#how did breaking benjamin not make it on here XD

[lunarleonardo]

Ok so I've never EVER done an ask on a Tumblr Blog, BUT I made a playlist for Love Letter on Spotify and I NEEDED to show you https://open.spotify.com/playlist/6CuoH1l0V9jlUafErmS0pf?si=c69e6b6a8def4829 idk if the link will work, but hey! It'll hold me over until the next chapter. Some of the songs are from people who sent in song suggestions already and some are my own <3

you guys are making me feel like a senile old man trying to figure out how these links work ｡⁠:ﾟ⁠(⁠;⁠´⁠∩⁠`⁠;⁠)ﾟ⁠:⁠｡ /lh

So I dont actually use Spotify because if I have to listen to an ad mid-music I will become physically violent and I am NOT paying for premium. Which means I cannot actually listen to this playlist on spotify (⁠´⁠；⁠ω⁠；⁠｀⁠) but don't worry I have a solution Im going to find all of these songs in youtube, recreate the playlist there and listen to it. brb

-- back a few hours later. Nails Like God is now in my mind thank you this is all that I'll be listening to for the next week

If I may make a few suggestions myself, I actually have a few songs that my brain goes LOVELETTER LOVE LETTER !! every time they come on ^^"

Feed my Ego by Mickey Darling . i cannot elaborate without spoiling upcoming chapters but just trust me pleasseee please (and NO the song is NOT related to saiouma in this context dont WORRY)

Angel Breaking from the Needy Streamer Overload soundtrack. i think this one is self explanatory XD I actually listened to it while I was writing Kokichi's POVs in specifically chapter 16, which was basically his big ol panic attack chapter. Sorryy Kokichi QwQ

Jenny, You're Barely Alive by rilokiley. I actually did an animation to this song for Impermanent Attachment, but I feel like it also fits Love Letter very well. i mean come on Shuichi IS barely alive (⁠个⁠_⁠个⁠) poor guy was fighting for his life down there

Outrunning Karma by Alec Benjamin. tsumugi !!!! it is just tsumugi. Try as she might she will not escape the consequences of her actions, even if she thinks she will

There are more but if I kept going we'd be here literally forever and my wrist hurts enough as it is (⁠｡⁠ﾉ⁠ω⁠＼⁠｡⁠) so I'll leave you with this. Thank you for sharing the playlist!! :D Super cool !! 💞💞

Lost Kitten by METRIC. I did an animation to this with love letter lol

It Almost Worked by TV Girl. poor shuichi is just going through it huh (⁠｡⁠•́⁠︿⁠•̀⁠｡⁠) if I had to pick a song to most accurately describe his mental state after everything that happened to him

[autodach64]

Detective L

Crossposted from my Dreamwidth:

Finished Detective L tonight! Very fun❤

• Luo Fei is very pretty and the show milks this by putting him in various outfits and situations - it knows exactly what itch it wants to scratch, haha. Bai Yu voices himself which is always nice. • Laid it on a little thick with the plagiarism. Come on guys you didn’t have to lift the main theme from BBC Sherlock. • Qin Xiaoman is a typical young protagonist: Fresh off the academy, enthusiastic but naïve, she struggles to adapt to the realities of the world and of police work. Luo Fei is her foil: Experienced and resourceful, he knows how to navigate his environment. He has a playful side to him, while Qin Xiaoman is more serious. Both of them are kind and hardworking people. They work well as protagonists and I enjoyed their dynamic ❤

Haphazard (spoilery) notes per case under the cut:

• Case 1: Cheongsam Lady gets murdered (or does she?) I like the case. I expected Luo Fei to solve the first case flawlessly as an introduction but he actually doesn’t get his way immediately. And it turns out to be no murder at all! Very fun. One caveat: I don’t like the mean-spirited way a lawyer’s work is portrayed, a very common problem of the genre. A lawyer telling his clients about their rights is sinister and malicious, while police trampling all over these rights is good and necessary. Urks.

• Case 2: Accountant Lady gets murdered OMG it took me forever to figure out Ben Jie Ming is called Benjamin XD. I like him though. Luo Fei and Qin Xiaoman go undercover as a couple! Delightful. I love that it fails immediately lol. The conclusions here are a bit... unsatisfying? They had no proof against this Chen guy, I don’t like the assumption that a man in a wheelchair can’t possibly ever walk, and there is no answer to the threat letters at all.

• Case 3: Evil Music This is where I started shipping the main characters ❤ Nice actions scenes, and I liked the deductions too. I did not expect the final twist at all! Although some aspects seemed… oddly familiar… *cough*BBC Sherlock*cough*

• Case 4: The tailor’s wife I could see the solution coming, but I was surprised the murderer managed to kill everyone she had a grudge against - I expected one potential victim to be saved. That first victim was really dumb. Why did she tell her about how they tried to kill her and steal her money? Keep your mouth shut and you get to live.

• Case 5: Arson Predictable, but still fun to watch it play out, and they had the balls to make an established character the murderer. Loved Qin Xiaoman and Luo Fei’s little pyjama party, and the 4th wall breaking in the extra. Super cute ❤

• Case 6: Return of the laughter killer I called this one too! I knew it would be her immediately. But overall the conclusion was lackluster – none of them has a proper motive. Killing random students because your girlfriend’s dad was a clown??? (Did I miss something?) This case is where I started shipping Luo Fei/Xiaoman/Benjamin OT3❤

• Case 7: Agatha Christie Murder Mystery They all look so prettyyy! ❤❤❤ I did not see the brother switcheroo coming! The motive was again a little wonky.

• Case 8: I don’t even know? What is this case??? What’s going on? Who are these people? Why should I care? And wtf is this ending??? The show does a terrible job of introducing the new characters and the story - I could not get invested at all. Why not instead make use of the characters that we spent 20 episodes establishing for the big finale? Even Dr. Huo could not save this mess of an ending – or rather, lack thereof. I dislike this on principle. We ended this one on a low note folks ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Overall I liked this drama. I feel like it knows what it wants to be and succeeds at that beautifully – if only they had kept it up for the those last few episodes!

[pieces-of-silverwing]

Rules: Shuffle your music, write down the first ten songs you get, and then tag ten other people to participate!

I was tagged by @potter-inthe-tardis tytytytytyty^^ i love doing these

1. Not Coming Down (Swella Remix) - Candyland 

2. Pjanoo (Club Mix) - Eric Prydz

3. The Promise - Joe Garston

4. Days To Come (feat. Fiora) - Seven Lions

5. Lucky & Wild - Joe Garston

6. Vengeance - Zac Hemsey 

7. Disappear Always - Wild Nothing

8. Your Love - Mark Knight

9. You’re Gonna Go Far, Kid - The Offspring

10. Right Back - Yuri Kane

I’m gonna tag @heichoumama @timeisanoctopus @nerdyderptooth @isittimetosleepyet @carolynknapp-shappey @ravenclawsoprano @feeling-borrowed-always-blue @theoneronnie and anyone else who wants to or can^^ (ik sorry its not ten people /: )

[tiecladartist]

Barok for the Character Headcanons! :D

Coming from you, this feels like the ask came from Barok himself!

Character Headcanons:

1: sexuality headcanon - May be projecting for this one, but I see him as either ace or demi. At the very least I don't think he'll even be thinking about relationships until he's better worked through his trauma (losing your ability to trust others for several years makes being vulnerable with a S/O a little difficult methinks).

2: otp - Barok X Arts and Crafts. I'll be honest, even though Albert/Benjamin was the first character to pop into my head, I didn't really see them as being romantically involved. And so, this is my OTP. I see making the diagrams for cases as something almost therapeutic for Barok. Considering he spends a lot of time tense and on high alert, I feel like it's probably nice to be able to just sit and work on something like that in the safety of his office. He'd take pride in all the little details, perhaps so focused he doesn't notice when he gets some paint on his face from moving his hair out of his eyes (wiping it off as soon as he notices though because an English gentleman can't walk about with a dirty face). I just want Barok to be able to relax from time to time, and art (even for the sake of work) is a nice outlet/distraction.

3: brotp - And this is where Albert/Benjamin comes in! I loved their dynamic. That belief Barok had in him, defending the instant kinesis machine so much because even if it was utter nonsense it was important to Albert/Ben. Not to mention sending his only real friend back to Germany despite having the opportunity to catch up and have some positive and happy interactions for once, all out of concern for his friend's safety? Like, Albert was more or less all he had left from his happier past (I know Tobias was there too but they seemed to interact on a mostly professional bases now), Albert/Ben was someone Barok knew he could trust in a world filled with perceived enemies. He was someone that genuinely made him happy! And yet, Barok was willing to put his own happiness and this chance for one good day aside because he was so worried the Reaper's curse would take Albert/Ben away and it'd be Klint all over again. He cared about his friend that much!! I have many many feelings about their friendship and how great it is but I am going to stop myself now xD

4: notp - Barok X Sholmes - As entertaining as it is to see the dynamic of serious/closed-off and "I'm just here to start s***" I could never do this to Barok. I feel that over time the two of them could have the occasional evening of fun debate, or maybe even intellectual discussion with the right topic, most likely because Iris is pushing for them to get along better, but it would probably only work if it's in small doses, so a relationship would be out of the question.

5: first headcanon that pops into my head: This man sleeps at a desk more often than a bed. Office aside, I feel like back at his home he gets ready for bed, glass of wine in hand, bed ready to go, and thinks "I'm not quite tired yet" and heads to his writing desk instead, working on paperwork, or perhaps reading a book that's caught his attention. Then, before he knows it, he wakes up with his pen in hand or a book on his lap. I feel like it started when he was taking his break, since he was no longer on a work schedule, and perhaps the poor sleeping habit stuck around. Or alternatively, it's a result of him not wanting to be alone with only his thoughts before bed. He needs to keep his mind distracted or he begins to think of Klint, or the curse, or if he'll be taking a safe enough route to get to that meeting tomorrow, perhaps he's less likely to get jumped if he takes that street instead? or...

6: one way in which I relate to this character: Barok seems to try to avoid getting close to people. It took two whole games and a jailcell for him to open up to Ryu about his past, and even that took some effort. While it's not to the degree of our wonderful god of death, I also find it difficult to trust or open up to people out of a fear of it hurting more when they inevitably leave. I'll say what's needed in the moment, what's expected of someone in whatever relationship I have with them, but I find it hard to properly open up about my feelings and allow myself to be vulnerable despite seeming honest on the outside. And then, just as he did in the final case, one day someone with enough persistence crosses that invisible threshold and I'm like "alright time to exposition dump if you're clearly sticking around anyways"

7: thing that gives me second hand embarrassment about this character: His "passive aggression" (to put it mildly) to Ryu is probably the biggest culprit. I could go on for hours analyzing the causes of, mindset behind and thematic purposes of his treatment of Ryu, but it doesn't change the fact that he does say some pretty rude and uncalled for things at times. Explanation does not equate to excuse after all. Though, I don't remember it being as bad as the fandom portrays, so I'll be paying more attention to it on my Twitch playthrough. (At the very least, he isn't physically assaulting the defense like some other prosecutors, as low of a bar as that is to reach). That being said, I also appreciate the fact that the characters in this game have flaws! People aren't perfect, and the less appealing sides of the Great Ace Attorney characters make them feel all the more real.

8: cinnamon roll or problematic fave? Enemy of his liver, Old Bailey janitors, Japanese Lawyers and his own emotions, I have to declare him a Problematic Fave xD

[redemptionofthefallen]

[From @little-yugi-muto-rp] (sorry, I thought of a lot of these)

For Kevin:

•what calms your muse down after a bad day?

•talk about one person your muse loves.

•ways your muse says i love you.

•what items can be found in your muse’s pockets?

•talk about your muse’s most prized possession(s).

•the thing(s) your muse thinks about before falling asleep.

•something your muse could never forgive.

•something that makes your muse smile.

•something that scares your muse.

•something that gives your muse hope.

•how your muse responds to unconditional love.

YAY! thank you Little muto!!! id be glad to do these with our boy! XD 

•what calms your muse down after a bad day?

Kevin is someone who feels things VERY deeply and strong. Anger is no different. truthfully not much can calm him down, but one thing that is a constant is Music. if he’s feeling angry he will listen to some death metal and jam out to it. when he’s sad he will listen to some really emotional my chemical romance or shindown, or breaking Benjamin.  if he’s feeling stressed out he will most likely listen to a bunch of Fallout boy or my chem romance or both. 

my chemical romance is his fave band. 

•talk about one person your muse loves.

weeeelllll, since little muto is the one who sent this let’s talk about Yugi shall we? XD 

Yugi has brought out so much in Kevin. like i have unlocked more back story from him in our threads than anywhere else! part of the reason i like these two so much together is the way Kevin has grown. he started out as this angsty, tight lip, barley talking person; to this romantic, tries hard, bashful person. and its all thank to Yugi. 

Yugi gave the ONE thing that Kevin had been craving most of his life, Security. 

even though Justin gave him security in being his best friend, because Justin was his first love and he didn't share the same feelings he still felt like he lacked that security.

once it started to sink in that Yugi loved him back and that he wasn’t going anywhere, it gave him such relief to know that no matter what happened he would always be there. 

it’s almost getting to the point where im not sure Kevin would be willing to be romantic with anyone else ship wise ^^’’’ but that doesn't mean im not going to attempt to see what happens maybe im wrong XD lol 

honestly i could talk forever on how Yugi has changed Kevin for the better, but i dont want to make this too long XD 

•ways your muse says i love you.

oh. boy. here we go. 

Kevin doesn’t do well with words, writing a song sure! but telling someone what he is thinking or feeling is a whole different story! 

so he will mostly show through his actions, how much he loves a person. this can mean any of the following: 

making sure when they go out and it’s cold they wear something warm and if they forget he gives them his. 

memorizes how they like thier food and drinks so when you order he gets it just right every time. coffee same thing. 

find out thier favorite flowers and give it to them for absolutely no reason than to convey that he loves you

buys you trinkets and gifts -especially if your out and they say “ooo i like that” he goes up and buys it

he plans out these intricate dates and events for the two of you, and is such a stickler for everything to come out just right. everything has to be perfect.

if he has gotten comfortable with his singing voice with you, he will hum or sing a tune for you when your alone together. 

little PDA things like: holding your hand while walking, if your sitting next to each other his will place his hand on your knee -or thigh if he’s feeling frisky-, he will stroke your hair just because, and kiss you when no one is looking or around. 

oh and did i mention that he would make love to you often to show how much he loves you as well? XD 

•what items can be found in your muse’s pockets?

truth be told he doesn't carry a lot of things in his pockets, however you can always be sure to find his harmonica in his pocket so he can practice at a moments notice. of course he has his wallet and cell as well, but thats about it. 

  •talk about your muse’s most prized possession(s). 

prized possessions include: his drum set, drum sticks -all four pairs of them-, his my chemical romance T shirt, and the Game shop Key -spacific for little mutos Yugi threads- 

his drum set, at least the one he has now is one he saved up with his own money. he felt so proud of himself and drumsticks as well. its a constant reminder of his love for music and how far hes willing to go for his dream. also the fact that he did it in the first place. it was his first big accomplishment on his own, 

the Chem Romance shirt he bought at his first concert. since MCR was playing near his home town he saved up the money for the tickets and snuck off skipping school to go to this concert. he did get in trouble for it later, but he didnt care! it was a once and life time opportunity and he took it. -this was before he and Justin became best friends- 

the Game shop Key in the Yugi threads with little muto probably means the most to him. when Yugi gave that to him, it felt like a permanent thing. any time he feels like something concrete it always makes him feel better and if it has to do with Yugi it makes he heart sore. it was the first big step in any relationship and it showed through leaps and bounds how much he cared for him. he’s worn the key around his neck ever since so he can be constantly reminded of how permeant Yugi is in his life. also how much Yugi loves him to begins with. 

•the thing(s) your muse thinks about before falling asleep.

it depends on the thread or situation. if Yugi is involved, then he’s thinking about how to make him smile the next day, and how warm he feels in his arms if they are sleeping next to each other. 

if not then usually of the next song to write or more solutions on how to make him and Justin's dream a reality.  

•something your muse could never forgive.

honestly the way his parents treated him growing up. even when i play threads where he reconciles with them, it is something he struggles with doing. while hes happy they are back in his life letting go of the hate and anger he had for them is something that is hard for him. it was a certain permanence for him so letting go of something that hes gotten so accustomed to is hard for him not to say that he wont ever forgive them, but not right now. 

•something that makes your muse smile.

nothing makes Kevin smile more than when someone actually gives a damn about him and start to be around him more. granted it wont happen right a way, but once he knows your not going anywhere he will show that crooked smile to you all day long. but to just you cause hes self conscious of his smile...so now he tells me DX lol. bonus points if your in a romantic relationship with him. 

•something that scares your muse.

oh lords...ALOT!

this boy has a lot of fears yall like...im not even kidding. 

lets see: 

fear of faliure, fears abandonment, fear of losing what he loves most, fear of him opening his mouth and hearing “you sound like a robot smoker”, fear of someone telling him he has no talent and should give up his dream, fear of telling his only famous cause his best freind is talented and he is taking pity on him, fear of crowds, fear of judgement, the list goes on. 

however i think one of the things he’s scared of the most is losing the one he loves. ive mentioned this before to little muto, but i have a head cannon that Kevin take LOTS of pictures of Yugi that is on his phone, for the first few months of dating he had to wake up every morning and look at the recent pictures he took that day to show that he wasnt dreaming, that he wasnt going to wake up and Yugi being a dream he had. i think he would feel the same for anyone he was with. he would be scared that since its all too good to be true hell wake and your gone. he fucking terrified of that  

•something that gives your muse hope.

honestly? the fact that he wakes up every morning. 

every time he wakes up he’s reminded of that fact he has another day to prove himself and make his life better. 

•how your muse responds to unconditional love.

oh boy. 

well he is defiantly going to shrug it off at first cause he thinks your being nice, but the more you do it the more he begins to get all flustery and bashful. keep it up with him long enough he will get used to and dish it back to you and the ways mentioned above. however there will always be times, on his worst days, or when his anxiety is at his worst where you say something and he will not know how to react. just for the simple fact of he feels not worthy to anyone's affection. so when its given to him like that sometimes he’ll just stare in disbelief until he blushes snaps out of it and mutters something in return. 

this boy is starved for affection and love DX 

WEHW! that was a lot but that was SO please send more for different muses even! i love getting these! i hope you enjoy them ^^ @little-yugi-muto-rp

[tsukikoayanosuke]

7, 8, 9, 10, 13, 14, 16, 27, 35 & 39

[It’s a lot again 😅 hope you don’t mind :D]

I might be going way too far with these answers, so please bear with me ^^’

Sorry for the long rambles but these are my answers!

7. Share a snippet from one of your favorite pieces of prose you’ve written and explain why you’re proud of it.

Oof. This is hard. There’s actually a lot of paragraphs that I like throughout the writing process. I can re-read and just pick which is my favorite, it’ll be different every time.

But, I think the thing currently going on with TW:OPT can be summed up in this Once Upon a Time… (I was being dumb and I thought prose is just poetry without rhyme)

So, this drabble is written on the run. There’s not really deep thought and I can’t even remember why I wrote it in the first place. From the date I posted it on Tumblr it was in the middle of Octavinelle Arc.

But, in this small crappy prose-poetry, it has one of the themes in TW:OPT: happy vs sad ending. This is something that I want to build since in the early stage. The theme of TW:OPT is second chances for the reincarnated villains, giving them a happy ending, something way better than the original ones.

So, if you look for example the two lines about the Queen of Heart:  

The Queen of Heart was forgotten by Alice like it was just a bad dream

The Queen of Heart will always be remembered by Alice as his dear friend and the greatest queen

The first line is what happens to the original Disney Alice’s Queen of Hearts, while the second line is what happens to Riddle, the current reincarnation of the Queen of Hearts. It’s a good change for Riddle’s life.

However, like everything, there has to be something to balance it. 

After all, good endings cannot exist without bad endings.

Can the good guys really live with the bad guys in harmony? After all, all Disney movie always has “good wins, evil lose” theme. If the “evil side” wins, wouldn’t that mean the “good side” loses? Is that even a good thing or even possible?

After all, the One-Eyed Captain found his happy ending to sail away once again. What will happen to him in his next life?

This line becomes the question. What will happen to the already-set happy endings? Would they just disappear to change into bad endings to keep the balance?

.

8. Share a snippet from one of your favorite dialogue scenes you’ve written and explain why you’re proud of it.

I’m debating between many dialogues, but I think the one piece I’m most proud of is in Chapter 97. I'm cutting a lot of the narration and just focus on the dialogues because it becomes too long.

Riddle: What happens that day? The day when everything went downhill. Azul: Didn't anyone tell you already? Riddle: I want to hear it from your or Jonah's mouth. What happened that you must curse him? Azul: Pretty simple, really. I told him not to come here that day, and he did To make it worse, that boy was stupid enough to go back against our agreement. Riddle: Just that? Azul: Oh, please, dear Crimson Ruler. I don't want to hear that from you. Have you forgotten about your reign before? Riddle: I know what I did was tyrannical, but I want to be better. Azul: Because of the captain told you too? Riddle: No. This is my choice to change. Just like it was your choice to curse him. He trusts you, you know? He knows that you wouldn't go back against your own words, which was why he was willing to sign another contract with you. Azul: If he trusts me that much, why is he against me? If he trusts me, why did he choose to save his stupid friends than agreeing with me? Tell me, Riddle Rosehearts...Why does he choose you instead of me?

We all know what happened during Octavinelle Arc and I don't deny that this sounds cheesy or slightly ooc. And let me just say this, there's no intention of this become a love triangle or whatsoever.

There are two things I want to highlight in this exchange: Riddle's growth and Azul's decline.

Riddle, after everything happened in Heartslabyul and Savanclaw arc, finally putting his foot down on where he wants to stand. He wants to be a better person, more than just the feared Crimson Tyrant. That's why he's helping them. Not because the boys are breaking the rules, not because someone tells him to, but Riddle is willing to risk it all, even his unique magic (as we see at the end of this chapter and the next) to save his friends. Again, this might sound ooc and I apologize, but from my perspective, this is a logical step of development for Riddle.

Meanwhile, Azul is showing more and more decline from this until the end of Octavinelle Arc even Scarabia Arc. For Azul who knows how easy people can leave and mock when you have nothing, seeing Jonah leave him and siding with the anemones is basically a betrayal. He can't think rationally when it comes to the betrayal and we see how brash he can be with anything related to Jonah throughout the arc where all of their interaction nearly kills Jonah.

If Riddle-Jonah is a coming-of-age story, Azul-Jonah is a broken friendship story.

.

9. Which fic has been the hardest to write?

This is a hard one to write. You might think I’ll just answer with TW:OPT, but honestly, all multi chapters fanfic has their own difficulties, so I can’t choose which is the hardest.

For Twisted-Wonderland: Our Precious Treasure, where I do treat this as a novel-writing practice, keeping the consistency with the theme, plot points, and characterization.

For Private Tutor, Angel of Death, Philza Minecraft, actually coming up with new ideas is hard because I don’t based this on anything, and just write anything once a week. In addition that I’m still new in Dream SMP fandom so characterization won’t be the strongest thing.

For both TWST MC Hybrid AU and Magical Girl AU, giving the massive cast equal spotlight and actually not getting lost is quite a challenge. Both AU has seven main characters and I need to give them the same amount to screen time.

And don’t get me started with those smut. I won’t be talking about it because I’m keeping it family friendly. Those has their own problems XD

.

10. Which fic has been the easiest to write?

As I said, every fic has their own problems, even one shot. So, I’m looking through my works and trying to figure out which fic I wrote the fastest but had the most fun.

I think I’ll go with A Wish for a Proposal because the comfort in this fic with Ace going heads over heels for Deuce and being doki-doki all the time. And the kiss under a shooting star, AH! Poetic cinema~

I do enjoy when I wrote how Ace thought keeping a toy ring as childish but he ended up using it to confess to Deuce and thinking that it’s not as childish as he thought.

.

13. What’s the best writing advice you’ve ever come across?

There are good writing advice that I had head, one of them came from On Writing: Great Character Descriptions! by Hello Future Me. He has so many good advices in writing and I highly recommend him.

He said that “when describing characters it’s good to focus on their movements that can tell the readers of who the characters are”. As someone who has many troubles in writing physical description, this is actually a great alternative, especially when you want to go thought the “show don’t tell”.

After watching the video I tried to write something. I ended up writing Jonah’s father, Benjamin, in Chapter 137

The owner of the inn was an old man who, coincidentally, also shared the 'Argentum' surname. Benjamin Argentum was a man with slouched back from the burden of the world, white strands on his reddish-brown hair and tired, but kind, black eyes. He walked slowly with his walking stick, claiming that his knees were never that strong since a cart accident during his younger days. The way he speaks was gentle like everyone's favorite uncle/grandfather, along with the delicious appetizer that he had prepared a few minutes ago on the reception table. The spices he used reminiscent of the spices Jonah used in his Ramshackle Kitchen. There was no way all of these were coincidences. Crowley wouldn't doubt if Jonah Argentum ever grew old, he would be looking exactly like the warm innkeeper.

I want to highlight how Benjamin is a kind old man ("He walked slowly with his walking stick, claiming that his knees were never that strong since a cart accident during his younger days”, ”The way he speaks was gentle like everyone's favorite uncle/grandfather”) but has his own problems (”a man with slouched back from the burden of the world”), and very similar to Jonah (”The owner of the inn was an old man who, coincidentally, also shared the 'Argentum' surname”, ”The spices he used reminiscent of the spices Jonah used in his Ramshackle Kitchen”, “Crowley wouldn't doubt if Jonah Argentum ever grew old, he would be looking exactly like the warm innkeeper.”)

It’s not the best descriptions, because most of the example used highlight only one most recognizable feature while my description highlight nearly everything. I still need some practice.

.

14. What’s the worst writing advice you’ve ever come across?

“Write what’s mainstream”.

Here’s my problem with it: sometimes anything that’s mainstream is not my thing. I like to challenge what we are given and give it a spin. 

I mentioned before that growing up with Indonesian TV Series that only centers around love, riches, and cheating, I grew tired of it. That was why I once tried to make a script for a group of friends creating a classical music band and mental problems. 

I’m not the first one to make an adaptation of TWST, but I think I’m one of the first, at least in AO3, that make an adaptation with Male MC. Among the Female MC or Female Readers story with a hint (or too much) of Romance, I want to give something for the small group who wants Male MC or something more platonic to read.

I always want to push slightly further, trying something that I haven’t seen at first glance, giving varieties. I will admit that would always doubt whether me writing something different is even worth it or not. But when I saw that yes, this is worth it, I gain more confidence and become bolder in my twist.

Going against the mainstream is risky, but we'll see whether it's worth it or not.

.. 

16. If you only could write one pairing for the rest of your life, which pairing would it be?

Oh no... Does it have to be a romantic pairing?

Okay. I don't really have an OTP. I mean, I like ROnah and JonAzul, but I don't think I can't live with writing only about them.

So, romantically, I don’t know. But, this doesn’t help with platonically either because I find enjoyment in writing all relationship. Just pushing the limit of my writing, you know?

So, I don’t think I can answer this because I’m a coward XD

.

27. How do you feel about collaborations?

A mixed bag.

So currently I'm in at least 2 collab projects: TWST MC Hybrid AU and Arisu in Alternate Wonderland. In the former, I'm the group leader, while in the latter, I'm just a writer.

Both sidea are different experiences. With AiAW, it's definitely lighter because this is basically retelling TWST but with seven Yuus. However because of this freedom and the possibilities of anything, I cannot predict whether my oc action will affects in the future or how they would interact with other ocs in the project.

With Hybrid AU, since this is a fantasy au, anything can happen. Plus as the main writer, I can see and plan clearly which event will be important and setting the characters' arc. It's definitely harder to organize because of the various idea that we want to write.

So, yeah. Collaboration can be two things for me: a scripted roleplay or a freestyle roleplay

.

35. Would you ever kill off a canon character?

*looking at draft for TW:OPT Book 2*

Maybe...?

.

39. Do you ever get rude reviews and how do you deal with them?

I remember when I was a kid, I wrote a fanfiction where it only features OCs, and someone gave a review, ranting about the lack of canon characters. I, of course, sulked a bit but then just keep writing.

However, what I usually do when it comes to comments is take them into considerations. During Scarabia Arc I got a comment that the Jonah-Azul therapy moment is kinda weak, and rereading it, I can see that. Which was why the next part of the therapy Arc I tried to connect them further. So compare the JonAzul scene in the last part of Chapter 124 with the first part of Chapter 126. At least for me, I prefer the latter because there's more intimacy.

[andiwanderer]

New Kid

Tony Stark x daughter!Reader

Overview: Frustrated by how Tony was treating the new kid, you felt like an outcast. After the outburst of your father, you finally told him your decision. Because no matter how hard you try to gain his attention, his sole focus was directed to this new kid, named Peter. Maybe parting ways from your father can finally make him notice you. a/n: i'm sorry for the poor written summary! please bear with me! XD

Warnings: Angst, Language, Fluff

MASTERLIST

a/n: my first fanfic post, please, pleeeassseee! bear with me✨

--

"Parker!"

"Hey Parker, look at this."

"That kid is doing his job. I commend that. And also he's my intern, so get yours."

"He said his name was quote on quote "Spiderman". You got that, Rhodey?"

"D'you think? You know you have a potential Pete,"

"That spiderling?"

"Peter, just contact Happy on that one, I'm on my way."

"Mr. Parker, the Avengers just wanted your safety. Courtesy of me, of course."

"Mr. Parker, Mr. Stark ask your presence in his office."

Y/N had enough. It was like 4 in the morning and she hasn't got her proper sleep. She reached for her pillow and pushed it to cover her entire face along with her ear. Now, silently hoping she can finally sleep.

She really had enough not just because of exhaustion. But because of the 'New Kid' from Queens, Peter Parker.

She can't have a full day without hearing that kid's name uttered by her father, Tony.

Not that she was jealous of him but she's getting there. She used to be her father's apple of the eye. She used to have that same praises and care from Stark, then this Sokovia Accords began to ruin it.

Y/N knew what's right from wrong, Tony taught her that. And being controlled by the government, it was as though not having the freedom to have your own insights expressed. You can't do that because you're their personal puppet, the only thing that is right for them is their own judgment.

So she joined the Captain's team and learned the knowledge that Barnes wasn't a killer and he was controlled by HYDRA, the organization that they've been chasing, and it was not him who killed the T'challa's father, T'chaka. He was framed.

The encounter in Germany happened, there entered the new mighty intern of Stark, Peter Benjamin Parker also known as Spiderman.

They seemed pretty close for her liking and from that moment on she knew something is about to change.

They went back to the compound after what happened, finally having a truce. Understanding each side, well a majority of them, but there are two certain people who are still not on speaking terms.

Here's the thing, Y/N, and Tony fought regarding the accords before parting ways. And both of them seemed to heightened their pride and refuse to apologize to each other. They still think that their own opinion is better than the other.

Living in one compound doesn't help, it's difficult to not cross paths when wandering around. The only advantage of this was finally they're having small talks.

"Mr. Stark, I just went to grab my bag."

"You go ahead on the lab, I'll just..." Tony's voice trailed off as they walk towards their destination.

Y/N's eyes peeled open. Why can I still hear their voices in my sleep?

She knows drowsiness already left her and this will take a toll on her later on.

Now that she's awake, might as well start her day. With that, she sat up and stretched her arms out with a yawn. Grabbed her phone and hoodie before making her way into the kitchen.

When she got there the lights turned on, it was motion-sensored. "Good morning, Ms. Stark."

"What's good in the morning," she murmured as she open the cupboard and reaches what she needed. "The sun hasn't even peaked yet."

"Woke up on the wrong side of the bed, miss?"

"More like woke by an annoying voice."

"I apologize for that, it seemed that I was the one who is guilty-"

"Geez FRIDAY, I was only kidding. Can't take a joke?"

"Your voice was monotone, it was hard to tell."

"Not a morning person..." she sat on one of the stools and continued stirring her cup of milk as she entertained herself by scrolling onto her phone.

"You're up too early." Bucky's voice filled the room slightly startling the lone girl in the kitchen. He removed himself from leaning against the frame of the doorway. Making his way to Y/N, he sat beside her.

Glancing up from her phone she met his gaze, "I could ask you the same question."

"Don't smart ass me, doll." he gave her a stern look. "I got back from the bathroom and you weren't on the bed."

That made Y/N's voice back down and instantly felt guilty. It's dawn and she's giving her man an early headache to nurse for the entire day.

So she wrapped her arm around his waist, hugging him, nuzzling her face on his chest. She felt him responding to the embrace, hugging her fragile body against him tighter.

"I'm sorry..." she mumbled through his chest.

He kissed the crown of her head while caressing the back of her head, "I'm sorry too. I was just worried... I thought you were gone."

"That won't happen. I'm a pain in your ass remember, it's not easy to get rid of me." she chuckled, taking in his warmth.

"Is there a problem? Did you have a nightmare, Hmm? You can tell me everything, I'll listen."

Bucky knew about her struggle seeing the two, namely the man of iron and the kid with the sticky web, having a bond like father and son. Every day he sees the look in her eyes, that hostile look that she gives the kid. If staring is deadly, Peter would've been cold meat. So this topic isn't new to him. And every day it reaches a different level.

"Not really..." she pulled herself from the hug, grab his hand into hers, and intertwined them. "Is it I or Peter and my father are so close right now, even mom can't break the two apart. If I didn't know them I might've assumed they're connected by blood."

"In my perspective, I don't really pay much attention to anyone except you."

His statement brought a smile to her face. "You're crazy."

Bucky leaned in until his lips are ghosting into hers, "Only crazy for you." leaving a peck on Y/N's slightly parted lips that made her cheeks burn. She lightly shook her head on his lame comebacks and partly to somehow ease her flustered face.

"But seriously, Buck. I-" she inhaled and exhaled a deep breath. Her next words came out as a whisper, "I'm jealous...I'll admit. I am now..." she finished her drink and went to the sink washing the things she used, Bucky still eyeing her waiting for her next words. "There's not much to tell, Peter was the son he never had. He was always enthusiastic about it when he talks to mom," pertaining to Pepper "I can't blame him..." when she was done, she turned, her hips leaning against the sink. "I don't want to think about it but I don't know, Buck. Sometimes I just want to d-"

"Disappear, disperse, die?" her head whipped to where the voice came from. Tony walked into the room, screwdriver in hand.

He was headed to his workspace when he heard her daughter talking, her voice was serious so he got curious and got sidetracked.

Tony's eyes shift from Y/N to Bucky, confusion was etched on his face. He can't read either of their expression so he made his own conclusion. "You're thinking about killing yourself?"

Y/N's eyes widened in shock at his statement. I was going to say disappear. Which also has the same meaning by the way. She was about to interject when Tony immediately cut her off, not wanting her to say anything. "Is that it?" He arched a brow at her, he was starting to get pissed. "Aren't you even grateful you're alive? Many people die every single day. It wasn't their choice, hell they'll do anything they can to be alive. And here you are having the opportunity to live thinking how to end your life? Why did that thing even cross your mind."

Bucky sensed Y/N's tense composure as her hand began to fidget her shirt in habit when she's nervous or scared, Bucky noticed it but Tony didn't, so he got between the two. "Tony..."

"Shut your mouth, metal man. We're in a conversation as you can see. Can you please-" the guy waved his hand dismissively, gesturing him to vanish, then turned to Y/N.

He pointed the screwdriver at her, "What happened to your smart mouth, young lady, did that also died?" firmness laced his voice, she can't even decipher if that man was still the father she grew up to. It was like this moment, he became a cold jerk father to her.

Not wanting to deal with his shit, she grabbed her phone at the counter, and without saying anything she walked out.

How did he even think I want to die? I had only said 'D-'! How that does make any sense. I can say dance or whatever d-verb I can apply to my sentence!

Almost stumble to the new arrival, Peter Parker. She scoffed and rolled her eyes at him before making a beeline to her room.

As to Bucky, he just stared at Stark who shook his head as he brought his free hand up to massage his temple.

Peter shot a question, "Mr. Stark, Mr. Barnes, what just happened?"

It was Barnes' turn to shake his head with amusement because of the two. Before Tony could utter a word, Bucky left and followed Y/N to her room.

***

"What the hell was that?" he angrily spat at Y/N as he left his suit.

"Tony-"

"Rogers this is between us so get lost."

Steve looked in Y/N's direction whose eyes were glued on the floor. He wants to get between them because there has been a misunderstanding and Tony had been declining to listen to the captain ever since the time they finished the mission. Turning off his earpiece and blasting off defeating them on getting to the compound first. He didn't want to be rude, Tony was right and he didn't want to meddle with them, afraid that he might get the topic even worse. But if anything goes wrong he'll step in no matter what. So he ushered the team to leave and go to the med bay to have their wounds treated.

"That doesn't mean it excludes you, Barnes."

That made Y/N lift her gaze, meeting his steel-blue eyes that were full of concern and love. She gently nodded at him, giving him the idea that she can handle it and Bucky did what she silently asked.

Tony paced around the room. "You are well aware of what you just did, correct? And you know that it was gonna put you in danger!"

I was just trying to save you. She wanted to say those words to him but witnessing how riled up he is right now, made her heart race. Yes, she's afraid of him whenever he's angry that's why she never gave him a reason to be angry at her. The first was with the accords, and the list might continue because of this.

"What were you even thinking! It doesn't mean that now you're a shield agent, you should put yourself on death's door! Or just because you're fulfilling your task of getting yourself killed. You're taking every mission as an opportunity!"

It's not like that... Tears are now falling freely on her face.

"I will talk to Fury about this. And Y/N," his eyes were cold when she gained the courage to look at him, "you're out of the team. Sooner or later SHEILD will kick you out too. Believe it or not, this is for your own good."

She stared at him in disbelief. This was her entire life, he can't take that away from her, for the first time she had the urge to argue but her father cut her before she can speak.

"If only you're as obedient as Parker this wouldn't happen."

That made her heartbreak into many pieces. It was like hearing her own father saying that if only Peter was his son.

Y/N eyes were now red and puffy. Cheeks and nose flustered because of her crying. The tears are making their way down her cheeks uncontrollably and seemed that it's not stopping any time soon. Biting her lips to stop the whimper from being heard. She averted her gaze to the ceiling to somehow stop the flow of her tears.

That's why she didn't see the reaction of her father upon seeing her in her state at the moment. Guilt was already eating him.

Assuming that their conversation was over, she turned her heel and took her to leave with low shoulders. Even though she wanted to be angry at him because of his statement, she can't. Tony Stark raised her well and disrespecting isn't one of those.

"I--" suddenly his voice died. Was really apologizing for that hard?--

"I'm leaving..." She said with a tiny voice.

What?

Y/N swallowed the lump on her throat before saying, "I'm going to fix my things, maybe I should give you some space. I don't like s-seeing you angry. I will join Bucky on their trip to Wakanda. This might give you some peace of mind. And don't worry, I won't kill myself, I'll let a natural death fall on me."

She waited for him to respond or anything but when he didn't she ran towards her room with only one thing in mind, He didn't even try to stop me.

Bruce who was headed to the med bay heard a little of their conversation--he didn't mean to eavesdrop--he approached Tony. "Was that really necessary?"

Tony who felt guilty answered, "She was having suicidal thoughts, what was I supposed to do!"

"Understand her! What the hell, Stark! You only made it worse!"

***

"What the--what are you doing here?" Y/N eyes widen when he saw her father who has the same expression as hers, and a red floating cape behind him.

"I'm the one who should ask you that, missy." he frowns at her. "It's dangerous here! How did you ev--you should've stayed at your house. You could have get yourself in danger!--you know what screw this--" Tony snarls at her clearly he cared for her well-being, however, Y/N didn't acknowledge it instead took it negatively.

"I can handle myself just fine, Stark." she rolled her eyes at him.

"Oh, so it's Stark now. I didn't teach you how to disrespect, young-"

That's when Peter came swinging in and landed beside Tony. Y/N's eyes narrowed at their suit, how can she not recognize it. It's nanotech just like hers, and it was originally her idea by the way. Formulated when she was 12 years old, being fascinated by technology and all that stuff.

She felt insecure because of Peter... She was the daughter she didn't even know if creating a suit like that for her crossed her father's mind. She made her own damn suit, okay.

"I thought you were a spiderman, so why do you always follow him like a good little soldier? What are you a cat who's having fun and chasing his tail?"

"Y/N, mouth."

Peter became tense but quickly composed himself, ignoring Y/N's sarcastic statement, "Miss Y/N, I want to apologize-"

"Apologize? For what?"

Tony is sure, she can be stubborn as him. She's his daughter after all.

When the kid didn't reply she huffs, "See you don't even know what you're apologizing for. So if I were you just step back, I'm had to get Dr. Strange from that two-foot Squidward."

Squidward, huh. He can't help but remember what he had called the alien-like antagonist that they had been chasing. Turns out they gave him the same nickname. That's my daughter.

"Wait, you know his name?" Tony questioned, pertaining to the magician.

"Long story, years passed, things changed, many things happen but--whatever."

"We have a plan actually..." peter said meekly, completely intimidated by Y/N. He thought that Stark's definition of her was all too good to be true, cause he can prove it's all the opposite but maybe he just met her at the wrong place at the wrong time.

"Oh yeah?" she arched a brow at them as she cocked her head at the side. "What is it?"

***

"I want to protect the stone."

"And I want you to thank me, now. Go ahead I'm listening."

"For what? Nearly blasting me to space?"

"Who just saved your magical ass?--Me."

"I seriously don't know how you fit your head into that helmet." Y/N bit her lower lip to prevent her chuckle from erupting. Cause Strange said was so true.

"-flying donut, billions and miles from Earth with no backup."

"I'm back up." Peter raised his hand.

"No, you're still away. The adults are talking"

"I'm sorry, I-I'm confused about the relationship here. What is he your ward?"

"No-"

"Stark's son," Y/N interject. She's bitter alright.

Strange lift his gaze from where she was sitting on the ceiling. Looking confused, "Your looks don't resemble."

"Exactly! cause I don't have a brother and I am nobody's daughter." her feet swaying back and forth as she answers and it echoes all around the ship.

"Please don't mind her that's not true. I'm Peter by the way."

"Dr. Strange."

"Oh you're using made-up names, I'm Spiderman then."

"Y/N can you please go down, you might get yourself hurt up there." Tony pleads.

"You said you two can handle it. I'll just stay here thank you for the concern, but no thank you."

She watches them on her spot, not really paying attention to what they're saying but she senses Strange and Stark's topic was serious.

Y/N was acting like a slightly drunk lady, that's what the others' observations were, but she wasn't. She's just sleepy and she acts cranky when she does. And she's missing her guy who at the moment might be pissed at her because of her sudden disappearance. Oh, Bucky... I could use a hug...

After their conversation, Tony approached Peter, and like what the highest person does to proclaim a knight, he does it with Peter along with the lines of 'You're an Avenger now.'

Letting the guy recover from his shock she calls him, the kid met her gaze. "I hold no grudge, really."

Parker was having second thoughts on her statement either it was a half-hearted claim or not, regardless he answered. "Thanks." giving her a shy smile and Y/N returning a tight-lipped smile.

***

"Mr. Stark, I don't want to go.. I don't want to."

Y/N stared at them as she sit on the ground, tired and weary. She doesn't need to ask them what it felt to disappear, she herself can feel it inside of her. That weird feeling seemed hard to explain.

Witnessing this moment in front of her shattered the little part of her heart left. That should be her in his father's arms, that should be her having that last moment with him before she disappear-but no. It's always Peter.

At that moment she felt numb, as a lone tear made its way down her cheek. She never thought that she'll welcome death open arms. Y/N is done, she knew that.

"Sorry..." was the last word Peter uttered before he turned into dust.

Good riddance.

The older Stark can't still register what happened so when he turned his head, his eyes looking for a certain someone. He was filled with dread when he didn't found her.

"Y/N?"

"He did it." Nebula stated pertaining to Thanos that his plan on wiping half of the planet has begun.

Now that it was all sinking into him, he can't help but blame himself for not doing his job in stopping that grape titan, and maybe if he wasn't an asshole enough to his daughter, maybe he still has her in his arms like when she was still a baby. He was a complete dick towards her. It was all coming back to him, all the times they had been together.

It broke his heart when he watched her ran to her room that day. He can't speak because his pride was fighting off his conscience. He didn't want to see her cry, and the idea that it was his fault for making her leave dreaded him. He tried to follow her to Wakanda but he was afraid she might ignore her, afraid of the instances that might happen if he does one wrong move. Bucky, Steve, Sam, and Natasha were his only contact on asking how Y/N has been and their answers were always the same.

Peter and Y/N were almost alike, maybe that's the reason why in doing so his relationship with her drifted.

If only he'd stopped Y/N from leaving maybe this wouldn't have happened. If only he didn't sign the accords maybe things didn't change the way they were...

If only...

a/n: i'm really sorry for the crappy plot..

[chaoticspacefam]

OC Playlist Meme - Ni’kasi

I was tagged by @resol-nare this time! Thank you, this meme is super fun! :D so, have the other Pureblood twin this time, because we all know they're my favourites 😄😄

I can't remember who I tagged last time since it's been a while so feel free to ignore if I've tagged you twice or you don't feel like it but: @mercurypilgrim , @sleepswithvillains , @thehighground , and anybody else that wants to, consider this a tag! :D

♦️  Their intro theme: Animal - MISSIO

“Tell me what you want from me...you don’t even know my name...”

♦️  Their own favorite song: Blackheart - Two Steps From Hell

“there are no lyrics to this one (Kas prefers songs without lyrics when she listens to music! ;)) so just have a link :’D”

♦️  Their boss battle theme: Save Rock ‘n’ Roll - Fall Out Boy

“I’ve cried tears you’ll never see. So fuck you, you can go cry me an ocean and leave me be! You are what you love, not who loves you. In a world full of the word “yes” I’m here to scream: “NO! NO!” Wherever I go, trouble seems to follow. I only plugged in to save rock’n’roll.”

♦️  Their love song: (one for each of her main ships, again :3)

For Zephyrverse/Jask: Say Love - James TW

“And there was something in those eyes that she was hiding, she said “I don’t want this to hurt.” Just don’t say love, say love, say love, say love, no. I’ve heard that word misused a thousand times before. I know that we don’t have to dive in, cause we’ve got all of the time in the world to say love, say love, say love, say love, oh.”

For Subterfugeverse/Andronikos: the fall - half•alive

“I jump off and into your arms, but I can’t trust the fall. Take my voice, I’m giving it though I don’t feel safe at all. I can’t trust the fall...it’s like sharing a dream with someone, once you say it out loud it can’t be undone.”

♦️  Their sad times song: So Cold - Breaking Benjamin

“If you find your family, don’t you cry. In this land of make-believe, dead and dry...you’re so cold but you feel alive. Lay your hand on me, one last time: show me how it ends, it’s alright; show me how defenseless you really are...”

♦️  A song that fits their aesthetic: Broken Bones - KALEO

“You got no place to call a home (The devil’s gonna make me a free man), only chains and broken bones (the devil’s gonna set me free), You got no place to call a home (the devil’s gonna make me a free man), so come on lord whatchu waitin’ for (the devil’s gonna set me free)! ”

♦️  A song that reminds them of a better time: High Hopes - Panic! At The Disco

“ Mama said: Fulfill the prophecy. Be something greater, go make a legacy...Stay up on that rise, stay up on that rise and never come down, oh.”

♦️  A song that calms them down: 10,000 Enemies -  Emeli Sandé  

(same as Saarai’s because again, I headcanon this is the song mom used to sing to them when they were babies so it’s the one that sticks with both the twins :)) )

“I hear the  sweetest sound, blowing from the North. It says ‘don’t panic now, what’s  mine is yours...’ I hope 10,000 times you tell me the truth. Cause now  there’s much to do. I trust in you. I shall be free...I shall be free.  We shall be free.”

♦️  A song that gets them hyped up: Wait For It - Leslie Odom Jr.

“Death doesn’t discriminate, between the sinners and the saints. It takes, and it takes, and it takes, and we keep living anyway. We rise and we fall, and we break and we make our mistakes, and if there’s a reason I’m still alive when everyone who loves me has died. Then I’m willing to wait for it.”

I’m assuming this section is meant to mean a song the character would associate with each season? So I hope I’ve interpreted that correctly, I wasn’t really sure what else it was referring to. So that’s what I’m doing LOL

♦️  Spring: Hey Brother - Avicii

(slight alteration because she doesn’t have a brother, only her sister. But spring always has Kas wondering where it is Saarai managed to take Ty and hoping they’re safe and happy. It makes everything she went through to give them that chance worth it.)

“What if I’m far from home? Oh brother Don’t worry I will hear you call. What if I lose it all? Oh sister I will help you out. Oh, if the sky comes falling down, for you, there’s nothing in this world I wouldn’t do...”

♦️  Summer: Judith - A Perfect Circle

(Most of her memories of summer are the blistering heat stuck in the slave pens...she might not have actually committed the murder that ultimately ended her up there, but she needed the other Sith to think she had :K)

“It’s not like you killed someone, it’s not like you drove a hateful spear into his side.”

♦️  Autumn: Arsonist’s Lullaby - Hozier

“All you have is your fire, and the place you need to reach...don’t you ever tame your demons, but always keep ‘em on a leash.”

♦️  Winter: Louder Than Thunder - The Devil Wears Prada

“What would it take, for things to be quiet? Quiet like the snow...Are we meant to be empty-handed? I know I could, I could be better!”

♦️  The song that plays while they’re lying on the ground bleeding out in a Walmart: Everybody Wants To Rule The World - Lorde

“There’s a room where the light won’t find you, holding hands as the world comes tumbling down.”

♦️  The song that would play each morning if they’re stuck in a time loop: you should see me in a crown - Billie Eilish

(gotta motivate yourself to keep on going even when tasks get tedious as they’re bound to in a time loop! :P)

“You should see me in a crown, I’m gonna run this nothing town! Watch me make em bow one by, one by, one.”

♦️  The song they’d listen to while robbing a Wendy’s: I Will Not Bow - Breaking Benjamin

“I will not bow, I will not break, I will shut the world away.”

♦️  The song they’d accidentally introduce to people in medieval times if they were a time traveller: Two Steps From Hell - Heart of Courage

(Ni’kasi’s far more serious and she wouldn’t deliberately play an annoying or punny sort of song, so..just something she’d regularly listen to, I guess, if it existed in the SWTOR Verse?)

“No lyrics again, so have a link !”

♦️  The song they’d play in the middle of the night when their neighbors are being too loud: N/A

I couldn't find one for this one for Kas, because to be honest she would be that person that doesn't get passive-aggressive and play music she would legit go over there and bang on their door screaming "SHUT THE FUCK UP I'M TRYING TO SLEEP!!" XD

♦️  The song that plays at their funeral: Dead Hearts - Stars

“Did you touch them, did you hold them, did they follow you to town? They make me feel I’m falling down, they make me feel I’m falling down. Was there one you saw too clearly, did they seem too real to you? They were kids that I once knew, they were kids that I once knew...”

♦️  The song that plays when it’s revealed that they faked their death: Burning Pile - Mother Mother

“All my troubles on the burning pile, all lit up and I start to smile. If I catch fire then I’ll change my aim, throw my troubles at the world again!”

[thebulletinhamilton-quotes]

(Let’s hope I did this right XD ) For a Halemadge one shot may I please have the “i’ve been stood up again and i’m angrily texting my friend who set me up with this loser and you ask if you can join me since you were going to eat alone anyway because you’re new to town“ prompt under the Blind date tag? If you could make it a little angsty / feels-y that be wonderful but no pressure. (Doesn’t matter who ‘s what part) Thank you! @regretless-spy-and-culper-master

A/N: JESUS ITS ALMOST BEDTIME FOR ME GOOD LORDY. Hope you enjoy it. I have no idea if it is angst or not cause I prefer to write my feelings first then tell the story. TURN plays on in the background with aesthetics and Benjamin Tallmadge’s tight pants. Anyway, enjoy!

.

Moving to New York City had seem like such a good idea. Instead, it turned out to be one of the worst ideas Benjamin Tallmadge has had since he was a kid. No, scratch that. Even a kid wouldn’t behave so irrationally.

The thing is, life in New York City did not turn out the way he planned.

His original plan had been to move there with his friends but that didn’t work out. So now, he’s living with a roommate named Tench Tilghman (who for some reason wears a trench coat all the time) who is a born and raised New Yorker. Who recently discovered that Ben is single and decided to make it a personal mission for him to set him up as on many blind dates as he can (much to Ben’s dismay). But thanks to a loophole....

Ben combs his hair one last time, looking over his delicate features in the mirror. Despite his heritage, he’s good looking if not a little pretty boy (according to the bullies back in middle school) feel. He grabs his Yale sweatshirt and jacket before running out the door as Tench tries to tell him about a date. But Ben is too quick for that.

As he walks the brightly lit, commercially decorated cluttered streets in early December, he assures himself that he’s fine and everything is good. Life couldn’t be better, he tells himself, as he walks across the street. Life couldn’t be sweeter than this. He thinks to himself with a smile.

.

Nathan Hale doesn’t do blind dates for a reason. It’s like going into a restaurant, completely blindfolded and at the mercy of someone else. It’s scary, it’s vulnerable and—

“Are you ready to order, sir?” A bored, Brooklyn accent cuts through his thoughts as he looks helplessly up at the bored waitress who cocks an eyebrow at him.

He’s been here for fifteen minutes and the restaurant is packed to the brim. The door keeps on opening as couples and groups of people come in, hoping to be seated at Burr’s Durr, a fushion restaurant that incorporates every flavor imaginable in their food.

He smiles weakly up at the waitress with blue hair and dark brown skin who looks at him unamused. “One more minutes.” He promises her as she sighs sympathetically at him. She gives him a look of ‘that’ll be it, I mean it’. He nods weakly as she walks off.

He covers his face with his hands and for a moment, he feels like he could either scream or punch a tyrannical doofus. Either way, his date is not coming and he’s going to be eating alone tonight. Again.

This is the last time I let Abe talk me into going on a date I swear—! He promises himself before a stranger sits down across from him. They dazzle smile at him, and for a moment Nathan forgets how to breathe. He runs a hand through his frizzy hair praying to whomever that his hair is not a mess because oh god this stranger has him feeling helpless.

He attempts to smile back at him with a grimace but the stranger winks at him before opening the menu, as their smooth baritones hit his ears. “What should I go, I don’t know what to get.” They ponder out loud. Nathan has to fight back a laugh before he’s able to answer their question.

“I would get the Hamilton special.” He tells the pretty individual who looks up at him as he tells him so. “It’s good,” he hears himself promising. “It’s one of my favorite dishes.” He tells the guy, who’s smile makes him want to fall apart.

The stranger hums. “Well, if that’s what to get then sure.” He seems to smile even brighter at Nathan as Nathan can hear his own heart going ba-thump, ba-thump. Thankfully, their waitress must sense that they are finally ready.

She smiles at them, before turning her gaze to Nathan, hard. “What can I get you, sir?” She asks him first, her tone is sweet with a hint of ‘don’t mess with me’ undertone.

Nathan clears his throat, aware that’s his entire body is on fire as the stranger and the waitress stare at him. “I’ll have the Hamilton special, please.” He tells her, his voice shaking slightly.

She joys it down, nodding at him. Then before he can blink, she turns to the stranger who smiles at her with ease. “I’ll have the same as well, gorgeous.” The stranger says with an air of confidence Nathan wishes he had.

The waitress takes the menu from them with a nod before turning to Nathan. “It’ll be out soon. Please let me know if you need anything else.” She says before walking away with an air of urgency.

It’s an awkward ten seconds as Nathan and the Stranger stare at each other. Thankfully, it’s the stranger who breaks their silence.

“Sorry for hijacking your date. I saw you sitting by yourself and you looked ready to pass out. I didn’t mean to intrude.” He says, his voice is apologetic. “I’m really sorry, if you want I can leave—“ the cute stranger begins. Before Nathan can stop himself, he quickly shakes his head.

“No, it’s fine. Really, thank you. I appreciate it, man.” Nathan rushes out with a smile at him. The guy looks at him, a little surprised. “Well, if you’re sure?” He asks, like Nathan might tell him to yeet out a window.

Nathan nods his head, slowly as he takes a sip of water. “I’m sure. Besides, you’re way cuter than any of the guys I go out with.” Nathan jokes before seeing him laugh while looking away. His face is flushed. Oh lord, he could be at least a second date. Nathan observes quietly.

Nathan holds out his hand with a smile. “I’m Nathan, by the way. What’s your name, man?” He asks easily, like he doesn’t have butterflies in his stomach.

The stranger takes his hand and shakes. “Benjamin but I go by Ben.” He says with a grin. “Only my mom calls me Benjamin.” He shakes his head with a chuckle.

Nathan nods before letting go of Ben’s smooth, warm palm. He cringes at himself as he stares at another dudes palms like c’mon. He’s not going to stare at this dude, at the very least they can get to know each other.

“So what brings you to town? Tell me about your adventure to the greatest city in the world, man.”

There is no harm in that, right? He thinks to himself as Ben explains that he’s new in town and his only friends are his coworkers and a roommate who is quite nosey. We are just two people getting to know each other. This isn’t a date. Nathan thinks as Ben explains how his adventure began.

Right?

....

Fin.

...

Hey guys please reblog and reply. Feedback is Bae. Also to those who would like this request, send it to my inbox PLEASE. Otherwise it gets lost in the posts and i forget. Thanks @regretless-spy-and-culper-master for the ask!

[sworntolight]

All odds

Death by rabbits <3 I MEAN Mun questions!

1. What’s your name? 

Online, I go by Lita. I also go by Pom - And yes there’s a reason I relate to Pomeranans and Pomskies but I won’t get into that here. XD Either or will catch my attention~!

3. Random fact about yourself? 

I’ve been in this fandom, technically, for 20 years.I started playing the TCG and won my first duel against a friend on new year’s day, 2000, after getting my first cards for christmas right before. I just wasn’t actually rp’ing in it until a few years ago, when a dear friend of mine pulled me into the GX side of things after me dropping ygo as a whole for a while for personal reasons, and now @soulburnings wouldn’t let me leave even if I wanted to (and I don’t). XD

5. What’s your favorite song? 

I don’t have a specific favorite song? I like a whole bunch? Uh... If I have to pick any of them, I might say I Will Not Bow - Breaking Benjamin, High Hopes - Panic At the Disco, Shining Star - Backstreet Boys... I have too many I really can’t pick. XD

7. Do you like horror? 

Yes and no. Yes in that I like very limited, little bits of horror, no in that I don’t like it as a whole, really. I like Resident Evil, I play the RE games and Dead Rising and I love them to no end, I liked Zombieland, and I do kind of want to try Layers Of Fear after seeing a couple playthroughs... But for the most part, not really. I don’t stray too far from those. I can’t. More power to ya’ll if you do but I’m out. XD

9. Believe in ghosts? 

I honestly can’t say no. I had an experience as a kid where I saw one (it literally couldn’t have been anything else and I wasn’t the only one who saw it; I and two others checked around for an explanation and found nothing) and I’ve been unable to say no ever since, even if I’m not a diehard ‘GHOSTS EVERYWHERE!’ kind of person.

11. Do you play video games? What’s your favorite if so 

GOD YES. XD I love video games! <3 I actually always have one within reach and too many consoles to my name, but... Given how many copies of it I own, this honor might go to Resident Evil 4. I want to also say tied with it is the original Crash Bandicoot trilogy, the original Spyro the Dragon trilogy, Xenogears, Xenoblade Chronicles, Tekken, Final Fantasy 8, 9, 15, and 10, and Animal Crossing. Special mention to Arch Rivals on the original NES system for being my first game and the one that actually got me into gaming in the first place, always played with my brother. <3

13. How do you get inspired to write? 

It just kindda happens? I’m not sure I can give a reason when inspiration can hit over making tea, so... But I will say, I get ideas off everything. A bit of advice is to never shut out the simplest things - How does your muse make tea? If you think about it, inspiration can come. XD Probably makes no sense, does it?

15. What’s your go to writing song if you have one? 

For Mako, High Hopes. I’ve noticed lately I have trouble writing when there’s something playing that has lyrics, so I tend to turn to Lindsey Stirling’s music, or a game soundtrack, like Beat Saber‘s or that of Concrete Genie. If all else fails, I’ll hit up Youtube for some soundcapes.

17. Did you have a greek mythology phase or an egyptian mythology phase? Or something else entirely? 

Already answered! <3

19. Pastels or dark shades? 

Already done~

21. How long have you been writing? 

I remember writing my first story when I was getting into Sailor Moon and Dragon Ball Z, so... About 23 years, maybe? Lord that makes me feel old to say, Vel, why do you do this to me? XD I was definitely writing in the late 90′s though, so that’s a thing.

23. Angst or fluff? 

Both! I just prefer them written well? XD Like needless angst AND needless fluff are just... They don’t need to be there? So don’t? XD Give them a reason for being. Make them make sense for being there. That said, I’m probably more likely to magikarp-flop myself into a fluff thread faster than I am an angst, just because I’ve been through enough offline during the day I want some feel good cute.

25. Do you write on any other platforms? 

I do, kind of, write on Discord, but that’s about it. I’ve done messenger boards and emails but this and through IMs is pretty much where I’m at these days.

[falseroar]

Midnight Masquerade

((In which (Actor) Mark finally puts on that masquerade with the help of Jack and their combined egos. It’s to be a night of fun, dancing, and mystery, even without the arrival of a certain unexpected guest. Near the end there is a reference to the song “Remember Me” from Coco, and the version I had in mind is the cover by The Hound + The Fox, if only because it had a nice blend of slow and fast (the original version is awesome, but might be a little too upbeat here XD).

Warnings: There is no Maskiplier in this story, so no warnings this time except for the usual angst. This is the last planned story for the whole Can You Wake Up? series though, and there are a lot of references to the other stories here so it may be a little confusing if this is the first one you’re reading.

It’s definitely on the long side, but it felt better to keep it all in one post instead of cutting it up, so...*shrugs*))

When you arrived at the dance hall with Amy, Tyler, and Ethan, the four of you found the massive room already bustling with activity as Mark, Jack, and almost all of their egos finished up their share of last-minute preparations before the guests arrived. Said room looked more like a ballroom from an overblown Victorian-style mansion than some place they had rented for the night, with vaulted ceilings, shining floors, (faux) marble columns, doors that swung out onto balconies that overlooked the hillside and the city down below, the whole nine yards.

The stage on the far side of the room looked almost out of place with the microphone stands and the DJ equipment, not to mention all of the speakers strewn up around the place which the Googles were doing final sound checks on while you and the others walked over to the long tables just inside the entrance where a couple of egos were arguing over arrangements.

“This should be the last of the masks,” Amy said as you and Tyler put your boxes down on the nearby chairs, as there wasn’t any room left on the tables for them. “Definitely more than enough for everyone who’s coming and then some.”

“I hope so,” Tyler muttered, rolling his arm as he straightened up. “If we left anything else back at the house it can just stay there, because I am not going back again.”

“What?” Ethan asked sarcastically. “You don’t want to sing along to Disney songs in traffic for another hour or two? Who even needs to go to a dance?”

“Oooh, let’s see what we’ve got in here,” Randal said as he ripped open one of the boxes to reveal a stack of masks in various styles and colors. Even a quick glance at the table told you there didn’t appear to be any two that were obviously the same, which was apparently making sorting and laying them out difficult, to judge by the argument currently going on between Bim Trimmer, Dr. Henrik von Schneeplestein, and Ed Edgar.

“It only makes sense to arrange by zhe size,” the doctor said, placing his hands on his hips even as Bim shook his head. “Who cares if it’s red or blue if it doesn’t cover your face right?”

“Okay, clearly you don’t understand anything about color coordination,” Bim said, gesturing toward the doctor’s suit and earning a gasp in return, “But most people are going to want a mask that matches their style, that’s why we need to have warm colors on this end, cool colors on that end, and fashion tragedies such as yourself over in the corner.”

“How dare you! I am dressing very snazzy!”

“Pft, sure, you’re really stretching out of your comfort zone with that white suit,” Bim said, getting a simultaneous “oooh” from both Tyler and Ethan. “Did you leave your surgical mask at home, or do you think that will be enough to cover your face?”

“Vhy you—”

“Okay, maybe you two need to walk away and leave this to someone else,” you suggested, inserting yourself between them before Schneeplestein could think of a comeback or, more likely, smack the game show host. “I’m sure either way would work just fine.”

“I don’t see what the big deal is here,” Ed rumbled. He reached into the box Randal opened and grabbed a bunch of masks, which he promptly dumped into the middle of the pile to Bim and the doctor’s obvious horror. “They’re just going to get tossed around anyways, why not let people dig around for the one they want?”

“Okay, how about no,” Bim said, snatching the box away from the salesman’s hands before he could do any more damage.

“Zhis is not some rummage sale,” Schneeplestein agreed, already trying to gather up the masks and at least lay them out so they were all clearly visible. “Zhis is a classy event for charity, Mr. Edgar. Ve do not want people spending all night digging around for masks!”

“I don’t know, I think just seeing what you can find is part of the fun,” Amy said as she picked up a butterfly eye mask and held it up to her face with a smile. “Ed and Y/N are right, don’t get too caught up in overthinking it. After all, the guests are going to be here soon, so you’re not going to have time to organize them all.”

She immediately put the butterfly mask down and reached for another, crying out, “Oh, is this an alien one? Look at the big eyes!”

“I like the colors in this one,” Tyler said, tilting a full-face mask this way and that so that it caught the light. “What about you, Y/N? See any you like?”

You hesitated and Bim added, “You could certainly use some more color in your outfit. Your suit is about as basic as it can get.”

You shrugged as you looked down at the suit in question. He was right, it was a basic black suit with a white shirt underneath, one that Mark paid the rental fee on without even asking, which was embarrassing enough. Amy had also offered to help you pick out a dress if you preferred that instead, but you gave basically the same answer then that you did now, which was, “I wasn’t sure what…I would be comfortable with tonight. I’ll think about the mask and pick something out later.”

“Everyone else will be here soon,” Ethan reminded you. “You need to pick something out before all the good ones are gone!”

“Trimmer is right about the color,” Schneeplestein said. “Look around! Vhy, even Darkiplier is vearing more color than you!”

At his gesture, you turned to see the man in question walking in your direction, alongside an ego who looked uncomfortable in his suit with the red checkered shirt underneath it, judging by the way his hands were shoved into his pockets and the turn of his muttering mouth. The Host’s usual white bandages were hidden underneath a scarlet blindfold around his eyes which had the added benefit of hiding any stains that might appear over the night. Oddly enough, he actually matched Dark, whose jacket had a brilliant crimson lining clearly visible as he stopped to take in you and the other new arrivals.

“Evelien requires your assistance in the dressing room,” Dark said to Amy, his tone far more polite than you had ever heard him use around the others. Or maybe more embarrassed, as he continued, “We’re not entirely sure what’s wrong, but we think it involves a zipper.”

“On my way,” Amy said, immediately dropping the mask and running toward the side doors as fast as she could in her dress shoes.

Once she was out of earshot, Tyler looked around and said, “Okay, I’ll ask if no one else will: why is he here again?”

Dark narrowed his eyes at the gesture towards himself but spoke with an unerring calm. “I was invited, Benjamin, as you well know. And, unlike several others I could mention in this room right now, I have never in fact killed anyone, so I am uncertain why my particular presence should bother you.”

“You literally terrorized us for years after the manor.”

“’Us,’ being Markiplier, for very valid reasons I might add.”

“Not just Mark. Even people who had literally nothing to do with what happened, like Bob and Wade—”

“I merely wished to have a discussion with them, as it was clear Mark wasn’t being entirely…upfront about his past. It is not my fault they did not handle their time in my realm well.”

You made a noise at that, and he sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose.

“Okay, I could have anticipated that, but I had nothing to do with them winding up locked in a utility closet, that was all Wade.” There were a few nods to that, as even those who weren’t around at the time could see that happening, and Dark continued, “As I have said before, I have no intention of harming anyone tonight, least of all the guests.”

“Yeah, Tyler, don’t worry about it,” Ethan said, throwing an arm around Dark’s shoulders. “Dark’s just a big ol’ pussy!”

“I will break your arm if you do not remove it at once, Nestor.”

“The Host reminds Darkiplier that he promised to keep his…presence in check this night, lest any electrical interference be attributed to a certain other ego.”

“…I am well aware,” Dark said as he grabbed Ethan’s sleeve between two fingers and let it drop like a piece of trash.

Schneeplestein shuddered at even the veiled reference to Anti and you thought it might be a good time to change the subject.

“I like your suit, Host,” you said, and the ego immediately ducked his head.

“The Host thanks Y/N, even if this is…outside of his comfort zone,” he said, shoving his hands even further inside of his pockets. “The Host came over to let Bim Trimmer and Dr. Henrik von Schneeplestein know that he is more than capable of taking care of the mask table for the duration of the dance, if they wish to focus their attentions elsewhere.”

“Thanks,” Bim said. He rubbed at the back of his neck as he admitted, “I was afraid to say anything in case I got stuck with it, but someone needs to be here when the guests come in.”

“Wait, you’re going to be here the whole night?” you asked the Host. “Don’t you want to enjoy the dance too?”

“The Host is not much of a dancer, and he would prefer to be useful rather than sit alone in a corner,” the Host responded. When you opened your mouth to argue, the Host smiled and added, “Besides, the Host is looking forward to talking to the fans, which will be easier for him here.”

“Oh,” you said as it clicked. You suspected that most of the egos had moved to supporting Mark’s idea for this masquerade thing when they realized the same thing: it would give them a chance to meet some of the fans whose love and attention kept them real, and spread that excitement through the rest of the community. Not to mention that all of the tickets sold or given out through multiple raffles were raising a lot of money for charity.

This was a special night for the egos, and not just because it was an excuse to dress up and don silly or extravagant masks.

“Speaking of the fans, showtime’s going to start soon,” Ed said, checking his watch. “Come on, Randal, let’s give everyone a head’s up to get their masks before the rush starts.”

The younger ego nodded and jumped up to join him as they walked toward another group of egos with a box of masks in tow, as if they didn’t have a combined indoor voice that could be heard by everyone in the room.

“I…need to go see Bob and Wade,” Ethan said, waving a seriously creepy mask that was almost all eyes and teeth as he added, “For reasons.”

Tyler snorted and followed to see how that would go and you looked around the room again. With all of the egos running around it was difficult to pick out any one in particular, so you asked aloud, “Do any of you know where Marvin is?”

“Why?” Dark asked, immediately suspicious.

You met his stare and said, “He said he was bringing a tie I could borrow for the night.”

“The magician is in one of the back rooms, going through his case of supplies for tonight,” the Host answered as he settled into one of the chairs behind the mask table. “He is considering which of his tricks might be amusing for any interested fans.”

“The answer being none, I’m sure,” Dark muttered.

“Oh, I know where he is,” Schneeplestein said. “Please, let me show you.”

“Thanks, Schneeps,” you said, taking his offered arm and doing your best to ignore Dark’s suspicious glare. Fortunately, he did not choose to follow you and the doctor across the floor and past the stage, where Mark was going over the rules for tonight with the DJ.

“And stick to the list,” he was saying as you approached. “This is supposed to be a formal dance, not a never-ending loop of ‘Déjà vu.’”

The android behind the equipment, who had skipped a jacket in favor of just a flashy orange vest that showed off his arms, shrugged and said, “If you say so, but, like, I gotta play the ‘Cha Cha Slide’ at least once. It’s the DJ code, dude, no getting around it.”

“There’s no such thing as the DJ code,” Mark answered.

Bing’s mouth dropped open and his sunglasses slipped. “Dude! Don’t disrespect my culture like that!”

“You’re—I can’t…” Mark sighed, hand to his face until he recovered and said, “You know what, fine, you get one hour of requests. That means someone has to actually want you to play the song, otherwise you stick to the list. Got it?”

“Sah, dude!”

“Sweet!” Mark jumped, not realizing he wasn’t the only one on the stage until the man next to him was there, handing a sheet of paper to Bing. “I’ve already got a list, starting with ‘Ocean Man’ and going all the way to ‘All Star’ and ‘Despacito.’”

“Dude!”

Mark flinched at the high five the two shared and said, “Okay, Chase, I get—”

He stopped short when he heard your barely restrained laugh and then saw the expression on Jack’s face.

“Really Mark?” he asked.

“I…meant Seán?” Mark said, and Jack shook his head in mock disappointment. “Look, it’s not my fault you two look the same!”

In unison, Jack, Bing, and Dr. Schneeplestein gave gasps of shock and Jack said, “Come on man, we’re not even wearing the masks yet and you’re already losing track of who’s who. Get it together, Mark.”

“It’s not just me, Y/N, you see it two, right?” Mark asked. “How are you supposed to tell which one’s Chase?”

“Um, I’m pretty sure he’s the one standing on Jackieboy Man and Silver Shepherd’s shoulders to hang up those streamers over there,” you said, pointing at the figure barely keeping his balance across the room.

“Ah, crap, I should probably stop that before someone gets hurt,” Jack said before he jumped down the stage and ran over to intervene.

“See, acting exactly like a concerned dad,” Mark said, gesturing toward the retreating figure and earning a middle finger in return. He shrugged and crouched down so that on the stage he was closer to eye level as he asked, “So are we going to see you out on the dance floor tonight, Y/N?”

“I am making zero promises,” you answered without hesitation.

He laughed and said, “We’ll see about that. You picked out a mask yet?”

“Soon,” you answered. “…But seriously, why masks? After…you know…”

Mark shuddered and just for a second his face clouded over, but he recovered quickly enough. “I had this idea long before that, and, well, it still seemed like a fun idea to get the community together and raise money for a good cause at the same time. Why let that thing ruin the chance to do some good?”

“And a chance to be a little melodramatic?” you asked.

“Why stop at a little?” Mark asked with a grin as he jumped down from the stage. “I want this to be a night to remember, for the fans and for all of us too. Don’t you?”

“Yes,” you said, with more feeling than you meant to, but Mark didn’t seem to notice. In fact, his eyes shifted to over your shoulder just before you heard a familiar voice:

“…Hey.”

You turned around but your response turned into a confused, “…JJ?”

Jameson Jackson winked and held up a recording device before pressing another button, only to get a loud, “TOP O’ THE MORNIN’ TO YA!” that made him jump, one hand to his heart. A second try had the device say, “Jameson Jackson, at your service!”

“Aw, that’s so cool!” you said, and Jameson’s grin grew that much wider.

“He’s been playing vith it all day,” Schneeplestein said with a smile. “Jack and zhe rest of us made it for him for tonight.”

Jameson played another audio clip and this time it was Schneeplestein’s voice, declaring, “I am zhe good doctor!”

“Zhis way he can join in zhe fun of zhe masks and pretending to be everyone else,” Dr. Schneeplestein explained.

“I love it,” you said, deciding not to point out the flaw in that logic for the doctor’s sake.

“Plus it means no distracting speech slides,” Jameson added, nodding as everyone within “earshot” blinked as the speech slides appeared before their eyes. He chose another audio clip to add, “This is going to be so much fun!”

“See, getting into the spirit of things already,” Mark said, throwing an arm around Jameson’s shoulders. With a tone that suggested he had practiced this particular line several times, he added, “Part of the fun of a masquerade is hiding your identity and seeing how well we all know each beyond just the faces we put on every day.”

“Well, as ominous and foreboding as that sounds,” you said, ignoring Mark as he sputtered with indignation, “First I need to go see a magician about a tie.”

“Don’t take too long,” Mark called after you and the doctor as you passed through the door near the stage and into the back hallway that ran in either direction.

With the doctor to guide you, you soon found your way to a storage room where Marvin was sitting on a large case and going through some playing cards when you walked in.

“There you are!” Marvin said, jumping up at the sound of the door opening. He smiled and glanced at the doctor, who waved before heading back to the main area. Once he was sure Henrik was out of earshot, Marvin’s smile slipped and his bright eyes looked you up and down from behind a fancier version of his usual cat mask. He was dressed up in a vibrant blue suit, so dark as to almost appear black until the light caught it just right, with green accents on the sleeves and lapels, but it still felt like only a small variation from his usual dress style.

“Are you sure about this?” he asked. “We don’t have to—”

“I’m sure,” you interrupted, but you admitted, “I’m nervous, but…”

“But this is important to you,” he finished when you trailed off and you nodded, not quite meeting his eyes. Marvin almost sighed but caught himself in time. Because as many reservations as he had about this, he did have some idea of how much this meant to you. And, he thought as he placed the silver case he brought with him for tonight on one of the storage boxes, you had come to him for help before anyone else. Instead he said, “You don’t have to worry, Y/N. If you’re right, then I’m sure this will work.”

He had poured more hours than he would ever admit to you into reading every book he could find on the subject, every spell even partially related, every theory, every charm, and it all pointed to the fact that the idea you had come to him with weeks ago was possible. And if you were wrong, then it would just mean he had wasted time on some admittedly interesting research, so no loss there.

The case contained a tie, a small pin, and a few other things Marvin didn’t think it was important for you to see, at least not yet.

“Basically, the spell is worked into the tie,” he explained as he laid out the piece of fabric in question. “Similar to the spell I worked for the Host, except it’s not complete until I tie it. You’ll also need to keep it on you, which shouldn’t be a problem.”

“Okay,” you said, the word small and almost to yourself. Louder, you said, “Thank you, Marvin, for doing this. I know it’s a lot to ask.”

But you still asked. Marvin had every right to believe that every doubt, every idea how this could go wrong, must have passed through your mind just as easily as his, but you still wanted to try.

Which is why he put on a confident grin and said, “Nothing for a master magician like myself. But first, and most important, there’s this.”

He held up the pin so that you could see it was in the shape of a solid white cat with two gleaming green eyes before leaning forward so that he could pin it to your lapel.

“Is this part of the spell?” you asked, head tilted back so you two didn’t butt heads while he pinned it on.

“No, this is completely different,” Marvin said, hoping you didn’t notice how his hands shook and made pinning it that much harder. He faked a grin and said, “I say the right word and this little pin will turn you into a kitty cat.”

He leaned back in time to see you laugh and say, “Depending on how much cleanup there is after the party, I might just let you do it.”

“Or maybe it’s just cute and matches the tie,” Marvin said with a wink. To his relief, you didn’t question it, although that might have been because you were already watching as he picked up the emerald green tie. “Luckily I got to practice tying three neckties already today, so this part should be easy.”

“Three?” you asked.

“Seán and Chase, plus my own,” Marvin answered. “Jackieboy didn’t need one, Schneeps said he’d prefer a clip-on to having something around his neck, and JJ went with his usual bowtie.”

“You’re the resident tie expert?” you asked and he gave a less than humble shrug. “You haven’t said, how long will the spell last?”

“Until midnight,” Marvin answered, and stared when you gave a laugh at that. “What?”

“Midnight, really?” you asked. “Are you trying to make it as dramatic as possible?”

“It’s traditional, and I’ll have you know, drama is very important in working magic,” Marvin insisted. When you gave him a doubtful look, he admitted, “Plus that’s when the ball is officially over, so it seemed like a good end time.”

“You and Mark should really talk sometime, I think you’d get along if you both gave it a chance,” you said as he began to run his fingers up and down the fabric of the tie, whispering to himself as he did so. “Then again, I’m afraid what you two might come up with if left to yourselves.”

Marvin glanced up and flashed a brief grin before he could stop himself. “That’s probably fair. Are you ready?”

You nodded and leaned forward, head tilted to make it easier for Marvin to turn up your collar and loop the tie around it. As he did so, a last-minute question occurred to you.

“Will I remember…?”

“Probably not,” Marvin answered. “Some things might slip through, but until midnight it will just be like you’re asleep. Dreaming, maybe, but it’ll be over before you know it. Promise.”

You returned his smile, maybe out of reflex Marvin wasn’t sure, and he focused his attention on the tie. As he said, most of the heavy work had already been done, and now it was a matter of will as he carefully created a knot and slid it up into place at the base of your throat. He felt the spell take hold and his eyes flickered up toward your face.

He didn’t expect to see any difference and more than a part of him hoped that it might not work at all, but he was startled that this close he could see the flicker in your eyes before you closed them.

And the District Attorney opened them.

The District Attorney blinked slowly and then stared down at your—their body with a sharp inhale. They started to lift their hands only for the left to stop short on the way up, held back by a handcuff linking their wrist to the handle of a nearby storage locker.

“I—” They paused as though surprised at the sound of their own voice and a flurry of emotions crossed their face, too fast for Marvin to parse.

How long had it been, since they last spoke to someone else?

“I’m impressed,” they admitted once they recovered, turning their eyes from the handcuffs to the magician. “I didn’t even notice you doing that.”

“Sleight of hand is fun like that,” Marvin said over the scrape of the chair he pulled into place before taking a seat with his legs crossed. “Before anything else happens, I have some questions for you.”

The District Attorney took in the way those bright blue eyes narrowed behind the mask and the cross of his arms, but also the way his foot made quick, nervous motions in the air.

“…It’s Marvin, isn’t it?”

“You know my name?” The magician couldn’t hide his surprise. Marvin had assumed that the District Attorney would have as much trouble accessing your memories as you did trying to remember anything before the mirror. Actually, he had also assumed that the way you talked about the District Attorney as a separate person was just a way of coping with your lost memories, and that theory wasn’t looking too great either.

“Y/N, the one you know, isn’t trying to hide their memories from me. They’re…distant, like watching through someone else’s eyes, but they’re there.” The District Attorney put their free hand to their chest, where they could still feel your presence. Quiet, “sleeping,” but still very much there. A brief, soft smile crossed their face, giving them the patience to look at Marvin and ask, “What is it that you want to know?”

So much. Marvin’s mind was already spinning with theories on how you and the District Attorney could have become like this, two fragments of the same person. He had considered it of course, it was the whole basis for how the spell worked, but now he had so many questions. When did “you” first appear? Was it a side effect from all of those years in the house? Was it when Mark took a piece from the mirror? But there were more pressing concerns that he needed to focus on first.

“You gave Y/N the idea for this spell, didn’t you?”

“Correct.” The District Attorney attempted to lean against the storage locker, but there seemed to be no comfortable way of doing that. “I’ll admit, it wasn’t easy considering we can’t exactly talk face to face, but I’ve found I can have some influence in their dreams, and even then it was a long shot. I’m surprised you performed the spell, considering.”

“Just because I don’t immediately trust you?”

“I was thinking more because you seem to prefer using the same spells over and over again.” The District Attorney’s voice grew sharper as they added, “Speaking of, could you knock it off with the shrinking spells? Y/N has literally had nightmares where they’re tiny now.”

“…I’ll consider it,” Marvin said. The DA raised an eyebrow and he said, “Fine, no more making Y/N tiny…Spoilsport.”

“What was that?”

“Nothing, let’s get back to you. Why tonight? Why do you suddenly want to come back tonight of all nights?”

“This isn’t some sudden thing. I’ve had nothing but time to consider this.” The District Attorney shifted their weight, but the magician made no move to offer them a seat. “I have some things I want to say, and questions of my own I want to ask for myself. Y/N is the one who thought tonight would be best, with everyone in one place.”

They looked down at their suit and tugged at their collar before saying, “I’ll admit that I’m not too thrilled at the idea of a dance. Or this tie. Can I—?”

“Don’t touch it!”

They stopped just short of adjusting the tie and stared at Marvin. “Why?”

“So you just want to talk to some people? That’s all?”

“Yes. I don’t know what else you think I would have in mind, but that’s all. I want to make the best possible use of the limited time I have.”

“Forgive me for not immediately trusting someone just because they’re wearing a friendly face.” Marvin stood up and paced close to the District Attorney, his eyes locking with theirs. “Whatever you need to do, I want it done by midnight, do you understand? And then we get our Y/N back.”

“That’s all I—” The District Attorney stopped short and Marvin froze in the act of getting out the handcuff key when he heard the quiet anger in their voice. “Is there something you’re not telling me?”

“No,” Marvin said, but they saw the flicker in his eyes as he glanced at their face and back to the handcuffs.

“Is it the tie? Or something about the spell—” The DA’s eyes narrowed when they saw the tell. “What’s wrong with the spell?”

“Nothing! It’s working fine, it let you take control of Y/N’s body like it was supposed to, and at midnight they’ll have the chance to take it back.”

“The chance? What does that mean?”

Marvin quickly stepped back out of arm’s reach before explaining, “The closest I could find to your…situation was two spirits or hearts or whatever you call it in one body. The original spell was designed for, well, possessions.”

The District Attorney was silent as this sank in, not visibly reacting except for their restrained hand, which pressed so hard against the steel binding it that there would soon be a mark on their wrist if they weren’t careful.

“The tie works to safely suppress Y/N, giving you an opportunity to take over. At midnight the suppression wears off, but if you were to resist…”

“There’s the chance I could stay in control,” they finished. Between the two of you, the DA was the older one, the original from which you “split off” to form your own memories, your own heart as Marvin called it. The District Attorney had been their own person before the manor, but you were formed on the other side of the mirror—you weren’t made for this world, not on your own. There was no doubt who was the “stronger” of the two of you, looking at it that way.

“That’s not what you told them.”

“I…” Marvin faltered under their glare.

“How could you not tell them?!”

“Do you really think it would have changed their mind?” Marvin snapped back, his voice rising to match theirs. “You can see their memories, would anything I said have changed their minds?”

“I…” This time it was the DA’s turn to grasp for words.

“They trust you,” Marvin muttered as he took their hand and unlocked the handcuffs. “Which is the only reason I’m doing this.”

He tightened his grip on their wrist as he looked them in the eye, his eyes like cold ice as he added, “But you better believe I will get them back at midnight, whether you’re ready to leave or not. So take care of what you need to before then, understand?”

“…I understand,” the District Attorney said, not looking away. When Marvin released their wrist and turned away, he was surprised again when they added, “Thank you.”

“Like I said, I’m doing this for Y/N,” he answered as he went to the silver case and snapped it shut before making it disappear with a snap of his fingers.

“Thank you for looking out for them.”

Marvin had no answer for that, so he gave a mute shrug and motioned for them to follow him out of the storage closet. It was a silent walk back the way they came, but when he opened the door to the ballroom, they were both greeted by a flurry of voices and low but upbeat music. A steady stream of guests entered on the opposite side, and a sizable crowd was already milling around waiting for the ball to officially start.

“You’ll need a mask,” he said, leading the way across the room.

“Why?” they asked, and he glanced back at the tone in their voice in time to see their distaste as they looked around the room. “Who thought this was a good idea?”

“Your old friend Mark did,” he answered and was rewarded by the flurry of conflicting emotions that sped across the DA’s face before they could collect themselves.

Well, that was interesting.

“Besides, it’s required,” he said. “You’ll stick out like a sore thumb if you’re not wearing one.”

They muttered something about dramatic idiots and Marvin suppressed a grin. Maybe they weren’t that different from you after all.

By the time they crossed the room, the crowd around the table had started to diminish, but not enough for Marvin to notice who was sitting behind the stack of masks until he heard the narration.

“The Host hands Jeremy a mask that will certainly catch the eye of that particular someone and suggests that if Kiri is interested in a snake motif then she should take a look at the far end of the table where Jackieboy Man is assisting guests. Marvin stops short at the sound of the Host’s voice, but beside him the District Attorney—”

The fans nearest to the table were either too focused on picking out masks or trying to find their friends to notice as the Host rose from his seat, but Marvin still swore he heard the noise in the room dip as he spoke again, his voice low but trembling with anger.

“What has the magician done?”

“Uh, sorry, did you call for me Jackie?” Marvin said, not taking his eyes off of the Host.

“Kind of busy over here bro,” Jackieboy called from the other end of the table, even though he was clearly just posing for a picture with some grinning fans.

“Yeah, yeah, must have just been Jameson, I should…go…”

Then, dropping all efforts at pretending, Marvin turned and sprinted away into the crowd, leaving the District Attorney alone with the Host, whose furious narration was immediately rewarded by a yelp from the magician somewhere in the distance followed by Mark’s voice yelling about spilled punch.

“And then the magician—” The Host stopped short when he felt the pressure of a hand on his arm.

“Don’t, please,” the District Attorney said in his ear. “Y/N asked him to do this, just for tonight.”

The Host pulled away, his face turned toward theirs as though studying them through the red blindfold.

“The Host does not doubt his Y/N would do such a thing, but he does doubt that either Y/N has fully thought through what they have planned for tonight.”

“I just want to talk,” the District Attorney said, even as they felt a sense of unease at the Host’s words. “And I have thought of nothing else for a very, very long time. Our—your Y/N will be back safe and sound at midnight. No one, especially them, is going to get hurt. I promise.”

“The Host asks the District Attorney not to make promises that they have no control over.” Bitterness tinged the ego’s words, even as he added, “…But the Host will—”

He stopped, interrupted by the amplified tap of a finger on the microphone before a voice similar to his own came out of every speaker around the room and the crowd as one turned toward the stage with more than a few cries and shouts.

“Hello everybody, and welcome to the masquerade. I’m Markiplier—”

“And it’s me, the one and only Gaelic Gladiator,” chimed in the man next to him over the crowd’s applause and cheers.

Next to Mark.

The District Attorney stared at him up there on the stage, at the embroidered flowers splashed across the chest and running down the sleeve of his jacket, a dizzying array of colors designed to catch the eye, and at the white partial mask that did nothing to hide the shape of his face or his identity. How he drank in the audience’s attention even as he and Jack spoke about the masquerade, about the charity this was all for, their voices mingling and distant even as the light background music and every clap and laugh grew louder and more distorted.

There were so many people here. Despite the distance between themselves and the nearest guest, the District Attorney was suddenly aware of the press of bodies, the voices murmuring even during the rehearsed speech, the colors glaring against their vision even as the amplified voices caught and grated against their eardrums and this was a mistake, they couldn’t do this, they—

Your presence stirred and the District Attorney felt your concern like a sudden hand reaching out to steady them. They put a hand to their chest and took several long, slow breaths until their heart rate steadied.

I’m okay, they thought, and they felt you slipping back into your “sleep.” There was something about the idea of you so ready to step in and protect them that made the District Attorney smile.

For just a moment they caught Mark’s eye and just as quickly looked away. It took several seconds before they realized that the music had returned and that there was movement going on in the center of the dance floor.

The masquerade had officially begun.

Turning back to the masks and the Host, they couldn’t help but notice just how much he looked like Mark. It had been easy enough to ignore with the red blindfold around his eyes, but looking around the room they could see several other identical faces partially hidden by various masks.

Of course, they had also noticed how much Marvin resembled his creator despite a few cosmetic differences such as his hair. Even the man sitting at the other end of the table with the vivid red hood and a gilded blue mask was obviously another one of these egos.

Jackieboy Man. The name swam up from somewhere in your memories, and the District Attorney clung to it, already knowing how much they would be relying on you throughout the night.

“The Host holds out the mask he set aside for Y/N earlier. He had the other Y/N in mind, but it should still match this Y/N’s enchanted tie if they are interested.”

“…Thank you,” the District Attorney said, wondering if their voice shook as they took the offered mask. It was a half mask that covered the eyes and cheeks, the same emerald green as their tie beneath thin golden lines that radiated from the center like delicate, curling beams of sunlight.

“It is just a mask,” the Host answered, his face turned toward the table where his hands were clasped together. “Markiplier has asked that everyone wear one tonight for an effect that should go over well with the fans, but the District Attorney will see for themselves.”

“For that, but also thank you for taking care of the other me.” The District Attorney closed their eyes and let your memories of the Host wash over them briefly. “Thank you for being their friend.”

The Host seemed momentarily lost for words, judging by the way his mouth opened but nothing came out, not even his usual narration.

“Y/N, the District Attorney, can see our Y/N’s memories,” he said slowly, but before they could confirm that he continued, “Earlier they told Marvin the Magnificent that our Y/N is not hiding any memories from them.”

This time it was the DA’s turn to be surprised. “You—Yes, that’s correct.”

They could see the thread connecting one thought to the other in the Host’s narration, but they still weren’t prepared for the accusation in the Host’s voice as he said, “But Y/N cannot access the District Attorney’s memories unless that Y/N allows it. Because it is the District Attorney who is hiding memories.”

“Of course I am,” the District Attorney said and the Host visibly stiffened. “The Host has to know the kind of nightmares Y/N has. What just the memories of our time in the manor has done to them. If it were up to me…I don’t want to share anything with them that might hurt them any more than they already have been.”

“Even memories of Markiplier and Dam—”

“Especially those,” the District Attorney interrupted. They heard the anger in their own voice and added in a much more measured tone, “At least, not all of them, not yet. I don’t…I just want to be careful what I share with them. Sometimes even the good memories can do more harm than good.”

“It is not the Host’s place to comment on Y/N’s memories, so he will not,” the Host said, his clasped hands gripping each other tightly as he added, “But the Host wishes Y/N to know that he will be ready when they need him.”

“You mean ‘if.’”

The Host did not respond, instead turning his face toward a fan that had walked up to the table beside the District Attorney as though to suggest this conversation was over. The DA stepped away but couldn’t resist looking over their shoulder at the ego again before they shook off what he said and put on the mask.

At first the DA strayed around the edges of the crowd, watching as egos, fans, and creators danced together or stood around in small clumps, trying to hold conversations over the sound of the beating music with varying degrees of success. Gradually the tension in their body eased and they began to focus on the individual persons, searching for any sign of familiar to you faces beneath the masks.

But they were spotted first and a voice straight from their past asked, “Y/N, is that you?”

The Detective. He was wearing a mask, a simple black domino mask whose only contribution to hiding his identity was the fact that it actually matched his suit, and a frown as he leaned forward to get a better look at them before smiling as though satisfied. “Good to see you, Partner. I was starting to think I wouldn’t find you in this madhouse.”

“It’s good to see you too, Detective.”

The change in Abe’s posture was instantaneous, like a wire being pulled tight. Eyes blazed behind the mask as his hand went into his jacket and he said, “Who the hell are you?”

“I’m—” The District Attorney lunged forward and grabbed his wrist before he could draw it out of his jacket and tried to keep their voice down as much as possible as they asked, “Why did you bring a gun to a party?!”

“Considering how the last time I went to one of Mark’s parties turned out, why wouldn’t I?” Abe asked, but he released his grip on the gun hidden under his jacket and grabbed their wrist instead. “And you better start answering my question, pal.”

“I am Y/N, just…just not the one you’re thinking of.” The District Attorney sighed and tugged their gripped wrist in the direction of one of the empty tables. “This is going to take some time to explain.”

Abe sat back in his chair and studied them the entire time they spoke, and when they were done he shook his head and said, “You really expect me to believe there’s two of you in there?”

“In essence, yes. I think it’s safe to say that it’s the ‘other me’ you are familiar with and know by this point. After all, they’re the one who’s been your partner for over a year now, compared to the single weekend we knew each other.”

“Which would make you—you’re the one who…”

“What happened to me wasn’t your fault, Detective.” The District Attorney spoke quickly to cut him off before he could follow that train of thought too far, but they looked down, their gaze on their hands fidgeting on top of the table. “I don’t know if you know that, but just in case. And I’ve wanted to say thank you for choosing me to be your partner, for as short a time as it may have been.”

When they looked up, they saw the tears in the Detective’s eyes before he coughed and looked away.

“Yeah, yeah, of course I…” He gave up and shook his head. “Thank you.”

“And I know the other Y/N enjoys their time with you as well,” the District Attorney added, revealing a rare grin.

“Okay, look, I’m already crying, just stop already,” Abe said, but his smile faded slightly as he studied their face again. “What happens to you at midnight? When the spell ends?”

The DA shrugged. “Things will go back to the way they were before. For me, it’s like…being asleep, I suppose, except I have some awareness of what’s going on with the other me. The important things come through, at least.”

They had chosen to leave out Marvin’s warning, for the Detective’s own peace of mind.

“That’s…” Abe trailed off, unable to find the words.

How could they look so okay with that?

Before he could protest, two masked individuals approached from the crowd and stopped at their table.

“You two aren’t just going to sit here all night, are you?” asked the one on the left, the one wearing a butterfly mask emblazoned with bright colors that shimmered with the lights.

The District Attorney hesitated, just long enough for your memories to resurface. “It’s…Amy, right?”

“Got it in one!” she said with a laugh. She pulled out the chair next to them and sat down while gesturing at her mask. “I’d wanted to get the alien one, but it was gone by the time I got back.”

“Sorry about that,” said the second woman, who took another empty chair and sat back with a sigh. “The stupid zipper on this dress hasn’t worked right since Jackieboy tried to take it for a spin.”

“I…what?” the District Attorney asked. “We are talking about the superhero, correct?”

Evelien sighed. “Yeah. Yandereplier started it, trying to talk you into wearing a dress tonight, and next thing I know Jackie’s seeing how he looks in one. I took him back to the store so he could get his own dress, and Schneeplestein helped him sew the hood on, but the damage was already done.”

She gestured toward the superhero, who was walking across the floor now, and there were appreciative nods all around the table and a low whistle from Abe.

“He definitely has…the build for it,” the District Attorney said.

“Yeah he does,” Amy said. “Oh. Sorry, Evelien—”

“Please, you should have heard Seán when he saw him,” Evelien said with a laugh. “Look at those legs!”

Abe looked between the three of them as the conversation continued, waiting for as long as he could before he blurted out, “Hey, Amy, where’s Mark at?”

The DA visibly froze and sent him a daggered look, but Amy shrugged and looked around.

“I’m not sure. He said something about his jacket, but I didn’t think he would want to miss—”

As if in response to her words, Mark’s amplified voice rose above the crowd and all eyes turned once again to the stage in response to his question.

“Does everyone have their masks?”

A chorus of cheers and shouts greeted him and he smiled as the other person on the stage continued.

“Fantastic! Now we can really have some fun.”

The District Attorney frowned, recognizing Marvin’s suit and mask up on the stage, but before they could wonder what the magician was up to, he raised his hand up and snapped his fingers.

Immediately, all of the lights in the room went out as one, plunging the masquerade into darkness for just a brief second. The DA felt a hand clamp down on their wrist as if to make sure they were still there, but before the crowd could even panic or start making jokes they were all turning to one another with sounds of surprise and delight.

In the darkness, they could now see that their masks glowed as though lit from within, taking on new colors and patterns in the darkness. The colors in their clothes also took on a lesser glow, so that an idea of the person standing next to them could be seen, if not the whole figure.

“Once an hour, at a random time within that hour, we’ll have ourselves a dance in the dark,” Mark said. His partial mask also glowed in the darkness, and the flowers spread across his jacket left iridescent trails as he gestured.  “Even we don’t know exactly when they’ll happen, but that’s just part of the fun. So hold on to your masks, and be ready. After all, who knows who you might bump into in the dark?”

The music started again, this time with a very different beat, and the District Attorney found themselves being pulled up out of their chair and in the direction of the dancing masks by Amy, whose butterfly mask was such a bright neon blue now that it left trails in the darkness when she turned to face them.

“Come on, Y/N, move it a little,” she said with a laugh. “Don’t be shy, no one can judge you if they can’t see you.”

The District Attorney blinked and stared at her mask. Did its wings move, or was it just a trick of the light streaming from it?

“I’d beg to differ,” they muttered, but began to move in time to the music all the same. “Amy, do you mind if I ask you something?”

“Sure! Music might make it a little hard though,” she said, her own voice barely audible over the incessant beat.

The District Attorney moved closer and asked, “How have you been doing? You and Mark?”

“Crazy busy! This whole thing didn’t plan itself,” Amy pointed out. “How much does it show?”

“It doesn’t—I mean, I just…” The District Attorney let their voice trail off and get lost in the noise.

“But I wouldn’t trade times like this, or any of these last few years, for the world,” Amy continued. This time, the DA was sure they saw the butterfly on her mask flap its wings and realized the blue was shifting into a vibrant, beaming gold as she looked around the room. “I hope he takes the time to stop and enjoy this. You wouldn’t remember I guess, but when I first met him Mark just…couldn’t look past his work, whether it was the latest video or the next project. Bob and Wade told me they used to come by once a week just to make sure he was still alive and then drag him out for a movie or a game or anything to snap him out of himself. Sometimes he slips back into it, but if this makes sense, it really feels like he’s finally remembered there’s a Mark in the ‘Markiplier.’”

“It really does seem like it,” the District Attorney said quietly, and then raised their voice to be sure Amy could hear as they added, “I know he seems so much happier now than he used to be. He definitely smiles more when he’s with you.”

Amy laughed and pushed at their shoulder, but the District Attorney saw the yellow in their mask tinge pink before the song ended and lights came up again around the room, and in turn the masks dimmed back to their normal colors.

The District Attorney glanced toward the stage, but there was no sign of the magician or Markiplier, only the ego in his likeness handling the music. The next song was just as fast as the first and the District Attorney backed away, saying as they did so, “Thank you, Amy. For everything.”

“Now hold on, that was just one song,” Amy said, her smiled widening just as the District Attorney’s shoulders bumped into a pair of hands waiting to catch them.

“You aren’t trying to run away, are you?” The voice behind them sounded like the magician, and when they looked over their shoulder it was the same face, but your memories immediately offered up the name Jack. Or maybe it was Seán? “Come on, Y/N, let’s see you shake those hips!”

“Excuse you?”

“Here, just move like this,” Evelien added as she walked up, the Detective in tow and looking about as thrilled as the DA.

The District Attorney watched Evelien and Jack dance for a few seconds, during which they both tried to outdo each other while not breaking down into giggles as their moves became more and more ridiculous.

“How do I pass?” they said eventually, but Amy took hold of their hands and began pulling them back and forth until they were forced to move their feet. They shot a look at the Detective for help, but he only managed a smirk before he found hands clamping down on his shoulders.

“Someone’s not dancing,” Tyler crowed.

“Get your hands off of me, you washed-up butler,” Abe snapped, but he was helpless in the face of Tyler’s might combined with Ethan, Wade, and Bob, who seemed to have formed a roving band with the goal of getting all the dance-shy guests moving and enjoying the fun.

While he tried to evade them, Abe kept an eye on the District Attorney, watching as they, yes, danced (who taught them the cabbage patch?), but also used every chance to talk to the friends you had made over the last year and a half. About what, the Detective couldn’t be sure, but he often caught them staring too long at faces, brow furrowing as though trying to read beneath the surface of what they were saying. And he saw the same words repeated over and over again, so many times that he started to recognize the shape of them on their lips even if he couldn’t hear the sounds over the music:

Thank you.

The first time he saw them lose their composure was when a slow song came on and one of Mark’s egos tapped them on the shoulder. He saw the way their eyes widened behind the mask, the panic that made them take a step back, but before he could step in they slowly relaxed and said, “…You are…Eric?”

“Uh, y-yeah, it’s me,” Eric said. His bright yellow mask matched the handkerchief in his chest pocket, which he promptly took out to fidget with as he added, “I, uh, sorry if you were, um…Hoping for someone else, but I was…would you…I mean you don’t have to, I just—Sorry, I should go.”

“Wait!” The word slipped out and the District Attorney immediately winced, their hand going to their chest with a grimace before they recovered and continued in their normal, restrained tone, “I’m…not much of a dancer, but sure.”

Eric’s grin, the only part of his face visible beneath the mask, was nervous and hopeful even as he and the District Attorney fumbled in how and where to place their hands before starting a slow, uneven sway much like the other dancers around them.

Abe watched for a moment and then realized he was the only one just standing there amid all of the dancers. More importantly, he had managed to lose Tyler and the others in the dance posse, which meant he was free to leave the floor.

And free to have a talk with a certain magician before midnight.

“I’ve, um, I’ve been practicing but I’m s-still not very good,” Eric mumbled. This close, and he could still barely look them in the eye, only briefly glancing up every now and then in between keeping his gaze firmly on the ground.

“You’re doing fine,” the District Attorney said, and then realized their tone wasn’t exactly encouraging or kind so they tried again. “Just relax. It’s only a dance.”

Eric gave them a bashful smile and the District Attorney could only stare. Even with the mask, he looked so much like Mark. Of course he did, there were over a dozen of them roaming around the room right now, but the idea of this shy, bashful, neurotically nervous person, that any part of him could have come out of Mark of all people was…

“Um, have you, have you been enjoying the, uh…dance? Not the dancing, I mean, I know you don’t like that, but um…everything else?”

“It’s been enlightening so far,” the District Attorney said. They glanced at the clock hanging above the stage and took a deep breath. They could only avoid the inevitable for so long, after all. “Have you seen Marki—Mark anywhere around? I…I need to talk to him after this dance.”

“Um…I think he went backstage a while ago, something about a stain on his jacket?” Eric looked up at the District Attorney and their eyes briefly met. “Is everything…Um, are you okay? You just don’t… Um, never mind, this is stupid, I’m stupid, let’s, uh…How long is this dance?”

“I’m sorry, I just have a lot on my mind,” the District Attorney said. They paused and then gave his shoulder a squeeze as the song came to an end. “And you’re not stupid. Thank you for the dance, Eric. I enjoyed it.”

At that moment the lights went out, plunging the room once more into darkness as an upbeat, borderline funk song came on. The District Attorney wove their way in and out of the crowd in the direction of the stage, too intent on making their way to the back area to notice that a couple of dancers had taken to the stage.

But one of the dancers did notice the mask moving through the crowd out of time to the music and a voice loud and deep enough to be heard over the music called out, “Someone’s a little slow getting into the groove!”

The District Attorney stopped so fast that others around them bumped and jostled them out of the way, but they couldn’t care less. They knew that voice, even without your memories stirring at the familiar baritone, but when they turned toward the stage he was gone, leaving a blank space between the glowing masks.

“Maybe you just need a little encouragement?” he continued and the District Attorney whirled around to stare at the lurid yellow and pink suit that probably didn’t need Marvin’s magic to glow in the dark, at the mask that was a solid white except for the mustache, which was almost as brilliantly pink as the mustache hidden underneath the mask.

Wilford, your memories said, but all the District Attorney could hear was the voice of the Colonel, the slurred, manic voice of the man who shot them.

“Come on up, don’t be shy,” Wilford continued without waiting for or needing a response, and suddenly the District Attorney found themselves on the stage with the other dancers even though they had certainly not taken any of the steps leading up to here.

They staggered back but Wilford caught their hand and pulled them away from the edge of the stage with a laugh and a “Not that way!” The next thing the DA knew, they were mimicking the movements of the dance, or at least from what they could see of it in the dark. Their mind moved achingly slow but, eventually, the thought strayed forward that they would have to catch him before he left the stage. This might be their only chance to talk to him tonight, after all, as both your memories and theirs confirmed he wasn’t the easiest person to get a hold of when he didn’t want to be.

As the music slowed, they stopped pretending to dance, and just as the song came to a close and the lights returned they grabbed hold of his candy-striped sleeve.

“Not bad,” Wilford said, pushing his mask up out of the way as he turned to face them. His eyes glittered in the stage lights as he added, “What do you say to another round, for old time’s sake?”

“I—” The District Attorney let go and stepped back, unable to look away from those eyes, their heart thudding like it just took another bullet to the chest. “This was a mistake.”

“Come on, we can work on the dancing!” Wilford called after them as the District Attorney jumped down from the stage and disappeared into the crowd, but he made no move to chase after them and instead turned to the guests on the floor. “Well, anyone else want to volunteer?”

While a suspiciously loud and Irish voice volunteered to go on stage, the District Attorney wove their way in and out of the crowd, looking for the least crowded path to anywhere, just as far away from all of this as possible.

“Y/N!”

They had no idea how many times their name was called before the weight of a hand on their shoulder drew them back into the here and now.

“Shh, it’s okay, it’s okay. Let’s go over here where it’s quieter, okay?”

They nodded and the hand kept its steady pressure on their back, guiding them through the spinning room and out of the pressing crowd until they were in the back of the room, in the relative privacy and quiet behind one of the fake marble columns.

“Just close your eyes, take deep breaths.”

The District Attorney did as he said, breathing slowly in and out. They felt their panic slowly ebb and fade, but nearly thought they were going to be sick again when they remembered what the magician said about strong emotions passing through to you in your “sleep.” They could still feel your presence, closer than and just as comforting as the hand on their upper arm that squeezed gently as he continued to talk them down.

They risked opening their eyes and found them drawn to the flowers scattered across the white jacket in front of them, droplets of colors that ran down the sleeve and up toward the hand on their shoulder.

“Are you okay?” he asked and the District Attorney looked up at that white partial mask that covered the left side of his face, at the eyes full of concern on the other side. “Do you need to sit down?”

“No…” They took a shuddering breath and tried again, “No, I just…need a minute.”

“Take all the time you need, Y/N,” he said with a gentle smile. “There’s no rush.”

They might have laughed at the irony of that if they weren’t studying the visible portions of his face closely, looking for what they weren’t sure.

“I realize this might not bring up the best memories for you,” he admitted, watching their face just as closely.

“The—Abe said the same thing earlier. About the…other party.”

His hand on their shoulder tightened, briefly, his mouth turning down before he sighed. “It’s a shame you can’t remember the other ones. And there were others, Y/N. Some a little more…rowdier than others, but not all of them ended badly. Like when we celebrated graduating college together and wound up in a field looking up at the stars. We may have overdone it a little on that one, considering I don’t remember exactly how we got there…”

“I would be surprised if you did,” the District Attorney said, uncertain if it was the sudden venom in their voice or the way they slapped his hand off their shoulder that earned them the look of surprise before they continued, “Considering Mark wasn’t there.”

The noise in the room dipped briefly in the pause between one song ending and the next one starting, a silence as Dark’s lips parted but nothing came out.

The District Attorney had no such problem as they reached up and pulled his mask off, only to toss it on the ground so they could see his face when they asked, “Why are you pretending to be Mark? What was the plan here, why would you—Why?!”

“You remember.” Dark stared at them, eyes wide and showing no sign that he was listening to a single word. “I thought tonight might jog your memories, but—”

He stopped short, and now it was his turn to pull off the other’s mask. The District Attorney took a step back and their shoulders bumped into the column behind them, but they met Dark’s stare head on with a fury and disgust he recognized. Just not one he had seen outside of your reflection trapped in a mirror.

“You…how…?” Dark’s eyes dropped to the emerald tie around their neck. “The magician. What spell is this? How long will it last?”

“Don’t,” they said, putting out a hand to stop him before he could touch the tie. “Don’t you dare touch me.”

“Is it permanent?” Dark’s eyes went back up to their face and he quickly took a step back.

“No, it is not,” the DA answered, stressing every word in an attempt to not raise their voice. “At midnight, this body goes back to the other me.”

“Why? Isn’t there some way—”

“Why would you care?”

Dark paused and then straightened his tie, settling back into his more reserved state as he said, “It is of professional interest to me, of course. After all, that looks like a possession spell our dear wannabe warlock has used.”

The District Attorney kept their face carefully blank, not wanting to give Dark the satisfaction of a reaction to that. “Which is exactly why this won’t last.”

“But it could. You could stay here, with us.”

“And the other Y/N?” they asked, feeling their anger reach a new fever pitch at the word ‘us.’ How dare he say it, how dare he even pretend— “What happens to them?”

“…They’re a part of you, you’re the same person,” Dark started, but the District Attorney cut them off.

“No. Because I will tell you right now, if I had been the one to find you bleeding out on the infirmary floor, I would have kept walking.” The District Attorney looked him straight in the eye as they said, “If it were up to me, the other Y/N wouldn’t even remember your name, or Mark, or any of our time in that godforsaken house.”

“…Would you really?” Dark asked softly.

He saw the uncertainty flicker in their eyes, heard the anger recede into bitterness and sadness as they looked away and said, “I would take back every memory I never should have shared with them, if…”

They took a deep, shuddering breath and continued, “But no, we are not the same person.”

Every memory I never should have shared. Dark thought of what memories you did have, of those long years spent in the house, in that mirror. Maybe a few other, scattered memories that the District Attorney had either chosen to share with you or that accidentally slipped through whenever they felt a familiar touch or heard a certain phrase. Enough to give you recurring nightmares, enough to make you hide yourself away at the sound of thunder or the crack of lightning.

“Only because you made it that way,” he said. “You chose this, to split your memories in two, to keep everything from them. Maybe we should have been tapping the magician for a way to separate you two instead of forcing you together.”

He thought the sarcasm in his voice was audible, but the District Attorney answered them as though they had seriously considered it, “Even if we had a second body, I’m not sure the other Y/N would be able to survive in this reality without me. They were born on the other side of the mirror, after all, and that’s gone.”

“I could always take them off your hands, if you ever find the other you to be a burden.”

“Is that supposed to be a joke?”

“I thought that’s what we’re doing now,” Dark said, stepping closer so that he could still be heard over the music even as he lowered his voice. “You are making this harder than it needs to be. If you would just get over your martyrdom complex and let them become a part of you, there wouldn’t be a problem. They’re not going to do die, they would just become a part of you, like they’re supposed to be!”

He felt his aura straining to be free of the hold he had on it, to grab hold of them until he could force them to see how stupid and petty they were being about all of this and he grabbed the lapels of his borrowed jacket, pulling until the collar pressed into the back of his neck.

The District Attorney stared evenly back at him as they asked, “Just like, say, Celine is a part of you?”

“…What?”

“Celine. What happened to her, when she became a part of you? To—What happened to them? Because maybe they’re still in there somewhere, but they’re not you, not as I knew them. What do you think will happen to the other Y/N, if I took them back? Do you think the last year and a half is enough to even stand up against the pain and heartbreak you and Mark put me through? Remembering the house did enough damage, but to remember you—to remember my friends, what you meant to me, and to have all of those memories, the best memories of my life, tainted and torn apart by what you did? Or I could just leave them buried, safe and away from you while I take control. Is that what you want?”

“Y/N.” Dark breathed their name, the only word that could come to mind as he saw the tears form the in the corner of their eyes.

“It’s not fair.”

Dark froze, his hand outstretched as though to wipe away one of those tears. “What did you just say?”

“It’s not fair how much you look like him. Like Damien.” The District Attorney’s hands clenched into fists at the name and they shook their head as though they wished to say more but couldn’t. Instead, they shot forward, brushing hard against Dark’s shoulder on their way past him and back toward the center of the room, muttering something about time.

Dark looked down and realized that he still had their mask in his other hand. He ran his thumb over the green and gold sun design, their words running through his mind until he felt a cold chill that had nothing to do with his aura.

He didn’t see them, but he did see a familiar white cat mask on the far side of the room talking to the Detective. Dark’s eyes narrowed and he strode forward, no longer certain of what he hoped might happen at midnight but very sure of what he intended to do once he had his hands on that magician.

The swelling anger provided a welcome distraction from the worrying thoughts that were piling up, starting with the realization that his words may or may not have had an effect on what the District Attorney planned to do between now and midnight. Combine that with the unwelcome uncertainty of what he even hoped would happen and it turned into something bordering on worry and concern.

Two things he could very much do without, all things considered.

The District Attorney had every intention of getting lost in the crowd, but somewhere along the way the stares from strangers became more and more obvious. A girl who they didn’t recognize and whose face didn’t appear in any of your memories stopped them and asked, “Are you okay?”

“Y-yeah, I—” The District Attorney reached up and brushed a sleeve across their eyes only to realize with a jolt what was missing. “Ah, my mask, I—I should go get another one.”

They brushed off the girl and her friends’ well-meaning offer to walk with them and reassured them that they had plenty of people looking out for them tonight. The truth of which the District Attorney was reminded of when they approached the nearly empty mask table, where a small group had gathered around the Host.

“That story was one of the Host’s favorites as well, which is why he—The Host asks for the group’s patience as he steps aside for a moment,” said the ego, stepping away from the group to hold out a mask for the District Attorney. “The Host hopes this new mask is suitable. Unfortunately, there are not a lot of options on the table now.”

“It doesn’t matter,” they muttered, taking the offered mask. It was a full-face mask this time with a simple design of a face split straight down the middle, separating the mask into half gold and half black. “You could have mentioned that Dark would be impersonating Mark.”

“The Host can see possibilities, but they are not a guarantee of future events.”

“Are there any more possibilities I should be aware of?” they asked as they put on the mask.

The Host hesitated, more than long enough for the District Attorney to know he was putting too much thought to his answer. “…Any warning the Host can give will not make this night any easier for Y/N. But he can tell the District Attorney that seeing Mark again will not be easy.”

“I could have guessed that,” they answered with a sigh. “But I still need to talk to him. I—I…”

“Markiplier has replaced his jacket and is making his way back to the party. He will seek out Amy first…” The Host paused, muttering to himself as he sped through his narration before he nodded and said, “The District Attorney can find him at the punch table three songs from now, if they wish to talk to him alone.”

“Thank you,” they said, unable to hide their surprise. They studied the Host’s face under that red blindfold, but could still make nothing of his expression or his thoughts before their eyes strayed to the group behind him. “Fans of yours?”

“Yes, they are,” he said, and the Host could not hide the smile or the pride in his voice. “Some have read his stories, others have listened to them, but they—They were excited to see him, and to see other fans.”

“Then I shouldn’t keep you from them any longer,” the District Attorney said, smiling as well.

The Host wasn’t the only one of the egos thrilled to find fans among the crowd. As the District Attorney walked across the room, they saw two egos wearing matching white jackets giving a very biased poll to any who would answer on just who was the “number one best real doctor,” a puff of green smoke on the side of the room followed by cheering and clapping as the magician apparently pulled off a disappearing act, and Eric Derekson was positively overwhelmed by the supporting fans all around teaching him a dance the DA wasn’t familiar with but your memories seemed to connect with a game of some sort. They even saw an ego with a squirrel mask and a cape thrown over his suit having a very spirited discussion with several fans about someone named Doreen Green and assuring them that he did, in fact, speak fluent squirrelese.

The District Attorney kept moving around, listening to the music while the words they had prepared to say to Mark ran through their mind again and again.

They could do this.

The District Attorney took a deep breath and walked over to the punch table, where there was a short line for the bowl and the snacks. More people seemed interested in the chairs further down the wall and around the nearby tables, where guests sat with their legs stretched out for a break and where a growing line of shoes suggested some people had rethought the idea of heels for the night. An ego with a bright blue shirt that matched the ‘G’ embroidered on the pocket of his jacket stood impeccably straight near the wall, looking absolutely bored as he watched the table and the immediate area.

Google, your memories offered, along with the mental image of not one but four egos. The District Attorney took a closer look around the room and spotted the other three, all with the same bored yet unblinking stare as they stood sentry near the stage and next to the exits.

The one near the table made no sign that he recognized the District Attorney as they approached and ladled out a drink in one of the small plastic cups, although based on your memories they suspected the android wouldn’t have cared much if he did know.

“No one’s spiked this, have they?”

The District Attorney dropped the ladle and just in time caught the handle before the whole thing could slide to the bottom of the bowl.

“No. No foreign substances have been added to the punch or any of the food,” Google answered with a heavy, dull tone. “This has truly been a waste of my capabilities.”

“Considering alcohol could literally kill me, you could say you have the most important job of anyone here,” Mark suggested.

He was right behind them. The District Attorney felt their grip tighten on the cup, threatening to break the weak plastic and send the contents flooding across the white tablecloth.

“Tell me, when I convey to you my combined processing power and the rate at which I can access and transmit the vast stores of data I have access to after each update, which part of that suggests a walking security camera?” Google asked, his eyes narrowing behind his glasses as he stared past the District Attorney.

“I think I’d have to go with that video you threaten to send to my millions of subscribers every time I put off my Windows update.”

“IT security nightmare,” Google muttered darkly before walking away to take up a new vantage point further down the wall.

This was their chance. There was no one else in the immediate area, just the District Attorney and Mark.

They could do this.

The District Attorney turned around and felt like all of the wind had been knocked out of them in a single blow that flung them back eighty years to a very different party.

Mark must have felt their stare because he tugged at the lapels of his jacket and said, “What do you think? I had to make a change, and I found this one just lying around backstage. It’s reversible!”

It was a brilliant red except for the black lapels and lining. A memory of Dark’s jacket slipped by but the District Attorney couldn’t acknowledge it, not when all they could see was the exact same Mark from before, down to the way he brushed his hair back and up out of his face before he smiled at them, face only half covered by the white mask that dominated the right side.

The District Attorney backed up, but Mark interpreted it as them stepping aside to give him space to get to the punch because he now he was standing next to them, chatting easily as he poured out two cups.

“Joke’s on him if he thinks that video’s any more embarrassing than anything I’ve posted myself. Are you enjoying the masquerade? Met anyone yet?” Mark paused long enough to take a sip of one of the punches and, when a reply failed to come, said, “You don’t talk much, do you? It’s okay to admit if you’re one of Seán’s fans, I won’t take it too personally.”

“Mark, you—” The District Attorney stopped, their words catching in their throat when he suddenly looked at them with recognition at the sound of their voice.

“Y/N? Is that you?”

The District Attorney could only give a mute nod in recognition of their name.

“Oh! Well I guess the masks work, huh?” he said, giving an uncomfortable laugh as he studied them more closely now. “Everything okay? Amy and Seán told me about Wilford dragging you up on stage. If you want, we can…um…”

Mark trailed off, aware that there were very few threats he could use against Wilford that the man would take seriously if not outright ignore.

The District Attorney shook their head and found their voice. “No, it was just a bit…much. Are you—are you enjoying the masquerade?”

It wasn’t the question they wanted to ask. But the District Attorney thought they could build to that, to all the words they needed to get off their chest. Until then, as long as Mark still didn’t know who he was talking to, they might as well pretend everything was fine.

“Of course! Seán and I have been working for months to pull this all together and the fans pulled through for us too. Google’s got the final numbers on the charity donations, but it’s more than either of us have ever raised in one go before.” He looked around the room as he spoke, smiling as he added, “And I think they’re all more excited to see their online friends in person than any one of us. Not that any of the egos aren’t getting enough attention to satisfy even them for a while. Everyone’s playing their part.”

“Like actors in a play.” It was subtle, but the District Attorney could see the flicker in Mark’s eyes, the small double take at that choice of words. Before he could respond, they added, “I ran into Dark earlier. He has on your jacket and an almost identical mask.”

It was just like Mark’s, except flipped to cover the opposite side of his face. The District Attorney supposed it was the closest one Dark could find, with no two masks being identical.

“What? He—that—” Mark sputtered as he spun around to look at the rest of the room, as though he expected to find Dark flipping him off somewhere among the dancers. “I knew he shouldn’t have come, I told you he would pull something like this. What the hell is he doing, pretending to be me?!”

At that moment, Dark was posing with a couple of fans for a photo. A fake smile plastered on his face hid his frustration at losing the magician, who’d disappeared at just the sight of him. There were still a couple of fans hanging around in the general area to see if he would finish the act or at least come back for the rabbit, who seemed to be enjoying life outside of the hat.

On the other side of the room, the District Attorney answered, “He seemed to think this party might stir up some memories.”

“…Oh.” Mark paused and made an effort not to sound too eager as he asked, “Has it?”

“Why?” The question slipped out before the District Attorney could stop it, just one of the questions they had been asking themselves again and again for decades. “Why did you invite me to that party?”

“Maybe now isn’t the best time for this…”

“Mark. Why?”

“I—I don’t know. Being in that house, that thing feeding into all of my anger and bitterness, looking back on it now I don’t know what I was thinking. All I cared about was the Colonel and Ce-Celine…” Mark stopped to take a shuddering breath before he looked them in the eye. “Y/N, all I wanted was to make William hurt any way that I could, whatever it took. You don’t even know all of the terrible things that I did, what I could have become if I hadn’t left when I did. Maybe I thought that if a private detective, a mayor, and his district attorney all leave a party saying that a man killed their host, no one would question it. No one would doubt you. What happened to all of you, I—”

“We were just convenient witnesses,” the District Attorney muttered.

“Or maybe—” Mark stopped himself and shook his head. “Whatever the reason, it never should have happened. None of it should have happened, but all I can say is I’m sorry, Y/N. For as little as that’s worth.”

The District Attorney didn’t answer. They just closed their eyes and took a deep breath, focusing on your presence to calm them down.

“Y/N? You never answered me,” Mark said slowly, as though even he wasn’t sure if he was pushing too far. “Do you remember…?”

He left the question hanging there in the air, hopeful and hesitant.

“Maybe it’s like your egos.”

“What?”

“Us. The District Attorney and the Y/N from the mirror. One is the original, and the other is…someone else. Someone with their own memories, their own personality. One who can’t exist without the original. There are similarities, but we’re as much the same person as you and, say, whoever that is flexing by the speaker.”

“Probably the Silver Shepherd,” Mark said, if only because of the silver mask and Jackieboy’s presence near the ego. “Y/N, don’t talk about yourself like that, you’re not some kind of copy or fake—”

“But if it were true? If there were two of us, somehow split apart, then…”

“…It wouldn’t change the memories we do share. Y/N…” Mark put his drinks down and pulled the DA into a hug. “You would still be my friend. I’d still love you, both of you. Even if you don’t understand my flare for the dramatic.”

The District Attorney stood frozen, hardly daring to breathe. Part of them wanted to lean into the hug, to tell him everything, to spend time with their friend again. But another part of them wanted to push him away, to scream, to tell him apologies and hugs would never be enough to undo what he did to them, to the others, to Damien.

“I can’t do this.”

“What?” Mark asked, but they were already pulling away. He reached out for them, but at that moment the lights went out for the next dark dance.

The sudden darkness surprised the District Attorney as well, and for a moment they and Mark saw each other in the dark. They saw the red jacket, gleaming like blood beneath a partial face that was no longer smooth and white but a spiderweb of cracks out of which spilt light like it could barely be held in. And he saw the green tie that in the dark seemed to swirl with an energy all its own beneath a solid gold mask. And behind and beside the golden mask there was a darker one, moving just out of sync like a delayed shadow, gleaming with an almost violet hue that did not quite blend in with the darkness all around.

It was as though two people sharing the same space looked back at him, before they ducked their heads and turned away. Mark called out, but the District Attorney had already disappeared into the darkness, lost among the other masks. His heart thudded in his ears as the possibility hit him, too much for him to believe or even hope, and too late for him to run after them.

“Google!” Mark realized it was just short of a shrill scream, but it was enough to be heard over the music as a blue ‘G’ lit up near the wall in response. “I need you to help me find someone, now!”

“What’s the magic word?” Google asked.

Mark heaved the hugest sigh he could and said, “Please.”

“Incorrect. The correct response is ‘magic is an inherently illogical system that does not necessarily convey politeness.’ Please try again.”

Mark’s muffled scream of frustration was drowned out by the music behind the District Attorney as they walked out of a side door to one of the balconies that overlooked the lawn. Leaning hard against the stone railing, they took a deep breath of the heavy summer night air and slowly let it out. Or that was the intent, until their breath hitched and they moved to the corner of the balcony, out of sight of the glass doors where they could sink down and sit there, cheek pressed against the stone railing, and just…not think about anything.

They had a lot of practice at that, from their time alone in the mirror.

They did not notice the click of the door opening, or the footsteps that paused when they were spotted, but they did hear the loud greeting that followed:

“Howdy, bitch!”

The District Attorney jumped and whirled around in time to see Jameson fumbling with his recording device, face aflame as a speech slide appeared in the air between them.

“Good gracious! That is not what I meant at all, I swear! Who even put that on this confounded device?!”

Jameson looked up when he heard the laugh that escaped from the District Attorney before they could stop it, and he gave an embarrassed smile before gesturing at the empty ground next to them. “May I join you?”

The District Attorney nodded and watched the ego as he brushed off the stone before sitting down with exaggerated care.

“It is nice to get away from the noise of it all,” he commented, his bright blue eyes watching them just as closely. “But I’m starting to suspect you have a habit of avoiding the dance floor.”

“Not everyone jumps at the chance to waltz, Mr. Jackson.”

“Then I must have been a lucky man, to tempt you once,” he replied with a wink. “And it’s Jameson, if you please.”

“You do remember,” the District Attorney said and his smile widened. They had recognized him through you when he played the song from that night, all those years ago, but as much as they watched him since, as much as they studied your memories and their own, it just didn’t make any sense. How could one of Seán’s egos remember something like that, be the exact image of a man they met decades before Seán was even born but without a voice of his own? “I don’t suppose you’ll tell me how you wound up like this.”

Jameson just pressed a finger to his smiling lips and winked in response.

“Can I at least ask why you’re out here and not dancing the night away inside with the others?”

“A proper gentleman always goes where he’s needed!” Jameson declared, and when the District Attorney seemed more than a little skeptical, he added a second speech slide that read, “Also, I may have overheard the Host talking to himself about you. I don’t think he realized I was there, because…”

He gestured at the speech slide before it disappeared and shrugged.

The District Attorney wasn’t surprised the Host was keeping a narrative eye on them. They placed a hand to their chest and felt your presence, quiet and hopefully dreaming of better things. For a brief second they considered removing the tie, letting you have the body back early and just being done with all of this, but that would only cause you to worry.

“Care to share what’s on your mind?”

The speech slide nudged its way into view and the District Attorney glanced at Jameson, this strange ego who was also out of place, out of his time.

And, without hesitation, they told him everything. About the tie, about the time limit, about how they had so many things they wanted to say, but even looking at Mark or Dark or Wilford brought back so many memories that it hurt to even be in the same room as them, much less talk to them.

“I thought I was ready, I thought I could finally face them myself, but one look and I just—I can’t…” The District Attorney stopped with a hiccup and sob. They couldn’t remember the last time they cried, much less so many times in one night.

“Here.”

Jameson offered them the handkerchief from his chest pocket. When the District Attorney started to refuse, he pressed it into their hands while a second speech slide appeared. “A proper gentleman always has a handkerchief to hand for just such an occasion!”

“I guess I’m not much of a proper anything,” the District Attorney said, putting a hand to their own chest pocket while the other dabbed at their eyes with the offered handkerchief. “Nothing here but—”

They paused as their finger brushed against the jacket pocket and found something. They reached inside and pulled out a small piece of paper, doubled over on itself which when unfolded read:

Tonight is your night. Do what you need to do, but please don’t forget to have some fun!

The District Attorney wanted to smile, but the note just brought a fresh sting to how much they had messed up the time you gave them.

They blinked as a speech slide appeared before their eyes and read, “Maybe you don’t have to face them to say what you need to say.”

“What do you—” The District Attorney stopped mid question when they saw Jameson fiddling with his recording device. He smiled when he caught the look in their eye and another speech slide followed.

“I watched my brothers set it up. Shouldn’t be too difficult to add another recording or two!”

“Are you sure? I don’t—”

But he was already showing them the button to press and how to tell when it was recording.

“Take your time.” He pressed a hand on their shoulder as he stood. “I’ll be waiting by the door when you’re done. After all, the night’s far from over!”

The District Attorney watched him walk to the door, where he stopped to give them a cheery thumbs up before going back in.

Leaving them alone with the recorder, and with everything they needed to get off their chest.

The District Attorney took a deep breath and pressed the button.

It should not be this hard to find one person, even in a crowd this large. That was the thought that occurred to both Mark and Dark as the night wore on and as the District Attorney proved more elusive than either expected. Every time they thought they were close, it just proved to be yet another dead end.

“This?” one of the fans asked, pointing to the gold and black mask Mark last saw on the DA’s face. “I don’t know, I thought it looked cool so I traded my mask for it. Are we not allowed to do that?”

When Dark asked Jameson, the ego paused in the act of eagerly signing with a couple of fans to shrug, a barely visible speech slide explaining, “Can’t say I’ve seen them since the ‘Cha Cha Slide’ when the others showed us how to ‘cha cha now y’all!’”

“Y/N?” Chase said when Google sent Mark his way. “Yeah, we were talking just a few minutes ago with Wade and Bob. Wade thought I was Jack and we were seeing how long it took—”

“Do you know where they went?” Mark interrupted. “What about their mask, what did it look like?”

Chase pulled up his own monster mask to look Mark up and down before he said, “Mark, I understand why you might be worried, but sometimes you just need to let your kid—”

“Brody, if you finish that sentence, I will stuff your tie in your mouth.”

“Have you seen Y/N?” Dark asked during one of the lights out dances, having reached new levels of desperation.

“The Host waits for Dark to see the irony in that question.”

“You know what I mean! Where are they?”

“They are enjoying the masquerade, unlike two men who cannot step back and realize this is not about them. Which is why the Host will not tell Darkiplier where the District Attorney is, just as they refused to tell Markiplier fifteen minutes ago.”

“Because of course you would,” Dark growled. For a brief second two outlines appeared around him in the darkness, red and blue echoes of his form that quickly disappeared when he regained control of himself. “Wait, does that mean Mark knows too?”

The vivid red blindfold was nearly all that was visible of the Host in the darkness as he tilted his head, as though studying Dark. “The Host told him that the spell will end at midnight, just as Darkiplier is already aware. He is employing the Googles to look for Y/N, but they will not relay the information to him in time.”

In the darkness, Mark had come to the same conclusion after one of the Googles directed him to the tables to find that he had, once again, apparently just missed the District Attorney by minutes or possibly even seconds according to Jackie and Silver, who claimed to have broken up a (probably) friendly argument between the DA and Abe that almost ended in a fistfight.

At the suggestion, the android’s eyes took on a red hue that glowed to match his ‘G’ emblem. “Do not blame me for your inferior processing speeds.”

Mark made an inarticulate noise and stormed off, the three egos watching until he was out of earshot.

“Y/N’s not that way, right?” Jackie asked.

“No, I saw them over with Yan and Ethan I think,” Silver answered as he stretched back in his chair, his back popping a little as he did so. “Oof. Not sure what that Detective meant by ‘round two,’ but neither of them was about to pull punches, am I right?”

“The Yellow unit will give Mark an update in…2.5 minutes, depending on Y/N’s status then,” Google declared with a smile. “They have already traded their mask three times since Mark’s last check.”

And so the rest of the masquerade went. Every time Dark or Mark came close to the District Attorney, when they spotted them on the dance floor or chatting with one of your friends, one of the other egos would bump into them or accidentally get in their way and then apologize for a little too long, or one of the random dances would ‘just so happen’ to plunge the room into darkness yet again, to the point even the fans were joking about how short the hours were getting.

Until suddenly it wasn’t just a joke.

Mark gave up on checking his watch when every passing hour just filled him with a new sense of disbelief. There was no way, it had to be wrong, he couldn’t have lost fifteen minutes, an hour, two hours so easily. Instead he turned his whole focus on spotting that green tie among the crowd, he had already lost track of what mask the District Attorney was wearing now—

But he did recognize that white cat mask, even from this far away.

“Mark, please, just calm down,” Marvin was saying to the man in the white jacket embroidered with flowers who had his back to Mark. “You’re starting to scare some of the other guests.”

“Yeah, you should really calm down, Mark,” Mark said, putting a hand down hard on Dark’s shoulder. “We wouldn’t want to cause a scene.”

“Says the actor.” Dark slapped Mark’s hand away without even looking at him. “And do not tell me to calm down, magician.”

“Wait, Dark?” Marvin looked him up and down, taking in Mark’s jacket and the near identical mask. “Wow, you two have some serious issues you need to work out.”

“I’m not the one with the problem here,” Mark said.

“Debatable.”

Dark scowled at the both of them and grabbed a nearby ego at random with the command, “You. Switch jackets with me, now.”

“O-okay,” Eric said, mumbling questions to himself but doing as he was told all the same.

“There,” Dark said while Marvin gave an approving nod to how the flower jacket suited Eric. “Because that is apparently more important than finding Y/N right now.”

“Do you know where they are?” Mark asked and the magician took a swift step back at the intensity of his voice.

“I, uh…”

“You’re not foolish enough to not keep an eye on them,” Dark said, moving closer to the magician as he lowered his voice. “Are you?”

Marvin hesitated and all three were distracted by Bing’s voice over the speakers.

“Sah, dudes! We have just enough time for one more song tonight—” Bing paused and let the disappointed voices die out before he continued, “But I think you’ll like this one.”

He pressed a button and the queued-up song began to play. It had seemed like a good idea when Amy suggested it days ago, but now Mark wished for anything else as the duet began to play.

Remember me, though I have to say goodbye

The response from the crowd was immediate as the ukulele started, but Mark and Dark turned on Marvin with a new urgency.

“Fine,” he said, if only because he knew it was too late to matter anymore. He pressed a hand to his cat mask and his left eye suddenly took on a green gleam, the same gleam that appeared in the left eye of the cat pin he gave you at the start of the masquerade.

Recuérdame, si en tu mente vivo estoy

Recuérdame, mis suenos yo te doy

After a moment that seemed to last an eternity he said, “They’re outside, on the balcony. Looking at the stars I think.”

Te llevo en mi corazón y te acompañeré

Mark turned and immediately started to run toward the glass doors, ready to force his way past friends holding each other and singing along to the upbeat, bouncing music.

Dark muttered something under his breath and ran after him, catching his arm before he could waste any more time. With a surge of his aura they disappeared into the darkness, only to reappear at the glass doors on the other side of the room.

Mark stumbled to regain his balance and together they thrust open the double doors and ran out onto the balcony just as the District Attorney jumped and turned around at the sound, their hand still holding the tie that now hung loose around their neck. For just a moment, as the music suddenly fell away behind them and as the clock struck midnight, the District Attorney locked eyes with both of them and gave them a soft, sad smile.

Remember me, for I will soon be gone

And with that, the spell ended. The District Attorney blinked and it was you who opened your eyes, who found yourself standing on the balcony, who came to just in time to see Mark and Dark both staring at you as they realized what just happened, neither one able to hide their identical reactions of relief.

And disappointment.

---

“Come in,” Dark called when he heard the knock at his office door. Too late he remembered that most of the egos were still sleeping off staying behind to clean up on top of last night’s party and the only ones who would have the energy to be up and moving around wouldn’t have bothered with knocking.

“I just want to talk,” Mark said when Dark’s aura flared around him. It could have been the effort of keeping it in check for so long last night, but Mark didn’t think that was the only reason Dark’s aura seemed darker and more…active than usual. Even as he waved Mark in and sat back in his chair, an afterimage snarled in his direction over the sound of creaking and twisting wood.

At least, until Mark asked, “Have you seen them? Since…”

Dark’s aura froze and contracted until it could barely be seen, its sudden disappearance more unnerving than its presence as Dark answered without emotion, “No, I have not. They must still be with the Septics.”

After they found you on the balcony last night, after they realized that the District Attorney was gone again without a word, neither Mark nor Dark could bring themselves to say anything. While the music slowed and the song came to an end, the three of you just stared at each other, the silence saying more than any of you could or wanted to.

Until the noise from inside caught up with you. Voices calling for Mark were just background noise until Amy poked her head out and told him he needed to get on stage and help Jack wrap up the evening. Reluctantly, or perhaps not too reluctantly, Mark allowed himself to be pulled away. Dark had no time to recover or say anything before you brushed past him, pressing the green tie into his chest like you didn’t even want to look at it anymore on your way to where Marvin was waiting with the Host.

Without waiting for an explanation, the magician pulled you into a hug and you both disappeared. The rest of the Septic egos soon followed once the party was officially over, with most of the Iplier egos assuming you had just decided to spend the night with them.

“I wouldn’t blame them if they didn’t want to come back,” Mark said now, his face clouded as he sank into the chair opposite Dark’s desk. “How much…how much do you think they remember from last night?”

“We could go over there right now and get them, we could force the magician to—” Dark stopped, his eyes lingering on the green tie lying on his desk next to the sun mask the District Attorney had left with him. To do what, exactly?

“We can’t force them to come back here,” Mark said. “We should…”

He trailed off, aware that he was about to suggest the exact same thing the Host had about the DA: Give them some space, let them decide when and if they want to come back.

Mark and Dark sat in silence for over a minute, both wrapped up in their own thoughts until Mark finished, “They’ll come back when they’re ready.”

“Or when they’re sick of the Septics,” Dark added, attempting a smile and failing. “Shouldn’t take too long, even if they have a soft spot for that bunch of—”

“Don’t,” Mark said, with enough force to make even Dark pause.

“But if it were true?” you had asked, about the possibility of being the District Attorney’s ego, of being a different person than the one he remembered. Only now, Mark knew it wasn’t you asking. They had wanted to see how he reacted, to make sure you would be okay.

Mark slumped against Dark’s desk, head buried in his arms. “They’re never coming back. We screwed up and now both Y/Ns hate us.”

“Drama queen,” Dark muttered as he pulled his papers out of Mark’s reach, but his aura began to spread again, filling the office with distant creaks and whispers too faint to make out. “Y/N—the one from the mirror is…forgiving.”

He had meant to say more, but at the thought his aura darkened, the whispering growing louder now but still impossible for Mark, at least, to make out the individual words.

“Well, aren’t you two some gloomy Guses!”

Mark sat up quickly and turned to face Wilford if only because the last thing he wanted was to have his back to that maniac. Meanwhile, Dark sighed and said, “Come in, Wilford,” like he hadn’t already barged his way into the office without knocking.

“Why the long faces?” Wilford asked as he took a seat on Dark’s desk, ignoring Dark’s scowl as he rescued his coffee cup and could only watch the pens and papers scatter across the surface. “Oh, let me guess, someone hit the sauce a little too hard last night? I do know a few hangover cures, if you need a little help.”

Mark was baffled by the wink Wilford gave him and said, “We’re not hungover, Wilford. I can’t drink, or I’ll die. Remember?”

“And I’m not even sure if I’m capable of getting drunk,” Dark said, although he had considered the option many times over the years, living with the egos. “We were just talking about Y/N.”

“Say, where is that rascal?” Wilford asked. He picked up the sun mask and held it to his face as he added, “I haven’t seen them since I apologized for that whole dance thing last night.”

“You talked to them last night?” Dark asked, exchanging a look with Mark. “How did they seem to you?”

“Oh, about normal I suppose,” Wilford said. For a second, his eyes appeared pink behind the mask. “Didn’t say much. I apologized, they said they would try to forgive me, turned me down when I asked for a second dance. Have to say, I did miss the other Y/N last night.”

They both stared at him and it was Mark who finally broke and asked, “You knew?”

“Knew what?” Wilford asked as he put the mask down.

“You mentioned you missed the ‘other Y/N’ last night,” Dark said patiently, well aware of how easily Wilford’s mind could jump tracks if allowed. “Did you know that was a…different person than the one who has been living with us?”

“Of course! It was pretty obvious, if you know what I mean,” Wilford said. He paused in taking a long sip from Dark’s coffee when he saw the expressions on their faces and rolled his eyes before explaining like he was talking to children, “That Y/N would have hugged me after I apologized, just like they always do. And don’t even get me started on the dancing!”

“Of course,” Mark muttered.

“Be that as it may, Y/N is…staying over with the Septic egos for now,” Dark said. “We have, apparently, decided to give them some space until they are ready to come back.”

Wilford nodded along at Dark’s words. “Got it. I think I can kill a couple of hours. Hey Mark, my boy, do you want to—"

“No,” Mark answered without even waiting for the rest of that invite. “Wilford, Y/N doesn’t—”

He stopped at the knock on the office door, to which Dark gave a loud sigh at the sight of the two Jims looking in.

“Sure, just come in, let’s see how many people we can stuff in here,” Dark muttered. “And that was a joke Wilford, don’t you dare drag anyone else in here.”

Wilford sat back down on the desk, looking disappointed while Jim leaned toward the other Jim and said, “It’s our lucky day, Jim! They’re all here!”

Dark frowned at the word “all,” and asked, “What do you two want?”

Jim straightened up and said, “We have something for you from Dapper Jim himself!”

Mark stared as the Jim placed a recording device on the desk in between him, Dark, and Wilford. He recognized it from the night before and said, “Wait, are you talking about Jameson? When did he give you this?”

“Our adopted brother from across the pond,” Jim said solemnly as the other Jim nodded. “He gave it to us last night, but we were told to wait until exactly this time in exactly this place to give it to you.”

Dark scowled down at the device. That last part had the Host written all over it, which made him suspicious enough as he pulled off the note taped to it and read aloud, “Play me?”

“If you say so,” Wilford said, already pressing the play button.

“Is this…Yeah, yeah it’s recording.” The voice coming from the device was unmistakable, the recording crisp and clear as the District Attorney said, “I’ve had so much time to think about what I would say if I saw you all again. Mark. Dark. Wil-Wilford. But I never imagined how hard it would be to look you in the eyes and…”

There was a long, shuddering sigh before they continued, “This isn’t the way I planned to do this, but there’s so much I need to say to the three of you while I have the chance. So here goes.”

They paused to take another breath and Dark paused the recording long enough to toss the Jims out of the office and lock the door behind them. Then, once the three of them were alone and unlikely to be interrupted, Mark restarted the recording. And they listened in silence as the District Attorney poured out their heart on a balcony, alone with the stars and their sometimes rambling thoughts. Not all of those thoughts were kind or warm fuzzy memories, and more than a few were bitter and left more than just a sting in their wake. But they were all honest, all past the point of holding back any more.

Until the District Attorney laughed and said, “I sound ridiculous...No wonder I can’t figure out how to say all of this.”

There the recording stopped, leaving Mark, Dark, and Wilford sitting there, staring at the device as though waiting for more.

In the resulting silence, they could hear voices in the hall, including your own hushing the others.

“How was I supposed to know he wasn’t joking about the cat spell?” you asked as you led the way down the hall. “And keep it down, the others—”

You stopped short as the door to Dark’s office shot open and Mark, with the other two right behind him, stared at you.

“S-sorry,” you said, looking away first. Around you the Septic egos moved in just a little closer, Jackieboy Man in particular stepping forward as though to place himself between you and them. “I just needed to pick up some fresh clothes, I didn’t…”

You thought they didn’t want you there, Mark and Dark realized in the same instant. And they wanted nothing more than to show you just how wrong you were about that.

Without bothering with an explanation, all three moved forward and you found yourself being pulled into a tight, desperate hug, their voices mingling and mixing until your cry for help only encouraged the Septic egos to join in, and then more and more of the Iplier egos who had no idea what was going on but weren’t about to pass up an opportunity when they found it outside of their bedroom doors. Struggle as much as you wanted, there was no escaping without acknowledging just how much they all loved you.

Both of you.

“Is it selfish, to ask them to keep taking care of the other me? That Y/N?” The District Attorney asked the device last night as they sat with their back against the stone wall, eyes on the stars but their hand to their chest. “They don’t remember, not everything, and I think that’s…a gift. As much as they’ve been through, they still have hope. They still have it in them to forgive, to risk second chances. I want to protect them, to keep them as far away from the pain I felt. I want them to have their own second chance, at a life that I just…can’t deal with. Not yet. I can’t even begin to tell these people I barely know how much they all mean to the other me, but I think they might have a small idea already. And as broken as I am, as broken as I make them, I don’t want to lose them or the new memories they’re making with all of you. Even when I’m ‘asleep’ inside of them, I can feel you, all of you, and all of the happiness Y/N feels when they’re with you. It helps me feel less broken, day by day.”

The District Attorney laughed and wiped at their eyes before looking for the button to stop the recording. “I sound ridiculous...No wonder I can’t figure out how to say all of this.”

 ((The End. And as always, thank you.

Tagging: @silver-owl413 @skyewardlight  @withjust-a-bite  @blackaquokat  @catgirlwarrior  @neverisadork  @luna1350 @oh-so-creepy  @purpstraw @weirdfoxalley @95fangirl  @lilalovesinternet-l @thepoolofthedead  @a-bit-dapper @randomartdudette  @geekymushroom @cactipresident @hotcocoachia @purple-anxiety-blog @shyinspiredartist @avispate ))

[eviesmyspiritanimal]

A Darned Good Dream to Have

Summary: During his engagement party with Mal, Ben is having some hard times coping with a stubborn, lasting affection that he just can’t seem to rid himself of. He resolves to tell her if only to let it go for himself. Bal and Bevie, and it’s a little angsty so enjoy it, all you gluttons for punishment. XD It’s totally separate from my other fanfics, so call it a little experiment.

    Ben laughed as he spun Mal around in his arms.

  “So, husband-to-be, how are you?” Mal asked him. Ben leaned in and kissed her nose with a smile.

  “Well, my wife-to-be, I am doing quite splendidly. It might be because of the company I keep,” he winked, and Mal rolled her eyes, enjoying his cheesiness despite her dismissal.

  “Now, now, Chad’s going to be jealous if you keep it up. If I didn’t know any better, I’d say you were old Charming’s long-lost son,” Mal ribbed with a grin and Ben lovingly eyed her.

  Ben couldn’t be luckier. Mal was a shining beacon of beauty- his gorgeous soon-to-be queen. It was a miracle to have found her and had such a connection with her that he did. Mal was truly a blessing to him and he was looking so forward to spending the rest of his life with her.

  However, and he hoped his girl did not notice, his eyes did wander that night to someone that he most assuredly should not have been looking at on the day of his own engagement party. A good fiancé would not have done it. A good man would not have done it.

  But he just couldn’t keep his eyes off of the absolutely stunning bluenette in the room.

  Evie had an entirely different shine than Mal had. When she smiled, she practically glowed with fondness and kindness that was entirely unique to her. Every contour of her face practically screamed the innate love that was so limitless and abundant.

  Ben loved Mal, but when he saw Evie, his heart skipped a beat in that frustrating flighty pattern that he tried so hard to keep away. Because that flutter was not right. It was not meant to be.

  “Ben, I’ve got to go to the bathroom, and I’ve got to go figure out what happened to Jay and drag his sorry butt here,” Mal informed him. Ben nodded, bowing deeply and kissing her hand tenderly.

  She grinned at him with pure, unadulterated joy, and she hurried off in the opposite direction, disappearing in the crowd.

  Ben’s smile slowly faded when she was out of sight, his heart dropping somewhat as he realized that he had absolutely nothing to distract him from gaping at Evie. He bit his bottom lip, but before he could contemplate anything much further, the bluenette in question was making her way toward him with that sweet, easygoing grin on her face.

  He was simultaneously very happy to see her and very unhappy to see her.

  “Hey, you!” Evie greeted, hugging him as she approached. His eyes went wide as her arms wrapped around him and he involuntarily took in a heaping helping of the almost intoxicating flowery scent of her hair. Of course, he should’ve expected nothing less from her. She was very liberal with her physical affection when one was counted among the people that she cared about most. That was perhaps one of the things that he found most attractive about her.

  Ben fortunately thought to bring his arms up to hug her in return and she quickly pulled away after just a moment, looking around for everyone.

  “So, where did M go?” Evie questioned, looking around and no doubt scouring the crowd for the other girl. Ben chuckled lightly at her.

  “She went to the restroom and she’s trying to contact Jay and I quote, ‘drag his sorry butt here,’” he answered, and Evie laughed at him, shaking her head.

  “Yeah, that sounds just like her. Get some purple hair and perfect the inflection and we’ll never be able to tell you two apart,” Evie mussed his hair up playfully. He tried to formulate some response, but he was lost in the feeling of her fingers running through his hair.

  But Ben subtly shook himself from it, however. He loved Mal dearly, and he couldn’t forsake her for someone that he didn’t feel more than an overwhelming infatuation with.

  “Well, would you mind a dance in the meantime?” Ben found himself offering, if only to keep talking to her for just a moment more. Evie nodded her head easily.

  “Most definitely, your Majesty,” Evie curtsied.

  And so they began. Her hands in one of his own and on his arm were like fire on his skin underneath the fabric of his suit.

  They moved about for a few moments, and just her little mannerisms were driving him insane, and he was beginning to regret asking her to dance.

  “What’s got you lost in thought?” her silky voice came floating in his ears and he looked into her eyes, a bit overwhelmed by the so natural and boundless love that he found there.

  Ben swallowed hard, knowing that he needed to get ahold of himself. Unfortunately for him, however, the only way he could foresee possibly ever overcoming the feelings was if he were to admit it aloud and confess his care for her. He knew she didn’t reciprocate his feelings and if he were to see true, definite evidence of that fact from Evie herself, he could maybe finally let her go.

  “Evie, I need to be honest with you. Something that I haven’t been with Mal as I should be,” Ben murmured after several long moments as they danced, their movements offering a great mask for Ben’s feelings of guilt.

  Evie tilted her head to the side, listening to him and offering her full and undivided attention.

  “What is it?” Evie questioned with that undying motherly sort of calmness and understanding warming her voice as she spoke.

  “I’ve… come to love you, Evie,” Ben told her finally, never one for withholding anything when it came to personal feelings regardless of how potentially uncomfortable that the other person could become as a result. Evie just smiled sweetly in response to his admission, reaching up and patting his cheek with one hand.

  “Aw, you’re sweet. I love you, too,” Evie returned what she understood to be his feelings, and he could see that usual glow of fondness that she had when she looked at any of those she considered family.

  Ben shook his head, his lips tightening as he looked into her honeyed mocha gaze. He brought his hand up quickly to catch hers before she dropped it away from his face. Ben somewhat shamefully looked down at the floor that was spinning between them as they went in a circle.

  “Ben? What’s wrong?” Evie asked him so painfully cluelessly. He clenched his jaw a bit, trying to hold back the conflicted emotions he was feeling at this moment. This was a frustrating, sad situation that simply couldn’t be helped. He didn’t understand why he had even initiated this conversation.

  But he had to finish it. He’d have no peace within him until he did.

  He drug his gaze back up to her and saw all of the caring and kindness that seemed to permanently live there in her eyes.

  “No, Evie, you don’t understand. I’m in love with you,” Ben finally admitted, and it almost seemed as if all of the festive sounds of the engagement party came to a complete and startlingly silent stop as Evie’s usually easily reflected emotions became nearly nonexistent and impossible to read.

  She nearly stopped dancing, but she managed to recollect herself before she mis-stepped and caused them to lose formation with the other dancers. Evie gaped at him for a little while longer before her voice came out in a surprisingly calm and seemingly unaffected manner. But Ben could feel just how affected she was simply by the tightness of her hand on his arm.

  “How long?”

  “Since Mal left for the Isle before Cotillion,” Ben mumbled in admission, and Evie shook her head in disbelief and shock as she finally allowed some of her true emotions to shine through, pulling her hand from his grasp that held it against his cheek.

  “Ben,” Evie addressed him, not truly aiming to say anything of worth to him, but simply as an expression of her astonishment.

  “I love Mal,” Ben told her, trying to somehow alleviate the effect of his previous declaration. Evie almost immediately snapped to attention as soon as he spoke those words, any sign of sentimentality gone in favor of a more hardened expression.

  “Keep this between us, Benjamin, or I will make you regret it. You will not break her heart pining after something that you don’t need,” Evie warned him, her eyes narrowing and her posture stiffening as she regarded him firmly. Ben shook his head sadly.

  “I’m not going to. I just wanted to tell you so maybe I could let it go,” Ben explained himself and Evie huffed as her expression softened significantly.

  They danced for a bit longer and he knew she was going to soon leave him and that he needed to leave her so he could have time to consider everything and forget his moment of weakness in favor of a strong relationship with his true beloved.

  “Can I just kiss you once before I go?” Ben questioned, almost desperate as he gave her a pleading look. Evie shook her head almost imperceptibly as she sighed sadly. He knew it was a sadness felt for him rather than sadness rooted within her own reasons and feelings.

  “Mal’s going to come back any minute, and I can’t betray her trust like that,” Evie told him, every word that passed between her lips as sure as could be. He nodded, knowing she was right and that he was wishing for what was never going to happen and that was not good for either of them.

  However, just as he was about to pull away, he felt tenderly soft, warm lips on his cheek in what could easily be considered as a platonic expression of care. His face immediately started to tingle like electricity, her kiss sending jolts through his body in a way that he never imagined simply a cheek kiss could ever do.

  Evie slowly pulled away from the young king, her touch gone as quickly as it had come. It was just a quick, sweet taste of the tantalizing, forbidden fruit that he would never have. Ben locked his eyes with her own. Evie’s gorgeously rouged lips curved upward in a slight smile as she shook her head, conveying everything that he needed to know in that one small gesture.

  He loved Mal and it was the way it was supposed to be. He couldn’t love Evie, too. Not like that. Mal was his one true love and it was meant to be beyond a shadow of a doubt. Evie was just a wisp, almost a ghost that comes in a dream in the night.

  But as Evie grinned widely and lovingly at Mal as she suddenly rematerialized from somewhere behind Evie, and Evie left the both of them to finish the dance with her gaze lingering on him, he couldn’t help but think.

  Evie was a darned good dream to have.

[aproblematicpanda]

2019 Year In Review

Rules: answer some questions about 2019 and tag some people!

I was tagged by the wonderful @boomheda. She’s crazy, she’s sweet, she’s funny, and although I rarely participate in these tag games I do love them a lot so I’m glad she never forgets to include me, so I can do one when I do feel like it. :) Albeit a hard one, I feel like I forgot 75% of what happened in 2019 already. Here we go!

Top 5 films you watched in 2019:

1. Niet Schieten (Translation: don’t shoot, it’s a movie about a highly dangerous gang that roamed my country in the late eighties and made a lot of victims before finally disappearing, to this day it is not known who was involved with the gang.) 2. Widows 3. The Hustle 4. Isn’t It Romantic 5. The Lion King These are honestly the only ones I can come up with. I don’t watch a lot of movies and when I do watch them, I tend to just rewatch movies I’ve already seen because I know I’ll like those. xD

Top 5 TV shows you watched in 2019:

1. The Big Bang Theory  2. Brooklyn Nine-Nine 3. The Walking Dead (I stopped watching that show ages ago but one of my colleagues watches it at work when he has time and I ended up watching it with him, I quite enjoyed the newest completed season and I’ll probably watch the next season, too.) 4. Peaky Blinders (did not finish it quite yet) 5. De Dag (Translation: the day, a show written and made in my country, one of the only ones I actually bothered to watch - which is a bit of a shame because our fiction is actually getting a bit of a reputation (a good one, that is).)

Top 5 songs you listened to in 2019:

1. U2 - With or without you (My all time favorite song should be number one on this list for sure!) 2. Bring Me The Horizon - Blessed with a curse 3. Breaking Benjamin - Breath 4. Bring Me The Horizon - Ludens 5. Editors - No sound but the wind This was so hard, I listen to music so much and it was so hard to have to narrow it down to five songs ffs!

Top 5 books you read in 2019: 

1. The Harry Potter series by JK Rowling (This series deserves the top spot because of how much it means to me, I’m doing yet another reread.) 2. The Raven’s Shadow trilogy by Anthony Ryan (I’m still still busy with the last book.) 3. Basically every book written by Kristan Higgins 4. The Millennium trilogy by Stieg Larsson (Reread those again, still haven’t gotten around to reading that fourth one, though.) 5. The Divide by Nicholas Evans

Top 5 good/positive things that happened to you in 2019:

1. I graduated from the police academy without a single resit and I have worked as a police officer for two and a half months now. 2. I quit taking the pill because right now there’s just no use for me to take it and it had zero negative effect on my skin (and by that I mean that it didn’t get worse, not that I have a good skin xD). 3. I still have my best friend by my side despite having gone through a really rough year what with the police academy and all, I just know in my bones that we are friends for life and that makes me so happy. 4. I saw BMTH live for the fourth time this summer! 5. I feel like the bond with my parents, especially my mom, has improved a lot (not that we weren’t close before, though) and I’m really grateful for that.

I’m not going to tag anyone because I rarely ever do that, but whoever feels like doing this totally should. :)

[darkpoisonouslove]

I’m torn because GIMME GIMME GIMME every single thing possible for Warmth of Rage, Cold of Love - but I’d also like to hear about other fics that maybe haven’t gotten as much attention. So... Okay, I’ll try to be reasonable and only give you three fics, lol. Heartless, Let Me Down Slowly, and No Battlefield Between Us, pretty please :D

Okay, so I don’t have many headcanons about my own fics that don’t make it into the actual fic, but I’ll try to give you something more juicy than just plain facts.

“Heartless”:

1. It is the first fic from a four-part series (that is currently put on hiatus because “Kiss, Then Bite” and now Kinktober (you know how it is)). This one was sort of an accident but then I connected it with fic ideas I already had and suddenly there was a series XD. It was written surprisingly quickly, especially looking at the quality of it (I still consider this one of my best works; every word is where it is supposed to be if I do say so myself), on a late night when I definitely should’ve been in bed… Oops! But then again, when is that not the case, really? XD

2. Next part is the library thing (you know the one), then we have Griffin and Faragonda feat. a nightmare (which is written but I haven’t edited it because I haven’t written part 2 yet (I only realized this would be part 3 after I wrote it)), and then we also get some Winx in the last part (some events from season 1 will come up as well because they bother me and I want to address them).

3. This entire series deals with Griffin getting over the guilt that her love for Valtor is causing her and that is bringing out the ugliest side of her, and how Faragonda and Winx react to that side (as well as some other characters that make cameos). It shows Griffin dealing with her complicated emotions and the collision between her past and her present and I love the storyline I have here.

4. The second biggest focus in this series (I’m gonna talk about all of it tbh (but no spoilers)) is Faragonda and Griffin’s friendship which is so important to me (I love it just as much as I love Griffin and Valtor’s relationship) and I am really excited about what we get to explore here. A key thing about their friendship is how understanding Faragonda is and here we see just what happens when she can’t understand Griffin and all that guilt she still has and, surprisingly, Griffin manages to understand her even despite all that guilt (this may sound vague and confusing rn, but will hopefully be cleared up when you read the fics). (I got thoughts on this now and I think I finally found the missing pieces!) And of course, Griffin and Faragonda don’t stop supporting each other, no matter what.

5. I do find the thematic connection between Griffin and Winx worth exploring (at the time when this fic is set which would be after 3x14 and through 3x15 and 3x16). Tecna is currently lost in Omega (and Bloom has gone to Pyros and may never return) and Griffin’s students are currently in Valtor’s hands. They are all experiencing strong feelings of loss courtesy of Valtor, but they are also at opposite sides in the conflict. Winx represent to Griffin her own students which she couldn’t protect from Valtor (and let’s not forget the added guilt because she still loves him). But in that quality of theirs, they can also help her see that she’s not responsible for Valtor’s actions. And Griffin can also help them since she understands their anger on a level Faragonda… can’t really let herself to (because she needs to keep her cool and think about her students and their safety; meanwhile, Griffin is past that point). I think that part will have an abundance of emotions and I am so excited about it.

This was less about “Heartless” and more about the storyline throughout the entire series, but I do hope that you’ll find it interesting (also, I can come to this and get reexcited about writing it if I lose my motivation :D).

Also, we need a cut:

“Let Me Down Slowly”:

1. That was inspired by the thought of “What if Valtor actually caught Griffin leaving but his reaction was the total opposite of what she expected? And that just made it that much more fun for them?” (because I am cruel af XD)

2. The title is taken from “Let Me Down Slowly” by Alec Benjamin which I listened to while I wrote it. The lyrics do not fit the piece precisely but I think the vibe matches so well with the one of the fic. (Also, I was in a desperate need for a title and it was late, and I just wanted to post it! 😅)

3. The creative process for this one was very fun as it was full of questions such as: Am I being too repetitive here? Am I sure this isn’t annoying? Does the ending tie in with the rest? So it was a lot of fun.

4. This was my fifth fic and I’d only written about them in the past once before that and I wasn’t really sure what I was doing with it. I was also going for flipping expectations for both the readers and Griffin as to what Valtor’s reaction to catching her leaving would be and that was also a thing I needed to consider. On the one hand, I needed to have Valtor be in love with her enough to let her go and save her life, but on the other, I still needed to keep him in character and respect canon when it came to what comes after those events. And I also had to keep Griffin just on the cusp of deciding to throw it all away and stay with him. It was challenging to write but also fun.

5. I wanted something softer after “Warmth of Rage, Cold of Love” and “Flame of Love” but I still hadn’t jumped on the Griffin x Valtor fluff train completely (Will I ever, though? I just love their potential for angst too much!) so that was sort of a compromise that had a bit of both with angst being more prevalent.

This was more of a mood/mindset and writing process study and I’m sorry if that’s not what you were after. (This is an older one and I don’t really know what to tell you about it).

“No Battlefield Between Us”:

1. This one was inspired by a prompt. It was supposed to be a part of “Kiss, Then Bite” but then it got out of control and it became its own story. That tends to happen to me a lot! XD

2. Griffin is at a very dark place in that fic. She’s staying at Alfea of all places, and the only reason for that is that she doesn’t know where to go. At that point, she still hasn’t reconnected with Ediltrude and Zarathustra, she’s just left Valtor and broken both their hearts, she’s in danger of being killed by the Coven, and the only friend she currently has is Faragonda (who has good intentions but dragging her to that fairy party sure wasn’t her best idea. Can you imagine Griffin at a fairy party? The best thing she can do is get into trouble which she isn’t really in the mood for rn, considering all the trouble she’s in already). And then Valtor suddenly appears but not to kill her. He wants her back and the temptation almost wins over, but she resists it. It’s a big show of character on Griffin’s part (or a rather unfortunate choice, depends on the perspective) and it was so interesting to write.

3. And something that did not make it into the fic but Griffin realized later when she was replaying the interaction in her head for the millionth time (because I’m evil and like to torture us all) is that “he came here to kill me” was a legitimate sentence that ran through her head. Just the fact that she had that thought, and that he didn’t deny it completely (”I’ll have plenty of chances to do that on the battlefield if you choose to fight against me.” (quoted that just from memory and it is correct, how even?!)) is enough to make her ask “Does he really love me if he is totally fine with the thought of killing me?”. And that’s what she uses to make herself believe that she chose the right thing.

4. Valtor’s mindset is really interesting here. Because he loves her, he does, it’s why he went there to offer her to come back to him. He wants her by his side. But he also knows that he has to kill her if she decides to betray him. He can’t let anyone betray him. Not even her. What is interesting about this fic is that he’s not possessive to the point where he won’t let her out of their relationship (which is rather selfless on his part and proves his love for her) but he also won’t let her betray him. And the fact that he goes as far as to spare her life after she left him, but not far enough to say he’ll never harm her is a very interesting line to walk with him. It plays again into how Griffin and power are connected in his mind and which one he values more. So again we reach the conclusion that he loves her, she is the only one he’s ever loved, but he still loves power more than her. Only, this is from a slightly different angle.

5. I wanted to really mess around with the love to anger ratio in this one and I think I succeeded. While it is clear that they love each other and there are moments of genuine emotion and tenderness between them, it is impossible to forget about all the tripwires that Griffin has to avoid. There’s this underlying sense of danger and tragedy throughout the piece that I really love and it was exactly what I was going for. So, one last thing here - Did I successfully break your heart?

Sorry if I’m gushing too much about my own fics. I just love them too much and this is the perfect opportunity to talk about them!

“Warmth of Rage, Cold of Love”:

1. Griffin will have a conversation with Faragonda that is really critical for her. It’s so much angst that even I wanted to hit her by the end of it. She’s just being so… difficult. Thank goodness, Faragonda is having none of it and knows how to deal with her (and would never give up on her). There’s also a moment with Saladin (that I had figured out and then forgot (Oooooops! I should really write these things down.)). I do have something that I need them to discuss and I am really excited to explore this relationship because it was so painfully ignored on the show! And they are supposed to be friends, you know. So time to make them friends! XD We already saw a little Saladin and Faragonda friendship (and there will be some more of that as well) and we also need to see some Griffin and Saladin, too.

2. Griffin will have a moment with Ediltrude and Zarathustra as well. There are some formal affairs that they need to take care of, but the biggest part of what they need to work out is emotional (and also the one I got stuck on). Ediltrude and Zarathustra learned some things about her that she did purposefully hide and now it’s time to figure out where that leaves them because all actions have consequences. (I promise this all works out, don’t worry.)

3. Griffin will need to talk with Bloom as well for plot reasons, but not only. There is something that happened on the show that just annoys me all the more every time I think about it and I need to address. (I’m like that. I see unexplored things and I need to write a fic.) Also, moral dilemmas because why not? (Any guesses as to what that convo will be about? I feel like I gave too many hints here, but that might be because I know what I’m talking about.)

4. Valtor will make another appearance in the last chapter and there Griffin and he will both need to really face their feelings as well as the other’s feelings for them. Hate? Love? How do they interact between the two of them as well as within each of them? How will that affect them? I have a general sense of direction, but two outcomes that I have to decide between (or rather one outcome that needs to get cleared up).

5. I don’t know if you noticed but chapter two was hella mad. I was in a… weird emotional place at the time so I might have poured a lot of anger in it which works from Valtor’s perspective, really. Anyway, I’m saying this because thanks to my emotional state, I was going to take the story into a completely different direction from the one it’s going in currently. It was going to be dark and full of hatred. Now it is quite the opposite, actually, and I am so much happier with how it’s turning out. (Also, this is the first thing I wrote for Winx and the first thing I wrote this year. I started it with Winx and I intend to finish it that way. Oops, did I give things away again? Me and my big mouth! :D)

Okay, that’s enough spoilers for you and self-promoting from me! I hope these are at least somewhat what you wanted to learn, and if you want to know something else, just ask! :) It might get me a while to get to answering some questions, but I’d love to.

[prider-parker-imaginations]

a SansaxWard! playlist??? pls pls pls share id love to sync it with the stories

aaaaah you’ve enabled me, yessss

these are sort of in chronological order? some of the songs can be interpreted different ways for different parts of the story (and not all are specifically for Sansa and the Ward because variety) but here you go!

Monster by Paramore

What the Ward is willing to do to keep Sansa safe

“I let my heart go, it’s somewhere down at the bottom”

“I’ll stop the whole world from turning into a monster, eating us alive”

“Don’t you ever wonder how we survive?”

Carnivore by Starset

Relates to the dynamic between the Ward and Littlefinger (it was basically an entire part so I’m obligated to add it lol)

“Who are you to change this world, silly boy?”

“I will hide myself below, I’ll be what you want”

Monster by Starset

Also the Ward and Littlefinger

“Under the knife I surrendered the innocence yours to consume”

“My soul and my youth seems it’s all for you to use”

“If I could take back the moment I let you get under my skin. Relent or resist, seems the monster always wins”

I’m Not the One by 3OH!3

Relating to the work the Ward did with Littlefinger and how they deal with that; can also relate to Sansa’s guilt over the Ward taking the fall for Joffrey’s murder or as the Ward talking to Sansa after the Red Wedding and their argument

“You’re way too young to play these games but you’d better start”

“You’re way too young to have someone lie to you”

“I bit my lip the second you sipped the poison that was mixed for me”

“There are deeper and darker things than you, I know cause I’ve been there too”

Dance with the Devil by Breaking Benjamin

Big Littlefinger and Ward vibes, especially after being left behind in King’s Landing

“Here I stand, helpless and left for dead”

“Easy to find what’s wrong, harder to find what’s right”

“Feeling your cold, dead eyes stealing the life of mine”

“I won’t last long in this world so wrong”

You Found Me by the Fray

The Ward’s encounter with Arya and the Hound and Arya’s sense of abandonment

“Where were you when everything was falling apart? When all my days were spent by the telephone that never rang and all I needed was a call that never came to the corner of First and Armistad”

“Why’d you have to wait? Where were you?

Where were you? Just a little late”

I’d Come For You by Nickelback

The Ward rescuing Sansa from Ramsasy

“I’d come for you, no one but you”

“I’d fight for you, I’d lie, it’s true, give my life for you”

“I’d search forever just to bring you home”

“No matter what gets in my way, as long as there’s still life in me, no matter what, remember, you know I’d always come for you”

Wherever You Go by Audrey Assad

Also Ward coming after Sansa to save her from Ramsay

“I’m coming for you wherever you go”

“Fathers and mothers don’t always come through, but I’m never gonna stop following you”

“Prophets and lovers don’t always hold true, but I’m never gonna stop falling for you”

Arise by Flyleaf

Rescuing Sansa and the Battle of Winterfell; can also apply to the trial of Littlefinger and escaping his influence

“Tell the swine we will make it out alive”

“Sing to me about the end of the world, the end of these hammers and needles for you”

“The snow on your face and your razor blades. The twilight is bruised and there you lie”

“Arise and be all that you dreamed”

Safe and Sound by Taylor Swift

The Ward wants to keep Sansa safe. Enough said. Could either apply to early on in King’s Landing or back in Winterfell post-Ramsay

“I remember tears streaming down your face when I said I’d never let you go and all those shadows almost killed your light”

“No one can hurt you now”

Unsteady by X Ambassadors

Sansa comforting the Ward after their house is destroyed by Cersei

“I’m alone, cause this house don’t feel like home”

“If you love me, don’t let go”

Oblivion by Bastille

Sort of Arya and the Ward where the Ward feels guilty over what happened to Arya and how much she’s changed

“Are you going to age with grace? Are you going to age without mistakes?”

“When you’re in my arms but you’ve gone somewhere deeper”

“You always take it farther than I ever can”

We Are Broken by Paramore

General angst because Ward and Sansa have seen Some Shit (tm)

“We’re at war, we live like this”

“What can we do to restore our innocence?”

“Give us life again cause we just wanna be whole”

King and Lionheart by Of Monsters and Men

Kind of general Sansa and the Ward, could apply to the scenes in the crypt during the Battle of Winterfell

“Though far away we’re still the same”

“Howling ghosts they reappear in mountains that are stacked with fear, but you’re a king and I’m your lionheart”

“As the world comes to an end, I’ll be there to hold your hand”

Feel free to send your own suggestions. I love this sort of thing XD

[achitachi]

i’m bored here’s my answers to one of the random survey’s that pop up on here

1: If you were of a different gender, what name would you want to have? Max 2: If you could witness any historical event in person, which one would it be and why? The Beginning, why not 3: What kind of sandwich best describes your personality? multigrain sprout bread, smashed avacado, spinach, mozerella cheese - melted on rostiere chicken pieces, raspberry jam. now i'm hungry 4: If your crush or significant other were to turn in to a ferret, what would you do? Would you still like/love them? ok malfoy 5: If you became dictator of your country, and you can enact one law that could not be repealed once you are forcibly removed from office, what would that law be? no one can become a dictator after me 6: What is your opinion of Canada? it's there, eh 7: What is your daemon? my memories 8: If you could change your skin color to anything outside of the natural palette of skin colors, what color would you choose? hmm. blue with black marbling 9: What was the last movie you chose not to watch? Not to watch - Crimes of Grimwald 10: If you were a farmer, what would you grow? EVERYTHING 11: What do you miss the most? Plead the 5th 12: What is your favorite sequel film? John Wick series 13: Rural area, small town, suburb, or big city? I live in a small city and i like it 14: What's your favorite branch of the military? h4h4h4h4h4h4 XD 15: What year of school was best for you? junior 16: What is your favorite month, excluding whichever month contains your birthday? uh...i don't anymore. they've all been pretty stressful as of late 17: What is your favorite type of pie? berry or key lime 18: Do you enjoy being single? NO 19: Do you prefer rivers, lakes, or oceans? Ocean 20: If you had to have one feature on your body changed to a canine version of said feature, what would you choose? teeth 21: What is your favorite font? something small and cartoony 22: What is the highest number of cats you can imagine yourself owning? 3 23: What was your last date like? my what now? 24: Who are you? myself 25: What is your least favorite illicit substance? weed 26: What is your opinion on 80's music? it's music 27: If you could add something to the high school curriculum, what would you add? bring back all the shit they took out - home ec, wood shop, ACTUAL sex ed, class on how to take of a car, classes that teach you how to do grown-up stuff - taxes, buy a car, fill out legal documents, ex 28: What is your favorite album artwork? um... 29: What is your favorite non-social networking website? what? 30: What is your favorite boy band? breaking benjamin 31: What is your least favorite casual dining establishment? steak n' shake -  refuse to go there 32: You are allowed one beverage and one candy for the rest of your life. What would you choose? seltzer water and dark chocolate 33: If you had to be stranded somewhere on Earth, miles from civilization, what biome would you choose and why? swamp near the beach - cause i already live in that biome technically 34: What is your preferred projectile? pillow 35: You have inherited a nightclub in a major city. What modifications would you make to it? i'd have to see it first. but i would put in a DDR machine definately 36: What have you done recently to dismantle the patriarchy? i'm raising two boys 37: What song did you most recently get tired of due to its overplaying? bb mak - back here, they play it where i work and honestly the song is creepy af 38: What is your favorite piece of clothing? honestly, tmi but my cloth pads 39: What was the most awkward moment of your romantic history? XD there are sooo many of them 40: What brought you to Tumblr? art 41: What product or service do you find ridiculously overpriced? EVERYTHING 42: Why did you send the last anonymous Tumblr message you sent? i have no idea how to do that. i own my messages 43: Who is your favorite one-hit wonder of the last twenty years? what did the fox say? 44: How many people, outside of your immediate family, do you know the birthdays of by heart? one 45: What is your favorite speech? nope 46: What is your least favorite song from your favorite musical? you assume i have a favorite musical 47: How do you feel about dating exes? Plead the 5th 48: What is your favorite vegetable? cucumber or spinach 49: Who is your favorite fictional villain? get back to you on that 50: What is your favorite police procedural? my what now? 0_o