#but a very funny coincidence nonetheless

[daily-dose-of-bucket]

You should draw Midori because he is so HOTTTTTTT LIKE 🔥 LIEK CALL AN AMBULANCE I'M DYING FROM HOW HOTE HE IS !!!!!!

(April first just in case you don't respond the day today)

I LOVE MIDORI ^_^❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

[fragmentedblade]

I have so many screenshots of Kalpas' face I could reconstruct his face at this point, and I'm afraid to say I'm not sure his face is scarred

[reginrokkr]

𝐂𝐗𝐈𝐈𝐋.One of the recent headcanons I wrote made me think about a small piece of text found on the Scribe's Box that talks about people building a nation without gods and whose words might predate as far in the past as when a sapphire nail dropped in Sal Vindagnyr:

◜I've heard of people who are building a new nation without gods. Perhaps they'll have the power to stand against this world.◞

This makes me think two things:

1) That those who later on would be known as part of the Khaenri'ahn race were already against the gods during the Era of the Saints, predating the Apocalypse and that perhaps there is a slim chance that they have a connection to the dragons of back in the day —not necessarily by blood although it's not entirely impossible either, as Enkanomiya talked about Vishap-people and there is actually a NPC in the event of Three Realms Gathering, so if there was any dragon "open enough" to procreate with humans, there is a chance of this being a thing too— in terms of similar mindset in regards of the gods and the world even if, ironically, humans are Phanes' creation in Teyvat.

2) The second part that addresses a power to stand against this world is soundly in tune with Nibelung's pursuit of a power that could contest Phanes, only to tragically backfire on him, his kin and the whole world— which gives more weight to the belief that at least in a similar mindset kind of manner, these people could've shared the sovereigns' mindset. Furthermore, there is Khaenri'ahn machinery inspired by dragons, which is highly telling that they know of their existence, rare as it is in this world.

[gothamite-rambler]

Commissioner Gordon meets the third robin (batfamily chronicles microseries)

Jim Gordon had seen two Robin's at this point and figured out Batman's civilian identity at this point, so him arriving with a third Robin makes him finally tell Batman he knows he's also Bruce Wayne.

Commissioner Gordon waited on the roof for Batman, like he usually did, but this time he could sense something crazy was about to happen more than usual when dealing with a man who wore a leather bat suit.

Batman (hesitant): Commissioner... Gordon.

Gordon turned around and once he saw the new Robin (Tim Drake), he immediately closed his eyes and shook his head like a disappointed father.

Gordon (jaded): You gotta be kidding me.

Batman nodded in agreement.

Batman (ashamed): I'm aware how odd this looks. I can acknowledge the weirdness at this point. To be fair though... I made it clear I didn't want him to be my new Robin. Tell him, Robin.

Robin!Tim (looking at the bat signal): That's the bat signal... I'm next to it!

Batman groaned, covering his his eyes.

Gordon (tight smile): You sure are kid, you sure are... Batman, he looks the same age as the other kid. Nice to meet you, new Robin.

Robin!Tim: Sup Commissioner Gordon, I met your daughter she's pretty cool.

Gordon (accepting all of this): I raised her well, thanks. I like your suit.

Robin!Tim: Thanks, I added pants. It's form fitting, it works.

Batman (not sure how to word his defense): I'm aware that... I said I would not have another Robin but after needing his assistance I... adopted him. Sort of. Okay, this one came to me. I- I can tell by your expression that, that didn't help the situation.

Gordon sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose.

Robin!Tim (hands on his hips): I earned this roll, nothing weird about that.

Gordon: Fair point from the third child sidekick. Batman, at this point I'm not even shocked that you have a new Robin and I like his energy, but um... um... Do you have a specific preference for short, black-haired boys?

Batman glanced at Robin then shrugged because he couldn't think of a good response.

Robin!Tim (confused): Why did you phrase it like that?!

Gordon: I have dealt with this man having three robins at this point and yes it's been three because the first one had a different skin tone and was adorable, the second one was funny, but cussed me out at random and you are very pale, but all of them have had black hair... what is going on?!

Batman (exhausted with life): Honestly, it's a very weird coincidence, but a coincidence nonetheless. That is the least of the questions you need to ask me at this point.

Gordon (sighing): Fair enough, what's his story?

Robin!Tim: I stay with Batman so he doesn't kill himself or murder so many criminals .

Batman (exhausted): Hn, thank you, Robin... that was what you should tell a police chief.

Gordon: Nah, that's the best answer he could have given me in this situation. Can I talk to you in private real quick, Batman?

Batman: Sure. I'm kind of accepting of this part of my hero life. Robin, um, stand here and don't eavesdrop on our conversation.

Robin!Tim: I don't like standing still for long periods of time... I'm just going to spin around my bo staff while you talk to Commissioner Gordon.

Batman: That works for me.

Batman walked off with Gordon to a corner of the roof, a good distance from Robin. Robin eagerly tossed his bo staff in the air and caught if effortlessly.

Batman: Honestly people call me odd for wearing a bat suit but that is the thing that makes the most sense to me in my life. Plus I look awesome so you can't even critique the suit. You know?

Gordon groans, covering his face and trying to wonder how he should start his next statement.

Batman: I already know you're going to ask me some type of evasive question... go ahead ask it.

Gordon clasped his hands together and takes a deep breath.

Gordon (deadpan): I've known you for a fairly long time and I'm going to cut to the chase... when were you going to ever tell me that you're Bruce Wayne?

Batman (shocked): What? No ... No I'm not.

Gordon: Bruce, don't play dumb, I figured out you are the same person a while ago, but since you haven't 'trusted' me enough to tell and that is the third Robin, I felt it was necessary to remove this weird barrier you have. I'm not going to arrest you or anything, your secret is safe with me. I want an honest answer though, I promise nothing you say here will leave this roof.

Batman buried his head in his hands and let out a defeated groan. He didn't want to admit it, but at this point in his life he simply couldn't keep it secret.

Gordon: That confirmed it. I became suspicious after Barbara got shot. Jason Todd, your adopted son, turning out to be the Robin definitely verified it. Then CPS visited your place to investiage you about child abuse... that was fasinating because you looked panicked that day.

Batman (embarrassed): I can't believe this happening, right now.

Gordon: Hold on, I'm not done yet. The rest of Gotham bought the story that your adopted son somehow became Robin with a random guy who is Batman and you weren't Batman because "Why would someone like Bruce Wayne be Batman?" Freaking Gotham news, you're lucky that they're so believable.

Batman (serious): You're not going to tell anyone are you? I'm going through a lot at the moment.

Gordon patted Batman on the shoulder reassuringly.

Gordon: As I said, your secret will remain that. We've been through these couple of crazy years together, you were there for Barbara when she got shot, and I wasn't too hot about the fact that it was the Joker, but I got over it. You've never given me a reason to arrest you and I've learned to see as a friend. And much like when my daughter told me she's batgirl... I'm fine with it.

Batman remained silent, surprised that the police chief who he had known for over two decades was keeping his civilian identity secret.

Gordon (sincerely): You're my friend, don't worry about it.

Batman: Oh... you see us as friends too? I'm... You said that before, but huh, not really used to this, am I?

Gordon: I go through the same struggles. Do you want to go over the case with him in front of us or I don't know how to handle this, this is like your third Robin.

Gordon laughs as Batman groans embarrassed.

Batman: Yeah this kid is pretty smart so he can be listening in and circle back, Barbara told you she was Batgirl?!

Gordon: Oh yeah, but I figured it out a two years before she had told me. You guys got to remember, I'm a detective.

Batman: This might sound rude, but I did not think you were that good at your job, the police here are very corrupt.

Gordon (nods in agreement): Fair enough, let's head back to the kid and get this case started.

Gordon walked back over to Robin along with Batman. Batman looks dejected but Gordon pats him on the back to give him some type of sympathy.

First

Second

[cutielando]

we can’t be friends, part 2 | l.n.

synopsis: in which Lando is conflicted

part 1

my masterlist

Lando had never before considered himself a “lucky” man. He was always of the belief that things just kind of…happened.

But when he saw you in the paddock on that one particular day, after months of being away from you and only watching you from afar, he thanked his lucky stars.

That was part of the reason why he couldn’t resist coming up to you, introducing himself with only one thought in mind: I need to get her back.

You hadn’t known why the feeling of his hand in yours felt familiar when you shook his hand, why the tone of his voice made tingles arise on your delicate skin, or why his smile and dimple seemed like something you had seen before, seemingly in another life.

Something in your gut was telling you that you had met him sometime before, but you just couldn’t figure out where you knew him from.

Which Lando was grateful for.

He had realized he hadn’t been a good boyfriend to you before, he could see his mistakes and what he should improve now. He knew what he had to do.

After the fateful meeting in the paddock, you started bumping into him more and more. 

At the grocery store in Monaco, at the museum where you were strolling with your sister, at the hair salon, at the nail salon, he seemed to be everywhere.

You didn’t think anything about it at first, telling yourself that Monaco was a very small place and coincidences were bound to happen.

But you gradually began to feel like it was not the case, and you settled for confronting him to get to the bottom of the problem.

“You’re following me” you had caught him yet again, seemingly trailing around the flower shop where you usually spend your mornings.

Lando’s eyes widened, his mouth opening and closing before he settled for shaking his head.

“Bumping into me once or twice is a normal coincidence, but you’re everywhere I go. I turn around and you’re there, like a ghost. Can you please tell me what’s going on? You’re starting to creep me out” you said, making sure to keep your distance from him.

Lando’s heart began hammering in his chest, panic quickly settling in his body.

This was not how it was supposed to go down. You were meant to find it cute, endearing even, but he couldn’t have you thinking that he was a weirdo, not when he was desperately trying to make you fall in love with him once again.

How was he supposed to win you back if you thought he was a total creep?

“I’m not trying to be creepy, I promise. I just didn’t know how to approach you without being awkward” he tried to explain, realizing he sounded even more like a creep.

You cocked an eyebrow. “And you figured following me around was the solution?” you had to admit that seeing him flustered and trying to explain himself was becoming funny to you, any trace of annoyance long gone.

You couldn’t describe the feelings you had whenever you were around Lando. There was a foreign sense of familiarity every time you would talk to him and whenever you would be near him. Like your body was already used to being around him.

“No, no. God, this is so not how I wanted this to go down” he murmured the last part to himself, but you heard him nonetheless.

“Look, as much as I might find this stalking of yours kinda cute in some twisted way, what’s really going on here?” you asked, crossing your arms one on top of the other.

He sighed, hanging his head low. Should he just be honest about why he was following you? Tell you about everything you had done so much just to forget? Should he just lie and truly start from scratch? 

There were so many questions clouding his judgment, dozens of ideas and excuses floating around in his brain.

But in the end, he decided that wiping the slate clean was his best bet. You would never agree to go out with him if he even mentioned how your previous relationship had ended, that he had hurt you so much that you chose to completely forget everything about him and your relationship.

He didn’t want to risk a new beginning by plaguing it with events from the past.

“Okay. Truth is, I really like you, and I wanted to ask you out but couldn’t seem to find the words to do it. You’re gorgeous and kind and nice and I didn’t think you would want to go out with me, given what the internet has been saying about me” he confessed, scratching the back of his head in fear of what your reaction would be.

Once upon a time, he could read you like the back of his hand, knowing your every little tic and every tell. He knew every single thing there was to know about you, but as you stood there in front of him, he felt like he didn’t know you.

Even while you smiled at him with that same smile he had come to love over time, you were not the person he had left behind. You were someone else entirely, only the memory of you hiding behind your eyes. But was it wrong that it intrigued him? That it made him want to get to know you again so badly?

Maybe. But he didn’t want to resist it any longer.

Finally looking up at your eyes, his heart skipped a beat when he noticed the smile he loved vibrantly shining on your face, a sense of familiarity filling his chest.

“I don’t care what the internet says about you, I want to get to know the real you. People can have their opinions of you, I want to have my own” you said, stepping closer to him.

Lando felt like he couldn’t breathe. Having you so close to him after so much time apart made him want to lose his composure and just kiss the life out of you, but he couldn’t.

No, he wanted to do it right. He couldn’t afford to mess it up again. 

“What are you saying?” he asked, wanting to make sure he wouldn’t misinterpret anything.

“I’m saying that you should give me your number” you said, trying to suppress the smile that was inching towards your lips.

You didn’t know why you were acting like this. Accepting to go on a date with a guy that basically followed you around, asking him for his number? You were never that irresponsible when it came to dating, so why was he so different right now?

You couldn’t quite put your finger on it, but there was something deep within you which was screaming at you to trust him. There was that sense of comfort that you felt whenever you were around him ever since the two of you bumped into each other, but you didn’t know where it was coming from. How could you feel so at ease with someone you had just met?

It was weird, definitely worrisome if you were being truthful with yourself. But then again, what harm could it do?

Lando had never taken out his phone as fast as he did in that moment, almost dropping it in the process, which made you laugh a little.

Seeing him so flustered made him blush, almost embarrassed that he couldn’t keep his act together. 

He gave you the phone in the end, and you put in your number and the name y/n💕, giving him the phone back and leaving, kissing his cheek as you passed by him.

Lando felt like he was dreaming as he felt your lips touch his skin, however briefly the contact had been. And unbeknownst to you, you were biting your lip and blushing as you walked away from him, eagerly waiting to get a text from him. 

And thankfully, it was merely an hour later when your phone dinged, and the butterflies started acting up once again.

♡♡♡♡♡

The moment of your first date with Lando had arrived after texting back and forth for a couple of days, and it was safe to say that the both of you were freaking out. 

You, on one hand, were freaking out because it felt like you hadn’t been this excited about going on a date in forever. Lando, on the other hand, was freaking out over wanting to make sure he didn’t screw things up the second time around. 

The nerves that he felt as he waited in front of your apartment building were nothing like he ever felt before. He hadn’t even been this nervous when you two went out the first time all those years back. But as he stood there, flowers in hand and yet another gift in his pocket, he couldn’t stop fidgeting.

That was until you finally appeared, dressed in his favorite dress of yours, sandals and curly hair, smiling from ear to ear when you saw him waiting for you.

“Sorry I’m late, couldn’t decide what to wear. Have you been waiting long?

Lando’s brain froze for a split second. Had he been waiting there so long that he didn’t even notice you had been late? Taking a quick peek at the watch resting on his left wrist, he realized he had been standing in front of your building for more than 20 minutes.

“Um, no. Just got here like 5 minutes ago” he lied, content when he saw the relieved smile you gave him. “These are for you” he said, holding out the flowers towards you. 

You took the bouquet from him, blushing once you noticed that he had bought you your favorite flowers.

“How did you know these are my favorites?” you asked, bringing the flowers up to your nose and inhaling the sweet aroma.

He shrugged, and left it at that. He couldn’t really tell you how he knew they were your favorite, so he figured he shouldn’t say anything else.

The night went by beautifully, the conversation flowing as if you had known each other your whole lives. The laughter you shared was natural, you felt so at ease while talking to him.

As the end of the night grew closer, you were walking hand-in-hand through the quiet streets of Monaco, a comfortable silence between the two of you. You had never felt at ease with anyone else in your entire life, yet here you were, feeling more at home with Lando than any other person in your life besides your family.

“Thank you for tonight” you said, smiling sadly once you arrived in front of your building. 

Lando smiled, stepping closer to you.

“It was my pleasure” he whispered, the distance between the two of you almost non-existent.

He looked you in the eyes as if he was asking for permission, and the second you nodded he leaned in and kissed you with everything that he had, making your knees go weak and almost buckle.

You quickly wrapped your arms around his neck and started playing with the hair at the back of his head, almost accidentally letting out a moan at how good his lips felt on yours. Every inch of your body was on fire, your senses tingling as you got lost in the feeling of Lando.

Lando, on the other hand, felt a mixture of emotions. Even though he had been waiting for this moment for so many months, he felt guilty. There he was, using the fact that you had no memory of your past relationship to win you back. Was he being selfish?

Should he tell you the truth about the past?

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[l0vergirls]

omg i love your yandere batfam sm!!!! may i request a part 2 where they end up kidnapping the reader? id love if it was gender neutral reader but if not thats ok!!

hi anon!!! tysm for the love on the yandere batfam post !!<33

to be honest, i was planning on making the reader more willing in this au, but i haven't elaborated enough on their character yet! i was planning on the brothers slowly easing into the reader's life, as seen with dick, jason, and tim. then once the batfam feels that reader's relationship with tim has developed enough, he'll make his way into their heart— aka be the perfect boyfriend!

from there, the reader would be invited to the mansion a lot more often, also spending many nights there, as the reader would be feeling lonelier in their small, dingy apartment compared to a big mansion seemingly full of life. jason, dick, and damian would be introduced to the reader as tim's brothers, with the reader being mostly amused with the fact that they're already familiar with 2 of tim's older brothers. they'd write it off as a coincidence. at first.

bruce always seems to be too busy when you come over, so you've seen only fleeting glances of the man, with the way he disappears into the shadows feeling far too familiar.

but let's say the batfam is more impatient, and they're just itching to get to you already.

they're tired of watching you from the shadows, and through the cameras (where you always seem so close yet so far). so they make a plan: they'll take you in your sleep, all precautions taken of course, and settle you into your very own room at the wayne mansion.

they don't tie you to the bedpost of anything like that, no, you're not an animal! they'll all keep their distance, watching from cameras they've planted (again) as you gain consciousness.

you're a lot calmer than they expected, carefully looking around the unfamiliar room. they've rearranged the furniture to nearly mirror your own room in your apartment. nearly.

they've arranged some things for maximum comfort, that you've failed to do so in your place.

they can barely see your hand shaking as you reach to open the door.

they decide that tim should be the first one you see.

as you head down the corridor, you bump into your friend. you can barely make out signs of nervousness coming from him; his cheeks are flushed, and you can see a light sheen of sweat across his hairline. you choose to ignore how his eyes have almost lost all colour, with his dark pupils heavily dilated.

their goal here is to not freak you out and risk your running away. given what they know about you, there's a chance you'll stay, even with great hesitance.

so, they'll act slow and steady.

your heart races in your chest, threatening to jump out. if you're being honest, you can't even comprehend what had happened.

why were you in a strange room, in a strange house? you fell asleep in your bed, in your apartment.

so, how did you get here?

why is tim here?

what were you doing here?

you ask him as much, but your voice is no louder than a whisper.

it's a miracle he even heard you, but tim is always willing to strain his ears, to earnestly listen to you.

"why don't we tell you over breakfast?" he says, in his oh so kind voice.

you don't get a chance to answer before he's guiding you to the kitchen with a tight grip on your hand.

on your way there, you realise it's a house that was bigger than you thought. a lot bigger.

the enticing smell of breakfast reaches you before you get there. your steps only quicken by a beat, but tim notices.

as you turn a corner, you're surprised to see a few familiar faces. jason, your sweet neighbour, and dick, the funny detective that happens to be a regular at your work.

there are three other strangers in the kitchen.

bruce wayne, who isn't technically a stranger, you can't live in gotham and not know who he is, but a stranger nonetheless. his dark, dark eyes seem to pierce your very being and see right through you.

a boy, younger than you by just a few years. he's got a tan to his skin, and eyes that seem eerily similar to bruce wayne's.

lastly, an older man, in a tuxedo only befitting a butler. considering bruce wayne was in this house, you think he is a butler.

a look of recognition must have been present in your face, as dick, bless his heart, smiles gently at you, taking your hand from tim's and sitting you next to him.

his toothy smile does nothing to calm you, unlike many other times before.

your eyes snap to bruce wayne's as he clears his throat. a sign that he demands your attention.

you stay silent.

the familiar faces and smiles have done nothing to appease you, but why? why do they unsettle you, when you have turned to those same smiles for comfort?

"i'm sure you have a lot of questions, (y/n)."

usually, bruce wayne saying your name would be an occasion any other person would celebrate. though you can't find it in yourself to feel flattered, not when he says it with such ease... such intimacy, as if he had uttered your name many times before.

ok i didnt know how to end this but i will elaborate on reader's character more next time !!! swear !!!! i have thought most of it out so please look forward to it! <33

[vilandel]

Black Clover Next Generation II ♣️💘

Family Tree of House Silva

Yes, the Silva were productive... I am biased, obviously^^'

Nymphea and Valentina are twins, with Nymphea being the older one by three minutes. She is more like Nozel personality wise, while Valentina took more after Vanessa. They still got from the other parent, though.

It is a coincidence that they have the same initials as their parents... Nymphea and Valentina were also born on Valentine's Day^^'

Lavinia is the second child of Nozel and Vanessa, also very shy. She doesn't want to be a Magic Knight, finding more happiness in music and songs.

Cassandra was a surprise child, three years after Lavinia, but loved nonetheless. She is the wildest out of her sisters, if there is harshness in the Silva genpool, she got all of it. Cassandra also calls Yami uncle Dumpy.

Diego, Odette, Nebel and Zinnia are quadruplets. Which was a surprised to everyone. Diego and Zinnia are true wild pranksters, mini-versions of their parents, while Odette and Nebel are more calm, almost a miracle given who Nebra and Zora are.

Mathilda came many years later, as a surprise child. Nebra thought that she was done after giving birth to four babies at once, but she was very relieved that it was only one this time. Mathildas birth was also pretty fast, roughly twenty minutes.

The quadruplets are very protective of their baby sister, but baby Mathilda is going to be more a problem child than Diego, Zinnia and her parents together^^'

Eis is the first born of Solid and Rosette. He almost gave his parents and the midwives a scare because he didn't cried immediately when he was born.

Nanthilde is his sister, born four years later. Since she learned how to read, she had a soft spot for riddles and mysteries.

Both Eis and Nanthilde are very kind, like their mother. As much as their father was a brat in his youth, as much they are well-behaved. Solid is actually relieved they don't come too much after him personality wise.

Loreleï is the only daughter of Asta and Noelle. She was born a few days after Eis, which made them best friends since they were babies. Like her cousin Lavinia, she also doesn't want to become a Magic Knight, despite having her mother's amount of magic power.

Her brothers are much younger than her. Airgid is as wild as Asta with Noelles pride, a bit of a brat, but with a heart of of gold.

Nemo is the youngest, wild like his brother but kinder.

Fun fact, both Noelle and Asta were awful at giving names, even for their own children. Nozessa, Zobra and Sosette had to help them on that topic... which wasn't an easy task, but funny.

Nymphea has long silver hair like her father's, wavy like her mother's and Vanessas amethyst purple eyes, she has Silver magic. Valentina has the same eyes as her twin, but long straight hair like her grandmother, in a paler shade of Vanessas rosewood color, her magic is Tapestry. Lavinia has her mother's hair color, but the silky and thick structure of her father's (she wears them in two braids), she also has Nozels metallic lilac eyes, she got Vanessas Thread magic. Cassandra has silver hair, but very wild, a bit of mix of her parents and lavender purple eyes, her magic is Swords... given her wildness, it can be a stress factor for Nozel, one only Vanessa can calm him from.

Diego has his father strong red hair and also his deep blue eyes, looking like a mini-Zora, he has Spark magic. Odette has her mother's silver hair color, very wavy almost curly and like Diego, the eyes of her father, her magic is Cloud. Nebel's hair got a color mixed from his parents, with Nebra's gene a bit stronger, a pale pink, long and straight, his eyes are also a mix of his parents, a strong purple and like his name suggests, he got his mother's Mist magic. Zinnia has also pink hair, but unlike Nebel, her's are a stronger pink and are Wilde like Nebras, she also got her mother's magenta eyes, add to all of this Smoke magic. Mathilda has her father's red hair, pretty wild as well, and her mother's magenta eyes (a heavy contrast) and she got Water magic.

Eis has his mother's straight white blonde hair, which he wears short, his father blue eyes and like his name suggests, his magic is Ice. Nanthilde has curly hair, silver like Solid and Rosettes pale grey eyes (which got her the nickname Most Silver Silva), she got her mother's glass magic.

All of Astelle's children have water-based affinities (personal headcanon that Astas condition is not hereditary). Loreleï has her mother's straight long silver hair (unlike Noelle, she has her hair down most of the time) and her father's bright green eyes, her magic is Snow. Airgid has Astas wild ash blonde hair but wears it shoulder length and Noelles magenta eyes, he has Water magic like his mother. Nemo has silver hair but the same hairstyle like his father and also his mother's magenta eyes, his magic is Mist.

[lixenn]

BUSTING INTO UR ASKBOX WHILE READING THRU DAVE'S PROFILE!! Lix!! Dave and Yui's bdays are one day apart sjvfhsvfsvf this coincidence is so funny 🤣🤣

Since he likes sunsets, I wonder if he likes the sea too? The sunsets are very beautiful when viewing it from the beach (asked by someone who just got back from a trip to the beach)

Because he has a lot of piercings, I wonder if he's interested in getting tattoo too?

Not a question, but reading this --- Dave simply turned up at Varia’s front door with a cheerful: “Heard you were hiring?” --- made me laugh, because I remember the snippet that you wrote about how Dan met Dave and it still makes me laugh a lot 😆😆 (PLUS !!! “I can use this guy to avoid talking to people!” DAN IS SO REAL FOR THIS!!! HE'S SO BASED UR HONOR!!)

Is there any latest hot boiling tea that Davey-boy can share with us in the class right now?

Mammon knows a lot about people huh. I wonder what Dave's relationship with Mammon is like? How does Dave interact with Mammon, knowing (if he knows) that Mammon knows background info that he hides?

Would he dye his hair as rainbow-colored for Pride Month---

EIN! BELOVED! Thank you for visiting my humble abode, always lovely to have you here 💕✨

I have managed to get this ready for Dave's birthday!

Happy birthday Davey-boy! Hope you and everyone else likes some more Dave info hehehehe

Sunset and sea

As someone whose life has been grey and dull for a long time, Dave adors colours in all shape or form, so yes he loves the sea, loves how it can glitter and reflect. The different shades of blue also appeal to him. Just colours my friend. It's a small joy for him but a joy nonetheless.

Tattoos

Is Dave interested in tattoos? Yes. Does he trust anyone enough to actually give him one? Not really. Dave has done most of his piercings by himself (which Davey-boy... no...) but tattooing himself is certainly more difficult then simply stabbing a sanitised needle through his ear. He loves the idea of body art though and he keeps drawing tattoo ideas on his paperwork (much to Chief's chargin).

Also since we are at the topic of tattoos, I'm just going to sneakily mention this for the people who aren't in the discord or haven't read my Chief/Squalo sparring snippet:

Chief has tattoos! And he actually has a lot of ink. All of it is nature based and all of it is hidden under his clothing, so at the moment in the Varia only Luss (who is his doctor) and Mammon (because Mammon knows all) know about the tats. Dave is in for a surprise when he finds out hehe. (Dave already thinks that Chief is super cool, but now he has tattoos??? No fair~ He will need to increase his mischief factor by one hundred to balance it out.)

Dan the introvert

Dan knows what's up lol. While Dani-boy can talk to people when necessary he tries to avoid it as much as possible because it sucks his energy like nothing else and he already doesn't have much energy to begin with. Also Dan might be quite observant but he sometimes doesn't get subtext and takes sometimes a bit to literal, which can lead to much frustration and hilarity. So he prefers leaving the people thing to Dave who's a social butterfly and thrives under attention.

Mammon and Dave

Dave doesn't like Mammon, at all. Honestly, it's more fear than dislike that's bothering him, because Dave knows how much power information can hold, it's one of his specialites after all. So while Dave is aware that Mammon won't reveal anything about his past unless someone goes looking for it and is willing to pay an obscene amount of money for the info, he still treats Mammon with a healthy dose of respect. He actually tries his best to avoid dealing with him and Mammon is one of the few people he tries not to prank directly.

Rainbow hair

Dave would definitely dye his hair rainbow coloured for pride month. He would burst into Luss' room on the first of June (probably when the clock rings midnight lol) and demand that his hair needs to be taken care of now.

The Tea

Now, the tea is the reason why answering this took so long, because dear Ein, once again, I have written a snippet! Rejoice! (Thanks so much to @unwrathful @childe-of-saulot for helping me brainstorm and also thanks to my dear buddy @myrmyrtheorca for solving my naming problems 🫡💕✨)

---

Dave kicks Vlasta's door open with cheerful aplomb. "Have you heard?!"

His friend doesn’t even have the decency to look up from cleaning their knives at his fabulous entrance. "You violating my privacy? Sure did."

"Like you even know the definition of that word. You were literally fucking someone in bright daylight yesterday."

"It's the principle of the matter, D." They finally put away their collection of all things sharp and pointy just to grace him with a simple blink. “Now, what’s the tea and where the hell are the snacks?”

A grin creeps on his face as he presents the chocolate covered strawberries he stole from the kitchen like they are a tribute to the gods. “I came prepared.”

The offering is scrutinized for a moment before Vlasta nods in acceptance. “You pass, but you are on thin ice.”

Dave fully skips into their domain and is greeted with the full force of the tantalizing scent of plum and cherry hiding the metallic taint of blood that has etched itself into the foundation of the walls ever since Vlasta claimed this room as their own. He places the strawberries on the nightstand next to the candles and bones, then bounces onto the four-poster bed that wouldn’t have been out of place in a film set of a dark historical drama which features witches, blood sacrifices and ritual sex. The dark red satin sheets flow smooth and cool over his skin, a stark contrast from the humid summer heat.

Dave hums lazily. “You always had great taste in decor. Less so with your partners though.”

His words are met with a pointed kick to the ribs. “Fucking- OW! What was that for?” He quickly scoots out of kicking range, rubbing the sore spot on his side. “This is abuse! Mistreatment! Bullying!”

“Talk shit, get shot,” Vlasta smirks, plucking a strawberry from the container. “Count yourself lucky that I put my knives away or this could have ended in a bloodbath.”

“But you like bloodbaths!”

“Not on my good bedsheets, idiot.” Vlasta plops the fruit into their mouth and moans in a way that would turn a porn star green with envy. “Now spill the tea before the day’s over. Chop chop.”

Dave brightens. “Okay, so I was staking out make out closet, as one does.” Vlasta nods along like this is a reasonable way to spend one’s free time. There’s a reason why they are best friends. “And guess who walked out of there?

Vlasta indulges his theatrics. “Who?”

“Sofia!”

“Sofia Nardi?” His friend tilts their head like a curious bird. “Douchbag’s girlfriend Sofia? That Sofia?“

“Yup! And she wasn’t alone.” Dave waggles his eyebrows suggestively. “Ollie followed soon after.”

Vlasta perks up, finally gifting him the entire weight of their attention and he basks in it. Yes, he always has the best gossip, thank you very much.

Another strawberry disappears between black tainted lips. “Sofia and ol’ Ollie. They fucked?“

“Oh, totally.”

“Huh,” a slow blink, followed by a sadistic smile, “good for her. Does the Douchebag know?“

“Nope,” Dave answers, popping the p for maximum obnoxious effect. “Completely in the dark”

The smile turns into a full-blown smirk. “Excellent.”

Dave‘s expression mimics the grin on his best friend’s face, vindictiveness filling him by proxy.  Sofia’s (ex?) boyfriend Alberico Ordelaffi commonly known as the Douchebag is what one could call a traditionalist. In short: he’s strictly religious, massively sexist and completely full of himself. The only time he stops sucking his own cock is when he’s bragging about his prestigious lineage or insulting your lack thereof. Vlasta with all their… Vlastaness is naturally offending Douchebag’s delicate sensibilities which results in a largely one-sided rivalry that involves a lot of holy water and failed exorcisms. So, any misfortune falling upon him needs to be fully savoured and sampled.

Speaking of savouring, Vlasta already decimated the strawberry offering during his retelling leaving nothing left for him which ... yeah, that tracks. But he still wanted a taste! His friend can be so stingy sometimes.

Well, there are other ways to be fed...

“Now,” Dave risks edging a tiny bit closer to them. “Since I delivered you both juicy strawberries and gossip, I deserve a reward, yes?”

Vlasta doesn’t even hesitate in shooting him down. “I’m not telling you what Chief and I discuss when we’re alone.”

“Oh c’mon! What more could you possibly want?”

The stare he is given runs shivers down his spine. Vlasta has a way of looking right into your soul, dissecting you with a simple gaze. People often fear them because of their appearance, their fondness of blood and flesh but Dave fears their ability to stand back and watch far more. They pick up the smallest of hints that let’s them solve humans like puzzles and the only reason why Dave ever let them close is because he can recognize his people, see the same cracks that plague him day in and day out. It doesn’t change the fact that he’d prefer not being perceived and now he gave them an opening.

“Well, my dear friend.” Their voice was raspy, a near seductive purr. “How about your name?”

Dave freezes. Nobody asks after his name. The scars are questioned more often than he could count. Same for his family and body count. But his name? Nobody bothers asking after names in the Varia. Not with how the organisation collects weirdos like the most fucked up circus. You might snoop behind somebody’s back, but you don’t talk about it in person. It just wasn’t done.

Leave it to Vlasta to not give a single fuck about etiquette and social norms.

Dave sighs. “I’d rather not.”

The predatory aura persists for one more second until his friend simply shrugs like they were asking after the weather rather than one of his close kept secrets. “Shame. Names hold a lot of power. But no name, no deal, Davey-boy. Them’s the rules.”

The mood brightens considerably at the nickname. Teasing and banter, he can do. Way better than digging up pieces of his past best left forgotten.

Time to turn the brattiness to the max.

“But I wanna knoooow.” Dave gives them his best rendition of a kicked puppy.  “How can you just hoard the Chief insider info? The inhumanity! The cruelty!” He adds crocodile tears for dramatic effect. “Share the goods, V. I need all the dets. Well actually, I need to study Chief under a microscope, but I will accept second hand knowledge for now.”

Unsurprisingly, Vlasta isn’t moved by his act in the slightest, in fact they don’t budge an inch. "Your obsession with our boss is fascinating. Have you considered fucking him to get it out of your system?”

He pouts: "I offered! Well, Luss and I offered but he refused."

"Skill issue."

"Oh fuck off, how often did he reject you? Five times? Six?" He leans into Vlasta’s personal space, leering and teasingly poking their cheek. “Losing your touch V?”

“You’re about to lose a finger if you don’t remove it from my person, dickhead.” Their eyes gleam red and Dave immediately backs off.

Fuck. Pushed too much.

Touch and Vlasta can be ... tricky at times. Initiating contact always involves some risk. It's like a gamble where the odds change at a whim and clearly Dave lost this time around.

He scrambles off the bed, holding his hands up in surrender. He tries for a smile but it came out as an awkward grimace instead. "Sorry 'bout that."

The red in their eyes dims but doesn't disappear. Vlasta nods, accepting the apology but not stating forgiveness.

Yeah, this calls for a strategic retreat.

He tiptoes closer and closer to the door. "I'll see you around?" The confidence leaves him at the last minute turning his statement into a question.

Vlasta licks off the chocolate on one of their fingers, steadily holding eye contact because they are a fucking weirdo. "Until next time."

Oh, thank god. Friendship saved.

---

Ngl not totally satisfied with the ending but it will do >.< this got so long and surprisingly deep but I like how it protrays Dave's and Vlasta's realtionship.

[pinkmagicfish]

hetalia religious headcanons:

the concept of nationhood and religion is so fascinating to me and i don’t see a lot of discussion about it! i think being semi-immortal and choosing to believe in an even higher power is so interesting, so this is my personal headcanon on the beliefs of different nations (also obv influenced by my own experiences and opinions). they don’t necessarily coincide with their country which is intentional, because i think the hetalia characters are individuals as well as national representatives.

!! i think all religions are valid, as long as you don’t use them to justify harm to others. if you disagree with my opinion, i would love to hear other headcanons as long as they’re conveyed respectfully! this is also not meant as historical commentary :) !!

— ⸝⸝ ୨୧・┈ ・ ┈・୨୧ ⸝⸝ —

america: atheist (but sometimes goes to sunday church because its ‘funny’, otherwise he prefers to rely on himself instead of some higher power)

canada: catholic (he’s not the most religious guy or even believes all the time - the existence of a god is a comforting thought to him though)

england: celtic pagan (used to be officially christian but has always secretly preferred the religion of his brothers, with modern age and freedom of religion he became more open about it. tries hard not to let this old fate die out and holds big open celebrations on beltane, yule and ostara)

russia: russian orthodox (doesn’t go to church that frequently but enjoys the pretty churches and dressed up church-goers nonetheless)

france: believes a bit of everything (he loves everyone and can’t fixate himself on one certain religion or path, so he chooses his favorite aspects of different religions)

china: agnostic (not a very spiritual person, but still follows certain practices and superstitions he adopted centuries ago)

italy: catholic christian (his country is the residency of the pope, so not being a christian has never been an option to him. he sometimes doesn’t agree with certain judgements of the church, but every night before he goes to bed he sends a quick prayer to god)

romano: catholic christian (not as devout as his brother, but occasionally he prays before bed)

spain: atheist (he prefers to follow philosophies he agrees with rather than a set religion)

germany: protestant christian (he likes the ideas of the protestant church more than the catholic one, despite what one may assume given his love for rules. he also enjoys the community of his church)

japan: doesn’t believe in gods necessarily, but really enjoys japanese myths and folklore (he likes not having too many rules set by a church or a similar institution and gets a lot of joy from spending time with his culture)

prussia: atheist (used to strongly believe in god but when his kingdom fell, all the love for his god went out the window)

austria: jewish (despite his country being very christian nowadays, austria is a guy who likes doing what he’s used to. same thing goes for his religion - he picked it once, and wouldn’t dream of changing. he does, however, enjoy the social aspects and atmosphere of christmas)

poland: atheist (he used to be jewish, but strayed from the religion when he started to rely on himself instead of a god who, in his eyes, never bothered to come to his rescue. he likes to celebrate lithuanias holidays with him)

lithuania: pagan (he believes that every god exists in some form, but he prefers to work with lithuanian deities. his heart swells with joy whenever his brothers or poland celebrate pagan holidays with him)

[natasha-in-space]

Hi! I noticed that your requests were open and I really love your writings! I was wondering if possible could you do a Jumin and Saeran x reader (separately) Soulmate AU if you can? It’s fine if not but if you do thank you! And I hope you have a good day/night!

So, funny story: this was supposed to be done by the start of this week! Turns out I love the concept of soulmates way more than I originally thought, so I hope you don't mind this being pretty long ':D

Jumin

Soulmate concept: You have a mark of the first letter of your soulmate’s name on your wrist.

Jumin never liked looking at the small single-letter mark that was forever etched onto the underside of his wrist. It's not that it looked weird or unpleasant to him, quite the opposite actually. It was almost frustrating just how perfectly it fit in there, no matter how hard he would try to ignore it. No, the reason why he would always cover his wrists up with long-sleeved business suits was that he absolutely refused to accept the idea of a soulmate. At least, in a traditional sense that his father would explain it to him.

And how could he not? With the way his father would latch onto anybody whose name began with that cursed letter that was embedded onto his wrist, the idea of doing the same was borderline sickening to Jumin. In some ironic sense, by trying to find your soulmate so desperately, you would lose all sense of authenticity in your relationships. It was all about finding that so-called 'the one'.

Why would he care about that? He had Jihyun: his childhood friend of many years with whom he shared countless of precious memories to reminisce about. His memory was so precise, he could write an entire book about their friendship if put his mind to it. He had Rika, before tragically losing her along with everyone else in the RFA. If there really was such a thing as a soulmate, he thought Rika was the closest thing he ever got to it. Her name did not begin with the same letter as the one that could be seen on his wrist... But, he foolishly hoped that her real name would surprise him. Rika was the first woman in his lifetime who saw the tangled mess of threads that he had so meticulously hidden away in the deepest parts of his conscience. She saw it. And, she accepted it.

Of course, Rika was happily engaged to another. His precious best friend, nonetheless. The last thing Jumin would do is ruin the happiness of those few he holds dear. He's not his father. Besides, he has Elizabeth the 3rd. She's all the company he needs at the end of a particularly stressful day. She never judges him, and she would never go somewhere he couldn't find her.

He was fine with his current life.

By the time you came into the picture like a hurricane, Jumin was certain he would go through his entire life without worrying about that mark ever again. Surely it was just a coincidence that your name began with the very same letter as his mark. And, of course, your lovely personality and good heart were the only reasons behind his growing attachment to you the longer you two talked through your first days in their organization. What else could it be? You were a thoughtful and compassionate person. That's all there is to it.

Oh, how mortified he was when he first saw your uncovered wrist with the visible 'J' etched onto it.

You were asleep at the time, looking way too adorable for your own good as you curled into your blankets like Elizabeth the 3rd would often do as well. He didn't mean to look. Truth is, he had no idea what pushed him to gently take hold of your hand and gaze upon your wrist.

There were a lot of things he couldn't understand. And you were in the center of it all. He wanted to understand you. He wanted to understand the strange and captivating effects your every action would have on his conscience. And... most of all, he wanted to understand his own heart.

Maybe it's because, much like Rika once did, you saw the tangled threads of his heart: weaved together so tightly, it was practically impossible to discern where each thread would begin, and where it would end. He stopped trying to untangle them a long time ago. But, you were different from Rika. Ever since you met him face-to-face, you started trying to untangle those threads of his. With every kind word of yours, with every caring touch and patient gaze, you would gently detangle each tiny knot one by one. And, what shook him most of all is that...

It didn't hurt.

Was it really you helping him figure out his own detached heart, or were you just motivating him to search for those answers on his own? Jumin didn't know. All he did know at this very moment, as he stared at that single letter visible on the soft skin of your wrist, is that he felt strangely... hopeful. Just because both of your names fitted the letters of your soulmate marks didn't mean anything... It could be a mere coincidence. And yet, he couldn't logic his way out of this. Not anymore.

"Jumin...?"

He almost jumped as you suddenly opened your eyes and looked up at him with a groggy look crossing over your features. Damn it. He shouldn't have disturbed your sleep like that.

"I apologize." He swiftly let go of your wrist, absent-mindedly rubbing his fingers together without even thinking about it. "I didn't mean to wake you."

You let out a small sleepy groan, slowly sitting up in bed as you let your blanket clumsily fall from your shoulder. He tried his hardest to ignore the unfamiliar warmth in his cheeks as he took in your slightly disheveled appearance and drowsy eyes.

He wanted to touch your hair... Was it soft? It looked soft. Even when it was all messy like that.

"What were you looking at?" You asked, shifting your attention to your wrist. Some part of him wanted to change the subject, but no words came out. When was the last time he found himself so frozen on the spot? You momentarily met his gaze, a sense of understanding flashing through your eyes. Ah, so clever, as always. "Oh... Was it this?"

You caressed your soulmate's mark with the tip of your thumb, a thoughtful hum emitting from your throat. For some reason, this one simple action made his breath get caught in his throat. Before he could even think about it, Jumin reached out with his own hand, gently taking hold of your wrist again. You didn't seem to mind, just raising your eyes back up at his face as he crouched down in front of the guest bed. He let out a breath. "Yes. I just..."

He trailed off, not really knowing what he wanted to say. He decided to change the subject instead.

"...Do you believe in it?"

"In what? Soulmates?" You asked, sounding a bit puzzled as you tilted your head to the side. He drummed his fingertips against your wrist, finding this action to be oddly comforting.

"Yes."

A moment of silence passed, one that felt way longer than it actually was. Finally, you shrugged. "I don't deny it... But, It's not like finding a soulmate is all that matters in life. I'd like to believe that I will find my soulmate, whoever it is, once the time is right. Until then, I will focus on flourishing in my own way."

The smile you gave him made his chest fill up with ticklish warmth. You were truly such an admirable person. He couldn't help but be so very enamored by you. You shone so brightly, both on your own and with other people around you. Your heart was open to the world, but it was strong enough to sustain you independently. You didn't need anyone to be fulfilled, but you knew the importance of meaningful connections, and you cherished every single one of them. In Jumin's eyes, you were perfectly imperfect in that way.

"Do you believe in soulmates, Jumin?" You brought him back from his thoughts with your question, one of your hands now lightly pressing atop of his. Almost like you were testing the waters. He let it stay there.

Still, your question made him suck in a breath and look away, despite his every cell practically screaming at him to keep on looking into your eyes. "...I don't know. I never understood why everyone around me was so obsessed with finding their soulmate. My father would jump at every person whose name would begin with that cursed letter, no matter what it meant for me or anyone in the company. I think... love should be voluntary, not forced on you by some invisible force."

He could see you nodding out of the corner of his eyes. And then, he felt your thumb gently caressing the palm of his hand, this single touch making him shiver. God, what were you doing to him...?

"You have a very good point... But, I don't think a soulmate bond means that you will instantly be head over heels towards each other." You mumbled. Your words made him pause as he mulled over your point of view. Eventually, he turned back to look at you, feeling more comfortable discussing this touchy subject. He wanted to hear your thoughts. Talking to you was always so insightful and comfortable. Another thing he appreciated about you.

"Then... What do you think it means?"

You hummed. "I think... It just means that this person is your perfect match. But, this doesn't mean that just meeting them is all there is to it. You still have to learn and grow together... work on loving and understanding each other one step at a time. Does this even make sense?"

Another long pause followed as he let your words sink in for a moment.

"What if... I was your soulmate?"

Saeran

Soulmate concept: When one soulmate feels pain, the other does too

Your soulmate had to be the saddest person on this entire Earth.

It started out from such an early age, you were sure your parents were deeply concerned for you at the time. For as long as you could remember yourself, you felt it. Your soulmate would get hurt almost every day, and you had no choice but to adapt to it. At first, you were confused, upset, frustrated. And, who could blame you? You were just a kid. You couldn't possibly comprehend what you were feeling or why. You just knew it was bad, and you didn't like it.

At first, you were angry.

While your parents explained to you the concept of soulmates in the simplest way they could to someone so terribly young, you still found it so very unfair. Nobody around you seemed to struggle as much as you did. Maybe one of your playmates would suddenly start crying over an uncomfortable burning in their knee, or a stomachache, but... for you, it was very different. You felt uncomfortable and sickly almost every day. And, you had no choice but to adapt to it, whether you wanted to or not. All you could find solace in was the comforting touch of your parents as they would share a worried look, while you would curl up on their lap, whimpering about feeling so hungry and thirsty, but not actually wanting to eat or drink yourself, because it wasn't your hunger or thirst you were experiencing.

With age, came understanding.

As you grew up, you learned about how the soulmate bond would work in a more complex way than what you thought of it before. You understood that your soulmate was hurting. That they were probably very sad. And unable to do anything to change that. Your anger was replaced by sympathy. How could it be that your soulmate was growing up like this? How can that be fair? Or unchanging for so many years? You found yourself being very careful about getting hurt as you grew up. Your soulmate was already in so much pain... You didn't want them to suffer any more than they already did.

And then, came acceptance.

As years passed by, you learned a certain pattern of sorts. You learn to work around it. You learned to expect it. Your soulmate would get hurt every other week it seemed, although you couldn't really figure out if someone was hitting them, or they just were very unlucky in terms of coordination. In your teen years, something new came. You hated when something new would happen. You couldn't really figure out what it was. It was dizzying and confusing, almost like having a very mild migraine of sorts, but very far from it all the same. You would feel your head get all foggy, your throat tingling like you accidentally swallowed something very hot and spicy, and your stomach would feel achy and uncomfortable for the entirety of that day. You didn't like when that happened. But, it was something new you had to get used to now.

Just when would they finally stop hurting...?

Soulmates would share their pain with each other. It's something that was supposed to bring comfort and solace to those suffering from it. Knowing that, no matter how hard it would get, they were never truly alone. That sentimental concept, however, would shatter completely once you start thinking about other things than just mundane types of pain a perfectly healthy human being would deal with. You knew you were not alone in your predicament. Lots of people shared the similarities of your situation. But... it didn't make it any easier. Of course, you would never be able to feel the direct pain your soulmate was going through. It was just an... uncomfortable dulled out reflection of it.

When your soulmate would get hit, you would feel a sharp jolt in that same area, making you stumble a bit. Sometimes, it would even knock the air out of you, particularly whenever your soulmate would get hit in the chest. Every few months, your scalp would itch uncomfortably, making you huff and curse as you tried to ignore the irritating burning feeling the best you could. It reminded you of that one time you accidentally used too much bleach on your hair in an unfortunate hairstyling accident. You wondered why it reminded you so much of it. Surely your soulmate wouldn't fry their hair off every single time they wanted to dye their hair, right?

With how observant you've grown over the years, it didn't take you long to realize that Ray was, in fact, your soulmate. Actually, you figured it out on the third day of your stay in this place. It was obvious. Your head would ache annoyingly at the same time as him mentioning a migraine, and your fingertips would itch as you saw him nervously biting at his gloved fingers when he thought you weren't looking. That, topped over with the way you felt naturally drawn to him, made it fairly clear what was really going on here. Still, you decided not to bring it up with him.

Not yet, at least.

You cared for Ray, both because of him being your soulmate and because of your genuine affection towards him. Your affection, however, never clouded your logic. You knew that he was hiding something from you, that there was more to this place than he let on. And... you weren't sure how he would react if he found out about your soulmate bond to each other. He seemed rather attached to you... Sometimes, it was sweet and lovely. But, sometimes, it would make your heart ache as you wondered... just what did he have to go through to think so lowly of himself? To grow so desperate for companionship?

Desperation would often lead to rash decisions. Which is exactly why you were being patient. You would tell him, eventually. You just needed him to trust you more, and you wanted to grow to know him on a deeper level. You wouldn't leave his side, of that you were certain.

But... things didn't quite... went according to plan.

Yesterday, you accidentally tripped over the carpet and hit the edge of the bed with your hip quite badly. You wouldn't be surprised to see a huge purple bruise on that very same spot, to be completely honest. Surely, Ray felt that. You felt a bit bad for causing him this discomfort. This is exactly why you were being extra cheerful to him on your walk through the garden today, trying to conceal the way you would occasionally limp once you put your foot in the wrong way. It wasn't painful or anything... but, it was uncomfortable. Sadly, Ray didn't seem to buy it. Or, at least, judging by the worried look in his piercing mint eyes.

He suddenly stopped walking, just staring you down, a whole mix of conflicting emotions swirling in his gaze, making it hard for you to distinguish what is it that he was feeling at this moment. It made you a bit nervous, quite frankly. But, you tried not to make your soft smile falter. "Is something wrong?"

"You're hiding something from me."

You blinked, a bit taken aback by just how blunt he came off. He didn't sound angry or suspicious per se... You couldn't really figure out what he was thinking. You haven't seen Ray like this before. Or, at least... without him trying to hide it. You let out a breath before giving him your reply, picking your words carefully as you did. "What do you mean?"

You could see him pursing his lips, his fingers twitching as he mulled over his thoughts. He seemed a bit frustrated. Like he didn't really know what he wanted to say. It definitely made him look a bit paranoid, and you couldn't blame him. "I just... Please, you must tell me if there's something on your mind. You must. You trust me, right?"

...Did he not know the reason behind his suspicions himself?

"Of course I trust you... Ray, is something bothering you?" You tried a softer approach, hoping to get to the source of this.

He darted his eyes around the garden, not really focusing on anything in particular. Yeah, he was definitely feeling nervous. "I don't... You didn't answer my question. You're not hiding anything from me, are you?"

It seems like both of you were just going in circles. But, what else could you say? You were starting to feel a bit confused yourself. What was this about, exactly?

"Not that I know of... Say, how about we talk about this back in my room? Maybe we'll figure something out. I don't like seeing you so nervous."

You didn't mention the fact that there would be fewer ears listening in on your conversation in there. Either way, he seemed to consider your suggestion before nodding and offering you his glowed hand, which you quickly took.

"...Yes, that sounds wonderful. Thank you, Y/N." He gave you a small but genuine smile that made your heart skip a beat for a moment. He looked so pretty when he smiled...

But, as your thoughts drifted somewhere far away, centered only around Ray's delicate facial features, you completely forgot about your hip. One clumsy step and you instinctively winced, quickly placing your foot into a different position. This, however, made Ray freeze again, his hold on your hand tightening. You didn't know whether it was due to him automatically trying to hold onto you in case you would trip, or... Well, the other option concerning that special bond of yours.

"...Are you hurt?"

This time, it was your turn to avert your gaze. You rubbed the back of your neck awkwardly. "Ah, it's... it's nothing. Just a bruise."

"A bruise?"

Oh, God, he sounded rather... intense. You didn't know how to respond to that. You felt him take a step closer, your breath getting caught up in your throat as he did. "Where is it?"

...Should you tell him? That didn't sound like a question, more like a demand. You hesitated, unsure whether or not you should just make up some excuse. Was this really the right time to reveal that you were, in fact, his soulmate? You didn't know. You weren't ready for this turn of events at all.

"I, uh... It's nothing. I just tripped over the carpet yesterday. It's not serious, I'm just a bit sore." That was vague enough, but truthful nonetheless. You hoped your answer would suffice. Judging by the deeply troubled look on Ray's face, your hopes wouldn't be met.

Geez, he was acting like you broke your leg or something!

"Let me see." His grip on your hand tightened again as he took yet another step closer, bringing your bodies together in a way that was definitely beyond just colleagues or friends hanging out. You gulped. Again, he didn't sound angry, but... firm. A side of him you were not used to whatsoever. Still, strangely enough, it made your cheeks burn. Especially when you remembered where this bruise was exactly.

"N-no..." You shook your head, averting your gaze from him nervously. Well, there's no winning this. You'll just have to come clean. You certainly did not want Ray to get even more paranoid than he already was. "It's... It's on my hip, alright? So, it'll be... a bit embarrassing to show you, if you know what I mean."

A choked gasp was all you heard, his fingers quivering where they grasped onto your hand. Did he figure it out? You were too anxious to ask.

"Your... Your hip? You said you... you got this bruise yesterday?" He muttered, sounding both nervous and hopeful at the same time. He gently nudged you a bit closer, tilting his head to presumably take a look at your eyes. "Please... Please look at me, okay, Y/N? This is... This is important."

Of course it was important. You swallowed, feeling your heart picking up the pace as you did turn to meet his gaze. Honestly, it made your knees feel weak with just how many emotions he was looking at you. He looked like he was about to cry or laugh, or faint, and you were not sure which one of these options he would take.

You decided to just be upfront about it now. "...Did you feel it?"

His eyes widened, another strangled breath falling from his lips as he began to tremble, overwhelmed with so many different emotions. You didn't have to spell it out to him. It was obvious. This time, it was your turn to hold onto him. You had no idea what would happen after you utter those words... But, you knew there was no way around it. You were meant to meet one another. You were determined to see it through, no matter what secrets this boy kept hidden in his heart.

"You're my soulmate, Ray."

[fryday]

hi! who's sam the surfer and what has he got to do with wdapteo4?

hello! LMAO sam the surfer is a man, a myth, a legend. you can and should watch the og convo about him here (at 4:53) but basically he's this guy that phil has run into 3 separate times in 3 different airports around the world. phil was convinced this meant they were fated to meet but dan being a cynic — and definitely a little jealous lol — refused to accept that it was anything other than coincidence. maybe a cool coincidence, but coincidence nonetheless. he was being very pissy about it it was hilarious

so with that reaction in mind, it's really funny when in wdapteo 4 phil is going on really excitedly about how he and dan went to the same swedish café and ordered the same pastry 10 years apart, and dan's reaction is not "yeah well some things are just bound to happen because the universe is really big", like it was re: sam the surfer, but rather ":) hehe :))) this is so cute 🥰 so crayzy 🤪 me and phil really Did That 💅🏼 Just Soulmate Things™️ amirite ✨"

obviously he didn't actually say that lol but the energy..... he was sooo soft and smiley like hey now

(also tbf phil did call it a coincidence rather than fate in wdapteo 4, so maybe that's why dan didn't jump on him about it. but i think there's a 75% chance that even if phil had used the f word, dan would have just laughed about it and let it go because it's about HIM and phil in this case) (sorry sam)

[narwhalandchill]

its been like. nearly a year (How.) already but i cannot lie theres Still a part in the back of my brain occupied with and being thoroughly entertained by the way that childes confirmed 4.0 complete self-awareness over waking up the narwhal at 14 recontextualizes some key liyue things leading to some very funny self indulgent scenarios in my head

like yes chili is old news its basic please excuse me for predictable popular ship crimes (do NOT however associate me w the crimes of fanon against their actual range. theyre peak to Me) but i just keep replaying the imagery of zhongli and childe back on their homoerotic Professional Working Relationship bullshit where their flirting passed the jkjk unless treshold of even remotely plausible deniability like 8 exorbitantly priced business dinners ago and theyre just like. doing that whole song and dance now neither committing to a move except zhonglis presently feeling moderately conflicted (but nonetheless fairly unfazed at) by the prospects of actually developing some sort of a thing for the harbinger hes supposed to puppet master into executing the major story climax of his 67-step retirement plan bc he turned out to be quite the strangely charming ginger specimen (to His weird fucking 6000 year old tastes at least. they deserve each other) with some fascinating life ambitions he cant help but be enraptured by.

but because hes still 100% Locked In on his entire plan zhonglis also just . simultaneously dual wielding his coy-ass "i like you and am taking it slow to Savor this developing relationship (Also bc of the Geo Archon Shaped Elephant In The Room) except am old as shit so my languid sense of time inadvertedly Automatically turns my behavior into an equivalent of the dark souls boss of playing hard2get" act (cue "waddup im ajax 24 and im in fucking agony with this hot funeral consultant". Yes they live like this) AND also meticulously theorycrafting like 12 moves in advance for his 6d chess play of leaving the most subtly crafted trail of breadcrumbs behind for the tsaritsas 11th to follow into the intended & completely "Coincidental" idea of unleashing the one particular sealed sea deity that zhongli Specifically wants momentarily released for his sweet 6k retirement party and graduation test for the nation hes helicopter parented for 3.7k years .

like. this is zhongli we r talking about the guy Absolutely has it planned out down to a fucking art like he has an entire branching path dialogue tree planned and memorized like its a visual novel for every possible way he can conveniently namedrop osial in a non-suspect way and also that he just happens to be sealed right over there across the harbor (what a coincidence!) and also to slip in the intel about the latent power of the sigil of permission etc etc. like zhonglis just out there doing all this massive galaxy brain computational work simultaneously while infodumping on an academic level about whichever subject childes latest random comment of amicable small talk happened to remind him of because in his helicopter parent in remission mind its Absolutely Critical that the idea about releasing osial occurs Completely organically in childes mind it Has to he Cannot risk revealing anything . (hes in remission not in recovery guys.) so like here we are. he requested notes from the tsaritsa Personally on the character of her 11th just to ensure every move was painstakingly crafted to draw him Specifically to the intended conclusion without risking revealing his true identity .

except. the thing . neither he. nor the tsaritsa . would have been informed of . is that this simply isnt childes first fucking rodeo waking up an eldritch city sized sea creature . and he is very well aware of this fact . he woke that beautiful wonderful beloved huge fucking narwhal up by himself had his brain chemistry Immediately and Irrevocably rewired as a direct consequence do you fucking think hes somehow stopped thinking about that singular moment for even a second since then???

yeah . thought so.

so what actually ends up happening in reality is theyll be on another definitely-serious-business-not-just-a-date and zhonglis going to get down to like dialogue selection part 10 of the 86 step conversation tree at Most where hes only beginning to like Vaguely allude to the key pieces of information involved but it turns out Because Hes That Guy (TM) And Has Been There Done That Before childes basic pattern recognition and sense of irony simply proceed to kick in Way ahead of time and hes Immediately perking up like Hey wouldnt it be really fucking funny if i wake up an eldritch sea beast Again . like just in case. as a last ditch effort .

and zhonglis just sitting there seeing the gears turn in his head as they enjoy their cringe fucking picnic (bc they just stare at each other intently like that nowadays its a thing. being in a room with them by this point is essentially a human rights violation) and is just completely fucking flabbergasted and lost on how in the hell childes speedran his way to that conclusion at what amounts to barely a 13% completion rate in his whole overkill fucking plan (just 1 of 3 contingencies btw) and its like yes he has his intended outcome but also precisely 0 idea on how the fuck said outcome was reached the way it was this fast . like hes still winning its His plan thats well underway and ahead of schedule but How

(pov: ur selling the concept of waking up destructive sea creatures to the guy who woke up a celestial body eating cosmic whale at 14)

anyway its truly beautiful i absolutely detest these two and have prime liyue AQ hijinks nostalgia now thank you for the lore drop that allowed this to become canon in my head hoyo

[maccaronimassacre]

I love your Ethan Winters bots. They're my favorite, and often cheer me up when I'm feeling sad. He's always been a really wholesome character (at least in my opinion). Speaking of Ethan Winters... Could you make a bot where he's in love with the user and even hints at it, but the user is oblivious to it? I think it'd be really cute!

Ethan Winters x Oblivious!Reader

The other day, Ethan bought you flowers, which you assumed were for decorating your desk. Last week, he made your favourite meal after a very brief conversation about food from your childhood, which you chalked up to a funny coincidence. And don’t even get him started on the playful comments and compliments he gives when he conveniently passes by your desk on the way to his, which you brush off as "he’s like that with everyone in the office." Nonetheless, Ethan is determined that today is the day he gets through that thick but beautiful head of yours, and he’s going to do it by asking you out for lunch. “Hey, {{user}}! You’re on break now, right?” Ethan’s heart pounds in his chest as he waits for your response. His eyes are filled with hopeful anticipation, his fingers drumming nervously on the edge of your cubicle. He’s rehearsed this moment all morning, and now, it’s all or nothing.

[woodchipp]

So I didn't want to keep blowing up your messages on that post, so I'll try to respond as concisely and respectfully as I can here :)

Some of these are my opinions, some are speculation, and some are pulled directly from the Canon, but feel free to disagree all the same. This isn't me trying to argue, but tbh, I like engaging in debates/talking to people about media that I enjoy so I can get a different perspective on what to do/not as a writer. So here we go.

"That's basically the issue I take with the twist - a good chunk of the foreshadowing could be construed as Sunny feeling guilty about Mari's *suicide*, not his *manslaughter*. We're also not shown much of the process of Sunny's frustration growing until it boils over and he breaks the violin, so it just makes him flipping out at his sister feel out of left field."

I agree and that's where most of Omori's problem comes from. We're never shown the gap between when the photo album takes place and where the argument happens and I always had a feeling that it was tact on. We're told that Sunny was dealing with pain from the violin in a random throwaway line, but that was never conveyed. There should've been more of a build-up for what Sunny did, but I always saw it as more of the heat of a moment thing since the recital was happening, giving Mari a reason to be harder on him, on top of him already feeling nervous because, unless I'm mistaken, Sunny did deal with feeling nervous about the recital and only took up the violin because he wanted to spend time with her, not because he wanted to play. But nonetheless, that doesn't excuse the poor writing.

Again, feel free to disagree with him, but his breaking the violin shows where his priorities lay, and that was never on the violin, but his relationship with Mari. The violin was supposed to serve as a tool he could use to spend time with Mari, but all it ended up doing was driving them apart and having his doubts about himself fully realized because, from what we can tell, he always thought that he wasn't really good at anything (as evidence by what the books say in the Lost Library) and was more a less of a burden on his friends (which things ends up being proven to be true since his killing Mari burdens his friends AND his cowardly running away from the action stunts his growth and turns him into a being devoid of any meaning or purpose in life but to escape from the guilt he brought onto himself.)

So basically, already not feeling good enough was proven because he kept messing up his part, wanting to spend time with his sister and then indirectly driving their relationship into something that can only be indulged in if he's doing something he doesn't want to do. And I get it, "If he didn't want to, he should've said something," but tbh, it's more realistic for preteen kids to try to hang out with their "big kid" older siblings on their terms because they want to feel closer to them. My evidence? Like I said, having siblings with roughly the same age gap as Sunny and Mari.

(Ironically, I also played the violin and there were so many times my siblings wanted to play with me to spend time with me, so eh, funny coincidence there.)

11/12-year-olds are very emotional and reckless at times, and they tend to take a lot of things at surface level. I'm not attempting to justify Sunny's actions, but I've seen in action how QUICKLY rambunctious they get, ESPECIALLY in arguments or physical altercations with siblings.

My issue with Omori is that Mari is displayed as perfect and NOT the typical sibling, which makes their fight unrealistic to me. Sunny at the moment was a realistic child, but you can't honestly expect me to believe that someone as perfectly shown as Mari would've got into a physical altercation with Sunny in good faith, no matter how angry she was.

Mari needed to be aged closer to Sunny and to be closer to the average sibling for the fight to have been believable. Give a reason for the fight to be believable, because fights between siblings resulting in more harm than what was intended occurs A LOT in real life, age gaps be damned, but part of the emotional impact needs to be about the siblings' closeness, so why not just show a normal sibling relationship with ups and downs rather than this idealistic "mother-son" bond that they had?

That's what breaks it for me. In this case, yes, I believe that with how perfectly Mari was displayed, they should've gone for a suicide angle, whereas if they wanted to do a "younger sibling accidentally killed older sibling" they needed to make said older sibling believable. But I guess they thought that if Mari wasn't showcased as perfect, then the audience wouldn't have been endeared to her, which is just stupid logic because Aubrey is a problematic character (tbh they all are), and yet a lot of people still like her? Omocat confuses me sometimes.

Sunny should've had to explore the implications of the suicide while also piecing together that Mari WASN'T a perfect person, but the game seems to want to double down on that for some reason. You can't have your cake and eat it too game; either she was a good person who never would've engaged with her brother to such an angry and jarring degree OR she was a flawed, realistic person who got into a fight with her brother over a stressful thing that neither of them could communicate properly on, but the game doesn't seem to want to explore either of those things. Headspace Mari being perfect makes sense. He killed her. The least he can do is idolize her and make her an "angel figure." But then real world Mari is ALSO idealized? And I'm just like, that doesn't make any sense, but sure, ok...

"Also, from what I've heard (although so far it's unconfirmed), Mari was actually intended to have killed herself and the whole manslaughter twist was added MUCH later on, which would probably explain why it feels so inorganic with the rest of the story."

That makes sense and I also had a feeling that was the case.

"Isn't the whole good ending about how he's free to move on and how he'll no longer feel guilty? I mean, the additional secret cutscene even shows his and Basil's Somethings fading away entirely."

Ok, so here's where I start to disagree a bit. Sunny shouldn't feel shame (which is what I think you mean rather than guilt, but I could be mistaken", he should feel guilty. And I'm sure you going to ask, "Well what's the difference?" (Or maybe you already know, and it's my fault for assuming you don't.)

Shame, in this case, is a selfish thing. What Sunny did was a selfish thing. He killed his sister, albeit accidentally, and then pretty much hid said shame under the guise of an idealistic dream."

Guilt is feeling bad because you did a bad thing to another person, shame is believing you ARE a bad person. The guilt never goes away, it's the shame that does. Guilt is a healthy thing, shame typically isn't (it depends on the action tbh.)

The problem with shame is that it doesn't drive anyone to do anything but wallow in self-pity. If you truly believe you're a bad person, then 9 times out of 10, you're not going to make the effort to prove said belief wrong because shame goes deeper than a thought process. It's an entire evaluation of your character that doesn't even have to exist because you did something wrong, some people just feel shame naturally. Shame is heavily related to OCD (guilt can be too, but people with shame-related OCD usually believe they're bad people rather than they simply did/thought a bad thing).

Whereas you're constantly in a cycle of blaming yourself and feeling terrible and as a result of being in said cycle of shame, you never FORWARD yourself, and if you never do that, then you never take the time to try to right the person(s) you wronged.

Sunny should feel guilty and it's never said that it goes away, he still did a terrible thing to another person and as long as that fact remains, the guilt will always be there. It's the belief that he's an inherently evil person that goes away.

Guilt is healthy, shame isn't, and it's the guilt that drives him to come clean in the first place and the shame that drives him to, well, *glances at a bad ending.*

I feel like this is an issue with Omori fans when they say that Omori embodies the guilt because that's not true, he embodies that shame.

And we can see the logic, "I did a bad thing, so I'm bad and therefore I don't deserve to live," (and tbh I feel like the only people who don't deserve to live when they do bad things are like, r@pists and people into children and serial killers,) not a child who unintentionally killed their older sibling. Now if it was an older child who intentionally killed their younger sibling, I could see an argument there, but like I said, as a big sister, I couldn't in good faith believe that a younger sibling deserves to die over something they did unintentionally when they were twelve.

Whether or not Sunny is an inherently evil person once he's older is up to you when, but again, I can't as an older sibling say I wouldn't forgive my sibling for doing something to me like that. Maybe that's just me, but that's how I feel about it.

I noticed you said that you take issue with Mari forgiving Sunny in another post, but to me, as a big sister, that was the more realistic part of her character. Maybe it's not for everyone to agree on, but I couldn't see myself being angry/not forgiving my sibling over an accident, especially for causing said accident when they were twelve.

Anyway, that's just my thoughts. It's a bit of cluster fuck of ideas and concepts, and you're free to tear into them, but they're all just opinions at the end of the day.

We're told that Sunny was dealing with pain from the violin in a random throwaway line [...] unless I'm mistaken, Sunny did deal with feeling nervous about the recital

I don't think it was either pain or anxiety. He apparently viewed violin practice as a "nuisance" that prevented him from watching Saturday morning cartoons for as long as he wanted to and that's pretty much the only info you're given until the Black Space photo album lol

And I get it, "If he didn't want to, he should've said something,"

Eh, never saw any reason to apply that argument to him. Although I suppose it'd have been kinda interesting to see him initiate their big argument by blowing up at Mari because she got too harsh on him or something along these lines

part of the emotional impact needs to be about the siblings' closeness, so why not just show a normal sibling relationship with ups and downs rather than this idealistic "mother-son" bond that they had?

[...]

Sunny should've had to explore the implications of the suicide while also piecing together that Mari WASN'T a perfect person, but the game seems to want to double down on that for some reason. You can't have your cake and eat it too game; either she was a good person who never would've engaged with her brother to such an angry and jarring degree OR she was a flawed, realistic person who got into a fight with her brother over a stressful thing that neither of them could communicate properly on, but the game doesn't seem to want to explore either of those things. Headspace Mari being perfect makes sense. He killed her. The least he can do is idolize her and make her an "angel figure." But then real world Mari is ALSO idealized? And I'm just like, that doesn't make any sense, but sure, ok...

Yeah, exactly.

It baffles me to no end. We're told Sunny is quite the unreliable narrator right before the game reinforces his unreliable perception of Mari by portraying her as perfect in tne real world as well and it's just. ?????????????????

But I guess they thought that if Mari wasn't showcased as perfect, then the audience wouldn't have been endeared to her, which is just stupid logic because Aubrey is a problematic character (tbh they all are), and yet a lot of people still like her? Omocat confuses me sometimes.

People like Aubrey because she's *checks smudged writing on hand* an absolute girlboss and cunty. And if you don't like her, you're sexist. Seriously, that's most of the arguments I've seen being used in her defense when people talk about her lmao

I've spent quite a while dissecting this game and trust me, Omocat confuses me all the time. OMORI's writing desperately wants to be taken seriously but kinda just. falls apart when you actually take it seriously and think about it for more than 0.5 seconds

Omori representing Sunny's shame instead of his guilt would make the former disappearing after the DUET cutscene make sense. Huh, that's an Interesting interpretation

I noticed you said that you take issue with Mari forgiving Sunny in another post, but to me, as a big sister, that was the more realistic part of her character. Maybe it's not for everyone to agree on, but I couldn't see myself being angry/not forgiving my sibling over an accident, especially for causing said accident when they were twelve.

Ironically, my issue with Mari forgiving Sunny is that it kinda makes her look even more perfect than she already is. Like she's so perfect that she can't even get angry at her brother for cutting her life short

In any case, this was a pretty nice and civil discussion. Thank you for writing me! :D

[lorenzobane]

Happy Evil Author's Day to me :) This one is called "Federation Viewpoint," and I do hope to finish it one day. Basically, this one takes the framing device of the 5 things Garak learned about the Federation prior to his exile.

--

Prologue

“Welcome,” Grentak says, “to A Federation Overview for Non-Federation Specialists. If you were looking for “An Overview of Causeway Nations for Federation Specialists,” that is down the hall.” 

Garak hears a few muffled footsteps and curses as a few other Order agents shuffle out of the room. Internally, he can’t help but think this is a profound waste of time. He specializes in what the Order terms “Causeway Nations.” Or, Non-Federation worlds that, while usually not allies of Cardassia, do tend to share a general antipathy for the tendencies of Starfleet. He’s learned Klingon, Romulan, Tzenkath, and a few others and considers himself an expert on their culture. 

Why he also needs to receive an overview of an empire he never intends to see is beyond him. 

The presenter, Grentak, starts talking again after the shuffle is complete. “I’m sure several of you are wondering about the wisdom of this course. It must seem highly inefficient and hardly furthering the Cardassian empire. However, we have found that this type of broad basis of understanding of overall Alpha Quadrant politics greatly improves the overall efficacy of our agents.”

What follows is a somewhat tedious history lesson that Garak is aware of; the Federation was founded out of a mixture of Vulcan, Andorian, Tellurite, and Earth cultures and represented a “Federation” of planets, not a nation the way the Cardassian Empire might understand it. To Garak it sounds horrendously divided and weak because of it. 

Nonetheless, he pulls out his PADD and begins taking notes. 

—-----------

Chapter 1 

“One of the most striking tendencies of humans, specifically, is an almost unbearable urge to pack bond,” Grentak begins. “Pack bonding, as you may be aware, refers to the tendency of social animals to group together to form strong social bonds that allow for greater problem-solving. A great many cultures are prone to it, Cardassia very much included. However, humans take this tendency to a remarkable extreme. They can form deep, intense, and lasting bonds with creatures of nearly any species.” 

Garak scoffs internally.

“As a result, we often tell our agents if you want information from a human, it makes very little sense to cause pain. It makes them lie. If, however, you are able to gain their trust and convince them that you are one of their ever-expanding pack, then they will give you information without you even having to ask. This technique was used to great effect by–” 

“Well, if you ask me,” Bashir says, gesturing with one hand, “the book was a terrible tragedy.” 

Garak’s eyebrows shoot up. He had given Bashir a reasonably famous comedy from the Cardassian Empire, Sanctions of Destruction. Written in the late Shri-Ep dynasty, the book has many of the staples that would eventually become commonplace in the literature of the state. 

“Tragedy, Doctor? I think you’ll find that you are actually reading one of the most famous comedies of all time.” 

Bashir takes a beat and then laughs. Garak raises an eyebrow ridge. 

“Nothing, it's just… There is a famous human playwright, Shakespeare, and people often say that his tragedies can be as funny as his comedies, and his comedies can be as sad as his tragedies.” 

“What is it that you found so tragic, Doctor?” 

“Well,” Bashir starts before taking a long drag of his tea, “you can’t help but feel bad for poor Mila.” 

Garak withholds the wince. Mila, one of the main characters, marries a man who she strongly dislikes at the urging of her father. The name of the titular character is a coincidence, he assures himself. 

“Of course, but the comedy comes from her resistance. Ultimately, a good Cardassian knows that we all must serve the state first but our family second. Her hesitation and attempts at obfuscation and delay create circumstances that need to be frantically dealt with instead of the calm leisure of discipline and service.” 

“I suppose I thought she would be happy in the end; you told me it was a light-hearted comedy. I agree that our loved ones are important, and their considerations should be valued, but surely you know people can be wrong just as Cardassians can be wrong. Who is to say that this man her father chose for her would be compatible?” 

“He’s from a good family,” Garak counters. “He was raised with good values. Her father likes his parents. These traits indicate that they are likely to share a world view that will eventually lead to a prosperous union and many children.” 

“Fat Cardassian babies,” Bashir says with an amused twinkle in his eye. “In any case, I can’t imagine being happy with something like that.” 

“Of course not, Doctor. You are entirely too self-motivated.”

“Are you calling me selfish?” 

Garak held up a hand peaceably. “Surely no one could accuse such a dedicated doctor of selfishness. And if I understand correctly, humans are allowed to reap the benefits of the empire without contributing to it unless they are personally interested.” 

“First of all,” Bashir laughs, “thank you for the compliment. Second, the Federation isn’t an Empire.” 

“We can get into that particular bit of sophistry later. For now, I am afraid I have to go- Morn has made an appointment for yet another pair of custom lingerie. I certainly appreciate the value of a variable wardrobe, but that man should learn to repurpose.”

“You really ought to hire someone, you know.” 

Garak gave him a customer service smile. “Such excellent advice, Doctor. I’ll be sure to take it under advisement.” 

Julian raised both of his hands in a human gesture for surrender. “Fine, then. Be that way. Don’t work yourself too hard, though; I hate when my friends end up in my sickbay.” 

Garak’s brain spirals for a moment, but Bashir keeps chattering about how he wishes he could impress upon everyone in the station the importance of thinking through the consequences of interspecies mating before they take their pants off. A friend. Was it really so simple for humans? Julian had, only recently, saved him from certain death, but Garak had been under no illusions. The Doctor helped because he was helpful, and the doctor was kind to him because the doctor is kind. But here they are. He had been cruel, difficult, and insulting, and yet– 

Humans will pack bond with anything. A voice haunts his mind. It appears that Garak, of all people, might be considered, by a particularly stunning and accomplished human, to be worth forming a bond with. To be worth knowing and trusting deeply. The Order agent in him crows; how much could he make the good Doctor give him now that they have established trust? Could he get enough information to go back to Cardassia?

Garak shakes his head at his own foolishness. Tain is the only one who can end his exile, and if there were information that Bashir had that Tain wanted, he never would have been let off the planet. 

Which means… Which means… 

Garak has simply… Made a friend. 

As he walks away, he can’t help but remember the warmth, the joy in Bashir’s eyes, the way his mouth twisted along the edge of his dessert spoon, and think that Federation's insidiousness goes much further than he realized. 

[lostmyremembrall]

Hiii!!! First i wanted to say I love your writing and you are literally amazing. Also congrats on 1K you deserve it!! 💖

I was wondering if I could maybe request 🐍??

My names Sierra. I'm like extremely quiet when you first meet me but once I've warmed up to you I am like a HuGe crackhead. I'm very energetic but also super loyal. Idk if this is important but my love language is touch, and I am a Gryffindor. Sorry if this is long.

Love youuuuu

🐍 𝐘𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐃𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐇𝐂 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐓𝐨𝐦

𝓢𝓲𝓮𝓻𝓻𝓪

𝐶𝑜𝑚𝑒 𝐽𝑜𝑖𝑛 𝑡ℎ𝑒 1𝐾 𝐸𝑣𝑒𝑛𝑡!

Thank you so much for your kind words and the request!!

So sorry that this ended up being so long. It got so romantic that I couldn't stop writing. You can tell how much fun I had writing this haha. Here it is!

You first felt it on your very first train to Hogwarts.

With anticipation and anxiety you were looking out through the window at the passing trees.

A boy sat next to you, reading quietly, his large book laid open on his lap.

Your hands grazed against his and you immediately felt an electrical zap, like this energy that connected you to him.

He seemed to notice it as well. And that's how you got to know Tom Riddle.

-----

For years you went on multiple adventures with Tom: Hogsmeade, Diagon Alley, and of course, nighttime exploring through Hogwarts castle.

Many times you've been caught by the caretaker or other professors after curfew, you never betrayed Tom. And Tom didn't either.

You two are fiercely loyal to each other. And Tom trusts you with his life, as you do.

Making you two an inseparable, invincible duo

Tom loves spending time with you, especially since you're so funny.

He always comments that you're a completely different person once people get to know you.

-----

It happened on one of your nightly excursions at the edge of the forest. You two were laughing, running and chasing each other through the forest.

The night held a magical atmosphere. Lacewings fluttered through the air as glowing warm lights, and leaping toadstools jumped out of your way.

Tom suggested they climb the high rock to get a view of the castle.

He leapt up the stone with ease thanks to his advantageous height.

He immediately turned back and offered you his hand to climb after him.

You caught his hand, and there was that electric pulse.

Tom must have felt it as well, considering how his eyes widened.

He pulled you up nonetheless.

His hand continued to hold you, Tom staring at it for a while.

Thinking about how your hand fit perfectly and comfortably in his.

Overwhelmed by the first few memories of meeting you in the distant past.

You two have grown so much, as evident in the size of your hands.

Yet, it felt like nothing had changed.

You wondered about the electric pulse, almost electromagnetic energy that ties your hand to his.

Like a sense of destiny.

That it was no coincidence that you sat next to him on that first day.

At this point, neither of you cared about the fantastic view of the castle, illuminated by thousands of candles.

Slowly, Tom stirred, releasing your hand and moving his hand up your arm.

He briefly licked his lower lip, like he was braving and questioning himself constantly. Like he was testing out the waters.

Eventually, his hand found its way up your arm. And with a step forward, Tom wrapped his arm around your shoulder, his other hand joining in to embrace you.

You're stunned to move.

But you bury his face into his shoulder. His warmth. Tom's scent. His scratchy sweater.

It feels so familiar and so right.

Tom must have been feeling the same way, as he tightens his embrace.

Like he's finally found what he's been missing for years, and it was always next to him. And once he's found it, he can't let go of you.

It feels like the lacewings are circling you two, celebrating what was always meant to be.

"Sierra," he murmurs, his hot breath blowing down on your ear.

Still stunned, you can't find a word to respond with. For once, you can't think of anything funny to say.

"What, kneazel got your tongue, Sierra?"

He says that, but his voice is strained and nervous, although he tries his best to hide it.

You can tell. He's afraid.

Afraid that you are not feeling this connection that he's feeling.

In the end, you move your trembling hands and rest them on his back.

You can feel Tom's shoulders relax with a barely audible sigh of relief.

For the longest time, you two stood in each other's arms like that, relishing the moment that you two have been waiting for. Knowing that, at last, your hands were right where they were supposed to be.