#and the way he copes with that is by leaning heavily into the school rules as a justification that assuages his guilt

[laesas]

Kinda sick of 'queer' media that makes every primary perpetrator of homophobia gay actually...

[hamtigers]

When I found out about Milgram it's inevitable that I got into it, since I love Deco*27's music so much. However as a fair warning, the entire project deals with extremely heavy themes since every character is a killer in some way or another. So if you are uncomfortable with content involving themes such as abuse, suicide, death, stalking, violence, abortion, and animal death, please do not look into this project or read any further.

I'd add a read more but I still don't know how from mobile lmao.

Just wanted to share my thoughts on each prisoner so far

Haurka: I am choosing to agree with the theory that he had some sort of learning disability and that he lashed out in jealousy because people didn't understand him or his needs. I also currently prefer the twin brother theory over the younger self theory, because if he was so miserable at the time why would his past self look so happy? While I don't believe mental disabilities excuse someone from being held responsible for their actions, I do believe that he was too young at the time and not given the right tools and help to learn to cope. Instead he falsely learned lashing out was the only way to be taken seriously. He shows extreme remorse for how he behaved and seems to be triggered by anything that reminds him of his past (his dislike of young children and animals in particular). I want to forgive him so that he can get the help he desperately needs.

Yuno: Abortions are not murder. It's extremely easy for me to forgive her. Especially since it's heavily implied that her clients refused to use protection even when asked. She probably didn't have a way to get access to birth control without bringing her controversial career in compensated dating to light, either.

Futa: honestly I got into Milgram so late that I haven't put much personal thought into Futa because quite honestly: I don't like him and I feel like he represents a huge part of what's wrong with cancel culture. He fancies himself a hero, thinking that he's fighting for what's right. It's pretty clear to me though that he's taking his so called 'villains' out of context and condemning them for things he doesn't have a full picture on. I think i'd be able to understand the story better if I could read the screen on his phone, but I do not know japanese and rely heavily on fan translations for content outside of the provided lyric translations. It's clear he didn't actually want anyone dead, since the monsters in his fantasies are just KOed... Up until the last one, where the literal blood on his hands shakes him out of the fantasy. I see a lot of people saying he bullied and doxxed someone until they committed suicide. I'm still glad he was voted unforgiven for this round though.

Mu: I don't... Fully understand Mu's story. I understand she was bullied and harassed by people who pretended to be her friend initially, which is something I can absolutely sympathize with. I also understand that she was just being used for her wealth rather than seen as a real friend. What I don't understand is why she targeted the specific girl she did for her 'escape'. The popular theory is that she had a crush on the girl, got outed as being not straight, and the entire school including her friends started relentlessly bullying her even physically for it. The other girl seems to just straight up avoid and ignore her, which is why I understand the point of being pressured nearly to suicide and exploding but I don't understand why she attacked the specific person she did. I think my opinion of her can go either way the more information we get.

Shidou: I'm following the harvested organs from his patients to try and save his lover theory. Honestly even with the vague imagery there's so little wiggle room for doubt in this one. I don't think he should be forgiven, but he also wants to die because he already saw his lover die which he is quoted as thinking to be a fate worse than death. For all the lives he's ruined, I almost want to say he deserves that torture... At least, that's how I'm dealing with the idea that he was already voted forgiven by the time I got here.

Mahiru: I!!! Hate!!! Her!!! Overly clingy and controlling of her lover who she stalked while trying to emulate romance novels to force into a relationship with her. Heavily implied to have driven him to suicide via emotional abuse and guilt tripping him back to her every time he tried to break up with her. I'm so glad she was already voted unforgiven by the time I got here. I actually had to take a break and step back after the weight of her song hit me because it reminded me of so many people I've had the misfortune of having in my life in the past.

Kazui: so far my first one that I have an original theory on instead of following one someone else came up with! I just posted my full thoughts on the video about an hour ago. But basically, I feel like his wife divorced him and wanted to stay friends but he wanted to get back together. It escalated until they had an argument that resulted in her falling or being pushed to her death. Seems to view himself as the protagonist in his own romantic tragedy. My opinion on him was swinging wildly until I came up with this theory and now I am leaning heavily towards unforgiven because it is the similar selfish pushiness as mahiru minus the manipulation.

Amane: most of her imagery flew over my head until I read some comments and theories. I support the 'grew up in a religious cult that literally tortured her if she didn't follow the rules' theory. I'm voting to forgive her because just like Haruka, I think she's too young to truly be held responsible, especially when it's currently unclear to me what actually happened. I think what she needs isn't punishment, but to be taken away from the cult and rehabilitated.

Mikoto: until we have more info I'm as confused as he is : )

Kotoko: seems to be pretty upfront about what's going on. I'm currently assuming that she fancies herself some kind of vigilante or holds a very strong personal grudge of some sort. Obv waiting for more info.

[trillian-anders]

suspect - iv

pairing: bucky barnes x reader

warnings: descriptive violence, graphic descriptions of crime scenes, angst, slow burn

word count: 3k

description: au detective!bucky barnes x investigative journalist!reader;

still wet behind his ears, detective barnes is given his very first homicide case, a woman no one seems to care about had been murdered. it’s only when investigative journalist reader brings the small details to his attention that he realizes there’s a bigger problem. a serial killer no one was paying attention to.

When the police questioned you after your Mother’s death you just couldn’t remember. You were their only witness. And you couldn’t remember.

You’d been in your pajamas, eating cereal and watching cartoons. It was the middle of the day when your Mom answered the door. A man followed her in the house. You could hear them in the hallway. And then loud noises. You remember hearing your Mom scream. And then nothing. It was quiet.

And you were found days later with your Mom’s rotting corpse in the next room.

You shake it from your head.

“It’s not uncommon for you to blackout parts of your memory that are harmful,” Bucky sighs, “Especially as a child.” You traced the words in your notebook. It made you feel useless. Like you could have put the guy away maybe. The right guy. Because you know it’s not Fury. You know it entirely.

“I’ve been in therapy for years.” You explain, “Trying to uncover the memory, trying to work through it… it’s just gone.” He nods across from you, the plates empty, and check placed down between you. The exhaustion finally hits. And you’re tired.

“I should be getting the autopsy reports back in tomorrow.” He scrubs his face, “And then I’m sure I’ll have to report to Steve and get the go ahead to come to the group meeting.” With Rumlow, which gave you pause.

“You need to make sure he knows that these are all friends and family of murder victims.” Blunt and clear, Bucky looks at you from over his fingertips. “Rumlow… he can’t come into this group meeting and be an asshole to everyone.” A nod from him.

“I’ll have to talk to Steve about his behavior tonight too.” Crossing his arms and sitting back, “It was just unacceptable.” A nod as you both drift into silence. “Did you drive here?” You shake your head,

“I don’t live far.” As you both slip from the booth to walk outside.

“Let me drive you home.” He offers, tapping his fob, the headlights of his car flashing in front of you.

“It’s honestly like, two blocks.” You point with your hand in your pocket. He shrugs, tapping the fob again locking the car.

“We can walk then.” He was insistent and you honestly couldn’t blame him. You just didn’t want to make him feel inconvenienced about it. You knew this neighborhood, it was on the cusp of being in those bad parts of town, your apartment straddling the line. You could tell he was tired. Just in the way he walked beside you.

“You really didn’t have to.” You say, reaching the steps of your apartment building. You key in the code at the door and buzz in. He follows you inside.

“I do have to.” His voice raspy with fatigue, “It’s not safe out here, why do you even live here?” The cracked linoleum, the yellow fluorescent lights. You shrug, honestly you felt like maybe a nicer place wouldn’t feel right. You’d lived in places like this your entire life. Kicking your foot against the linoleum you look at him in the harsh light. The bags under his eyes.

“Convenient I guess.” He shrugs.

“Text me when you’re in your apartment,” Gesturing toward the elevator. “Let me know when you’re safe.” It warmed your heart a little bit, the concern. He smiles at you as the elevator doors shut, and keys tossed onto the kitchen counter, shoes kicked aside you collapse into your bed.

Thank you. You draft, I’ll see you tomorrow. Send.

See you then.

Bucky sighs, stepping from the apartment building and looking up the side, the various lit windows before trekking back to his car. Today was rough, but he had the feeling that tomorrow would be even worse.

The next day the precinct was buzzing with activity. A group at the front talking to a beat cop, arms crossed and somber. He met the eyes of one. A young man, eyes red and weepy, looking just as tired as Bucky felt. Walking back into the bullpen the normal workload seeming even heavier, everyone seemed to have three things to do and three more on the backburner. Rumlow in the back room was setting up a pin board with victim one and two. And a woman with short brown hair, arms crossed, sitting back on the conference table, watching him do it.

As he approached further, he could see the FBI badge on her hip. This must be her. The agent they’ve sent because they had to.

“Barnes.” Rumlow nods at him as he enters the room. “This is Agent Hill.” The woman stood from the desk, holding her hand out for him to shake.

“From the FBI.” She looks serious, like she has to be to survive in a world mostly ruled by men. Her handshake is firm. Bucky feels sorry that she had to put up with Rumlow without him as a buffer.

“Nice to meet you.” She gestures to the board Rumlow was still working on.

“Would you say this is accurate?” The two bodies photographed right below the pictures of both girls. Always that high school graduation picture, Cheryl’s one with her kids probably done at the mall. Bucky’s hand clenched around his coffee cup a little harder. Sighing, thinking briefly about how your Mom was once up on one of these boards.

It gave him a strange feeling he couldn’t quite cope with, so he tears his eyes away.

“Yeah,” A sip from his coffee cup, “That’s about right.” A long sigh. She nods,

“Have you talked to any of the girls on the street?” It pained Bucky to tell her yes,

“But they didn’t really want to talk to us.” Rumlow said as he pinned another picture up.

“They didn’t want to talk to you.” Bucky accused. Rumlow shot him a glare. Kind of like, how are you going to embarrass me like this? Something he’d for sure bring up later.

“Do we have any leads?” Agent Hill asked, exasperated, like she just walked into a giant mess. Bucky reasoned, she did. But then he remembered you, the diner last night.

“Yes.” He ignores the look from Rumlow. “An old police cruiser, one of the girls said she saw Cheryl get into a stripped old model police cruiser.” Agent Hill nods,

“Okay, so we will see which ones have gone to auction.” A shrug, “Go from there.”

Steve’s door was closed when Bucky approached it, a knock to enter. The ‘come in’ from behind the thick oak. Steve smiles at him sheepishly as Bucky opens the door, brushing the bagel crumbs off his shirt. Bucky notices how tired Steve looks, but not a hair out of place, the bags under his eyes show the fatigue.

“You doin’ alright?” Bucky asks, shutting the door and sinking down in the chair across from his friend. Steve sighs, running his hand through his hair. A bad habit he tried to keep himself from. Bucky watched him as he silently scolded himself for it and shook more sleep from his eyes.

“Yeah,” Gruff and unlike him usually, “Had a bit of an argument with Peg last night. She made me sleep on the couch.” Bucky barked a laugh, met with Steve’s glare.

“What did you do?” Steve rolled his eyes, “C’mon pal, I know you did something, Peg is a saint.” Steve gives him a tight smile,

“What do you want Buck?” A sigh, sinking further into the chair, Bucky looks around Steve’s office.

“Remember back in 2015 when you bought your Dad’s old cruiser?” Steve’s brow pulled together in confusion,

“Yeah, why?”

“Apparently our guy was driving one of them when he picked up Cheryl Hansen a few nights ago.” Steve sighed heavily, leaning back in his seat, thinking for a moment.

“An old police cruiser…” Shaking his head, “You’ll have to look through the old auction files,” A pause, “There were quite a few cars sent to auction.” On his fingers he counted, “I was gifted my Dad’s… I know Pierce took his old beat car, but so did a bunch of other higher ups.” A shrug, “A couple of the guys out there bought one for novelty, but I think about twenty went out for public auction.”

Bucky nods, “Okay, okay.” A tug on his lip, “We’re gonna pull the old files and see if we can start going around…” He looked across at his friend, “Is there any way you could get Rumlow assigned somewhere else?”

Steve laughed at that, “Already?” Sitting back in his chair, “I thought you would have at least stuck it out for the rest of the week.” Bucky rolled his eyes,

“The guy is a menace; I would get a girl to talk and here he would come and make some bullshit comment or stand too close.” A huff, “He’s holding me back.”

“He’s got more experience than you, Buck.” A half smirk, “And Pierce would have my head if I took him off, so I’m gonna have to say no. Anything else you want to ask?”

Bucky thought about you, a weird feeling in the pit of his stomach, “That reporter that was in here a couple days ago… no listen.” He holds his hand out as Steve sets his jaw. “I think she could really help.”

“Buck—”

“She runs this relief fund for families of the victims, and they meet up once a month,” Resting his hand on the desk, “One is happening today, just give me the okay to go out there and question some of the families.” Steve seemed to debate it for a moment before lacing his hands over his belly.

“Pierce said no reporters.” Firm.

“But it’s not to give her information, it’s to interview people familiar to the old case.” Steve debated it a moment more before shaking his head with a sigh.

“Fine, but no statements better show up in the paper tomorrow.” Bucky grinned at his friend, Steve rolled his eyes, “I’m serious Buck.”

“I know you are.” That grin of satisfaction not leaving his face. Steve laughed,

“Now get out of my office.”

…

Wanda seemed in brighter spirits today as she lay out the food. Pietro carrying in boxes with the foil dishes while you set up the chairs and tables. Softly music played in the background. Just something to fill the silence as Wanda unwrapped dishes of cookies and lit sterno under dishes served hot. She jokes with you and Pietro about some show she was watching last night. Something you couldn’t ever be bothered to watch yourself, but you humored her as she talked about the drama that had unfolded between two couples.

People start arriving staggered. The early ones help you finish setting up, the ones coming in later met with raucous greeting from old friends. A lot of them with kids of their own. A table set up with crafts to keep them busy while their parents mingle and chat. Spouses here to support. Friends and people struck by the cause.

While it was your favorite day of the month, it was also the most tiring. A non-stop stream of greetings and hugs, marveling at how some kids have grown, wondering aloud about activities for them for next month and seeing what they would like.

But the questions you received the most, the reason for your high anxiety about this whole day, was…

“Is he back?”

“It’s him, isn’t it?”

“What should we do?”

And you just didn’t have an answer. Not yet. Not today. Not so soon. Sophie didn’t show, but then again you didn’t expect her to. It was far too soon. And Christine’s family didn’t have much to do with her anyway.

You looked for him, Bucky. You found your head turning towards the door every time you heard someone come in or out. The disappointment clear in it being someone coming back in from a smoke break was alarming and you weren’t quite sure why you were feeling this way. A paper cup with your name written on in sharpie with lemonade in it held in hand you continued to make your rounds, unaware that he’d even arrived until he sought you out.

“Hey.” Breathy and it sent a pleasant chill down your spine. Rumlow standing in the doorway with a woman you didn’t recognize. Your eyes meet Bucky’s and you couldn’t help the smile.

“Hey.”

He was in plainclothes. Not the normal button down and tie he was usually wearing. But something soft. Something you could imagine sticking your nose into. Something you had to shake from your head almost immediately. Hands in his pockets he looks around.

“Good turn out.” You agree, trying to get over him in jeans and a t-shirt.

“We stay pretty consistent.” You smile, “Today has been a good day considering… So, what did the autopsy reports say?” You see Rumlow and the other woman break off into the crowd, no doubt to try to get any information. He sighs,

“Sexual assault…” Shaking his head, “But no DNA left… and the fingers are being taken while they’re still alive, both of them anyway.” A heavy sigh. “They found no ketamine in Christine’s system, but I’m thinking that maybe because it was his first kill he wasn’t really thinking about it.”

“Yeah,” You take a sip of lemonade, “That’s probably it… what about the cars?”

“I’ve got the go ahead, we are having auction records pulled… we just need someone to talk now.” He looks around the room, “Someone has to know something.”

“You think maybe there’s another witness?” He shrugs,

“I mean it’s possible,” He licks his lips, “Do you think that girl you talked to would talk again?”

“I don’t know.” You answer honestly, “She wasn’t really comfortable even talking to me.” You watch him nod, “Do you want something to drink?” You lift your cup, he gives you a soft smile,

“Whaddya got?”

Wanda was over by the snack table, organizing and reorganizing. Getting rid of trays as they empty. You wished she would interact more, socialize and talk to people without the buffer of the table in between but this is what made her comfortable.

“Wanda.” She smiles softly and looks at the man beside you. “This is Detective Barnes.” The cracks there, as her smile slowly shifts into a frown and then back.

“Nice to meet you,” Holding out his hand for her to shake, which she doesn’t take. He nervously wipes it on his jeans.

“You’re going to stop him.” She says, voice shaking, “Right?” You set your cup down and step onto the other side of the table, gently placing your arms on hers.

“Wanda,” Her eyes focused on him, “Come on honey,” You look at Bucky whose face has pulled into sorrow. “I think you need a break.” Your eyes scan the crowd for Pietro, finding him flirting unabashedly with the woman who had entered with Bucky and Rumlow, sighing heavily, you gently begin to lead Wanda from the room.

“I’ll do everything I can.” Bucky’s voice firm with resolve from behind you. You cast him a glance over your shoulder as you bring Wanda into the back room, his eyes meeting yours and giving you a firm nod.

Maybe things would be different this time after all.

…

Bucky felt a guilt gnaw in his chest and he really looked around this room for the first time.

When he’d first entered, he’d been so focused on finding you. A happiness blooming in his chest as he watched you laugh with someone. A smile on your face as a little girl seemed to be telling you some animated story, amusing enough to make you full belly laugh twice before he began to make his way over to you. The luck of it being the girl parting with her father in tow as he reached you.

The flush in your cheeks just about did him in.

These people were happy, sure. As he looked around the room, he could see the smiles and cheeriness of those who have found solace in one another over such a deep rooted trauma. But there was a sadness there too.

For a moment he was proud of what you’d accomplished with this. Bringing all of these people together over what must have been your own guilt about your Mother’s death. What good had come out of it.

He couldn’t imagine, thinking about it, if his own Ma had been murdered. Let alone the brutality in those women’s last moments. The horror of it. It dried his mouth. It made his stomach churn and gave him the sudden urge to step outside and dial.

She picked up on the second ring, like she always did.

“Hi Ma.” Soft into the phone, like he was a little boy and just needed her at this moment.

“Jaime, what’s wrong?” Because she would immediately know. She would always immediately have known. He sighs,

“This new case I’m workin’ on…” He starts, “Just a little rough, I just needed to hear your voice.” She hums from the end of the line.

“Are you okay?” He rests his back against the brick of the building, tugging on his bottom lip with his teeth, ripping at the dead skin there.

“I think I will be,” Scrubbing his face with his hand, “It’s just… someone’s lost their mother.” A swallow, “Just wanted to call and tell you that I love you.”

“I love you too sweetheart.” It warmed his chest but made him ache at the same time. You were how old when you lost your Mom?

You never got to do this. You could never call her when you were feeling upset. You could never just pop in to go see her and she would never make your favorite food just to cheer you up.

Something sat raw and acidic in Bucky’s gut, something he knew he wouldn’t be able to shake until this guy was behind bars.

“Come see me when you can, okay?” His Ma’s voice, sweet and comforting. He closes his eyes, resting his head against the brick and fights back the tears of grief he feels for you.

“Okay.”

[mythical-song-wolf]

Sugar Sugar Rune Remake/Reboot

Credits to two friends on the Kim Server for helping me construct this as well as give me moral support!

One, things from the anime mix into this plus the things from the manga.

Two, pacing is a bit slower with more ‘filler’ instead of arc after arc after arc in rapid fire succession.

Three, expand on certain characters more, foreshadow more things, etc.

Four, modernize certain concepts to better fit the current times, have some boys be in Pierre’s fan club. Have Chocolat & Vanilla take hearts from their female classmates as well.

Now in no order I will be listing some more ‘minor’ crap I guess

Duke’s relations and backstory is heavily hinted at but never clear, is he Vanilla’s dad? Chocolat’s dad? Houx & Saule’s eccentric uncle?

Houx & Vanilla’s relationship is something that’s more hinted at

Waffle (anime only kid) comes back but is... revised, I suppose

She acts as a mini-catalyst to Houx X Vanilla. Personality wise, she’s spoiled and bratty but doesn’t understand certain social cues due to her rich statues and lack of friends, almost a ‘What if’ of Vanilla if she didn’t have Chocolat

Her interactions with Houx are more than the one-off, so her infatuation with him is a bit more... expanded? I guess

She’s also gonna be around Chocolat & Vanilla’s age, either younger than them by a year or born on the same year just really late into it

Waffle’s Nanny is a Pseudo bodyguard and someone to keep her in line when she goes too far

Some of Pierre’s fan club Members, surprisingly, don’t have a Noir in them because they know better than to let hatred, anger, and jealousy get the better of them

Duke & Blanca get more focus, especially Duke

Houx & Saule get more focus because please give them something

Also an episode of what the ever loving fuck Robin was doing when the girls were in danger

An episode of Pierre’s familiar, maybe the cat and Duke share a subtle glance and nod?

More filler after certain big events because I need to know how everyone’s coping instead of them immediately being yeeted into danger again

Some angst over Chocolat when she collects Noir to try and drive off Orges or smth

Mages & their familiars bonding

Captain Glacier stays longer and potentially trains Houx & Saule or even Vanilla and Chocolat (maybe Vanilla learns some water/ice magic while Chocolat learns fire magic?)

He either stays with the kids or with Robin, if he stays with the former he’s the Adult Supervision during some Shenanigans

More world building

Filler that’s canon compliant, develops the characters, and/or expands the world

Episode Plot on Saule

Since Saule doesn’t have any subplots attached to just him (meaning Houx isn’t involved), I gave him one

Basically when they both get over their crushes on Chocolat, Saule starts to fall for a human

He’s slowly been falling for them in the background of many of the episodes, with some subtle points where we briefly see this Mystery Love Interest

By the time they realize, Saule’s heart is already so pink and getting redder by the day

This smacks Houx, Vanilla, and Chocolat in the face with what would happen to Saule if his heart turns red

It makes them realize how cruel and unfair it is to punish someone for falling in love

Chocolat is rightfully furious over it, Vanilla is concerned and terrified for her friend, and Houx is right dab in the middle, furious over this unjust system and deeply worried for his brother

Blanca watches on, being reminded of her own downfall when she wished to give her heart to a human. Duke doesn’t know what to do except comfort her, because she’s the only one he can really help right now

This can end two ways

One, it’s played off for laughs at the end and the person turns out to not be interested but wants to stay friends

Two, Saule risks it all and plans to ask them out, but someone beats them right to the punch (assuming he had a chance to begin with)

If it’s the latter, Saule’s near red heart quickly turns a deep black

Naturally the dark heart is resolved before any Orge can get it but it still frightens the kids because they didn’t know Witches could get natural Noir

If Robin, Waffle, or Glacier are present, they two guards don’t doubt the rules until they see the girls immediately want against it, Waffle is with the girls, concerned and furious

Other things

Chocolat’s grandpa comes over more often, there’s a point where he and Duke lock eyes and Corne briefly suspects something before Robin snatches Duke so they both leave (Robin knows that Duke also doesn’t like being around Corne and tbh he doesn’t need a reason it’s just that it’s Corne)

The point in time where Chocolat think she and Pierre are siblings is longer and she finds out they aren’t just before she would’ve been fully over her love for him

Either she figures it out with Pierre or Poivre tells her

When Poivre is revealed and tells her the truth in small doses (as to not shock them all so much that they all have some kinda crisis)

Also after Poivre is introduced, shenanigans

He and Chocolat interacting and both get a lot of hearts from the woman and men that go ‘awww look at him with his niece!’ and boys and girls being like ‘they’re so cute!’

He escorts the kids to school and he gets some hearts from some people

Oh yeah, the heart system and a bunch of other basic things get introduced at the start of every episode

The description of Noir starts vague but as episodes go by the definition becomes clearer, same with White Hearts

The start of the series is relatively slowish

Introduces the magic world, the hearts system, our MCs in the first few episodes

Introduces Duke & Blanca, expands on the magic

Introduces Houx & Saule, expands on the magic and current state of the Magic World

Pierre

Pierre hints to being an Orge are subtle, so subtle that it’s just a throw away idea to the kids until the Aquarium date happens

After that, they notice all the Noir he’s fostering in the Members

The Members also expand their ranks after that

Human world things

Robin educates the kids on certain holidays coming up so they don’t attract attention for not knowing something like Valentines

On some occasions, Duke puts in his own two cents

Later, depending on when in the timeline it happens, Poivre gives them descriptions in greater detail

Character relationships

Chocolat & Pierre

The two spend more time together before it’s revealed that he’s an Orge

Something just clicks when they meet at school

Chocolat feels like she knows him, something about him reminds her of the Magic World

The more time they spend together, the more she notices how he smells like the rain back home, how his hands are always so cold, how something about him just feels familiar. She feels like she can trust him, but doesn’t understand why

Pierre, we get his view of this later on, feels like he knows her, something about her reminds him of something, like a memory of something that doesn’t exist, something before his time with the Orges

The moment he meets the girls, he knows they’re from the Magic World, but that doesn’t explain to him why he gravitates to Chocolat. When Vanilla, the Queen’s daughter, is much easier to exploit than the stubborn Chocolat

His heart- his original heart0 reacted so strongly during their first meeting that he’s surprised he didn’t double over or much less flinch back at the sudden pain

He thought maybe spending time around Chocolat would let him get used to the sight of her without his two hearts clashing

Chocolat & Vanilla

They’re like family to each other, as close as cousins, since Vanilla was confided to be the Queen’s daughter while Chocolat was a free and normal child

Chocolat was free to have friends and have a childhood

Vanilla was restricted by her statues as the Queen’s daughter and her childhood was filled with lessons on top of lessons on top of lessons, with her only friend being Chocolat

Vanilla envy’s Chocolat’s freedom and bravery, as well as her social nature

Chocolat envy’s the fact that Vanilla still has her mother with her, as well as her kind heart and gentle ways, as well as her skills

The two wish they were more like the other

After Vanilla’s Noir is removed, they understand each other better

They talk about how they envied the other yet admired them too

They’re best friends, no matter who becomes Queen or whatever comes their way

Houx & Saule and Vanilla & Chocolat

Houx and Saule had brief but professional interactions with Vanilla prior to the start of the Queen Candidate competition

But the two still gravitate more to Chocolat because Chocolat is friends with a lot of people

The boys’ favouritism clearly leaned towards Chocolat, yet they also treated Vanilla with more care and focus her safety more

But as challenges and trials come their way, the boys start to protect both of them with the same ferocity

After sometimes, their crushes on Chocolat die down, Saule was never going to fall fully anyway, it was Houx that was too close to the edge of falling for someone who’s heart belongs to another

Saule has always been ready to move on but he was waiting for his brother to as well, because he’s not leaving him behinds

[wheresmynaya]

Two Ghosts Ch.3 | Brittana

Hey, thanks everyone for following along! Also on Fanfiction (x)

 On the day of the funeral, Santana finally attempts to start her little Honda that’s been parked in the garage for way too long despite Maribel offering her car for Santana to use. It takes her three tries and plenty of furious pumping of the gas pedal before the car rumbles to life and she sits there patting the dashboard, thanking her for starting.

There is a surprising amount of people at the service: from reporters to news anchors Santana recognizes from TV, old teachers and other coaches from high school, and a mix of Sue’s family and friends. Santana even recognizes Becky Jackson from afar, dressed in an all black track suit, her eyes puffy and red, as she cradles Sue’s iconic megaphone in her hands. Mr. Schue and Ms. Pillsbury are there as well and just seeing them really brings her back to her high school days.

Subconsciously, she scans the crowd for Brittany with a mix of anticipation and dread but she spots a different blonde instead. Quinn’s standing alone towards the side and Santana quickly makes her way towards her, avoiding eye contact as she passes others in hopes of being unrecognizable.

They stand together in silence as several people close to Sue go up to speak, but it’s not until Becky begins that Santana starts to feel tears at the corners of her eyes. Becky’s voice cracks every so often as she talks about how much she looked up to Sue and it looks like she’s barely holding it together. Santana can’t imagine what that must feel like, to lose your best friend forever. Her mind drifts back to Brittany and although they aren’t speaking she at least knows Brittany’s somewhere out in the world living her life and it’s so much better than the alternate.

A couple months after she had moved to New York, after a night of attempting to drown her sorrows with a bottle of vodka, Santana thought about what she would do if she ever got the call about Brittany. She didn’t understand why her mind drifted in that direction, but she knew she couldn’t picture life knowing Brittany wasn’t around. Not like how it was with Santana in New York and Brittany in Ohio, and Santana struggling to acclimate without Brittany around, because she managed to do that. It wasn’t easy, but she found a way.

But with Brittany gone completely? Santana couldn’t cope with that.

She didn’t touch vodka for an entire year in hopes that she’d never have that thought again.

 \\

 It’s not until the speeches are finished and everyone begins to leave that Santana finally sees her.

She’s got her blonde hair braided back into a bun and Santana watches with awe as she tucks a lose strand of hair behind her ear. Even considering the circumstances, puffy eyes and tear stained cheeks never looked so beautiful on someone. She’s stunning in her midnight blue button up and black sheer skirt, but the dark colors are so misplaced on the blonde. She’s used to Brittany’s usual mix of quirky patterns and bright colors, but she reminds herself that they’re different people now and maybe her style has changed now too.

Or it could just be that they’re at a funeral and dark colors are usually the dress code?

Regardless, Santana can’t take her eyes off her as Brittany wades through the crowd, she just can’t get over how close she is to her, the closest she’s been a long time. She feels her whole demeanor shift in her presence but she can’t help it, Brittany has always had that effect on her.

Suddenly she has the urge to move closer, to break all the rules she’s made for herself, and make contact. Maybe just to say hi? Maybe just to count one last smile?

But then a taller blonde catches up to her, still ever so trouty, and he pulls a handkerchief from his suit jacket pocket and hands it to Brittany. She gives him a small smile and dabs under her eyes and Santana’s heart lurches. She can’t believe Sam Evans is still in the picture after all this time. How could he be any better than she was? It should’ve been her there to console Brittany and let her cry on her shoulder, not Sam fucking Evans.

           Santana remembers telling Brittany the last time they spoke that she wanted her to aim higher than Trouty Mouth because Brittany deserved the whole God damn world and even though Santana couldn’t give her that at the time, she knew for a fact Sam wouldn’t do any better. And sure, maybe that last visit was fueled by a tiny little bit of jealous because it was Sam and Brittany didn’t even have the decency to tell her about them herself and that hurt.

If Santana needed to be around people who are like her and appreciate her, so did Brittany.

But apparently not.

Santana begins to fill with a mix of rage and hurt and she sort of wants to run off and cry and maybe scream at some loser but then she feels a nudge from Quinn and she’s able to look away.

Once again, she’s thankful she has this new version of Quinn by her side.

           “There’s a luncheon at the community center,” Quinn mentions as Santana’s eyes settle on her, a little dazed. She can tell that Quinn’s noticed who she was staring at and she’s grateful for her attempt in distracting her, “Not really up for it, how about you?”

           Santana wonders if Brittany and Sam would be there then decides she doesn’t want to find out. Maybe she’s being a little petty, but she couldn’t think of anything worse than to be in the same room as them.

She shakes her head, “Sounds lame. Let’s get drunk instead.”

           Quinn lets out a laugh, “I think it’s still a little early for that. How about brunch? I’m craving bacon.”

           Santana rolls her eyes but follows after Quinn as they head back to the parking lot. Other than seeing Brittany and Sam together, she’s kind of proud that she was able to dodge running into anyone she knew. She just didn’t want to deal with answering all the questions and explain what she’s been doing this whole time and why Quinn is beside her and not Brittany.

She rather be invisible.

           But sadly, she isn’t.

She finds that out the hard way when their path crosses with Brittany and Sam’s because of fucking course they would run into each other.

She tries to turn away and quickly duck behind a group of people walking by, but it’s too late. Piercing blue eyes zero in on her and she’s frozen in her place, there’s nowhere to run, nowhere to hide. Her feet feel like cement as she tries to remember all the lines she practiced in the mirror the night before incase this moment were to happen, but her mind goes completely blank.

           Quinn glances to her side and sees that Santana’s a deer in the headlights.

           “Jesus, Santana.” Quinn half-jokingly chastises, “You look like you’ve seen a ghost.”  

           Santana just gulps. In a way, she kind of has.

           Brittany and Sam near and she’s glad Quinn’s cheerfulness overcompensates for Santana’s awkwardness.

           “Hey Brittany!” Quinn greets first as she leans in for a hug. Brittany smiles and it’s another blow for Santana, because she’s still so perfect, but blue eyes keep shifting from Quinn to her. Quinn pulls away and squeezes Brittany’s shoulders, causing Brittany to avert her eyes and look at Quinn again, “It’s been so long.”

           Brittany nods, eyes flickering from Quinn to Santana again then back to Quinn, “It really has.”

           “Hey Santana. Hey Quinn.” Sam greets next from behind Brittany and leans in towards Quinn for a hug. Santana almost forgot he was there, but he looks at Santana a little wearily and Santana kind of finds strength in that. He quickly directs his attention to Quinn as he says, “It’s good to see you. How have you been?”

           Quinn’s answer is drowned out as Brittany steps around Sam and moves closer to Santana. Her heart is racing and she feels like she’s about to pass out, but Brittany smiles shyly at her again and the world stops.

That’s the second smile so far.

           “Hi.” She says timidly.

           “Hey Britt.” Santana replies, the nickname tumbling from her lips effortlessly.

           They stand there in silence, the awkward tension between them so thick that all the other conversations around them drown in it. Her lips part, but nothing comes out. After all these years, Brittany’s still able to turn her to mush and Santana kind of hates her for that.

           But not really, she could never truly hate her.

           She suddenly has the need to hug her, but that might be too much too soon and Sam’s right there and that might be crossing a line or something.

But it’s just a hug? And at one point in time they were best friends so it shouldn’t be that big of an issue? Then again, they were more than friends at one point in time too.

It’s all so very sudden and it’s too much for Santana to work through all at once. She’s still taking in all the subtle changes in Brittany; the little smile lines that have deepened and the tiny wrinkles at the corners of her eyes. She wants to say something, anything to end the awkward silence but she’s struggling to form the words so they just stare at each other, the weight of the past five years weighing heavily on their shoulders.

           “So uhm..are you guys going to the luncheon?” Brittany manages to ask.

           “We weren’t going to.” Santana answers and notices how Brittany’s smile falters.

           “Oh.” Is all Brittany says as she nods then looks back to Sam, “I think Sam and I are just going to say hi to everyone then maybe go to Lima Bean.”

           Santana nods too, “That’s cool.”

           “Yeah.”

           Another round of awkward silence settles around them, Santana focusing on Sam and I and it really starts to take a toll on her how they’re still Sam and I. Who would’ve thought they would’ve lasted this long? Santana sure didn’t and that makes her feel like kicking herself because that could’ve been her. Maybe?

Quinn turns away from Sam and gives Santana this analyzing look. She stares back but Quinn’s already saying something about a nail appointment she and Santana had scheduled that they should really be heading off for.

           Santana doesn’t remember scheduling any nail appointment though, but she’s thankful for the way out.

           “Well it was nice seeing you, Santana.” Brittany says and Santana hadn’t realized she missed the way her name sounds leaving those lips.

           “You too.” Santana replies and she itches to reach out and touch her, to see if this is really happening or if it’s just a dream.

           Brittany smiles one last time, the third one she can add to her list, before saying her goodbyes to Quinn and then she and Sam turn away in the direction of the parking lot. She can’t help but feel a familiar twinge of pain as she watches her leave once again. It’s too familiar for her liking and she sucks in a deep breath to ground herself.

           “Is it still too early for that drink?” Santana questions, jaw tensing.

           Quinn lets out a shallow breath and pats Santana’s shoulder, “I think we’ve earned an early start.”

[gimmesumsuga]

STS Ask My Muse - Jin

Word count: 1.9K

Asks highlighted in bold. 

The Ask My Muse interviews: Hobi & Sam / Tae & Jungkook / Jin / Namjoon / Jimin, Yoongi & Reader

***

I knock gently at Jin’s door, adjusting the strap of the bag where it lays heavy across my shoulder, and almost as soon as my clenched fist withdraws from the wood I can hear the sound of someone moving around inside.  He answers my call promptly, pulling open the door with a wide and welcoming smile.  

“Stephanie!  Hello, come in!”  Jin steps back from the door to allow me to enter and then closes it again as I hover, unsure of where to sit.  “Make yourself comfortable,” he encourages, walking past me and sitting at the desk that stands against the wall at the far side of the room, the laptop on top of it sat firmly closed.  Save his lap the only other place for me to rest my behind is the bed, so with a grateful smile I perch on the end of it, bag sinking down into the downy soft duvet.  

“Thanks for agreeing to this,” I say as I rummage around to find his question cards, colour coded pink so I know they belong to him.

“Happy to do it.”  He sounds casual, relaxed, and when I finally emerge from the depth of my handbag with questions in hand his posture looks the same, reclining in his chair, legs neatly crossed.  “I doubt it’ll take long.”

“You’d be surprised!” I smile, shuffling through them, “You actually got more questions than both Taehyung and Jungkook combined.”  

“I did?” Jin blurts out before rapidly collecting himself, his widened eyes returning to their original shape as he smiles an easy smile, leaning backward into his seat once more, “I mean, of course I would, that's obvious.”  I fight the urge to fondly roll my eyes; for all the confidence he seems to exude Jin certainly looked surprised a couple seconds ago.  

“I’ll just get started then, ok?”  

“No time like the present.”  

“How are you?” I ask simply, and after a second, after realising I’m not saying anything more or adding to my enquiry, Jin just blinks.  

“That’s the question?” he clarifies and smiling, I nod.  

“It’s as good a question as any, isn’t it?”  Tilting his head to the side, he answers my smile.  

“I suppose,” he agrees, taking a breath before he continues, somewhat seriously, “I’m well, thank you - can’t really complain.  How about you?”  

“I’m pretty good, too,” I chuckle, placing that card to the back of the pile.  I doubt he’s going to give anymore than that, but I can see why it was asked after the way he’s been behaving lately; more serious and withdrawn.  “I’m guessing you’re pretty satisfied with how life is right now, then?  With your role within the dynamics in the house?”  

Jin looks thoughtful for a moment, both hands holding onto the knee of the leg that’s crossed over the other, barefoot bobbing in mid-air.  

“I’m not really sure what the dynamics are right now, to be honest, or where I fit.  We’ve never been without Namjoon before; he was the one that always gave us direction and leadership.  Set the rules and boundaries.”  His frown deepens slightly.  “I suppose someone else will need to take over now that he’s gone.”

“Do you think the others might expect you to assume seniority?”  I ask, and at that Jin smiles a little, shaking his head.  

“I can see why you might think that - seeing as I’m technically the eldest - but no.  I don’t think I’d enjoy taking on that much responsibility, or handle it well,” he explains, shrugging his broad shoulders, “I’m happy enough taking care of my brothers with the little, day to day things.”  

“You seem to enjoy assuming that ‘big brother’ role and taking care of the others, and ___.”  Jin nods, corners of his lips tipping into a small, humble smile, “Have you ever thought about working as an ER doctor at the hospital?  You could do the night shifts, maybe?  It’d certainly give you easy access to blood, and the opportunity to help people.”  

“We already have an arrangement in place to maintain our supplies; I wouldn’t want to take more than we already do,” he says, swivelling slightly on his chair.  Suddenly, I hear a scurrying sound coming from the cage I’d noticed sitting in the corner when I’d arrived -  home to Eomuk and Odeng I presume - and for a second his attention wavers, returning when the rustling noise dies down. “Plus I never finished my medical degree.  I wouldn’t have the qualifications to practice as a physician.”  

“Couldn’t you go back and study some more?  It’d be a shame not to.”  

“Namjoon was never keen, but maybe now…” He trails off, shrugging again, “Who knows, maybe one day!”  A bright smile that doesn’t quite strike me as genuine appears on his face, though whether it be sincere or not it’s undeniably disarming.  

“You spend a lot of time in the kitchen, though, right?  What’s your favourite thing to cook?”

“I used to cook a lot with my mother, so a lot of my favourites are Korean dishes that she taught me,” Jin explains, the width of his smile reducing but somehow turning warmer as he looks down at his lap, and if I had to guess I’d say he’s taking taking a moment to enjoy the memory of her, his eyes briefly closing. “Mul naengmyun, noodles in a chilled beef broth, or  sundubu jjigae - that’s a stew with tofu, seafood… egg.”  

“Sounds delicious,” I smile and Jin looks up, his expression slightly bittersweet.  

“They are; I just wish I was still able to have more than a tiny taste without the gastrointestinal upset that follows afterward!”  

“I guess that must really suck.”

“It does, but I guess it’s not so bad.  Blood is pretty delicious too, once you get the taste for it.”  He laughs merrily at the grimace that passes over my face at the idea of it and I shake my head briskly, shuddering.

“I’ll take your word on that one.”  I discard the cards of the questions that I’ve already asked, well aware that I’m starting to approach the more personal and private ones, now.  I’m not sure how Jin will respond to some of these; whether he’ll take them lightheartedly or get embarrassed.  I hope it’s the former.  “After how protective you were over ___ when she was attacked by Namjoon, the readers are eager to know what your feelings are towards her.  Is it anything more than friendship?”  

Jin starts to look mildly uncomfortable while I ask the question, but I can’t tell whether it’s from the memory of the incident itself or whether it’s something else entirely that has him biting on the inside of his cheek before he answers.  

“___’s family.  I would’ve acted the way I did for anyone I care about, if they were in the same situation,” he says, and it sounds as though he’s being earnest.  Continuing, he adds, “I care very deeply for ___. I consider her a very good friend.”  

“What about your general dating history?  I know you have a girlfriend at the moment-” Jin blinks in rather quick succession. “-But who was your first love?  Have you ever been in love?”

Jin looks away for a minute or so as he considers his answer, sighing heavily before he gives it.  

“I’ve definitely been in love - a few times, in fact,” he admits, “But it never lasts.  It can’t, not with who and what I am.  My first love was a girl I was at medical school with.”  Jin smiles fondly recalling her, his expression turning soft; relaxed.  “No one expected me to date her - my friends at the time all thought she was too plain and uninteresting for me - but she had a beautiful heart, and mind.”  

“She sounds as though she must’ve been nice.  When did it end?”  

“When I died,” Jin says flatly, smile dropping off of his face, “It always ends, eventually.”  A silence falls between us as he stares somewhat blankly back at me for a second or two, and I find myself having to look away, biting my lip as I try and search my mind for some comforting words to say.  Before I can, though, he speaks.  “Carry on, please,” he encourages, and I take that as my cue to move on from this particular line of questioning.  

Looking at the questions in my hand, it almost doesn’t seem right to ask these sorts of things now… not when what I last asked seems to have bothered him so much, his foot still bobbing up and down, though far more rapidly than it was before, knee jiggling too.  

“You don’t have to answer these if you don’t want to…” I begin cautiously, but Jin just nods his consent, flashing a brief smile.  “How do you cope with the physical side of maintaining a long-distance relationship?  I can only assume it must be fairly hard not actually… y’know… getting to really see or touch the person you’re with.”   

“I won’t lie, it’s difficult,” he says candidly, uncrossing his legs for a moment and leaning forward, forearms resting on his thighs, hands held together between his knees, “I have needs and desires as much as any other individual in this house… but there are ways of satisfying those without having to have the other person physically present.”  

“So… online stuff?”  I ask, feeling my face start to redden.  I’m not sure why I asked that; it’s fairly obvious what him and his girlfriend must get up to behind closed doors with help of webcams and what not…

“Mostly,” he grins, seeming to enjoy the blush that’s slowly taking over me, his head tilting to the side, “Let’s just say I’ve had a long time to learn the best ways to keep myself happy.”  

“Well that’s… good.”  I swallow, glancing down at my cards.  Oh god, this really isn’t getting any better any time soon.  Pushing on, I ask, “What are you… y’know… into?”  Jin laughs, long and loud, leaning back into his chair, and the force of his amusement makes his chest bounce beneath his blue shirt.  

“Wouldn’t you like to know?!” he teases through laughter, clearly opting out of this opportunity to divulge his deepest, darkest kinks to the world.  I can’t say I blame him, but still…

“What about if I went through your laptop, would I find out then?” Continuing to laugh, Jin makes a point of turning round in his chair and sliding his laptop even further back along the surface of his desk, far out of my reach.  

“Maybe, but you’ll have to pry it from my cold, dead hands first.”  I giggle, amused at the stern way in which Jin crosses his arms across his chest even though there’s still a bright, beaming smile stretching out his full, rose coloured lips.  I’m glad I carried on with the interview now; asking questions like this seems to have cheered him up a little.  

“Ok, ok, just one question left; have you ever heard Jimin and ___ having sex?”  Chuckling once more, Jin shakes his head, sounding fairly relieved as he answers a definite ‘no’.  

“Thankfully, we’re at opposite ends of the house.  I wish I could say the same for those two next door, though,” he finishes with a mutter, jutting his head towards the wall on which the headboard of his bed rests.  “I had to go marching round there the other week because I woke up to a piece of plaster falling from my ceiling, they were going at it so hard.”  

Muffling my laughter with the back of my hand, Jin rolls his eyes, smiling a smile that can only be described as that of a long-suffering parent when confronted with their child’s wayward behaviour.

“Animals, the lot of them.”

[smutmelmao]

Honey Badger Chapter 1: Not a morning Bat

{slow burn} Sirius x reader

Warnings: sassy vampire, social situation. Made in collab with @prettyboysylveon

You can hear the drums thumping violently against the chambers that keep them encased, threatening to burst out. It’s so loud. Your ears ache from the constant clatter of wheels. Louder than the drums; chattering. Easy and constant, just like the drums. Calm. You inhale shakily and try to follow their example, but everything is so different. The very air you breathe is different. Smokey and strange, lacking the crisp freshness of your isolated childhood home. The air doesn’t sting your nose the same way the country air did. This air has a thick mix of fluff and dust to it. A million smells condensed into the tiniest space. Your brain is in overdrive. Prey, insists the primal part of your brain. You reach into your pocket and the bumpy, uneven surface of your dried bay leaf greets you. Your twist and turn it, rubbing your fore and middle finger in small circles. You tell yourself you feel better, even as the warm brown of your eyes lightens. Prey. Everywhere. Flitting about here and there and everywhere without giving you a second look. Trusting.

The sudden bend in the track tosses you against the window of another compartment. When you press your hand against the thin glass to steady yourself you can feel their breaths heating up the window. Your finger tips tingle cruelly. You can’t stand this any longer. You fling open a door and jump in. Slamming it shut inhospitably, you lean your head against it and close your eyes. Sighing, you begin to relax, until you hear another heartbeat behind you. Your eyes fly open and you spin on your heels. The embarrassment rushes to your face but does nothing to change your pale complexion. Your shoulders tense and you stop breathing. Apologies catch in your throat, bitter and unpleasant. Turning, you try to flee, but a hand catches your wrist. A sudden gulp of air and you snarl. The last time you snarled was at least four years ago, you think somewhere in the back of your mind.

“Sorry, just, don’t leave!” the predator you’ve intruded on rushes, “I’ve never met someone like me before!”

You make instant eye contact and then stare intently, taking in the boy’s features. He has coffee blond hair that falls just over his chocolate brown eyes like a soft curtain. His long fingers curl like ivy around your wrist, holding it securely in its place. You take in the appearance of his muscular arms and your eyes travel up to his chest and then to his face once more. He sees the disapproving look in your eyes and releases you from his strong hold. “Sorry, I um didn’t… um, mean to… um, sorry.” He says in a kind voice, rubbing his sweating hands together.

His fidgeting is calming; you aren’t the only one that’s nervous in this situation. “What are you?” he suddenly blurts.

“Different. Like you,” You reply. “And you’re a werewolf.” You say with unexpected force.

Social situations are definitely not your strong point. “Right… but um, what are you?” His voice insists that you answer him truthfully.

“I’m a vampire…” You trail off, watching him take a careful step back, “I’m not going to kill you. I’m not allowed. ”

Your unimpressed facial expression obviously gets your point across, as you see him relax into himself. “Right,” He says, sitting back down.

For a moment, you get the impression of a territorial wolf bearing his fangs, then it settles into something friendlier. “Do you want to sit down?”

“Sure, I always sit with unknown werewolves.” You tell him, because you don’t actually know if you want to sit with him.

“Remus.” He throws it out there like it has no ties to him.

Or he doesn’t want it to? “Right, I’m ______,”

You take a seat across from him and your feet make a brief connection, but only you seem to notice. You both stare out of the window, unable to see more than a meter past the window due to the thickness of the fog outside.  The silence is thicker than your uncle’s head after a couple of drinks. Remus’ company is so much tenser than your uncle’s. You miss him, and everything about him. This isn’t your domain of forests and little winding roads that go nowhere and mountains anymore, and it scares you more than the threat of magical creatures encroaching on your garden ever did. This new place is filled with people and structure and rules. You aren’t used to those, but you suppose that you will just have to get ready to cope with all the new things that are coming your way. “You know I’ve never seen you around before. Are you in first year?” Remus breaks the silence with his quiet voice, but it feels like he’s shouting at you.

You’re too close to him. You rub you ears and sit back on the seat, getting ready to explain your situation to a complete stranger. “I wasn’t here last year. Wasn’t that well behaved, but they decided that I had made a satisfactory improvement in my behaviour this year. Enough for me to attend school, that is.” You look up from the floor, and watch Remus fold his hands on his thighs.

He looks like he understands, but you aren’t particularly sure you know how to read another’s body language just yet. Noticing your confusion, he speaks, “I wasn’t supposed to be able to attend either, but Professor Dumbledore pulled a few strings and got me in.”

There’ s a great deal of happiness in his voice, and a hint of pride. This school must be a good one, you suppose. You don’t understand the big deal with school. You would have much preferred to stay secluded with your uncle in the country.  Instead you were whisked away to some foreign place in the Scottish Highlands to learn all about what you’re unable to do. Magic.

In the next few moments of scrambling for something to say, a boy flies past the window, closely followed by two others. The train swerves to the right and his face is pressed against the window, giving you a close view of his wild hair and eyes. “Whose bloody trunk is that?” someone screams.

A wave of terror, bitter and cold, consumes you. Outside the compartment, your trunk terrorises the trio. One by one they shudder their feet, then peering into the compartment, they fling the door open. A boy with raging, messy black hair sighs heavily and takes the first step inside. You stand, getting prepared to leave the compartment. With the new boys coming in, it feels claustrophobic. Remus stands next to you. He’s much taller than you and you only stand at his upper arm at a push. It would intimidate you, however his closeness makes you feel protected like the way that your uncle’s does. “Mine,” You confess quietly, “It’s mine.”

Your mouth tastes like ashes. The boys study you for a moment and it feels like you’re standing on the trap door of the gallows. Then, they break into grins. “Wow, Remus,” laughs a boy with hair that looks like a hurricane swept through it, “Your girlfriend got us good!”

You frown, unhappy to be called Remus’ girlfriend. You just met him, for crying out loud. “I’m not a girl.” You say firmly, and Remus jerks in surprise.

“You’re a boy?” He asks.

You shake your head. “I’m neither.”

The hurricane haired boy looks to the others in surprise and you bow your head. A strong voice then perks your interest, “I think that’s wicked.”

He lifts his head up and looks past the other boys from the back. His shoulder length black hair covers his eyes until he shakes his head, like a dog, so that he can get a better look at you. “Thanks?” You say, unsure of what to think.

No one has ever said that before. They always tell you ‘to chose one or the other. There is no in-between’. The hurricane boy looks down his nose at you, then turns his back to you and begins conversing in hushed whispers to his comrades. “What the hell Sirius? Mate, think this through; she’s obviously a nutter!”

Both yourself and Remus can hear the whispers. A predator needs to be able to hear their prey, after all. When you look at him, there’s a glimmer of pity in his eyes. “James, just shut up, will you? She - they are really nice. What’s your problem?”

The whispering is more like stage whispering now; loud and indiscreet. A quasi-smile creeps onto your face without your permission.  James huffs and crosses his arms. “Peter’s on my side, aren’t you, Peter?” He declares, looking over to a mousy boy with an overbite.

Obviously not expecting to be dragged into this, Peter blinks slowly. “Um, no? I’m not on anyone’s side.” He answers.

James puffs out his cheeks and scowls. “Fine!” He snaps, sitting down as far away from you as he can. “But don’t say I didn’t warn you when nobody wants to talk to you because you’ve got a psycho girlfriend.”

You scoff. You don’t know Sirius either! It’s difficult to reign in your temper. Noticing your agitation, Remus motions with a nod of his head for you to sit in his seat at the window while he takes the space directly next to you. He feels like a guardian wolf, protecting you from the threat of his less friendly pack mates. Sirius ends up in the middle, trying to be friendly with everyone while Peter sits opposite James, who glares daggers at you the entire time. Overall, the train journey to Hogwarts is tense, but not entirely uncomfortable. ​

[scifiwithswords]

34 things i adore about the novel i wrote for nanowrimo when i was 16

for context, i’m currently 23. 

i learned that national novel writing month existed when i was in 8th grade, decided to try it for the first time in 9th. i needed a novel premise that was so self-indulgent that i knew i’d be able to keep my attention on it for 30 days and 50,000 words. the premise i picked can best be described as “jumanji, but with fanfiction.” basically, it’s about teens waking up in their favorite fictional universes and using them as the best playgrounds ever. 

...for a year. the first book, written when i was 14, was about my self-insert Hazel and her best friend Drew getting ripped away from their tragically boring ordinary lives, being dropped in the Doctor Who universe, joining Torchwood, falling in love, and then being catastrophically separated and having to cope with figuring out new universes without each other’s aid. They go on solo adventures, grow as people, and then find their way back to each other. 

Fast forward about eleven months. I’d enjoyed the nanowrimo experience and didn’t feel like i was done with Hazel and Drew. but a story with just them, i felt, would get boring fast. so i added in two new ‘travelers’, auby and daniel, who were originally going to be a beta couple because i was 15 and hadn’t figured out that i was gay and could write gay characters yet. the second book has more self-indulgent fandom shenanigans, but there’s an increasing tension throughout it related to why this whole being-flung-between-universes is happening to them, and whether or not some higher power is responsible. this all culminates in hazel and drew having a climactic argument, daniel leaving the apartment they share on the naruto universe to give them some space and getting stabbed and dying, and then the three remaining travelers being taken to a blank white dimension where they are offered a choice: the lives they’re living now, or almost-perfect ones in the normal world. all three of them choose to continue on as travelers. (this is the book where the relationships get really deliciously complicated--Drew and Hazel are constantly disagreeing over whether there’s a deity responsible for what’s happening to them, Auby is paired with Hazel on her first universe ever and her reaction is massively different than Hazel’s was--her only goal, at the beginning, is to go home. she hurts people on purpose in service of this goal, which Hazel is angry about for a long, long time after.)

That still wasn’t enough. there were still loose ends that i hadn’t sealed, the possibility of a story in the snippets of everyone’s old life that Evelyn (the ‘deity’) in book 2, had appeared in. so there was one more book, written my junior year of high school, to resolve it all. Evelyn turned out to be a traveler who had died. Her partner, Tobias, created his own world to work on getting her back. he brought back Daniel instead, by mistake, and then eventually succeeds. We learn, in the middle of the book, that Evelyn wasn’t the real reason all of this was happening: the true puppet master was her sister Rennie, who had been writing a story where terrible things happened to the people who had wronged her over the years. auby, when she got a little older, had abandoned Rennie as a friend.  Daniel had never become her friend. Drew and Hazel had said some stupid shit to her online. But when Rennie feels the story getting really out of control (when Tobias takes things into his own hands to rescue Evelyn), she decides to try writing herself into it. And into the story she goes. At the end Evelyn is able to leverage her in-universe powers to give the travelers (who call themselves wanderers now, thanks to Tobias) another, less cruel choice: be wanderers with control over their own destinies and destinations, or stay on a nearly-utopian world she’s created for them. Drew and Hazel go, everyone else stays, Evelyn fades away. 

I hadn’t reread these books in many many years. I reread the 8th grade one last summer, looking for clues about what i was like in 9th grade (i’d thrown out all my journals from when i was younger years before, a decision that i bitterly regret.). i decided to reread wanderers (aka book 3) on a whim, and found that it depended so heavily on book 2 that i had to reread the latter half of that as well. 

my major reaction is that the premise, the plot, the relationships, everything--it’s all so quintissentially teenage, in a way that i genuinely didn’t understand it was at the time. the prospect of being pulled from one universe to another, with no control over where you’ll go and no knowledge of when it will happen, was always an allegory for the lack of control you have as a teenager, living under rules and expectations that you had no say in choosing. the fact that being thrown around between fictional universes goes from something the characters love, to something they question, to something they resent. the ways that they grow and change within and between the books, and the way those changes reflect changes that most people go through between fourteen and sixteen. 

so, without firther ado, the list, compiled during my 2018 Wanderers reread: 

1.       Hazel being like “I was braver back then”

2.       Drew being like “we used to like testing our limits, now we were afraid of what we might be capable of”

3.       The complicated relationship between Auby and Hazel and why they dislike each other. Hazel being like “Drew and I worked well with Daniel because he was independent and unique, but Auby was clingy and needed to lean on people. I didn’t like being anyone’s people.”

4.       The general sense of them having no control over the course their lives are taking, and coping with it by leaning hard into their relationships. It’s so teenage and at 16 when I was writing this I didn’t even realize that.

5.       The pacing in Wanderers! The Rennie stuff at the beginning! The stories of everyone hanging out independently or in little groups before they’re all brought to the same location by Tobias’s success! The way we leave off Tobias and Daniel’s story, after their relationship and quest have been explored a little, and immediately when we come back to it, the rest of the kiddos are involved.

6.       The characters unique preferences and thought patterns that resolve themselves so well in first person, why tf did I stop writing this way?

7.       The sweetness and gentleness between Hazel and Drew; how much they love each other. Hazel letting Drew hug her for longer because she’s concerned about how wiped out he looks, the two of them laughing together the first morning in the Forest, Hazel’s (kinda irrational kinda founded) jealousy of Auby

8.       Auby’s very confusing feelings about Daniel, who doesn’t remember the life they could have had together and isn’t the same person as he was when they would have started it.

9.       “It wasn’t fair, and I know life isn’t fair, but this thing was the reason my life wasn’t fair”

10.   The downsides of the AU. Drew felt like the alternate him was a bad person. Hazel didn’t love Drew as strongly. Auby getting almost everything she wants but still pining for the only thing she has now. And being unable to mourn this Daniel, g-d.

11.   “On the nights when I was just getting to bed after not sleeping for a few days, before Daniel, was the only time that I ever allowed myself to think about Evelyn actually being back.”

12.   I haven’t done character work this intense since uh. Since this.

13.   Rennie feeling like a bystander to her own (magical) story. The whole concept of there being a place where her characters are that she can’t describe because she can’t make herself see it. Her seizing back control in the end.

14.   Rennie didn’t realize she was being cruel, she thought she was coping

15.   Fuck did I pour myself into Auby and Rennie’s relationship. As both of them at the same time somehow.

16.   TOO BAD THE LOCKDOWN HAD A PURPOSE also really good pacing. When did I get so bad at pacing

17.   The fucking metaphors. Tobias turning his mind into a ‘drill’ instead of a ‘net’ when he’s mentally linked with Evelyn

18.   “Her voice was like bells, like wind chimes, like laughter. It was larger than life, and there was no problem with that.”

19.   G-d Tobias’s last conversation with the ‘real’ Evelyn

20.   “I hate you, you know,” Rennie said mildly, as though she was informing me that my shoe was untied.

21.   I grasped at threads, responded to what I could understand with the words that I could find. “Rennie, you know that I would never-“ -- “Yeah, Auby, I do,” she said. “Because I wrote you that way. You’re not actually Auby Harris. You’re my Auby Harris.”

22.   The concept of Tobias and Evelyn flying too close to the sun together, and Evelyn paying for it materially, and Tobias paying for it in heartbreak. The sense that they really love each other.

23.   Auby blaming herself for the things Rennie did because Rennie was betrayed by (a different) Auby

24.   Rennie makes room for Auby on the couch and Auby goes to sit on a different couch

25.   That good good serial narrative shit! Hazel’s main internal struggle in the second book being reconciling what had happened in the first book! The ending of the second book hanging like a specter over all of them for the entirety of the third book!

26.   This was the end of the line. This was our happily ever after. But the stories had never left off with the character in his happily ever after jumpy and frustrated, almost craving the intensity of the harsh journey behind him? […] we had always thought of our lives as us against the world, and now there was just…us.

27.   Tobias’s profound sense of loss after Evelyn dies, then him finding a piece of nature that he believes carries her essence, about which he thinks “Calm, and yet bold, breathtakingly beautiful. Yes, Evelyn was here.”

28.   EVERYONE BUT RENNIE HAS BEEN LIVING THIS LIFE SINCE THEY WERE 14 SO ONLY RENNIE KNOWS HOW TO DRIVE

29.   PAGES LONG argument between Hazel and Rennie about whether Marvel or DC makes better comics, interrupted by other happenings on the universe, involving all the major relationships between the characters, they eventually put it to a group vote because everyone else is getting annoyed, it turns out to be a tie because there are only six of them left and everybody loses because Evelyn is dead. Just the way the realization of the results of the vote cuts all of the tension.

30.   Everyone gradually transitioning from calling themselves Travelers to calling themselves Wanderers, and Auby not finding out that’s what they call themselves now until page 120/123

31.   Hazel letting Drew choose whether to stay or keep wandering at the end. Drew’s justification: I need her. She needs it. The fact that that’s softened by his restlessness in utopia like fifteen pages before.

32.   Hazel forgiving Auby, in their last ever conversation, for something that she had done ninety fucking thousand words ago.

33.   Daniel being sure that even though he’ll be okay, Rennie and Tobias will never be over Evelyn’s death. The fact that he starts talking and starts a little memorial service for her—Daniel, who tried his best not to need people, who usually barely speaks.

34.   The fact that the last line is (Hazel asking Drew) “Where do you want to start?”

[futurealleycat-blog]

Bio

Disney Movie: The Aristocats

Disney Character: Toulouse

Full Name: Toulouse Bonfamille

Face Claim: Jake Austin Walker

Age: 18

Preferred Pronouns: He/Him

Orientation: Bisexual

Modifications:

Toulouse’s parents had never planned to get involved with genetic modification, but when the opportunity came up it was hard for them to say ‘no’. Since the family had such a rich history in the arts, they expected their next generation to follow suit, giving the future parents the idea to boost their children’s genes with creative intelligence. With there being so many different creative outlets, specialists attempted to enhance Toulouse’s ‘visual-spatial intelligence’ in hopes to bring the Bonfamille’s their first visual artist.  

Miscellaneous Details:

If Toulouse were to leave his hair the way it naturally fell, he’d have a mop of loose curls. Normally, things like this wouldn’t bother him, but he goes out of his way everyday to gel it up or back because he thinks people won’t take him seriously with his natural hair. He also doesn’t mind the extra height that comes with it.  

Residence: Ring 1

Occupation:

Toulouse had been set out on the path towards artistry since before he was even born, which is why his family was very pleased when he became a skilled painter. Since he was only eighteen years old and straight out of school, he could only be employed as an apprentice. The pay wasn’t as high as it could’ve been, but he was being mentored by the best, which was leading him on the path to becoming one himself.

Background:

The Bonfamille family stemmed from high status and social appearance, taking their First Ring residence quite seriously. Though, this may have led to a bit of an ego, the family was quick to hide it as they brought their children up with class and manners, hoping they would grow up to be perfect ladies and gentlemen. With their mother being a famed opera singer and their father’s family involved in the theater, this image was crucial for them to keep up. Toulouse, however, didn’t make that easy for them.

He was never a bad child per se, but when his impulsiveness paired with his carefree attitude, he was sometimes hard to handle. He would get into his fair share of trouble, the worst of it being staying out past curfew, skipping class, or running his mouth. They weren’t the worse things he could do, but that was only because Toulouse knew his boundaries. But even if he was careful at choosing his crimes, they still only ended up leading to his parents to sheltering him more. He loved his family, and he respected them the best that he could, but he still felt confined in the life they were living.

Their days were measured out in the most expensive spoons of coffee. Minutes after Toulouse got home from school, without question, his parents would start helicoptering. He knew they meant well, but that didn’t stop it from being overwhelming. From constant singing lessons to painting practice to etiquette to math tutoring, the boy couldn’t seem to catch a break. Even after drowning in his day-to-day life, they had to drag him to fancy parties, family productions, his mother’s concerts, and any other place they could to show off their children. Somewhere between all the stuffy tuxedo jackets and forced smiles, Toulouse grew tired of the charade.

When he was twelve years old, his father suffered a from a severe heart attack which ended in his passing. The family was grief stricken at the sudden loss of their loved one, especially due to his young age, but had eventually learned to cope with it. Although Toulouse had to accept this, the event hadn’t quite settled inside of him. The entire situation only sparking the rebellion he had tried so hard to contain.

Now that the boy was finished with school he had finally gained some independence. After years of being stuck in the same mundane and pretentious life style, he had gotten the idea to try and break free from that. He slowly started to make visits to the Outer Ring, beginning out of curiosity, but quickly finding himself returning there whenever he could. These were the people he wanted to live like. They didn’t have rules, they didn’t suffocate their kids, they did illegal stuff, and it was all so badass. He kept his little adventures a secret from the rest of his family, knowing they’d put a stop to it if they found out. This new-found sense of rebellion had become addicting, and it was only a matter of time before he took it too far.    

Three or more Head canons:

1: It’s unsure of whether Toulouse’s love for art comes from the genetic modification attempt, the push towards it as a child, or if it were simply a passion that was destined to be, but he was certainly good with a paintbrush. He had become accustomed to working with many different art forms, and though digital was the most practiced in their society, his heart had always leaned more towards easels and sketchbooks. When creating himself, his favorite style is realism with a preference for portraits.  

2: Although it wasn’t his expertise, Toulouse had been brought up on music as well. Their mother wasted no time in teaching her children her craft and would often bring them all together for lessons. The redheaded boy could sing, and he dabbled in the piano, but that was as far as his musical abilities went.  

3: Since Toulouse had been heavily sheltered growing up, now that he has his freedom, he has grown even more careless than before. Being able to venture out into the world alone has left the redheaded boy susceptible to bad influences, especially because he is going out of his way to look for them. He wanted to impress people and there’s wasn’t much he wouldn’t do to get there.  

4: Though he grew up wealthy, his style tended to lean towards minimalistic or affordable. This was mostly because Toulouse didn’t care very much about fashion, but also because he would constantly ruin his nicer clothes and the amount of trouble he got for it wasn’t worth it.

[prussiasboxerbriefs]

language journey

thanks to @squeezieslangblr for tagging me and giving me an excuse to infodump about languages :D

rules: reblog, tag ten others and share your answers

1. what languages are you studying/have you studied?

- my dad is german, so he spoke and read books to me in german, and my german grandparents were the only ones who ever bought us dvds, so i grew up watching either pbs kids or the same couple sendung mit der maus and dubbed disney movies on dvd. i picked up a decent amount this way, but my grammar and spelling were abhorrent and i started studying it on my own in 8th grade, so now i can actually consider myself decently fluent (even though my grammar still sucks B) just reasonably less)

- obligatory spanish through 6th grade; i’ve picked it up and dropped it on-and-off over the years but at the moment it’s lower on my wishlist than a lot of other languages

- latin for two years in 7th and 8th grade, of which i remember almost nothing

- started learning french on duolingo at the end of 8th grade in preparation for switching to it in high school; i ended up skipping a year of french because american language education is fucking terrible

- the summer between 8th grade and high school i was emotionally unstable and started learning italian to cope (i’m not kidding) but i kind of trailed off with learning it last summer + haven’t picked it up since

- i was really excited about russian and i started learning that on duolingo as soon as the course came out (bc i still didn’t realize you could learn languages for free without duolingo) (i was in 9th grade, so late 2015 i think?). but i stopped, and then restarted last year, and i was sticking with it up until a couple months ago. i’ve been having kind of a rough time, so i lost my interest in a lot of things i love, but even once i get on meds i doubt i’ll have time for it come september :\ i love russian though, so hopefully i can keep it somewhat fresh

- i can read hangul and kana, and languages i was interested in and super focused on for like a week include korean, japanese, mandarin, hebrew, icelandic, swedish, and dutch

- tl;dr: i’m currently focusing on german and french, and i’ll be taking an online IB course in beginner’s mandarin junior + senior year!! in the past i’ve seriously studied russian, italian, and spanish, and i’ve dabbled in korean, japanese, hebrew, dutch, swedish, and icelandic

2. how long have you been studying?

i got really into languages in april-may of 2015 i think, so that would make it two years

3. did you learn through class or self study (or both)

spanish, latin, and french are all classes i have taken in school, but i go to an american school and language classes teach you nothing here :\ so i take french, but the way class worked last year, our teacher would write the name of the grammar topic we were studying on the board, and then i’d ignore him and research it myself on my computer. hopefully it’ll pick up this year now that i’m in a higher level, but idk. all other languages i’ve self-studied, and i’m self-studying french over the summer anyway 

4. why did you decide to learn this language?

- i want to major in animation for college, and the best animation colleges that don’t cost half your soul are mostly in france, so that’s my main motivation for getting to a decent level in french.

- german is my heritage language, and it’s one of my favorite languages because i grew up with it. (also, german college is free) 

- i decided to learn russian because cyrillic looked really cool to me, and i liked the way it sounded. also, it has a reputation for being “harsh” or “ugly”, like german does, which probably drew me to it as well (other reasons include the declension system, the challenge of learning a complicated grammar, matryoshka dolls, russian literature being super famous and esteemed, snow, how big the slavic language family is, and cheburashka).

- everybody says mandarin is really hard, which makes me want to study it. i’m curious about the tones, and i like the writing system. (also, if i can speak russian and mandarin, then i’ve got the languages of the three major hacking countries under my belt, so i could totally work for the CIA or be a spy or a hacker or something :P )

5. what was a major highlight/milestone in studying this language?

german: finally understanding the declension system of der/die/das

french: understanding how all the verb tenses work, which took approx. 2 years (and now they’re super easy for me!! it’s so cool!!!)

russian: realizing that i was starting to decline nouns + adjectives without even thinking about it (i think that was back in march or april, though, so i’m kind of rusty now)

6.what was the hardest thing about learning this language?

french i’ve found pretty easy because of all the cognates between it and english, and the verb tenses i struggled with until i learned english, and realized that a lot of tenses are either the same construction in both languages, or the reverse of each other in meaning

russian...it took me ages to get the case system, but that was because i didn’t study it enough tbh :P i’m still struggling with perfective/imperfective verbs + verbs of motion, but again i think that’s something that probably just requires rote memorization and discipline

7. what resources did you find most useful for studying this language?

i leaned super heavily on duolingo for a while, although i know better than to trust it for everything now. my personal favorite sites are dict.cc (german-english/french/russian/etc. dictionary), verb2verbe.com (french verb conjugation), lingolia (german + romance languages grammar guide), and russian-lessons.net (russian grammar). “german grammar drills” second edition is a really good grammar book that got me to finally stop butchering my heritage language and slurring my articles so native speakers wouldn’t realize i was incompetent B)))

8. any top tips for studying this language?

for languages in general, i would say make sure you understand your own language’s grammar first (especially if you’re an english speaker whose school never taught you grammar like mine). practice vocabulary and WRITE every day. practice active use of your TL, not just passive consumption. i am lazy and don’t do this and believe me, your skills will suffer.

9. what’s your next major language goal?

my next goal is probably to succeed in my german fluency exam and french and mandarin school exams senior year...after that i’ll have space to study new languages, so i want to get back into russian (if i don’t have time before then), and then maybe korean, thai, or hungarian?...there’s so many languages i want to learn, and it changes so often, i’ll probably study something totally different 2 years from now ;w;

10. anything we can do in the tumblr community to get you there?

i was thinking about starting my own langblr! but i still need to figure that out...also, the majority of my blogging is done on mobile, so i don’t know how much original content i would contribute, and i really want to focus on school and my college portfolio as much as possible. so we’ll see, but i’d love to join the langblr community from more than just my personal blog

i’m tagging @langloser and anyone w/ a special interest in languages who wants an excuse to talk about them (not that you need one tbh)

[usviraltrends-blog]

New Post has been published on https://usviraltrends.com/in-a-san-francisco-courtroom-climate-science-gets-its-day-on-the-docket-science/

In a San Francisco courtroom, climate science gets its day on the docket | Science

Cities in the United States are taking oil companies to court, arguing that they should pay for climate-related problems caused by the burning of fossil fuels.

P. A. Lawrence, LLC/Alamy Stock Photo

By Warren CornwallMar. 22, 2018 , 4:00 PM

U.S. District Court Judge William Alsup strode into his San Francisco, California, courtroom Wednesday morning wearing a necktie chosen for the occasion. It was his “science tie,” he told the packed chamber: blue decorated with an image of a solar system.

Alsup’s sartorial statement was an idiosyncratic footnote to an unusual day in the annals of climate change policy. In an unprecedented move in a federal lawsuit, Alsup presided over a crash course in climate science with a single student: himself.

For 5 hours, opposing sides in a closely watched climate change lawsuit pitting the cities of San Francisco and Oakland against some of the world’s biggest oil companies offered Alsup their accounts of the history and current state of climate science. The cities allege that, for decades, the companies sold fossil fuels they knew were contributing to climate change, while engaging in a multimillion-dollar campaign to sow doubt about global warming. And they want the companies to pay for measures such as sea walls to cope with rising sea levels they blame on carbon emissions from burning fossil fuels. 

The lessons broke no new scientific ground. But the day gave a preview of how science will fit into the two sides’ legal strategies, and a taste of the judge’s wide-ranging scientific curiosity. The day was also punctuated with its share of memorable moments. A leading British scientist did a “chicken dance” to show how carbon dioxide traps heat. At one point, a shrill alarm sounded as a scientist spoke about the threats of sea level rise. “Coastal flood alert,” Alsup deadpanned.

Spectators hoping for a showdown between climate science champions and people denying humans are causing global warming were disappointed. Alsup started the session by warning that it would not be a version of the Scopes trial, the famous 1925 case that pitted evolutionary science against creationism. “This will not be withering cross-examinations and so forth. This will be numbers and diagrams, and if you get bored you can just leave,” he told the audience. Many had waited hours for a seat in the high-ceilinged room. None left.

The lead attorney for oil giant Chevron, meanwhile, quickly declared the company is convinced humans are playing a major role in climate change—a split from some fossil fuel advocates, including top officials in President Donald Trump’s administration. “From Chevron’s perspective there’s no debate about climate science,” said attorney Theodore Boutrous Jr.

But the two sides weren’t in accord on everything.

Speaking for the cities, Myles Allen, a physicist and climate scientist at the University of Oxford in the United Kingdom told Alsup the science was clear enough more than 3 decades ago to realize global warming would be caused by greenhouse gas pollution, even if measurements hadn’t definitively picked it up. “It wasn’t necessary for scientists in the late 1970s to detect the warming in order for them to predict what was likely to happen next as a result,” he said.

Gary Griggs, a geologist at the University of California, Santa Cruz, who led an expert panel examining sea level rise threats in California, told Alsup that research suggests the coastal flooding that now happens in San Francisco once every 10 years is expected to happen once every 3 days by the end of the century, even if greenhouse gas pollution slows.

While the city relied on a trio of prominent scientists to deliver lectures to Alsup, Boutrous was the lone speaker on the oil industry side. He leaned heavily on the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change’s (IPCC’s) fifth climate science assessment report, issued in 2014. He emphasized passages about scientific uncertainty, including discussion of the challenges associated with predicting how much sea levels will rise in specific parts of the globe, as well as modeling how Antarctic ice is responding to rising temperatures. The fossil fuel industry has a history of arguing that climate science is fraught with uncertainties.

Boutrous also highlighted IPCC’s emphasis on the roles population growth and economic development—rather than the actions of any one industry—play in rising greenhouse gas levels. The IPCC report “doesn’t say that it’s the production and extraction [of fossil fuels] that’s driving the increase. It’s the way people are living their lives,” Boutrous said.

A bevy of questions

Throughout the morning, Alsup—an appointee of former President Bill Clinton who is now in his 70s—showed an appetite for probing the minutia of climate science, and for heading down other scientific side roads. He is known for mastering the technical details of complex cases. He learned the Java programming language while overseeing a dispute between computer companies Google and Oracle. In a recently settled case between Uber and Google’s Waymo over self-driving car technology, Alsup in 2017 ordered a similar tutorial on the science in that field.

Among his questions to the witnesses:

Q: Could heat from power plants add much to the planet overall? A: No, it’s dwarfed by the energy trapped by greenhouse gases.

Q: Was the relationship between rising temperatures and rising greenhouse gases logarithmic or linear? A: Logarithmic.

Q: How high would sea levels get if all the ice in Greenland, Antarctica, and other continents melted? A: More than 60 meters.

Q: During the last ice age, could people have walked across land in what is now the Bering Strait? A: Yes.

At one point, Alsup asked Griggs whether the country should have turned more toward nuclear energy decades ago. “We might get some radiation if we drive by, but we don’t get any [carbon dioxide],” the judge said. “Maybe in retrospect we should have taken a harder look at nuclear.”

Chevron was the only defendant to participate in the tutorial. The other companies—including Exxon, BP, ConocoPhillips, and Royal Dutch Shell—stayed away because they are challenging Alsup’s jurisdiction to even hear the case. But the judge on Wednesday put the missing companies on the spot. Speaking to their attorneys in the audience, he gave them 2 weeks to submit paperwork, noting any disagreements with the Chevron attorney’s presentation. Otherwise, he said, he’ll assume they agree. Said Alsup: “You can’t get away with sitting there in silence and then later saying, ‘Oh, he wasn’t speaking for us.’”

Legal implications

The eventual outcome of this case could have major implications, with billions of dollars at stake. It’s one of a small, but growing number of lawsuits by cities alleging oil companies broke state or federal laws by creating a public nuisance. Several other California cities and counties have a similar case before another federal judge. New York City filed one in January.

The fortunes of these cases have varied. Oakland and San Francisco originally filed suit in state court, considered a friendlier venue for their complaints. Alsup ruled the case belonged in federal court.

Meanwhile, U.S. District Court Judge Vince Chhabria last week issued a conflicting ruling: Cases before him involving Marin and San Mateo counties and the city of Imperial Beach belonged in state court, he said.

The oil companies on Tuesday filed motions to have the Alsup cases thrown out altogether. They have filed similar motions in the New York City suit.

Because Wednesday’s session was so unorthodox, it’s not clear how it will fit into the legal case, says Michael Burger, executive director of the Sabin Center for Climate Change Law at Columbia Law School. “Does any of this count as evidence? Or does it count as an admission or denial of facts that are pled in the complaint? I don’t think anybody really knows,” he says. “Maybe the judge knows.”

Given the legal wrangling ahead, Burger says, he’s sure of one thing: “A trial is a long ways off in any calculation.”