#Vivian Darkbloom

[dark-fics-4-you]

Vivian Darkbloom for Halloween tonight!

[nocturnalhoney]

[beautifulandempty]

aren’t you?

[unjustmind]

changing my name and pulling an ali d sounds fantastic rn

[viviandarkbloombartylusversion]

The genuine fear I felt seeing your username at 12 am after just finishing my english literature coursework was horrifying btw (I chose Lolita as one of my texts lmao)

LMAO!! this actually really funny and i enjoyed this fact wayyy to much, my user is more of a reference to the show Pretty little liars (my comfort show even though its kinda bad ngl), the character Alison uses Vivian Darkbloom as an alias, although she does get that idea from reading Lolita (which I actually haven't read yet even though ive planned to since first watching the show like 8 years ago)

[caffeinejournalist23]

Rewriting Pretty Little Liars: Revisit - Aria AND EZRA Should've Been A

A couple years ago, I rewrote the final A reveal for the tv series Pretty Little Liars because the series finale left many PLL fans (including me) greatly confused and disappointed. When I rewrote PLL the first time, it literally gave me a headache trying to draw a cohesive storyline from the plot-hole littered source of the show, and the book series is even more disturbing and darker despite its cohesiveness - not to mention its eye-rolling cliches and cheesiness at times. I told myself back then that I was done with the show and would likely never rewrite it again.

Now, rewatching it casually for the first time in almost a decade (I literally felt the grey hairs grow out of my head), I see that the show as a whole just couldn't run as is in 2025; specifically, the ick-inducing relationship between Aria and her literal English teacher Ezra. So, I'm back at it again y'all rewriting Pretty Little Liars for a show-line that would pass the vibe check for gen z.. sorta, I guess - I mean as a zillennial I'm a sucker for nostalgia so I'm gonna outline a PLL series that honors the nostalgia of the 00's but compliments the gen z aesthetic compared to shows like Euphoria.

*disclaimer: this is like a rough TLDR version for now, I might flesh it out later but no promises

First, let's fix/rewrite the biggest problem: the Ezra/Aria relationship.

In my rewrite (fan-fiction, ig?), Ezra would be revealed to be another teenager like Aria who stole the identity of the real Ezra Fitz to pass as an English teacher. In this version of the show, Ezra's real name would be Ezra Fitzgerald (like we learn from the show) BUT he'd be a fellow high-school student who met Allison when she paraded as Vivian Darkbloom. Ezra would be brilliant and years above the literary skills/knowledge of his peers, making passing as an English teacher easy. He would still be Board Shorts, meeting Allison when she attended a summer arts/acting camp as Vivian Darkbloom (I thought this made sense in context of the whole black-and-white retro movies everyone in this show seems obsessed with; Allison wanted to be an actress, Ezra wanted to write films/direct). Allison dumps Ezra and he became kinda obsessed with her, so he moved to Rosewood to learn more about Allison and "write her story," only to meet Aria and suddenly fall in love with her instead. Ezra would be what Toby was supposed to be; stalker-ish, creepy. Ezra learns about the creepy stalker group the N.A.T. club with Allison's brother Jason to better stalk Allison, but as he falls in love with Aria and begins stalking her instead, he realizes she's A and confronts her to team up because he loves her and believes that she's a victim to Alison, and Alison should suffer for it.

Allison would be alive and would actually fulfill the redemption arc. The girl buried in her yard would be Allison's twin under the alias Bethany Young. Allison was first hit in the head with a shovel by Melissa Hastings (triggering a crash-out character arc for Spencer like Betty in Riverdale), but then she was rescued by Mona when she was secretly invited to the barn party by Hanna. As a thank you, Allison teaches Mona all her tricks and promises her she'll be "part of the group" before running away as Vivian Darkbloom. Aria would kill Bethany Young with her younger brother's field-hockey stick (wrongly implicating Ian), then her and her family would move to Iceland to try to treat her recent patterns for unhinged spontaneous violence (i.e. wrecking her dad's office, etc.).

Upon return from Iceland, Aria realizes that Mona has been become the new Alli/queen-bee and wants to join the group, so she entices Mona as A (pretending to be Alison) and instructs her to become A/take the fall for A so that she can become part of the group. Mona is revealed to be A and for the rest of the show has no clue who A is, but presumed it was Alison.

I think in this version Mona would need to actually die, but she'd visit Spencer as a ghost because the two think the same.

Aria would've killed Maya because Maya would catch A creeping around her house in the red coat (this is actually Alison trying to figure out who A is so she can return home). Before A sneaks into Radley and kills Mona, she would say "Miss Aria You're a Killer Not Ezra's Wife" because Mona has realized that Aria is A and A thinks she killed Alison, but Alison is unknowingly alive.

Aria's motive for becoming A would be to find someone to blame for Allison's death because she thinks she killed her. By finding out her friend's secrets, she manipulates them to do whatever she wants them to, all while protecting her own secrets - seeing her presumed teacher and killing who she thought was Allison. Soon the power and control becomes too addictive for her and Ezra aggravates it further as a field-study for their writing.

TBH I'm struggling to think of a motive for Aria killing Allison aside from a buildup of their frenemy shit, but actually what I think might be tea is if Aria's family decided to take her to Iceland because Allison snitched on her for her erratic/misbehavior and Allison found out that Aria was a previous Radley patient. Aria would've killed Allison to protect her secret and so that she and their friends couldn't continue being friends without her, hence why the group is suddenly forced back together when she returns from Iceland as A.

Aria would be caught by Spencer when she realizes its like Scream and there are two killers; the endgame plan for catching A would be like writing their own movie, playing into the character's motifs of vintage movie stardom. I can't think of what the smoking gun would be off the top of my head, other than maybe Spencer would reread diaries Mona wrote during her time as A and realized it's similar to the script of Aria's favorite retro movie. Maybe Spencer would use Allison's diaries to lure out A.D. by treating them like a coveted manuscript for a movie Ezra and Aria want to star in, idk.

I think it would be more cohesive to the plot if the only A reveals were Mona, then Aria and Ezra. Or, in between Mona and A.D., have CeeCee or Melissa be revealed to be recruited by A because they thinks it's Alison disguised as Vivian Darkbloom when it's actually Aria. Ultimately, the primary storyline would be about how one liar (Alison) created a monster in Aria, the prettiest littlest liar. I think in the end Aria and Ezra would be arrested by police but then escape to France to live under aliases Daisy and J Gatsby, powerless against the liars because they no longer had lies to protect, but never quite guaranteed to be gone for good; it would be like a coming-of-age story about growing out of petty lying/vengeance and maturing to trust friends/partners when hurt/threatened. A major theme would also be that people can change for good, especially from who they were in high school.

This is all for now, may or may not revisit this and elaborate more in the future, but just thought it'd be fun to readapt such iconic source material.

[doloresdisparue]

if you wanna talk problematic handling of black woman characters this play also apparently omitted vivian darkbloom but i haven’t heard a peep about that from any reviewer

do we think these reviewers ever revisit the book and get really really embarrassed when they realise they got mad at something in an adaptation that was taken 100% from the text. her name is louise and she is mentioned 14 times in the book.

[irohsteaa]

still obsessed with the fact that Vivian Darkbloom is an anagram of Vladimir Nabokov and that he used it to self-instert.

a total win on the name lottery or sth.

[jaggedwolf]

pll rewatch 2x23

The one where Aria flies a plane. Other things happen too, but you know, it’s the episode where Aria flies a plane.

Aria decides to pursue the Duncan lead, over the other’s objections that she doesn’t have to and that any of them could’ve put on that red coat

Jenna emerges from a car with a bandaged eye, Toby leading her out, and all the liars are perturbed, especially Spencer

Thus kickstarting an episode of it being very unclear whether the liars think that Toby is....dating Jenna....or is...committing an unfathomable sin against them by accompanying his blind step-sister around...

But back to Aria for a second. In wearing the red coat, Aria becomes the third liar to “become” Alison. If not to us, then at least to another character. Hanna evokes a visual comparison, given their separate terms as The Popular Blonde Girl of the school, and a drunk Emily compares her to Ali when A blackmails Hanna into dancing with Lucas. Spencer evokes a comparison on the basis of intensity, of needing to win and dominate, and inhabits the Ali-as-top-dog role to the greatest degree when the liars are pretending to fight with Emily. 

You can make a strong case for Flashback!Hanna and Flashback!Spencer wanting to be Ali, but I don’t think that’s an as accurate description of Flashback!Aria. It’s fitting that it’s only once we’re in the realm of Vivian Darkbloom that it’s Aria’s turn to try out being Ali, a realm in which Ali was desperately trying to not be herself. It’s almost like that’s what it takes for the idea of being Ali to have an appeal to Aria.  

And I just remembered, Jonah the phone repair guy concludes Aria is “Vivian’s friend Alison” when she meets with him. 

Emily has yet to “become” Alison this way. I’d argue she never does. That simply isn’t how she orients herself around Alison – she had and has and will have all sorts of feelings about Ali, but envy isn’t one of those feelings.

Ashley and Hanna argue in the house about Hanna wanting a new phone after trashing her own and Emily is so damn uncomfortable to be witnessing this argument.

Chin up, Emily. Could be worse. You could’ve experienced the horrors of the Montgomery marriage or the Hastings taking turns to visit and be mysteriously terrible to Spencer

Emily gets a text from an unknown number, the message saying it’s Maya...

Toby and Spencer argue in school about him hanging out with Jenna, with Hanna lingering around a corner to eavesdrop. I guess Hanna’s here for her stuff with Jenna

Both of them are being confusing, but we’ll focus on Spencer - my dude, you had Emily break up with him saying you were ditching him for Wren, why are you surprised that he’s not running into your arms.

Duncan says “You’re the one who kept the journals. The writer.” and I wonder how Ali described all the girls to him, and whether it differs from later descriptions of Ali’s we’ll learn about

Duncan claims Ali spent a lot of time with him that summer. I know I’ve talked about Labor Day scheduling before, but do remember that Ali’s schedule that summer grows more packed as the seasons go on. Who didn’t she spend time with that summer.

Hanna’s new phone doesn’t appear to get the next A message

I really enjoy every Jenna-Toby scene we get this episode, because it makes you go what the fuck is going on here every time.

Emily finds Spencer lurking in the school courtyard. This courtyard has very convenient little alcoves for brooding, a key design feature. They commiserate over Toby hanging out with Jenna, Wayne going to Afghanistan, and Maya’s runaway status. 

Please note Emily’s non-involvement in whatever is happening with Toby, custody once transferred is final. An individual friendship outside of Spoby, hahahaha no.

Ella pretends to do some parenting by visiting, saying she is not an ally of this adult/minor relationship when she 100% is, and when Ezra says yeah there might’ve been someone who’d want to hurt Aria because of Ezra but not anymore, Ella does not ask any further questions! She simply walks away! Ella! 

Mona and Hanna do a little tricksy trick to get Toby to talk to Hanna, and honestly Hanna is quite annoying here. 

Like yeah, Toby hanging out with his step-sister who raped him and continues to be creepy to him isn’t the best life choice ever, but Hanna isn’t yelling about it because she’s concerned for him, but because it makes Spencer sad + the liars are worried he’ll spill about the Jenna thing

To be clear, Toby’s eventual explanation for what’s happening here is very stupid and makes zero sense, but he does get to hang out with whoever he wants to without getting accosted by his ex’s friends lmao

Veronica has a whisper-argument with Spencer about Jason while Emily is five feet away. Do you think after experiencing Marin drama this morning Emily saw the look on Veronica’s face and decided to pop out to the backyard so she wouldn’t have to deal with the second-hand embarrassment again? That would be completely understandable. 

Aria gets in a plane with a guy. To be clear, she meets the guy at an airfield. She could’ve googled the address, but no, that would not jibe with the way she’s following her whims. She gets in a plane when he asks, without even texting the other liars what she’s doing!

In the words of my friend, “Aria is so easy to kidnap”. 

Who is the hardest liar to kidnap? Emily is also very easy to kidnap, given that she facilitated her own carbon monoxide poisoning. 

Duncan claims that Ali figured something out the day he flew her back to the Philly area from Georgia, and makes Aria fly the plane to interrogate/stress the fuck out of her

Byron and Ezra have a little dick-measuring contest and I wish they were both in Jason’s house when it exploded and we’d never have to see them again. They don’t even mention Aria.

Who, by the way, is flying a plane somewhere above Philly!

Emily gets a long email from Maya. Or does she?

My memory of timeline here is quite vague, in that I don’t know what Maya is up to at this point, but it is weird that we hear Shay Mitchell’s voice reading the email and not Bianca Lawson’s.

But taking it to be Maya, she says to Emily “You know how to be still. In the middle of everything, at a swim meet with all the craziness and pressure, I look at you and you're still.” 

A great characterization note for Emily, and an interesting one for Emily/Maya...perhaps Emily’s big three love interests of the show are united by this idealization of Emily as someone who has it figured out, who is worthy of emulation. (Though for different portions of the relationship for each love interest, I’d say.)

Veronica reveals to Spencer that the PI investigating Ali’s disappearance was her idea, even if Peter paid for it. Sometimes I swear the Hastings doing their shady shit communicate more than the Montgomerys attempting to do normal parenting.

Spencer figures out the newspaper wrapping is one of Ali’s things and contains clues, thanks to Hanna recognizing Michelle Obama’s outfit from 2009 <3

Jenna gets caught in a fire at Jason’s house, Hanna pulls her out before the first floor goes kaboom, Spencer helps Hanna support Jenna’s weight but offscreen goes back for the bag and gets a cut on her hand for her troubles

Y’all, I have no memory of who tried to blow her up here. Was it A? Was it Jason? Was it Jenna herself playing 4-D chess? Did Toby try to get rid of her once and for all? Maybe Melissa was tired of having to share the role of shadowy female side-character? Who the fuck knows, not me. 

At the hospital, Emily calls Maya’s parents to let them know Maya reached out. Spencer sees her mother sit next to Jason to have a cordial conversation, and yeah, I don’t think Veronica would’ve done that if Spencer hadn’t argued with her earlier this episode. 

Oh man, I love this Jenna hospital room scene. She is so distraught, the liars are so uncomfortable, when Jenna asks a question Hanna nods before she remembers to say “yes” out loud. Classic terrorized terror moment.

Meanwhile, A plants a police badge in the wreckage of the explosion...not a great moment to be a certain officer right now....

[noisytenant]

Vivian Darkbloom could easily be a Vtuber name

[isydesign]

01. TASTE, por Vivian Darkbloom design para o https://ficsverse.com.br

[lisacameron99]

The One With A Kiss Before Lying Part 1

Warnings: hurt/comfort, angst, breakup, sibling bonding, friendship tension, emotional manipulation, queer themes, light romance, mentions of drug use, surveillance

The hallway buzzed with chatter and slamming lockers, but Hanna moved through it like a ghost—watching, listening, trying to find a gap in the silence growing between her and her best friend. Lily stood a few lockers down, hair still damp from morning practice, juggling her books, a granola bar, and her phone as she read a text from Coach Jackson. Justin stood beside her, arms crossed and jaw tight, clearly mid-rant about something Spencer-related. Hanna caught the name “Melissa” and the word “manipulative.”

“Not here,” Lily muttered, shoving her phone into her back pocket and slamming her locker shut. Her eyes met Hanna’s for a split second, soft but distant, like she was already somewhere else.

Hanna stepped forward. “Hey,” she said, hoping it didn’t sound as hesitant as it felt. “Are we still—”

Lily blinked at her like she’d forgotten she was standing there. “Yeah. Sorry. Just—” She gestured vaguely between her and Justin. “It’s been a week.” A weak understatement.

Hanna nodded, waiting for her to say more. But she didn’t. Instead, Lily turned back to Justin, whispering something about stopping by The Brew before sixth period to check in on Noel. Hanna felt it like a slap—not jealousy, not really—but a sharp reminder of how out-of-sync she suddenly was with the people she loved most.

Lily wasn’t freezing her out, not deliberately. But it didn’t change the fact that she was out. Between volleyball, Justin’s spiral, whatever weirdness was happening with Noel and his brother, and her own slow-motion breakdown behind the smile she wore to choir, Lily didn’t have time to notice Hanna’s heart was cracking. And Justin? He barely looked her way. His walls were back up, cemented and sealed, the way they always were when Spencer hurt him. He walked past Hanna without a word, brushing her shoulder like she wasn’t even there. Lily gave her a small, apologetic smile—but it didn’t reach her eyes—and followed her brother down the hall. The silence Hanna was left in wasn’t empty. It was loud.

_______________________________________________

The video flickered once, then played in full-screen on Caleb’s laptop. The fluorescent lights buzzed above them, but no one said a word. Justin leaned over the desk, brows furrowed, jaw flexing as he watched the grainy security cam footage. Spencer stood just behind him, arms wrapped around herself, shifting her weight like her conscience weighed too much.

It was Alison—except not. She wore a long dark wig and oversized sunglasses, laughing with someone just out of frame. She looked older. Sharper. There was no smile in her eyes. A timestamp blinked in the corner. The dry-cleaning tag slipped out of her purse as she dug through it, and Caleb paused the video.

“She used the name Vivian Darkbloom to pick this up,” he said, pointing to the screen. “That’s not an alias you use for fun. That’s a cover.”

Justin stepped back, dragging a hand through his hair. “She was playing a game none of us knew we were in.”

Spencer took a step forward. “Justin, I—”

“No.” He cut her off without looking at her.

She hesitated. “You don’t have to forgive me, but I need you to know I’m sorry.”

Finally, he turned, eyes blazing—cold and sharp. The famous Grey glare. “You can’t apologize your way out of it this time.” Spencer’s mouth parted, but he didn’t let her speak. “Actions are louder than your pathetic excuse for words.”

The silence that followed wasn’t just uncomfortable. It was final. Caleb shifted, clearly caught in the crossfire but wise enough not to get involved. Spencer stood still, swallowing whatever apology she’d rehearsed a dozen times since the last time they fought. Justin walked out, shoulders squared and steps calm—almost too calm. Like he had learned how to weaponize restraint. Spencer didn’t move for a long time.

_______________________________________________

Spencer had never hated silence until it came from Lily and Justin Grey. She watched Lily from across the courtyard, sitting beside Aria and half-listening to whatever nonsense was spilling out of Kate’s glossy mouth. Lily wasn’t saying much. She hadn’t been for days. Not to Spencer. Not even in the group chats unless it was strictly logistics—“Practice moved,” or “Check your email.” Spencer almost missed the fighting. At least then she knew Lily still cared enough to be mad out loud. Now it was like being ghosted by someone who still sat ten feet away. When Kate draped an arm across Hanna’s shoulder like it belonged there, both Lily and Spencer tensed. Hanna’s jaw twitched. Her smile faltered. That was all it took.

Lily stood. Spencer followed. They met in the middle of the courtyard, not quite facing each other. Not quite looking away. Spencer was the first to speak, voice low. Careful. “She’s playing some kind of game.”

“She always is,” Lily said, arms crossed so tightly her knuckles went white. “But this time, she’s got an audience.”

Spencer risked glancing at her. “You saw Hanna flinch?”

“Yeah. And I’m not letting it happen again.” There was a beat of silence. Then another. “I’m only going to talk to you about the other girls,” Lily said finally, still not looking at her. “That’s it.”

Spencer blinked. “Lily—”

“No. Right now, we’re not anything. Not friends. Not teammates. Just people who want to stop whatever the hell is happening with A.” Spencer opened her mouth, but Lily cut her off before the apology could escape. “I don’t want your guilt. I want you to pay attention.”

Spencer nodded slowly, something sharp catching in her throat. “Then let’s start with Kate.”

“She’s hiding something,” Lily said. “Hanna knows it. She just doesn’t want to be the bad guy this time.”

“We’ll handle it,” Spencer promised.

“No.” Lily’s eyes finally met hers. Cold. Controlled. “I’ll handle it. You can follow.”

Then she turned and walked away, back toward the courtyard table like nothing had happened.

Spencer stood there alone, reminded again that being useful wasn’t the same as being forgiven.

_______________________________________________

The creative writing room was smaller than a typical classroom, the desks arranged in a loose circle rather than rows. It always smelled vaguely like dry-erase markers and cinnamon tea—Mrs. Montgomery’s doing. Only nine students made up the class, a weird, mismatched mix of artists and overachievers and the occasional surprise like Noel Kahn.

Lily sat beside Aria, notebook on her lap and one foot bouncing nervously under her desk. Across from her, Noel leaned back in his chair like this was just another passing period—not the moment he was about to read a personal poem out loud in front of people. In front of her.

“Okay,” Ella said, clapping her hands softly. “Who wants to be brave first?”

Noel stretched casually and raised a hand. “Might as well get it over with.”

Aria smirked. Mona rolled her eyes. Jenna sat impossibly still, sunglasses perched where they didn’t need to be indoors. Ella smiled. “All right, Noel. Let’s hear it.”

He stood, unfolding the piece of paper like it wasn’t about to wreck Lily’s ability to think straight. He didn’t look at her as he started reading.

“She’s not a metaphor,

Or a storm,

Or anything dramatic like that.

She’s just real.

The way real people are.

With freckles she hates and a laugh she tries to hide when she snorts.

She tells the truth even when it hurts.

And I like her.

A lot.

I’ve been trying to figure out the right time

To ask her if she wants to hang out sometime.

Just us.

No games.

Just two people and a date and maybe one of those giant cookies she likes from The Brew.”

He folded the page and sat back down like he hadn’t just detonated a bomb in the middle of the room. There were a few awkward chuckles, a faint oh my god from Mona, and a quiet, impressed hum from Ella. Lily, meanwhile, was frozen in place, eyes locked on her paper as if it could anchor her in reality.

Aria leaned over and whispered, “That better be about you or I’m gonna start a rumor.”

Lily flushed, but didn’t respond. Noel wasn’t looking at anyone. Except her. Just a glance. Like a question waiting for its answer. Ella cleared her throat, smiling brightly. “Thank you, Noel. That was… surprisingly heartfelt.”

He gave a small shrug. “I write what I feel.”

Aria elbowed Lily lightly. “Your turn.”

But Lily’s poem wasn’t about Noel. It was about shadows and pressure and how hard it is to breathe when the world feels like it’s watching you. Still, when she stood up and started reading, her voice was steady. Because someone in the room had made her feel like maybe, for once, being seen wasn’t such a terrifying thing.

_______________________________________________

The Pretties Group Chat, 11:45 AM

Lily

omg i can’t even with this boy

Hanna

who

what boy

spill now

Caleb

Wait what did i miss???

Toby

Yeah I need context

like urgently

Justin

Oh no

No no no

What boy

Lily?

Aria

SHE DIDN’T MEAN TO TEXT THIS CHAT

Spencer

This was for iykyk. I’d bet my GPA on it.

Emily

absolutely iykyk

and absolutely noel

Lily

SHUT

UP

STOP TYPING

NO ONE SAY A WORD

Noel

…I’m staying out of this but also deeply invested.

Spencer

He read a poem out loud in class.

A POEM.

About Lily.

To Lily.

With Ella in the room.

Aria

AND MONA

AND JENNA

AND LITERALLY EVERYONE

AND IT WAS GOOD

Lily

i will not survive this day. my soul is escaping my body as we speak.

Hanna

WAIT

WAIT

WHAT

A POEM???

NOEL KAHN WROTE A POEM??

IS THIS A PRANK

Caleb

WHAT IS GOING ON

Toby

Is Lily okay?? Is she in love?? Is he dying??? Someone tell me SOMETHING

Justin

I feel like I left the group chat emotionally for one hour and came back to an engagement

Spencer

Not yet.

But it had first date vibes.

Giant cookie and everything.

Emily

and a line about freckles and her laugh. she blushed so hard i thought she was overheating.

Lily

you guys are the worst. you’re the absolute worst.

also maybe yes to the giant cookie

maybe

Noel

…so that’s a yes?

Lily

don’t push it.

…yes.

Hanna

I NEED A PLAY-BY-PLAY ASAP

I AM GOING TO BREAK INTO THE BREW FOR SECURITY FOOTAGE

Caleb

Okay but for real someone tell me if I should be threatening him or congratulating him

Toby

Both. Let’s go with both.

Caleb

Proud of you. Also: want updates in triplicate.

Lily

i will never recover from this moment. thanks for nothing. also everything.

_______________________________________________

Lily hadn’t even opened her water bottle before Hanna dropped into the seat beside her like she was arriving for a full-scale interrogation. “Sit down,” Hanna said, despite the fact that Lily was already sitting. “Explain.”

Lily blinked. “Explain… what?”

Hanna slammed her tray down. “The poem, Lily.”

Lily immediately flushed so red it looked like her face was matching her lunch tray. “Oh my god, can you not yell that?”

“You’re blushing,” Hanna gasped, eyes wide like she’d just spotted Bigfoot. “You’re actually blushing.”

“No, I’m—shut up,” Lily said, grinning as she tried to cover her face with her hoodie sleeve. “You’re the worst.”

“I’m your worst. Now spill it. Giant cookie and all.”

Across the table, Mona sat down like she was part of the conversation. “It wasn’t that great,” she said casually, picking at her salad.

Hanna didn’t miss a beat. “Yeah, it probably was. You’re just jealous Lucas doesn’t do that for you.”

Lily’s eyes widened. “Hanna.”

“What?” Hanna tossed her hair over her shoulder, eyes locked on Mona. “You know I’m right.”

Lily looked over at Mona, who suddenly looked very small despite the oversized sunglasses. “He can still be sweet to her,” Lily said gently. “Everyone deserves someone who’s soft with them.”

“Yeah,” Hanna said pointedly, “but not like Noel is with you. That’s a different league, babe.”

Mona stood suddenly. “I have somewhere to be.”

“No one asked,” Hanna muttered under her breath.

Mona walked away without looking back, but she didn’t really leave. She stopped by the vending machine across the room, just out of earshot, but still in perfect view of the girls. Watching. Calculating. Lily didn’t notice. She was too busy hiding behind her hands.

“I can’t stop thinking about the way he said it,” she whispered, voice muffled. “He wasn’t even looking at me at first, like he was trying not to chicken out. And then he did look at me and I just—meltdown.”

Hanna grinned like the cat who got the entire dairy farm. “Girl. You were blushing so hard I thought you were gonna pass out.”

“I felt like I was gonna pass out. This is what I wish it had been like when we first started dating. Back then it was secret glances and us sneaking around and now it’s just…”

“Sweet and cocky,” Hanna said, nodding sagely. “The true way to your heart.” Lily let out a dreamy little sigh and let her head fall onto Hanna’s shoulder.

“I’m so screwed,” she whispered.

“No,” Hanna said, patting her head like an overexcited puppy. “You’re in love. Which is worse. And also better.” Mona watched them from behind the vending machine, her reflection in the glass warped but sharp. She didn’t blink.

_______________________________________________

They were supposed to be reviewing derivatives, but the only thing Aria was calculating was how to say this out loud. Hanna was doodling hearts in the margins of her notes. Lily was halfway through reworking her volleyball schedule on graph paper. The three of them sat in the back row, tucked behind a tall stack of textbooks like they could build a fortress out of avoidance.

“I saw a bruise,” Aria whispered suddenly, voice low and sharp enough to cut through the boredom.

Lily looked up first. “On who?”

“Holden,” Aria muttered, pretending to reread the problem set. “Like… bad. On his side. Like he was hiding it.”

Hanna blinked, her pen dropping to the desk. “Okay, what?”

“I don’t know,” Aria said quickly. “I was trying not to stare, but I noticed it yesterday when we were hanging out. He reached for something and his shirt lifted and—” She swallowed. “It looked like it hurt.”

Lily leaned in. “Have you asked him about it?”

“No. Not really. He brushed it off. Said it was nothing.” Aria’s fingers tapped restlessly against her notebook. “But it didn’t look like nothing.”

“Aria,” Hanna said firmly. “You can’t drop this.”

“Yeah,” Lily added. “It might be nothing, but what if it’s not? You’re close to him. You should ask.”

Aria nodded slowly, chewing on the inside of her cheek. “He’s not the kind of guy who just… tells people things.”

“You don’t have to push him,” Lily said gently. “But don’t ignore it either.”

Hanna glanced toward the front of the room, where the teacher was still explaining some formula none of them were absorbing. “If it gets worse, or if you get a weird vibe—you tell us. Immediately.”

Lily nodded. “Seriously. We’ll help you figure it out.”

Aria gave a tight smile, equal parts thankful and scared. “Thanks. I just… I’ve been so focused on Ezra and A and everything else, I didn’t even notice something that might actually be happening right in front of me.”

“Well, you noticed now,” Lily said. “That counts.” The teacher called on someone in the front. None of them were listening.

_______________________________________________

The late afternoon sun cast long shadows across the courtyard, catching in the cracks between bricks as Emily sat perched on the edge of a planter. Her fingers tugged at the sleeve of her hoodie like it might anchor her. Justin spotted her first, nudging Noel as they crossed the path.

“You good?” Justin asked, voice low but warm.

Emily shrugged. “Define good.”

Noel sat beside her without hesitation. “That bad?”

She nodded slowly. “Mom invited Maya over for dinner last night.”

Justin blinked. “Wait—your mom?”

“Yeah. It was…tense.” Emily let out a breath, shaky and unfinished. “Mom was trying. Really trying. She made chicken piccata and lit a stupid candle and even printed out Maya’s pronouns from her school file like she was preparing for a board meeting. But Maya…” Emily hesitated. “She made these weird jokes. Like, about how she didn’t know if she’d pass a surprise drug test, or how the candle smelled like something she used to hotbox her old room with.”

Noel’s head tilted. “Seriously?”

Justin frowned. “That’s…not great.”

“I didn’t laugh,” Emily said quickly. “But she looked at me like I was supposed to. And then Mom didn’t say anything either, just gave me that look like, ‘are you hearing this?’ And I was. Loud and clear.” Neither boy spoke for a moment.“ And then,” Emily continued, softer now, “we slept together.” Noel’s brows lifted slightly, but he didn’t interrupt. “I thought it would help. I thought I’d feel something again. But it didn’t. It felt like we were just… trying to prove something. Like we’re still good. Still okay.” She picked at a thread on her sleeve. “But it didn’t feel okay. It felt like pretending.”

Justin sat on her other side, their shoulders barely brushing. “You don’t have to make yourself feel something you don’t.”

“I know.” Her voice wavered. “I just wanted it to work.”

Noel nodded slowly. “People can love you and still not be right for you.”

Emily looked at him, surprised. “Since when are you this emotionally literate?”

“I have layers,” Noel said dryly.

Justin gave her shoulder a squeeze. “Seriously though. If she’s making you feel weird or unsettled—talk to us. We’ve got you.”

Emily nodded, biting the inside of her cheek. “Thanks. I just…needed to say it out loud.”

_______________________________________________

The parking lot was nearly empty, the end-of-day chaos long gone. Just the distant sound of a whistle from the track team and the soft hum of a vending machine inside. Justin stood by the chain-link fence, arms crossed, posture tight. Asher approached slowly, his shadow stretching across the pavement before him.

“I didn’t think you were actually going to wait,” Asher said, trying to joke.

Justin didn’t smile. “We need to talk.”

Asher’s face shifted—barely. But enough. “Okay. Talk.”

Justin stared at the pavement like it might give him better words than the ones in his chest. “The thing is… you’ve hurt me a lot lately.”

Asher blinked, startled. “What?”

“I’ve been trying to push it down. Excuse it. Rationalize it,” Justin continued. “Because I like you. Because I wanted this to work. But that doesn’t make it hurt less.”

Asher took a small step forward. “I didn’t mean to—Justin, it was never my intention—”

“I know,” Justin cut in, voice soft but firm. “But I’m realizing that’s not enough anymore. Intention doesn’t cancel impact. You’re not doing this on purpose, but I’m still left carrying it.”

Asher opened his mouth, then shut it again. His hands fell to his sides. “So what are you saying?”

Justin finally looked at him. Eyes steady. No tears. Just finality. “I’m saying I’m done.”

Asher’s breath caught. “You don’t mean that.”

“I do,” Justin said, quieter now. “I can’t keep making myself smaller just to keep you comfortable.”

Silence stretched between them, filled with everything neither of them had the words for. Asher’s throat bobbed. “Okay.” Justin nodded once, stepped around him, and walked toward the exit gate. Asher didn’t follow.

[llycaons]

He also makes cameo appearances in some of his novels, such as the character Vivian Darkbloom (an anagram of "Vladimir Nabokov"), who appears in both Lolita and Ada, or Ardor, and the character Blavdak Vinomori (another anagram of Nabokov's name) in King, Queen, Knave

can I say something. this is kind of nerdy

[brettsgoldstein]

that vivian darkbloom wig is HORRENDOUS

[talesofpassingtime]

"For the benefit of old-fashioned readers who wish to follow the destinies of the “real” people beyond the “true” story, a few details may be given as received from Mr. “Windmuller,” of “Ramsdale,” who desires his identity suppressed so that “the long shadow of this sorry and sordid business” should not reach the community to which he is proud to belong. His daughter, “Louise,” is by now a college sophomore. “Mona Dahl” is a student in Paris. “Rita” has recently married the proprietor of a hotel in Florida. Mrs. “Richard F. Schiller” died in childbed, giving birth to a stillborn girl, on Christmas Day 1952, in Gray Star, a settlement in the remotest Northwest. “Vivian Darkbloom” has written a biography, “My Cue,” to be published shortly, and critics who have perused the manuscript call it her best book. The caretakers of the various cemeteries involved report that no ghosts walk."

— Vladimir Nabokov, Lolita 

[majikuriboh]

Vivian darkbloom is Ali's secret identity or something