#i've Told you what they did and you're still friends with them?okay. i'll respect that but i Have to look out for myself

[s-ccaam-era-crepe]

the feelings are really feeling today huh

[fuyuu-chan]

Visiting Neuvillette In His Office

Pairing: Neuvillette x Reader

Genre: Fluff

Fuyuu-chan: I saw this man and I was like yup I gotta make a fanfic about him, He's so handsome 🥹💙

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As you enter the Palais Mermonia where Neuvillette's office were, you see Sedene guarding the place. As always you greet Sedene before entering Neuvillette's office.

"Hii Sedene! How are you?" You said while waving at her.

"I'm good (name), how about you?" Sedene said.

"I'm also good Sedene, as you can see I'm here to visit Neuvillette, is he busy right now?" you said as you smiled.

"Well alright then! Oh and Lady Furina is inside the office talking to Monsieur Neuvillette" Sedene said.

"Oh I see alright i'll wait for them to fin-" before you can finish what you gonna say you heard the office door open and hear Furina's voice.

You looked at Furina who was still talking while exiting Neuvillette's office.

"I'm telling you it's so boring" she said as she finally looked at you.

"Hi Furina" you said as you waved your hand at her.

"Well hello there (name) my favorite person, would you like to play cards with me again?" she said as she approached you excitedly.

"I would love to Furina but I will be spending time with Neuvi today, how 'bout we play tomorrow?" you said.

She only sighs but agreed anyway, you planned what time you would be playing with her and where.

"Alright! I'll see you tomorrow then (name) Toodle ~ooo" she said before she left the Palais Mermonia.

She has always been like this, Furina is like a "little" sister to you as she always acts a bit childish and a very chaotic person but she's a best friend of yours.

As you watch her leave, you wave at Sedene and walk over to the door at the office.

You then knock at Neuvillette's office and wait for his response, even though Neuvillette said that you don't have to knock and you're always welcome here anytime, you still wanted to knock as a sign of respect in his privacy and because you don't just wanna barge in his office.

"Come in" you heard him say inside his office. You then open the door gently and go in while closing the door slowly.

"Hii Neuvi" you said as you approached him.

He looked away from his papers and looked at you softly.

"Hello there sweetie, how are you?" He said as he got up from his chair and walked to you, as he wrapped his arms around your waist and hugged you.

"Hehehe I'm good love, just finished work early today and decided to visit you here, I hope you don't mind" you said as you also wrapped your arms around him to reciprocate his hug.

"I definitely don't mind, I actually love it when you visit me here" he said as he kissed your cheek.

"Well that's good to know, anyways, how are you Neuvi?" You said as you looked up at him.

"Good, the Trial earlier just finished and now I'm looking at some papers and documents to check some stuff" he said as he looked at you.

"Hmmm alrighty, I can see from your desk that you have a lot of papers, do you need help to sort them out?" You said as you glance at his desk and see a lot of papers.

"Well I did put a lot of papers earlier in my desk to find the one that I've been looking for, but yeah I guess I would need a little help" he said as he also turned to look at his desk.

"Okay! Then we better get moving!" You said as you pulled away at his hug.

When you pull away, you go in front of his desk. Neuvillette also follows you.

You asked him what papers his reading at the moment so you won't be able to mix things up, so he gathered the papers that he's currently reading and you started to gather the papers that are left and ready to sort them out.

Neuvillette told you to seat at one of the chairs in front of him and there you started to sort the papers while chatting with him about what happened to your day and including your plans for tomorrow with Furina and as he also told you what happened at the trial earlier and as he listens and talk to you he continued on what his doing before you come to the office, after you finished sorting them out, you put all the papers in the respective shelves.

"Thank you for sorting them out, love" he said as he smiled at you and looked at you softly.

"No problem! Just so you know I'm always here whenever you need some help!" You said as you smiled proudly. He chuckled.

"Anyways, what else are you doing?" You said as you looked at the papers and some book that was on his table.

"Oh this, I just need to read this and make some notes" he said as he took a glance at the papers and book.

"Oh okay, I'll just sit at the couch there and read my book, if you need me just call me" you said as you started to walk to the couch and grab your book from the little table beside the couch.

"Alright, wait, is that a new book?" He said as he watched you.

"Yes I bought it from a store, I found it interesting" you said as you plopped yourself on the couch and opened your book.

"I see, well I hope you enjoy reading it" he said as he smiled at you and started to do what he's doing.

"Thanks Neuvi" you said as you started to read.

After a while you start to feel that your eyes is getting heavy and you started to feel sleepy, you tried to blink it away but you just yawn, after a few minutes you started to drift off and your head fell on your side, and your book fall on your lap and you eventually fell asleep.

When Neuvillette didn't hear another flip of a page coming from you, he looked away on his table and looked at where you are, and there he saw you asleep on the couch and the book on your lap.

He gets up from his chair and grab a blanket on one of his drawers that he keep, that blanket that you buy the other day from the near store because you saw him fall asleep in his desk after work hours, the same blanket that you put on top of him while you wait for him to wake up.

Neuvillette then approached your sleeping form, he grabbed the book from your lap and put a bookmark on the open page and closed the book and put it back to the little table, he then slowly move your body so you could lay on the couch then he put the blanket on top of you.

"Sweet dreams (name)" he said as he kissed your forehead, and looked at you for a few minutes with a smile on his face.

Neuvillette then goes back to his desk and starts to continue where he left off, while also looking at you every once in a while.

After some time passed, you slowly woke up from your sleep and found yourself lying at the couch and saw a familiar blanket wrapped around you. You slowly got up and sat at the couch and rubbed your eyes.

"Did you have a good sleep?" he said as he saw you sitting back at the couch.

"Mhmm I did" you said as you stood up and stretched.

"That's good to know, well are you hungry now love?" he said as he got up from his chair with papers and a book in his hands, then he put them in the drawers and the book on the shelf.

"A bit yea, wait, what time is it?" you said as you looked at him.

"It's dinner time, it's good that you are awake now, since we have a reservation later, it's best that we leave in a few minutes so we can arrive there in time" he said as he approached you.

"Oh right" you said.

"Anyways, I put a bookmark where the page is open in your book" he said as he grabbed your book at the little table beside the couch and handed it to you.

"Thank you Neuvi" you said as you beamed at him and take the book from his hand.

"No problem dear, do you want water before we go?" he asked.

"Sure" you said.

He hands you a water that was on the little table beside your book earlier, looks like Neuvillette is prepared that you would want water after taking a nap (or rather a sleep).

You thanked him and drank the water.

"Are you finished with your work for today?" you asked as you put the glass on the table.

"Yes" he said as he grabbed the blanket that was on the couch.

You watch Neuvillette as he does this and your gaze follows him as he walks over to the drawers and opens one of them and puts the blanket in it.

"I didn't know that you kept the blanket here" you said as you looked at him.

"Well I would like to keep it here in case I would feel sleepy, so I can have a blanket, and now for you as well as you fell asleep here maybe in the future you can use it again" he smiled to you as he said this.

“That’s true” you said as you scratched the back of your neck.

He chuckled and then go to where you were standing.

"Would you like to go now to the Restaurant or you still want to stay here for a while?" He said.

"Hmmm let's go now, I'm hungry anyways" you said as you hold his hands.

"Hahaha alright" he said as he also holds your hand gently and intertwine with your fingers.

And off you both go walking hand in hand, you and Neuvillette exits his office and Palais Mermonia after you say goodbye to Sedene who is outside. You both walk to the Restaurant and eat dinner there as you and Neuvillette chat under the moonlight.

ฅ⁠^⁠•⁠ﻌ⁠•⁠^⁠ฅ

Please do not Copy, Translate, Repost to any other social media platfroms

[bandersnch]

Okay so, this is the last I'm ever going to say about this situation. And no, I have no problems airing out shit since lies are being spread anyway. It's a pattern of problematic behavior from a narcissist ( yes, that's you kourt ) that turns what they did wrong around to blame the ones they have hurt.

And yes, this is a callout. Because this is fucking dangerous behavior.

Have I always been the best person? No, I haven't. And I can admit that, but I've also grown and changed and gotten better. And that's what matters, but dude i'm fucking tired. I'm tired of the drama and i'm tired of the childish behavior.

I'm tired of people being dragged in that don't need to be dragged in. People who saw the behavior with their own two eyes. People who saw that we didn't do anything wrong.

It's a pattern of behavior for me? That's what you've been told? Maybe its a fucking pattern because shitty ass people like you have made me cut and run when you can't respect simple fucking boundaries.

You want to be public about this? I can be public about it. I tried keeping it private minus the one post that things would be changing, but you have to keep dragging people into it that already know the shit you pulled.

And honestly? i don't care what anyone thinks of me anymore. You've hurt me, Kourt. You've hurt my friends. You've singlehandedly ruined everything we have worked towards because you couldn't fucking behave yourself and now you're being like this.

So here's some of what's been happening. ( under the cut )

So basically it all came to a head at summer scream and she got drunk. Me and feral were drinking and having fun bc me and feral were hanging with the guys, our friends.

She went out to the car BY HERSELF IN BROOKLYN and I was like "okay I'll go with her" and went after her. I got to the car and she wasn't there, so I panicked bc it had been like 10+ minutes so she should have been there.

So I messaged feral saying SHES NOT HERE. and then suddenly Kourt comes down the street all "I went the wrong way" okay fine. But she was obviously still hella drunk and I had sobered up. I was like "hey, you've been drinking and are still drunk, I'm going to drive." And wanted the keys, just in case And she basically screamed at me and told me I was calling her an alcoholic and she wasn't drunk and that how dare I assume that I have trauma when it comes to drunk driving So I kept saying. YOU ARENT DRIVING And she kept yelling and then said she was just going to go home and leave us. Once the guys came out to check on us she turned around and said she never yelled, she just wanted to be spoken to like a person. But she's the one who was yelling. And then she gaslit me to think maybe I was wrong and I was the one yelling. I had to ask my friend if i was crazy or not. And then she tried to say we were ganging up on her I did yell, but only after awhile and I was just all I'm trying to keep us safe, which I don't think is bad. She then said she was going to leave us at the hotel. Which was like 3 hours away. She also kept telling everyone we did nothing to contribute when I was shelling money out AND driving everywhere. but before that, at the hometown show she elbowed me and shoved her way to the barricade when i was trying to make room for the band's family members because we had been to plenty of shows and this was big for their family and friends.

but the icing on the cake was finding out she inappropriately touched one of our friends. she's trying to say it never happened but, i believe what i've been told and here is what i have:

I have more screenshots of things she's been saying to people that are obviously not true. We have witnesses that saw everything in person, and honestly? i'm so fucking over it. I want this done and over with now, since kourt wanted to hash this out online. i figured i would post what ACTUALLY happened. I have screenshots from people if anyone wants them, but this post would be way too long if i included everything. But if anyone wants to actually see everything, my DM's are open and so is my discord.

I'm sorry this has to be public, but I had no choice in the matter. This needs to end now.

[elis-corner]

can people please calm down about mcr??

i'm writing this the day after bob's death was announced, if you want more context of why i'm so fed up with things.

this post talks about people's reactions and expectations about bob's death, and about long live. this is more of a rant/vent than anything. it isn't coherent and has been written very much in the heat of the moment, and may come off harsher than intended.

I'm a relatively recent fan (listening since 2022 but in the fandom since 2023), so I wasn't ever around for Bob's good days. I only ever knew Bob for the bad things he'd done, some interviews, music videos, and of course the songs themselves.

He had such an impact on the band and their sound. This is very clear. For so long, they were friends, spending so much of their time together. Whether Bob did bad things prior to his death or not doesn't change these facts, it doesn't change that he was mentally ill, it doesn't change the fact that people harassed him on a constant basis, and it doesn't change that he's a human fucking being.

People are mocking and celebrating his death like he's some villainous character. He's not. He's a person. People make his beliefs the only thing that matters to who he is, but they're not. People, in life and in death, were telling him he deserved to die.

That's not okay. It will never be. Grow up.

Why can't we handle this with the same grace people handled Liam Payne's death? Why can't we recognise that Bob was a man who hurt people, but still deserves respect?

I've also seen people complain that the band hasn't said anything yet. This is someone they were friends with for years. They probably saw him more than their families. And they're suddenly told that he's been found dead. Imagine what that does to a person.

MCR owes you nothing. Let them grieve. They will talk about it when they feel like they can. If they don't want to, for reasons we shouldn't force them to say, then we should respect that. For all we know, they're planning to do something on tour for him.

And here comes the tour discourse.

I'm sick of people complaining about the tour. Yes, pacing and ticket prices were terrible. No, it wasn't right, and I think whoever invented dynamic pricing and decided not to cap resale prices should go to hell. But that's it. That's all that's worth complaining about right now.

I've seen so many people go "this isn't the band that saved me" and "mcr has gone bad", but still call themselves fans of the band as a whole. No. You're stuck in what it was pre-reunion. What's worse is when people shit on MCR for "nostalgia bait" and still buy tickets. If you think what they're doing is bad, why go? If you don't like them as much now, why go?

We don't know what the tour will be like. We don't know shit. So stop going on about how the band doesn't care about it's fans, that it's nostalgia bait, because we don't know what they're doing.

The first time I looked up if MCR was touring, was genuinely two or three weeks after they were in my city. Do you know how heart-breaking that is? I'm a fan of so many people that I'll never get to see, but look! MCR is still going! But I just missed out anyway. People who've missed out before, or weren't fans, are getting to see them for the first time, and I think that's beautiful.

They're not touring in my country. I live in Australia. I hope they do an international tour soon. But they don't owe it to me. They don't owe it to anyone. By how much of Swarm Tour seems to lead into Long Live, we can assume they might be planning an international tour too. Frank himself said that they had big things planned.

Stay calm. Wait.

And don't shit on the band because you don't have the decency or patience for them to do things as they want, or in their own time.

[fuck-i-like-too-much-stuff]

PART THREE TO MY NOT-SO-SMALL-ANYORE ADDITION TO THE PROFESSOR PEEM AND PROFESSOR Q TAG

Part one and two:

Ao3:

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The airport is three hours away from the university, the flight is one hour away from the airport and Peem is about to bring earthquakes with how much his knees are bouncing up and down under the table.

“Hia, are you okay?” 

“What?” Peem, having grown too accustomed to only being called Professor Peem these days, startles on catching sight of Toey in the staffroom.

“I asked if you're okay.”

Before he could answer, a group of his students accumulated at the door, seeking permission to enter.

“Come in, you guys. Are you here for submissions?” 

They don't answer, feet dug into the floor and eyes trained onto Toey. 

“Guys, I get that you're all fine arts students and must observe the world and what not. But the staring is getting out of hand these days with you lot.”

Again, no answer. This time, however their feet move backwards and take them on the same path they had arrived from. 

“What was that all about?” Toey's eyebrows move towards each other and Peem almost laughs at the proof that he is not the only one who sees his students acting weird. 

“Hell if I know. They've been this way for four weeks now and I still can not fathom why.”

“And what's going on with you? Jae Fai and Hia Fang told me you haven't been taking care of yourself.”

“I'm fine, Toey. He's coming back today. And I'm fine.”

“Alright. Then I'll go prepare for my lecture.”

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.

.

Peem had been grateful to not have any lectures today. Peem had been grateful to be in the staffroom and do personal consultings for an hour and then proceed to do the gradings Q unloaded on him, after complaining about how not a single one of them was in sequence. Till an hour back, that was.

Peem was now contemplating his life choices of putting the gallery on autopilot to become a professor. A professor, who is either being pitied or hated by the first years, because if Q hadn't asked him to rearrange the assignments, he wouldn't have had anything to do. Hell, even Toey has more work to do than him and he gives two guest lectures a year which are both just additional guides.

He can't be hated, right? He did pretty well the first two years. This is actually just Phum's business trips taking a toll on him. Yes, that's it. He will be back to his normal, not nauseated and not puffy eyed self in just a couple more hours.

Couple more hours, that's doable.

“Professor Peem?” He realizes his eyes have been shut closed for the past ten minutes. 

“Yeah?” He looks up to find the teacher's aid peeking through the door.

“Professor Q is asking for you. Could you please go to lecture hall C.”

The hallways he walks through fall into a gradient of heavier and heavier silence as he nears lecture hall C. 

“Prof Q?” he asks, leaning into the deadly silent class. 

“Professor Peem. Yes, please come in.” While Peem can't ever digest his best friend of twenty years talking to him with this much respect, in their professional environment he has learned not to trip over his feet because of it.

“You mentioned that our students have been behaving somewhat weird these past weeks, right?”

“Yeah… what's going on?”

“Let's hear what one of them has just said. Right, Wai?”

Peem turns to find Wai amongst the students, everyone does the same and eyes converge on the boy sitting with a look that could compete with ghosts and win.

“Professor, I'm- we are so sorry. We didn't know- we didn't understand, or actually even try to understand anything. We're so sorry.”

“Okay I'm fed up of asking what's going on, it's the only question I've been asking for four weeks now. So will someone please tell me what on earth is going on?” The irritation in Peem's voice cracks through his throat and for the first time in four weeks, he is not getting a single eye contact from his audience.

“Remember the theme sequence they all messed up and I asked you to help with correcting it? I mentioned it in class today and it turns out it wasn't a mistake or a misread instruction.” Q's voice feels as if it was dipped in melted metal.

“They've been convinced that you and I were dating, that I cheated on you with Toey and left you to go with him to Europe.”

If Peem was nauseated before, he does not know how to describe the current pit in his stomach. “Is this what- is this what the looks, all those pity filled looks, were about? You all thought, not that it was any of your business, that Q cheated on me.”

“Who cheated on who now?” A voice pierces through the suspended tension of the room and Peem truly does not believe in the ground anymore. There standing in the doorway is his boyfriend, who did not cheat on him in the very least, with a bouquet of roses. His boyfriend, for who's presence his entire being had been aching for two whole months now. His boyfriend, who looks much more confused than Peem is himself.

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.

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 “How was this any of their business in the first place? We were never once interested  in Prof Po's love life.” Q has been fuming for the course of the past forty five minutes in which they have managed to cancel class for the rest of the day, and leave.

“And to be honest, we didn't even care about it. It's a professional relationship.”  

Q and Toey's apartment is just a seven minute drive from the Uni, making it extremely convenient for Peem to crash on a comfortable sofa right after a long day Although right now, its a comfortable sofa in addition to his boyfriend's side, and arm and hands and scent and existence.

He knows and agrees with Q with his whole heart, and he knows so do Toey and Phum. However there is only so much agreement one can do in his state. He nods off to sleep, the first deep sleep after weeks.

The next thing he recalls is waking up the door closing on the opposite side of the car, watching Phum make his way to his side and open the door for him.

“I told you, I can open the door for myself.”

“I know you can. I, as a gentleman, just don't feel like letting you.”

“And you do, as a gentleman, feel like letting me walk all the way to the front door and then through the hall and to the bedroom-” assuming his mumbles aren't coherent enough to make it to Phum's ears, he tries to climb out of the car. 

His feet don't touch the ground, Phum is carrying him up to the front door and through the hallways and to the bedroom and not once did Peem's feet come near touching the ground.

“You didn't have to do that. I was only joking.”

“I don't mind an excuse to carry my boyfriend around- just as I don't need an excuse to sit on his lap.”

Maybe there is more agreement Peem can do in his state.

[pure-garbage]

Not-So-Quick Thought Dump

I'm currently working on a handful of chapters that are actually incredibly important to me. I've been a victim of domestic abuse in the past, so it's an unbelievably difficult topic for me to write about. As much as writing can provide therapy and catharsis, I'm still only human and I get triggered sometimes trying to work through trauma I've personally experienced. I'm sure I'll end up hiding all the pain under a few layers of comedy, which is also fine. That's valid as an art form(I think).

That being said, I'm very pleased with the way I present the situation playing out roughly through chapters 123, likely to around 127. Character aspects like the ones explored here are a huge part of the reason I love the straw hat women so much, especially Robin(Lots of love for Nami too, but she is significantly younger and I head canon her as less experienced/wise).

Robin is the friend I always wanted but never had when I was dealing with my own struggles. She's centered, she's grounding, she's practical, and she can be amazingly fierce when it come to protecting/advocating for the people she cares about.

Going through my own experiences, I never had anyone who told me what I was going through was not okay. It can be incredibly confusing to be victimized by someone you have strong feelings for, whether that's romantic or familial. One of the hardest things in the world to realize is that two things can be true simultaneously: you can love someone and still not be okay with the way they treat you. You can create boundaries, have tough discussions and try to change behaviors. If change isn't possible, it becomes necessary to walk away, which is a separate challenge in and of itself.

Also the concept that someone can hurt you without meaning to and that's still not acceptable. It's easy to make excuses for the people who hurt us instead of holding them to account. Justifying the actions of someone you love is a hell of a lot easier than communicating with them. It's a lot easier than telling them you aren't okay with what they did. It's a lot easier than asking them not to do it again. Especially if they don't realize or don't want to admit that they hurt you. Maybe they were just playing. Maybe they thought you could handle it. If you're tempted to make excuses for them, you'd better believe that if you try to have a conversation about what happened, they'll likely make excuses for themselves.

This point cuts extra deep, at least for me, because it goes both ways. We can hurt the people around us without that being our intention. Hurting someone doesn't automatically make you the bad guy. Every fight in a relationship doesn't necessarily have a 'right' or 'wrong' side. It's fine to have a little self-forgiveness, but it has to be paired with caution. Don't make excuses for yourself instead of taking responsibility. The only thing you can really do to wrong another person is violate the boundaries they set knowing that you're doing so.

Whatever happened, even if it was a little thing, a petty thing, a 'stupid' thing: if you didn't like it, that's enough reason for it to never happen again. That's called setting a boundary and anyone who cares about you will respect the lines you draw in the sand and go out of their way not to cross those lines again. Which probably sounds super basic, like it should 'go without saying', but some of us were raised in dysfunctional households. For us, this really basic knowledge is a completely alien concept that we learn about later on. It's a life-changing epiphany if you're lucky enough to realize it consciously.

So if there's one lesson I can impart with this little arc, I hope that it is this: love and respect go hand in hand and they have to be mutual. Put the work in, be considerate, but don't forget to demand the same effort and consideration in return.

And walking away from a bad situation never makes you a bad person.

[lindyloosims]

Chapter Three, Part Two:

"TONIGHT??? But…where am I gunna go? My landlord kicked me out, I've got no job AND I feel like crap! Come on Lain!!!"

"Okay, I'll be reasonable! You don't have to go right now…" Lainie replied calmly…

"…you've got ONE hour!" Kev stepped back and glared at Lainie with utter contempt.

"You bitch!" he muttered so that Roxy couldn't hear, "Don't think that you'll get away with this! I'll come back, I always do! And she'll lap it up, like she always does! You're only doing this because you can't resist me, come on Lain, there's always been chemistry between us and you just can't stand it that it's Rox I chose! Don't get me wrong, if you weren't such a poisonous snake of a woman, I'd so go there! I've thought about it more than once, in fact I thought about it in the shower this morning…for fifteen minutes!!! And when you got dressed this morning, the crack in the door was just too much to ignore…you're just as hot with your clothes off and man I could have had you right there and you and I both know it!!!"

"You're an absolute pig Kevin Larson! And I wouldn't sleep with you if you were the last male on Earth! I won't call you a man because that would be pushing it! But the fact remains that in one hour I want you to be gone! And when you do crawl out from under your rock once again, I'll be there to drop it back on your head you waste of space! Now pack your bags…and GO!!!"

Lainie left Kevin speechless as she turned to her friend and told her "That's how it's done Roxanne. He just admitted that he'd sleep with me if he could, he has no respect for you or me! I just hope you realise that sooner rather than later because I love you and I'm sick of him making a fool of you!"

"I know!" Roxy replied, "I know Lain, but you can't help who you fall in love with!" As the girls left Kev to gather his things and get out, the boys were gathering on the upstairs landing waiting for them.

As was a very surprised and humbled Charlotte! "What are you guys doing here?"

Lainie replied "We thought we'd come and see you Charlotte. We've all got some spare time so do you fancy hanging out?" Charlotte's big brown eyes lit up at the sight of her neighbours standing there.

"I…oh I don't know what to say!!! You're all here for little me???" she squeaked as Lainie, Dexter, Andrew, Roxanne and Ashton smiled back.

"Yes, I'm sorry it took us so long but…" Lainie began as Charlotte let out a tiny sob and squeezed her eyes shut;

"We'll have a picnic! Out here on the landing! I have cakes and wine and…"

"Sounds great!!!" Ash replied, although he could have sounded a bit more enthusiastic! But the look on Charlotte's face made every single one of them feel good, she felt special…and they did that!

Charlotte poured everyone some wine and the picnic was well underway. She still had her cakes from the day before, she was truly overwhelmed by the company…

…they chatted and drank and had a good time together. Dex sat next to Lainie as Drew squeezed in between the two brothers to get away from Roxy who had taken quite a shine to him.

"So Charlotte, how is work at the cat shelter?" Lainie tried to make Charlotte feel like the birthday girl at a party by focusing on her, while Dex focused on something else entirely! Charlotte was aware of this and it amused her greatly, Dexter Maloney, the hot ladies man was all bashful and coy over this girl who had just moved in…and it was utterly wonderful to see!

Putting aside her amusement, Charlotte answered Lainie's question, "Well it's…very furry to say the least! I have sticky mitts in my bag at all times because you know cat hair is an unruly obstacle in my line of work! You know…it really is nice to have company and to talk!"

"Careful, I might get used to being so popular and demand a picnic every week!" she giggled shyly and smiled to herself.

Roxy was making eyes at Drew who was finding the whole experience uncomfortable. She was a nice girl but not really his type! She was too forward! "Hey Drew! I hear you play guitar? I love a man that plays guitar!" she purred and winked at him while Ash tried not to laugh…

"OMG dude!" Drew whispered, "Help me will ya?"

"Gotta take the rough with the smooth my friend!" Ash replied, why would he want to stop this riveting entertainment?

As Charlotte was about to clear up, Dexter had a little surprise for her. "I did this last night! Do you like it?" he hung a painting he'd done of Charlotte on the wall as she let out another little squeak of joy…

"Oh my, Dexter Maloney! You…did this for me?"

"Yeah! Do you like it?"

"I love it! It's…so beautiful and…am I really that pretty?" "Uh…yeah! Course you are Char!"

Everyone helped Charlotte clear away the food, she felt so special and she knew that was all down to Lainie. "You've been so kind, I want to do something for you!" "Aw Charlotte you really don't have…"

"I have a brother! He's my twin! His name is Robert, Rob…he's a sweet boy and I really think you would get along nicely!"

"A twin brother?" Dexter's ears pricked up as he heard this very alarming yet amusing news, two of them??? "Yes, he's quite lonely and he doesn't have a girlfriend. I think you'd make a lovely coupling!" she winked, but it wasn't Lainie she was winking at…

…it was Dexter, who she'd said the exact same thing to the other night! As Lainie smiled awkwardly at Charlotte, she could see that Dex was starting to panic! If this didn't spur him on then nothing would, Charlotte thought to herself with a cheeky grin. "So what do you say? I'll get Rob to pick you up tomorrow night okay?" "Sure!" Lainie just couldn't say no, and Charlotte knew it! Dexter's little face was a picture, his heart breaking over someone else dating his precious freckles…and Charlotte knew it! She wasn't as daft as everyone thought!

As Ash and Drew were discussing how Drew could get Roxy off his back, Dex suddenly hissed "Did you guys hear that???" "Hear what?" they both said in unison. "That fruit loop Charlotte! Setting MY Lainie up on a date with her TWIN BROTHER!!!" "Oh my god Charlotte has a TWIN???" Ash guffawed as Drew smiled to himself. "So that's who the guy is!" he let out a deep breath and shook his head, as if he was just realising something, something important!

"Yeah well, it ain't happenin' ya hear?" Dex huffed, that Charlotte, and after he'd given her a gift too! How dare she try and set HIS Lainie up with her brother! How very dare she!!!

The following evening, Ashton was called out to an emergency at a club that turned out to be…not an emergency but rather a matter of urgency for a certain young girl! "DO NOT UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES, unless there is a fire of course, TOUCH THE FIRE ALARM DO YOU UNDERSTAND???" "I didn't I…" Erin Daley began but was cut off, Ash took his job very seriously and didn't take kindly to mindless pranks. "Do you realise that while we were out here answering your bogus call that there could have been, and still might be, someone burning to death in their house or dying of smoke inhalation as we speak???" "But I didn't…" Erin tried again but this time was interrupted by her friend Selena; "So…where's Dexter?"

"What did she just say?" Ash demanded as the veins in his neck began to pulse. "I said where is Dexter? Your brother?" "Oh god!" Erin's face drained of colour as the realisation hit her, "Selena please tell me you didn't!" "I pressed the lever and I waited, you got Ash so where is Dex?" "Is she for real?" Ash blinked in disbelief.

End of Part Two.

⏮️Previous/Next⏭️

[saibugslegacy]

Run, Boy, Run

Word Count: 1.6k

Ambrose Varyn & Odysseus Carrow, Ambrose Varyn x Ominis Gaunt

Summary: Ambrose knew that the Gaunts found out about him and Ominis, and he knew Ominis was technically betrothed to someone in some sort of arranged marriage. But somehow he did not expect to receive a letter from Ominis' betrothed asking to meet.

Dear Ambrose Varyn,

Ominis' father told me about you and Ominis. I've arranged to travel to Hogsmeade so I can speak with you on our own terms. I'll be in the Three Broomsticks tomorrow at 5 pm. Be there or this situation will play out much less cordially. Do not tell Ominis. Come alone.

Odysseus Carrow

Ambrose's eyes widened further and further as he read through the letter he'd just received. He had not expected this kind of thing to be quite literally dropped in his lap in the middle of breakfast.

"Well?" Sebastian nudged his foot under the table. "What does it say?"

Ambrose hesitated. He hated the idea of lying to them, it made his skin want to crawl from his bones. But he also really did not want to piss off his boyfriend's betrothed. Ominis had assured him the betrothal was purely an arranged marriage and there was no real romance between them, but he felt he at least owed it to Odysseus to respect his wishes.

"Just a letter from Sirona," Ambrose replied, shoving the letter in his pocket. "Asked me to meet her at the Three Broomsticks tomorrow."

"Is everything alright?" Ominis asked, the slightest tinge of worry in his tone.

"She didn't say anything was wrong," Ambrose shrugged. "I'm sure she just wants to tell me something about Rookwood."

"We should come with you then," Ominis said.

"Darling, I can handle a visit to the Three Broomsticks," Ambrose chuckled and hoped it didn't seem as nervous as he was. He kissed Ominis' temple as he stood. "I'll see you in History of Magic, okay?"

"Alright," Ominis sighed. "But tell us if you need us please."

"Don't I always?" Ambrose snickered.

"No, you don't."

"And yet you love me anyway."

"You two are disgusting," Sebastian stated.

"Yeah yeah," Ambrose rolled his eyes.

The next day Ambrose walked into the Three Broomsticks just a few minutes before 5 pm. He rubbed his hands together to warm them from the autumn chill. Stupid dragon eating his only pair of gloves. He had to say, the Three Broomsticks seemed particularly warm today, relaxing his body, soul, and mind.

"Well hello there," Sirona chuckled. Ambrose couldn't help a grin as he approached the bar and immediately got a butterbeer placed in front of him.

"Sirona you're a saint," Ambrose sighed in relief.

"It's been said," Sirona shrugged. "I haven't seen you around here for a while."

"You would not believe how busy I've been," Ambrose said.

"I'll say," Sirona replied. "Rookwood is still looking for you and he seems to be getting angrier. But I'm sure you had nothing to do with it."

"Come on Sirona, me?" Ambrose snickered. "That doesn't sound like something I would be involved with at all."

"Uh huh," Sirona laughed. "Your friend is waiting for you at the table in the back."

"He's here already?" Ambrose glanced around and saw a boy sitting in the corner staring right at him. "Right. I have to go. I'll talk to you later."

"And you better catch me up," Sirona replied. Ambrose just nodded as he headed over to the table.

Odysseus Carrow shouldn't be someone to worry about. He was short, much shorter than Ambrose, and he looked almost sickly. Dark shadows rested under his eyes, and even under his tailored suit Ambrose could tell how skinny he was. His dark brown hair fell to his shoulders, barely covering a scar over eye and eyebrow. Yet he still made Ambrose want to squirm.

There was something about his eyes. He didn't flinch or glance away, unlike Ambrose who kept looking around the pub for any poachers who may see him. But Odysseus just stared right at him, no, through, him. His eyes were an odd color too. In the shadows and dull firelight Ambrose couldn't quite make it out. They seemed gray but he couldn't be sure.

"Odysseus?" Ambrose asked and Odysseus nodded, gesturing to the seat across from him. Already Ambrose's mind was racing. He had no idea why Odysseus wanted to meet him. The only reason he could think of would be laying into him for dating Odysseus' betrothed but-

"I'm not here to yell at you," Odysseus said. "What I assume Ominis told you is true. Our betrothal is entirely organized by Ominis' father, Hiram, and my uncle, Magnus. There is no romance between us and there never has been. In fact, we both would love nothing more than to not get married."

"However," Odysseus continued. "I was Ominis' friend before he even met the Sallows. Before he started spending his summers in Feldcroft, when he was trapped in the Gaunt Mansion and I in Carrow Manor we were all each other had. And in light of our arrangement, I deserved to meet you at least. I wanted to see who you are on your own, without Ominis here to help you."

"Fair enough I suppose," Ambrose muttered, tracing the bottom of his mug. "What do you want to know?"

"What will you do if we are wed?"

The question was so sudden Ambrose choked on his butterbeer. He'd expected small talk, not something like that.

"I don't do small talk," Odysseus scoffed. "Answer my question."

He had no idea how to answer it. He spent most of his time either taking down Rookwood's poachers with Natty and Poppy or fighting off Ranrok or dealing with the Keepers' trials. He barely remembered to write home most of the time. He didn't even have plans for winter, much less after graduating.

But the question was one he needed to consider. He didn't know much about how the Gaunts and Carrows worked. He knew the "Sacred Twenty-Eight" were basically wizarding nobility with ridiculous amounts of wealth and influence. He knew Ominis talked about the marriage like it happened all the time and was something he wanted to fight but might be inevitable. He knew the disgust and disdain in Ominis' voice when he talked about his family. He knew their cruelty and selfishness. He knew the nightmares Ominis hid from in his arms. But he didn't know much else.

Odysseus was staring at him again. Ambrose may have been imagining it but Odysseus seemed tenser than before, with the slightest crease between his eyebrows.

"What would that mean for you two?" Ambrose asked slowly. "If you do get married."

"We would be married," Odysseus raised an eyebrow. "We would have to produce an heir, so I'd have to get pregnant at least once. Depending on our siblings' children we may have to keep trying until we have a male heir. But you really mean would we be entirely committed to one another."

"I...yeah," Ambrose admitted.

"Theoretically yes," Odysseus said. "We could never marry another or truly date anyone else. The most we could have is a consensual affair which admittedly is common in our families. So, if we never find a way out of this marriage, would that be enough for you?"

Ambrose paused so he could really, truly think about it. He didn't want to just give the answer Odysseus wanted to hear or what he "should" say. Whatever it was he wanted to mean it. Would that be enough? Especially if he wanted to save Everett. Could he handle both? Could he be a secret, alone, for the rest of his life, just for Ominis? But could he lose Ominis completely?

"Yes," Ambrose said. "Yes it would."

"You really do love him," Odysseus realized. His voice was nowhere near gentle but the edge to it was dulled a little.

"With everything I have," Ambrose promised.

"Good," Odysseus took a deep breath and leaned forward so he could whisper. "Then leave him."

"What?!" Ambrose exclaimed and immediately got a headache that made him wince and lower his voice. "What was the point of all that then?"

"I am glad you love Ominis," Odysseus said. "No one on this planet deserves to be loved more than him. But you loving him means you will just kill you both. They will find out you're more than an affair and that he really cares about you. You'll have to meet his family, and his family...whatever he's told you, they're worse. I would know. You say one wrong thing and they will kill you and that will destroy him. So if you love him, leave him."

"You want me to just give up on him?" Ambrose said. "I'm not going to leave him because you're scared."

"I am living with them," Odysseus growled. Ambrose's eyes widened. Why would he...shit. "Yes, it's your fault. I've been living with them for weeks so they can keep an eye on me. They're scared I'll do something stupid that will make all this worse. I've been prepared to live in that damn mansion my whole life. You will not survive them."

"We could help you," Ambrose insisted. "I'll tell Ominis and we'll save you, he won't just leave you there."

Odysseus, for the first time that evening, bursted into laughter. It wasn't bright or happy in any way. Ambrose didn't know a laugh could sound so defeated.

"You're a nice guy, Ambrose," Odysseus sighed. He stood up and dropped a stack of galleons on the table. "And maybe nice will help you with the trials, Rookwood, and the Poachers."

Ambrose felt like he'd just been hit with a glacius spell. "How did you-"

"Listen to me," Odysseus leaned forward, putting his hands on the table to look Ambrose in the eyes. Ambrose hadn't noticed before but his eyes weren't gray at all. They were purple. There was something behind his gaze, something that made him feel much too dangerous for a Squib. "Nice will not help you with this. These people, our families, they don't care about nice. They don't care if you're polite. They don't care about reason. Nothing you have will help you."

"Then what do I do?" Ambrose pleaded.

Odysseus stood up. Suddenly he didn't look dangerous anymore. He looked tired. More tired than any fifteen year old has any right to be.

"Get away from the Gaunts," Odysseus answered. "Run. While you still have the choice."

[enginire]

snowpiercer prompts. episode 1 - 3.

you're gonna have to hide.

it's going to be okay.

be prepared to brace.

we'll do the best with what we've got, alright?

you want to take care of the food?

you really think i can be an engineer?

never forget who you are.

with all due respect, we've heard it before, and this doesn't exactly fill the belly.

if we don't do something soon, it's gonna be too late.

i don't think you've got the guts to stand with us.

you can question my plan if you want, but you question my fight, and we've got a serious problem.

we do this now before they toss us again and find the weapon.

we need to think long-term about this.

there is no long-term if we're too old and sick to fight.

you're not allowed to have better cantonese than me.

there's more violence, i heard.

alright, well. bad news travels fast.

you know you love an excuse to wear your fur.

what do you want with me?!

we've had a murder.

i guess he didn't think rich people would murder each other.

we've got a body.

if anyone can get back to us, it's him.

i think they cut him up into pieces to hide him better.

this is your chance. take it.

why would you want to go back there?

my department's responsible for smooth relations.

doors will open wherever your investigation leads you.

you want justice? clear her.

get these two out of here, i'll start with her.

give us a minute alone, or this is as far as i go.

you told them i was a cop?!

you were the only person i could think of to help.

you really pulled out all the stops, huh?

how did it go with the suspects?

there is way more to this than you're saying. otherwise, why would you be so desperate for my help?

a murder could upset the entire ecosystem. it's complex.

i thought the boss could use some comfort food tonight, and i bet you can use a drink.

we locked up the wrong person.

once this murder is solved, the other work can continue.

we stick to the script. we finish what we started.

we've got to remove the body.

nothing like mountain weather to agitate everyone further.

just what this day was missing… another corpse.

they're killing each other up there.

i think i've got a way we get out of this alive.

there's to be no more loss of live.

you have a rough day stewarding the future of humanity?

it's gonna be bumpy tomorrow.

the only reason we're here is we refused to die in the first place.

do you think i want to be here?

finally! someone with the moral fortitude to take responsibility for their actions!

they keep trying to take our dignity, but any survivor will tell you they check their dignity at death's door.

the more they steal from us, the more human we become.

you were in it to save your buddies. i don't owe you a thing.

you two are gonna have a great day.

your people killed their friends. i don't think you realise how unpopular you are.

security forces don't grow on trees.

i'd be happy to share insights if you share details of the investigation.

i'm trying to assess how far you can move a body.

it's her lips to god's ear, isn't it?

we offer epiphanies.

i'm not gonna let them pin this murder on you.

would it be so terrible if you stayed up here?

sometimes detective work requires a personal touch.

just to be clear, i've never done an autopsy before.

you're not saying this is cannibalism.

one gang in particular - they would kill anyone, eat anyone. had no choice.

we need to look in your freezer.

bet you could cut my leg off with that.

brace for impact!

we need to know if it's structurally sound.

is this what the start of a resource crash feels like?

i know. it's bad. but how bad stays between us.

if you're gonna retail him for meat, then why the torture?

he puts arms and legs in my fricking noodles.

there's no use in getting us both shitkicked.

you still care about getting the right guy?

we need every department. we need friends high and low. you see?

i swear to you, i will not stop fighting.

we're still in motion, alive and kicking, and it's not thanks to chance, or fate, or god.

you've got killers and cannibals and god knows what else up here. so don't lecture me about balance.

you'd think loneliness would be impossible all crammed in here, but this place was designed to separate us from our possessions, from our loved ones. now every last shred of us is worth something to someone.

everything's rare, so you've gotta pay with something personal.

we held onto these for a long time, but they're worth more as a commodity. to trade if you get into trouble.

by your steady hand, we will ride out this hardship and outlive the ice, bound by our cause and our need.

tell them there's unrest brewing.

let me explain clearly. we each have our place up here, our lane. and until you earn his trust, your lane is narrow.

authoritarian states usually control their own drug trades.

well, look at you, detective. already working on the case.

you should see me without the handcuffs.

false imprisonment? a cannibal ring right under my nose? it's embarrassing.

and i can't even find my underwear!

i can't wait to slap him with this.

you're at an impasse with this case. so today, i'm shaking the hell out of this tree to make something fall out.

you know how the underground works.

i see you, with your surprise casino and your roman games. you're just misdirecting us from an extinction event.

god, i wish i were welding.

i'm gonna have to ask you to leave.

well, hopefully now we can focus on our next steps.

kinda everywhere, isn't she?

i'll keep doing what i do best, and you keep doing what you do best: survive.

we're gonna get a lot more information out of her if i go alone.

i can ask if he'll meet with you.

twice in one day, i'm stuck dealing with you.

you're just pissing him off.

so you go out there, and you tell him that i've got eyes on me too.

you think i don't have more dirt on you?

me and your boss? we're getting pretty close. i could probably just make some shit up.

that shit's poison. you should be ashamed of yourself.

you don't want that kind of publicity.

if i give him something about this murder, he'll probably forget about the whole thing.

it was a great success, despite a riot breaking out - maybe even because of it.

well, i'll put the riot to bed, you put them to bed.

this whole time, i've not been seeing what was right in front of my eyes.

you don't remember me, do you? but you do know who i am.

[cheollipop]

I'm a desitiny and it was just out of ignorance. You're allowed to feel however you want to feel but let's not pretend like none of us have done things that have unintentionally offended others. Kq has already put out a statement and I'm ok with it. I don't really understand why we need to go this far when intent is an important factor to thing like this. This song is not seen negative in korea and people will sing it without thinking. I get that. But I trust they will be more thoughtful moving forward. Being ignorant is not the same as being racist and i hope people understand that. You just need to politely inform them. My English is not the best so I'm sorry

to start, I'm sorry this whole thing happened to begin with. no one should have to feel disrespected because of their ethnicity, race, gender, etc.

I wasn't going to comment on this anymore, but i'll just say this. it's true that no one is perfect and we all make mistakes. personally, I was born and raised in my native country and much like korea, a lot of racist ideologies and mindsets were instilled in me growing up, and I most definitely have acted in a way that was unacceptable. however, gaining access to the internet and then moving to australia a couple years ago, I made friends of diverse backgrounds who taught me that certain things were not okay (usually when people were disrespectful to me and I didn't see it as such). things that I thought were just 'funny' turned out to be harmful to certain cultures/ethnicities. if I had outwardly offended someone with my behaviour, no matter what my intent was, I would've still apologized and did my best to learn from what had happened.

that being said, no one is a saint and we all make mistakes. I'm really happy (most) atiny handled the situation the way they did (by not attacking them and calling them names), and I'm glad the issue got acknowledged quickly. however, the majority of desi atinys I've seen have expressed wanting to hear from the members themselves, and putting myself in their shoes, I understand and respect that. one of my closest friends is desi and seeing her so upset over this was very difficult, and she told me that she would like to hear the members address this themselves. while I'm sure they did it out of ignorance (and not to directly mock a certain culture), desi atinys were still hurt and affected by this, and deserve the apology they want.

I'm not trying to invalidate your feelings, I respect your thoughts and I'm very glad you've gotten closure over this situation. but others haven't, and considering they're affected greatly by this, I don't think we should label their protests as an overreaction.

[ofstarsandlove]

The last time I saw your face, you told me you'd tell me everything I ever wanted to hear on a random Tuesday. You tell me you're drunk, you tell me that you're sad, you tell me you'll come see me again in 50 years, call my name while I'm outside, and that we'll smile at each other again, like we used to.

Six years ago, I was just a girl, navigating life to the best of her abilities. I made mistakes along the way, ended friendships I still desperately needed, fell for the wrong people, walked away from the right ones. Six years ago, I was only 18, and I had learnt how to breathe underwater, mastered the act of faking everything to the point where I didn't even know the feelings I felt weren't real.

I am a liar, a manipulator, a person who doesn't know what to do most of the time, but a person trying, isn't that worth something, at least? That I'm trying?

You told me that I can either let the hurt consume me, and make life hard for myself and the others around me, or I can love, despite it all. I did not know how to respond, because I thought that was what I was doing, I thought I was loving, I thought I was kind, I thought I was helping, I thought I was fighting. Thoughts are a funny thing, they lie to you. And my thoughts are all I have, so I guess I was lying to myself.

A friend told me that I have zero self respect, that I never set boundaries, and even when I do, I move them because I'm afraid that the other person will get mad and leave me. He told me I am cripplingly insecure, and that I love attention to the point where I often sell myself way too short. I am sorry for being these things, I didn't notice. Or maybe I did, and I convinced myself that they were okay, if it made the people around me feel safe.

Feeling safe, I never really felt safe anywhere, especially when I'm alone. Maybe that's the reason I crave attention, but I don't know, I only studied psychology for two semesters and I'm not going to self diagnose myself.

Sometimes, when I want to be told 'I love you', I tell the people around me I love them, in hopes that they might say it back. I told my mother I loved her this morning as she was leaving for work, she smiled and said 'Love, Love'. I do not understand why she just can't say it back. I tell my brother I love him and he says it's annoying hearing it all the time. I tell my father I love him, and he pretends to not hear.

Sometimes, I sit in front of the window near my bed and dream that I'll be taken away like Wendy was, but I'm too old now, and I've lost hope that my Peter will come.

Sometimes, I dream of floating in space, and although I am terrified of space. In my dreams, I am peaceful, I am happy, and I am whole.

I think, what I'm trying to say is, love isn't something that scares you, love is something that comforts you. And I was always scared when it came to you. And I hate to admit it, but Tuesdays scare me now too.

[the-white-soul]

*Flowey hisses back at Noelle through gritted teeth. It wasn't ideal the he told Noelle why him and Kara went to speak alone, but maybe he can justify himself a bit. Even if the intention of murder would be inexcusable.*

I only was doing it if Kara said they weren't really my friend! I need them just as much as you, if not more.

Yet they've acted much more vile to me in the past than me to them, so it only makes sense to be uncertain. I figured if they did want to hurt me, I should hurt them first, and that's most effective through you.

*his retort breaks off as Noelle's grip gets tighter, and he feels like his stem might crack with much more pressure. He's getting deja vu with this from Chara. Flowey glares back at Noelle the whole time she's talking even still, and thorns begin to poke up into her hand. He gasps once he's let go, giving an unsteady smile to Kara.*

Guh... Yeah! I- I'll be good. I've always have been good to you, haven't I Kara?

*He let's himself calm down so the thorns disappear, and he wraps himself around Kara's lower leg like how a child might hug and adults leg as they're trying to walk.*

How about that race now. You wouldn't want to let Layer win!

*Noelle runs and grabs onto Flowey but not as tight and jumps in.*

(Noelle) "First place. Just what I'd expect also yeah Kara has there problems in there past and I'd like to respect you trying to teach them a lesson. But first there changed and second even if they were just a liar why should I get hurt? Alright I forgive you, *Puts down Flowey* but forgiving is not forgetting."

(Kara) "Huff I, haven't run that fast in a while. Oh great you and Flowey won. I didn't realize how good friends you two were. *Noelle looks happy but internally is screaming* Anyway oh look there's a monster coming up it's Undyne. Oh no."

(Undyne) "Halt human, *Wistles getting the rest of the dogs to also put a knife close to there throat* prepare to be captured in the name of our king."

(Kara) "Who's your king?"

(Papyrus) "Me!!!"

(Layer) "To quote a marvel film, 'I see this as an absolute win.' How did you become king?"

(Papyrus) "Well after Martlet died monsters wanted a ruler very similar so they picked I the Great Papyrus."

(Noelle) "Um, what are you going to do with me and Flowey?"

(Papyrus) "Ah, of course more monsters. Are you orphans? If so I can send you to an... actually, how would you want to have a father? If you are an orphan."

(Noelle) "We'll *ahem* think about it, *Whispers* Kara please help. I like Papyrus but not this much."

(Kara) "So what are you going to do with me?"

(Papyrus) "Actually I got this idea from Toriel. She told everyone one day how stupid Asgore was by not just absorbing one soul. So that's my plan. Brilliant just like the great papyrus."

(Kara) "So you're going to try to kill me."

(Papyrus) "Well, I... um... Undyne we kill them right?"

(Undyne) "The human teen only. I don't even know what that other human is."

(Papyrus) "Okay, here's our catchphrase."

(Papyrus and Undyne) "EN GUARD!!!"

[inkstainsonwood]

Here to say, Anon, you're so incredibly valid. Senpai notice(d) me is such a mood. I've been where you are. Once and a half. These are my stories (and kind of advice) because, well, I know when I was where you were, you coulda told me advice, and I still would have gone through the whole feelings roller coaster I did anyway. ^^

---

The first time this happened, I was convinced it was a parasocial relationship. There was no way they actually cared about me. They must have actually cared about how much I was cheering for their fic, the long comments I left, how I drew multiple fanarts for them. Nevermind the fact that we were talking every single day. I developed a crush (and I knew there was no chance on it). I told myself there was no way I'm equal, I'm just reader. Eventually, I did write a fic, and they read it! And liked it! Joy upon joy! I had their respect! (They had, I will note, all this time, said that if something wasn't for me, don't read it, and so I was already very much of the expectation [but not hope] that they might not read it.)

But despite that, hah, did you know external validation doesn't fix all the internal shit? I hate that. So, I still wasn't in a very good spot cause oh my god this crush/squish/fawning whatever it was I was doing. I wanted to hold on so much that I brought it up in therapy. What do I do? I have so much fear around this friendship. Please fix me therapist. I just need to be internally stable. Therapist helped me look at what I had with this person, and then my therapist told me -- it might be a beautiful long friendship, but ... it also might end. You might in fact fall out of fandom, or they might fall out of the fandom, and, yeah, you might not keep the friendship. And WOW that sounded terrible to me (but, spoilers, it turned out to be a helpful thought).

Eventually there was some day I shared with them my feelings of inadequacy toward them, and they reassured me that I was in fact their friend. That I was their first friend in this fandom, and they weren't going to forget me. And, wow, yeah, that felt real great (but external validation still doesn't fix the internal shit). And as they built more of a friend group, I got to see how they interacted with other people. Which … was both great, and …. A Lot. Some night, I was having So Many Feels about it, and, well, I cried. I realized … I'm heartbroken. I'm not special. Not the way I wanted to be. And that I had fawned, and did they even actually know me at all despite claiming that I was their friend? (I think they did consider me a friend, truly and well, even though I hadn't really let them become my friend. Even though I had opened up about being feelings toward them, I hadn't really opened up that much about me in general. I kept things fairly tied to fandom to make sure they were interested in whatever I had to say.) And I could feel that I was starting to drift from that fandom, and also from them… Maybe my therapist was right. Which would suck so much. And, over time, I did sort of … fade away from that author and group. We talk occasionally, but definitely not every day anymore.

---

The second time -- well, it's still on going, and there's a part of me that's thinking, it can't last forever. I've had this experience before. But, we talk every day, we aren't really talking about the fandom that originally brought us together, and we're planning to meet up! In person!!

It helped that this time, it was a smaller fandom. Even an author who wrote an AMAZING fic will only have a handful of readers. It helped that they were the one to tell me to reach out to them on tumblr. It helped that I had this previous experience and so I was like, okay, I know, I know people in fandom are just searching out friends and connections, and, maybe it'll only be a fandom friend, and even if I fawn, and have So Many Feelings, I will come out okay. I'll find other fandoms. I'll find other fic. I'll find other people. (It sounds so fake when you're in That Mode, though.) And, right now, I'm of the mindset, the first time with the first author had to have failed in order for the second one to have succeeded.

I had hopes, sure, but I had no expectations that it would go well. And I knew what hadn't worked, so, this time, I was more, well, me. They offered to beta my fic. I gave them the longest list of tag warnings and was like, truly, seriously, if you don't like, don't read. I have no idea if this is your cup of tea at all we've barely just met. They liked it. That gave them brainworms, and they started a fic, and I offered to beta that. All the while, life was happening, and we chitchatted about whatever till whatever hour of the night.

And! We're going to meet! In a month! We've wanted to meet since like half a year ago, but the timing has always been terrible. Early on, I tried to offer meeting at a con 'cause it's low stakes, low risk. If you don't like each other or it's awkward in person, there's lots to do elsewise. But hahahahahaha, yeah, now it's a 3-day trip. No con. You can say there's a whole city to explore, but, it's very much, you know, more about each other and not about what fandom brought us together.

---

So, what can I say? Reach out to them! If they've already followed you, chances are they want to find people to chitchat about fandom, too! And! They already like your analyses and rants or whatever it is you're posting! You have their respect! The second fic-author-turned-friend keeps telling me those are well written, and therefore I am a writer and they already know I am a good writer (which isn't to say I am a good fic writer -- but it turns out that writing is a pretty transferable skill).

Both people told me, I don't have to read their fic. They know not everything is going to be for everyone. And so the converse should be true, they don't have to read my fic. And yet! Also! They were both eager to read what I had written!! (Though it's still very unfortunate you have to put your own writing out there without knowing how it'll be received …. sigh but sometimes you just gotta.) I feel like, what I can say, is, if you write analyses (I write long comments about people's fics), you're probably already thinking about how stories work, and that sort of thought will shine through in your own fic. (But that still won't make posting less terrifying, and nor does it promise your author-senpai will read it and like it…. unfortunate, I know.)

Sometimes … it doesn't work out in the long run even though you have so much hope. And the fear that it won't is so, incredibly real. I know how all-consuming it can be. You're not alone in that. I've been there. But I also promise, you'll make it out the other end.

Good luck out there! Go make some fandom friends. :D (Do it scared!) I hope you find your fandom people!

Hello! First of all, thank you for this blog. I’ve read some of the asks you’ve answered so far and they’ve been incredibly fun and to go through and very useful <3

The problem I have is very… specific. But I figured why not share it here, you know?

A few months ago, I started leaving rants and analyses in one of my favorite AO3 writer’s tumblr ask box, regarding their fics. That kind of evolved and long story short, they’ve been following my tumblr blog for a while.

Now this obviously makes me incredibly happy. They’re not exactly popular in the whole wide fandom, per se, but they’ve kind of created a smaller fandom within the original fandom through their fics and art (which are mostly AU longfics, and art for said AUs), so this basically feels like being tumblr mutuals with someone like Neil Gaiman to me.

The problem arises in the fact that I feel like I’m being watched now. This person I look up to follows my tumblr, and knows my AO3 handle, and I have only posted a single fic so far, but I have so many other fics I want to write, and I’m always so anxious to write because I keep thinking “When I post this, are they going to see it? Read it, maybe? Are they gonna hate it? Are they gonna unfollow me because they don’t like my characterization or writing?” and I keep trying to reason with myself that part of the reason I look up to them so much is that they promote a “No judgement” policy, and part of the reason they followed me is because they liked my analysis of their work, but now I’m realizing that… I want them to read my fics. And I want them to like them and maybe I want us to be friends and not just mutuals, and I want us to freak out about each other’s fics, you know?

That is worsened by the fact that… My tumblr account is fairly new. And I have a total of 3 followers including said fanfic writer, so I feel the pressure to post fics in order to grow my tumblr circle and build a community, but that directly clashes with my desire to write something absolutely perfect so they’ll like it, which then both clash with what makes writing fic enjoyable, AKA doing it for myself and writing what I want to and how I want to.

I’m aware that I can’t control what another person likes, dislikes, or does. And that I have all the time in the world to write the fics I want and those that will make me happy without regarding what other people might think. But also… fandom are communities. And I want my tumblr and AO3 to be places where I can talk about my fics with people who like them, so that desire to grow my account as soon as I can is very strong simply because I have no one else to talk to. I don’t want to talk to the void and post rants that no one will see (except… y’know, maybe my favorite fanfic writer, which is a whole other level of pressure) about fics that don’t exist yet. Another part of this is the fact that, unless I get fics out, I’m relying on the fanfic writer liking my ideas and interacting to build a community.

As much as I try to convince myself to just write without care and to stop trying to control what this person does because that is completely out of my control and kind of dehumanizing on their behalf, the anxiety doesn’t subside. I don’t know what to do.

This ask was a bit of a journey for me, anon, and it took a little bit of untangling to see where you were going with it. I think this might be the central issue you're facing though:

I want my tumblr and AO3 to be places where I can talk about my fics with people who like them ... because I have no one else to talk to. I don’t want to talk to the void and post rants that no one will see ... about fics that don’t exist yet.

You're looking for fandom friends, and you're at the start of that journey - and I think you're doing well already by reaching out to an author you like and sending them asks about their work. Being willing to reach out and talk to people is an amazing quality, anon, and I encourage you to keep doing that. Follow more people who post things that you're interested in. Drop asks in their inbox and start a conversation.

The other half of that is giving other people and opportunity to reach out to you. You can do this by posting your thoughts about the canon your fandom is tied to. You can see a ton of examples here on tumblr where folks discuss a particular moment or scene that meant something to them.

You can also reblog asks memes, like the AO3 wrapped ones I reblogged the other day. Sometimes I see people just answer all of the questions in their own reblog, but if you want people to have an opening, just leave your ask box open and see what comes through.

If you want to talk about your own work, you can post something for WIP Wednesday or Six Sentence Sunday - or just post a scene that you've been working on and ask what people think.

Everyone starts off with a handful of followers, anon. You won't dive into a lively community overnight. You also don't have to create tons of popular fics in order to make one. Join a community that already exists. Find the people you vibe with within it. This author friend of yours might be the perfect place to start.

Even our favourite people, the ones we look up to most, are still just people when it comes down to it. If this author is as chill as you say they are, I think friendship is totally possible.

I'll open it up to the blog now. Did I read this one wrong? Do you have advice for anon? Have you been in a situation like theirs?

[ginevrastilinski-ocs]

https://www.tumblr.com/joaquinwhorres/683633171366068224/receipts-catalogue pls consider this when interacting with other creators. If you want to still be friends with Maddie then that’s your decision but also it’s best to be informed as to why some creators may be wary of you even if they are too shy to say it. Hope you are well.

Okay, I'll try to respond to this as better as I can. Please, let me know if I sound rude, because if so, it's not my intention.

I know what happened last may. I was already here on tumblr, not as oc-creator, just as an oc enjoyer. I didn't interact that much with most people because I'm very shy, but I was here.

I totally understand why most of you don't want to interact with them anymore after may, and I don't blame you at all. I don't now and I will never excuse what they did, because it's very messy and fucked up. (And they already know this because I told them, so they know what i think about everything that happened)

However, I wanted to give them a second chance. They've always been one of the most important people I have interacted with here. They're the first person I've followed (of ocs blogs I mean). Also, they've helped me to finally let go my anxiety and post about my ocs.

I would never force anyone to forgive them or interact with them or anything like that. Like I said, I totally get why you don't want to, and I respect that.

If any of you have some problems with me personally, about my ocs or anything, please tell me. We can talk about it and try to fix it if is possible.

I don't want people to feel uncomfortable to interact with me. I can get why some of you may be wary of me, but please if you feel uncomfortable with me, tell me. If you need space, I'll give you space. If you just don't want to interact with me at all anymore, I will not contact you. Don't ever let yourself stay in an uncomfortable situation for being kind. Not for me. Please.

I hope you're doing well too anon! And if anyone has something else to say please feel free to send an ask or dm me!

[manikrege]

If you turn 30 in 5 years or less, I need you to understand something.

My best friend, who's 26 and a self-started small business entrepreneur now, told me her deepest wish & biggest dream was being on the Forbes 30 under 30 List.

Like a best friend, I hyped her up & told her it was inevitable - she'd definitely get there.

But then we marinated on the truth that she only has a few years left (now even less) to make it happen ... It looked too difficult.

In response, I assured her there's enough time because I didn't know what else to say. I didn't have the words that I should've used at that time, until today when I came across a stupid LinkedIn post which brought back the memory.

The post was from your stock footage old HR recruiter complaining about Gen-Z's tendency to prioritise all the wrong things. Yes, cue the eye rolls already.

She talked about how buying an iPhone for 1L is okay for us but using that as capital to start our own business feels too risky.

How we always complain about salads being expensive but going on a dinner date is okay.

How enrolling for a 3L course to upskill feels too costly but we're cool with spending that amount on traveling/vacations.

I usually just scroll past by, because I can't take LinkedIn less seriously nowadays - it's become Facebook at this point - but in this case I wrote back in the comments.

See, I did go on a fancy dinner date last month! *wink wink*

Omg this was my first one EVER. I'm turning 25 soon and I've never done something like it because I was always studious in school & then prioritised my career right from day uno of my first job, so I always told my friends that I find getting into a relationship something bored people do - I said dating is for kids & I'll look out for someone once I'm well settled.

But I was lying to myself. Of course I wanted to know & be with someone - emotionally & physically, too. Of course my body understands attractions & has certain needs, and my mind craves companionship from time to time.

So I did follow through with my Bumble match & we had sat down at a fancy café named Poetry in Powai - and we talked for 3 goddamn hours nonstop. I've become very health conscious but that day, the person's presence loosened me up & I had fried junk food & TOTALLY LOVED IT.

In passing, they said the most beautiful thing anyone has ever told me - they said they could watch time passing by as the Sun set outside the window but they let it go because they were so lost in me (and so was I in them).

Someday I'll talk about my first kiss because writers gotta milk out every opportunity bwahaha but the point is that this goes against everything the God-fearing, traditional mindsetted, 20-year-old Manik believed in. If he saw the future, he'd curse me for wasting my time on irrelevant useless stuff and ask me to focus on myself.

Secondly, I've been taking myself out on solo dates on the weekends (still do now, and my partner totally understands). I fell in love with this gorgeous mall called Phoenix Palladium & I spent 3 hours walking every square meter it covers last weekend after office. In April, I'm saving up to go on a Goa trip with friends. But the agenda is the same - I no longer hustle on the weekends. I'll either sleep and do my gym sessions in between, or I'll get myself out of my room. I have fun.

Thirdly, I did buy a fancy phone too because it had a good camera. I'm very camera conscious but one of my new year resolutions was to push myself out of that awkwardness & click a selfie every day - I've maintained that streak so far.

I'm saying all of this because it feels great.

It's what I'm supposed to do when I'm 24. I'm supposed to fall in love, go on dates, be intimate & get my heart broken just to see how the hurt feels like (although dear partner if you're reading this, don't break up so soon please!).

I'm supposed to start loving & respecting my own body & realising that while being healthy & working on fitness is definitely so important, the composition of my body doesn't define how beautiful I am so it's totally ok if I give into my craving and have that pizza today.

I'm supposed to be doing goofy things. I AM SUPPOSED TO BE WASTING THIS TIME OF MY LIFE PRECISELY BECAUSE I CAN AFFORD IT. Silly shit. I'm supposed to be failing & making silly mistakes so I can learn from them & pass the lessons to the next generation.

Why. The. Fuck. Should I feel guilty about having fun & doing things that made me happy? Why should I always take life so seriously? Where has that gotten me so far?

I lost my childhood because I was always focused on growing up. My parents first, my teachers next & my friends afterward - everyone has had these unsaid expectations from me that I'll become successful in life. And I'm grateful that they believe in me. But I was talking to one of my interns & was telling her I had a wild Friday. She said that she couldn't imagine me partying & dancing because Im always so focused & serious at work.

And she wasn't exactly complimenting me. It hurt that people can't imagine Manik Rege being a party person. And I don't like that.

All my hard work has always been steamrolled with obstacles politics & failures. Life has always pushed me down on the floor & laughed as I mustered the strength to stand up again, and start from scratch. I have rebuilt myself a thousand times but now I'm done with the hustle.

I'm not giving up on my dreams & ambitions.

I'm just throwing away the sand glass that emptied itself at the mark of turning 30 years old.

Because I didn't confess this to my best friend back then but being in Forbes was my biggest dream too and not reaching there in time to qualify was my darkest fear.

I personally know people who've been featured in the Forbes list. I'm happy for them. But I felt so jealous because that was my idea of being successful too.

My idea of success, as fed to me by others, was having a well paying job and a wife and a kid and a house by 30. My idea of success was fame and money and stability and career growth.

So every time someone asked me to do something that didn't directly contribute to those holy goals, I used to back out. I didn't realise how much I was missing out on. Because I thought it was all pointless.

Almost every fourth Reel I see on IG is about some entrepreneur repeating my uncle's wisdom about how I shouldn't waste this time of my life in anything else apart from building my career.

And i respect that but I've also secretly just wanted to be a goddamn teenager for once. And do teenagey stuff.

Why did I always feel guilty about it? Why did I regret having junk food once in a while. Or trying to find someone good on dating apps. Or just not working & exploring the city. Because it didn't make me successful?

Ok you know what I'm going to list down shit that I think makes me very successful. These are my achievements in the past few years:

1. I battled a severe health crisis & basically came back from the dead. I was 108kgs, now 84kgs and the transformation gave me so much confidence. I now love the gym, look forward to trekking in the monsoon, and feel good about my own body.

2. I made peace with my parents. They're lovely & have always loved me but like any parents, they're flawed & sometimes irritating too. But we talked about our differences in opinions & perspectives & agreed to co-exist. We worked on our past trauma - stuff we never had the courage to discuss because I felt it would make me look like an ungrateful kid. But we apologised for what we know was wrong & we're slowly healing.

3. I had sex.

4. I made a few new best friends who have become the strongest support system I've ever had. We have so many beautiful mature conversations & always hype each other up so much that it looks cringey & overdramatic but we love each other painfully to shreds.

5. I lost my well-paying job abroad because of COVID & had an year long gap but I fearlessly fought my way back into the industry. I'm 3 years behind if I consider my original timeline that I used to believe in when I was 20. I don't even earn half of what my friends do. But I now have a job & am figuring out my career all over again despite have faced such a deadly blowback years back.

There are so many others but my point is that I never stopped to congratulate myself on these achievements. AND THEY ARE ACHIEVEMENTS.

Finding so much body confidence & having the courage to fall in love with yourself is an achievement. Because I know so many people who struggle with it.

Healing difficult relationships is an achievement. And being able to talk about such mature themes so openly is achievement.

Experiencing real intimacy is an achievement.

Failing in your career but not giving up is an achievement. Regardless of whether your attempts are showing results or regardless of how slow the progress is. Changing professions and following your passion or simply surviving in a job until you have a better one. It all takes balls.

Gathering the strength to make your bed in the morning when you're so sore & hurt. Or just keeping the pillows correctly. Or making yourself breakfast or cleaning your room. Or just bloody smiling when everything is going wrong in your life. Or facing your anxiety by placing your own order at Subway in person.

These look trivial but I promise you, they're very difficult for a lot of people. And for once, I just wanted to tell YOU specifically that I'm so proud of you. You're doing amazing sweety.

HAVING THE COURAGE TO LIVE & BREATHE & EXIST IS AN ACHIEVEMENT.

I want my friend to know that she'll always be the most awesome entrepreneur I know. Because she's the first friend of mine who had the balls to step out on her own.

While I hope she does get into the Forbes list, it's nowhere in my list of priorities or expectations for her or myself now.

Because I know her. I've seen her struggle. And the fact that she carried on is reason enough to say she's awesome.

I also want her to know that she was the first one to take me clubbing. And I don't want all this hustle to take that special part away from her. She's a party person. Now so am I.

And I wish for both of us to continue finding happiness in that totally unproductive space.

I want us to be happy about doing something without calculating how better it makes our lives in the future.

If watching Netflix, for example, is your sin, please do enjoy it. Reading books isn't the only way to learn. Nor should learning every day be a norm. YES, it's okay to not grow & just experience normal fun stuff.

Pursue your ambitions with all your grit but do not let anyone guilt trip, gaslight or shame you into thinking that you must constantly be at it every single day.

I have been through multiple burnouts. I have seen others burn out too. It's not pretty trust me. It's not at all worth it.

Sure your job is your survival but please treat it only as that. It is what you do to afford the life you like or want to build. It is not the definition of your worth & talent because baby that is infinite.

So you know what, screw this, I no longer care about competing. I want everyone to be successful & I'll be successful in my own way. And we'll celebrate each other.

I am done with this bullshit tutorial tution class mentality where they used to separate us into the class of smart kids & the less smart kids. I was in the smart ones but now I realise how toxic that distinction was. And those adults do it because they love watching us fight with each other. They've always made us all compete against time because they don't understand the repercussions of running too fast.

I am now realising how powerful I become when I stop trying to win myself & reach out to help others from the bottom of my heart. Let me lift you up, and I'll tell you when I need you too. Let's support each other. Let's communicate our needs & figure out how we can work together rather than fighting to one-up each other.

And let's work together on the Forbes list. If we make it, great. If one of us does, great. If we don't, great because then we can accept it means absolutely nothing.

If you're going to turn 30 in 5 years or less, understand that 30 is not the cutoff.

You are on time. You have a shitload of time left.

You are on track.

And you deserve to have fun.

30 is actually when you start growing. 30 is when you set the foundation. And so is 60 - there is no such thing as being late.

30 is only the beginning. Are you excited for it?

[nighterwriter]

A friends to lovers with Jason Todd. Pretty please 🙏

A/N: Thank you for the ask! This seems kind of off-topic, but if you'd like, I could write a sequel. Enjoy! :)

Update: Here's the sequel

To say it was weird would be an understatement. Dick was so used to seeing Jason and you glued to the hip, doing everything together, never growing tired of each other's presence. It drove him and the rest of the family crazy because it was so fucking obvious to everyone but the two of you how much you cared for and loved each other. The two of you were too clouded by your respective insecurities to understand.

So it was weird seeing Jason without you during his trip back to Gotham. He wanted to ask, but Damian had given a small shake of his head when Dick asked, stating that the situation was so trivial, that he wanted it to come out of Jason's mouth so he could see how childish it was.

He was able to find him in the greenhouse, occupied with Alfred's latest hobby that would entice him to visit the manor more. He'd seen Jason work with the plants; he was usually meticulous and gentle, sometimes talking to them as he repotted them and separated stubborn roots from the soil. The person he was staring at, however, was a terrible substitute; soil was strewn everywhere, and broken pots lay on the table as Jason harshly repotted some monsteras.

"Alfred's not gonna be too happy." Dick ignored the sweat rolling down his neck. He was never too fond of the stifling humidity.

"I'll buy him new ones," Jason grumbled, grunting when he finally got the monstera into its pot.

"Okay, okay, put the poor plant down before I call Ivy," He sighed when the pot was placed on the table, "You wanna tell me what's going on?"

It was Jason's turn to sigh as he tugged his gloves off. "It's nothing."

"You sure?" Jason nodded. "Then where's Y/N?"

"Fine, it's something." His brother sighed again. "You remember the new museum exhibit?"

"The mythology one? I remember you said Y/N and you were supposed to go yesterday." Dick paused, his eyes widening in realization. "Jason!"

"I know, I know! Okay, I'm an ass, but Black Mask had a last-minute shipment coming in. I had to be there."

"What did you tell them?"

Jason lowered his eyes and rubbed the back of his neck. "That I didn't wanna waste my time."

"Jason!"

"I panicked, okay?! They called me right when the shipment ended and I needed to get down there," He groaned, "I've been trying to call, but I'm pretty sure I've been blocked."

"What'd you expect? Hey Jason, you were an ass to me, but that's okay."

"You're not making it any better."

"Why didn't you tell them what you were actually doing?"

Jason shook his head. "No, no. I can't. I can't- if they get hurt because of me, I'll never forgive myself. I can't-"

"Jay," Dick spoke softly to soothe his brother's worries. "Y/N deserves to know. Hell, out of everyone we've brought to the manor, they're at the top of the list. You've known them for ages and you trust each other. I'll be damned if you let your friendship end because you're scared."

Jason was quiet as he thought.

"I can't lose them, Dick."

The last time Dick heard Jason so vulnerable and honest was when he told him about his mom, about what happened to her. It had been ages since he let his guard down and Dick knew it was difficult for him, but he also knew how much Y/N meant to him, even if he didn't sometimes.

"You won't," He insisted, "Y/N's stubborn, they can handle themselves. I've seen them physically and verbally hand people's asses to them. If anything, any goon who tries to hurt them will probably leave once they start cussing out their haircut."

Jason snorted. "I think they'll start with their life choices 'fore going for the looks."

"True." Dick looked at Jason with a small smile. "So, what's the plan?"

"First, figure out where they are. I called their work and they said they called off. Second, apologize endlessly until they accept. Then... then I'll tell them. And after, if they still wanna be around me, we'll go to the exhibit."

Dick clapped him on the shoulder. "Sounds like a plan. I can call them, say something about needing help finding something for my apartment."

"Alright, 007. Let me know what they say." Jason reached for the gloves again. "I have some cleaning up to do."

Dick nodded and started towards the door. Jason didn't trust easily. He said he'd learned his lesson with his mom in Ethiopia. It took Dick months, if not years, after his death to regain the sliver of trust he'd been given when Jason first came to the manor. He sees it when he interacts with Bruce and when Alfred calls him for holidays and family dinners. But there was never a moment of hesitation with you.

The two of you met on the streets when you protected Jason from being attacked by the older kids after he managed to steal some groceries from the supermarket. He disappeared and came back with a chocolate bar, which you shared in the corner of Gotham Library while you tucked into your respective groups. Since then, the two of you were inseparable. You knew everything about each other and it disturbed Bruce and Alfred the first time they met you. After Jason was adopted (you were offered the same deal, but refused), he'd swing by every minute he could, bringing you food, new clothes, small knickknacks for your hidey hole, whatever to make you more comfortable. Dick would say that in times of separation, your bond was stronger than ever. That's why he couldn't let Jason give you up. Both of you meant too much to each other.

"Jay?"

"Yeah?"

"If you trust them this much, I think it's time to tell them the truth."

And by the look on his brother's face, Dick knew he understood what he meant.