#he never made any real friends for himself and relied on the sister's social graces

[ramblebrambleamble]

It usually doesn't take much to shoo him off; he's still afraid of her after all these years and her sister isn't here to hide behind.

She doesn't know why he bothers coming. They've never had anything in common and her hospitality is poor. But he comes, like clockwork, every week and sits across the table from her fidgeting with his mug of oversteeped tea and looking at anything but her.

Except if she looks away, and then, his eyes burn. They're pretty, amber-fire-gold. Sometimes brown. Pity about the face, though that's her fault. Magic blowback when they were six. He had avoided her ever since, and hidden behind her sister when he couldn't.

And then her sister was gone.

"It's time for you to get going, don't you think?" The silken tone is practiced, for just these sort of occasions. It's not like he's ever going to actually drink the tea. He probably thinks that it's poisoned.

Perhaps she should poison it, just to make a point.

He's not moving. In fact he's stiff in a stubborn sort of way, like he thinks he's going to stay. She'll soon fix that.

"I said-" she lights her palm aflame "- it's time for you to go."

[janeaustentextposts]

Hello! Love your blog :) I was watching P&P 1995 and... to which point would Darcy get involved into Lydia's affair to protect his own reputation? It is always understood he does it because he cares about Lizzy but if he plans to marry her and the scandal comes out, that would force him to change his plans, right? Would he be able to marry her and maintain his society status if Lydia's elopement with Wickham was made public?

Also, could the Bennets oppose the wedding in a situation like Lydia's if they think it would harm her or would the reputation be lost forever? They are always convinced she HAS TO marry but he is really a piece of work, he would be in their family forever, draining them. Would there be an alternative where they don't lose their reputation?

It's hard to say if he plans to marry her, as he isn't moved to try asking Elizabeth again until after Lady Catherine's interference. She's already emphatically turned him down once, and regardless of whether she's begun to soften after they meet again in Derbyshire, Lydia's situation puts an end to any chance he might propose again with such a scandal in effect. While Lydia and Wickham have run away and remain unmarried, there is NO way he could connect himself to the Bennets. Word of the scandal will only spread further the longer it lingers, and Darcy could never attach himself to that, much less force his younger sister to be attached to it, by him, especially as it's Wickham. Lydia could have run off with the milkman and Darcy wouldn't have allowed that scandal to seep into his sister's life, but the fact that it's the same man who very nearly ruined Georgiana and broke her heart for money, Darcy has mega-motives to Avoid That.

Plainly put, there wasn't really a better option available to the Bennets than to have Lydia marry Wickham ASAP to keep the scandal as brief and contained, as possible. Fortunately they're kind of nobodies in the broader society sense, so the Bennets unremarkability is kind of a blessing in disguise because there aren't too many eyes on them outside of Meryton.

We can see an alternative for a 'fallen woman' in Maria Rushworth in Mansfield Park, though her situation is very different as a divorced woman from a monied family. Henry refuses to marry her as a means of salvaging any remnants of respectability, and Sir Thomas has no way to force a rich young man to marry Maria, whose scandal was much more publicly known, and blew up her whole marriage, not just her chastity. Maria is confined to a quiet house in the country with her aunt Norris, to never participate in good society again. Mr. Bennet cannot afford a separate house in a far-off place to maintain Lydia for the rest of her life, and Wickham is fortunately in a position to be swayed by enough money to convince him to actually marry Lydia. The Bennets can have no logical reason to refuse to let Lydia marry Wickham, whatever his bad behaviour, because the damage is all to THEIR reputation, and not his. Even Lydia being kept in the country would not be adequate containment of the toxicity of the scandal attached to her (and let's be real, Mrs. Bennet would NOT allow her favourite to be shut up in a lonely house elsewhere, and Lydia would not submit to such a fate with quiet grace.)

They're all aware of just how dire the fate of the whole family will be if Lydia is NOT married to Wickham--the other daughters would have no chance of a respectable marriage, much less a materially advantageous match, when it is widely known that their sister did something so morally loose by the standards of the time and did not end up married to the man. They don't have to like the marriage, but the marriage has to happen if they're to have any remote chance of containing the oil spill of bad repute and keeping the other Bennet daughters safe enough to be eligible options for any bachelor.

If the scandal of the elopement did get to the wider world, it would have an impact on the reputations of everyone involved. Once the marriage has taken place, however, there's not much most people could do to dig up the dirt. The people who know the gritty details all have an interest in not spreading that gossip. Colonel Forster and his wife would have a black mark against them as they failed so badly as chaperones meant to protect Lydia. Lydia's family obviously needs as few people as possible to know. And Darcy, and any friends to the Bennets, and anyone who would wish to marry a Bennet, would not want to see them ruined, either, as the ripple effect of the scandal would hurt them, too. Maybe less, but not not-at-all.

Marriage to Wickham is a keep-your-enemies-closer strategy to minimize the damaging fallout from the elopement as much as possible, and to refuse the marriage would only serve to make that damage worse for everyone remotely involved. Reputation wasn't as self-contained as it can be, today--it was a big deal in your communities, and it could make or break the turning-points in people's lives. With no Google and social media, all anyone could rely on to prove their good name was the testimony of those who knew them and their family, who could speak to how they conduct themselves.

[whereisten]

The Wedding Singer - Part 4

The Wedding Singer (feat. Taeyong and Yuta)

Summary: You are an up-and-coming singer and songwriter who is thriving in the wedding singer business. When you find yourself singing for your former best friend Samantha Perez and not-so-former crush Yuta Nakamoto, shit really hits the fan.

Genre: fluff, drama, romance

Multi-part Series: Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4

Part 4

Word Count: 3.9k

To many people, Yuta Nakamoto was a shining star. Always happy, always collected, always blessed. He was studious and athletic. He gave off a happy-go-lucky aura while he mastered a physics lab in the first try or a mind-boggling task in PE. It was hard to detect any flaws on the surface.

Which he worked so hard to conserve for a long, long time. When he was fifteen, his parents divorced and his mother abandoned his family, leaving him, his sisters, and his father dumbfounded. The finances of the house were thrown off-balance, which meant Yuta would have to work harder to secure a basketball scholarship to a university. Ideally, somewhere close enough to home to look after his sisters. But he never told anyone the truths of his household. He told everyone that his mother was traveling the world for her job. It wasn’t a lie but it was better than admitting to the truth: she went to start anew back in Osaka, remarried, and had twins with her younger boyfriend.

Yuta and his older sister Akira both took on part-time jobs so their younger sister Haine could perfect her piano skills. Their dad made enough to keep their home and their utilities afloat. But the things that were once guaranteed for them became luxuries they had to strive for. Akira delayed her college applications to get a part-time job to support her younger siblings and Yuta felt helpless.

But once senior year came around for Yuta, he just couldn’t take it anymore. He may have gotten the college scholarship and scouts were very keen to be in contact with him for postgraduate opportunities. But he had his family at the forefront of his mind.

Then, came Samantha.

Samantha was never shy about how she felt about Yuta. Yuta denied her advances a few times throughout their high school career. He didn’t have time for a relationship. Hook-ups, sure. But those were fleeting. And that was what made them ideal. Samantha thought she could convince him to change his mind but he made it clear from the start that he was strictly casual, never anything more than that.

However, he carefully harbored a huge crush on you. You were innocent and kind, blowing everyone away with your poetry in AP English and your motivation to join every club on campus. You were so bubbly and adorable, he could almost scream. You’d blossomed so much since middle school, becoming more secure with yourself that you finally let people around see the real you. You were sassy and when you rolled your eyes at something that annoyed you, Yuta would chuckle to himself. You had a fire inside of you that Yuta couldn’t wait to see you let shine through. He admired you from time to time in high school but he didn’t act on it until it was too late.

And when you weren’t interested, he thought, he realized that he needed to get back to dealing with his own issues. He shouldn’t daydream so much. There was too much at stake. And time was running out.

Samantha came up to Yuta after graduation and he was prepared to run in the other direction until she said,

“I have a proposition for you, Yuta. And I think you’re gonna want to hear it,” she said.

Her proposition was that she would help alleviate all of his family’s troubles. She wouldn’t stop there, though. She would put him in touch with top basketball teams before they graduated. Originally, Yuta was going to go to his second choice, the University of Miami because of his scholarship and so he could be close to his family. However, Samantha pulled several strings to fund his tuition to the University of Florida, his dream school. And she scored him a basketball scholarship he thought he lost out on. Samantha’s family would fund Akira and Haine’s college tuitions, wherever they wished to go. Yuta’s father could retire early, if they played their cards right.

“What’s the catch?” Yuta gaped, finding it hard to believe that this girl he only casually knew could be so generous.

“You would be mine,” she proclaimed shamelessly.

Yuta didn’t want his family to struggle anymore. He wanted his family to have a new beginning. And Samantha was dangling right in front of him in a neat little bow. He could make everyone happy.

He wasn’t keen on falling in love, really. Seeing as how his mother up and left, he had a hard time believing that he could find something like that. With Samantha, there was a physical attraction but there was no warmth. It was a relationship in which both parties would benefit. Yuta’s family’s future would be secured and Samantha could have...him.

Yuta’s professional life was on the rise. He was in the Miami Heat, earning several titles and awards. He scored several sponsorships and was recently offered his first movie role. Samantha’s father was one of the heads of Miami: basically, royalty. He opened doors for Yuta. Mr. Perez was more than obliged when he realized how happy Yuta made Samantha. Yuta refused to be a total sell-out, though. He worked twice as hard to prove that he deserved the jobs he was given.

When Yuta was officially in the limelight, that’s when his mother came back.

She claimed to be remorseful for all of the heartache she caused and she wanted to be in her children’s lives again.

The Nakamoto children saw right through her charade. At least, Mariya Hirai (formerly Nakamoto) had the decency to leave her husband and his half-siblings at the hotel the first day she met up with her children from her first marriage.

Mariya only resurfaced because she thought she too could bask in the glow of her son’s success.

After all, she did raise him (up until the age of fifteen when she ditched him).

And Samantha helped Yuta, then, proving that he could rely on her as his partner. She and Yuta told Mariya and her family to leave because the rest of Yuta’s family refused to acknowledge her.

Mariya begged for mercy. Her new family was in financial struggles. Samantha was about to tell her to fuck off and remind her of the irony: how Mariya left her family broken and struggling while she thought she could start over without them. Yuta, swallowing his pride, told them that he would help Mirai and his family. The Hirai family just had to leave and never come back.

And that worked surprisingly well.

Samantha had seen Yuta through his ups and downs and she wished she’d only helped him sooner. Yuta confided in her more so it gave Samantha hope that one day, he could truly open his heart to her: only her. Her father nudged Yuta to propose to Samantha. He knew it was his duty to Sam, her family, and especially, to his own.

He had everyone convinced that he was truly happy. And most of him was. Professionally, he was at the top of his game. His family was happy. His father remarried and retired. Akira was a successful biochemist. Haine was composing for Pixar movies. His family was safe and healthy.

But he was not in love with Samantha. He didn’t think he ever would be.

And well, he would just have to suck it up.

The engagement was highly profiled in all of the tabloids and social media. The Nakamoto-Perez wedding was the most anticipated event of the year. The idea of being committed to Samantha wasn’t that scary. He’d already been with her for almost eight years. The marriage was inevitable.

And then came the wedding singer.

Yuta was right about you. You glowed with charisma, grace, and confidence. He had no idea you were shitting bricks at seeing her ex-friend and that you also had a crush on him. You two were utter fools. But you couldn’t turn back the past.

And when you sang, Yuta’s heart simultaneously soared and shattered.

Seeing you again reminded him of the fact that he was entering a loveless marriage. He guarded his heart for so long. He and Samantha were aware of their partnership. He denied true love because he didn’t want to suffer at the hands of it. Not after what happened with his parents.

But seeing you at the rehearsals, at the coffee shop, and at Holy Hell nightclub...he started getting ideas into his head.

About you. About what his life would’ve been like if you two had confessed to each other at the right time.

For his own happiness should’ve meant more to him.

But he knew better. You were spoken for by his good friend...His best man, Taeyong Lee. And he couldn’t hurt either of you. You didn’t deserve it.

So Yuta helped you in ways he could. He invited the Epic Records executive to come see you. It was the least he could after you helped him with his wedding vows.

And Samantha was so insistent on putting you down: it killed Yuta, honestly. And when Sam reminded him so pointedly that he had trapped himself with her for life...something inside him snapped.

For once, he released his inhibitions and didn’t think. He didn’t restrain himself. And then came his next regret.

Yuta drank at Sooyoung’s wedding reception. He drowned his sorrows as he watched you and Taeyong enjoy the night together on the dance floor. How Yuta wished he could turn back time.

Perhaps there could’ve been another way to save his family and their future: without having to surrender his own happiness.

Yuta saw that Taeyong left you alone in the photo booth. Why would he do that? He should never want to leave your side. He should treasure you and kiss you every chance he got. What made Taeyong think he deserved to be with you?

Stumbling, Yuta made his way over to the photobooth. The curtain was half open so he saw your gorgeous hair run down past your chest and he licked his lips. Your lips were so soft…He had to know what they felt like. Just this once.

He opened the curtain completely. Seeing you make eye contact with him drove him crazy and he ran his hands through his hair. He smiled fondly at you, “Hey.”

You looked so concerned he wanted to hold you tight. “Yuta, are you okay? I-”

He couldn’t hold back anymore. He moved in and held your face as he kissed you, his tongue begging for entrance into your mouth.

You two heard the flashes from the camera. You panicked and pushed him away. He saw you cower in fear.

“Get off of me,” you said, harshly. You pushed

past him out of the booth.

“Y/n, come back! I’m sorry. I’m so sorry,” Yuta said, pathetically.

Yuta should’ve known better. He let you and Taeyong down. He let Sam down. Even if he didn’t love her, he owed her his honesty and fidelity, at the very least.

He left the photo booth, feeling more sober all of a sudden.

Taeyong surprised him when he scared him from behind. Yuta jumped. “You are wasted,” Taeyong said, laughing, “You alright?”

Yuta nodded, working as hard as possible to look Taeyong in the eye but it was hard to meet those eyes. Taeyong was the kind of person who was very easy to confide in. If Taeyong knew Yuta had stabbed him in the back and made a move on his girl in one fell swoop, Yuta’s days would be numbered.

And he never wanted to bring Taeyong into his mess.

Taeyong patted Yuta in the back. “Sam’s gotta take you home. Listen, have you seen y/n? She’s not in the photo booth.”

Yuta thought about telling him right then and there. Just rip the bandage off, he deliberated. “Taeyong, I-”

“She went to the ladies’ room,” Samantha piped in as she walked up, scrolling through her phone. “She looked a little ill. I think you should check up on her.”

Taeyong’s eyes grew in concern. “Thanks Sam.” He ran off to find his girl.

Poor y/n, Yuta realized, what have I done?

“Idiot,” Samantha said without looking up at you.

Yuta frowned. “What?”

She held up a photostrip. “You left this behind.”

Yuta was confused and he took the photostrip. It was of you and him. He turned pale.

“Sam, I-” Yuta began.

She sighed. “I knew this would happen one day. I just figured it would be with someone worth crying over. But her? Yuta, you’ve disappointed me.”

“I’m sorry. I am so sorry, Samantha. I...I will do anything. Please don’t-”

“All is forgiven, my prince…” Samantha said as she wrapped her arms around him. “You’re mine. Always. Mistakes happen. But we will always have each other.”

Sam’s words may have sounded comforting to anyone else but it unsettled Yuta to the core.

;;

You ran to the girls’ room after leaving Yuta in the photo booth. What the hell just happened? You rinsed your mouth out at the sink and wiped your mouth repeatedly. Tears welled up in your eyes.

Taeyong was all you could think about. How would you be able to tell him this? It wasn’t your fault. What was Yuta thinking? How-

You heard a knock outside of the room. “Y/n? Baby, are you okay?” Taeyong’s normally soft voice was alarmed.

You fought back a sob and cleared your throat. “Yeah, I’m okay. I’ll come out in a minute.”

“Sam said you looked sick. What do you need? What can I do?” He asked. You wouldn’t be surprised if he entered at any second.

The sound of his voice was so comforting but you were scared. What would he do when you told him?

You took a couple of breaths and cleared your nose up. “I’m coming out. Hold on.”

You walked out of the room slowly to see Taeyong at the door. He was so...There weren’t enough words to describe how this man made you feel.

“Hey…” He said carefully. “What’s wrong?” He saw how red your eyes were. You looked stunned.

You shook your head and tried so hard to meet his eyes. But you couldn’t. It wasn’t even your fault but you felt ashamed.

“Taeyong, the thing is-” you began as you met his eyes, knowing you had to suck it up, tell him, and prepare for the worst if it came down to it.

Samantha interrupted, “I may have been a little harsh with her, earlier…”

Taeyong looked at Samantha in confusion. “What?”

“Y/n and I used to be good friends...And I...was feeling incredibly envious of her tonight so I...insulted her deeply. I said that she didn’t deserve you and that if it weren’t for you, she would be nothing.”

“What the hell?” Taeyong glared at his step-sister. “How could you?”

You had no idea what was going on. Why was Sam saying these things? She thought Taeyong would be the last person to hear about the insults Samantha threw at you. It was almost as if…

She was covering for you.

But...why?

“I was fucking jealous, Taeyong. This girl comes into our lives only months ago and now she’s everywhere...I...miss spending time with you and Yuta. Just the three of us.” She glares at you. Finally, something real. “Without her.” Very convincing.

That was the most sincere she’s been. The most effective way to tell a lie is to feature a little of the truth in it.

“Sam...I can’t let you treat y/n like that. It needs to stop. I love y/n. You have to respect that,” Taeyong said as he wrapped an arm around you.

Samantha sighed as she rolled her eyes. “I know that. I’m sorry. To both of you.” She met your gaze, then. “I’m so sorry for giving you a hard time.”

Taeyong squeezed you tightly. You started, about to tell Taeyong the truth. “Wait a minute. I-”

“Taeyong, I need to speak to y/n about something urgent. It’s business-related,” Samantha requested.

Taeyong nodded, eyeing her. “Be nice.”

She sighed. “I’ll be perfectly pleasant.”

Taeyong whispered in your ear. “I’ll bring the car around to take you home.”

Samantha said immediately after. “Let’s go.” She grabbed your arm and pulled you to the lobby of the hotel.

You sat together on the loveseat. “Samantha, what’s going on?”

“I know you and Yuta kissed-”

“He kissed ME. I did not...What?!” You paled just like Yuta had.

She continued as she admired her nails. “It doesn’t matter. The wedding was almost jeopardized because of this. I don’t need you running your mouth to Taeyong about what happened.”

You gaped. “What?”

Samantha’s sharp eyes met yours, then. “Yuta and I are getting married. Nothing. No one. Not you. Not even Yuta is going to get in the way of our happiness.”

“Why would you want to marry Yuta when he just cheated on you?” You asked. Had Sam lost her mind?

“He was bound to cheat on me eventually...But he would still be mine,” she said, calmly. Not even a flinch.

“Sam…” You said, feeling a sudden ache in your chest.

“No. No. None of that ‘Sam’. Don’t give me that look of PITY.”

“You don’t have to do this. We may have our differences for God knows what reason but...I don’t want you to marry someone who would hurt you like this…”

“That’s none of your concern, y/n. Take your sympathy and shove it up your glorified asshole.”

You lifted your brows. “Fine. I won’t feel sorry for you. Now I’m wondering...You hate me. This is the perfect opportunity for you to get rid of me. Why not tell Taeyong about the kiss? You couldn’t have done it for me.” The last sentence was meant to get a laugh.

“Get real. I didn’t do it for you, y/n. I’m doing this for Yuta. You think my family would let me marry Yuta if they found out about his...indiscretion?” She asked you.

“Huh?”

Samantha explained her arrangement with Yuta that began at high school graduation. You knew what was at stake. Yuta’s future. Yuta’s family. It explained why Yuta was reluctant about marrying Sam but he wasn’t doing anything to stop it. Now, you were pinned up against a wall.

“If Taeyong finds out about this...not only will my entire family know….All of Yuta’s opportunities will go down the drain. His name will be dragged through the mud. His family’s name will be destroyed. His father’s livelihood will be compromised. My family is just that good, y/n.”

You couldn’t say anything.

“I have to protect him. I love him, y/n. I gave him everything. I would hate for all of that to get taken away from him because of one little mistake. Which is why I beg you to keep your mouth shut.”

You couldn’t imagine lying to Taeyong but you also didn’t expect the reality of Sam and Yuta’s relationship to come to light at this moment. If you say something, Yuta’s life could be ruined.

“I know Yuta doesn’t love me, y/n…”

Sam’s voice cracked. “But one day, he could...We owe it to ourselves to try.”

You remembered when you asked Yuta why he was marrying Samantha if he didn’t love her. He told you, “I think I could love her...someday.”

This was insane. You were stuck. But...part of you already knew what you had to do.

;;

Taeyong drove you home and you were mostly quiet, deliberating over how you were going to tell him.

“You sure you don’t want me to stay the night?” Taeyong asked as he turned into your driveway. “I can take care of you. I’ll even brush your teeth for you.” He pouted, knowing how much his facial expressions softened you up.

Damn it, he was making this so hard.

“Taeyong,” you started slowly.

“Yes?” He said as he ran his fingers through your hair.

“I’m so sorry,” you started, “I...can’t do this...anymore…”

He smiled in confusion. “What are you talking about?”

“We need to break up,” you said.

Taeyong felt his world crashing down. “y/n, stop messing with me. You’re being mean.”

You sighed, releasing the words you rehearsed in your mind before you met up with him to take you home and on the car ride over. “I..can’t leave Miami...My singing career is my priority and I owe so much to you. You’ve made me so happy...But I can’t take advantage of you anymore. It’s not right.”

He laughed humorlessly. “What are you saying? You have never taken advantage of me.”

“I need to figure out my next step on my own. And so do you. Your dreams are in LA. And for now, I’m meant to be here in Miami. I can’t hold you back.”

Taeyong’s eyes began to water at your dismissive tone. “You’re not holding me back. We can do long distance. I respect that you want to stay here but we can make it work. I travel all the time, anyway. We can still be together,” he pleaded, hopeful.

“No, Taeyong,” you said as you looked down at your lap.

He scoffed. “You can’t be serious. You love me. I love you. What happened, y/n? I don’t understand.”

You couldn’t help the tears that fell. You couldn’t tell Taeyong that Yuta kissed you to protect Yuta’s family. You couldn’t continue in a relationship with Taeyong if you had to keep this betrayal bottled up. And maybe Samantha was right all along. Even if you didn’t sign with any of the labels Taeyong invited that night, you would’ve relied on him one way or another. Taeyong would insist because he was so good to you. No matter how small the favor, it would have bothered you, though. You didn’t want to believe that you had taken advantage of him or that one day you would.

And to hide the fact that Yuta kissed you? Taeyong had every right to know the truth...Since your hands were tied, you couldn’t tell him. You couldn’t keep being with this incredible man if you couldn’t be honest with him. It would make you rot from the inside out. Taeyong deserved complete honesty. And you couldn’t even give that to him.

You had to let him go. And you had to push him away. You didn’t deserve him.

“Taeyong, music is the most important thing to me. And I will be forever thankful for everything you’ve done for me. But I can’t keep this up anymore. I’m not signing with any of the labels...It wouldn’t be fair to you. I have to work my way up on my own. And that means staying in Miami for now.”

“y/n, please look me in the eyes,” he took a hold of your hands. “I can wait for you.”

“Don’t,” you said, harshly. You were shaking.

“You can’t do this to me. To us. Please,” Taeyong begged.

You sobbed, then. “I’m sorry.” You said as you let go and left Taeyong in his car, shattered.

You unlocked the door to your apartment and slammed it shut. You couldn’t risk turning around and taking it all back. One look into Taeyong’s puppy dog eyes and you surely would’ve gone down on your knees and begged him to take you back. You’ve done enough damage. You hated yourself, then. You hurt him deeply. But it was the only way for him to let you go. You just hoped that he could find happiness when he left for LA. Meet a nice girl who didn’t take advantage of him and who could give him everything he deserves.

Someone Yuta wouldn’t kiss so she wouldn’t be at a crossroads.

Someone Samantha couldn’t blackmail.

To hope for Taeyong’s forgiveness would be selfish but you prayed for it.

And you prayed that the Nakamoto-Perez wedding would go by quickly so you can never see any of these people again.

-To Be Continued in Part 5-

[nanigma]

Leon Fanbook Translation: Special Interview

Link to the Takumi Fanbook

Introduction

Profile

Famous Lines

Relationships

Leon&Kamui + Words of Love

Daily Routine + Cooking Showdown

Fashion Check

Dream Change

Only two more updates to go. It’s hard to believe that I am almost finished with this. And it didn’t take me half as long as I feared to translate this. Probably because of a distinct lack of Odin speech..

Meanwhile I’ve finally gotten another part-time job, so that’s helped me feel better about my situation and I can focus on this project more than I did before. It’ll be a while before my first payment, so it would still be really nice if you could help me out a little until then. Here’s a link to my Ko-fi account. Thank you to the generous people who have helped me so far!

- All the photos on this post were taken by the lovely @zaziki7

My comments are in italics

I’ll be using Japanese names

Pages 36-37

Special Interview/ Leon

An interview sprung on the younger prince of Nohr! Listen to what this one young man keeps inside his heart!

Anna: Good day to you, fans of Leon!! I am Anna, the traveling merchant! Today we've successfully gotten a hold of a Prince Leon from right after the conclusion of the „Invisible Kingdom“ Arc, and will now confront him with some rapid fire questions!! (In English) Don't miss it!!

Topic 1 – About being Nohrian Royalty

Anna: Prince Leon, thank you for your time. It must be tough being recognized by everyone every single day. You do have a lot of fans after all.

Leon: A member of the Nohrian royal family must never embarass themselves, be firm of mind, and always remember to present themselves with grace. However, I sometimes end up wearing my clothes inside out for some reason. I really should be more careful... By the way, have we met somewhere before... ?

Topic 2 – About Kamui

Anna: So, what do you think of Kamui precisely? Also, if Kamui were below you in age, would you rather have them as a younger brother or sister?

Leon: They do have their talents, but I guess no matter how old they get, they are so unreliable it always makes me want to help them out. It seems I just can't leave them on their own. As for if Kamui were younger than me, I'd prefer to have them as a younger sister. A younger brother would likely mean more competition, you see.

Topic 3 – About his siblings

Anna: I see... So you would prefer another little sister. Well, how do you feel about your older brother and sister?

Leon: In many ways, Marx is the strongest man in Nohr. It shows in how he embodies the ideal of the Nohrian crown prince, his skill with the sword...  how as an older brother, he shows a special kindness only to his siblings. However, there are ways in which he can be just too stubborn. Although we are currently amicable with each other, his unbending nature has caused us to quarrel in the past, to the point he even hit me once.

This refers to the Drama CDs

Anna: Ehh! Prince Marx might have just made himself the enemy of 50 million Leon fans around the whole world.

Leon: As you may know, in the whole kingdom of Nohr, Camilla's beauty and the depth of her affection is unmatched. The way she coldly dispatches of her enemies is also more than befitting of Nohrian royalty. Although it seems she doesn't pay much attention, she has actually been focusing on me quite a bit... Her offer to share a bath has been troubling for me though.

Leon, your siscon tendencies are showing.

Anna: Mhm mhm... //Taking a bath with Camilla... Now that's some good material.// So how about your younger sister, Elise?

Leon: I'll just say this here, but I feel like she's a great help in a lot different ways. This isn't just me, all of us siblings have come to truly rely on her. I just wish she would stop tackling me with all her strength whenever we met. *laughs*  I also want her to stop drumming her fists against my back so relentlessly. It actually hurts a lot...

Topic 4 – About parent-child relations

Anna: You won't like this question, but what about your father, King Garon, and also... your mother?

Leon: My father used to be a kind man. I still remember him keeping me company during study time or letting me ride on his shoulders. Having him pat my head with his huge hand is something I used to love. He may have become an entirely different person since that incident in the past, but I would still like to meet and be able to talk to the father from my childhood just one more time.

Tagging @agoddamn here because we’ve recently discussed the extent of Leon’s memorys of the real Garon. Still a bit vague, but it seems he already had an education/training (the kanji could mean both) going before Garon died, though with his mom being so ambitious he may have started quite young still.

Leon: As far as my mother is concerned, I don't have any special memories. That woman only ever thought of me as a tool that would bind her to the king, so I couldn't bring myself to love her either. … Is that enough?

Anna: Th- Thank you. A- Anyway, your son also seems to be rather... how to put this? Quirky... //Oh jeez! I brough up another topic he hates!!//

Leon: This is about Foleo, I see. At first I also mistook his intentions, but it turns out he is simply sticking to his own personal aesthetic. Just knowing about his convictions, I can honestly say I'm fine with it. Someday though he'll have to make a decision regarding the calling passed down through his blood, what it means to be Nohrian royalty at it’s core. … When the time comes, I hope his courage will help him make the right choice.

Not sure I like how “mistook his intentions” is phrased... What other intentions could Foleo have had that wouldn’t have been okay in Leon’s eyes? 

Topic 5- About himself

Anna: What do you think about being called cold-blooded? If you could give your own estimation of yourself, what would it be?

Leon: Although I'm not about to point out specific things I like about myself, I can say that I do have confidence in myself. Otherwise I wouldn't be fit to be royalty. That means even when I am sometimes insecure, I at least have to seem confident. My flaws are in those areas I don't have sufficent knowledge of. It's not that I ever neglect my studies, but I am fully aware it's still not entirely good enough.  

Topic 6 – About taste in women

Anna: I am pretty sure I am asking this in the name of all your female fans, but could you share what you like in a girl? Let's give an example! You like, say, the open-minded type, or...

Leon: Well, I have never experienced a mother's love. But when it comes to choosing a partner, it's wrong to say I only long for someone to give me the love my mother never did, so I want to name a another criteria. Let's see, I'd say I like strength, but I mean that as being intelligent. Not just someone who is well-studied, but one who doesn't let their guard down around an enemy, who is able to accurately assess any given situation. That's the kind of intelligence I like.

SPECIAL GUEST TAKUMI

Takumi: Huh, it's strange seeing you two together.

Anna: Ah, it's the Prince who loves the Southern Islands! … Er, rather the Prince of Hoshido, Lord Takumi!

Leon: Prince Takumi? I thought you were staying in the southern islands right now.

Someone correct me if I am wrong, but I think this is the first time (or one of the few times) Leon has used the ending zo (ぞ) to a sentence in Japanese. Usually his style of speech is already pretty casual and „boyish“ in the anime-sense (it doesn't work exactly like that in real life), with him ending many sentences in „da“ (だ). It's makes it sound a bit harder.. ぞ can be seen as a step up in that, really „decisive“ sounding. It's something you would only use with friends or people of lower social standing, but we can guess which one he means here.~

Takumi: …? What are you two on about?

Leon: Speaking of, thank you for sending me that miso supply the other day. I am grateful for it.

Anna: Lord Leon actually ended up cooking the soup for himself. Suprisingly though...

Leon: That's right. I understand what I like best after all. This time I decided to try putting some tomatoes in it.

Takumi: T- Tomatoes!? You put tomatoes in miso soup!?  Please stop joking. This is why you are Nohr's tomato prince...

Leon: Who are you calling tomato prince!? I think it's terrible how you Hoshidans always cling to your old traditions.

Anna: Uh.. Haha. Looks like I got between them~!

-----------------------------

Again, sorry for the small images in places. I have tried finding a fix for it, but no luck. At least it’s not most pictures again like last time. Anyway, hope you enjoyed.

The next update will include all the poll results, and as you could see with the Takumi translation... that’s huge. I overestimated how long it would take me this time, but I can safely say the next one will be a long one. Hope you look forward to it.

[empowercbcgl]

Perfect Love Casts Out Fear

This is a post by Jillian Yuan who grew up without any exposure to Christianity and had came to the US from China with her younger sister when she was 17. She is currently a senior studying Biology and Accounting at Gordon College. She likes nature and watching anime for entertainment. One of her favorites is Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood.

I always wanted to be independent. At first, being independent to me meant managing myself well at school without relying on my parents daily or making them troubled. The concept of independence was rooted in the family I grew up from. I thought I was independent because I attended boarding school since I was in kindergarten and through high school. For so many years, I only spent two days (weekends) in a week at home. So when I first came to the US and was away from the family, I did not develop homesickness as often as other international students. This idea of independence pushed me to try very hard to do things well on my own. Thanks to God, I started to attend church under the pressure of my uncle and aunt. Don’t get me wrong. I am thankful that they pushed me to go and now I know God can use all kinds of ways to bring us to him. And apparently this approach worked for me. It was a struggle to accept that there is a God and He is a good God. Thanks to God, he softened my heart and made me open to the message preached on Sunday. With an open manner, I attended Friday night UML bible studies and their prayer meetings. I was amazed by God’s character – love, justice, power, grace, sovereignty, omniscience.... Most importantly, HE is a good father who knows us well and loves us well. I felt a sense of awe because the father figure I had in me was in despair. I still remember during that time I did not know whether or not such a perfect figure really existed, but I wished. I wished HE was real. I remember this verse has always encouraged me even now - “Immediately the boy’s father exclaimed, “I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief” --- Mark 9:24. I realized my source of faith is from God. I cannot control or force myself to believe in it. “Circumcise therefore the foreskin of your heart, and be no longer stubborn” --- Deuteronomy 10:16. With this stage being set, I felt an urge to investigate more who this God is, how I can invite him into my life, and what a community would look like if all members are Christians. Would a Christian community be better than the world I thought it was --- the world in which there is no absolute right or wrong and all truths are relative? That was when I heard about Gordon College. Unfortunately, we are still living in a fallen world. This question was destined to be unanswered or untestable. However, God did not disappoint me, and he never did. 

After I was introduced to God, I learned to seek help from God, but still had trouble accepting help from other people. The sense of achieving independence was still there. And more meanings were added on to it. How do I achieve independence financially and a sense of security so that I won’t be a burden to anyone else especially, my family? This concern of troubling anyone else affected my academic life and church life simultaneously. In my junior year, I started to have doubts about whether if it was necessary to attend church on Sunday. I could just listen to sermons online. Even if I went to church, I would just do the same thing: listen to the sermon and then go home. I did not wish to talk to anybody --- I was afraid. I had nothing interesting to share. I was just socially awkward. I thought as long as I spent time with God on my own, I did not need to be with the congregation. There was a fear in me constantly pushing me away from the congregation. However, God did not give up on me. He revealed to me that I was wrong. The church which is a  body of Christ is the primary means through which God accomplishes His plan in this world. The church is not just a physical building. It is a body of worshipers and the household of God. God lives in and among His church. God’s salvation plan is for all humans. “Pay careful attention to yourselves and to all the flock, in which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to care for the church of God, which he obtained with his own blood” --- Acts 20:28. The church is precious. Jesus redeems the church with His own blood. 

Not just through the Scripture, God has taught me how good it is to be part of the Christ body through the community around me. We Christians are bound by the blood of Jesus, which makes us brothers and sisters. With my background, I understand how important blood relationship is in a family. Believe it or not, the family of God bound by the blood of Jesus can be equally related or even more related to us compared to our physical family. I have seen so many ways that Gordon faculty members helped and cared for different students. I am also one of those students who has benefited from this love of God overflown from these faculty members. The article would be too long if I listed out all these testimonies. I can give you a brief example. In the previous summer, my Gordon mentor and research supervisor went on a road trip with me from Massachusetts to Colorado, lived in the same apartment, and then drove back to Massachusetts. During this spring semester due to various reasons, we are close enough to swap our houses and live together from time to time. My cousin was so funny and told me that she would have never wanted to live with her professor. I am very thankful because this professor not only taught me academic knowledge but also taught me very important lessons – how to love and care for others with sincerity, passion, and patience. Her services for the church also amazed me. “Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others” --- Philippians 2:4. I realize being a part of a congregation is not about me but others. It is not about what I have to say but about the needs of other people, and God Himself or His truth is the most important.

Totally unexpected, during the summer of 2019 in Colorado I joined a church body and felt so passionate towards them. I felt very sad to leave by the end of the summer. Two friends I made even planned to attend my commencement which was later canceled because of COVID -19. Out of my comfort zone, I traveled over to another side of the country without knowing anybody in the area except colleagues in the lab. As an introvert with an intense social awkwardness, it was a blessing to find this local church, join their service and their fellowship and events. They were very open and welcoming and tried to know me personally and spiritually. With this group of Christ followers, it was the very first time I felt so connected to a community or a Christ body along with a passion to care for them and try to know them on a spiritual level. I was and still am in awe about this whole thing. I learned that building up a relationship with God and with others takes efforts and time, and needs to be intentional. I believe God was working among us. Interestingly, as an anime addict, I did not watch or even want to watch a single episode of any kind on my own during my stay. My fear to be in the congregation was gone and I loved to be part of it. “For God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control” --- 2 Timothy 1:7. God is good and love draws away fear. 

Now, being independent does not mean the capability of doing things on my own anymore. There is a balance of seeking help and accepting help with humility. God has been correcting my misconceptions towards this world and showing me how to love my neighbors as myself. I originally was chained by iron made of sins and was banished in a lightless dungeon, but God is unchaining me and dragging me out of there step by step. I believe God is a way-maker and is constantly drawing us near to him. He casts out fear and overflows us with his love and joy and other fruits of the Spirit. He is orchestrating a symphony out of all the chaos. My security cannot be gained by pursuing money, housing or a job. “But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you” --- Matthew 6:33. I am still learning and God is teaching me. I am inspired to learn how to serve and love the Christ body and our neighbors appropriately with sincerity. I am learning to love those who are uneasy to love. “So this is my prayer: that your love will flourish and that you will not only love much but well. Learn to love appropriately. You need to use your head and test your feeling and so that your love is sincere and intelligent, not sentimental gush. Live a lover’s life, circumspect and exemplary, a life Jesus will be proud of: bountiful in fruits from the soul, making Jesus Christ attractive to all, getting everyone involved in the glory and praise of God” --- Philippians 1:9-11.

[amorremanet]

omg Kassie i'm bad at these au meme things and i feel like asking for, like, theatre kids au headcanons is disingenuous because can you have a headcanon for your own world? that would just be canon, no? so gimme 5 headcanons for a a hedric college modern au?

the “send me an au and i’ll write 5+ headcanons about it” game

I actually have done that for this game before, though it was a little less, “headcanons about a universe that is already headcanon” and more, “a glorified excuse to talk a lot about the headcanon universe” — but anyway

So, at Hogwarts University, we have Cedric Diggory, one of the History department’s postgrad students, and Harry Potter, one of the undergrads in the Social Policy and Social Work program.

They first met each other during one of the unofficial, only barely organized, by the students and for the students games of football, when they got put on the same team and butted heads about strategy, with a lot of openly sarcastic snark from Harry, and a lot of passive-aggressive dry snark from Cedric, and a lot of eye-rolling from their teammates because there is a time and a place for ineptly flirting at each other without entirely realizing that you’re doing it, and neither of them is, “during a game, what the Hell, guys”

Everyone else on that team, from Ginny (Harry’s ex and his best friend’s sister) to Viktor (who’s a big deal footballer but he really doesn’t like being reminded of it, or how it’s impeded all of his academics, and anyway, he’s Cedric’s roommate and they used to be boyfriends) had a Super Awkward time of it because eventually, it became obvious that Harry and Cedric were not listening to them, were totally off in their own world during all attempted discussions of strategy, and were probably going to be super into each other

The snarkfest finally ended when Harry sort of accidentally tackled Cedric while trying not to faceplant after hitting a slick patch of mud too quickly and sliding, after which: 1. Ginny took over as captain, and dragged Viktor into being her co-captain, because she decided that if Cedric and Harry couldn’t share the co-captain spot without flirting and being ridiculous at each other, then screw them, they don’t get to be co-captains anymore;

and 2. even if she hadn’t, they would’ve calmed down anyway, because abruptly ending up sprawled out with Harry on top of Cedric made both of them have an, “oh shit, he’s hot” moment, which really knocked the wind out of their unintentional snarky argue-flirting and made both of them much more cooperative

For her part, Cho is really glad that she was on the other team for all of this (though, at the time, she was really not into this arrangement because she got stuck with Draco, Zacharias, Pansy, Oliver, and Roger Davies as some of her teammates, and Cho mostly likes Oliver and Roger, but all five of these people kinda suck to be on a team with for various reasons).

But she’s grateful now because on one hand, she and Cedric dated before they were in undergrad, and he’s one of her best friends. On the other hand, she and Harry briefly dated, and it ended amicably.

And on the tentacle, she’s currently in a Something with Ginny that isn’t yet officially anything because neither of them is sure what she wants but they keep flirting with each other but in not very direct ways, and okay really, it would’ve been Awkward And Messy for Cho to be on a team with Ginny while two of her exes were being even more inept at flirting than Cho and Ginny have been

Cedric has this problem where he doesn’t know how to ask for help when he needs it, because:

1. he’s legitimately gifted (which has given him kind of a Thing about working hard enough to prove that he isn’t just coasting by on his natural talents and aptitude, which usually means that he will work himself almost to the point of a complete breakdown, succeed, and then learn almost nothing from this since he didn’t actually have said breakdown so it’s probably okay to keep doing this — and he still feels like it’s not enough and maybe he’s not actually good at anything)

2. a lot of people whom he cares about rely on and look up to him (which kicks him in the responsibility and makes him feel like he has to always be there for them, and he gets that he is allowed to ask people to be there for him in turn, but he only actually lives that idea in certain specific ways that usually do not involve any of his actual problems)

and 3. he kinda has a chip on his shoulder about whether or not he can actually handle anything on his own, and about doing all of the work to prove that he can, because he was sort of an awkward and sickly kid, and between his Mum verging on being overprotective and Amos over-hyping Cedric for every. single. accomplishment. he ever had, in ways that Cedric finds over-the-top and unnecessary, Cedric got stuck worrying about whether or not he could handle anything

This is all getting particularly problematic because Cedric has pretty much no idea what he’s going to do after finishing his postgraduate work (which he started because he had no idea what he was going to do after finishing his undergrad) and he feels like he can’t ask anyone for help without letting everyone down and somehow hurting them horribly.

Someone, please. Help this boy.

Harry really values his ability to keep a low profile. Unfortunately for him, this ability is borderline non-existent because:

1. He’s the son of that famous footballer whose father invented Toaster Strudels or something (it was actually the Sleekeazy line of hair products but almost nobody remembers that, since Harry never talks about it, and his hair never behaves and he has no idea what hair products do what, so no one thinks to associate him with Sleekeazy), and that one big deal activist who made her name vehemently, openly opposing that one disgraced former Tory MP who was in good with Thatcher back in the day but these days, he’s gone even further to the political right and he’s trying (once again) to make a comeback by capitalizing on increasing Islamophobia and anti-immigrant sentiments to make people vote for him.

2. The Potters died in really shady circumstances when Harry was very young, which sorta led that guy’s big fall from grace, and a huge custody nightmare because Harry was supposed to go live with his godfather and his father’s BFF, that wayward disowned, gay, bipolar son of that one noble family who are some of said ex-Tory MP’s biggest supporters, who’s managed to establish himself as a writer, but Lily’s parents initially started voicing Concern about Harry living with him, because at the time, he was:

a. undiagnosed, so a lot of his symptoms were seen as Just Sirius Being Sirius and, “just Sirius being Sirius” was periodically dangerous (mostly to Sirius himself but… still in ways that concerned Harry’s Evans grandparents);

b. nominally single, officially “straight,” and sharing a place with Professor Lupin from the History department (who was a postgrad, then), but that was all a façade, hiding their on-off Thing, where they were kinda together, but sometime not, and sometimes, “together but allowed to see other people as long as they talk about it if it ever gets serious (which it never really did but still)” — and oh boy, there was a Mess when that all came out during the custody nightmare (not least because Petunia and Vernon entered the discussion by being homophobic all over it, and making matters way, WAY worse when some trashy tabloid journalist outed Remus’s HIV status);

and c. a person of interest in the investigation of James and Lily’s deaths (which never amounted to charges and was eventually dropped, but not for lack of trying to pin it all on Sirius, on the parts of a few choice assholes).

3. Harry is a pretty gifted footballer himself, and a pretty good student, and friends with that loudmouth activisty girl who took advantage of an obscure and underutilized academic option to design her own program (combining history, law, political science, and social policy), and the youngest son of that family of impoverished minor nobles who act like they’re all about family values but are secretly an abusive shit-show, oh and he’s not actually a student here anymore, he left school to go into some nebulous but profitable startup with his twin brothers, but Harry and Hermione are still here, so he hangs around so often that most people don’t remember that he doesn’t even go here

(overall, Ron and Hermione are equally notable but in very different ways and for very different reasons)

and 4. Harry also spent his entire adolescence accidentally foiling that dickbag ex-Tory MP’s plans to try and make his comeback, and aside from all of the shit that he was embroiled in as a toddler, his godfather being kind of a Big Deal in several ways, and his “uncle” being a member of the university’s faculty, Harry just keeps drawing attention to himself without meaning to.

Someone please help him, he just wants to not have to deal with all of this attention, it is so frustrating

ngl, one of his favorite things about Cedric is that Cedric does not treat him as Famous Harry Potter, and manages to strike a rare balance between acknowledging the effects of this shit on Harry’s life and treating Harry as a real person without giving him any special treatment for better or for worse because of who his parents were, or his accidental teenage activism, or his talent at football, or any of that

(—like, seriously. Ron, Hermione, Luna, Cho, Remus, and Sirius are the only other people Harry would list as having done the thing consistently. This isn’t really fair to some others in his life, but he’s also pretty sensitive about all of this, so unfair as it is to some people in his life, it’s understandable that his list is so short)

Their first date happened kind of by accident.

See, it started when Sirius got asked to come have a reading and talk on campus, and of course Harry was going to go because it’s Sirius and his new book is really good and even if Harry didn’t like it, he’d still go because it’s Sirius.

Cedric showed up with the intent to just enjoy it and hopefully ask some questions during the Q&A (like, this boy showed up with an entire page of possible questions in his notebook, and that had already been whittled down quite a lot, and even as he went into the auditorium, he was still debating which one he wanted to ask most)

This particular event had open seating, rather than assigned seating, and Harry…… was sort of not sure where to sit, when he showed up. Like, he picked out Ron in the crowd first… but then noticed that Ron was sitting with Viktor, and looking kinda bored while Viktor looked eager, and yeah, there was a brief feeling of, “What the Hell, I should go over there and ask why Ron didn’t tell me he had a date with Viktor, who cares if I ruin their moment, what the Hell Ron” — but Harry decided against it because Ron hadn’t had a date in a while, and ruining it for him would’ve been a dick move

Then, he spotted Hermione… right as Luna sat down with her and they picked up where they’d apparently left off in some debate or other that Harry couldn’t hear so he just imagined that it was another round of Hermione reading Sirius’s poetry as sociopolitical commentaries first and foremost, while Luna primarily reads them as poems, looking at how the language and choice of images create certain emotions and stories and word-pictures, rather than what those things mean in a broader sociopolitical context, and probably arguing about the place of the author in interpreting literature

(He wasn’t that far off. Add in some stuff like, “Luna ffs why did you bring gummy bears to a poetry reading” and, “Did you do something special with your hair? …Oh, wait, you’re just not wearing any Sleekeazy’s in it, are you? …It looks really pretty and I’m sorry your internship’s been pressuring you into wearing it for the sake of looking quote-unquote professional” — and then you’d basically have what they were on about)

This process repeated itself with Cho and Ginny, then with Dean and Seamus, then with Lavender and Parvati, then with Angelina and Katie, then with Fleur and Tonks — it was only different when Harry noticed Draco, then Zacharias, because ugh, fuck shit dammit NO, there is not enough money in the world to pay Harry to sit next to either of them — and finally, he noticed Cedric sitting on his own

Faced with the choices of, “go ask Cedric if he can sit next to him and risk rejection” or, “sit alone and feel lonely, and risk Remus coming to sit with him and feeling like a loser because ugggh, one of his godfathers actually came to sit with him so he wouldn’t feel lonely which was well-intentioned but just kind of reaffirmed Harry’s feelings of loneliness and loserdom, and ugggh, he loves you, Uncle Moony, but why this”

……yeah, Harry went and asked if he could join Cedric

Cedric was really confused about why Harry seemed so hugely relieved to have been told, “Oh, sure, please — God, it’s kinda lonely with all the couples in here, right?” because?? Like???? Cedric goes out of his way to try and be kind and welcoming to everyone (even when they’ve shared incidents like the football game arguing and accidental tackling), and he got worried that he’d done something to make Harry feel like he didn’t like him or didn’t want him around

But there wasn’t really a lot of time to worry about it before the presentation started

So, instead, Cedric just waited until it was done and then asked if Harry wanted to go get dinner or something, because it was Very Important to Cedric to make sure that Harry knew that he was genuinely welcome

And well, first, they had to duck over to see Sirius before he got to signing books for people, because Sirius doesn’t always read his texts before just going, “shit, where is my godson” (or whatever) and getting really caught up in things, and Remus regularly forgets to charge his phone, lets it die, and doesn’t notice until someone (usually Sirius, Harry, Minerva, Marlene McKinnon, Mary MacDonald, or Tonks) goes, “what the fuck, why does your phone keep going straight to voicemail”

Like, you just can’t go, “okay, text Remus and he’ll go tell Sirius because he’s more responsible” because neither one of them is actually that responsible about this particular point — so Harry wanted to just congratulate Sirius, let him know that Harry would be staying at his and Remus’s place that night instead of at his, Ron, and Hermione’s place, and go, “oh btw, I’d stay here longer but I think the hot guy I accidentally tackled a few weeks ago just asked me out so I’m sorry for blowing you off but I’m gonna go out with him now”

(Sirius is always touched when he’s reminded that Harry loves him that much, but he’s also confused about why Harry felt a need to apologize for that because his opinion on all of this is, “why didn’t you just text me then, shut up at talking to me and go get some with Hot Football Boy”)

(Harry’s not even going to try to go, “I can’t text you bc I never know if you’re going to read them before you call up Ron, Hermione, Professor McGonagall, and the campus safety people to try and find me despite how I texted you that I was going to bed early or something.” He’s done that too many times to think that the message ever sticks with Sirius for long.)

Either way, Harry burned up a lot of his, “communicating with other people in an effective way” points because he didn’t ask Cedric if he’d meant this as a date date until two-thirds of the way through dinner, and his reaction to Cedric’s, “……I hadn’t thought about that one way or the other? But I’d like it if it were, if you did” was, “???? so is it a date date or not what??”

Working that out took them a good five minutes of vague as fuck, noncommittal back and forth

They eventually decided on it being a date date, but still

Five

Solid

Minutes

Shitty last headcanon is shitty because it’s 1 AM and I lost control of my life and this post and I’m tired but: so, Cedric and Viktor have a dog. She’s a mutt who Cedric found at a shelter a few years ago and fell in love with because she just looked like she needed a home so much. Her name is Lady and she’s very friendly. Before Harry met her the first time, Cedric did tell him that Lady is very friendly, but he didn’t really specify how friendly she can be when she decides that she likes someone.

She decided that she liked Harry immediately after meeting him

So, while he was waiting for Cedric to finish getting ready, she came over and put her head on Harry’s leg… then brought over a toy and made the, “play with me please please please” face at him and he indulged her because awwww cute……

And then Harry isn’t really sure what happened, but he wound up on the floor by Cedric and Viktor’s coffee table (which is perpetually buried under a stack of books), with a large dog sprawled on top of him and alternately nuzzling and licking him

Viktor had to come save him because Harry didn’t know what to do and felt bad about trying to tell Lady to get off because anytime he does that with Sirius and Remus’s dogs, the dogs get sad and Harry feels like he just seriously hurt their feelings and he doesn’t know what to do

As opposed to Crookshanks, who Harry can be blunt and cranky with, because Crookshanks is only marginally nicer to Harry than he is to Ron, and fine, cat, if you’re going to be an arse, Harry’s going to just pick you up and relocate you when you sit on his things or try to commandeer his lap when he’s trying to work

Hermione and Sirius both wish that there weren’t so much slightly vague enmity between Harry and Crookshanks, and Ron and Crookshanks, but Hermione and Sirius are both biased as fuck because Crookshanks is always nice and well-behaved for both of them

Viktor still took pics first, because it was cute and he figured that Cedric would want to see it

He was right, and Harry, personally, is just thankful that nobody put the pics on social media