ortho, and he gets all cocky and proud when you gush about how cool all his tech is.

-And, yeah, Idia definitely forms a little crush on you — but he would do that regardless of your gender. 

-He just likes you a lot, and you can feel safe on campus knowing he’s watching over you when you need it. (Mostly watching Grim, tbh.)

Malleus

-We know that Malleus enjoys… creeping outside of Ramshackle.

-He spends quite a lot of time on your front lawn, therefore, he’s usually in proximity of you.

-However, he is very intimidating!

-As a young woman in a magical world that you are not from, a very tall man with horns is the exact opposite of what you want to be around.

-Besides, you’ve heard the rumors about him — how powerful he is, and how scary he is.

-Malleus, on the other hand, is admittedly curious about you.

-He finds humans in their own right incredibly interesting, but you are not just a regular human.

-You are a human who has no magic and is from another world entirely. 

-You are something he has never once seen in his whole life, so excuse his childish curiosity.

-Still, you’re sort of cleverly avoiding him at every chance you get, and he just can’t quite find the time to talk to you.

-Until one night, you come back rather late and you find him in your yard… again.

-You send Grim in by himself and decide to confront him by yourself, because you are tired of being afraid to fall asleep at night.

-“Hey, you, could you maybe not stare at my house in the middle of the night!”

-Oh. You are quite feisty, and very bold to approach Malleus Draconia with such an aggressive tone.

-“I’m unsure what you mean, I’m simply admiring the architecture.”

“I don’t care WHAT you’re doing, you’re freaking me out! I know you’re supposedly some big scary monster guy, but I need you to STOP being weird outside my house.”

“…My apologies…”

-Malleus is pleasantly surprised at your spunk — he’s never been spoken to like that, he’s excited by it.

-After you yell at him, you let him explain himself, and you realize he is just… really, really bad at socializing.

-He wasn’t watching you, he just really enjoys silence and ramshackle is the quietest place on campus — even with you living in it.

-So, you give him the benefit of the doubt, because he really does just seem like he’s lost on everything around him 90% of the time.

-You don’t hang out with him during the day, but if you happen to see him on your lawn (as he usually is), you go out and hang out with him for a while.

-It makes Malleus happy, because you treat him like a friend. You give him cute nicknames, and you invite him inside for snacks, and you go out of your way to say hello to him when you pass him in the halls.

-He also gets to know more about you, and his curiosities about you and your world get quelled.

-He doesn’t really question anything about you, especially not your gender.

-Gender is hardly important for fae, and you seem confident in your expression, so he has no reason to wonder. Besides, there are far more thrilling things about you than your sex.

-So, you and Malleus start to grow close. So close, in fact, that you can confidently say that he’s one of your closest friends.

-At this point, almost everyone who you want to know about your gender knows. Everyone but Malleus.

-Initially you kept it a secret because you didn’t know how good he was at not talking, but now…

-Now, well, you don’t really have a reason.

-People usually question you at this point, or at least seem suspicious, but Malleus?

-Malleus shows not a hint that he thinks something is up. It’s odd to you, isn’t he supposed to be super smart or something. Maybe he’s just too respectful.

-Regardless, you decided to talk to him about it the next time you see him staring at the gargoyles around campus.

-“Hey Tsunotaro, what’re you up to?”

“Just admiring these gargoyles here, aren’t they fascinating? They were the first few installed in the school, if my memory serves me correctly.”

“They are very cool, but could I ask you something not gargoyle related?”

“What is it, child of man?”

“You know that I’m, uhm, a girl right?”

“Oh. I did not know that, how interesting.”

-He doesn’t understand why you would hide that, but it doesn’t really perturb him that much.

-The most you got was an eyebrow raise, and then he was back to his gargoyles.

-You were pretty satisfied with that, so you figured he wouldn’t tell anyone… and then you hear him loudly talking about it with his friends in Diasomania.

-Sigh… he means well, but he just doesn’t get the social stuff.

-You’re not mad, because pretty much everyone knows at this point, but it still sucks that he’s such a loudmouth.