#i know they only all BARELY tolerate each other in canon at this point

[kaitobromota]

[Blows the dust off this blog] Long time no see...

Back in the Danganronpa pits... have some silly doodles for an...AU? or like, slight canon divergence/missing scene? I got to chapter 5 in my THH replay and was thinking about the part where these four are alone in the gym dismantling Monokuma all night.

I know realistically it's supposed to be because they were paranoid and extra careful about taking it slow so nothing went wrong... but like... their alibi is from 10pm to 7am? In my heart of hearts it actually took the whole night because they kept getting distracted and chit-chatting and got into a bunch of shenanigans once the actual dismantling part was done. Like Byakuya says they went to the bathroom in pairs?? Not to mention you'd totally expect him to make a comment about how insufferable it was being stuck together for like nine hours. And Hina says they played rock paper scissors to decide who brought back breakfast???

You can't tell me they didn't bond at least a little bit. A friend pointed out it'd have the vibes of a 4am discord call and that's exactly it. Emotional confessions about personal fears and insecurities to dumb physiological debates that become inside jokes forever. Etc.

[bonnie-the-butcher]

Rip Tide | Chapter I

[ MDNI ] [ word count: 7.267 ] [ Masterlist ] 𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐬: Canonverse/Canon-Divergent; Dark! Content; NSFW; Strong Language; Cheating; Drug Use; Mentions of overdose; Some shades of Munchausen syndrome from dear old Rafe; Manipulation; Toxic, obsessive behaviour; Stalking; Violence; DUBCON/NONCON; My writing is really pretentious and English is not my first language, so please feel free to call me out in whichever grammar mistakes you might find find.

𝐒𝐮𝐦𝐦𝐚𝐫𝐲 | You and JJ have always been in each other's orbit. He's your brother’s best friend, the guy you've known your entire life. He was kind, protective, familiar. You never meant for the two of you to start hooking up. And you never meant for it to last so long. But when this boy you thought you'd come to know like the back of your hand turns out to be no better than the men he'd warned you about, you find yourself in the sights of the guy he hates most, regardless of wether you want that or not.

Likes, asks, reblogs and comments are greatly appreciated. This is my first wip in a while, so its a little janky, but I hope you like it! Thank you in advance for reading <3

He’d been gone for almost a year now.

You and your father were never really close. Truthfully, the two of you were never much of anything to each other.

Since you could remember, he’d treated you like some pet his ex had left at his house after a break-up: no warmth, no harshness, just this mild yet persistent annoyance that came from having to be responsible for something he neither wanted nor cared for. He could look down at you, throw a ball for you to catch, or pat your head half-heartedly while he talked to some random stranger that complimented you on the street, but whatever it was that you did right never granted you enough favor to avoid his ever-present disappointment.

That relationship alone was depressing enough as it was, but it would’ve been at least tolerable were it not for his much more obvious and paternal love for your older brother.

You could never really pin-point why it was that your father loved John so much while simultaneously only barely acknowledging your existence. You were both his children, after all. Yes, you were born to different mothers, but John’s mother had abandoned your father just as much as John’s did, and he only ever said good things about her, the same way he only ever said good things about John.

Maybe it was that John looked more like him, or that they thought just like each other, or that they only ever spoke about the same things.

Maybe this weird and cruel dynamic could be boiled down to you just being the odd one out. And though that didn’t make you resent it — resent them — any less, you’d made enough of a peace with it that once he was gone, you actually mourned him.

So why was it that it suddenly felt like he was right there, willingly ignoring you, all over again?

You sat alone on the railing at the Chateau, his ‘Chateau’, drinking budweiser, his favorite beer, wearing an old shirt that most definitely had belonged to him at some point, staring out into the river bank where he’d last been seen, and feeling rejected, exactly the same way he always made you feel.

The man was haunting you.

JJ and Kie lounged together on the sand over some old beach towel.The soft wind blowing her curls against his face. She smiles as she looks back at him, tucking that piece of hair behind her ear, and their eyes remain locked for a moment, gazes drifting back and forth between the eyes and the lips in that indecisive little lover’s dance you and him had been caught up in so many times.

It was excruciating: Sitting there and watching him play the same tricks he’d played on you on someone else, someone you knew he’d had his eye on for a while, like you were some sort of pathetic test subject he took up with the single intention of serving as the canvas on which he practiced his bullshitting skills.

You shouldn’t be surprised that he threw you away as soon as his actual target showed the slightest bit of interest in him, and you weren’t. That’s the worst part: in more ways than one, you knew this would happen. But as if locked in this realm of meta-self-consciousness, the more aware you were of JJ’s general scummyness, the more you convinced yourself you’d never fall for his lines, and the more comfortable you became in rolling over and letting him bullshit you.

You felt John’s approach before you heard him; Those unmistakably careless steps you’d heard just outside of your door all your life suddenly bounding towards you. Ten whole months of his obsessive and undivided attention hadn’t been able to erase the weirdness of him suddenly acknowledging you after seventeen years of pretending you weren’t there, so every time his eyes landed on you, your mind sent up a “something bad is about to happen” signal to the rest of your body.

He smiled awkwardly as you turned around to meet his eye.

– You okay? – The railing creaked as he sat down beside you, a half-drunk beer in his own hand. Your father’s disappearance had taken a lot out of John. At night, he paced. In the morning, he stared at the locked study. In the evening, he bit his nails and scratched his arms. And all throughout, you could see he was thinking of him. Whereas before, your brother had been the poster-child of teenage carelessness, now he could barely hide just how much his sanity had been going down the drain.

It was bad. Bad enough that he’d actually started worrying about losing you, of all people.

It was freaky.

The old John B couldn’t stand to be in the same room as you without cracking jokes at your expense or silently loathing at the burden of your existence. Now he could barely let you out of his sight.

You stayed quiet for a moment, unsure how to respond. Finally, you shrugged, taking another sip of beer before muttering, – Peachy.

John let out a hollow chuckle, shaking his head. – You suck at lying, you know.

–Thanks, – you said dryly, setting the bottle down on the railing beside you. – I’ll make sure to add that to my list of things I suck at.

He didn’t laugh this time. You could feel his gaze on you, weighing heavier with every second you refused to look at him. Finally, you turned to meet his eyes—green, sharp, and so annoyingly sincere they made your chest tighten.

–You’re not okay, – He said softly, his voice breaking the kind of silence that felt like it had been years in the making.

– That bad at hiding it, huh? Have to add that to the list too.

– Why do you wanna hide things from me?

You stopped yourself from scoffing before you could hurt his feelings. But the answer was obvious to anyone with eyes: The two of you didn’t know each other.

No matter how much he tried to make you a part of his friend group or make up for the time you two wasted pretending the other didn’t exist, a couple months of effort couldn’t fix what over a decade had set into stone.

Maybe doing things behind his back wasn’t helping.

But you didn’t do it to hurt him. You didn’t plan for things with JJ to go as far as they did, they just did. And you knew it would hurt him if you told him what you had been doing, because JJ was John’s family more than you had ever been, and he’d see it as a betrayal.

For a moment, you wanted to tell him the truth. The real truth, not the sarcastic, deflective shit you’d been feeding everyone since the day you learned to speak.

But you didn’t. Because you’d had seventeen years of practice in swallowing everything you felt until it became a lump in your throat you’d learned to ignore.

– I don’t. I’m not. And I… I don’t want to. – you said instead, your voice as steady as you could make it. – Life’s just been kicking me hard right now.

He studied you for a moment longer, his brow furrowing slightly, before he nodded. – It's okay. I get it.

– Thanks.

You expected him to leave after that, but he didn’t. Instead, he stayed right there, his shoulder brushing yours as you sat in silence.

It was awkward. It's always been with the two of you. But eventually, he spoke again.

– Look, I… um, how can I say this? – He laughed, dragging his fingers through his hair. – I need your help with something.

You chuckled, a little more light-hearted now, and patted his back softly. – Go ahead.

– So, JJ's been acting weird. – You froze. It was over. He knew. Maybe he didn’t know exactly what was going on, but he knew enough that this whole thing between JJ and you had to be completely restructured. Your eyes drifted back to where Kie and the blonde were sitting, trying to keep your panic under wraps. – I was talking to Pope about it, but it's not like he cares enough to know what's going on. And Kie, who is the one that should care, told me I was just acting crazy. But I'm not crazy! He is weird! He's acting very weird!

You wanted to comfort him, and tell him that he wasn’t crazy, that he was right. There was something going on with JJ. But how were you supposed to say that without blowing your cover completely? You bit the inside of your cheek, willing yourself to say the most basic thing you could:

– How so? – Was all you managed, still looking outwards, at JJ and Kie, in an attempt to avoid your brother’s gaze. It turned out to be just as bad a choice as the previous one. Your stomach turned as you saw him whisper something in her ear, earning a giggle from the girl, one that almost grated at your nerves. You took a deep breath, re-claiming the bottle you'd given up on, and taking a swig.

– Like… um, I don’t know. He’s always brushing me off about the most random things. Like, I can ask him a stupid question about surfing, or beer, or I don’t know, whatever! And he acts completely normal, but if I ask him if he slept over he’ll just feed me a bunch of senseless shit that doesn’t even answer the question!

– That’s... really weird.

– Right?! – He looked so relieved as you reassured him. So trusting. Yet here you were, lying to his face, knowing damn well that you were the reason JJ’s moronic ass couldn’t just tell your brother he slept on the couch. – And he keeps making these weird comments.

You were afraid to ask.

– What sort of comments?

– Like, the other day- He stopped himself short, suddenly looking into your eyes and then away again, his whole face suddenly red. – No, no. Um, forget about it. It’s weird.

– Weird? – He hummed and nodded. Eyes still glued to the floor. – Weirder than your ‘That’s so Raven’ phase? C’mon, tell me.

– No, it’s just..

– Just what?

– It’s like… – He gesticulated exaggeratedly with his hands. – graphic. We were... talking about, this site and when Pope made this joke about half siblings he just-

– Okay! –You breathed in, looking away as well. – Okay. So don’t tell me that. Is there anything else?

– Like, look at that! Look at his back. That looks really gnarly, doesn’t it? – You followed his gaze back to the thing you’d just been mulling over, and noticed, for the first time, the thing that had probably been freaking John out all day long: JJ’s back was streaked with nail marks. From beneath the ends of his dirty-blonde hair a couple hickeys poked out. And right there clear as day on his left shoulder, a bite.

You swallowed.

– Damn, I hadn’t seen that. – It wasn’t a lie. You’d never taken pride in the marks you left on people, mostly because after JJ, you often did your best to compartmentalize whatever intimacy you partook in. – Why is that weird, though?

– At first I thought he’d gotten into some catfight or something, that was ashamed to say it, but JJ’s been bitten all over these days, and he makes SUCH a big deal about saying it's nothing. Like, he'll ramble for hours. – He sighed. – I don’t know, but isn’t it weird?

– Yeah, it’s weird.

– Maybe he found some vampire chick to hook up with. – He laughed, though it was clear he didn't find any of it funny. – I don't know, but it's like his head's in the clouds or whatever.

You laughed, speaking before you could stop yourself: – Vampire? – You huffed, taking a swig from your bottle. – I don’t know. Kie doesn’t strike me as the type that only comes out at night. – Your conscience dawned upon you as you put the beer down. Drinking made you reckless, and as soon as you said it, you knew you'd be regretting it for a long time.

– What?! You- You don’t think they’d- No. No. No way.

– Uhm, I… I don’t. I don’t know. It was just like a hunch.

– Did she say something to you?!

She had, as a matter of fact, said something to you two days ago, and it had been burning in your mind even since: You’d been in the kitchen, staring into the empty fridge and trying to think of something you could possibly do with nothing but ketchup and mustard, when someone suddenly kicked the back of your shoe.

Kie had looked back at you with a mischievous smile. “JJ’s been staring at you all day.”

There was something conspiratorial in the way she giggled, poking at your sides like you were both children again, and you couldn’t help but laugh along: “Oh, please. He’d stare at a tree all day if it had tits.”

“I don’t think that’s it.” She looked around again, squeezing your arm. “I think he likes you. Like, like-likes you.”

You didn’t want to tell her that you and JJ had been sneaking around for a while, paranoid that John or Pope might walk past and hear you, so you just laughed. “How much beer did you drink today?”

“Fine, then, don’t tell me. Just know that I’m watching you!” She said it in sing-song, opened the door, and left you there, grinning alone, sure that it had been a completely harmless interaction.

Despite your endless tries, you hadn’t had many girl friends growing up. So when he was gone and John was suddenly forcing you to hang out with him and his friends, you’d been glad to spend time with Kie.

She’d always been nice to you, regardless of the fact she was older and a kook, so of course, you’d always been a little star-struck when she treated you like a friend.

Only a friend wouldn’t say what she said, not at least, when she was planning to spend the whole day after that flirting with JJ.

You wish you could’ve been charmingly aloof to her giggling and preening, and that, despite your definite lack of kook-ness, you would’ve had the grace and etiquette to brush it off as easily as she brushed off your feelings. But you’d never been the sort of person that can deal gracefully with their own negative emotions. So you sulked, and you drank, and you smoked.

The night fell slower than you had wanted that day, but as soon as your brother’s snoring could be heard through the house, your door creaked open, and in came JJ, with his stupid smile, bounding over to you.

Unsurprisingly, he didn’t bother to address it until both of you were half-naked.

JJ had this habit of introducing serious topics of conversation just as you were getting comfortable with him. So he’d been beneath you, calloused hands tearing your shirt off of your body, head thrown back as you kissed his neck, when, between a groan and a plea, he asked “What’s gotten you so angry, huh?”

You brushed it off as playful teasing. No one liked to dirty talk better than JJ, and given his talent to make people angry, you wouldn’t be surprised this was some scheme he’d worked out to rile you up. You tangled your hands in his hair, and pulled his head back, kissing him quiet as his fingers sunk into your waist. “What is it, huh?” He thrust into you, once and again, and again, his eyes squeezed shut as his mouth fell open, groaning and moaning against the crook of your neck. “You- ah- You don’t like me talking to Kie? Is that- OH GOD- Is that- is that it?”

You slammed your hips against his and laughed bitterly as you felt a shiver tear through him. JJ babbled for a moment, opening his eyes just for you to see them rolling into his head. Your nails scraped against his back in a way that had him arching into you. And though you were enjoying yourself, a part of you wanted to torture him more than anything.

He’d begged you to slow down, breathless and starry-eyed, his own nails digging into the meat of your thighs as he pulled you in, over and over again, despite his contradicting protests.

When you were finally done, JJ was red in the face as he fell back on your bed, and it took him a while to formulate a sentence. “I should make you jealous more often.” Was what he came up with at the end, heart thumping wildly against his ribcage, enough that you could feel it against your skin.

His breath was as warm as his hands, and just as shaky. The patterns he drew against your back shifted from adoring to exhausted, and you remained there, weaving your fingers through his blonde strands.

“What you should do is cash a reality check.” You hummed, and he barked out a laugh at that, curling up into your arms as you shifted to your side.

“Keep lying to yourself, babe. You know you love me.”

From beneath your lashes, you could see the smile on his face as he watched his hands move against you, hypnotized by steady movement his palms made down the curve of your hips.

You were satisfied by the interaction when it happened. It felt so playful, so soft, you didn’t even have the heart to wake him up as you felt his breath grow deeper against you.

JJ would wake you up hours later, just as the sun broke the horizon, whispering something about leaving before John B came to check on you, and you’d only barely registered his words, still stuck in that void between consciousness and sleep, but you remembered smiling as he kissed up your neck and told you he’d see you later.

He was right about that. But you weren’t glad you saw him again.

You woke up, opened the door, and just between stumbling to the bathroom and wondering if there was anything to eat, you saw him, shirtless on the couch, with Kie on top of him. You turned back around as if the sight had blinded you, trying to force the sound of their kissing out of your mind.

All day long, he’d been attached to her hip. They’d spent the morning whispering and giggling on the couch, the evening eating off each other’s plate, and now there they were, cuddled up on your beach towel, watching the sun go down.

John was still looking at you expectantly. – So? Did she say something?

You sighed.

– Not explicitly. She did ask me if I liked him very suspiciously, though.

– Why didn’t you say anything?!

- Because! – Because you had no idea she would bait and switch you like that. The moment sat heavy on your chest, a constant, gnawing reminder that whatever semblance of camaraderie you thought you had with Kie had only been another cruel thing in your ongoing circus of disappointments. And of course you couldn’t share that with John. The last thing you needed was to light another fire beneath his already manic suspicions. So you shrugged and avoided his gaze, taking another sip of beer. – It was weird, but not weird enough that it merited an intervention.

He’s shaking his head as you speak, unconsciously, almost in denial.

He clearly wasn’t buying that there was nothing going on, and the frown on his face deepened, turning into something like disgust. – Kie wouldn’t… She wouldn’t do that. She’s not dumb, right? She knows what JJ is like, doesn’t she?

You soaked in that unintended insult for a second, wishing you had never opened your mouth. – I don’t know. Maybe they’re not. – But they were, though. –You’ve all had a thing for Kie at some point, right? JJ’s probably just going through a phase.

– Yeah, but she’s entertaining it! She never did that before! – You couldn’t argue against him anymore. You knew he was right, and he, unconsciously or not, did too. But the guilt was eroding at you from the inside out. Despite the decade and some you two had spent trying to ignore one another, you knew him well enough to know that what was bothering him was not that his friends could be in a relationship, but what would happen to his friend group when they inevitably broke up. – I can’t believe JJ would do that.

– He might not be doing anything, John! – You tried to give him some comfort at least, janky though were at expressing sympathy. – I mean, it’s JJ we’re talking about, he’ll flirt with any girl that has a pulse.

– What part of “She’s entertaining it” didn’t you get?! – He turned to you like a coiled viper, eyes dark with an anger you couldn’t really comprehend. The moment his voice sharpens it’s like the temperature in the room has dropped. Suddenly, you’re on your feet, struggling to process how this seemingly normal conversation had turned into a fight.

You try to keep your cool, though you feel that guilt pushing into confusion:

– Hey, you don’t need to raise your voice at me. I’m just trying to make you see the nuance here.

– What nuance?! It’s obviously happening! You were the one who brought up the problem and now you’re just gonna brush it off?

– I wasn’t the one that brought it up, and that’s not what I’m doing!

– Yes it is! And you always do! You bring up these random things about other people, stirring shit up, and when I try to talk about it, you’re suddenly above it? You’re such a hypocrite!

– Why are you mad, John? We were just talking about this like grown-ups and suddenly you wanna argue? Let’s just- Let’s calm down for a second, okay? – You both looked down for a moment, interrupted by your ringtone. Barry’s name flashed on your screen for the third time that day. Yet another one of your bad habits catching up to you. – Uh, hey, Bee. I’m kind of in the mi- Hey! Hey! What the fuck are you doing? – John wrestled the phone out of your hand, turning it off before you could do anything. – WHAT THE FUCK IS YOUR PROBLEM?!

– We’re talking here! I don’t know if you realized.

– Fuck you, John! Are fucking kidding me?! Give me back my phone!

– WE’RE TALKING RIGHT NOW!

– I’m not fucking talking to you after this bullshit! Give me back my fucking phone!

He held it out of your reach, looking at you with spite. – I hate Barry. You know I hate him, why the hell do you keep talking to him?!

There wasn’t much else you could do but stare up in disbelief. – Why are you bringing this shit up now?! He’s my friend, you know that! And you don’t own me! I’ll talk to whoever I want!

You hear the steps coming towards the two of you as John scoffs, pushing you off of him. – Barry’s a drug dealer, for God’s sake! When are you gonna realize this guy is bad news?!

– Oh, sure! Because JJ is such a model citizen!

– Don’t bring him into this!

– You were the one that brought him into this! It’s none of your goddamn business who I choose to hang out with, John! I’m your sister, not your fucking pet!

He raises his hands, laughing bitterly. – Pet? Really? That’s fucking rich coming from you! – That stings more than you want to admit it. The way he throws his words at you like knives. The way he says it, it tells you it’s not just the frustration talking. He means it. – Up until a couple months ago you treated us all like lepers, wouldn’t even look us in the eye! But you want me to believe that the crackhead down the street is somehow more worthy of your time than I am?!

Your composure had gone down the drain now, and the guilt went with it. You could have lied. You should have lied. But because you didn't, now you were punished. – You are so fucking full of yourself, John! I swear to God!

– I’M FULL OF MYSELF?! Really?! I am?!

– Yes, you are! You’re so fucking spoilt! You think the world just revolves around you! You can do whatever you want, you fuck up, you commit literal fucking felonies out there with your friends, and I’m the problem because I’m friends with the guy that YOU BUY WEED FROM?!

He laughs. Not to himself, at you. Just the way he used to do before: – You’ve gotta be really fucking stupid to think Barry, of all people, is your friend. It’s fucking pathetic, really!

– Says the guy who hasn’t made a friend since the third grade!

– Whoa! Whoa! Chill out, you two, what the hell is going on?! – JJ comes rushing in, already pulling John away from you like some sort of white knight, but your brother just pushes him out of the way, still tearing into you:

– Barry’s not your friend. You’re too smart not to see that– Or you know, at least I thought you were.

– Guys, c’mon- JJ can barely get a word in:

– You don’t know what you’re talking about! The people I hang out with are none of your business, and you know damn well you have no room to talk!

– What do you even mean by that?!

You laugh sarcastically. – And you think I’m the one who is fucking stupid?

You feel a hand on your shoulder, trying to pull you back. Kie stands behind you, her dark eyes full of pity, a concern that is more judging than kind. – Guys, Guys, please. Just stop it. You two are not thinking straight.

– We’re talking here, Kie, stay out of it! – You can see the lack of patience in your brother’s eyes as he speaks. And you take the opportunity to try and grab your phone again, but JJ grabs you before you can get to him. – Get off of me, JJ! None of this shit concerns you! Can you fuck off?!

– JJ’s just trying to help. – Kie says. She pushes JJ off of you, trying to stand in between. –Look, let’s calm down.

– We don’t want your help!

– Don’t talk to my friends like that!

– Like what? Like the way you and dad talk to me?

– You’re not putting dad into this fucking conversation right now! Jesus, you are so fucking pathetic! – He’s always thought that about you. In all the time you’ve known John, which is all the time you’ve been alive, that’s the word he most commonly attached to you: pathetic. And it echoes in your head as you look at him. The edge in his eyes repeating that word again and again. – You’re literally a child! You’re trying to butt into my friends lives because you don’t have any, and dad’s supposed to be at blame because you had no fucking life until I tried to include you?!

– Oh, oh sorry! Sorry! I didn’t realize I was in the presence of a Saint! I thought I was talking to the guy who bullied me in middle school at the same time he had me help him with his High School homework! My mistake! GO FUCK YOURSELF, JOHN! It took dad disappearing for you to acknowledge the fact I wasn’t some fucking plaything for you to kick around when you’re bored! Get off your fucking high horse!

You see the rage forming on his face again.

– You’re rich! You’re really fucking rich, you know that?!

– I don’t give a fuck what you think of me, John! I don’t care! I can take a humbling from a lot of fucking people, okay, but I don’t wanna hear shit from you! You’re a spoiled brat! Dad never had the guts to tell you no on anything, so you think you’re entitled to everyone’s shit! You think you can control your friends lives, you think you can boss me around and use the money THAT I’M FUCKING MAKING to fund your little parties and make yourself feel better about the fact Dad walked out! Well I’ve got fucking news for you, bro! You’re the fucking child here! YOUR ASS CAN’T EVEN GET A JOB!

– You’re really gonna make this about money again? Is that the problem?!

– Oh my fucking God! TAKE A FUCKING HINT, JOHN! LOOK AROUND YOU!

JJ calls your name again, holding your brother back as Kie begs you to stop. You hadn’t even realized they were talking. – Please! That’s not who either of you are! You’re angry! You’re saying things you don’t mean.

– Oh he means it, Kie. John might be stupid but he’s damn sure not crazy, and he knows what he says! That's what he thinks of me! He thinks I'm some dumb little kid who can't make friends! That I'm some loser who doesn't have a life! He thinks EXACTLY WHAT HE SAID! He thinks I'm fucking pathetic!

– AND HOW EXACTLY ARE YOU PROVING ME WRONG RIGHT NOW?!

– Fucking stop this already! Just GIVE IT BACK! – You were livid now, pushing past Kie and reaching for it, but John yanks it back like it’s some kind of trophy just so he can see you rage.

– You’re not even listening to me! All this shit you’re doing, the screaming, the shouting, the running off to Barry or whoever the hell else— That’s exactly the shit you’d pull when we were kids! It’s like you haven’t grown up at all! You’re fucking doing this or attention!

– Fuck you. Just fuck you. Fuck you. Fuck you. Fuck you!

JJ’s the only thing standing between the two of you now, a wall in the middle over which the two of you scream. Kie holds you by the shoulders, pleading.

You’re glad for them at that moment, because you can’t be sure you wouldn’t scratch your brother’s eyes out if he came too close.

Your head is spinning. You wanna tear your hair out of your head. And as if what was going on right then wasn’t bad enough, JJ has the gall to open his mouth and tell you to step back: – He’s right. You’re being childish. Just let this go.

You were about to, until he said it.

– I need to let it go?! He was the one that started this shit in the first place! HE took my phone! HE started screaming! HE’S the one calling me fucking names and talking to me like a fucking child! And I’m the one that needs to let this go?! NO! FUCK YOU JJ! THIS SHIT DOESN’T EVEN HAVE ANYTHING TO DO WITH YOU! FUCK OFF!

– STOP TALKING TO HIM LIKE THAT, HE’S MY BEST FRIEND!

– Yeah?! And you’re doing such a great job of showing it right now, huh? Freaking out over some scratches on his back and trying to make it into some great betrayal! You’re out of your fucking mind!

– FUCK YOU!

– You’re obsessed! You’re losing your mind over some stupid shit that doesn’t even matter! You can’t fucking handle it when people do things without telling you because you think you know better about their lives than them! Guess what John: Maybe people don’t owe you shit!

He laughed bitterly, shaking his head and pointing at you as if he was some great detective: – You’re going really hard on this aren’t you? You’re hiding something! I know you are!

– What?! Are you seriously accusing me of–? God, you’re insane! GET OVER YOURSELF JOHN! The world doesn’t revolve around you and your little posse!

You can hear a rumble in the distance, the roar of an engine you couldn’t quite place, and you look away, the rage within you giving way to exhaustion. You want this to end, but John keeps going:

– Stop tearing into my friends just because you don’t have any of your own, okay?! This jealousy, this envy shit, it isn’t even funny. It’s just pathetic! IT JUST IS! The fact that nobody gives a fuck about you is not anybody else’s fault! – The words came out like venom, sharp and deliberate, but they struck true.

You kept your eyes on him for a moment, jaw clenched, face still. You could see JJ and Kie looking between themselves in the tension, sort of hesitating, completely clueless as to what to do.

Your brother’s face fell, slowly, as if he was reliving every word that had just come out of his lips in a play-by-play. The emotions flitted through his face like seasons, first it was confusion, then shock, then regret, and finally guilt.

You wished you could’ve said something, something cold, and cruel. Something that he’d be thinking about for a long time. But you couldn’t. Just the effort that it took for you to be able to breathe without crying had frozen the words within your throat. So you were kept silent, took the beer from the railing, and pushed past him.

– Wait- – John reached for you, but you shrugged him off before he could get the attention he needed to formulate his next words. You didn’t want to hear him, be near him, you didn’t want him to exist.

Instead, you look out into the lawn.

– Look, I’m sorry. I’m really sorry. I didn’t mean it. I just- John falters mid-word, the rumble of the engine cut through the tension like a knife, low and guttural, growing louder as it approached. Both of you froze, your argument abruptly suspended as the sleek black Range Rover pulled into view. You frown for a moment, trying to piece together the fragments of memory you have of seeing this car, but JJ scoffs from behind you on the porch, and when you see Kiara’s expression twist into one of contempt, you know exactly who it belongs to.

The driver stays put, engine still running as if the car itself was too impatient to linger. And for a moment no one gets out.

You approach carefully.

You’ve never spoken much to Rafe Cameron, you only saw him whenever he came to see Barry, and even then, it was always quick. A glance, a smile, a double entendre he says while he eyed you, without ever addressing you directly.

You look over your shoulder again to see if maybe he’s come for Sarah. But she’s been laying in John’s room all evening, and the doorway is empty, no sign of her.

John’s face twists back into anger. He wraps a hand around your arm, stopping you in your tracks. His jaw is clenched as he looks at the Rover, and he seems eager, like a cat ready to pounce.

The passenger door swings open right then, and you see him. Not Rafe, not Topper, or any of his Kook friends, but Barry — A grin splits his face as he steps out, the light catching his golden tooth as his smile widens, a cigarette dangling from his lips. – Well, look who’s got the whole neighborhood in an uproar! – He drawls, voice teasing but warm. – What’s going on, darlin’? You look ready to throw hands.

Despite yourself, you feel your shoulders relax, the weight of the argument easing slightly. – Barry! – You’re surprised by how light your voice sounds as you run to meet him, standing arms open before Rafe’s car, he wraps you up and spins you around quickly, his laughter blowing against your hair. – What’s going on?What’re you doing here?

– Phone call got cut short. – He winks as you pull away, glancing over your shoulder at John. His smirk widens, deliberately provoking. – Figured I’d swing by and see what the fuss was about. Looks like I walked into a family reunion.

– It’s none of your business. – John snaps.

Barry raises his hand in mock surrender, his grin never faltering. – Touchy, touchy. Don’t worry, man. I’m not here to stir the pot. Looks like y’all already took care of that.

– Sorry about the call. – You whisper. – Things are kinda weird around here.

– Not your fault, sweetheart, – He taps your arm with his pointer finger, fixing you a smile as he dragged a hand through his hair and threw the cigarette on the ground. – Some people just don’t know how to let things go.

– I’ll tell you what’s letting go, Barry. You’re gonna let go of my sister and fuck off back to your rat’s nest!

– Ignore him. – You beg, no less worried as you hear your friend whisper an “always do”. – So. What is it?

– What? I can’t just be here for the pleasure of your company? – He pats your back softly, feet swaying as he speaks. – You wound me, sweetheart.

– You’re a peach, Bee. A real charm. But I’m guessing this favour you’re about to ask me isn’t a work-from-home sorta thing. You’ll have my company regardless.

Barry leans against the open car door, his smile fading. He breathes in deep. – You’re not gonna like it.

– Well, I hate you already, – You teased. – can’t see how things could get worse.

– I was gonna tell you on the phone, but the troglodyte over there wouldn’t let me. – He looks over his shoulder, and back at you. – There’s a party, over at figure eight. Boss’ gonna be there. You remember him, right?

A shiver tore through you just at the thought. – How could I forget?

Barry chuckles, shaking his head. – Yeah, well. He kinda likes you, y’know. Thought maybe you’d tag along, help me keep things smooth. – You felt your chest tighten. He pauses, eyes glinting with something unreadable. – Missed you, too. Thought maybe your boy over there was keeping you on house arrest again.

– I can hear you, Barry. – John said coldly, stepping forward.

– Oh good. – He didn't miss a beat. – Thought maybe I’d have to file a request just to get five minutes with her. What’s next, man? A sign-in sheet? You running this place like a damn prison, now?

– Shut up! – Your brother snapped again, his fists clenching. JJ came up behind him, eyes fixed on the arm Barry held over your shoulder.

– Relax, big guy. Nobody’s stealing anything from you, we can’t all break into people’s houses and take their money while they’re gone.

You cringe at the memory. – Barry, please. Don’t.

– Me? I’m not doing anything, sweetheart. We’re just playing around, right, boys? – He chuckled, squeezing you closer as he looked at them.

JJ was the one to speak then: – Get off of her, man.

– Shit, what am I now? A cradle robber? – Barry looks at you with a pointed smile, but he’s not talking to you, he’s just riling them up. – You don’t even like me like that, do you, sweetheart? Unless you do, and then, well…

JJ grabs him by the shirt, but Barry just keeps laughing. – I’m telling you to get the fuck off of her, man!

– JJ, chill the fuck out, what are you doing? – You push him back, away from your friend. There’s something in his eyes you can’t quite read as he meets your gaze. Anger, frustration, sadness. His hands rest on your shoulders, and he opens his mouth, as if to tell you something, but Barry’s laughter cuts in again, and suddenly all you see in his face is anger.

– He’s pushing it! – The blonde retorts, almost childishly.

– Ooh, down pitbull! – He’s almost cackling now, and you can hear a second laugh, something shorter, softer, coming from the car. Rafe’s looking at you too, you can feel his eyes on you. – I’d watch out if I were you, John B! Looks like your buddy here is looking to catch some friendly fire.

– Barry, for fuck’s sakes!

He just laughs at your words, resting his hand on the car door again. – Sorry, sweetheart. But it’s just too easy! – You hesitate, looking back at your brother, whose scowl has deepened. – C’mon, let’s just go.

– She’s not going anywhere with you, – John spits the words out like poison, stepping in to stand next to JJ. – Not with you, and sure as hell not with that psychopath! – You can hear a scoff from within the Range Rover, Rafe seems to be enjoying himself. Enough that he just sits back and grins, waiting for your brother to keep talking.

Barry lets out a whistle. – Ooh, now we bringing Rafe into it? You’re scared of a little country club action, huh? What’s the problem, John B? Brother-in-law not good enough for you?

– What the fuck did you just say to me?!

– Oh, for fuck’s sakes. Stop it. Just stop this shit, I’m tired of it.

– Not my fault your brother’s got a stick up his ass.

– Barry! – You sigh, feeling the limit of your patience encroaching as you turn around. – Give me back my phone, John.

– No. – He swiped it out of your reach again. – You’re not fucking going, and you're gonna thank me for it later. Barry is bad news, as it is. But Rafe? – His eyes darken. You can hear that same chuckle again, and you can tell they're looking at each other. – Rafe’s even worse. You’re not going anywhere near that nut job if I can help it.

– You hear that, Country Club? Surfer boy’s scared of you!

– I swear to God, man. If you don’t shut up–

You pushed him back, long past your wit’s end:

– Quit it. I’m getting really fucking tired of your shit, John. I’m not joking, give it back.

He looks at you for a moment. He'd managed to keep his face smooth for the duration of this talk, though he never could hide his temper, but now he looks as if he could kill you:

– Come and get it, if you want it. It’s right here. – He held it out over his head, smiling without a hint of joy on his face.

– Are we really doing this, right now?

– You said you wanted it. Well, do you?

You look over your shoulder, pondering the options.

Barry’s eyes meet yours as he climbs back into the car, smirking. – Door’s open, sweetheart. Tick tock.

John’s voice cut through your thoughts, sharp and angry. – She’s not going! – He tried to grab you again, but you didn’t think, you just moved.

You ducked under his grasp, twisting away before he could get a hold of your arm. The sudden motion made your heart race, adrenaline flooding your veins as you bolted toward the car. John cursed behind you, his footsteps heavy on your heels, but he was too slow to catch you.

Barry already held his hand out, his golden grin flashing into laughter as you dove inside. You barely registered the hand that steadied you before you landed ungracefully in his lap, your momentum knocking the breath out of both of you.

– Damn, sweetheart. – Barry drawled, his hands catching your waist steady, where Rafe’s had just been, and the door closes behind the two of you with a bang. – Didn’t know you missed me that much.

– Drive! – You snapped, ignoring the heat rushing to your face.

Rafe’s laughter erupts from beside you, loud and mocking, as the car lurches forward. You glance up just in time to see him smirking at you, his hand casually draped against the steering wheel. The engine revs beneath you as the Range Rover moves, kicking up a cloud of dirt.

You turn around to look at the window, catching sight of JJ and John as they stumbled to a halt. Your brother shouts something – Your name, maybe, or a string of curses – But the roar of the engine drowns him out.

Barry chuckles against you, leaning back on the seat with his arm around your middle. – Remind me to do that again sometime.

– I will man, don’t worry. – Rafe laughs.

– The two of you are sick. – You can feel Barry nodding, his laughing lips pressed against your shoulder, the road before you suddenly becoming clear. They say something else, something you don’t quite catch, as the situation finally dawns on you:

You’re in a car with Rafe Cameron. And it's too late to go back.

[directdogman]

(Sorry if I have bad English, I'm from Spain.)

I'm super hyperfixated on the original managers, so I have 2 questions.

1. In Dialtown, Tango/Terrence says no one called him Tango before. Assuming that in the DSaF universe he also liked that nickname, did any of the other original managers call him Tango or not?

2. A headcanon I've seen in the DSaF fandom is that Abel hated everyone BUT the real Scott Cawthon, and that Scott was the only one that tolerated Abel (some ppl even ship them). Is that close to canon? Or the og Scott Cawthon also hated Abel? I really want to know what they thought about each other.

Btw, I really love your games, I've played the DSaF trilogy many times, and the Dialtown demo (I haven't played the full version of Dialtown yet, but I've seen gameplays and I'll buy it for my birthday), thank you for making 4 incredible games <3

I don't answer many DSaF questions these days, but this one's interesting so here goes:

1)Tango's nickname is a DT invention as far as I remember. If he preferred the name in DSaF's universe, Harry would've used it for sure, given how much he liked Terrence and since he's literally using a name he doesn't believe is really 'his' because it makes him feel better. He of all people would understand.

2)Yeah, that's a pretty good way of stating it, but there's a little more nuance to it that explains a little bit more about Abel/Joe's rift.

Basically, the original Scott Cawthon was a unifying figure. He got on with every single one of the original managers and they all thought the world of him. The Phone Guy process was started in an attempt to recreate him by Abel (and the other managers at first) and you gotta consider why they'd all want to do that. He was the glue that held the group together, the only manager liked by everyone else there without exception, someone who could defuse tension and resolve conflicts amicably.

It's true that he had the most patience for Abel and never badmouthed Abel to the other managers and even defended him earnestly, knowing Abel the best of the other managers and knowing some of Abel's early life and where he came from, while the others were more willing to honestly discuss Abel's short fuse and occasionally mean nature (even Terrence to some extent!) This led Abel to develop more of a bond with him than the other managers and somewhat distrust the others.

While Abel was essentially Scott's number 2, as time went on, Joe became more and more integral to the running of their budding company, since he was a skilled accountant and managed to balance the books despite Scott's somewhat reckless spending at times (he was overgenerous to the point where it sometimes led to financial trouble for the company, a stark contrast to what Freddy's became later.) Since Joe was so blunt (and Abel's biggest critic), Abel was incredibly jealous and insecure that if the trend continued, Joe would supplant him.

This also explains why Abel was so willing to toss his other managers into the 'machine' when each of them suffered accidents. Ultimately, it wasn't just sheer cowardice, it was him trying to recreate the past - to recreate the one person who seemingly saw him as anything other than a vampire. Someone who actually wanted him around. Of course, no two snowflakes are ever exactly the same. Abel was a poor replacement as the owner of the company, Joe was barely able to keep things afloat amidst a messy and chaotic expansion and Harry wound up presiding over the company's demise.

There's a pretty widespread narrative theme in DSaF of damaged people trying to recreate something they've lost - Dave trying to turn Jack into the new Henry, Jake and his family, Harry and his former identity, the Kennedy family reuniting.

“Can’t repeat the past? Why, of course you can!”

But, the fact is, you can't recreate the past. The only way forward is to pick up the pieces and build something new.

[tomwambsgans]

tom & greg + fixation on, and fear of, sexual assault

of all the characters involved in a plot centered around a sexual exploitation scandal, it's ironically not any women but tom and greg - the very characters through whom we're introduced to the exploitation - who show repeated concern for their own bodily autonomy, particularly on a sexual vein. that particular point of irony serves to exemplify their outsider statuses that remain in spite of promotions, marriages, etc, but also, these aspects of their characters being so consistent tells us a lot about their relationship to the entire culture of masculinity, not just waystar.

greg in particular is practically introduced with a fixation on sexual assault. his character in general is a notably un-sexual being up until the end of season 3, with the only allusions he makes to sex until then being a matter of himself as a victim. that fixation/fear becomes most apparent when the notion of prison comes up - and it is clearly the chief worry driving that fear for greg. in contrast, tom does have other repeatedly expressed worries about prison: non-sexual autonomy lost, a lack of comfort, a lack of Finer Things, particularly food and wine... but (implicitly non-consensual) sex makes the list and is also brought up multiple times, interestingly with less apparent fear than greg's. this may be due to tom already having a pragmatic relationship with (heterosexual) sex that allows him to plow through a series of sexual encounters that are tainted with elements of Wrongness - the idea here being that a fear of sex is just kind of normal for tom, so he's used to it. he has a very high tolerance for pain and physical discomfort. it's less losing autonomy and more acknowledging he barely has any to begin with. he's less panicked, more resigned. perhaps even less of a victim and more of a... coerced participant, because to even conceptualize himself as a victim would be too vulnerable. one more character does allude to being victimized by sexual assault, meanwhile - roman. where he contrasts with both tom and greg, though, is that rather than fearing it happening in the future, there's instead the idea of it having happened in the past. there may or may not have been any actual event or even a theme of sexual abuse in roman's childhood, but we get multiple notions: roman jokingly threatening to accuse connor of "diddling" him, the vibes that float around the dog pound story and how he "went weird," "yeah they raped me a little," his inability to pee around other men and the implication he's seen a therapist for it... and of course, this:

which is where roman's relationship with all of this contrasts the most starkly with tom and greg's: whether he's truly a victim or not (and if he wasn't, he clearly does at least cling to the notion as a potentially easy explanation for all that's wrong with him), he turns around and starts weilding the idea himself. furthermore he communicates, in that particular deleted scene, his knowingness of something between tom and greg. and he reinforces the idea that there's something wrong with it. the scenario he evokes, where greg is a Victim and tom is a Perpetrator, isn't accurate whatsoever, but it sends a message, implants an idea, sets the tone, etc - sex between men will always include those two characters. this is, undeniably, the precise reason for both tom and greg's fixations on being a sexual victim of other men. the canonical fixation in and of itself, and its uniqueness to the two of them, may as well establish this - in the gender theory of the show (and also real life), tom and greg are of a different gender class than Real Man. they are adjacent to women. to be frank with you, they are faggots. both know on some level that intimacy with men is what they want, and therefore, however consciously, have that sense of their role in the world being a vulnerable one. there are elements of both fear and fantasy, building off of each other: "this is inevitable because of what i am" and "what if i enjoy it, what does that say about who i am?" and "if i have no choice in the matter, then maybe i'm free to enjoy it." there's a loop of freedom from contending with one's own desires -> a hyperawareness of them. now, roman may join tom and greg in being Categorically Less Of A Man, but he still sits above them on the axis of class and therefore doesn't feel the same ramifications. tom and greg are not only gay but live far more directly in the Real World, with origins in the present and physical homophobia of the middle and lower classes. tom also knows the corporate homophobia from climbing his way up and gives greg the crash course. tom and greg's differences wrt their fears of SA lie in self-awareness, self-hatred, and how successfully each of them have already carved out a space for themselves in the sexual hierarchy. but ultimately what they have in common is the most significant: their inability to fit authentically into the world of the roys. their shared uniqueness, amongst the elite, in having a body - one that can and often does experience pleasure and pain. in having real desires and therefore being vulnerable. in being gay little nudie turtles underneath.

[thephantomcasebook]

I honestly don't like the idea of Helaemond and ​​Maelor being Aemond's son. Aegon is already being betrayed from all sides, but being betrayed by his wife-sister who is one of the kindest people in history? No. I confess, there was a point where I shipped Helaemond, but Aegon captivated me with his complexity. Then now he is my favorite character.

I can dig that.

My rebuttle to that however is that I don't think Aegon cares all that much if Aemond and Helaena are hooking up behind his back. And I don't think that Aegon is going to be in a state of mind to care anymore after his injuries.

I know Helaegon shippers have built this canon in their heads of this understated romance. But the book clearly states that Aegon and Helaena did not love each other, they barely tolerated each other. Aegon and Helaena were forced into marriage against their will by Viserys in order to curb Aegon's frat boy antics before he ended up in an early grave. The only thing they agreed on is that they absolutely loved their children.

It is stated clearly in every version of "Fire and Blood" that after Aegon was injured, Helaena never once visited him or checked on him. And Aegon abandoned her when Alicent surrendered the Red Keep to Rhaenyra and the Dragon Seed.

I just don't think Helaena nor Aegon would see Helaena being in a romantic relationship with Aemond as a betrayal. Aegon just doesn't care that much about Helaena or her life. He cares for her a bare minimum as his sister, but not much more.

But, I mean, I ain't gonna tell you how to feel or what to think. Aegon's my boy, but I just don't think he has those type of feelings for Helaena.

If anything, had he walked in on Aemond and Helaena having sex, I think he'd have the same reaction as he did in the brothel, humiliating and laughing at both of them, making them feel uncomfortable and belittle them. To be perfectly frank, I think he'd see them and their romance as cringe more than betrayal.

[bludgeon-alt]

Request from @maliciousfrog

ohhh if you don't mind, i would love to see your take on jugram and uryuu as roommates 👀 can be an AU, can be a post tybw canon divergence where jugram survives. can be art or fic too! thank you!!!

The morning routine in Jugram Haschwalth and Uryu Ishida’s shared apartment was a silent truce of familiarity. They had moved in together to save on rent, and because, for all their sharp-edged differences, each understood that the other preferred a household without idle chatter.

Jugram was already at the table, a picture of early-morning precision with coffee in hand, polished leather shoes crossed at the ankle. Uryu had little doubt that Haschwalth’s tie, a precise, smooth blue silk that matched his suit impeccably, had been ironed before dawn. It seemed absurdly formal, but it was one of the few ways Uryu had come to recognize his roommate. Some days, it felt like living with a very reserved, overcritical statue.

With the customary glance of acknowledgement, Uryu passed by and poured himself tea.

“Is it another late day?” Jugram asked, his tone as precisely metered as ever.

Uryu nodded, sipping his tea slowly. “Extra shifts. It’s exam season.”

“Hm. I see.” Jugram did not look up. He was already reading a newspaper, the headlines perfectly folded to hide all but the financial updates. A faint line appeared in his brow, barely perceptible if Uryu hadn’t grown familiar with his more subdued expressions.

It was probably a good thing neither of them were the small-talk type, Uryu thought. He had experienced enough strained, quiet breakfasts with Jugram to know that his roommate’s tolerance for casual conversation was nearly non-existent. This, naturally, hadn’t stopped Jugram from remarking on the “casual disarray” of Uryu’s wardrobe—or making other similarly pointed observations. Uryu allowed himself a small sigh.

It was odd, he thought, how Jugram still managed to exude an air of authority. At times, Uryu could almost picture him in some quiet, dim office or at the helm of a regiment. As if they were not roommates with a shared rent, a lease, and a particularly stubborn washing machine.

Still, Uryu found himself mildly curious about his roommate’s daily comings and goings. There was something paradoxical in watching Jugram go about such mundane tasks—getting groceries, ironing collars—when only a few years prior he had been an enigmatic, imposing figure amid wartime. Occasionally, Uryu had questions for him, some half-formed query regarding his past life, his views, his choices. These questions, he supposed, were mostly selfish. And unwise to ask.

“Are you planning on being home late, Ishida?” Jugram’s voice broke into his thoughts, and Uryu nearly spilled his tea.

“Yes. It’ll be a long night.”

“Understood. I’ll be back around six,” Jugram said, methodically gathering his things. He was up and at the door without so much as a pause, leaving Uryu to finish his tea alone in the quiet.

That evening, Uryu returned to find Jugram at the table, flipping idly through a record catalog with a look of displeasure.

“Anything wrong?” he asked, unsure why he felt compelled to break their usual, comfortable silence.

Jugram glanced up, surprise momentarily flashing across his face before he composed himself. “I requested a replacement needle for the record player. They’ve sent me the wrong model. Twice.”

“Twice?”

“An unfortunate recurrence of error, yes.”

“Hm.” Uryu smirked faintly, unable to help himself. “How do you know it wasn’t your mistake?”

For the barest instant, Jugram’s gaze sharpened, and Uryu was forcibly reminded of who this man was. Even as the moment passed, he could feel the weight of a silent grudge hanging between them like smoke. It was strange, sharing quarters with someone who held him at a subtle distance, who treated him with such unshakable professionalism that he sometimes wondered if Jugram was capable of treating anyone as a true equal.

“I do not make those kinds of mistakes,” Jugram replied coolly.

Uryu raised his cup in a silent toast. “I’ll take your word for it.”

After a long, quiet evening, Uryu retreated to his room, still bemused by Jugram’s restrained indignation over the record needle. As he lay in bed, staring up at the ceiling, he wondered how long they’d be able to keep up this odd semblance of peace. Neither had ever mentioned the events that led them to live as roommates; it was a silent understanding between them. Jugram’s measured, careful responses and Uryu’s occasional prods formed a routine they both accepted, perhaps even tolerated.

[crystallizsch]

Hi!!! Feel free to tell me if this is asking too much on the twst ask game but…

2, 8, and 10 for both? Or maybe just Yuusha?

Sorry, I couldn’t narrow down! 😩 I love learning about interpersonal relationships, but I also really wanted to know about which dorm your Yuus would go to if they weren’t in Rmashackle! I’m pretty sure I know where Yuusha would go though lmao 👀

AAH HI HI! this took a while i had a lot of fun writing about it haha thank you so much!! qwq

also this isn't too much at all, there's no limit! (it'll only take me a while longer to answer depending on how many >.< but i wouldn't be against it)

and i answered for both of them because they're all really fun questions! i'm a sucker for interpersonal relationships too, character dynamics are really fun to explore and play around with!

(for #2: technically for both of them, their closest platonic friends would be grim, ace, and deuce because they've been there with them since the beginning. malleus would also be a runner up canonically but that's somewhat boring so the they are immediately disqualified.) (for #8: both of them dislike crowley the most so also automatic disqualification. (i’m not a crowley hater, it’s just funny in-universe 😭) i’m going to stick with the main boys and ignore the staff and other characters.)

━━━━✦ Yuusha

2) Who is your OC’s closest platonic friend?

(they haven't seen each other in less than a day)

Yuusha's closest platonic friend would be Kalim.

They had an IMMEDIATE bond because of Kalim's friendliness and openness which is something Yuu had barely seen in the time she had been in NRC. It was a breath of fresh air. Of course, at first, she was skeptical (especially following that whole Scarabia fiasco), but they naturally gravitated toward one another and just heavily clicked in a purely platonic sense.

Food and gifts definitely seem to be their love language towards one another. And on top of that, they just love to hang out to have fun. Yuusha never gets tired of Kalim. And they seem to be very close with one another to the point you'd think they were dating.

(i need to draw their dynamic more oml)

It helped that Yuusha tends to be very affectionate towards her close friends. She can be very touchy and overall not afraid to show how she feels about people. However, she only sees all of her relationships as platonic (that is until the one(tm) cough Jamil cough can manage to click her heart a certain way) (if Yuusha and Jamil just decided to stay friends instead, Jamil would be her closest but I digress).

8) Is there a character your OC doesn’t like, if so why?

The twins. Yuusha doesn't necessarily consider it as a hate/dislike of them because she still manages to tolerate them; it's more that she doesn't trust them fully.

She finds it hard to read them and predict their next move. And that sometimes scares her. If there's anything that she fears the most is the idea of being used and taken advantage of. It is humiliating and downright degrading. It tells her that she was wrong about people and that she was too trusting. And that's something she hates having to accept.

And Yuu knows the twins are fully capable of that without remorse, so she believes that she always has to watch herself around them, making sure she always stays on whatever their "good side" may be. At least Azul seems to be straightforward with what he wants from other people, but with the twins, it'll always feel like a wild guess.

10) What dorm would your OC be sorted into besides their current one?

hndsjfdlk you're right, Yuusha would be in Scarabia

If Yuusha were asked this question, she would think that she would be sorted into Pomefiore because of its spirit of tenacity. She's always determined to work on bettering herself and doesn't like to settle with the bare minimum. It wouldn't be her first choice but that's what she would think.

But really Yuusha embodies more of Scarabia's spirit of mindfulness. Yuusha is mindful in an empathetic sense, and that trait of hers is more outwardly apparent.

She's pretty in tune with everyone's feelings which helps her to understand people better. And that also helps her to navigate her way around dealing with everyone.

If it benefits her, she would take advantage of people's feelings and emotions. It is usually not out of malice or selfishness, however. Yuusha will only do it if she thinks it will lead to the best outcome. Not that she would always be right.

━━━━✦ Yuuna

2) Who is your OC’s closest platonic friend?

Yuuna’s closest platonic friend would be Riddle.

In general, Yuuna had grown a particular fondness for the Heartslabyul gang, and this was also especially apparent to Riddle. Despite being the first overblot Yuuna had witnessed, Riddle had grown on Yuuna and vice versa.

The two looked to be an unlikely pair—the hot-headed, abides-by-the-rules, powerful housewarden and the soft-spoken yet chaotic, magicless prefect.

It started with Riddle helping Yuuna study as a favor (and a thanks) for being the ones who were there during his overblot. But the study sessions turned into "hangouts" in the library, and it eventually transitioned outside—invitations to unbirthday parties, croquet, showing them the hedgehogs, etc. They also found things in common with one another, one of them being liking sweets.

Yuuna seems to have become Riddle's first real friend outside of Trey and Che'nya, helping him out of his comfort zone and let his inner child out once in a while. (also a bit of one-sided, unrequited crush from Riddle???)

8) Is there a character your OC doesn’t like, if so why?

There isn’t necessarily a character that Yuuna dislikes because they have grown somewhat attached to everyone.

However, if they were to consider someone who they liked the LEAST, it would be Sebek.

Sebek took the longest for Yuuna to get used to because, at first, they thought he was loud and condescending.

If there was anything Yuuna really hated, it would be being underestimated and treated as someone who is less than. And Sebek was the someone who would actually verbalize that, aggressively even.

But outside of Sebek's fanboyish tendencies, Yuu found his more genuine side once they managed to get to know him a bit better.

10) What dorm would your OC be sorted into besides their current one?

Yuuna would be sorted into Savanaclaw because of the dorm's spirit of persistence.

At first when I looked at Yuuna I was like, "oh they'd definitely be in Heartslabyul because I'd love that for them" considering their main squad is the Heartslabyul boys. Yuuna would think the same for themself.

But when I thought about it more, they would not be sorted into Heartslabyul at all because having some sort of strict code of conduct is not a defining thing about them.

Yuuna's physique and disposition is against Savanaclaw's stereotype of having the jock-types. They're not even very athletic, but they make up for it somewhat by being a competitive sort.

It's clear though that the dorm's spirit of persistence shows in Yuuna being the type to be adamant to achieve whatever they have to and not letting obstacles hinder them. They also have that loyal spirit that is akin to being part of a pack.

Also a little bonus, if Yuuna was a beastman, they'd be a rabbit :3

asks open!! (twst oc questionnaire)

[fatuismooches]

Pantalone and Dottore buzzing in my brain. Being in a poly relationship with them but they’re both so possessive of you in they’re own ways they can barely stand seeing the other with you.

Like Pantalone always pampering you and giving you gifts to show he can treat you far better than that doctor and Dottore making you little trinkets out of scrap metal (it’s endearing if nothing else) and always clinging to you, kissing your cheeks, giving you as much physical attention as he can (they both do this but Dottore would be much more public about it methinks, also Pantalone getting fussy cause he like gets you on an amazing skin care routine and Dottore has a gall to blemish your perfect skin by biting you, drives him up the wall)

Eventually from your pushing they learn to share you (maybe even tolerate each other to the point they can begrudgingly say they’re boyfriends) and just join together in their possessiveness😭

They get all fussy if you even look at another person for too long and will drag you away or cling to you to try and scare the other person away. It’s never your fault! No, no, it’s always the annoyance. How dare someone even try to take your attention, let alone speak to you when the two are around. Oughh if another harbinger grabs your attention they will not be afraid to get snappy with them, even if they’re higher ranking.

In conclusion i want to kiss them both on the cheeks [📺]

📺 ANON I'M LITERALLY TURNING INTO JELLY AHHHH I CAN'T DO THIS FLUFF TODAYYY 😭❤️❤️❤️ But omg REAL. REAL!!! All the Harbingers are possessive in their own way but these two? They're something else. Dottore for... obvious reasons and Pantalone is kinda self-explanatory too, I mean you are his most beloved treasure, it's only natural he wants you to be with only him! Especially not with the Doctor of all people. Of course the feeling is mutual, Dottore can't see anything beneficial you'd gain from hanging out with that damn banker, you should just stay in his lab and keep him company! So there is always some... not-so-hidden competition between the two. Trying to one-up the other and get you to agree with them. You've seen it all, you know all of their tactics, you aren't phased much anymore when they come up with a new scheme to get your attention and win you over. Though... you aren't complaining! It's still lovely to be the object of affection for these two men, you just wish... they would get along better. It gets awkward when they're both cuddling you and then they start making passive-aggressive comments to each other...

oh MY GOSH PANTALONE GETTING US A SKIN CARE ROUTINE AND DOTTORE RUINING IT IS MY NEW FAVORITE HC AWWW I'm chuckling way too hard at that 😭 why is it canon. Dottore does it because he loves to bite you, but it's an added perk when he sees how threateningly hard Pantalone is smiling at him. Look no matter what he does, Dottore's still biting you. Even if he cuts funding. Though please convince Pantalone that it's okay and that you don't mind the bites before the lab goes bankrupt. You're literally the peacemaker for them 😓 Omgefkfwnew now I can't get out of my mind soft moments with Pantalone doing skincare stuff together, he would be so gentle helping you apply it and all,, hng (Dottore isn't invited, Pantalone insists he can't appreciate this and for once you agree.)

HAHAHA SO TRUE getting to your breaking point because your boyfriends can't get along, you love them dearly but you cannot go another day with another passive-aggressive comment to each other. So you just leave for a bit. The only note you leave is that by the time you come back, they better be more civil towards each other. The two men are dead silent when they read that and think you just went out for a few hours perhaps but nope. You went out on a whole mission for a week or two. And they had absolutely no clue, which is a huge feat in itself... and who did you go with. Childe. Tartaglia. Oh my God they collectively agree to rip him to shreds when you get back. At least they can bond over hurting people. Mhm, having one scary dog Harbinger is already frightening, but two? Nightmare fuel for the average person. And them blaming the other person is so in character 😭 Nope, their beloved could never do anything wrong ❤️ But don't worry, you needn't worry about anyone else! All your love and affection, your smiles and laughs, should be reserved for them only. No one else should be able to bask in such things.

They both deserve kisses all over their cheeks, 100%. And also kiss them both on the lips to get them to stop arguing. But also do it quickly because if you kiss one for too long, the other will get irritated. Mhm, but then they collectively decide you haven't kissed them long enough so then you all are just kissing each other for an extended period of time. Good stuff.

[chocfrog-enjoyer]

Things I hate in Harry Potter Fanfictions

This are the tropes I found multiple times in lots of different fanfictions and I got fed up with how illogical, overused and badly written they are :/

Completely changing the story to the point where I’m starting to wonder if it’s even Harry Potter because the only thing that stayed the same are the names.

( If it’s ships ) When one or both sides are already in love with each other ( in this cringy “I always loved him/her ) especially on what normally would be considered enemies to lovers. If I’m reading a story especially with a non canon ship I’d want to know how they’ve came to be, how the love blossomed. Or at least a reasonable explanation of why the character loves the other from the start of the story.

( If it’s Dark Harry ) The: One morning Harry wakes up and decides ah fuck it I’m changing sides “I care not for your good side anymore, now I’m going to be evil” and Voldemort is like “Oh well- guess I won’t kill him then, never mind that it was my obsession for the last decade and more, It changed today”

Evil-Good Harry…? Honestly I hate this trope soooo much. The: Voldemort was good from the start and it was Dumbledore that was truly evil and he manipulated Harry and/or he was the one who killed Harry’s parents. “Yeah, no like Voldemort is a pretty good guy. He can even be considered as a role model of being good if we ignore all of his other/earlier victims and people he tortured. I mean- I don’t see any evil right?”

Ron, Ginny and Hermione bashing because why not ( this happens especially often with Slytherin Harry fanfics). I don’t mind if some characters get their negative traits explored but make it real people, I can’t read a story where those characters act so bad and OOC for no actual reason. And no Harry being in Slytherin isn’t a reason because those characters never bullied and harassed anyone purely because they were a Slytherin. Yes they did not like this house ( for a good reason might I say ) but they never even acted out on Malfoy who was openly bullying them, the only situations we get where Malfoy and his friends got attacked by Ron and/or Hermione were deserved, and were responses to his provocations.

( If it’s not in order to hide his identity ) Changing Harry’s name. I can understand using Hadrian or Harris as the elongated versions of Harry but when someone straight up changes his name and now I’m reading a story about Daniel or Bob or something for no apparent reason then the whole thing seems stupid and illogical for me.

When Draco and Snape liked Harry from the start. Draco was a narcissistic, spoiled little child and he wasn’t nice to Harry both when he knew who he was ( train ride ) and when he didn’t ( Madam Malkin - their first meeting ). He expected admiration and friendship from Harry like if he had earned it. Making him be like a best friend from the very start is non sense, those boys would need time to come together, and with Harry’s personality I bet they’d still have a silly rivalry if they were in the same house. Same with Snape, like there’s no way he would tolerate Harry let alone like him. He hated Harry from the moment he saw him in the great hall and even before the boy went to Hogwarts. For Snape and Harry to like each other there would need to be a very good reason and it wouldn’t come immediately, but with lots of time and more interactions between each other.

Too much muggle stuff in the magical world. I don’t mind it if a lot of the story plays out in the muggle world or some muggle stuff is crucial for the story point but when I read a fan fiction where Harry was in St.Mungos and he was being treated the muggle way I lost it and dropped the fic. Like are you really going to put full on muggle medical equipment in a gigantic wizard hospital and make your healers use almost only muggle diagnostic methods? Most Wizards barely have any proper knowledge on muggles, and even muggleborns don’t know that much since they are introduced into wizarding world at a young age and basically spend the rest of their life in it. They have a lot more knowledge about muggles than pureblood wizards but it’s still not THAT much.

Overpowered Harry. The „Lord Potter; Black; Peverel; Gryfindor; Slytherin; etc… etc.. :/ nothing wrong with powerful Harry. I like powerful Harry. But it’s ridiculous that a child, a 11-15 yo boy would just instantly have more magical power than Merlin himself, and he would immediately know what to do with it

Gringotts knows everything about you. The „heritage tests” and all. Making a good use of Gringotts is amazing in fanfiction and I love exploring ideas people have on it but this trope is not only overused but also dumb. I’m not talking about simple family linking that people use or like blood checking. I mean the young Harry goes to Gringotts and just with a drop of his blood it is instantly known that he is meant to be a lord of this and that and he owns such and such properties and he is hella rich because of all the vaults that were left to him. And also goblins being friendly. These creatures do not like wizards.

Know it all Hermione. But like literally. Hermione being so overglorified and being literally smarter than Dumbledore and basically all Hogwarts staff often at age 11-16. She’s smart but let’s be real this is not possible. Like her being able to do anything in the world after “reading a book/going to the library for a bit”

Harry being the most handsome, ripped and freaking amazing Hogwarts student while literally being like 14 or 15.

Harem… Nothing bad with Harry having a flock of girls that are attracted to him ( this is canon ) but oversexualizing women in order to make Harry the girl-magnet that has 7 girlfriends and like all the „conventionaly attractive” witches around him - Hermione, Ginny, Fleur, Daphne etc.”

Harry hating Dumbledore from the beginning, blaming everything on the poor old man, being annoyed by the most stupid thing like: “Dumbledore smiled at him, and Harry went utterly furious” :// and generally Dumbledore bashing

Child Harry behaving like an adult and teenage/mature Harry behaving like a child. Why would a 11 yo go to Hogwarts and suddenly be a master manipulator, know exactly what to say to get out of difficult situation and can outsmart his peers and/or adults to show „how much better he is”. And the other situation: Harry being completely clueless, using childish language, being referred to by others as “little one, pup etc.”

All Slytherins are misunderstood angels. No they aren’t! As a Slyhetin myself I can recognize Draco’s ( and his friends ) bullshit when I see it! Yes stop the stereotype of “All Slytherins are bad” but do not excuse actually bad Slytherins.

Fics gloryfing toxic pureblood culture. Exploring different aspects of the culture, the better and worse ones is cool and creative but I’ve seen a lot of fics gloryfing what is just abusive and toxic and romanticizing it in the name of “pureblood customs/traditions”

Guns… just no… like what? It’s like how to tell you’re American without telling you’re American. I hate seeing guns in HP and the wizarding world, and the often following glorification of this weapon

Excessive American English. I don’t mind it much if it’s just some words but please all the slang and common words from American English are annoying. It’s not that hard to do a little bit of reaserch of the common differences in some words. The story is played ( mainly ) in the United Kingdom, the language used by characters should be British English ( like Harry & Hermione ) and Scottish English ( like McGonagall )

Excessive ( and especially if heavily described ) abuse from Dursleys that would have killed Harry at least 5 times before he would be 10. Like heavy beating, breaking bones, stabbing. I do not like reading such things and I found this in fanfics quite a lot….

Oversexualization of children 11-15. While exploring the sexual side of romance/life is okay in a teenager, it is a part of life, I hate seeing fics that oversexualize ships that at the time have characters aged 11-15 - literal children, especially oversexualizing young Hermione, in some Harmony fics ( where she was 14 ), or Ginny, with fics calling her a slut/whore because she had a crush on Harry, or when she’s a bit older because she dated a few boys.

Illogical use of Parseltongue. First of all Parseltongue is a language and Parselmouth is the speaker ( pls I beg don’t describe Harry as a Parseltongue ). But suddenly this language being like all powerful, and you can do wandless magic with it and basically perform any spell without ever using it before.

Luna being bullied by every Ravenclaw, ( like most of those ppl - especially the older ones or younger ones - do not actually care ) and her being like a super mega seer that knows all about the future and is actually super mega smart in her weirdness.

Feel free to add your points to this list!

[beevean]

Do any of the Curse of Darkness adaptations say that Dracula deliberately pitted Hector against Isaac?

It just occurred to me that it would make sense for Dracula to do that (after all, one Devil Forgemaster is easier to deal with than two working in tandem, should one of them turn against him). But I haven’t read any of the CoD adaptations, so I don’t know if any of them used that idea. It would be chilling if any of them explored that.

Actually no!

Personally I'm not too sure that deliberately pitting them against each other would be more convenient to Dracula than having them be coordinated: imagine conducting a war, and having to rely on two bickering teenagers :P But in canon it's a moot point, because it's implied that Dracula simply praised Hector as the more talented one.

PtR gives us this:

"Good for you that you can judge our Lord’s deeds… It’s not bad for my position. But I will not tolerate any disservice and betrayal towards Him."

"Take a look at this pathetic sight, my Lord, my broken sword used as a cane. My body is the proof of your expectations for him. Please ridicule me, scold me: next time, I will do whatever it takes."

(for context, Hector defeated Isaac by slashing his legs, and he didn't even have the courtesy of finishing him off, forcing him to deal with the consequences)

The second line pretty much sums up how Dracula saw his two Devil Forgemasters. Isaac knows, or at the very least believes, that Dracula would have expected Hector to win because he's the stronger one, and the proof is in how he utterly humiliated Isaac.

Speaking of Dracula:

“What did he wish from me, that he even rebelled…? Unforgiveness is my nature. The more precious things are, the more they resist and are lost…”

Another translation of that line is "So is one dear, so is one wrested away".

Dracula considers Hector precious. My first interpretation is that he's also thinking about Alucard, who opposed his father roughly at the same time... But make of this what you will.

The MF manga focuses a lot more on Isaac's insecurity of not being as good as Hector, but again, we don't really see much of how the two were treated.

Something to note is that while it was Isaac who warned Dracula that Trevor Belmont was becoming a concern...

... Dracula sent Hector instead, and left Isaac in the castle.

The implication is that Dracula trusted Hector, and only Hector, with the troublesome task of killing the Belmont.

Obviously Drac wants his best Devil Forgemaster back, and so he orders Isaac and his underlings to find out what happened to him - indirectly dooming himself in the process, because without Hector and Isaac protecting him, Trevor and his friends easily steamrolled through the castle. Neither Isaac and his underlings are happy with this, but while the former's protests got immediately shut down by Dracula, the latter are free to talk among themeselves.

It's nice that these guys think Isaac alone could do the job, but I don't know what they were expecting, shittalking Dracula and touching Isaac's sorest spot within earshot :P

This scene becomes outright hilarious in Japanese, because that "the Count favored Lord Hector that much" line is slightly different:

In context it does mean the same thing, but the verb used is 可愛がる, which...

Again. Make of this what you will.

(in case you're wondering, there are other verbs that express the concept of unfairly favoring someone, that don't imply... this.)

And just to cap it all off:

And there it is. There is no canon indication that Dracula played games with his Devil Forgemasters. He just liked Hector more than Isaac.

Interestingly, Isaac is not the first rival in CV who suffers from jealousy issues (Hugh Baldwin and Maxim Kishin come to mind, mostly the former), but in his case, the topic barely comes up, and it's never mentioned in the game proper - in fact, the opposite sentiment is said.

I'm okay with this, because he has already a lot on his plate, and he doesn't need to hate Hector out of jealousy: the betrayal is good reason enough. But it's implied that these negative feelings made him easy prey to the Curse.

[pumpkinhimiko]

Hot take: I don't agree with the idea that Rantaro would be any more tolerant of Kokichi's antics than the other characters. I know they barely speak to each other in the game, so their relationship is left 99.9% up to headcanon, but like, this is their only real interaction before Rantaro's death:

Kokichi wants to find another escape that isn't the Death Road of Despair, and Rantaro immediately assumes he means committing murder! I mean damn, talk about uncharitable.

Additionally, in Salmon Mode if you go after Rantaro, the playful, humorous answers (the Kokichi-like answers, if you will) garner negative reactions. He seems to specifically dislike "childish" behavior.

And while their DR:S interaction is by no means antagonistic, Kokichi explicitly bemoans that Rantaro won't play along with him:

This isn't me hating on amaou as a ship btw (I ship Kokichi with characters that are vehemently intolerant of him, after all), I just see Rantaro often portrayed as treating Kokichi like he's an innocent little goober whose lying and bad behavior isn't to be taken seriously, when what little we see of their relationship in canon fails to suggest this.

Edited to add:

The fact that Rantaro's comment on Kokichi's relationship chart is "I want him to stop saying such ridiculous things" really hammers the point home, imo.

[volkodava]

Jundori headcanons

Okay, I thought for a long time whether to publish or not, but I have accumulated a number of headcanons for Junpei/Chidori from Persona 3. It can be time from original p3, timeline p4au and post-canon. I warn you right away that English is not my language, so there may be errors, but I hope you enjoy it!

***

When, for some reason, Junpei was not allowed to see Chidori at the hospital, he tried to climb through the window with the help of Makoto and Akihiko with flowers in his teeth. Spoiler: climbed up, but then, when trying to escape from the suddenly appeared Mitsuru, he fell into the bushes, scratched everything he could, and then tore out the thorns for half a day.

***

Every Sunday, Junpei brings a bouquet of sunflowers to Chidori. This is not discussed.

***

Junpei always escorts Chidori home at night. Even if she comes from somewhere alone. Even from the other side of the city. Even at 2 am. He will yawn, fall asleep on the go, but he will come anyway, despite any protests, because her safety is more important.

***

When they start live together, Chidori barely knows how to cook. But unlike Fuka, who can destroy half a kitchen, Chidori mostly harms only herself: her hands are constantly in plasters, microburns, cracks, and so on.

When Junpei finally gets to the bottom of the truth (which turns out not to be easy, because Chidori answers everything with "It doesn't matter"), he asks in complete confusion why she ruins her "beautiful hands", because he, in principle, does not force her do something around the house. To which Chidori angrily declares: “You helped me for so long, even when I didn’t really know you, and now you are working on several jobs. If you are so concerned about our living together that we do not need anything, then my concern is to maintain comfort from the inside. Do you really think that in gratitude for all that you do, I cannot learn at least tolerably cook?"

This issue was not raised between them again. Though that never stopped Junpei from periodically throwing a "romantic dinner" for her. And Chidori's hands, in principle, quickly returned to normal (to the delight of Junpei).

***

At some point, they start a "kiss before leaving" tradition. One day, Junpeu's work schedule changes and he is forced to leave much earlier in an attempt not to wake up the Chidori. But she, sleepy and displeased, catches him at the exit, scolds him for leaving quietly, kisses him on the cheek and goes back to sleep. And Junpei remains standing at the door with a smile and thinks how lucky he is.

***

Jundori support each other's hobbies, despite the fact that they themselves get tired at their jobs.

That is, Junpei, tired of studying and training, still sits down to watch Chidori draw. True, he falls asleep from fatigue on the same sofa, so Chidori covers him with a blanket and continues to quietly draw next to him.

And at the same time, Chidori herself does not miss a single of his matches, and even if the game goes on late at night, she will still watch TV in the living room in a souvenir T-shirt with his number. So when he returns after the match, Junpei finds her sleeping in front of the TV and carries her back to the bedroom in her arms each time.

***

Junpei after p3 takes responsibility for Chidori because she has no family, no real friends, no proper education. And he gets used to this role so much that by the Arena timeline (or immediately after), when they are already dating, maybe already living together, etc., he begins to perceive her almost like a wife even before he proposes. And at some point, in a conversation with someone on the phone, he starts talking and exclaims something like "Actually, I take care of MY FAMILY!"

And Chidori, who accidentally hears this, is like:

***

After the age of 25, Junpei begins to develop premature gray hair, and this is hereditary from his father. This is another reason why he always wore a baseball cap. Just as a child, someone jokingly intimidated him, they say, at the graduation you will be gray-haired. Then, however, everything cleared up, but he was already used to the headdress.

But when Junpei's hair really starts to turn gray, he, like a true drama queen, begins to theatrically lament "I'm only 30 years old, and I'm already an old man!", to which Chidori rolls his eyes every time.

***

According to Persona 4: Arena Ultimax, Junpei often dreamed about how his team won a prestigious match and from the stadium he proposed to Chidori to marry him.

But imagine that in reality the team loses miserably and returns with nothing after a long flight. At home, Junpei meets Chidori, who tries to cheer him up, but he brushes it off, saying it's okay, and starts talking about all sorts of other interesting things that they could see.

At some point, he exclaims "Oh, that's right, I brought you a gift" and takes out of his backpack ... a stone. Just a round, even stone from some coast. Surprised, Chidori stands with this stone in her hands, not understanding what the joke is, and Junpei, as if nothing had happened, continues to talk about the fact that in his free time he managed to look into the local zoo.

"Yeah, it was pretty cool, the penguins are so funny. They have funny rituals, by the way, you know? Like how the male spends a lot of time finding the perfect pebble and then brings it to the female penguin he likes to offer her, like, build a nest together and hatch the chicks..."

At this point, Chidori understands the meaning of "gift", but she doesn't even have time to say anything, because Junpei continues: "Listen, I know that I'm not the smartest, I'm still like a child and often I do stupid things, but I would like to... well... "make a nest" with you."

All that Chidori can think at this moment is "God, I seriously live with this man, why does he have everything through one place, it's so stupid, of course I agree." _______ Chidori: Don't tell me you've scoured the ALL coast to find that stone. Junpei: I have scoured the ALL coast to find this stone. Chidori: ... Junpei: Trust me, it's not the craziest thing I've ever done in my life. Chidori: I'm intrigued.

***

Some time after the wedding, Chidori begins to feel unusual. She is constantly in high spirits and even a state of euphoria for no reason. It’s not that it was something outstanding, after all, and she is doing what she loves, and her husband is at hand, who will at least get a star from the sky for her, but basically she behaves more restrained. But then a sudden tactile hunger is added to this. She constantly needs touches: if you walk, then by the hand / under the arm, if you sit or lie down, then in an embrace, hugs, kisses and all that.

It wasn't that Junpei was particularly opposed, quite the contrary. He is "a block of flaming love", just give him a reason to cuddle his dear Chidorita. But, nevertheless, the reasons for this behavior remain a mystery to both of them.

That is until Chidori decides "for the calm" to take a pregnancy test.

And when, a few years later, Junpei again notices exactly the same behavior, everything immediately becomes clear to him.

[jetspikepub]

tbh I don't understand why any person would be concerned enough to participate in ship discourse when we barely have a fandom as it is. There's lots of casual fans sure, but the people who actually produce fandom content are a minority. If someone is really that concerned about Spike, they have to remember that he's fictional. I love that man, probably more than is good for me, and personally I believe Jet is the right person for him for a lot of reasons I won't get into here because I could write a book about it, but a lot of his story is subjective, and we can't afford to discount ships simply because they "aren't canon" or whatever. Who cares, we're all here to appreciate our favorite anime twink. I have infinite respect for Bebop as an art piece, and yeah I think his love for Julia is a little misguided, but I can respect that love because at the very least it has a place in his story. I feel his love for Julia even if I don't necessarily agree with it, and that's a testament to the artists' abilities. Watanabe, the animators, the VA's, everybody who had anything to do with Bebop. I recently watched the English VA's audio commentary on the series, and I was struck by the fact that everyone was so in love with Spike when Steve Blum started voicing him. The english VA's director decided to voice Julia for that reason, and I can't be mad at her for that because I would've done the same in her position. If Steve Blum weren't (presumably) straight, and in a monogamous relationship, I'd be all over him if I had a chance in hell, and he isn't even technically "Spike." It really gives some heart to the series. Julia loves Spike and Spike loves Julia, but they are fundamentally bad for each other for reasons outsde their control. That's what makes a tragedy, and that's what Bebop is. You forget that when you start the series again after watching the last episode, but that's the point, isn't it? Everyone wants Spike to be happy. You can hear the love and respect the VA's have for each other without even knowing that. As much as I hate the saying "can't we all just get along?" for its' lack of nuance, I have to say it here. And I say that as a former psychotic fan"girl" who shipped McLennon when I was 13 lol. I appreciate you clarifying things for us who have never had the displeasure of encountering this person though. I can only assume they're young and dumb as I was once upon a time. Still, editing wikis and harassing people is way over the line. I can't control what this person knows or feels, but I hope they learn to respect Bebop as an art piece as many of us have.

I agree with this. The only thing we can do is just wait, time will prove who's wrong and who's right.

We made our point: we do not tolerate harassment and attempts to promote the ideas this way. I think everyone has dozens of arguments for their faves, but there are more fun and creative ways to show your love for the show rather than attacting attention by insulting others. It's a common thing in the Internet, but I want to believe that Bebop fandom is much better than this.

[favourite-character-competition]

Why:

Satouhii: i mean theyre canon(-ish, he likes her and they were like practically almost dating by the end.. ig its only crush canon like satousai) so.. saiki and aiura kinda describe all the reasons theyre perfect for each other in the show LOLZ but yea like.. even after she stopped being unlucky, him liking her before AND after just proves he actually freaking cares and just.. he likes her, flaws and all..

Saikechi: Childhood friends to lovers, Akechi understands Kusuo more than most of his current friends since they met before Kusuo was as closed off, Akechi knows about Saiki’s powers, Saiki snapped to defend Akechi to the point where the Saiki family had to move, Akechi blushes around Kusuo and when thinking about memories with him in both the present and past, Akechi literally stalked Kusuo just to thank him, and Kusuo puts up with Akechi talking much more than others usually do. Also, while Akechi’s eyes are described and seen as looking rather dead, we see them sparkle often, almost always when talking or thinking about, or talking to Kusuo. Kusuo puts up with Akechi a lot more than others in general, and even starts tolerating him a lot faster than he did his other friends. Akechi comes to Kusuo’s house to play with him often, and is the only person currently able to beat Kusuo in anything. Kusuo barely even protests Akechi’s visits that hard, rarely going out of his way to avoid him, despite doing that most of the time when his friends try to come over.

[cornertheculprit]

man the games really never explore how traumatising that must've been for Phoenix (and maya). Like there aren't many instances I can think of where someone very close to the victim actually sees the body while they're still warm (closest I can think is athena? But I'm probably forgetting some). Like at that time in his life Phoenix had no one in his corner but Mia (and Larry? Kinda) And then she was just gone. And he saw her body!! Mia left the village and was probably also the only person Maya had that was looking out for her, bc Morgan definitely wasn't. and i think it's never really shown how traumatising that would've been for both of them. I never really see it in fanworks either? mia was his mentor and her big sister. she was someone who looked after them both... for a moment when she was gone they had nobody until they had each other. Augh

SERIOUSLY like okay one of the first things we really learn about maya is that literally everyone in her immediate family had gone and left her behind:

Phoenix: What about your family?

Maya: I only had my sister. My father died when I was very young. And I don't know where my mother is.

Phoenix: (Don't know...? So she could still be alive?)

[...]

Maya: About fifteen years ago, our family was involved in an... incident. There was a man, and he... he... He ruined our mother's life.

Phoenix: ("Ruined"...?)

Maya: After that, she disappeared. Several years after that, my sister announced she would "become a lawyer" and she left the mountain.

Phoenix: ... So, you live by yourself?

Maya: Yes. I've gotten used to it. Oh, also... I had to become independent, or I would lose my E.S.P.!

Phoenix: (I feel bad for her, all by herself up on that mountain...)

and of course as we know from justice for all, morgan is...morgan. and pearl is just a little kid, and morgan seems to do her damnedest to keep her separate from anyone and anything so that pearl will listen to her and only her. mia really WAS the only one truly looking out for maya in any way, shape or form, even if she'd left her behind as well (at least she kept in contact! and maya canonically went down to the city to visit her sometimes. it's better than being wholly abandoned, at the very least). and phoenix!!!! it's mentioned in turnabout memories that phoenix does have friends in college (plural) but when we get to aa1 it really doesn't seem like he has any friends other than larry, who is...larry. and who phoenix seems to grow extremely discontent with following the events of turnabout goodbyes to the point where he seems to barely be able to tolerate him in aa3. and there could be many for reasons for phoenix's seemingly giant drop in friends, one being that he got accused of murder and rumors can be the death of anyone's social standing in a school environment and another being that he was studying LAW and had no fucking time for social connections other than one flaky friend who dropped in and out of his life seemingly at whim. or both! or neither! who knows!

but you're so right is the thing! the picture that is painted at the beginning of aa1 is that mia really was the only person in maya and phoenix's corner at that time and for that time frame between them discovering mia's body and phoenix promising maya he wouldn't abandon her they literally had no one else. they walked in on mia's body practically moments after her death and for a second there they were both truly alone. and mia was close enough to the both of them that she realized that and so she leaves maya a note that says: "take care of phoenix for me." and then down the line she looks at phoenix and asks him "...watch over her, will you, phoenix?" and phoenix says "of course." like it's not even a question. of course he'll look after her.

and the thing about aa3 is!! it doesn't explicitly have phoenix start saying things like "i blame myself for not getting there in time to save mia" because...it has godot to do that for him. godot IS very much phoenix's narrative foil and it sort of becomes really really really clear that phoenix...DOES blame himself for not getting there in time. because whenever godot throws those accusations at him:

Godot: It was two years ago... Mia Fey was pursuing someone. A man. But she bit off more than she could chew. She made a very dangerous enemy.

Phoenix: (Yeah, that's one case I'll never forget.) But... I got that guy! Personally!

Godot: Sure. Ms. Fey's murderer was caught. But that won't bring her back!

Phoenix: W-Well, no... but...

Godot: You were with her at the time. You and no one else. It was your responsibility! You should have protected her!

Phoenix: I...!

Godot: You say Mia Fey was your teacher! Well then, I'd say you've learned nothing, Trite! You robbed her of her life. And now... ...you've let her sister suffer the same fate!

Phoenix: (I... I haven't sentenced Maya to death...! No...!)

[...]

Godot: You were the only one who was there to protect her! But you let her die. It was all your fault.

Phoenix: I... It wasn't like that...

phoenix's rebuttals? are half-hearted at best. he tries (VERY weakly) to insist that at least he got redd white in the end, but the minute godot puts on the pressure phoenix is at a complete loss for words. he's BARELY denying it. he's trailing off the minute he tries. and i think the fact that he's doing that combined with the fact that godot is literally MEANT to be phoenix's narrative foil is pretty much proof that this is something that phoenix has actually thought to himself ever since mia died. he sat with her body until she went cold!!!! the idea that he wouldn't connect the dots and realize that if he'd just gotten to the office a little bit sooner maybe mia would still be alive is laughable.

but let's back up for a minute and talk about maya. let's rewind all the way back to turnabout goodbyes, when maya seemingly hit the lowest point she ever had in the games:

Maya: The letter! Did he take it?

Phoenix: Huh!? Oh... yeah. A-are you okay!?

Maya: ... I... I couldn't stop him. I jumped as fast as I could, but one shot from that thing knocked me out cold. I'm useless. I'm no good as a lawyer, or a medium! I can't even call my sister. Not even now, when we need her the most. I wish I hadn't woken up at all.

Phoenix: Maya!

maya spends the ENTIRETY of turnabout goodbyes wanting to be useful to phoenix in some way and getting so legitimately upset at the fact that everything she tries to do seems to go wrong. the conversation phoenix has with her and larry (where he tells her that he believes in larry and edgeworth over her, because this is aa1 and at this point phoenix is being driven by his idealizations and memories of the class trial) doesn't help matters, either. and at first you kind of wonder WHY it is that maya is trying so hard to be useful to phoenix, WHY she's taking it so hard that she can't fully help this guy who may be her new friend but is still someone she only met fairly recently, until you remember mia's letter: "take care of phoenix for me." that was what mia wrote to her, and in her eyes she's failing at the last request her sister ever asked of her. and maya arrived FIRST on the scene to find mia's body, is the thing. SHE would've found mia's still-warm corpse and realized that if SHE had been any earlier, maybe SHE could've done something to stop mia's murder. and now she seemingly can't even fulfill the last thing mia asked her to do. she straight up says she wishes she was dead. it's heartbreaking!

i've gone off on a whole tangent but i think my point is that while the games don't explore phoenix and maya's innermost thoughts about the traumatic experience of walking in on the body of someone you loved, there do seem to be nods to it that at least acknowledge that phoenix and maya DO have issues pertaining to it. but they also acknowledge that even if mia is gone, maya and phoenix have each other and will ALWAYS have each other ("you know i would never desert you!"/"you're one of us, nick!") and even if mia's death drags them down sometimes, having each other helps. they're looking after each other just like mia asked them to, but they're also looking after each other because they've grown to love each other over the course of the trilogy and have started to treat each other like the family they never had—no matter what comes their way, of course they have each other. of course maya will take care of phoenix. of course phoenix will watch over maya. of course. of course!

[xkatylinnx]

The third and last part of azbin Hotel - Swap!AU with Angel Dust, Cherry Bomb and Sir Pentious as Vee's! This one is about their relationships!

Previous part: Part 1 (Angel Dust and Cherri Bomb)

Previous part: Part 2 (Sir Pentious)

Part 3 (The relationships)

As for their dynamic and relationships it's also pretty variative. Personally I am not a fan of any ships at all (neither threesome of Vees', Vox/Valentino nor Cherrisnake or whatever ships in show basically) but you may consider it either plain business partnership and friendship or the lovers-triangle if you wish. I really can see it work all the ways possible. They can barely tolerate each other or be connected only by Angel or Cherry and keep fighting in a funny silly ways all the time. You know, like Vox is a glue between Val and Velvet or how Velvet used to be a glue between Vox and Val before the show. They can be an actual family supporting and caring for each other genuinely and deeply inspite of their disagreements but still play on each other nerves from time to time. Similar to what we've got in the show among the Hotel-cast, you know. Or may be they are kind of trio of goofballs hanging together and getting in silly mischievous all the time. Just like it was in pilot but Pentious is in team too instead of being the one off out! Or maybe it's a classic "Angel and Cherry being bros" and "Pentious being in love with Cherry" if you want it this way. I mean, sure, why not? It's still basically canon. Weather Cherry is cool with it or totally pissed is up to you. They may even be an official pair if you want them to! With Angel being a proud matchmaker haha! Maybe he keeps an eye for them both and gives advices always hearing both points of views from Cherry and Pentious respectively. Or you may even have Angel to fuck with both of them (Angel/Cherry and Angel/Pentious) or just Angel/Pentious and Pentious/Cherry (is Cherry/Pentious and Cherry/Angel is a thing? Like only her with boys?) or them all three do it among themselves, separately or simultaneously, whatever honestly. I mean, there is still a joke about two dicks, you know... Eh, I don't know, haha, I'm aroace actually, I don't get that part. And considering their roles in trio, is it that one of them should always be a voice of reasons in the group and they switch this role or is each of them just go separatly on their own business and they bearly influence each other? Is it like they have "a serious one", "a dorky one" and "a between one"? Or does it depends on situation? Do they fight a lot and just how hard? Do they play pranks on each other? How do they cooperate their work and spheres? Do they help each other out on their respective problems? Like Cherry and Angel using Pentious's inventions or Cherry letting Angel's employees use her clubs and security and stuff like that? Just like Valentino uses Vox's cameras and other techs for his shootings. So many ways to put it into! And so much fun! Just think of it, really! Ah, well, thank you so much if you read it all. I got myself in rumbling a bit, sorry! But this concept has really flooded my mind today and I really wanted to share it. I also have some funny ideas for other characters in this au (like maybe Husk for Zestial and Veggie for Carmilla and few other roles) but I guess I'll just make a few separate posts maybe. I'll consider it anyway. Thank you! Share you concepts and how you see that, too! I'll be really interested in it!