#genuinely I don’t think I can get over this and accept any other companions bc nobody will ever compare to timepetals

[noonytoons]

Guys I just finished season 2 of Doctor Who and imma need a long ass fix-it fanfic where Rose and the Doctor live happily ever after or I will crash out.

[heniareth]

I was really curious about what your opinions on the DAO companions are :) I know we have talked about some, but I'd love to hear more and about the others as well :D I hope it's ok to pose this as an ask :)

Sure! That sounds like a ton of fun. This might be a long one tho. Mind you, this is not the finished version of the answer. I'd like to link stuff and add a cut, but rn that's not possible. I'll update it when I can.

Edit: I have updated it ^^

Let's go alphabetically bc why not.

Alistair:

Sweet guy. So sweet. There was a moment when I was hard pressed chosing between him and Zevran (alas, Zevran won). Also, he's weirdly tall according to the wiki? How did I not notice that before?

Let's get a bit more serious now, Alistair is a great guy. The only reason he's not the hero of the story is because he doesn't want to. He has all the qualities of a leader: he's good at dealing with conflict (as evident with the conversation with the mage at the beginning. He gets where he wants to get without antagonizing the mage, but without allowing him to trample all over him). He's a solid tactitian and knows how to make allies (he suggests to use the Grey Warden treaties, after all). I bet if he was in the leadership position, he'd even not bicker with Morrigan. His moral code is pretty tight; some might say too tight, but I think it's less about the moral code and more about learning to judge people by their actions, not by the labels they fit into (Morrigan is a proud apostate and therefore bad. Wynne is a humble circle mage and therefore good). He also has a bit of a black-and-white way of seeing the world. I empathize a lot with Alistair, especially with his experience with the Chantry and his subsequent reluctance to deal with it. I really wish I had gotten to know more about concrete experiences he had during his training as templar, but he seems reluctant to talk about it (gee, I wonder why).

Since I've only played the game once, I haven't really picked up on Arl Eamon's abuse towards him, which apparently exists (Isolde, however... I mean, even if he were Eamon's illegitimate son, he's a kid, ma'am, he didn't exactly get to chose his parents. So that's so not okay). Alistair's way of speaking about them both, however, is either sign that he has not come within a hundred miles of acknowledging how much it hurt him, or that he's already gone through the whole process and has decided to forgive them. The latter shows a very strong character; yes, he relies on the approval and leadership of others, he has his issues, but he's already started working on them.

That being said, irl Alistair would be like a little brother to me. I'd tease him relentlessly (all in good fun and I promise to stop if it makes him uncomfortable, but he's just so teasable). I still wish the videogame gave him the chance to take important decisions for himself. But that, of course, would somewhat defeat the point of the game.

Leliana:

Another sweet, sweet person. Her singing voice is amazing. Her belief in the Maker inspires me (I'm a religious person and seeing religious characters represented in a positive light is Very Cool. It's also sometimes a source of discomfort, because the Church has done a lot of very messed up stuff and positive representation can sometimes veer into apologetics for things that should not be excused, but that's a whole other can of worms. The bottom line is that religious characters sometimes work for me and other times don't and Leliana works for me very much bc she's an outsider inside the Chantry).

Leliana is best friend material, tbh. I'd love to get to know her irl, discuss theology and philosophy and maybe even politics? She makes mistakes and has prejudices, but, tbh, so do I. And I do get the feeling that she tries her best to learn. From the times she intervenes in a conversation between the Warden and an NPC, she shows herself to be compassionate and open to the needs of others. What I get from her character is that she genuinely wants to help, which is something that I adore of her. I suspect that she sometimes has a hard time deciding wether she's a good person or not. She has killed and seduced and worked for a morally dubious person, and she doesn't show the same nonchalance about it as Zevran (though they both do discuss their line of work in very... professional terms). This is, however, more of a headcanon than actual factual canon.

I also very much enjoy her girly side, like her interest in shoes and dresses. She's one badass woman who also looses her cool about the latest fashions in Val Royeaux. I like that. Between her and Alistair, a non human noble Warden has as good a help to navigate the Fereldan court as they're going to get. Leliana is also, I can't forget that, clever and insightful. It'd be easy to write her off as the innocent chantry girl, but she's so much more than that. Her kindness is paired with foresight, I think. She knows that taking on the trouble to help now can go a long way in the future. I just have a lot of respect for her.

Loghain:

This one's gonna be short bc I didn't recruit him. He's an amazing villain and would probably be a great Warden as well. He reminds me of Denerhor from LOTR; once a hero/stewart of his people, ambition and desperation have driven them both down a terrible path. I have also only little idea about his past. People say he lost a lot, and I believe it wholeheartedly; it doesn't excuse the fact that he plunged the country into a civil war in the middle of a Blight. I don't have a lot of sympathy for short-sighted politicians. I wish he hadn't made himself regent. That's what I take away from his character.

Edit: One thing I forgot to mention that really impressed me was his death. I had Alistair duel him (that was a rough duel), and then it kinda just jumped to a cutscene of my Warden nodding and Alistair executing him. That didn't sit well with me. I didn't want to kill Loghain, and less so in front of Anora. But what impressed me was that Loghain just accepted it. That takes a whole lot of guts. Compare that to Howe's death, and how he screams out that he deserved (more, probably, or anything but death) and it's crystal clear who the more noble of the two is. Loghain strikes me as very lawful neutral, and any neutral alignment has the particularity that it can be dragged towards good or bad, sometimes without the characters noticing it (which is interesting from a DnD perspective; neutral is often concieved of as just as stable as good or evil, but that may not be true. But that's a different post). Anyway, Loghain's death was impactful.

Morrigan:

I could kick myself for not maxing out her approval in the first play-through. I got to enjoy a bit of her friendship by the end of it and boy was even that little bit worth it. Friendship with Morrigan is something that is hard-won. It's all the more precious because of that.

Morrigan is full of paradoxes, I think. She's incredibly wise in some ways, yet also very short-sighted (”just kill them, don't solve their problems”. Morrigan, dear, I'm not going to gain a lot of allies if I kill everybody who poses a problem to me). She is so intelligent, but emotionally... not so. She knows so much about some things, and very little about the next. She's incredibly wilful and knows what she wants, but follows Flemeth's orders all the time through. She hungers for power and independence, yet craves closeness, but won't allow herself to have it. She asks you to prove yourself to her and is extremely critical of your actions, I think, because she's afraid. She bites the hand that feeds her because it might hit her next.

Like with Eamon, I haven't managed to catch the undercurrent of abuse that seems to permeate Flemeth's relationship with Morrigan. Except there are signs, because there must be something Morrigan is scared of and who has instilled all that rage in her, and that's Flemeth. Also, she clearly hates/does not care about her and wants her dead (unless killing Flemeth was part of Flemeth's plan as well? Hm.)

Morrigan is that one person who you are nice to, continuously, because nobody else is. And suddenly she becomes less cold. And then friendly. And suddenly you're asking yourself why everybody hates her, because she's a really good friend! I just wish the other companions came to a similar conclusion, especially Alistair and Wynne.

Oghren:

They did this man dirty. He has such great lines and I'm convinced he was a great person before Branka disappeared. He has that dwarven warrior spirit, and while he looks like Gimli, some of his most impactful lines remind me of Dwalin or even Thorin Oakenshield himself. He could be so noble had he gotten some character development, damnit!

Oghren as he is written is somewhat disgusting. I hate the lechering comments and the drunkenness. And still, I don't hate him because of those amazing lines he has when he's actually sober. It's frustrating and I'll give him that character development myself if the game won't. I strongly associate the song Whiskey Lullaby with him, bc that's how he would have ended up if the Warden hadn't taken him along (warning: the song talks about suicide and alcoholism). Like I said, they could have done such cool things with his character. As he is written now... it's just sad. Moments of lucidity drowned in alcohol and creepy jokes. As you can see, I don't blame the character for either. The alcoholism happens all too often irl. The creepy jokes... I put that one on the writers' tab.

I actually think Oghren could have been a great mentor figure (I know, I shock myself as well sometimes). Next to the Grey Wardens, the ones who know most about fighting darkspawn are the dwarves because they have to deal with them constantly. Especially a warrior caste dwarf like Oghren could have brought a lot of that invaluable knowledge to the team, especially since there are no Grey Wardens in Ferelden but two extremely green recruits. Next, you get the chance to give Oghren the command of the teammates you leave behind in the battle of Denerim with the reason that he has lead men into battle before. Where did that suddenly come from? Oghren should have been right up there telling my Warden that they were doing this wrong, that they needed more food (and booze) and a confident leader to keep the armies they've called together going. Oghren should have been able to tell my civilian city elf who got recruited into the Grey Wardens a six months ago how one leads an army. How one presents oneself to inspire confidence, how one doesn't crack under the pressure, how one gets the leaders of said armies (some who hate each others guts i.e. Dalish elves and humans) to work together. And, last but not least, Oghren could have had a great story about grief. This is a man who has lost most of what made him (and what he hasn't lost he's spilling down the drain with every mug of ale). This is a man who, if you take him into the Deep Roads, has to see what his wife did to his family, how his wife got absolutely obsessed, and can be forced to kill said wife or watch her die. All Wardens loose their home and families at the start of the story. It would really have rounded the whole narrative out if the Warden and Oghren could have recognised their grief in each other and hashed it out somehow. Such as it is, Oghren is a depressed drunkard and there is nothing we can do about that. I find that frustrating.

Rascal (a.k.a. Dog):

Best boy. 100/10. I wish we had gotten to see the reaction of the different origins to the mabari (because elves probably have a whole different experience with them from mages or humans. And dwarves just... I think they straight up have none? XD). Other than that, no complaints. The name Rascal was the one I gave my dog because you have to be a right rascal to survive what he did and play the pranks he plays. Smartest breed in the world indeed.

Shale:

Shale is one of those characters that I recruited rather late in the game, so I haven't had the chance to explore their personality and worldview, really. I didn't even get to take them to the Deep Roads (this will be ammended in playthrough nr. 2). As such, I don't have particularly strong opinions on them (or her? The wiki refers to Shale as 'it', but that sounds weird). But, because I know so little about Shale, I have a lot of questions. First, what were they like before they were a golem? Shayle, as she was called then, was the best warrior of her time if I remember correctly. Why did she become a golem? Was it to be able to eternally protect her people? Was the sarcasm the golem Shale exhibits also part of the dwarven warrior Shayle or did that come later (if for thirty years you have nobody to talk to but yourself, you better be entertaining. And I can imagine how it could make somebody terribly jaded as well).

Next, how attached is Shale to their golem form, exactly? According to the banter, they infinitely prefer it to a squishy fleshy form. If that is the case, however, why go to Tevinter to try and become a squishy dwarf again? It's not like that process could be reversed if they wanted to become a golem again; if Shale survives to the end of the game, the Anvil of the Void is destroyed and Caridin is dead. Was the whole spiel about their indestructible form a façade? It might have been, but not because Shale actually disliked their form. I think it would have more to do with the loss of their memories and with the very invasive experiments and alterations of Shale's body made by the mage Wilhelm. The loss of memories means that Shale is unable to remember life as a fleshy creature. They might be deflecting by pretending that they didn't care for that experience anyway because of the superiority of their golem form. The modifications made to their form by Wilhelm would have alienated them from their body. In light of this, it's significant that Shale asks the Warden to decorate their form with crystals.

All of this is, of course, pure speculation. I may have easily missed or forgotten details that would disprove the above thoughts. All in all, I like Shale and I hope we meet them again in DA4 (given that it's mostly set in Tevinter). It's a liking from a respectful distance, because Shale is tall and made out of rock and also way more experienced than I will ever be (they are literally the oldest member of the Warden's little Blight fighting squad).

Sten:

Sten is another person I'd keep a respectful distance from physically. That seems to be the what he would prefer, at least. I've enjoyed his character a lot, especially because he seems pretty clear-cut at first, but slowly lets the nuance of his person show (gruff and stoic, but then he has an eye for art, a sweet tooth and he likes cute animals). It's also very interesting that there's no moment when you learn "the truth" about him the way you do with Zevran or Leliana. There's no big reveal about his life under the Qun before coming to Ferelden. He says he was sent to monitor the Blight, but honestly? If neither Ferelden nor Orlais knew there was a Blight, how could the Qunari know? I think he's lying, and he takes his secrets back with him when he leaves Ferelden. And yet I think I know him enough to say that a Warden who has become friends with him has nothing to fear from Sten.

One thing I find very interesting about Sten is how he thinks. His conversation about how women can't be soldiers has been analysed a lot on this page I think. He seems to be arguing based on a different paradigma than the one the Warden has. He also seems to have a very clear-cut view of the world. What is fascinating to me is that, when arguing with the Warden and learning about their culture, he is not necessarily becoming more lax about his worldview. I think it's more likely that he is expanding his paradigma, the structure of thought through which he understands the world. I don't think that he is now convinced that women can be warriors as well. I think he rather understands that, in Ferelden, the relationship between occupation and gender is different than under the Qun. Which of the two he thinks is more right or more agreeable, I have no idea. I'm also not very interested in that. But I find it fascinating how he always seems to be looking on quietly, gathering data, classifying it and trying to fit it into his understanding of how the world works. I wouldn't be surprised at all if his original party was a scouting party to see how vulnerable Ferelden was at that moment to outside forces. One thing I don't understand with all of this is why he urges the Warden to meet the Blight head on. No smart soldier would suggest that, except if they are foolishly proud (and Sten doesn't seem like that kind of guy tbh). I get that the Warden takes way longer to gather allies than expected because they first have to solve all of their allies' problems. But surely Sten sees the need to have allies? Is he just that impatient? Does he have a death wish (à la, I lost my sword and am without honour, better to die sooner than later and in glorious battle)? Was he his group's previous commander and is he now having trouble following somebody else's orders? Or maybe it's his way to make sure the Warden knows what they are doing? To push them into becoming the self-assured commander their allies will need once they're all gathered? I really don't know. I like the last option best, however.

For me, Sten is my fellow, more experienced soldier. Like Alistair, he can potentially be the Warden's brother in arms, but he's definitely the older brother here. He probably doesn't take kindly to tearful confessions of how hard everything is, but I feel like he's otherwise a solid rock to lean on. I feel like the Warden can trust him to do what is necessary and count on him no matter what, especially after they get his sword back. His devotion from that point on is honestly so powerful.

Wynne:

Wynne was such a support for my Warden (except with the whole conversation about love vs. duty and that she may have to choose between Zevran and ending the Blight and that she should therefore break up with him. Wynne had a point. Astala was so not willing to sacrifice her relationship with Zevran. But the whole conversation came at a point where she was already so disillusioned that she blew up in Wynne's face (”can i please just have one (1) nice thing????”)). But all in all, Wynne is great.

She has a lot of flaws. She was very marked by her life in the Cricle and, for all her age, she has little experience living outside of it. She is also a conformist despite her strong moral core. In a way, her ability to find peace with her lot in life impresses me deeply because it speaks to a lot of strength of character. Sadly, however, strength can be ill applied and used to suppress. I think she has convinced herself that the Chantry is right under (almost) all circumstances to be able to rationalize the life that mages live. She's had her son taken away from her as a baby and an apprentice killed. Her reaction seems to have been to convince herself that this was right, or for the greater good (and now I'm thinking about the Guardian's question at the temple of Andraste's Ashes; are you wise or do you just repeat what others have told you? The answer is not as clear-cut as it might be). This is why she is so irritated by Zevran and Morrigan. By aligning herself with the Chantry, she is, in her eyes, good. Zevran and Morrigan are not; they do not conform to Chantry morality and they defend themselves tooth and nails against somebody who would try and convert them. This is something Wynne never allowed herself to do; she always did the "right" thing and it has cost her so much. I'm not saying she was right (it would probably have done her some good to rebel from time to time, and to trust her own gut instinct more), but in light of this, it hardly surprises me that she's so judgamental. She has to be, or she would be forced to confront all the evil she has not fought against all those years and all the hurt that has been caused to her by the very institution she protects (and thank God she only tries to argue and can appreciate it when people have found a good life outside of her comfort zone. If she tried to convince by force or, for example, drag her former apprentice back to the Circle... boy oh boy that would get ugly). If you think about it, Wynne really is a good example for what happens if you live by a philosophy of always choosing the lesser evil.

Something that I keep forgetting over her grandmotherly and dignified character is how damn powerful she is. She has escaped the carnage at Ostagar; HOW!? She protected those mage apprentices in the Circle tower for God knows how long. In the battle of Denerim, she wades through an army and comes out alive on the other side. The wiki lists her age at 40, I think, but that doesn't make a lick of sense unless 75 years of age are the Fereldan equivalent to 100. This lady, about whom people make grandmother jokes, did all that. It's impressive.

Zevran:

You know, I would really love to know what Wynne thinks about the events at Kirkwall in DA2. It might be a disaster for her, or it might pave the way for one last bit of character development. She certainly didn't want to return to the Circle after fighting the Blight. That may be an indicator of some change in her stance on the Circle of Magi.

Edit: I forgot that she is what the Circle considers a literal abomination! Holy cow, how could I forget that?? Anyway, her conversation about what being an abomination means is so... heartbreaking, actually. It's so tentative. So careful. "Am I an abomination? Am I the same thing that has killed my students? The same thing as Uldred? Am I lost and damned? Did I invite this spirit in? Is this my fault?" Like wow, Wynne is going through something huge right there. I love it. I have to continue playing the game to see what it ends up as, but it's fascinating and such a huge thing that she allows the Warden in on that.

Ah, Zevran, my beloved (he has stolen my heart so much it's not even funny anymore). He's funny, he's charming, he's so so loyal and it breaks my heart. Zevran is the one about whom I've read most meta: these three wonderful posts for instance, as well as this one about his possible lack of scars, and this one about his lack of freedom. All of these have influenced my opinion of him and they are great reads.

I have talked about Zevran with you before, so I'll just skip to the new stuff. I have come to conclusion that Zevran is an artist at heart. This is totally not biased by the fact that I also do art, but hear me out. One of his preferred gifts are bars of silver and gold. While those have the obvious utility of basically functioning as money (they can be sold to any silversmith or goldsmith and their value is pretty stable through time and in different countries), there's also this from his codex: "Zevran shows an affinity for the finer things in life—hardly surprising for an Antivan Crow—but his appreciation can be more poetic than he lets on. A simple bar of refined silver or gold, uncomplicated by a craftsman's hammer, is elegantly valuable." Tell me that is not an artist's eye that sees that gold and sees the beauty in it. Then, there's also the meta about Zevran the Seducer which I linked above and link here again. It talks specifically about how he lets himself enjoy the target and be seen in his enjoyment. Tell me that is not an artist's eye that beholds the beauty of something he is set out to destroy. Even his talk about his assassinations show this. He talks about it as an art, the way somebody would talk about the brutal intervention in stone that produces a sculpture. Yes, it's a rationalization of the act of killing and yes killing is still wrong. But he doesn't go on about it on a moral tangent the way Alistair or Wynne would (”this person was bad, killing them was necessary”) or even through the argument of survival like Morrigan would (”it was either them or me and it sure as Hell wasn't going to be me”). He talks about the pleasure of a job well done, of the satisfaction of striking the precise point and executing a plan to the perfection so as to minimize chances of discovery and to make a clean death possible. And pleasure in seeing and in doing, this I firmly believe, is absolutely fundamental for an artist.

My favourite part about my Warden and Zevran as a pairing is that Zevran precisely brings out that ability to take your pleasures as they come and to really savour them. Fighting the Blight is tough; it's so important to find good things amidst the chaos to stay sane. If Astala saves Zevran from himself by offering him a place to stay and a purpose, Zevran saves Astala from herself by keeping her from running herself into the ground trying to save the world.

There are some things I don't like about Zev. The incessant flirting, for example, sometimes makes me uncomfortable (it becomes enjoyable for me once the Warden and him are in a relationship, but before that? Nah, no thanks). I wish he would also leave the other female characters alone (and there's so many more shameless comments of his aimed at Morrigan, Leliana or Wynne than at Alistair or maybe even Sten).

---

And that's my take on the Origins companions (this was rather long. Whew ^^' I hope it was still readable and that you enjoyed it!!) Thank you so much for the ask!! It's been a joy thinking about this. I was worrying at first that the less prominent companions like Sten or Shale wouldn't get as much content but... well XD

[crab-in-a-pocket]

reserved farmer headcanons + meeting the bachelors for the first time!

wanted to make some generally reserved farmer headcanons to kick off this blog and bc i see a lot of very friendly farmers out there and i... am not one of them LMAO

additionally, there's reference to a supposed volatile relationship with a (former?) loved one (projection time!)

also i forgot to open my askbox bc idk how to tumblr ?? i think it's open now (i hope).

tw: drinking and alcoholism, references to past trauma, one Bad Word (sh^t!)

when you first meet everyone, it's a quiet greeting and maybe a witty remark, but you don't stay for any chit-chat

close-lipped smiles are your signature move, along with the Man Nod whenever you run into someone

you are, of course, a nice and courteous person but you don't feel the need to say hello to everyone every damn time you pass by them because, really, you're too busy rushing to Pierre's for some seeds or lugging around foraged beach stuff

okay, maybe some of them think you're a little cold and an introvert who has... problems

but you're not! you are a strong and emotionally stable farmer who gets Shit Done and prefers to observe over participate and think over talk!

mayor lewis is extremely puzzled and almost mistakes you for someone else-- it's been over a decade and people change too much, too soon. he makes a remark about a wishing well your grandfather had built long ago (remember the well? how you fell in it that one time?) and you nod along politely (i didn't fall, i climbed in because i desperately needed my wish to come true)

it's nice to meet people who aren't as temperemental as the tides. maybe, for once, you could have a proper relationship with someone.

alex

easily the most annoying and extroverted person in town what with his obsession with sports and loud, brash personality but you two get along fabulously because you had that same passion for gridball in college before you were too busy being a corporate slave

he's a little surprised that you sit next to him at the saloon but he goes along easily and the conversation flows between the two of you easily, ranging from future plans (thinking of going pro... think i'll make it?) to the weather without sounding like you're making fake smalltalk (i wanted to play pro, too, and here i am now. if you really want it, you'll have to leave this all behind)

there's something genuine about him that's intriguing and it leaves you wanting to find out and see what the real alex is like inside because you can see through that wall he's made

and there's something enigmatic about you, who is reserved and quiet and seems to be a simple open book, when in fact, you are a very attractive onion with many, many layers

sam

you think he's immature. a wildchild, a manchild, a wildmanchild, really. sam, on the other hand, is drawn in by your calmness and how in-control you appear to be-- when you offer to play a game of pool when sebastian doesn't show up, he's delighted at the opportunity to know you better

okay, so he is immature and a wildmanchild but there is a softness in him that surprises you every time he shows it-- which is frequently around you

he has a soft smile to counteract his proud one and he's so in awe of how you get so much stuff done every day (i don't know how you do it, that's gotta be tough), every week, and every month (you'd like the responsibility, i think. to me, it's one big project i need to finish)

he has instant crush on you because you're so cool even though your line of profession really doesn't evoke much awe. i mean, you're  attractive, you are so in control of your life, and you have a really cute smile whenever he compliments you-- how could he not?

shane

bit bold of you to sit next to him at the saloon because every knows he's can be a real asshole, but he glances at you with a hint of awe and more than a hint of annoyance. you elect to ignore this and choose to order a whisky on the rocks (if you don't drink, call it apple juice)

whisky: shane's a touch impressed because you look like a lightweight. well, it's nice that someone can hold their liquor. he makes a remark about it (planning on getting drunk, huh?) and you raise a brow at him, looking a little haughty and tell him that it's your drink for the week. he's annoyed at your remark and starts an argument that surprisingly, settles down into a civil conversation

apple juice: he snorts at that and makes a remark about meeting penny for your lessons the next day. you play along and sip at your drink, making witty remarks (thank yoba for hangovers. it's the non-drinker's edge, really. just like not having liver failure). he's not sure if he should be annoyed or impressed at your cool-as-a-cucumber personality, not sure if it's too big city or too closed-off

you offer to buy him a pizza if you can take a away his beer-- at any rate, he looks like he'll end up with liver failure the way he's going. shane aquiesces and devours the entire pizza. your conversation is slow and punctuated with his loud chewing but you're pleasantly suprised that he's quite smart and well-read about whatever you're interested in

the fourth time you sit next to him, he turns down your pizza and doesn't say a word. neither do you and it's almost like it's back to square one until you realize that he hasn't made a single salty remark about anything. you decide to try again the day after tomorrow-- nothing comes too quickly to people like you and shane.

sebastian

it was the necklace you wore that caught his eye. a shining teardrop stone hanging off a gleaming silver chain. he had spoken before he could stop himself and watched as you smiled and told him he was right-- it is supposed to be a Yeti's tear.

you're pleased to meet someone who is also a homebody and a touch more reserved than a lot of other people in town. he's easy to get along with (oh, you're kidding, you really have the signed edition?) and he's got pretty good taste when it comes to literature-- after all, who can refuse a good sci-fi book? (of course i do, i'm dedicated fan)

oddly enough, your conversation is quick and eager and not all reserved. instead of the companionable silence everyone assumes you two to have, you two nearly talk over each other because you finally have someone to complain to about everyone's over-friendliness and he finally has someone who understands what it's like to be trapped in a small world

you tease him about the corporate rat race and he fires back at you about being a part of it. you like sebastian and he likes you-- it's as simple as that.

elliot

he had heard of you through leah who had heard of you through emily who had heard of you through gus who had heard of you from lewis. it was a long grapevine and he's not sure how much of the truth was preserved and it's almost a relief to meet you because, to be frank, he's tired of being the town's newcomer.

first-- you're not peppy and overly cheerful at all. second, you are definitely not hot-tempered. and third, there's something so fascinating about you, something hidden under your calm, pragmatic character. he finds a kindred spirit in you, save for the flowery words and, admittedly, the vanity.

you're amused to meet a writer living on the beach. the cabin was built by one of your grandfather's old friends, a rather surly man who had taken a liking to you when you were much younger. while the hut is in no way fancy, you can't help but consider how pretentious and, contrastingly, humble the writer must be. pretentious in such a way that he thinks living in a sandy, damp shack is a way to beat writer's block (it's odd, it's rarely a choice people make) and humble in such a way that he accepts and bears with living in a worn house with little complaint (it's admirable, if not a little silly!)

you find yourself in his company late at night when you can't sleep and it's so easy to open up to him because he's kind, he listens, and most importantly, he's not embarassed to admit he's got faults, at least to you. you let him see past your collected facade and into your cracked heart far sooner than you think and elliot doesn't mind at all

harvey

you might be the most mysterious person in town simply because of the way you present yourself. he finds himself always stuttering a little whenever you're around because of the way you watch him, set in a relaxed stance, your gaze flat and cool. later, he realizes that it's your resting face. he wonders about what you'd look like if you smiled-- really smiled

he's touched at the fact that you buy him coffee whenever he had to patch you up-- which is frequently, given your liking for the mines. you're adorable when he gives you general anesthesia. he had run out of local anesthesia and you needed a fair amount of stitches and though you told him that you have a high pain tolerance (stitches are far more painful than you think. i really don't want to put you through that), he insisted and you let him (fine, fine. get on with it, doctor). you had let out several inappropriate jokes under anesthesia and your cheeks had hurt from laughing non-stop

harvey's entranced. there's no other way to put it-- he's bewitched by your bright character hiding under that collected facade. he never pries for your secrets because he's got secrets, too. you like harvey because he's sweet and compassionate and even though he has to put up a firm, professional affectation, he wears his heart on his sleeve.

you see him as a friend at first, all platonic and it seems to be the end of it. but one day, as you hand him a coffee, he laughs and smiles and hands you a coffee just the way you like it. you're falling for him so hard and fast you think someone's put a spell on you that makes you notice the minute expressions on his face and mull over the way he talks to you. you're in love with him-- you can only hope he feels the same way too

[samantha7337]

DATING GEORGE WEASLEY WOULD INCLUDE: ◾ Let’s get something super clear here, George is the more sensitive of the twins, which he never forgets thanks to his fabulous twin Fred who continuously brings it up. ◾ You’re either a companion within regards to their ideas for pranks or just in the prank itself, there is simply no in between. They’ve either slyly convinced you to fully commit to their life of cheeky crime or you’ve made it clear to them that you’re not willing to be completely responsible. And you know what? George and Fred love you for it. ◾ Unfortunately, you had to go through a ‘trial period’ at first with Fred, to ensure that you were good enough for his brother; which George, in the slightest bit, wasn’t too keen on, because he didn’t want you scared off and found it all a bit unnecessary. ◾ But you managed to pass, so it’s all just left in the past. ◾ Consistent teasing from Fred about how the both of you are so in love. ◾ “Oi, get a room not all of us can handle your love bird syndrome.” ◾ “Awe looks at the two love birds!” ◾ “You know Georgie, (Y/N)-” ◾ “Shut your mouth Fred, before I end you!” ◾ Always having thought that George was the more attractive of the twins. ◾ George having an immense soft spot for you, which Fred never misses the opportunity to point out lavishly. ◾ Protective asf George. ◾ Like, you won’t get to do anything that puts you even in the slightest of dangers. ◾ The shitter thing is that Fred will back him up 110%. ◾ But you somehow do it anyways, which means George ain’t too happy. ◾ Due to George being more emotional than Fred, I can definitely see him ranting to you about Umbridge or how Malfoy always puts his family down. You and Fred are usually the only ones able to calm him down so he won’t commit murder or any other unspeakable act. ◾ Sending notes in class, which leads the pair of you into detention, but George already had detention anyways. ◾ He’s excited about detention with you because he get’s to spend more time with you. ◾ When he get’s in detention you tend to get annoyed at him as you guys don’t always get to spend much time with each other alone, - especially if you’re in another house -. ◾ George won’t give a single damn about your blood status or what house you’re in, he cares about you for the person that you are and what brilliant qualities and quirks you have. ◾ With that noted, if you’re in another house, he’s gonna sneak you into the Gryffindor common room no matter how much you reprimand him. ◾ You sneak him into yours. ◾ Pranking each other lightly ( you not so much bc George hates making you upset). fucking softie. ◾ Fred and George learning the hard way not to prank you so much or too badly or at all really. ◾ Tender forehead kisses and long, warm cuddles that extend for hours on end. ◾ George is just a mega dork around you. ◾ Intertwined fingers and walks in the autumn leaves. ◾ Eyes lighting up with brilliant ideas. ◾ Silent communication, just a look in each others eyes will do. ◾ You’re stuck with Fred now too. Sorry it’s in their contract. ◾ The dork will definitely boop your nose if you’re sad or angry. ◾ He’s always making you smile, laugh and blush, which is just the way he likes it. ◾ Hates it when you’re in a bad mood or sad, he’ll do anything to get that grin back on your face. ◾ In private George will totally say more mushy stuff, he already get’s teased enough from Fred as it is. ◾ The pair of you never shut up about each other, everyone’s sick of it now. ◾ He twirls the end of your hair around his fingers, breathing about how soft and perfect it is. ◾ He’s romantic af. ◾ This boy will protect you and give you everything, okay? ◾ Deep meaningful hugs. BEAR HUGS! ◾ Dates that’re usually simple, but he always finds a way to make them sooo special so you won’t forget. ◾ Pretends to forget important dates with you so that he can get a little rise out of you before he kisses your nose or your mouth and tells you to shut up because he’s not that much of a brain dead git to forget your anniversary. ◾

Unlimited comfort. ◾ Being protective of him. ◾ Him throwing major hands when a guy flirts with you or when anyone hurts you. ◾ Inviting you to The Burrow every holiday. ◾ His family, - especially his parents -, loving you totally. You’ve suddenly been adopted by them without any consent, but you don’t mind tbh. ◾ Molly and Arthur constantly ask about you, they’ve sent you a Weasely sweater, but you still steal George’s. ◾ Helping Arthur understand muggle stuff and concepts better. ◾ George and Fred switching places, but it never fools you. Originally you got cross, but then began playing with them. ◾ Him and his family loving you for you and not focusing on your gender, race, sexuality, beliefs, etc. They’re always so accepting of you that it makes you sob. ◾ Sneaking into his room late at night when staying at The Burrow just for cuddles. Fred doesn’t mind as long as he can tease the shit out of you guys and also that there’s no funny business. ◾ Him giving you free stuff from his shop, but you insist on paying him back with kisses. ◾ “I think I’m going to spew.” ◾ “Oh come on, Freddie! You love a bit of romance around.” ◾ “Yeah, but not when your tongues down (Y/N)’s throat, you git.” ◾ The banter is real mate. ◾ George being really intelligent, which surprises you but he helps you with your homework constantly. ◾ Helping him at the shop. more like distracting. ◾ Jump scaring tf out of you. ◾ Taking care of one another and treating each other with the utmost respect and love. ◾ You’ve definitely been caught by everyone at The Burrow when making out. The worst has to be Molly, she’ll give a long lecture that embarrasses the pair of you. ◾ When you cuddle with George in his room, Fred’s got to be clingy and join in. ◾ George buying you sweets. ◾ Breathy sweet nothings and husky morning voices. ◾ Honestly every day you wake up at The Burrow, George will always point out how adorable and sleepy you are. ◾ Fred and George teach you Quidditch, you’re not very good at it yet, which Fred teases you about, but George is always encouraging you. ◾ An immense about of fluff and happiness. ◾ Wiping away your tears and kissing it better. ◾ Being picked up and thrown over his shoulder bc it’s just George. ◾ Being Ginny’s role model, she loves you so much and everyone is so happy about it. ◾ George just gushes over you all of the time. ◾ Moving in with the twins in the small apartment above their joke shop. ◾ A cheeky, “Morning,” and wink from Fred every time you come out of your bedroom followed by George with messy hair and love bites. ◾ Aimless invisible patterns drawn on the skin which make you both shiver in delight. ◾ Deep loving kisses that can turn passionate and rough. ◾ Being obsessed with how he smells, and vice versa. ◾ Pulling on George’s cheeks and cooing to him like a little kid whenever he achieves something, it makes Fred and him laugh, though it irks him slightly. ◾ He’s literally your sunshine. ◾ You’re obsessed with the color of his hair, constantly playing with it whether his heads in your lap or you’re sitting on his lap. ◾ Major eye contact; if you were nervous about it originally, he got you comfortable with it. ◾ Interlocked fingers and soft eye contact during intimate moments. ◾ Tickle attacks. ◾ Peppered kisses. ◾ He’ll share his food with you, what a miracle! ◾ Always making sure that you’re taking care of each other. ◾ Taking care of each other when you’re both sick. ◾ Visiting each other when you’re sick at school. ◾ He loves it when you come to him about everything first, unless he get’s stumped on what to do. But him and Fred are your biggest cheerleaders, okay? ◾ He’s a sucker for neck kisses and biting or nails softly scratching down his back or arms. ◾ He loves it when you always come first. ◾ He’s super attentive with you. ◾ He can be sub or dom. ◾ Seriously, he’s brilliant at everything which makes your head spin. ◾ He speaks with his words a lot though his actions can be louder, because he’ll do things for/to you that he’d never do for/to

anyone else. ◾ Genuinely dying of embarrassment whenever George and Fred find out something embarrassing about you. ◾ Not always quite during sex, but he can’t help it. ◾ He always loves a challenge, so if you’re at The Burrow and want that sort of intimate alone time, he’ll make is so hard for you to be quiet, which you’re so annoyed at him about later, but it wears off bc it was worth it. ◾ Literally shows you off to everyone. He’d never hide you or make you feel like he’s embarrassed to be with you. ◾ If you’re introverted, he’ll do his best to understand and do things that you enjoy, though it may take time for him to understand why you need so much alone time, but he’ll respect it. And if you’re extroverted, he’ll be happy too, loving to do everything with you. If you’re in the middle and an ambivert, a good mix will do! ◾ If anyone upsets you, that’s their target for cruel pranks for the rest of the year.

[doesrevali]

yes hi im here to make a fanfic based off of 'panic room' bc im quirky like that

Pairing: Revalink (Revali x Link)

Warnings: Depression, Anxiety, Panic Attacks, etc.

Summary:

Link has always fought his way through everything. Who says it'll be any different this time?

It's around noon when Link and Zelda are walking to survey damage. The buildings and the fields don't affect Link as much as it does Zelda, who saw it all before with no memory loss.

She's on the verge of tears the whole time, sniffing and walking with her posture stiff. Link has half the mind to say something about it, but he doesn't. He resides to her side, as he used to before the Calamity. He supposes it was an unconscious habit, even if he hadn't had the pleasure of doing it for some time.

Link had stopped paying attention to his surroundings quite a while ago, having seen it before. It was no surprise to him anyway. What's the point in mourning what he's been around for months?

"Goddess, Link. I wonder how you deal with seeing this."

All he does is grunt, not having the heart to tell her that he didn't care.

"Link, didn't you say that you had completed all the shrines?" It's only then that he looks up, mostly in confusion. Why would that be worth asking? He gets his answer only a second later, after following the princess's gaze to that familiar pattern strewn on familiar stone.

He almost curses out loud. Why, why did I always have to deal with this? He catches that thought, and wonders. When had he ever hoped to be done with his job? He doesn't remember that.

Zelda runs over to the stone, hands shaky over where the Shekiah Slate goes. "Link, you wouldn't happen to have-" He gives the slate over to her without a second thought.

"Thank you, although I don't know if it would work for me-"

Link shakes his head, gesturing for her to try it.

Sighing, Zelda hesitates for a moment. She eventually holds it above the terminal, eyes closed and murmuring prayers. When it accepts the slate, her eyes open with the closest thing to genuine glee Link has ever seen from her. "I did it, Link! I did it! I wonder if it's because of my powers... Do you think so? Maybe- Oh, whatever! Let's go, I've only heard stories of what's inside from you and.." Link zones out, not thinking as he steps onto the platform. He wonders if he even has control anymore, watching himself.

Zelda gasps, the feeling of the platform lowering likely surprising her. Link doesn't blame her, distantly remembering the first time he did it. Everything was.. blurry?

When they get down into the shrine, there are two doors. Looking to the sides, there are chests. He walks over to them, grabbing the keys from inside. Going to the door (with Zelda hot on his heels), he tries to open it.

The door doesn't budge, and Link stops for a moment. Zelda hums, grabbing one of the keys from his hands (noticeably sweaty, although she doesn't comment on it. Why were they sweaty anyway?)

"I wonder if we have to open the doors together! Possibly.. Although I wonder how they would work like that, what's the technology behind it? Ah, Link! Stay at that door, and open it when I open that one over there, at the same time! We can see if that works!"

Nodding, Link waits for her to get to the door.

"Three, two, one!"

They both insert the keys, and dull thudding comes only a moment after. Both the doors open, and Link has to stop himself from rushing to the Princess's side, anxious about the harm behind her own door. When Zelda only looks inside, though, he calms down.

"I think we're supposed to enter them.. I'll go inside here, you go there," Link takes a step forward, about to protest, "I'll be fine. You don't worry, I have this scythe. I can handle myself enough. This is for the shrine."

He pauses before nodding. He supposes he's taught her enough moves. Zelda walks inside, and Link feels anxiety bubbling up in his chest. He waits, then walks inside his own door.

Right as both his feet step beyond the doorway, it shuts. He almost yells out, feeling his own voice die quickly in his throat. He doesn't stop himself from banging on it, though, in some hopes that Zelda had escaped and was on the other side.

Not hearing a response, he stills himself and takes a breath. It's fine, he thinks. She's okay. He turns, peering down a corridor. Walking forward, there appears another chest. He kicks it lightly, watching it pop open. A floating green orb wafts out, looking eerily similar to something Link didn't want to remember.

"I suppose I never get a break. Never with you! How many times must I be at your beck and call?"

No.

"No? Tell me, since when have either of us had a choice?"

Link breathes in, willing himself to not think.

"Ignoring me now, I assume. Nothing new."

His body appears, slowly but surely. Something Link wishes never happened. Time stops when Revali fully appears, and it only starts again when Revali waves a hand in front of Link's face.

"I don't remember you being so zoned out.. I suppose you've finally realized that you're talking to the great Revali? About time!"

Link nods absentmindedly, turning his gaze farther along the hallway.

"Ah, yes, we should figure out what this is. I'm not completely sure as to why I'm here, but you wouldn't be able to tell me." The words sound accusing, and Link has to stop himself from flinching away. The truth in those words was a little too obvious. He walks away, ignoring Revali's squawk and the sound of running footsteps. Why could he hear the spirit's footsteps?

They walk a little farther before Link starts noticing the walls closing in. Whether it's his mind or not, Revali doesn't say anything about it, so he assumes it's just himself. Why would he be having these problems now? It's never happened before.

When are we going to get there?

"I assume it will be soon. There can't be much more left."

Jumping, Link rounds on the spirit. Apparently, the taller understands and begins to explain. "I can't hear you, so no need to worry. But it just appears in my mind. I know what you say, even if I don't hear it. Trust me, it's not like I want this either." Revali huffs.

Link turns back, trying to calm himself before continuing. Soon enough, another door shows up. There's no lock to be wary of, so with no hesitation the blond opens the door. There's a familiar room, one of which looks eerily similar to the 'Minor Test of Strength' in a shrine he can remember being hell. Not that it was hard in terms of how strong he was; the bot just had some new moves that confused him to no end.

A shiver runs up his spine (something he doesn't remember ever feeling beforehand). It only takes a few steps more before the floor in the middle of the room lifts to reveal a guardian bot. Link is driven by instincts, running forward and unsheathing the Master Sword from off his back.

His mind was drowned out, and he couldn't hear anything. This wasn't a surprise, it happened every time, and he didn't have anything against it. It was just sorta hard when there was somebody else trying to work with him.

"Link, Link! Can you hear me? Goddesses' sake, are you deaf now too? There's another one! Link, there's ANOTHER ONE!"

When Revali yelled, Link whirled around, facing another bot. He back flips out of the way just in time, and momentarily sees the Rito in the air with a look of relief strewn across his face. "Thank Hylia, I never thought you would hear me!"

Link finishes off the two bots easily, obviously, but is still left winded. He has to stop himself from collapsing. He briefly wonders why he's acting like this before he remembers that Revali would know. Straightening up, he trudges over to a chest that had been at the other side of the room. Opening it, Link finds another key.

"There's no door here, which leaves the assumption that this is going to take a lot longer than we thought."

Yeah, I know that, Link thinks bitterly.

Revali's wide eyes say enough as the blond turns and storms down the corridor.

———

Time passes slowly as Link fights off more monsters, and Revali ignores him. The shock seemed to get the the bird, seeing as he wouldn't look at the fight even once. Unfortunately for the Hylian, this meant that there was no warning when it came to the boblikin sneaking up behind him.

It's only when Link lets out a pained yell that Revali's eye snap back to the fight. The smaller is holding the Master Sword in one hand, while the other is holding his injured shoulder. Revali curses himself for not noticing sooner, and feels himself panicking as the black colored monsters corner Link.

"Be careful, and focus!"

It turns out that it wasn't the right thing to do, as only a second later Link's eyes widen in surprise and he trips over his own feet. He lands on the floor with a thud, the sword in his loose hand thrown to the other side of the room.

"Get UP! Get up now! Goddess, I never knew that Hylia's Champion would be such a wimp-"

"Shut up! I'm trying!"

There's a moment of silence that seeps between the two before Link gets back up on unsteady footing. It's the first time Revali has ever seen Link use his fists, but it turns out that there was no reason to be worried. By the end, Link's shoulder and knuckles are bruised and bloody.

Link fixes Revali with a stare he doesn't think he'll ever forget.

Just don't say anything.

"Don't say anything?! The first words I hear from you are telling me to shut up!"

And what do you think your first words to me were?

The words hit harder than the Rito thought they would. The brat wasn't wrong. So all Revali does is watch and follow as Link takes a sharp turn down the corridor.

———

Breathing is hard, Link concludes. He's not sure what his problem is today; all he knows is that he's two more shallow breaths away from running back to the entrance.

He takes a quick look at his sword's grip, feeling a pit in his stomach when he realizes his hands are shaking. Not a good sign.

He looks away, bot wanting his lovely companion to notice. They had been walking down a simple hall the entire time, so when another doorway appears, Link is rushing to get it done. He touches the door, and feels himself stop as a wave of whatever the fuck this is waves over him. He clutches his chest, a choked gasp coming out. His gaze latches onto Revali, who doesn't seem to be paying attention. He dimly realizes his entire body is shaking. He tries to take a step forward, and has to lean on the door so that his legs don't buckle from under him. He sucks it all up and throws open the door, his breath leaving him completely as he falls through the doorway, landing on the floor. He props himself up on his elbows, bringing in knees under him and leaning on his hands.

The room is suddenly leaving, and his mind wanders through a different one. An empty one, full of something that he can't see. His throat is closing up as he takes hoarse breaths, gripping the cold floor. The things he can't see close in, and he feels himself be wrapped up in what he can't understand. Soon enough, what he can't understand takes home in his own body, and he can't hold himself on his hands anymore. His head hits the ground, and his fingers dig into his hair, pulling.

He feels the wetness at his cheeks and he claws at his face, wondering what the fuck is happening to me?

What's happening? Where am I? Why? Where? How? Fuck- why?

How long have I been here? How long have I been on the floor? Where's Revali?

A cold seeps into his head, and he gains his control again, exhaustion hitting him like a train. His hands fall next to his head, and his eyes fall shut. He's left the empty room, and he can hear Revali.

"Link! Listen, please! What happened? Shit-"

Link thinks about his answer, thinks of all the question the Rito is throwing at him. He knows what to respond, but he can't think. His head feels heavy, and his mouth is partly open, deciding that he just doesn't want to answer.

He's stuck in sludge, and as much as he wants to at least lift a finger to his mouth, tell Revali to be quiet, he doesn't. Even so, Revali seems to understand that he won't get anything from the blond, and shuts his beak with a clack.

They stay there for a while (a few minutes? a few seconds? hours?), until Link pushes himself up, willing himself to not throw up. Standing on unsteady feet, he leans against a wall. Eyes downcast, mouth still open, he stays stuck in time for about 10 seconds, before fixing his hair and continuing.

"Link! How could you- Do you- What the fuck? Link, why won't you just speak?!"

The Hylian only nods, then shrugs, trudging along.

He doesn't know what happens next, just knows that he pulled in an embrace. He feels feathers, and smells the open sky. Eyebrows shooting up, Link's hands shoot up to the bird's shoulders, pulling away to see Revali's shocked face.

You could- You could touch me this entire time?

"I didn't- I wasn't aware, no."

You...

"What is it?"

If you can...

Revali tilts his head, something that reminds Link of the dogs he's met at the stables. It's.. endearing.

Revali clicks his beak, looking to the side. "Would you stop looking like that? It's weird-"

Link pulls forward, wrapping his arms around the Rito's waist. Sqwaking, Revali almost pushes the small Hylian off- but he quickly thinks better of it. He's quite lucky he has feathers covering him, or else he'd be in some trouble.

He can feel Link's breaths, and when the Hylian nuzzles into him he has to calm down.

Boy is he lucky, he thinks. Without the feathers on his face, he'd be screwed.

———

They keep going on, the moment before forgotten. Link's surprised to see that there are no monsters, and Revali's relieved. He doesn't think he can watch Link like that again.

He doesn't remember feeling so scared- not since windblight, anyway.

Revali watches Link closely the rest of the way. There's no signs of him falling again. Sure, he still shaking, but that's to be expected. When they climb a ton of stairs, Revali doesn't think twice about it. He's looking at Link so much that he doesn't even realize that they had reached yet another door. When Link goes to grab the handle, Revali takes a step forward. The blond looks back at him, raising an eyebrow. It becomes clear that he understands, though, because Link nods, and starts opening it slowly.

Light floods through. Not just generic light. It's natural. He hears a gasp from the Hylian; something that reminded him a little too much of the.. problem earlier.

"Revali- We're outside!"

The smaller's voice eases the Rito's mind, and he has to stop himself from smiling.

"Yes, I see that."

The both of them step out into the light, and Revali feels a weight off his shoulders.

"Link! I was afraid you would never come out! I had some time to think, and I think the shrine was us having to face our fears-"

He watches as Link runs towards Zelda, the man immediately checking her for injuries.

"Link, I'm fine! You look a little worn though, are you okay?"

He smiles, holding up a sign which Revali assumes means okay.

"I suppose it is my time to leave. I believe I will see you again."

Zelda startles, eyes whipping to the Champion. "You had a champion with you too?! I had Mipha, I had thought that it was just because she could help me through my fears but- wait, did Revali help you?"

"Zelda, If you could give us room to think, it would be great."

He looks back to the Hylian, stuttering when he sees Link's eyes cloud with unshed tears.

"I'm sure you'll be fine without me." He huffs.

Link shakes his head, going to hug him again. Zelda doesn't say anything; something that Revali is endlessly grateful for.

He hears Links sigh, and freezes at his next words.

"Thank you, Revali."

It's only then that Revali smiles, nodding his head. "You'll be fine."

Link nods, then lets go. Revali vanishes into the air.

"I'll watch over you from now on. You'll be fine."

[merrysithmas]

you may have talked about this before but do you believe boris already knew he was queer and first approached theo bc he liked him or that he started crushing after they developed a close friendship and theo was what made him question his sexuality? i think theres reasons to believe either side- boris being bold enough to cuddle him in bed seems like he was making a move but him suddenly “loving” kotku seems like an impulsive move out of fear bc he realized he might like a boy. oof idk

I think Boris knew he was attracted to boys — which is evident by his playful, charming, almost teenaged-desperate pursuit of Theo. I think he probably inherently knew this about himself for a long time. I think Boris has always been physically attracted to boys since he’s entered puberty and since he’s still a young teen it is kind of a fun, funny, interesting, enlivening thing for him.

He’s never had a stable life and despite being all over the world he’s led an extremely sheltered existence in a certain way with only one terrible person as his constant (Vladimir). Boris lets it slip to Theo that everywhere the miners go they are hated — this includes Boris. Boris is hated by the public everywhere they go. So long as he is part of their unit, he is hated. That is mortifying to intelligent good-natured Boris. That is why he learns to slip out and around, to be so personable and friendly. His world travels have not been so glorious but probably rather extremely lonely and isolating (as with Judy in Canada), hurtful, and damaging. That is why Bami and Judy (and eventually, Theo) stand out to him so much — people who were kind to him in a childhood of isolated misery and directionlessness. Boris has no moral hang ups about his same-sex attraction - why should he? This directionlessness in his key developmental years is also a good thing: He never grew up around any sort of organized belief systems or stayed bound within an orthodox culture for too long for it to indoctrinate him as its own.

I think people really underestimate how incredibly remote and friendless Boris’ life must have been. Boris is a cheerful boy who Theo says is often plagued by black moods and sullen attitudes. He is an abused and secluded child dragged from location to location with literally no love or stability and constantly brutally beaten to the point where it does not even phase him. Boris actually equates love with that abuse — and nonchalantly claims his father loves him. That is painful to read, that amount of damage.

Living with a bunch of derelict miners whose leader was HIS FATHER (so surely then mostly assholes) and who are “hated everywhere they go” Boris has probably seen any NUMBER of things a conservative-minded person would (likely often erroneously) see as “morally unacceptable” — it’s like Boris is traveling the world with a crew of pirates. He’s probably seen drinking, all kinds of drugs commonly used in front of his face. He has esoteric knowledge about drug use that a child of his age should not — so he was taught by the miners: roll like this, dont include the stems, never mix this, tuck snuff like this, you can get this kind of drug here here and here, it isn’t safe if it doesn’t look like this. His young child’s mind eager to learn sucked up this black information from men who probably didn’t have a second thought to a child or what his developmental needs were. He’s probably first hand witnessed sex workers copulating with his father’s crew (how else would be have learned about the opportunity to lose his virginity in an Alaskan parking lot to a sex worker?), definitely thievery, and said he saw his father murder a man in the mine once and cover it up. Boris’ mind is full of a lifetime of this morally shadowed behavior being presented as normal, or at least secret but common.

I think he understands his attraction to boys in this same way. I think he feels it isn’t “appropriate” to share with Outsiders but it is something that Happens, something that is no one’s business but his own, and something that brings him pleasure and happiness and therefore something he will look for. However he knows it isn’t common or visible or “appropriate” to be showy about it in front of others — especially not people who could judge him (kids at school), kick him out (society), or hurt him (his father). Boris treats his attraction to Theo like his other vices and “bad” habits - barrels head first — but secret: deep dive into happy drug use (but don’t show his dad), steals everything he ever needs (but don’t let them see, put it in my coat), lies when it suits him (lies to Xandra and Larry and his father and Theo too), happily sleeps with Theo and has sex with him (but this is between you-and-me).

He knows other people might have a problem with his actions — but he does not. So that’s his hangup there. He is aware of and ever-vigilant of his surroundings. School: a safe place isolated from his father. He is free and happy to do what he wants at school — including crush on and go after Theo who he clearly likes. He thinks Theo is cute, flirts with him, tries to get him to notice him, talks to him after class, sits next to him on the bus, begs him to come over his house, tries to impress him with far-flung stories, gives him alcohol because it’s what he’s seen his father’s men do in pursuit of romantic partners or as a bonding ritual with one another.

Theo’s house is also a safe place. So safe in fact that Boris starts to leave behind some of the maladjusted development of his childhood and become more of a happy, clear-minded person. Boris and Theo suffer from arrested development and one of themes of the book is childhood lost. They are forced to mimic adults either knowingly or unknowingly, and act in ways that children should not have to in order to survive this Adult World alone. With one another they begin to heal from their traumas, their affection for one another the catalyst. Theo cooks for him, talks to a babbling eager-to-talk Boris (imagine how few people have listened to or understood the ideas of a smart boy like Boris, often surrounded by oafish alcoholics, his violent father where he is expected to keep quiet, or cultures where he does not speak the language), Theo sleeps next to him willingly, he likes Boris, a boy from New York (the top of the world!) he think Boris is funny and smart and worldly, shares his dog with him, hangs on his words, becomes his companion, cares for him if he drinks too much, tried to tend his wounds, welcomes him gratefully into his broken family, watches his favorite movies with him, celebrates holidays with him, inherently values him — and so starts to mend Boris’ broken heart.

A lot of things and viewpoints Boris has are clearly repetitions of things he has heard his father or the miners say — “Christmas is for children” (of course they’d say that to a tiny Boris longing for the magic of Christmas as a child stuck in a mining camp watching the peripheral joy of children around him and coming back to bleak hunger and a dark home), or “god yes I loved having sex with her” (about his hooker in the parking lot — Boris then says he knew she didn’t enjoy it and never shows enjoyment but rather avoidance towards women and girls in any genuine way afterwards, yet covets Theo’s physical company).

Theo on the other hand, who for a short while and then so painfully ripped from him, grew up with love. His natural disposition in Vegas comes from a place of being so recently loved and cherished by his mother and he here, in this lonely place, turns the focus of this disposition onto the one person who is kind and protective towards him: Boris — his one light in a life that has turned very dark. This is like an alien world to Boris. Lonesome and neglected Boris is touched and startled and soon changed by this kindness. So much so that Theo, unknowingly, alters the rest of Boris’ life (Boris feels Theo saved his life).

So that is why I believe the Kotku Gay Panic came about. After their climactic Vegas pool scene where their abuse and trauma is opened to one another (their wounds from their fathers, from fire, literally pouring into the purifying chlorine of the watery womb - mother - pool as they try to drown one another, angry at their attraction to one another, but then cling to and save one another instead) Boris begins to not just have fun and have sex and have freedom with Theo (all okay things by Boris’ standards as long as it is secret) — after that scene and they sleep together and Boris satisfies that teenaged human sexual need... they continue to hookup and be at bliss for a very long, happy time where they both begin to psychologically heal— Boris doesn’t just have sex and fun with Theo, he realizes he starts to love Theo.

Love - an extremely foreign concept to Boris who literally freaks the fuck out because he has no baseline for it. It isn’t the type of “love” that his father gives him (violent, untrustworthy), it isn’t the type of “love” the men who grew up around valued (cheap parking lot sex), it isn’t the kind of “love” his idol Larry has with Xandra (Larry lies to Xandra all the time), it isn’t the kind of “love” Boris has seen in his favorite movies (men and women over and over). No, this love with Theo is very very scary to him. Very perhaps dangerous. He doesn’t know.

I think Boris accepts his physical attraction to men as nbd. I think he probably feels most people feel such attractions or some other harmless private desires that certain people may see as an aberrant from “normal” for whatever reason (either typical kinks and silly hush hush sex shop porno stuff - or other far more despicable things he’s witnessed his father’s men do) and so thinks nothing of his own innocent, consensual goodtime-centered desires. Boris, who likely grew up with little exposure to healthy LGBTQ representation and has a very isolated POV in some ways, likely to some degree at the Vegas point in his life (however casually self-accepting he is) equates same-sex attraction with hush hush taboo sex activities — nothing to be ashamed of, but you’re not going to tell your dad.

As long as it is a personal thing, for him only, Boris embraces it. But it is the emotionality, the healing, the care, the love that freaks Boris out and makes him make a run for it to Kotku — only to recede to what he knows and repeat the exact kind of fake “love” he was taught by his father: unbelievable exclamations of devotion (Boris’ dad sobbing and telling him he loves him + “I love her I love her! She’s beautiful and perfect!”) coupled with the black truth (Boris’ dad beating the shit out of him + Boris beating Kotku).

Boris knows he likes boys but when he starts to love one — that’s when he runs away. Because that means something totally different: societally and personally.

[goraturtle]

1 - 43 please!

WHEWWWWW, i told myself i’d do these questions for two of my main current ocs i play in weekly motw sessions, Astrid and Frankie, if i got any, so let’s goooooo

under a readmore bc this is long and i’m not evil

What’s the maximum amount of time your character can sit still with nothing to do?

Astrid - if she’s with someone? Astrid could probably sit in companionable silence for hours, and she’s very much a “falling asleep on people as a love language” kind of person, so if she trusts u and has time to kill she Will fall asleep on you. If she’s by herself waiting for something to happen or already twitchy to begin with? she could probably stand like 3 minutes before getting agitated and pacing around or finding something to do

Frankie - if she’s ever in a spot where she can’t think of anything to do, she will Find something to do and then get so absorbed in it she won’t move an inch over the course of literal hours. either that or if she’s with people she’ll be content to just laze around and hang out

How easy is it for your character to laugh?

Astrid - not very easy at all, she’s more likely to roll her eyes at you if you try to say something funny or elbow you sharply in the ribs if she doesn’t approve of your joke lol

Frankie - extremely easy, frankie is generally pretty easygoing + especially loves to make other people laugh

How do they put themselves to bed at night (reading, singing, thinking?)

Astrid - this kid is kind of a mess so she’s very much one of those “go over everything in your head that could possibly go wrong in the future” kind of people, which, as you can imagine, doesn’t rlly help with sleep

Frankie - for plot reasons [tw terminal illness ///] (ie. Frankie is actually extremely ill and her backstory is that she came to town seeking a magical cure to save her own life) Frankie is usually so bone weary she doesn’t need a routine. From a young age she’s been good at falling asleep wherever/whenever she wants, but these days the second she hits a slightly cushioned piece of furniture, she’s out like a light (and also a very heavy sleeper)

How easy is it to earn their trust?

Astrid - surprisingly easy if you’re a decent person. she might still be slow to open up but that doesn’t mean that trust isn’t there. for all her prickliness, Astrid likes to believe in the good in people (to her frustration)

Frankie - Not that easy actually! Frankie likes to believe in the good in people too, but she tends to be highly suspicious of strangers

How easy is it to earn their mistrust?

Astrid - depends on the person, very VERY difficult if you’re someone she’s already trusted bc she has a hard time wrapping her head/heart around betrayal (even if she projects otherwise) but if you’re just some rando it’s easy to land yourself on her shitlist

Frankie - Also not easy, she doesn’t mistrust unless you give her a reason to. She’s just pretty neutral on people and tries to cover her bases until she’s got cause to believe otherwise

Do they consider laws flexible, or immovable?

Astrid - my baby was a thief for most of her life before getting scooped up and conscripted into being a superhero, so in general she does not give a shit about the law

Frankie - you know, for a law school dropout you’d think Frankie would care more about laws, but she doesn’t. not even a little bit.

What triggers nostalgia for them, most often? Do they enjoy that feeling?

Astrid - I think seeing happy families for her is a unique trigger, reminds her of when her mom was still around and when her twin siblings were babies. She was separated from the twins for years, and has reconnected with one of them, so I think even spending time w/ her little sis has been triggering major nostalgia as well. She wants to tell her baby sister more about how things were (Caroline was too little to retain most memories from back then) but doesn’t want to push too hard, and doesn’t know how to open up about memories she’s kept close for years. The feeling is painful, but little by little she’s learning to cope w/ it and appreciate it.

Frankie - Happy families is probably a trigger for Frankie as well, since she left home after highschool after getting into a dumb argument w/ her dad. She was always going to go home after getting her law degree, but got her diagnosis + discovered the existence of magic and that changed everything. That nostalgia is extremely painful for her, and she tries to block it out as much as possible, since she knows that the next time she sees her parents it’ll either be after she figures out a cure for herself or once she gives up completely and goes home to accept her fate

What were they told to stop/start doing most often as a child

Astrid - she was a bit of a gregarious wildchild so it was a lot of exasperated “get DOWN from there” “Astrid stop RUNNING” “Don’t forget to hold my hand when we cross the street!!!”s from her mom lol. poor woman.

Frankie - Frankie was a very shy little kid, so it was a lot of gentle coaxings from her parents for her to speak up

Do they swear? Do they remember their first swear word?

Astrid - fuck yeah she does, hers was probably “fuck you”

Frankie - absolutely. she probably swore the first time after hearing her dad cuss or something, so it’d be something like “son of a bitch” or something (her dad probably lost his mind laughing after he heard her say it, and her mom would NOT have been happy w him lol)

What lie do they most frequently remember telling? Does it haunt them?

Astrid - She hasn’t told her baby sister that she was a thief before her current gig, and that makes her feel bad honestly

Frankie - the lie by omission about her general health and why she came to town in the first place. it haunts her literally every single day.

How do they cope with confusion (seek clarification, pretend they understand, etc)?

Astrid - she does not ask questions, probably acts like she understands/is above the conversation but you could definitely catch her side-eyeing people or eavesdropping to try and understand

Frankie - outright is like ‘haha what’

How do they deal with an itch found in a place they can’t quite reach?

Astrid - will scratch herself on every single inanimate object she can reach, scowling the entire time

Frankie - complain very loudly to incite sympathy and help

What color do they think they look best in? Do they actually look best in that color?

Astrid - she generally wears a lot of black/dark blue. She looks good in dark blue, but she also looks great in brighter jewel tones (she won’t wear them though bc she thinks it’s ‘Too Much’)

Frankie - she wears a TON of color all the time, think tacky buttondowns every single day, but she thinks she looks best in that soft peachy kind of orange (and she’s absolutely right)

What animal do they fear most?

Astrid - *takes a long draw off an old wooden pipe* Mankind

Frankie - she was kind of woodsy as a kid, living in montana, so i don’t think she’s really afraid of any animals. maybe a healthy respect for bears? now that she’s a werewolf i don’t think she’s scared of any animals at all

How do they speak? Is what they say usually thought of on the spot, or do they rehearse it in their mind first?

Astrid - definitely an on-the-spot thinker

Frankie - she’s very careful about what she says, generally, but she can blurt stuff out if she’s feeling emotional/not in control

What makes their stomach turn?

Astrid - cruelty in general. She’s lived a hard life and isnt afraid to punch hard, but she doesn’t understand delighting in someone’s suffering

Frankie - thoughts of impending inescapable death

Are they easily embarrassed?

Astrid - depends, most things won’t rattle her but I think genuine affection when she isn’t expecting it will get her a little flustered

Frankie - no she’s a rock. the only thing that could make her blush would be like a genuine romantic confession + someone being interested in her in that way

What embarrasses them?

whoops, see above

What is their favorite number?

Astrid - does not care

Frankie - 420

If they were asked to explain the difference between romantic and platonic or familial love, how would they do so?

Astrid - she’d probably roll her eyes and be like “Don’t be stupid, do I really have to explain something so obvious to you?”

Frankie - “Well first of all if I wanna kiss them on the lips it’s romantic”

Why do they get up in the morning?

Astrid - more habit than anything most days, but she gets up for her little sister, for her teammates, and in the hopes that they’ll be able to find the other twin, her brother, very soon

Frankie - very much does not want to die or let down the people who have supported her since coming to down.

How does jealousy manifest itself in them (they become possessive, they become aloof, etc)?

Astrid - she’d get possessive but ONLY in private, afterwards. Astrid would react off the cuff and get pretty pissy, but get even angrier at herself for lashing out + leave/avoid the person for a while to try and control herself

Frankie - I don’t think she’s used to being possessive so it would take her completely by surprise. She’d get very hurt, and wouldn’t necessarily be aloof, but she’d try to remove herself from the situation so she’s ‘not in the way’. She’d probably get pissed at herself for even feeling hurt, when it’s not like she’s in any position to be laying the foundation for a future anywhere

How does envy manifest itself in them (they take what they want, they become resentful, etc)?

Astrid - thief, so. she will definitely just take that shit provided there’s nothing else to make her hesitate (ie. it’s not a special trinket/memento and provided the person she’s stealing from isn’t struggling to make ends meet)

Frankie - I can’t see her getting envious over a possession or anything honestly

Is sex something that they’re comfortable speaking about? To whom?

Astrid - yeah, why not honestly. I think she’d be fine talking generally about it w/ anyone. She does NOT want to hear any details about her two madly in love middle aged coworkers fucking, though, please no

Frankie - definitely. not a lot of romantic experience, but Frankie is old hat at hookups/one night stands and doesn’t shy away from talking about it if asked. I think she’s more embarrassed about never having been in a real relationship than she is about her sexual history

What are their thoughts on marriage?

Astrid - her mom never got married (she has a different father from the twins, and in both cases the dad fucked off and left after her mom realized she was pregnant) and she is terrified of letting people down, so at the moment she isn’t rlly excited about that kind of thing. Her ex, Charlie, also betrayed her and hurt her pretty badly, and even though they were teenagers Astrid still thought of her as being The One, so she’s doubtful about ever finding or wanting to find a replacement. She’s still young and traumatized though, and I can easily see her mind changing

Frankie - literally domestic life would be bliss for her, but she doesn’t even let herself think about a serious relationship, let alone marriage, bc she does not anticipate living long

What is their preferred mode of transportation?

Astrid - she had this shitty old 2003 chevy silverado she drove for years that she’s still got a soft spot for, even if she’ll swear up and down to any witness that she hates the damn thing

Frankie - she’s got a little prius-c bc i wanted to shove her into a clown car, but she grew up on her parents’ horse farm in montana and tbh. nothing can beat horseback for her.

What causes them to feel dread?

Astrid - these days? being alone/feeling exposed. She’s gotten used to her backup. Also thinking about her lost twin brother has been a major source of dread/pain for her lately

Frankie - when she wakes up in the morning and the body aches and chills are worse than the day before

Would they prefer a lie over an unpleasant truth?

Astrid - no and if she caught someone lying to her just to save her feelings she’d be SO mad, prepare to get ur ass beaten by this maladjusted 5′1 twenty five year old

Frankie - definitely not. which is hypocritical as hell for her, all things considered

Do they usually live up to their own ideals?

Astrid - she sets very high standards for herself that she can’t possibly meet, so no. she’s still trying to feel like she belongs as a superhero

Frankie - usually, but obviously her lying about her health is a major blind spot where she becomes extremely hypocritical

Who do they most regret meeting?

Astrid - i’d say on the surface she says she regretted meeting her ex, Charlie, but that’s not true, not even a little bit. She’s still heartsick over everything that happened between them

Frankie - there was an incident with a werewolf hunter (who Frankie had helped to save the life of) going after Lou and Selene. Lou got shot (Frankie healed him) and the two of them had to kill her, which was obviously traumatizing for them. Frankie still wishes that they’d never even seen the hunter in the first place and regrets saving her life

Who are they the most glad to have met?

Astrid - when she was conscripted into the superhero biz and given her powers, she was put onto a team with two other supers named Arsenal and Bullet (the other player characters, real names are Heather and Cyrus), who are middle aged pros very used to the field. Astrid’s only 25 so they naturally kind of leaned into the parent relationship, and Astrid loves them so much. It was rocky at first because Astrid was adjusting and wasn’t even sure she wanted to be there, but they have been so patient and kind at this point i think Astrid would literally do anything for them

Frankie - the other player characters, again (two twins named Selene and Lou who are members of the local werewolf pack. Frankie got bit in the first session to see if a werewolf’s healing abilities could cure her. It didn’t work), but especially Selene. They’ve been bonding a lot lately and as much as Frankie wants to keep everyone at bay in case she fails and has to leave town in the middle of the night, everyone she’s met in town has made a big impact on her.

Do they have a go-to story in conversation? Or a joke?

Astrid - her only ‘joke’ is that she rolls her eyes constantly. in the early games when she was still too emotionally constipated to really chat with Arsenal/Heather and Bullet/Cyrus i made her roll her eyes like every 3 seconds. She doesn’t think she’s a very funny person and spent a lot of time growing up trying to focus on keeping herself fed/safe so she feels awkward trying to crack jokes + has a (correct) feeling that most of her ‘stories’ from her teenage years would horrify Heather and Cyrus

Frankie - she’s been very cagey about details about her personal life in-game, but I am very excited for her to tell the story about when a horse kicked her and broke 3 ribs when she was like 8

Could they be considered lazy?

Astrid - definitely not. this girl would not know how to relax if you paid her

Frankie - if she’s stoned? yes. (she self medicates)

How hard is it for them to shake a sense of guilt?

Astrid - hard, but she also doesn’t seek validation from other people. A pep talk from her two favorite work parents would probably go a long way (which is probably a small reason why she doesn’t ask for that from them, since she’s a little self-punishing)

Frankie - easy enough throughout the day when she’s busy, but feelings like that tend to come for you when things get quiet

How do they treat the things their friends come to them excited about? Are they supportive?

Astrid - not used to people coming to her bc they’re excited, usually ppl come to her w/ Problems, but she’d be very supportive, if a bit awkward

Frankie - VERy supportive, 10/10, will get extremely invested for your sake

Do they actively seek romance, or do they wait for it to fall into their lap?

Astrid - she sought it out with her ex Charlie, initially, when they were teenagers, and has been kind of closed off ever since, aside from the occasional one night stand here and there. Even those, she waits for it, though. Having your ex kick you out and try to hurt you does a number on the ol’ self esteem. She’s not really interested in romance currently

Frankie - doesn’t seek it out at all except in a purely sexual context when she’s bored (w/ others strictly looking for the same) bc she doesn’t feel like she’s got enough time left to give to someone right now. Also, genuinely, she’s got some self esteem issues as well and can’t fathom someone wanting her for more than just one night

Do they have a system for remembering names, long lists of numbers, things that need to go in a certain order (like anagrams, putting things to melodies, etc)?

Astrid - nope, not at all. If she did she would have gotten a lot better grades in middle school/early high school (she dropped out like freshman year)

Frankie - she just writes everything down in a notebook

What memory do they revisit the most often?

Astrid - the night that Charlie told her to get lost and then tried to kill her. She hasn’t come to terms with it yet.

Frankie - the last time she saw her parents. When her dad lost his temper and said “If you’re gonna walk out that door then don’t come back” and she, in all of her 18 year old stubbornness, followed directions to the letter. She had a good relationship w/ her dad, they’re both just stubborn and stupid. she wishes she could have repaired things sooner

How easy is it for them to ignore flaws in other people?

Astrid - extremely easy, she doesn’t exactly see herself as having a leg to stand on.

Frankie - easy, everyone fucks up, she’s more interested in communication and willingness to make things better than she is in perfection

How sensitive are they to their own flaws?

Astrid - EXTREMELY sensitive

Frankie - fairly sensitive, she’s very self aware of her shortcomings but stays quiet about them since most of them are really only apparent to her

How do they feel about children?

Astrid - loves kids, terminal big sis syndrome. will never want her own bc she’s terrified of fucking up and thinks she would make a bad mom

Frankie - likes kids, once again doesn’t rlly think about them as being a possibility for her. When she’s cured and ready to start considering a future (the gm isn’t gonna kill her i trust her too much we’re just in this for the angst) i think she’ll really want children, she’d consider it a privilege to raise a child. Also she’d be the perfect dad joke lesbian

How badly do they want to reach their end goal?

Astrid - she went from a lonely thief to a superhero being slowly reunited w/ her family, plus she’s made a new kind of family in the process. All she wants is to find her baby brother right now, and she’ll do anything to make sure he’s safe and sound.

Frankie - so bad it hurts. what started out as her being purely scared of dying has also quickly turned into her wanting to live and stay more with these people she’s met.

If someone asked them to explain their sexuality, how would they do so?

Astrid - “Girls.”

Frankie - “Haha, why, you interested? *winks*” (but also lesbian as well)

[imlostinsantacarla]

DATING GEORGE WEASLEY WOULD INCLUDE:

◾ Let’s get something super clear here, George is the more sensitive of the twins, which he never forgets thanks to his fabulous twin Fred who continuously brings it up.

◾ You’re either a companion within regards to their ideas for pranks or just in the prank itself, there is simply no in between. They’ve either slyly convinced you to fully commit to their life of cheeky crime or you’ve made it clear to them that you’re not willing to be completely responsible. And you know what? George and Fred love you for it.

◾ Unfortunately, you had to go through a ‘trial period’ at first with Fred, to ensure that you were good enough for his brother; which George, in the slightest bit, wasn’t too keen on, because he didn’t want you scared off and found it all a bit unnecessary.

◾ But you managed to pass, so it’s all just left in the past.

◾ Consistent teasing from Fred about how the both of you are so in love.

◾ “Oi, get a room not all of us can handle your love bird syndrome.”

◾ “Awe looks at the two love birds!”

◾ “You know Georgie, (Y/N)-”

◾ “Shut your mouth Fred, before I end you!”

◾ Always having thought that George was the more attractive of the twins.

◾ George having an immense soft spot for you, which Fred never misses the opportunity to point out lavishly.

◾ Protective asf George.

◾ Like, you won’t get to do anything that puts you even in the slightest of dangers.

◾ The shitter thing is that Fred will back him up 110%.

◾ But you somehow do it anyways, which means George ain’t too happy.

◾ Due to George being more emotional than Fred, I can definitely see him ranting to you about Umbridge or how Malfoy always puts his family down. You and Fred are usually the only ones able to calm him down so he won’t commit murder or any other unspeakable act.

◾ Sending notes in class, which leads the pair of you into detention, but George already had detention anyways.

◾ He’s excited about detention with you because he get’s to spend more time with you.

◾ When he get’s in detention you tend to get annoyed at him as you guys don’t always get to spend much time with each other alone, - especially if you’re in another house -.

◾ George won’t give a single damn about your blood status or what house you’re in, he cares about you for the person that you are and what brilliant qualities and quirks you have.

◾ With that noted, if you’re in another house, he’s gonna sneak you into the Gryffindor common room no matter how much you reprimand him.

◾ You sneak him into yours.

◾ Pranking each other lightly ( you not so much bc George hates making you upset). fucking softie.

◾ Fred and George learning the hard way not to prank you so much or too badly or at all really.

◾ Tender forehead kisses and long, warm cuddles that extend for hours on end.

◾ George is just a mega dork around you.

◾ Intertwined fingers and walks in the autumn leaves.

◾ Eyes lighting up with brilliant ideas.

◾ Silent communication, just a look in each others eyes will do.

◾ You’re stuck with Fred now too. Sorry it’s in their contract.

◾ The dork will definitely boop your nose if you’re sad or angry.

◾ He’s always making you smile, laugh and blush, which is just the way he likes it.

◾ Hates it when you’re in a bad mood or sad, he’ll do anything to get that grin back on your face.

◾ In private George will totally say more mushy stuff, he already get’s teased enough from Fred as it is.

◾ The pair of you never shut up about each other, everyone’s sick of it now.

◾ He twirls the end of your hair around his fingers, breathing about how soft and perfect it is.

◾ He’s romantic af.

◾ This boy will protect you and give you everything, okay?

◾ Deep meaningful hugs. BEAR HUGS!

◾ Dates that’re usually simple, but he always finds a way to make them sooo special so you won’t forget.

◾ Pretends to forget important dates with you so that he can get a little rise out of you before he kisses your nose or your mouth and tells you to shut up because he’s not that much of a brain dead git to forget your anniversary.

◾ Unlimited comfort.

◾ Being protective of him.

◾ Him throwing major hands when a guy flirts with you or when anyone hurts you.

◾ Inviting you to The Burrow every holiday.

◾ His family, - especially his parents -, loving you totally. You’ve suddenly been adopted by them without any consent, but you don’t mind tbh.

◾ Molly and Arthur constantly ask about you, they’ve sent you a Weasely sweater, but you still steal George’s.

◾ Helping Arthur understand muggle stuff and concepts better.

◾ George and Fred switching places, but it never fools you. Originally you got cross, but then began playing with them.

◾ Him and his family loving you for you and not focusing on your gender, race, sexuality, beliefs, etc. They’re always so accepting of you that it makes you sob.

◾ Sneaking into his room late at night when staying at The Burrow just for cuddles. Fred doesn’t mind as long as he can tease the shit out of you guys and also that there’s no funny business.

◾  Him giving you free stuff from his shop, but you insist on paying him back with kisses. 

◾ “I think I’m going to spew.”

◾ “Oh come on, Freddie! You love a bit of romance around.”

◾ “Yeah, but not when your tongues down (Y/N)’s throat, you git.”

◾ The banter is real mate.

◾ George being really intelligent, which surprises you but he helps you with your homework constantly.

◾ Helping him at the shop. more like distracting.

◾ Jump scaring tf out of you.

◾ Taking care of one another and treating each other with the utmost respect and love.

◾ You’ve definitely been caught by everyone at The Burrow when making out. The worst has to be Molly, she’ll give a long lecture that embarrasses the pair of you.

◾ When you cuddle with George in his room, Fred’s got to be clingy and join in.

◾ George buying you sweets.

◾ Breathy sweet nothings and husky morning voices.

◾ Honestly every day you wake up at The Burrow, George will always point out how adorable and sleepy you are.

◾ Fred and George teach you Quidditch, you’re not very good at it yet, which Fred teases you about, but George is always encouraging you.

◾ An immense about of fluff and happiness.

◾ Wiping away your tears and kissing it better.

◾ Being picked up and thrown over his shoulder bc it’s just George.

◾ Being Ginny’s role model, she loves you so much and everyone is so happy about it.

◾ George just gushes over you all of the time.

◾ Moving in with the twins in the small apartment above their joke shop.

◾ A cheeky, “Morning,” and wink from Fred every time you come out of your bedroom followed by George with messy hair and love bites.

◾ Aimless invisible patterns drawn on the skin which make you both shiver in delight.

◾ Deep loving kisses that can turn passionate and rough.

◾ Being obsessed with how he smells, and vice versa.

◾ Pulling on George’s cheeks and cooing to him like a little kid whenever he achieves something, it makes Fred and him laugh, though it irks him slightly.

◾ He’s literally your sunshine.

◾ You’re obsessed with the color of his hair, constantly playing with it whether his heads in your lap or you’re sitting on his lap.

◾ Major eye contact; if you were nervous about it originally, he got you comfortable with it.

◾ Interlocked fingers and soft eye contact during intimate moments.

◾ Tickle attacks.

◾ Peppered kisses.

◾ He’ll share his food with you, what a miracle!

◾ Always making sure that you’re taking care of each other.

◾ Taking care of each other when you’re both sick.

◾ Visiting each other when you’re sick at school.

◾ He loves it when you come to him about everything first, unless he get’s stumped on what to do. But him and Fred are your biggest cheerleaders, okay?

◾ He’s a sucker for neck kisses and biting or nails softly scratching down his back or arms.

◾ He loves it when you always come first.

◾ He’s super attentive with you.

◾ He can be sub or dom.

◾ Seriously, he’s brilliant at everything which makes your head spin.

◾ He speaks with his words a lot though his actions can be louder, because he’ll do things for/to you that he’d never do for/to anyone else.

◾ Genuinely dying of embarrassment whenever George and Fred find out something embarrassing about you.

◾ Not always quite during sex, but he can’t help it.

◾ He always loves a challenge, so if you’re at The Burrow and want that sort of intimate alone time, he’ll make is so hard for you to be quiet, which you’re so annoyed at him about later, but it wears off bc it was worth it.

◾ Literally shows you off to everyone. He’d never hide you or make you feel like he’s embarrassed to be with you.

◾ If you’re introverted, he’ll do his best to understand and do things that you enjoy, though it may take time for him to understand why you need so much alone time, but he’ll respect it. And if you’re extroverted, he’ll be happy too, loving to do everything with you. If you’re in the middle and an ambivert, a good mix will do!

◾ If anyone upsets you, that’s their target for cruel pranks for the rest of the year.

◾ GIF IS NOT MINE. GIF CREDIT GOES TO AMAZING OWNER! 💖

Please keep requesting imagines! If you like it, please follow for more.

[introvert-celeste]

This is for @littlelarimar!

I lost his original ask, but it’s basically the Betas being protective of Jasper around Lapis/the Betas meeting Lapis for the first time. Although a good half of this is just Jasper spending time with her fam bc I can’t resist ^.^

It was getting kind of long so I ended it pretty abruptly, sorry about that.

How is any of this real?

Jasper felt like she was surrounded by ghosts, or mere figments of her fevered mind, and in a moment they would disappear and she would be alone again, with nothing but her grief and her anger.

This entire interaction felt wrong. How could she possibly be here among gems she always assumed were dead—and better off for it—in this place, so close to traitors she despised, but ones who’d helped her at her lowest point? How could they be here, smiling and relaxed (as much as one could expect from the Beta gems), when the last time they’d been together they’re very existences were on the line? How could they exist outside of the war that had taken everything from her?

And most importantly, how could she accept this affection, after how terrible she’d been all these millennia?

The question must have been clear on her face, as she felt a smaller gem tackle her from the side, thin arms clinging to her neck and face pressed forcefully against her own. Barely able to control her own emotions anymore, Jasper blushed furiously and tried to pull away, but to no avail. The gem was stronger than she seemed, and as stubbornly persistent as herself, laughing carelessly. She knew Jasper wouldn’t hurt her.

“Agh! Okay, okay! Get off!” Jasper shouted, falling back as she was finally subdued by the affection, the other Betas snickering around her.

This can’t be real.

Satisfied, Skinny finally pulled away, grinning cheekily at Jasper’s flustered glare. “What’s your problem?” Jasper demanded, as if she hadn’t just been brooding.

“You had this look on your face and I couldn’t resist,” Skinny replied matter-of-factly, her expression softening. “Come on, just lighten up for a few minutes. The war is over, Muscles.”

Agreements all around, though not as enthusiastic as one would expect from a group of gems who’d been through hell multiple times over. Of course, how could anyone expect them to let their guards down completely while they were, quite literally, on their enemy’s doorstep. Until the Crystal Gems were convinced that the Betas were trustworthy, especially when it came to interactions with Jasper, all meetings had to be held within plain sight of the temple, and someone had to be around to watch. That someone was normally Amethyst, who rarely ever paid attention, except to converse with Carnelian.

At that moment, the little traitor was positively buzzing with excitement, listing off all the things Amethyst told her in the hour that they talked that day and recapping everything from the past week. The triplets listened in amused silence, stopping her every once in a while as her excitement got to be too much, sparks flying off of her dangerously close to the wooden remains of Steven’s house.

Jasper couldn’t help but smile. At the very least, it made her happy seeing her favorite little runt happy.

“Aw, there you go!” Cleft cried, mussing up Jasper’s hair from behind. “Muscles finally cracked!”

“Would you two stop calling me that?!” Jasper retorted, embarrassed at the constant use of her old nickname. Skinny and Cleft, the two survivors who emerged closest to Jasper and who pretty much counted as column mates at this point, were the worst when it came to this. She was convinced they did it on purpose, but she didn’t actually mind it.

This was the best she’d felt in a long time, actually. Even in such close proximity to the Crystal Gems, being indebted to them and at the same time policed by them at every turn, she could say with certainty that that she’d never felt so happy. There was no war, there was no expectations, there were no rules dictating how one must live and the consequences of going against that order. At that moment, it was only her and her kindergarten mates. If this was a delusion, she never wanted to be sane again.

After another round of harassment from Cleft and Skinny, with Carnelian interrupting at intervals join the fun, she allowed herself to relax and joke with them. It was something she rarely allowed herself to do back during the war, but now there was nothing to stop her.

She didn’t notice a commotion from within the house until the conversation abruptly stopped, the door swinging open to reveal an apparently unwelcomed sight. Lapis. Amethyst was standing behind her in the doorway, obviously torn between wanting to pull her back inside and fearful of what sort of reaction that would evoke, now that Lapis had seen and been seen.

The Betas grew very still and quiet, glaring up at the blue gem wearily while casting sidelong glances at Jasper. As she stood to greet Lapis, she felt Skinny grasp her shoulder tightly, protectively, flanking her from one side while Cleft stood on the other side, arms crossed. Carnelian bolted toward her and barreling into her shin with enough force to almost knock her over, refusing to let go.

With growing mortification, Jasper realized: they know. Oh stars, they know.

Jasper wasn’t there when the Betas first arrived. They never mentioned what Steven told them—if they had even allowed him to speak to them in the first place—but Jasper was determined to put off stories of her antics until all this had died down. Malachite was at the very bottom of the list of things she planned to one day tell them, right below the abuse she dealt and received on Homeworld. She didn’t want pity.

Did that brat Steven tell them everything? Even the time Jasper begged on her knees to fuse with Lapis again, only for Lapis to bunce her across the ocean like she was a mere pebble? Whatever was said, now they were poised to protect her. Her! The very gem who saved their butts from certain death time and time again, now brought down so low that she needed protection from defective—

Jasper stopped this train of thought abruptly, guilt permeating through her. She should’ve been grateful that she had gems who cared enough to look out for her, even after all this time. For the first time in a long time, she had gems who were genuinely on her side, who knew what she was really about and what she went through, who she shared those experiences with. But while they were all ready to go, Jasper found that there was no fight left in her, nothing to fight for. She certainly wasn’t worth the effort.

“So, this is your…what does Steven call it? Family?” Lapis’ voice trembled, nervously smiling as she shrank from the Betas’ hostility.

“What do you want?” Jasper asked gruffly, shrugging the others way and squaring her shoulders, making it clear that she wasn’t bothered even as her face burned and her palms began to sweat.

Her smile wavered, but remained pinned in place. “I just…I heard everyone was out here, and I wanted to say that I’m happy for you, all of you. And…and I’m sorry, again.”

Jasper was about to dismiss her, when Skinny suddenly draped her arm over Jasper’s shoulders, leaning towards Lapis with thinly veiled derision. She asked, voice dripping with sweetness, “well, you don’t look like the type to mess a gem like her. What could you possibly be sorry for, huh?”

Lapis pursed her lips uncomfortably, no longer able to maintain eye-contact.

“What was that? I can’t hear you.”

This was almost difficult to watch. “I fused with her…” Lapis replied, barely audible.

“Louder for the gems in the back, Lazuli!”

“I fused with her!” Lapis shouted. “I trapped her in a fusion for months so I could have control over something, and I took everything out on her! I tortured her! I tortured the both of us. It was awful, it’s the worst thing I’ve ever done in my entire existence. There’s nothing I can do to make up for this, but the least I can do is apologize. You forgive me, don’t you?”

She looked up at Jasper imploringly, but Jasper felt nothing. No anger, no gratitude, nothing. Truth be told, she still harbored that feeling deep within her that she deserved what she got and worse, so any apology from Lapis seemed unwarranted. It was like warden apologizing to a criminal for keeping her locked up, right? Jasper was awful, and she knew it, and that lingering sense of longing she still felt around Lapis only solidified this.

“Of course she doesn’t, you dumb clod!” Carnelian snapped before Jasper could answer. Thankfully, her hold never loosened from Jasper’s leg, or else she would have certainly torn into Lapis without mercy. As awkward and unnecessary as this altercation was, she had to admit it made her a little choked up to have her tiny companion defending her against a gem who could shatter her without a second thought. Jasper shushed her, laying a hand on her head placatingly.

Skinny released her grip on Jasper and moved dangerously close to Lapis, towering over her.

“Look at me.” She demanded. When Lapis resisted, she grabbed her chin and wrenched her head upwards. “Stay away from her, or else. Understand?”

Lapis nodded.

“Just because we occupy the same planet doesn’t make us friends, and it definitely doesn’t make us Crystal gems, so don’t think that it does. Got it?”

She nodded again, struggling against Skinny’s grip.

“And you’re going to go back in that house like the good little traitor you are and leave us alone. Okay?”

“Mmmph…yes, okay.” Lapis agreed tensely.

“Good.”

To her credit, Skinny let her go gently, giving a warning look to the other Betas to keep them from hurling more abuse her way. She wasn’t the bullying type, but she was by no means a novice. With only a tentative glance over her shoulder, Lapis made her way back up to the house. Amethyst held the door open for her, wide eyed.

[amremington]

Mitch and Alec ch. 1 part 2

part 1 is here also tagging @veronicabunch bc they asked me to <3

Somedays, Mitch really wishes Alec was a normal type of vampire hunter and would just stab him in the back. Literally. With a stake. It might be less painful than actually living with Alec.

And maybe... death is what Mitch needs. Even if it means an eternity in hell. Living on earth for an eternity doesn’t sound much more appealing.

But then Mitch opens the fridge and sees that Alec picked up more spinach and pomegranates  for him, and his cold heart softens just the tiniest bit.

Mitch eats a lot of iron rich foods. It helps limit the amount of blood he really needs to consume to live, and the less blood he needs, the better. If he could figure out a way to completely eradicate the need for blood at all, he would. He doesn’t enjoy being a bloodthirsty monster. Also, it’s quite difficult to steal a lot of blood from the hospital in one go. Getting a couple bags every couple weeks isn’t as alarming to a hospital as tens of bags at a time. They can write off a couple bags going missing, but too many make the hospital staff suspicious. And as Alec says, “Suspicion drives superstition.”

Too much suspicion means people rely on old stories to make light of the situation, but... they’re not always wrong. One nurse was quoted in the local town newspaper, claiming that vampires were stealing their blood bags. He wasn’t wrong, but he was laughed at and ridiculed. Mitch still sends him some money each month - anonymously - as an apology. The message probably isn’t getting through, and if it was, the retired nurse probably wouldn’t be too happy knowing a vampire was funding his new RV.

Not that Mitch keeps up with Luke Hershaw.

Mitch quickly makes himself a salad with a side of fruit and goes back into the living room, glaring at Alec’s legs until they move out of his way.

“If looks could kill,” Alec snorts, curling his legs up to his chest. Once Mitch is sat, Alec stretches them back out, tucking his toes under Mitch’s thigh.

Mitch doesn’t respond, but he stabs at his salad a little more aggressively than he normally would, which just makes Alec laugh. That’s all Alec does: laugh at Mitch. Again, it would be so much easier if Alec was a normal hunter.

But he isn’t. Instead, Mitch is stuck with a roommate hellbent on torturing him for the rest of his life because that’s the kind of hunter Alec is.

If only he hadn’t decided on that university. Honestly, Mitch could have picked any university in the world and gone there, but no. He decided that sunny, sunny California was the best idea since Claudia casted a spell on him so he could go out in daylight for the first time in three centuries. He was a little anxious to try it out and see how long it could last.

Five years later, it’s still going strong surprisingly. He does see Claudia every so often to charge the spell and also to visit because she is a delight. She often makes Mitch tea and gives him gossip on her coven that he never has and never will meet. If anyone found out she was helping him... it wouldn’t be good. Not even Alec knows.

Mitch shivers at the thought of Alec finding out. He wonders if Alec would finally have to report him to his family.

“Hey,” Alec says softly, nudging Mitch’s thigh with his big toe. “You got all rain cloud dark and gloomy over there.”

Mitch rolls his eyes because Alec is severely exaggerating it. “No, I didn’t.”

“Are you thinking about him again?” Alec asks, knowingly.

Mitch shakes his head and takes a huge bite of his food so he doesn’t have to answer the next question.

“Oh, is it one of your...,” he stops before he finishes the sentence.

“Victims?” Mitch supplies helpfully around the food in his mouth. “Surprisingly no. It’s nothing.”

“Is it about how you can walk in the sun?” Alec continues his questioning. He has always wanted to know how Mitch can walk in the sun, and Mitch will never tell him. It would be dangerous for both of them, but mostly it would be dangerous for Alec.

“Yes,” Mitch answers truthfully.

“Not that you’ll tell me how you can do that,” Alec grumbles, not even bothering to hide how upset he is by Mitch refusing to tell him.

Mitch doesn’t say anything in response. Instead, he keeps eating and asks if they can continue watching their current show. Alec leans over to grab the TV remote and turns on their show. He’s uncharacteristically quiet for a while, but his toes are still wedged under Mitch’s thigh, so Mitch puts his hand on Alec’s ankle, who flinches at the cold touch, but he relaxes immediately.

It took a while for them to get this comfortable with each other, and it definitely has been a while since Mitch had someone he was this comfortable with who he hasn’t known for centuries. Even the people he has known for centuries aren’t exactly... open-minded. Claudia is distrusting of everyone, especially humans. Frederic is overly cautious and never comes out of hiding. In fact, Mitch isn’t even sure where Frederic is right now or where his new hiding spot is. He does know it changes every ten years, and it’s never in the same place.

But Mitch? He’s always wanted a companion, but he knows Alec can’t be that. Alec is human and will die sooner than Mitch is prepared for. Still. Alec has vowed to be Mitch’s “pain in the ass” for as long as he lives, so at least Mitch will have a good friend for that long.

The show is paused, so Mitch looks over at Alec with a raised eyebrow.

“Dude, your vibe is bringing me down,” Alec explains. “It’s ruining the show. You either need to suck it up or we’re going to go do something fun.”

Mitch grimaces. “You think it’s so easy to just suck up the guilt of what I’ve done, what I’ve put people through?”

Alec groans. “Mitch, seriously. You made horrific mistakes in the past. You are an evil creature of the night, but you’re not still the monster you were.”

Mitch thinks through that for a moment. While Alec is right, it’s not easy to accept every wrong act Mitch has committed. It’s been almost a century since he last killed someone, but there isn’t enough good he can do to right the wrong he has done.

“Are you really going to spend the rest of your immortal life feeling guilty about succumbing to your instincts?” Alec asks.

“Yes,” Mitch immediately answers.

“How is that going to make up for anything you’ve done?” Alec looks genuinely interested in the answer, but also doubtful that Mitch even has an answer.

Because he doesn’t have an answer, Mitch asks, “Do you have a better suggestion?”

“Keep doing what you’re doing.” Alec waves his hand at the empty salad bowl. “Keep figuring out ways to cut down on the amount of blood you consume. Keep leaving people’s lives better than when you found them. You’re doing good now, so keep doing that.”

Mitch doesn’t really have a response, so he doesn’t say anything. He stares at Alec, confused because why is this vampire hunter helping him? It’s been years, and it still baffles Mitch. Alec’s excuse of, “You don’t kill anyone,” for not killing him doesn’t make enough sense. From what Mitch has seen of vampire hunters, they teach their children from young ages that vampires are  immoral monsters. No exceptions. The question is, why is Alec making an exception?

[cocoabutterbby]

i'm so sick & tired of the millennial interpretations of dating, relationships & love

everytime i get on twitter, instagram or tumblr, i see some pessimistic asshole telling others that "you're better off by yourself" or "if he/she doesn't grant your every wish & do as you say when you say it leave em" or "if they have a couple flaws, let that person go" or "you can't trust anyone to not hurt your feelings" or "being focused on work, school & money ONLY is the best route" or my least favorite one "your feelings are a distraction & you shouldn't have any a.k.a be heartless". those last two are really just ignorant & a bit stupid bc you should know love that is worth it will never prevent you from getting your check, if anything, it'll help. the ONE thing y'all are ever right about is that it's important & usually better to love yourself before you love others because no one can teach you to love yourself. BUT let's be fucking REALISTIC for a minute. love, like & feelings are a part of life. brainwashing people into thinking that a nihilistic view of love results in brain damage, to be quite honest. as cliche as it sounds, living without love is not living at all. love is actually quintessential to life. i will repeat myself, LOVE IS A PART OF LIFE. you will love many people, as many people will love you. that doesn't mean that you or the people you loved were necessarily at fault for failed romantic endeavors. people are NEVER going to be perfect companions because you are the only 'perfect' companion for yourself. you understand your own faults & mistakes, you know they stem from some internal problem or result from past situations so you're okay with them, you forgive yourself & work on yourself. you have to be willing to understand & forgive someone else the same way. you have to help that person work on their flaws the same way. this goes without saying though, only the person you really love is worth understanding, forgiving & working with. the same way you have to work for any other area of happiness in your life, you have to work for love. it is never going to come easy, you can ask any couple you know that has been married for 25+ years. this DOES NOT imply that you should ever let someone blatantly hurt you repeatedly & walk all over you. be able to discern who loves you & who doesn't, and the decision to stay or leave will take less than a minute. how? people who genuinely love you and care about your happiness within the relationship will ALWAYS be willing to work on & fix the flaw that made you unhappy. people who do not really love you do not care about what made you unhappy & will continue doing it. they will not bother to accept and understand why they are wrong. this is because those people usually only want the relationship because of sex, loneliness, the craving for admiration from others, etc. SO, love yourself, be open to love, and be able to discern love from bullshit. also, if you can't have this talk or any talk about your relationship with that person, it's not worth it & you should leave it alone. you can lead a horse to water but you cannot make it drink.

OH! and BLACK LOVE? like EVERYTHING ELSE, IT IS EVEN HARDER TO COME BY. let me tell you why. the mind frame of love that black women & men have has been literally altered by the way we were treated by others a.k.a the white man & the white woman. white men brainwashed a lot of black women into thinking that black men ain't shit & vice versa. so when you see black women & men doing the same dumb shit, PLEASE TRY to UNDERSTAND where that dumb shit is coming from before giving up on them.

before you comment some bullshit, these are my perceptions of love coming from a black woman living in america. so if you live in another country where black love hasn't been assimilated, don't say shit to me, just be happy black love is easier to find in your country & keep it pushing.

[swagyano]

Helpless Crush

They should be decorating for Christmas. But Dia is an admirable beauty in every way, Yoshiko is a good friend and wingman, and Riko is a useless lesbian dealing with a huge crush she hasn't talked about yet until now.

DiaRiko

Words: 2,185

AO3 Link

I haven’t written or at least posted anything in so long but DiaRiko snatched me and while I have a few WIPs with them, this one actually got done! I’m starved for content of them so here I am...... also platonic Yohane and Riko bc I adore them in sister-like friendship. I’m hoping to make a more Christmas centered sequel that focuses on them more but I’m not reliable.

Hope you enjoy!

“Here, let me help you out-” She wasn’t sure what exactly happened in the span of five seconds that suddenly got her legs moving to the other side of the room and words spouting out of her mouth before she could even think, but it certainly wasn’t the first time Riko ended up offering her assistance to the pretty upperclassman who never asked for it in the first place. However that didn’t mean the help wasn’t accepted in such cases, as she could tell in Dia’s slightly confused expression she did appreciate it, after all she’s been struggling putting up that big Christmas garland for a while now. Something Riko just so happened to notice by accident. Not because her gaze often searched for the brunette in question. That would be silly. She grabbed one of the ends of the decoration and attempted to ignore the fact their hands slightly brushed when she did so, hanging it across the wall while Dia held up the other end to make sure it doesn’t fall. It is such a simple task for two people that could’ve been done minutes ago, but a part of Riko was glad the student council president was proud enough to insist she can do it herself. Especially when their eyes met and Dia gave her that rare, sincere grateful smile that made her stomach flip every time. “Thank you, Riko. You shouldn’t have troubled yourself, but I appreciate--” “It’s fine, I don’t mind!” Again her words come out before she could construct a proper sentence in her head. At this point all she could do was hope the heat in her cheeks wasn’t too obvious. She wasn’t so self aware until she noticed the older girl’s brow raise in confusion. “If you need anything else I’ll be over there, alright? I’ll be happy to give you a hand if needed.” They exchanged nods, and Riko was blessed by another graceful smile. With a wave of hand she was dismissed and made her way back to her previous station; a set of connected tables where they’ve been decorating too many Christmas cards with stickers. Immediately she was greeted back with a pair of narrowed amethyst eyes. “... What?” “Hmpf, I should be asking you that.” The pouting Yoshiko huffed and placed her focus back onto the Christmas cards. Did they really have to make one for everyone in the school? Chika has the craziest last moment ideas. “What was all that about? You didn’t even say a word before you stormed off! Inobedient little demon, it seems like my powers over you have been weakened.” The tone of her voice was low as one would fit a fallen angel, dramatic as ever. Though nothing new, therefore leaving Riko with an unamused expression. “Blast that terrible curse you’ve been infected with...” “I have no idea what you’re talking about.” “Oh but you do!” An unfortunate reindeer sticker ended up on Riko’s forehead like a charm that’s meant to make all the evil perish. “This isn’t the first time it happened, Lily! You cannot fool me with your little lies! The way you get distracted, the way you never hesitate - you’re under the curse of a Kurosawa!” For the last part of it Yoshiko did lower her voice enough to keep the conversation between the two of them, You and Ruby already paused with the Christmas tree decorating to shoot them a questioning glance. While the second year was frantically trying to scrap the sticker from her forehead, Yoshiko’s words slowly sunk in, prompting a small embarrassed yelp. Or was that because she ripped the sticker off too hard? “Y-You’re being ridiculous! I just… happen to be around at the right time.” And she just so happens to notice how pretty she is every time. And the kindness and respect she treats her with. Before Riko could finish the thought she already buried her face into her hands, it was Yoshiko’s turn to look unamused. “Ugh, Yocchan-! The point is, I’m just trying to be a good friend--” “By constantly seeking her attention?” Amber eyes widened in shock at her companion as something in her chest sunk. Was the self proclaimed fallen angel smirking? How scary. And she continued quietly before Riko could utter a word. “Smiling like something hit you over the head whenever she compliments what you have to say? Getting all nervous when she looks at you for longer than you can handle? Seems like you are the one in denial here, my little demon~. Fufu, mortals are so curious, yet entertaining when it comes to this silly thing called love!” “I-I-It’s not like that at all!” Riko was the one who interrupted and earned glances from everyone else in the clubroom this time. Her breath hitched under all that attention, until they shrugged it off and returned to their tasks and chattering. Something in her was wishing demons and the underworld Yoshiko speaks of so often were real so at this very moment they could open up the ground and drag her into it, away from this situation. Dia must’ve seen it too, but Riko dared not to turn and check. And that evil angel stood there with the biggest grin on her face, completely amused and snickering at poor Riko. ‘How rude…!’ Yoshiko is truly more dangerous than one would think. The Christmas cards were long forgotten as the first year leaned onto the table, inviting the other to join in with a nod for more privacy. Having no other choice like a cornered mouse, Riko gave in and took a seat beside her. “So…~” “Okay, I might… admire her a little.” If that’s a proper way to say ‘crushing real bad’. This isn’t as simple as in her novels and manga, as much as it sometimes felt like one. Accidentally falling for the beautiful, responsible, yet sometimes dorky upperclassman. Reality is much harder than that though. “Sickening,” Yoshiko’s lips curved into a mischievous smile upon seeing Riko pout. “In an almost cute way! I never thought our serious Lily could be this weak… ah, such a curse truly has very strong effects on inexperienced mortals!” “Jeez, what’s with the whole curse thing anyways--” “Why aren’t you just honest about it?” She wasn’t sure if it was the question itself, or the unusually serious tone in the first year’s voice that genuinely caught Riko off guard. Her gaze searched for any trace of teasing on Yoshiko’s features, but she appeared really serious about it. “It’s-- it’s not that simple.” “And? Acting like such a dummy is effective, huh?” Those words didn’t even hurt when they were true. Riko huffed and lowered her chin onto her hands. They fell into silence while Riko let a hopeless sigh slip from her lips, one that made Yoshiko roll her eyes but in a endearing way. “... Dia is amazing, isn’t she? Always determined, organized…” The younger one huffed, “Childishly competitive? Have you seen the way she was ready to fight Chika one on one in table tennis over a silly idol magazine?” She couldn’t argue Yoshiko when the event from just a few days ago was brought up, but she could chuckle with adoration at the thought. The ‘softer’ side of Dia was something they all got to know very slowly, and Riko was lucky enough to witness it on her own while the two worked on projects for the group together. It only captured Aqours’ pianist’s heart even more, the elder Kurosawa was truly amazing no matter which way you look at her. “And compared to her I am well, simply put, kind of plain. Don’t you think? There’s nothing special about me, it’s a ridiculous to even think about her finding me mildly interesting.” The lack of response after a certain amount of time passed was concerning, and Riko raised her gaze to meet Yoshiko’s looking at her almost angrily. Puzzled she swallowed hard and the sense of self awareness returned. Yoshiko scowled and broke the eye contact with a shake of her head. “You’re ridiculous, Lily! I can’t believe I decided to take in a little demon with such dumb ideas under my wing! If that were true, Dia wouldn’t be trusting you with as many things as she does, yes? Seriously… you give yourself less credit than you deserve. You are also smart and just as admirable as the scary demon, it’s why you two seem to get along so well. But tch, I wouldn’t expect a mere mortal to be aware of such a strong equal wavelength.” Now she was truly speechless, mouth gaping at the underclassman in belief. While her words were scolding in a way, yes, they were clearly with a lot of good intention. Especially coming from Yoshiko, who Riko knew was not always good with words. Maybe that’s what made them even more touching. “I’m just saying, don’t cut yourself short.” The serious expression disappeared as the fallen angel hit one of her famous dramatic poses, chuckling with a weird amount of softness, “You’re forgetting you are a part of my demonic army. I promise good things to those who serve me, so just trust me and follow the darkness in your heart!” The encouraging speech was weird and unlike any Riko has heard, but it was effective. Not that she even expected one. Touched, Riko shook off her anxiety with a smile. “Yocchan, thank you...” “Pardon, Riko?” The familiar angelic voice snapped Riko out of their little realm, so much that she jumped out of her seat to meet its owner. And as expected, Dia waited there patiently, not doing much aside from that but still making Riko catch her breath. “Dia? Can I help you with something?” Her head tilted curiously at what seemed like a moment of hesitation in emerald hues. The older girl glanced behind her and Riko’s eyes followed, just to realize it was aimed for none other than Mari. Mari, who disappeared about twenty minutes ago to god knows where and left the other two members of Guilty Kiss to suffer with all the Christmas cards. And was she smiling? Why? What was that encouraging nod for? Her attention was brought back to Dia as she finally continued by clearing her throat. “I was informed about a lot of paperwork that needs to be quickly done by the end of the day, because someone,” The second year smiled to herself because she could feel Mari’s sheepish grin without even looking at her, “... failed to inform me about it sooner. I was wondering if you’d like to accompany me, with your assistance we could be done before practice…” “M-Me? Not at all, but--” “No worries!” Before she could even gesture towards the unfinished cards, Mari chimed cheerful as ever, much to Dia’s annoyance. “The two of us will make sure to finish the task in time, trust me when I say they will be shining with Christmas spirit! Is that right, oh mighty Yo~ha~ne?” Almost as if she felt bad, because she had a hunch Mari might stray away off somewhere again despite her humming promise, Riko worriedly looked back at Yoshiko. Just leaving would be impossible without a feeling of guilt. However the encouraging thumbs up seemed like a good enough approval. Smiling, she faced Dia again with a beaming smile. “Alright, I’ll be happy to help!” “R-Right.” Was that the sound of two mischievous people high-fiving behind her? Riko caught the way older girl bashfully scratched at her mole as she invited her to follow. The two exited the busy clubroom and made their way down the much more peaceful hall, Riko following along behind with hands clasped. “May I ask… why me? Isn’t Mari the one who should be helping you, being the director and all…?” “Yes, I could certainly have Mari help me.” An adorable pout was audible in the voice she tried to keep so serious. “And get nothing done, as usual! You’re a reliable one, Riko.” The heat rushed to her cheeks and she nearly missed the last part from how loudly the blood was boiling in her ears. “Besides… I admit to be rather fond of your company.” Was this the wavelength or whatever that Yoshiko went on about? It wasn’t until she had it pointed out to her that Riko thought back on moments they shared together and the certain serenity they all held. Her chest felt swelled up from such a thought, and the girl giggled as she took the courageous step forward so they could walk side by side. Was that a tint of red she spotted on Dia who insisted to keep her gaze ahead? The anxious knot in her stomach uncurled. “I enjoy it, too!” At first the third year seemed a little puzzled. But she soon joined in with a calming chuckle of her own, and the two indulged themselves into a conversation about the upcoming Christmas act. Riko didn’t know until now that her heart can beat so rapidly yet feel so content.