#its gonna be like at least another month and its already been like 4 since ive hung out with one of them

[sycamorestars]

Literally just need one thing to go my way

[chelseachilly]

THIS LOVE - epilogue | you come back to what you need

pairing: ben chilwell x reader

rating: T

word count: 2.8k

summary: you and ben settle into life as a couple 🩵

A/N: as promised, the epilogue 🫶🏼 thank you for reading, and i'm going to be working on some oneshots now that this story is complete so stay tuned for more ben content! x

previous chapter | view all chapters

“You’re telling me I spent months cultivating your public image as a couple only for you to go become an actual couple?”

You hear Ben’s publicist Shreya’s voice coming through the phone, partly because he’s just put it on speaker and partly because you’re laying on top of him.

You’ve been mostly in this position for much of the past week. Ever since you and Ben confessed your feelings for one another, you’ve been pretty much inseparable - unless you’re at work or Ben’s at training, you’ve been holed up at his house ignoring the rest of the world. 

You didn’t make your first public appearance as a couple - a real one, that is - until yesterday, when you attended Ben’s game at the Bridge. They beat Bournemouth 4-0, with a goal and an assist from Ben in one of his best performances all season, and you couldn’t resist jumping into his arms and kissing him senseless when you met him on the pitch afterward. 

Naturally, the photos spread like wildfire over the internet, and although the public was already used to the idea of your relationship, your phone has been blowing up today with messages from your close friends and family who were in on the fake relationship but not yet aware of its newly real status.

You know you’re gonna have to call at least your parents at some point today to explain why there’s a photo of you and your best friend making out in The Sun - although you know they’ll be thrilled, since they already see Ben as an honorary son - but you haven’t responded to anyone yet. 

In fact, you haven’t done much of anything since you got home from the game last night - well, except your new boyfriend.

“Erm, yeah,” Ben chuckles, running his hand over your bare back in a repetitive motion as he talks to Shreya. 

He figured he at least owed an explanation, so he took his publicist’s call to catch her up to speed and let her know that he wouldn’t require her to bolster your appearance as a couple anymore. 

There’s a pause on the other end, and you have to stifle a giggle against Ben’s chest when you hear Shreya’s sigh of exasperation. 

“To be fair, it was the easiest job I ever had trying to convince people you were together, so perhaps I should have seen that one coming,” she says. “Well, good for you, Ben. You sound happy, and you were brilliant yesterday.”

“Thanks,” Ben grins, his eyes glued to yours. “I am very happy.”

Your heart thumps in your chest and your eyes tear up slightly at his earnest, lovestruck expression. You can’t resist shuffling even closer and pressing a kiss to his cheek, followed by one to his jaw, then a few more down his neck.

“Do you want to go over your GQ interview next week?” Shreya asks. “You know, the reason you pay me?”

You’re still distracting Ben with soft kisses to his neck that have made his eyes flutter shut and his focus drift.

“Sorry, I - uh, I’m gonna have to call you back, Shreya. Thanks again, cheers.”

Ben hangs up and tosses his phone to the side, immediately flipping you over and attacking your face and neck with little kisses until you’re giggling uncontrollably. 

“Ben,” you sigh as he’s sucking on your collarbone in a way that you know will leave a mark if you let him. “We should probably get ready.”

As wonderful and perfect as the past week has been, spending all your free time tangled in these very bed sheets and experiencing things you’ve never felt before, Harvey is hosting an event for his clothing brand later that you can’t miss. 

You’re not particularly eager to leave your little bubble of joy in Ben’s house, but you figure you owe it to one of the friends responsible for that happiness to turn up for him today. 

“I know,” Ben groans, his hand travelling low on your back and sending a shiver up your spine. “In fifteen minutes?”

“We’re already going to be late,” you point out, glancing at his watch. “It’ll take an hour to get there and I still don’t know what I’m wearing-“

“You’ll look amazing in anything,” Ben insists, leaving more kisses up your neck, “or nothing…”

“Ben,” you say with slightly more resolve, even though his lips are making it hard to think of anything else right now. “We can’t avoid all social plans forever. As much as I love being alone with you.”

Ben pulls back and you think you’ve finally got him to focus, but there’s a look in his eyes that you recognize all too well from your lifetime of knowing him. It’s the same look he has before a big game or in an argument - he isn’t going down without a fight.

“Please, baby,” he says in a soft whisper near your ear that he’s very quickly learned is one of your many weaknesses when it comes to him. “Ten minutes?”

The other thing about those big blue eyes that you know so well is that they just so happen to be one of your other greatest weaknesses, and when he smiles at you, you know you’re a lost cause. 

“Ten minutes,” you agree, grabbing his face and kissing him again before he can respond.

It’s actually closer to twenty-five by the time you actually roll out of bed, and another twenty when you realize you both need a shower and end up getting distracted once again, so you have to hurry to get ready.

One perk of dating your best friend is that you already have a closet full of clothes at his place, and you pick out a simple dark blue dress that you know looks good on you. As you’re finishing up your makeup, Ben walks into the bathroom freshly changed into a black t-shirt and jeans, and you don’t miss the way his eyes light up at the sight of you.

“You look absolutely gorgeous,” Ben murmurs as his eyes rake over your body in the mirror from behind you. “I’ve always loved this dress on you.”

“Thanks, Benji,” you say softly, putting down your makeup brush and smoothing out the wrinkles in your dress. You can’t help but blush a bit at the thought of Ben checking you out long before admitting how much he fancies you. “Are you ready?”

He doesn’t respond, instead just stepping closer and wrapping his arms around you from behind for a moment. Despite the time crunch, you relax into him and breathe a small sigh of contentment.

You can’t help but admire the sight of the two of you in the mirror, his face buried in your neck and inhaling your scent as you hold his hands that have settled on your stomach. 

“I still can’t believe I get to do this now,” he whispers, echoing the same feeling running through your soul. 

After unknowingly yearning for this for so long, maybe your whole life, it feels so right to finally fall into this simple intimacy with Ben. It feels like coming home. 

You turn in his arms, intending to lean in for a quick kiss before forcing the pair of you out the door, but you instead feel overcome by the sudden urge to wrap your arms around his waist and bury your face in his chest. He hugs you back without a word, pressing a few soft kisses to your hair.

“I love you,” he murmurs, his thumb rubbing circles on your spine. “I’ve never been this happy before.”

“I love you too,” you mumble against his chest before pulling back just enough to cup his face and see your whole world between your hands. “And neither have I. This week has been…perfect.” 

He nods in agreement, letting out a small sigh. “Are you worried it’s going to be weird when we leave our little bubble? I don’t think the game yesterday counts since we were basically apart until you pounced on me afterward.”

You slap his chest playfully and roll your eyes before shaking your head.

“It might be a bit of an adjustment, but not really. I mean, we’ve basically been doing this for months now in public.”

“Sure, but it was fake then,” Ben points out. 

“Yeah, but the feelings were there,” you say, your fingers running through his hair in a way that makes him smile sleepily. “Now I get to love you publicly and privately, and I can’t think of anything that could feel more right than that.”

Ben’s eyes light up before he closes them to dive in for a kiss, his soft lips lingering on yours for a few moments before he pulls away. 

“You’re right, love,” he says. “Now, we should probably go, because the longer I look at you in that dress the more I wanna take it off.”

You smirk and pat his cheek before walking away, knowingly giving him a great view of your arse on the way out. 

-

An hour later, after singing loudly to the pop songs on the radio and laughing so hard your ribs hurt the entire drive to Soho, you and Ben are standing in the crowded restaurant where the launch of Harvey’s new fashion line is being celebrated. 

A bunch of your friends are here, all of whom are enjoying this opportunity to tease you - with love, of course. 

Tom caught you stealing a few kisses in the corner of the room less than five minutes after your arrival, so you probably deserve the teasing. Plus, you’re so happy that you don’t care. 

After circling the room a bit and congratulating Harvey, you’re now chatting with Anish and his girlfriend Hannah in a booth. You have lots of room, but you’re still pressed to Ben’s side, his arm around your shoulders. 

As he and Anish chat about the clothing line, you’re content to just listen to Ben’s voice and enjoy the warmth of his body against yours. You occasionally press a kiss to his jaw and he’ll stop talking for a moment and smile at you, which makes you want to do it again. 

After a while, Hannah suggests going to get another drink, and the boys nod in agreement.

“I have to use the loo, can you grab me something?” you ask Ben, and he nods and pecks your lips quickly before heading over to the bar.

After using the washroom, you’re eagerly making your way back through the room to find your boyfriend when you bump into a familiar figure.

“Ryan?”

Ryan, the well-dressed man standing before you, just so happens to be your ex. You went out for a few months two years ago before ending things fairly mutually and amicably.

You’re surprised to see him for a moment, but he does work in the fashion industry, so it makes sense that he would be here.

“Y/N, wow, it’s been ages,” Ryan says, giving you a quick hug. “How are you?”

“I’m good, still working at the hospital,” you say with a smile. “Are you still at the magazine?”

“No, I actually moved to Paris, just in town for the week visiting some friends,” he explains. 

“Wow, Paris!” you remark. “That’s amazing. Do you like it there? Are you seeing anyone?”

“Of course I like it, it’s Paris,” he chuckles. “And yeah, I just moved in with my girlfriend Claire. You?”

As if on cue, Ben comes up beside you and presses a kiss to your cheek before passing you a gin and tonic, your favourite, with a water for himself in his other hand.

“Here you go, babe - oh,” Ben’s face falls slightly when he sees who you’re talking to. He was never a fan of Ryan, often calling him pretentious or making fun of how artsy he was, though looking back now that may have just been jealousy. “Ryan.”

“Well, that answers that question,” Ryan says with a small smirk. “I have to say, I’m glad you two finally got your shit together.”

“What?” you ask, furrowing your eyebrows.

“I mean, it was painfully obvious you were in love with him back when we were dating,” he elaborates. “You never stopped talking about him and you saw him more than you saw me.”

You can’t help but blush a bit when Ben looks at you with a slightly raised eyebrow, despite the fact that you’ve literally spent the last week demonstrating exactly how in love with him you are.

“I think you might be exaggerating-“

“I seem to recall you cancelling a date more than once because Ben had a ‘bad game’ and you needed to go round his and cheer him up?” Ryan laughs. “I hated football before that, but it really solidified the hatred.”

Although part of you wants to laugh, cry, or scream at yourself for being so blind to your feelings for Ben, you do also feel a tinge of guilt for dragging guys like Ryan along before you figured things out.

“Sorry about that,” you say, leaning into Ben’s arm that is wrapped protectively around your waist. “It took me a while to realize what was always right in front of me.”

“No worries, it worked out for the best, yeah?” Ryan says, raising his beer to you and Ben. “I’ll see you around, cheers guys.”

As Ryan walks away with a smile on his face and Ben pulls you closer and presses a kiss to your temple, your guilt is replaced by a warmth settling into your chest - everything really did work out. All the wrong turns and detours along the way just led you back to where you always belonged. To Ben.

“So, you never stopped talking about me, huh?” Ben says after a moment, and you can hear the smirk in his voice before you turn to look at him.

“Oh my god,” you roll your eyes, playfully pushing him away and shaking your head. “I literally confessed my undying love for you less than a week ago, you arse.”

Ben just continues to smile at you, setting down his glass so he can wrap his arms around your waist. 

“You’re cute when you’re obsessed with me,” he murmurs, his thumb stroking your hip just enough to drive you crazy. 

“And you’re cute when you’re jealous,” you retort, smirking slightly. “He has a girlfriend in Paris, just so you know.”

“I was not jealous,” Ben insists with furrowed brows. “How can I be jealous when my girl is soooo in love with me-“

You shut him up with a kiss, partly to get him to stop talking and partly because you are in love with him and hearing him call you his girl has reduced your brain to mush. 

You don’t know if this will ever stop - you doubt it - but every nerve in your body is electrified as he kisses you slowly, pouring every bit of love and desire he feels for you into the kiss. It’s not the most passionate one you’ve shared so far, being that you’re surrounded by people, but it’s soft and sweet and more than enough to make your knees go weak and your thoughts blur.

“Ben,” you mumble against his lips, forcing yourself to pull back. “We can’t make out in the middle of Harvey’s work event.”

A small pout forms on Ben’s face, which is so adorable that you have no choice but to peck his lips once more.

“How about my car then?” Ben suggests, a mischievous glint in his eye. 

“Ah, is that why you insisted on taking the Range instead of your flashy new sports car?” 

He nods, gesturing to the car park just outside. “Lots of room in there.”

As much as you don’t want it to work, the thought of what Ben is capable of doing to you in the backseat of his obnoxiously big car is too tantalizing to resist.

You glance around the room to make sure none of your friends are watching before nodding. “You get ten minutes, Benjamin.”

“We’ll see about that,” he grins, grabbing your hand and beginning to drag you toward the exit as you try to contain your lovesick giggles.

As you climb into his car and then into his lap, exchanging messy kisses that are interrupted by your smiles, you can’t believe it took you so long to get to this point. Sure, it’s still kind of terrifying to jump headfirst into a relationship with the person who has been your person since you were kids, but it’s also thrilling.

It’s the beginning of the rest of your life with your best friend, and you have a feeling it’s going to be a very happy one. 

a/n: please let me know what you thought! i hope you all liked the ending :) tag list: @captainwans @amandaaa1025 @bbygrlllllll @ncentic @lunamelona @kathb59 @cinderellawithashoe @batmansb1tch @myheartgoesvroom @chillymountsjess @babygirlbenji @delicateearthquakellama @joyfullyswimmingface @xxenia14 @chaotic-taco-collector-blog @chilwellspulisic @maraudersmap123 @evelinapurmale @freekoalakryptonite

[shadowqnights]

hello there! i’m perpetually in awe of the scope of what you attempt w your mcd fics!!! i’m not sure if you’ve answered this already, but do you have any advice for writing Diaries fic? most writing advice is the same, but have you found anything particularly helpful to keep in mind when writing fanfic for MCD specifically???

hiii this has been sitting in my inbox for like a month and i could Not figure out how to answer this i am soo sorry. mostly because i get what you mean about most writing advice being the same and i've been struggling to think of how i would differentiate writing for mcd. sorry in advance since i know i yap a lot here and i'm not sure if this is specifically what you were looking for but ummm i'm just gonna list all of the things i keep in mind/like doing and if any of that resonates with you then its a win. i'm also really tired its like 2am but i felt like doing this Right Now for some reason.

[also i may be the wrong person to ask this because i'm a little bit insane and my mcd rewrite worldbuilding is about 10k in my notion now and i'm barely 1/4 of the way through so i don't really know when to Stop with my mcd scope HAHA. plus loverman alone being 500k. i tend to go all-in when it comes to the scope of my fics you mentioned haha so i'm wondering like. what specific parts of the scope you're interested in. if i answer this all wrong by all means please send another ask correcting me and i can try again!!!]

honestly i think my first thing does blend with generic writing advice I'M SORRYYYY. but truly it is just to read more. i was writing fantasy books before mcd fanfiction + i was reading a lot of fantasy books during my mcd fixation [yeah i know its lasted since 2016 shut up]. i really do think that reading and writing go hand in hand, whether fantasy novels or just browsing ao3, reading other people's work is an important part of my writing process. not only is reading a learning opportunity to get to know your own tastes and wants [and the things you might want to avoid in your own writing] but at least for me i get suuuper inspired reading other mcd fics. i may be picky with my tastes but also when i get inspired i get inspired HARD. too tired to link my fav mcd fics just pretend they're here and ask me later for them. when we're writing for mcd we already have to take a bunch of creative liberty and put the work in to fill in the gaps that minecraft can't offer, and the combination of mcd + fantasy world tends to have a lot of gaps. so reading more might give you some inspiration on how to fill those gaps.

-> by gaps, i personally like to think about things that couldn't be communicated as well in minecraft media but you now get to elaborate on in writing! your hands have this awesome gift of being able to fix the stuff you don't like about mcd and elaborate on the stuff you do like. you get to extend what mcd established in cool words and longer words! mcd fanfiction to me is a really [figuratively] sexy pitch of a show that you might struggle to otherwise recommend to someone in its original form, but trust me its good and the fic makes it sound good. so i guess this list is going to be things that i like to think about that make mcd sound good and appealing that flesh it out compared to writing something like mystreet. all of this depends on how far you are willing to stray from canon, whether you're diving into rewrite or just writing canon-adjacent fic, but in terms of fantasy worldbuilding to chuck into mcd, you can think about:

environment, how you would describe the landscape + even things as simple as weather patterns from region to region. get immersed in the world and use it to affect the characters. everyone's got different preferences when it comes to setting / environment description, and since i prefer character driven writing i do personally find it hard to talk about environment but that's definitely something that reading has helped. i'm also throwing generic worldbuilding in here ermmm fantasy novels love worldbuilding. you will love worldbuilding just like me [hypnotising you]. reading fantasy and getting immersed in Other worlds and taking note of the things you like about them might help you. we are going back to english class and we are going to figure out what the author is telling us here and maybe as a fellow author you like it and go hmmm i want to tell my readers something like that too. there are soooo many ways to get immersed into worldbuilding that like i would want to make an entire other post but errmmmm off the top of my head i like thinking about...

architecture! what does each town look like! whats its design and colour palette and how can you incorporate that into your descriptions [since colour will help you set a mood, establish time and just be a general vibe checker]. food! what are these guys eating in a fantasy world! and if you wanna go deeper every character is going to have a personal taste and even if that's not relevant for the fic you're writing right now the little things are still fun to think about because you can always bring it back around to character building. garroth's plain food tastes and total inability to cook for himself come from his upbringing in o'khasis vs laurance's love of food rich with spice and flavour because of joh's home cooking. dante spent a lot of time without a stable home and thus had to become opportunistic and abandon his previous pickiness. etc. etc. there are soo many ways to differentiate fantasy worldbuilding for a mcd fic to make it feel more well-rounded. also things like clothing choices, accessories/bags/inventory [think about if you could see every character's minecraft inventory - what are they carrying around?]. even just simply what the land looks like from place to place? what is the terrain? what minecraft biome are we in right now and how does that affect things like temperature/weather/appearance? is garroth ro'meave pissed because its hot as fuck climbing this mountain on the journey to find aph? you bet ur ass he is. make him suffer. umm you can also think about small-scale threats like minecraft monsters. you gotta have your small guys. highly recommend worldbuilding the nether too because like. the shadow knights are so cool. ermm. ok sorry i talk too much on with more stuff.

weapons, you're in a fantasy world and you can throw in some variety in weaponry that goes beyond basic sword and also bow and arrow if ur vylad. and also giant broadsword if ur aaron. also a good way to get into characterisation from character to character: thinking about how they fight. what kind of weapon do they have? what's their fighting style? you don't Have to give everyone just a plain old sword if you don't really want to. i'm guilty of not doing enough research on swordfighting before i write fight scenes but i also do looove to make fight scenes messy. some of these characters are trained to fight in a certain way and i hate writing their fancy feet but also some characters will not automatically know how to fight and if they get into a scuffle it might be a bit of a panicked mess! i think (hope) that my writing style tends to help with the frenzied kind of brawls that some characters might get into and how when some characters are threatened they might just blindly kick and claw and struggle. and others might just freeze up and some fights might just involve blind punching and clawing and rolling around because [i like it] i like the idea that even in mcd not everyone is cool and collected when confronted with physical altercation. even trained characters might panic a little and get a little bit sloppy and messy with their technique. others might lock tf in. i promise sometimes i just make things up and also i encourage making shit up sometimes when it comes to stuff like that. because there will be a point where you drive yourself insane trying to research a certain fighting style and if its draining your joy and whimsy and passion for the thing you want to write then take a step back. for things like that you can spare yourself some pain. on the opposite end of the spectrum some things Will require putting in the appropriate effort to research and learn about before you write & put your listening learning ears on if you're approached and told that you've written something harmful.

time, time passes a lot faster in minecraft but in fics you can afford to write time going slower and use it to your advantage. i'm trying to think of examples ummm making travelling seem more exhausting, injuries healing realistically, even mentioning things like seasons and weather and time of day to show the passage of time as a tangible thing rather than the fic being a tiny little character-driven bubble. mcd has a lot of stuff to do with time, eg. the irene dimension skip, but you can also think about character ages and how time passes through each season. minecraft logic has babies grow up in like 5 episodes and speeds things up for the sake of plot but when you're writing you can afford to be more grounded. if you want to apply exact logic levin would be at least around 3+ by the time aph and the gang enter the irene dimension. characters feel way more relatable when you think about mcd taking place over years + the 15 year time skip, even if you don't write that Directly into a fic, its a helpful gap to fill. i like to mention certain events happening over a matter of weeks or months to keep the reader aware of the passage of time and also put certain things into perspective.

injuries, things are gonna hurt. a lot. these guys are fighting insane style with insane weapons. obviously this one isn't for everyone, but i personally do like battering the mcd characters around a lot more because they're fighting with big boy weapons and, if its your thing, a fic can turn a minecraft slapfight real serious and mature real quick. i like writing gore and angst and that's not going to be everyone's cup of tea, but if its yours you can definitely think about injuries. put some research into how those injuries actually occur and how they work in the body + healing times! research how scars look and how they heal as well as long-term injuries. my mcd fics tend to play with body horror and gore and those help add to stuff like shadow knight freakiness and up the stakes when it comes to fight scenes and weapons because it feels like there is a real threat. that's an entirely personal thing for me because that looming major character death tag is Right There and i do kind of enjoy keeping up a constant state of fear. its good to feel like the world has stakes and consequences. and also i like making mcd bloody and a leetle bit darker which does kind of come into play with my worldbuilding so i thought id mention it.

ummm and finally speech/dialogue i think is the biggest one i keep in mind and its a big difference between my mcd and mys fics. i tend to write a lot more flowery (i don't know the right word) for mcd . mcd leans more into the fantasy genre and so i write mcd with a greater focus on world rather than character [i know i said that i prefer character writing before so just hear me out here]. when writing mcd i am far more aware of the greater world that surrounds the characters and even when its not explicitly mentioned i am Thinking about that worldbuilding. whereas when i write mystreet i am in a very character-driven hole and the greater world is not quite as on my mind. even canon mcd assists with this because the world is far more expansive and involves the divine warriors + mystreet doesn't incorporate that world until far later in the seasons and only really vaguely refers to irene as a swear rather than the distinct religious practices present in mcd. comparatively irene has a very constant presence throughout the mcd narrative from season 1 even when her lore was being retconned all over the place. beyond that Awareness of the expansive mcd world, i mention environment far more in mcd fics compared to mys fics. i set scenes way more slowly and take the time to ground the characters in the world and talk about the landscapes/weather/sky a lot oops and it really is because mcd has more of the natural world involved as well as very different architecture. i always like having the environment in mind when i write mcd. and dialogue i write very specifically far more old fashioned and lately i've been trying to make my mcd dialogue feel a lot more traditional. characters obviously are going to speak a lot formally and less casually than their mys counterparts, but i play that up for characters like garroth and zane [zane hasn't been back in a hot minute but when he is back this will come into effect] who don't tend to use contractions as much as ones like laur, for example. i've started drawing out their sentences a bit more, and i also tend to read dialogue aloud to myself a lot to sound it out, see how it feels. even in a fantasy world, realistically characters are going to have vocal quirks, going to stammer on certain words or stumble over their sentences sometimes. i find it adds a sort of realism to their speech to sound out dialogue to yourself to feel how it sounds to say. that's something relevant for mystreet too but still. [and you might have noticed already that my casual typing style tries to mimic where i would usually stumble my words irl or pause for breath or to think HAHA i'm trying to stop it to make my sentences clearer and far more readable since not everyone reads the way that i interpret my own speech into text].

ok sorry i talked so much its 2am here and im literally about to crash so if something in here doesn't make sense its definitely because i'm tired as fuck and about to pass out. that last paragraph was nonsensical im so aware but i hoped at least a little bit of this answered your question. just yell in my asks if i didn't fully answer the question or if you want me to elaborate on anything okay thank youuuu yippeee yipeyipye sorry for yapping bai

[anonzentimes]

Hello hi I noticed ppl just say stuff abt Nagito here and u answer them in such a nice way like u're genuinely interested and its so sweet so I wanna share a THEORY that's been rotting in my head for long and I WANNA SPEAK IT OUT FOR OTHER SDR2 ENJOYERS TO TELL ME ABOUT THEIR OPINION

SO we noticed how Nagito and Sonia look STRANGELY alike like bruh maybe the danganronpa art style has like, same face syndrome or smthn idk but like cmon pls Nagito and Sonia they almost look like twins which I love bcuz they're both honestly so well designed anyway

In my very personal headcanon, they're actually siblings. That's what I think and I'm gonna explain my theory below

So we know abt Nagito's good luck bad luck cycle. And I thought, what if Nagito is the first child of Sonia's parents, and since they live in a castle and in this royal like environment they'd have a sort of tradition running in the family and whenever a new child is born, they'd go to a sort of fortune teller or clairvoyant like those ppl who see in a crystal ball or idk ANYWAY

So they go to their personal clairvoyant guy idk bruh and the person tells them about Nagito's misfoturne cycle. Like he's born with it it's unfair it's sad but yeah poor little Nagito

So Sonia's parents are like omg no this can't be happening we love our son but who knows what his cycle may cause to us?!?! Only God knows!!! What if because of him the castle like burns or something or something very bad happens so they're like yeah we love you bby boy but you gotta go we're so sorry and they like, give him? Idk what correct terms to use excuse me

So they give him to a wealthy family still bcuz like yeah poor Nagito he's born in a royal family then better keep him on a high social statu yknow so yeah they give him to another family and made sure to try and find a first, WEALTHY family and second, with parents who kinda look like him like at least the mother and they did don't ask me how but they did they have like contacts in Japan bruh idk my theory's not very elabored anyway

So little Nagito, who's still like, a few months old like maybe 4 or 5 months bcuz finding a new family takes time gets given away to a wealthy family AND I have another headcanon and its that Nagito's father (adoptive one so) is the founder of a designer/luxury brand so thats why he's rich and he already had contacts w Junko's parents anyway we're getting carried away

So yeah some time later Sonia's parents have Sonia and still have Nagito in mind and they're feeling super guilty and with Sonia looking awfully like him its not helping so yeah I think they'd keep like letters they'd write to Nagito to send him when he'd get older and signed anonymously yknow? Like "we hope you're growing up in good conditions and in a nice environment, we love you Nagito" stuff like that, and It's signed anonymously at the end

And then Sonia and Nagito meet during the game and notice the very visible not only physical but also the similarities in their personality and behavior like idk they're both a little silly its so cute and they're like "lol hold up" and it'd be cute if the other students would (lightheartedly) joke abt these two being siblings WHEN IT'S THE CASE

ANYWAY tysm for reading my rambling hope it entertained u 🫶

haha it did entertain me, this is a fun interpretation and headcanon. I don’t fully see it myself but I think it’s a fun idea and food for thought. Maybe in those turn of events it would truly be good luck in the end since Nagito’s biological family in this interpretation didn’t have to die due to his talent. ALSO THE IDEA OF ANONYMOUS LETTERS IS SO FUNNY NAGITO’S JUST LIKE “man who in the world is sending me these letters expressing affection” LMAOO

[howdy-folks-its-showtime]

It's Showtime! - June 2024 Devlog

Howdy! Cobalt here, for another devlog over It's Showtime. This month was actually really swell, especially since I got more of my adhd meds recently. So I should be getting way more done in the coming months, yippee!

Programming wise, not a lot was done this month I've mostly spent it changing a few things about the way the map is built. Particularly I'm gonna need to rebuild most of the first floor. However in the long run it should be for the better, for stuff like performance and making it easier to add more to it. I also just needed a break after all I did last month. I have created things like the base for the main menu, a proper testing room and a lot of coding for the cut scene system though!

Writing wise, a ton of progress was made. Most of the major writing for Chapter 1 is done! Or at least on a great first draft. So very soon Chapter 1 will be done writing wise. [For the record currently the in depth writing for Chapter 1 is 7,122 words long] Chapter 2 also had a significant amount of its in depth writing done, almost all of the 'intro' is written out but obviously I'm trying to focus more on Chapter 1 right now. Speaking of the other chapters and such. Chapter 2's summary is almost done, with some things just needing some elaborating or bridging with other parts of it. Chapter 3 has 3 thousand words written in its summary currently, so a lot of what goes on in that chapter has been written out. I recently had a ton of revelations about what is going to happen in Chapter 4 and Chapter 5 has also had a lot added to its summary. Sadly, writing wise, I simply cannot reveal much more without getting into spoilers.

I've also been learning Blender a lot lately. I'm working on a few models, none of them for It's Showtime quite yet. [well besides the walls and floors for the first floor] However soon I'm gonna be trying to make Henry's first model and animations for the game. Probably won't be the final one used for the project, or even the one you'll see upon chapter 1's release, but we'll see. Sadly, a lot of this process is simply tutorials and looking things up, then double checking those things to make sure they can be used in Unity, aren't performance heavy and will work with the systems I've already got in place. Art wise, me and my partner have gotten a lot of fun concept art done.

We've also started a sketchbook purely for Encore! related drawings. We've got so much fun stuff to show you guys when more is done, but for now, I'd love to show off a proper look at Henry's design.

Here we have Henry's reference, specifically for his in-game appearance.

The sketchy reference made for modeling him out. Yes, he is tastefully nude in this appearance. That's just the way it has to be.

Then finally a rough run cycle I animated to show off his character and as practice for when the proper 3D gets made. I'm really proud of how this came out and I hope it gives you guys a good idea for what to expect from him character-wise. As always, feel free to ask any questions about this project and its story if you'd like. I'll do my best to answer them without giving too much away! See you next month!

[alexthebordercollie]

To Love at all is to Love Entirely

Chapter 4: Transients

Warning contains homophobic slurs.

︵‿୨ - January 14 1951 - ୧‿︵

“You did that on purpose, didn’t you?”

Wilfredo stiffened up as he straightened his bowtie. Jacqueline’s snickering brought a grin to his face despite himself. Stop that! Don’t laugh, don’t encourage her!

“It’s not like you were gonna make a move. Still need your hermantia to play matchmaker for you, eh? How sad.” She teased.

Wilfredo shook his head and sighed. “No one is making any moves Jacqueline.” Much as he liked what he’d seen of Bruno, an attractive, funny, creative man... He had no expectations. “This is a small town. We can’t afford to be causing trouble. If we get kicked out we’ll be stuck on the streets for the next three months. We need to save our money for travel expenses.”

“UGH!” Jacqueline groaned loudly.

Wilfredo shoved aside the curtain that separated the tiny guest room. He pointed a stern finger at his sister. “I mean it, Jacqueline. Sin travesuras.”

His sister leaned back on her elbows on the mat that had been arranged on her side of the room. She glared up at him indignantly. “If no eres atraído, why are you getting all dressed up?” She complained.

“Cállate.” He blustered before scurrying back behind the curtain to collect his coat.

He wore a tweed suit. It had been tailor-made many years ago. Once it had been a perfect fit. He looked quite dapper in it. He’d gained some weight since then and the way the seams rode up slightly too high on his shoulders bothered him. He’d have to see a tailor again once he got his first paycheck. He was still a stocky fellow though so perhaps it was a fool's errand to try so hard. In truth, he wasn’t trying to impress the attractive man who’d caught his eye. Rather he hoped he could win over the town's stern matriarch after his clumsy introduction. Besides, he preferred to maintain some presentability.

“Apúrate! The festival’s already started and I’m not going to bed tonight til I’m good and drunk.” His sister griped as she burst through the curtain to get him.

︵‿୨ - January 6 1951 - ୧‿︵

Wilfredo was in no hurry to be back on the road. Not after Jacqueline's affair with a local politician got them run out of the last town. Three years. They managed three years this time before needing to move. Ever since leaving Bogotá they never could settle in one place for too long. There always seemed to be some reason or another to leave. This time Jacqueline was caught by a wealthy man's wife. The kind of family more than capable of screwing them both over. They were in quite the sorry state when they found El Encanto. Trudging through the jungle with all the possessions they had left in a rickety wooden cart. They’d lost their horse a few miles back. A horse Jacqueline stole no less. Most of their money had been seized in an unrelated incident. If Wilfredo saw that wretched banker's face again he was sure he would send the man home with a black eye and few missing teeth.

Despite being mostly responsible for their current predicament Jacqueline wasn’t slow to complain. Whining all the way as they dragged their cart along by hand. She suggested dumping their things on more than one occasion though Wilfredo was in no hurry to be even more broke than they already were. At least some of their possessions could sell for decent when they made it to another town. If they made it to another town. After a day and a half with no clean drinking water, Jacqueline drank from a stream. Very much against his advice. Suffice it to say it didn’t help their situation. Wilfredo was nearly on the verge of setting up camp somewhere for his hermanita and running ahead to try and find the road they’d lost track of. That's when he’d caught a glimpse of light on the horizon. Civilization. They hiked all night before reaching a crack in the mountains that overlooked a valley and its vibrant little town.

Wilfredo wasn’t sure he’d ever been so grateful to see other humans as he and his hermanita made their way into town. Still pulling their cart behind them. Folks in town gave them odd looks as they passed.

“Necesito un baño.” His sister groaned as her face grew a sickly color.

Wilfredo kept looking around for signs of anything that might signify a place of business. Everything looked residential or at least unmarked. “I know, I know.” He was really starting to worry.

Before he could bring himself to break down and ask someone for directions, a local family stopped them in the streets. A man, his wife, and teenage daughter by the looks of it.

“Ey, you two alright?” The man asked with genuine concern and a bit of surprise.

Wilfredo hadn’t really thought about how rough they looked. He suddenly became very self-conscious. His clothes were filthy. He'd stripped down to just his pants and a now very sweaty undershirt. His hair was matted and he was covered in all manner of scrapes and bruises. Jacqueline had navigated the woods a bit better though she looked like she would vomit at any moment. She was barely conscious of the worried bystanders.

Wilfredo adjusted his crooked reading glasses. “Oh, uh. We’ve been walking a while and could really use a place to rest for the night.” He was hesitant to ask because he knew his wallet was light, but Jacqueline needed somewhere to rest. It was unavoidable at this point. “I don’t suppose you folks have un hostal or something?”

Jacqueline groaned as she hobbled to the edge of the street to vomit in the family's flower bed. The woman let out a worried shriek and he couldn’t help but mutter curses under his breath.

“I told you not to drink the river water!” He scolded. This family certainly wouldn’t be in a hurry to help after an introduction like that. The locals surprised him.

“Oh, pobrecita.” The woman cooed as she held his sister's hair back while she wretched. “Come with us. We have someone in town who can help.”

Wilfredo felt a pain in his wallet. He pulled it from his back pocket to double-check their funds. They had a doctor? How much would a doctor cost in a small town like this? Surely not that much? They really couldn’t afford more than a bed right now. “I don’t think that’s necessary. She just needs to rest for a bit.” He attempted to dismiss. Looking at his hermanita... he didn’t sound as confident as he would have liked.

He nearly jumped as the strange man put a gentle hand on his shoulder. “It’s no trouble hombre. We’ll heal you guys up. No charge, bueno?”

Wilfredo turned to see the wife heading down the street supporting a very sick Jacqueline.“I’m taking her to see Julieta.” She explained to her husband.

A woman. So not a doctor. A curandera... great. He highly doubted a few rituals and prayers were going to treat his hermanita's dysentery. These people were trying to help so he bit his tongue. It would do him no good to insult their superstitious practices. Wilfredo looked back to the man then to his daughter. The girl was watching them both intently. She looked both fascinated and terrified. As if Wilfredo were some rare specimen.

The man gave him a kind smile. The whole family seemed kind if a bit... fearful. It was subtle but Wilfredo didn't miss the undercurrent of apprehension under their generosity. This town probably didn't see outsiders very often.

“Oh, you don't have to do that.” He fumbled out. He meant to sound more cherry, more grateful. To decline them politely. He was running on fumes and the words came out more frazzled and worried.

“You said you need a place to stay for the night?” The man asked.

“Uhm, sí. That is what I said.” Wilfredo replied as he took his glasses off to clean them. Realizing his shirt was entirely too damp to be of any use. His vision wasn’t the worst but he couldn’t help resenting his current sorry state.

“Let me take you to see the council. Estoy seguro pueden arreglarlo con un lugar para dormir.”

The man gestured for him to follow. Wilfredo was about to grab his cart again. The friendly stranger called out to his daughter.

“Ayla can watch your things. You look like you could use a break.”

Wilfredo looked back at the dark-haired teenager. He was deeply anxious about the prospect of leaving all of his worldly possessions in the hands of strangers. They had just whisked away his hermanita... With the current state of affairs, it hardly seemed like the bigger problem.

“The council?” Wilfredo inquired.

︵‿୨ -❇- ୧‿︵

The man led him to the plaza. He explained how the town's founders still ran the place and oversaw all of the town's day-to-day logistics. Thankfully it didn’t take long for his new acquaintance to flag down a group of elders overseeing some sort of construction project.

“Señora Madrigal, perdone.” The man got the attention of a stern elder woman in a black shawl.

Wilfredo stood just far back enough he didn’t hear exactly what all was said. He could feel his blood run cold when Señora Madrigal looked his way. He was quick to straighten up as the woman approached and put on his most marketable smile.

“It’s been a long time since we’ve had an outsider in our community.” The woman opened sternly though not incurious. It was clear from the way she carried herself and the finery she wore, she was someone of influence in this town.

“We don’t mean to intrude.” Wilfredo explained smoothly. Despite the exhaustion that had seeped into his bones. He was going to fold his arms behind his back before realizing that an overly straight poster would draw attention to his filthy shirt and unsightly belly. He settled instead for tucking his hands in his front pockets in an attempt to look relaxed. “My sister and I got lost and this is the first town we’ve come across in days. I was hoping we might find someplace to rest for the night.”

He watched as the old woman's face softened a bit. She eyed him up and down with an unmistakable hint of pity in her eyes. Pity was the last thing he wanted. At least it was better than hostility or suspicion.

“You certainly look it.” She waved to the other council members. “Let’s move this conversation inside. Arturo, could you get this man a glass of water.” An older man took off his hat and nodded to her as he led the way into a large stone building. Some kind of town hall by the look of it. The interior had a collection of tables and chairs filling a large open space with a vaulted ceiling. A podium was set up on one end and there appeared to be some doors leading to other spare rooms though Wilfredo couldn’t tell what their functions were.

The inside was thankfully cool and Wilfredo was immensely grateful for a drink of clean water. He hadn’t realized just how dehydrated he was until he found himself chugging the glass in one swig. He looked back at the elders who had sat down with him around one of the small round tables. They looked confused and worried. He almost felt too embarrassed to ask for another glass.

“I’ll get you a refill.” Arturo offered gently as he reached for Wilfredo’s glass.

“Gracias.” He replied sheepishly.

He could feel all the eyes in the room boring holes into him. Especially the Madrigal woman.

“I feel as though I’ve intruded.” Wilfredo apologized.

The Madrigal woman stiffened for a moment. “We don’t see outsiders here often. No obstante, it would be wrong not to help considering your condition. Do you mind explaining to us how you found this place?”

Arturo returned with another glass of water and Wilfredo thanked him. He sipped slower this time while he considered his answer. Wilfredo was sure a full explanation of how they ended up in this predicament would certainly not charm this guarded old woman. He’d have to tread carefully. “Mi hermana and I were traveling to a neighboring city when there was an accident on the road. Our horse got spooked and we got lost in the woods. I saw the light of your village through a crack in the mountains last night.”

The elders exchanged worried glances. A woman with silver braids whispered something to the town's matriarch and was reassured with a whisper.

“Cómo te llamas.” She asked him.

“Wilfredo Fontana Alfaro.” He answered. “Mi hermana Jacqueline was taken to see your curandera.”

The matriarch cut him off with her hand. “Julieta, my daughter. She’ll see to it your sister is well. Will you be ready to leave when she is?”

Wilfredo thought for a moment. “Well…”

“Do you know where you are going?” She asked sternly. What kind of a question was that? He felt like he was being scolded. Who was this woman to scold him?

“If we had a map, I’m sure we could find our way back to the main road.” He replied calmly despite his indignation. The last thing he needed to do was offend the people offering him assistance. Even if it meant swallowing his pride.

“What were you doing traveling the forest on foot?” She asked.

Tread carefully. “I lost my job, Señora.” That was technically true. “I have a new job arranged in Cali, but I don’t start for another three months.” He sipped his water quietly.

"And you didn’t think to take a train?” The woman asked skeptically.

Wilfredo nearly choked on his drink for a moment. How stupid did this woman think he was? “With all due respect, mi hermana and I have fallen on hard times as of late. We were hoping to conserve our funds.” Also partially true. Though he would probably have taken the train had a vindictive mother not hunted down his sister with a shotgun.

The woman rubbed the bridge of her nose irritably as though she’d been struck by a migraine. He could swear he heard her mutter “Idiota”, under her breath, but made no comment. This woman seemed to be the one running things here. She asked every question while her companions regarded him with worry and suspicion.

“What is it you do?” She asked.

“Me?” Wilfredo was a little surprised by the question. It hardly seemed relevant. “I’m a teacher. University level usually. I have taught children before.” A bit of an overstatement. His experience teaching children was very sparse but he was in the habit of saying whatever would expand his job prospects.

The elders whispered amongst each other again for a moment before the Madrigal woman waved him away. “Take him to see Julieta. This man could use something to eat.”

Aurturo offered a hand to help Wilfredo to his feet. He really was exhausted and it was definitely sinking in just how obvious it was. Arturo spoke softly and seemed like a gentle, kind, old fellow. A pleasant contrast to the cold woman.

He brought him to a little stand on the edge of the plaza. There was a bar with a little television where a few people sat. None were watching it however, their eyes were elsewhere. A woman in a blue dress was talking with his sister who seemed to be in much better spirits.

“Wilfredo you have to try this!” Jacqueline gushed as she ran up to him bright-eyed. Attempting to shove an arepa into his face.

Wilfredo waved her hand away in frustration. “I’m not hungry.” Of course, Jacqueline had been exaggerating. Why was he surprised? What had he just agreed to? Was that humiliating inquisition all for nothing?

“I’m serious hermano this food is amazing.” She insisted.

The old man Arturo laughed. “She’s right you know. You should have a bite. You’ll feel better.”

Wilfredo grumbled as he took the arepa from Jacqueline. He somehow doubted a bite to eat would heal his wounded pride. He didn't need food right now he could do without. It wasn't the priority.

He found an open seat at the bar by the television and took a bite of the as his sister watched on with suspicious enthusiasm. He usually was very careful and particular about what he ate and when. That said given their two-day trek in the woods he could afford to be a bit careless today. “Why are you-” He stopped as a wave of relief washed over him. He swallowed the fried bread and stared down at his bruised and battered forearms. Watching the marks disappear from his skin.

He adjusted his glasses and examined himself more closely. The old man laughed again. “Bienvenidos a El Encanto.” He beamed as he took in the newcomer's astonishment. “El pueblo de los milagros.”

“Ciertamente.” Was all Wilfredo could say as he sat in utter bewilderment.

Arturo bid them a friendly farewell before leaving to return to the council.

He looked around as if expecting some explanation to present itself in his environment. The town looked ordinary at first glance. As if the lifted fatigue had sharpened his mind, he only now realized the exceptional feats that surrounded him.

The woman in blue he learned was Julieta Madrigal. She could apparently heal any sickness or injury with her food. Apparently, all the Madrigals were magical as far as his hermanita told it. Though she was easily carried away so perhaps there was something she was missing.

“There has to be some kind of explanation.” He argued with his sister who groaned in frustration.

“It’s magic, it doesn’t need an explanation.” She insisted. She gestured his attention to a puppet theater in the center of the plaza. He only just now realized that was what the adults around him were watching. A gaggle of children sat on the cobblestone laughing at what looked like rats in little costumes. Strange. He watched a curly-haired boy pop his head out from behind the stage only to transform into a middle-aged woman.

Wilfredo sat dumbfounded.

He squinted through foggy lenses. “That’s an impressive trick I’ll give them that.” He mused as he tried to think of how such a transformation could be achieved. He took another bite from what he was quickly realizing was the best arepa he ever tasted. Though perhaps he was just starving. He'd have to factor it in if he had dinner later. Some kind of mask change? Though he could spot no seams or devices that might be used to remove it so quickly.

“Magia! idiota! Why do you have to overthink everything!?” His hermanita whined. Why did she have to act like such a child? This is how he enjoyed things. He liked seeing how things work. Discovering the hidden mechanisms behind the world. Not everyone needed to be as whimsical as her. Perhaps she should have been more grateful for his pragmatic approach to life. It was what kept them both alive all these years.

Wilfredo was quickly distracted from her complaints however as he spotted a new face. When the rats on the stage hit their marks two actors would emerge from either side of the stage to deliver lines. The boy whose face kept changing, and an older man.

The older man looked about his late forties. He had a short scruffy beard and his hazel eyes glimmered with mischief as he delivered his lines. He mostly seemed to play the male characters while the boy played the women. Every line he delivered was enthusiastic and eccentric. He seemed to relish his role as the cartoonish villain of the story they were enacting. He didn’t recognize this story, something original perhaps? He couldn’t help but smile as the man slipped in little jabs no child would have caught onto. The adults around all got a laugh, but there was one joke he wasn’t sure anyone else caught. He felt a kind of childish glee in that moment. A little joke just for him.

“Enjoying the show?” Jacquline disrupted his thoughts with a playful nudge.

He looked over to see a wry grin on her face. Oh no. Was he really that obvious? Or did he really smile so little she could think of no other reason for him to enjoy the presence of another human?

“The jokes are clever.” He retorted stubbornly. He took a large bite of food so as not to have to talk anymore.

The play came to an end with the villain's very melodramatic death and he couldn’t help but resent Jacquline for distracting him from the ending.

“Oh, es bastante gracioso bien.” she agreed.

They both watched as the two performers took a bow. The rats all clambered up onto the older man's shoulders. He bowed low and rewarded his actors with pets and treats from his pockets while the boy began deconstructing the stage.

“Is that it!?” Whined one of the children.

“Hey take it up with Tío Bruno.” The boy replied with a grin. The gaggle of little ones proceeded to bombard the man with questions.

These performances were apparently a weekly occurrence and the kids were used to longer shows. Bruno, the writer, had been short on ideas as of late. He didn’t say as much, but it was easy to infer from his timid half-answers. He really was a small man by the look of it. Amazing how much he could shrink in the face of such juvenile confrontation.

“That’s enough niños.” The healer lady shooed the children away. “Go play. There’ll be plenty more shows in the future.”

Wilfredo couldn't help but find the whole affair endearing as he watched Bruno smile sheepishly at his sister. What an adorable little grin.

“You should go talk to him.” Jacquline whispered to him.

“What? No!” He spun around and scolded his sister in hushed tones. “You’re still in trouble you know! Don’t think you can distract me.”

Jacqueline feigned innocence. “Who me? I was just trying to encourage mi hermano hacer amigos nuevos. We’re in a strange place. It's not a bad idea to be friendly.”

He knew full well what she was really insinuating. He certainly wasn’t engaging with such indecent impulses at a time like this.

He was about to say something else but a stern voice cut him off.

“Señor Fontana?”

He turned to see Señora Madrigal approach with the rest of the council. They seemed to be of mixed emotions. At least kind old Arturo offered a friendly wave as they approached.

The matriarch still lead the conversation.“We’ve been discussing your unfortunate situation.” She looked his sister over. “We thought given the circumstances we might make an offer. We are willing to arrange a place for you to stay for the next few months. Just until you’re ready to start work.”

Wilfredo was deeply put off by the unexpected proposition. “Oh, oh no, no gracias. That isn’t necessary really. We can’t really afford-” The woman cut him off again. All it took was a wave of her hand. The authority she emanated was palpable.

“Save your money. You will work for your room and board. You can save for a train ticket.” There was an edge to her words. He was certain he was being scolded this time.

“That’s a very generous offer.” He replied. Frustrating as it was to be talked down to. “but I would hate to be a burden.”

“YES!” Jacquline insisted enthusiastically. “Tu pueblo is so beautiful! It would be a privilege to live here. Even if it’s just for a little while.” She gushed. Pulling out her polite voice for once.

“Jacqueline!” Wilfredo hissed. He pushed his sister off his shoulder. She had a habit of perching there. “Con el debido respeto, I think this is something we should consider carefully before rushing to a decision.”

The Madrigal woman seemed somewhat pleased with his caution. “Desde luego. Take your time. For now, you two can spend the night with Señor Robledo and inform us of your decision tomorrow morning.”

“I suppose if it’s no trouble. That is very kind of you.” Wilfredo replied. Maintaining a calm friendly smile despite screaming inside. This wasn't part of his plan. None of this was. Jacqueline had thrown a wrench in all of his plans yet again. At least this was better than being homeless.

As the Madrigal woman turned to leave he realized she hadn’t actually told him where he could find her. “Will you be coming by to ask or-”

“Call for Dolores. She’ll relay the message.” The woman replied over her shoulder before nodding to Arturo who led them off.

︵‿୨ -❇- ୧‿︵

Señor Robledo as it turned out was the town's very aged librarian whose home was a narrow two-bedroom attached to the library. The second bedroom had belonged to his late daughter. Wilfredo and Jacqueline had quite a time on that first night squeezing all their belongings into the small space. They set up a pallet on the floor and a curtain down the middle of the room. Wilfredo was going to take the floor himself, but his sister volunteered. She insisted she wouldn’t get much use out of the bed once she got acquainted with the town. What was he going to do with her?

︵‿୨ - January 14 1951 - ୧‿︵

“I’m telling you el hombre es un mariposón.” Jacqueline insisted as they made their way toward the town center.

“Baja la voz!” Wilfredo hissed in frustration. “You can’t let people hear you talk like that.” It baffled him sometimes his sister’s lack of situational awareness.

“The Madrigals are magic. They’re obviously the most influential family in town. Pero Bruno? I don’t see a ring on that man’s finger. At his age?”

Wilfredo straightened his cuffs irritably as they walked. No matter how often he tugged at them his sleeves fell slightly short of where they should rest. “There’s a lot of reasons for a man to stay single, Jacqueline.” He was growing increasingly impatient with this conversation. His sister was a promiscuous type and seemed especially committed to roping him into her antics ever since she caught him staring.

“I don’t know why you’re playing dumb.” Jacqueline insisted.

“Because I don’t want to sleep in the woods.” He replied dryly as they approached the bustling plaza.

Wilfredo rolled his eyes as his hermanita trotted off ahead of him. She could have her fun. He wanted no part of it. He took the opportunity to enjoy the momentary quiet and take in the town. Most of the games and music and food were further down the road. Every house was decorated with candles in windows and on doorsteps. They all had patterns carved into them. Some detailed and carefully crafted others had crude children's drawings. It was charming. He couldn’t help but smile a little as he leaned down to get a closer look at a candle that had been decorated with little stick-figure donkeys. At least they looked like donkeys. As someone who never really got to be a child, he was always so endeared by childish things. He envied those who knew how to embrace life's pleasures with reckless abandon. As much as his sister could be a pain, his life would be so much emptier without her in it.

︵‿୨ -❇- ୧‿︵

He wasn’t sure how long he’d been taking in the scenery when a timid voice called out to him.

“Oh, there you are.”

He looked up to see the man who’d captured his fascination on his first day in this town.

Bruno was short and lithe. His dark curls flecked with salt and pepper were tied back in a small tuft of a ponytail at the nape of his neck. The ruana he wore was colorful and filled with a childish spark though his soft eyes had a faintly haunting look to them. Almost as if he were some specter trying his best not to frighten people. The tender smile on this man's weathered features was something he hadn’t been prepared for.

Wilfredo pushed himself up from the crouch he was in and put on a polite urbanite smile. A relaxed, practiced, posture that concealed the embarrassing way this man's face affected him.

“You were looking for me?” He asked. Flattering as it was, he hoped the answer was no. He hoped he was of no special interest to Bruno. Bruno was a good man. A good man shouldn't be interested in him.

“Oh, uh, no I mean, well… Sort of?” Bruno started pulling on his ruana as he took a step back. Wilfredo froze up a little in place. He hadn’t meant to frighten him. Had he given something away?

“Tu hermana already stopped by to say hi and told me to see what was taking you.” He explained finally after a rat emerged from his collar to nibble at his cheek. Bruno took the rat down from his shoulder and stroked its back gently before looking back up at Wilfredo. “You said you didn’t mind the rats.” He smiled awkwardly. As though he felt the need to justify enjoying his pet in public.

Wilfredo adjusted his glasses before composing himself. Finally taking a step closer. “Por supuesto que no. Don’t neglect your furry friends for my sake.” He laughed in the hopes of disarming the delicate creature in front of him. “Mi hermanita’s always in such a hurry to party. We should try and catch up to her before she causes any trouble.”

“Trouble?” Bruno inquired.

Wilfredo cursed himself for his choice of words. “Don’t tell Señora Madrigal, but mi hermanita has a bit of a history. I’m sure la matriarca would be less welcoming if she knew.” Bruno seemed like someone who would be a bit more understanding. He wasn’t sure why. Perhaps it was his eccentric nature that led Wilfredo to assume he was no stranger to misunderstandings.

“Oh, mi madre. Sí, she’s a strict woman. I wouldn’t worry too much. Mientras la trates bien you should be fine.” Bruno seemed awfully quick to reinforce Wilfredo’s assessment of the woman. Bruno looked back up at him as they walked along. Still slouched terribly. “So what held you up?”

“I was just admiring the decorations.” He explained.

“Right. Every year people like to create their own little miracles. Almost makes the town feel like family for a night.” Bruno mused as he doted on one of his furry creatures. Wilfredo noticed a couple more rats hiding out on his person but chose not to draw attention to them.

“Miracle candles?”

“Oh, sí. Mi familia, we were given a miracle. An enchanted candle that gives us our gifts. It’s uh... m-maybe that doesn't make that much sense to an outsider.” Bruno seemed to grow shy at the mention of their “gifts” as he put it. Wilfredo wondered if it would be imprudent to press further. He was curious of course. No, curious was an understatement. He recently discovered real magic! Deep down he was dying to know. It was eating away at him but the need for self-preservation exceeded his thirst for knowledge. If asking too many questions could risk his security in this place then he would refrain as best he could.

They walked along in silence for a moment before Bruno peered up at him again. His eyes shimmered a vibrant emerald green whenever the warm candlelight hit them. He gave Wilfredo an awkward smile. Clearly trying to keep the conversation going. “Really making the rest of us feel underdressed huh?” He laughed awkwardly as he set the rat he was holding scurry back up his right shoulder.

Wilfredo folded his arms behind his back as he walked. He flashed a confident smile. “I’ve not gotten a chance to properly introduce myself to the town as of yet. I thought it best to make a good impression. I pride myself on such things.”

“Ah, sí. That makes sense. I mean what would I know about that?” Bruno rubbed his arm and looked away. He looked insecure. “Mi hermana Pepa says I look like un vago. I can’t exactly say she’s wrong.”

Bruno’s self-deprecating remarks hurt to listen to. Even if it may have been partially true. Admittedly Bruno was a rather disheveled person. Clean though they were, his unruly curls refused to stay in his ponytail and still hung in his face most of the time. Wilfredo wasn’t sure if that was simply their nature or perhaps his clumsy flailing was so commonplace as to make maintaining a proper hairstyle near impossible. If their meeting at the library was anything to go by, it seemed a distinct possibility. His scruffy beard also looked less like an intentional style decision and more like he struggled with a razor. He was tempted to suspect the latter as he noticed slightly uneven patches in the salt and pepper that flecked the man's jawline. His clothes were nice, though it looked like he never ironed them. His ruana was covered in chaotic, colorful, doodles. A cacophony of seemingly disparate imagery. Animals, butterflies, rainbows, flowers, herbs, and geometric patterns all danced around the hourglasses that made for the only uniform pattern.

“I think your sister lacks gusto.” Wilfredo replied after giving it some thought. “Some people lack an eye for beauty.” Bruno really was beautiful. Disheveled and timid, but he was perhaps the prettiest man Wilfredo had met. Sure he'd seen more conventionally attractive men. He'd been with more conventionally attractive men. Non that captured that same fragility. He had a keen awareness of just how little men tended to read into such statements. Perhaps it was a gamble to be so forward, but he highly doubted he’d given anything away. This man could clearly use the confidence boost. Even if a part of him knew such words would have meant more had they come from a woman.

Bruno nearly tripped over his own feet and face-planted into the pavement.

Wilfredo couldn’t help to reach his arms out to catch him. thankfully Bruno managed to steady himself just shy of making contact. He felt a panic creep in as seconds felt like minutes. Had he just made a mistake?

“Estoy bien.” Bruno let out a nasally honk before clearing his throat and regaining his balance. “Estoy bien.”

Wilfredo stayed frozen as he was. Awaiting some sign he was safe.

Bruno seemed to fumble backward a bit. Making eye contact and he seemed suddenly aware of the close proximity between them.

“I think beauty might be a bit of an overstatement don’t you think.” He chuckled awkwardly. The same anxious laugh he’d heard multiple times now. The laugh he gave when he was looking to defuse a situation. That laugh put Wilfredo a little at ease. Only a little.

Wilfredo straightened up and brushed a few creases from his suit. He replied cautiously. “I am rather fond of the arts. I appreciate creative people.” That wasn’t what he had meant. Looking at those glittering emeralds that stared back at him... He knew that wasn’t what he had meant.

“ah s-sí. That makes more sense.” Bruno grinned sheepishly as he rubbed his arm.

“What did you think I meant?”

“Oh hey look, a distraction!”

Wilfredo stood dumbfounded as Bruno darted off into the plaza. Waving back for him to follow. Despite himself, Wilfredo darted off after him without thinking. Why were they running? What just happened?!

Bruno was surprisingly quick on his feet. Wilfredo had to stop to catch his breath once he caught up to him. Bruno looked around the plaza excitedly and Wilfredo tried to compose himself enough to get a sentence out. The plaza was filled with laughter and music and dancing. Twinkling lights and colorful decorations.

“What are we looking at exactly?” He finally asked. Trying his best to mask his confusion and irritation.

“Oh, uh, I thought I saw Jacqueline, but I guess not.” Bruno replied awkwardly.

Had Bruno known what he meant? How was he meant to interpret this distraction?

A pair of children darted between them. Covered in some colorful substance and squealing wildly.

“You think you can escape?!” Came raucous woman’s voice.

Wilfredo turned to see a young woman bombarding laughing children with bright mists of color. The cobblestone had been consumed with succulents and flowers where she stood. The colorful woman laughed maniacally before her eyes locked onto the two men.

“What’s this? A new challenger approaches.”

Bruno held his hands up in front of him in surrender “Ey sobrina, you seen Jacqueline?”

The girl's hands filled with what looked like seed pods though Wilfredo couldn’t identify the species from the distance she was standing. The foliage at her feet expanded outward. Roots and vines creeping over the cobblestone. More magic. Don't ask. Just accept it.

“All I see is mi Tío in need of a new coat of paint.”

Wilfredo adjusted his glasses as he took in the sight. Attempting to formulate a response. It had been a little over a week and he’d seen shapeshifting, healing arepas, a child who could talk to animals, a woman carrying buildings and beasts of burden all while hardly leaving the library. Still this would take getting used to. He straightened up and attempted to introduce himself.

Before he could open his mouth to speak he felt a soft slightly clammy hand grab hold of his own as he was yanked violently to the side. A massive cloud of blue erupted from the ground where he had been standing. It took a moment to register what just happened. He'd been spun around to the opposite side of his scrawny companion.

“Ten cuidado con él.” Bruno requested gently.

“NO! SIN PIEDAD!” She cackled before bombarding them with more explosions of vibrant color.

Wilfredo barely had time to register the chaos. He found himself being dragged, pushed, and shoved about the plaza as Bruno dodged his niece's attacks. Eventually, Wilfredo found himself unceremoniously shoved into a stand full of firecrackers. The two Madrigals seemed to lose track of him completely and ran off without him. The man at the fireworks stall laughed heartily while Wilfredo tried to collect himself.

“Struggling to keep up?”

Wilfredo grumbled as he cleaned a bit of stray pollen from his glasses. He looked around for the infamous rat-man. “Are all your festivals this chaotic?” He grumbled despite his usual propensity for self-restraint.

The pudgy mustached man walked over to pick up a few sparklers that had fallen on the ground in the collision. “Didn’t use to be this wild. Isa’s really been letting loose these days. The kids love it though.”

Wilfredo finally spotted Bruno. He managed to swing up onto a nearby balcony to taunt Isabela. He was somewhat astonished by the man's athleticism. Not something he would have expected from such a shy clumsy person. Amazing how much his demeanor seemed to change under the right conditions.

Bruno blew farts with his tongue down at the frustrated girl. “Is that the best you can do? I’m falling asleep over here.” He gave an exaggerated yawn. “At least give me a challenge.”

Isabela stomped her foot. “Get down from there. Abuela says I’m not allowed to aim too close to the windows.”

“Well that sounds like your problem, doesn’t it?”

Wilfredo sighed with relief. He ran his hand through his hair and considered his options. It looked like whatever moment the two of them had shared earlier was over. Perhaps that was for the better. Bruno would forget about their awkward interaction and he could go back to babysitting his hermanita. Speaking of, they were supposed to be looking for Jacqueline. He figured he should probably find her before she got into some sort of trouble.

He made his way over toward the bickering Madrigals to inform his new friend of his departure. “I think I should go find Jacqueline and see what she wants.” Isabela turned to smile at him wickedly before he could finish the thought. It didn’t take a genius to see what she was thinking.

“Oh, no it’s fine I was just leaving.” He attempted to decline politely. Taking a tentative step back.

PFSHH!

Great. Who knows how long it would take to wash the stains out? When he opened his eyes, however, Wilfredo found he was surprisingly clean. Bruno as it turns out had jumped down to block the attack and was now coated in purple.

Bruno stood there with his arms still extended as he blinked the purple plant matter from his eyes. Letting loose a little puff from his mouth.

“HA! I win.” Isabela chirped as she trotted up to them gleefully.

Bruno dropped his arms and rubbed more pollen from his eyes.

“Only because you cheated.”

“That sounds like your problem.” She retorted as she grinned back at her tío. She looked past Bruno and made eye contact with Wilfredo. Her manic glee seemed to die down as she properly registered his personhood. “So you’re the new guy huh?”

“Oh, yes. I didn’t get a chance to introduce myself.”

“This is Wilfredo.” Bruno interrupted. “We were trying to track down su hermana Jacqueline. Now that you’re done using me as a canvas, I don’t suppose you’ve seen her around?”

Isabela seemed to think for a moment. “Hmm, she’s the blue-eyed woman in the red skirt, right? I think I saw her head towards the bridge with a couple of cabrons earlier.” Isabela didn’t sound impressed with her first impression of Jacqueline.

Typical. Leave it to his sister to sour the opinions of the most powerful people in town.

“I’ll see if I can’t track her down.” Wilfredo turned to Bruno. “I’ll let you two enjoy your night. It was nice seeing you again.”

Bruno looked hurt. It surprised him a bit. He figured this wild distraction had just been an opportunity to put some distance between them. He was wrong. Why was he wrong?

“W-we can look together. I didn’t mean to get sidetracked.” Bruno attempted to brush the purple pollen from his face only to smear it around. “I kind of assumed I’d be showing you around town.”

Bruno began to stumble over himself. “I-I mean if you j-just, if you don’t want to…”

Isabela prodded her tío’s back forcing him into an upright posture. He had begun to shrink again.

“Tío already told Camilo he was spending the festival with his new friend and wouldn’t have time to do a show together. Mi primo’s gonna be real disappointed in him if he doesn’t follow through.”

Was this girl seriously talking about her uncle like he was a shy little boy? Bruno looked embarrassed but just let that slide. Wilfredo would never let a child talk to him that way.

“Vamos, en camino.” Bruno gestured towards a bridge that left the plaza.

Isabela teased her tío playfully as they made their retreat. Returning to a few little ones who caught her attention once they were out of range.

“I didn’t mean to get distracted.” Bruno said once they were out of Isabela’s earshot. “She’s been expressing herself a lot more lately. I’ve been doing my best to be supportive. You know how it is.”

“That’s very sweet of you.” Wilfredo watched as Bruno’s rats licked at the purple mist only to screw up their faces.

“Not really. That’s just what you do for family.” Such a simple answer.

Wilfredo looked around till he spotted a table with drinks for folks who wore themselves out dancing and playing games.

“Hold that thought.”

Bruno looked a bit confused as he went to fill a paper cup from a pitcher of water and searched his front pockets.

He quickly found his handkerchief and gestured Bruno over towards the bridge. He hoisted himself up onto the wall to keep out of the way of foot traffic. After setting the water down he gestured to the spot beside him. Bruno did as instructed and sat on the wall next to him. He clasped his hands together between his knees and looked up at Wilfredo expectantly.

Despite his apparent age, he looked almost childlike. His eyes were round as dinner plates. The lights were dimmer here and his hazel eyes turned a warm brown. Wilfredo cleared his throat and reached down for the water. He’d have to minimize eye contact if Bruno was going to look at him like that.

“I thought we were looking for Jacqueline?”

Wilfredo dipped his handkerchief into the cup. “Between you and me, I have a sneaking suspicion she won’t be missing our presence.”

Bruno let out a charming little half laugh half snort.

Wilfredo reached out towards his face with his now wet handkerchief and Bruno pulled back in surprise at first. Wilfredo pulled back as well. He was about to ask. To his surprise, Bruno, seemingly having registered what he was trying to do, leaned in closer.

“You can do it yourself if you want.” Wilfredo offered. He felt a little ashamed of himself for being so eggar to touch this man’s face. He'd have to restrain himself. He could look. That was all. He couldn't let himself forget that.

“It’s fine. It’s not like I can see what I’m doing.” Bruno made a fair point. Or perhaps Wilfredo couldn't resist the selfish urge to touch him.

Despite his consent, Wilfredo couldn’t help but notice how Bruno would flinch under his touch. Every time it felt like a thorn pierced his chest. One of Bruno’s rats scurried into his arms and began receiving absentminded pets. It seemed as though the animals could sense their owner's distress. He did his best to be gentle and try to make conversation in the hopes of easing the awkwardness of the situation.

“Miracles huh?” He asked.

Bruno looked up at him with a pensive expression. “I guess you’ll want to know the whole story?” He asked.

Wilfredo was curious, but Bruno’s timid demeanor earlier had caused him pause. “This is the celebration of the town's founding.” He said carefully. “Maybe you could tell me about that?” Bruno didn’t seem to want to discuss the magic and Wilfredo didn’t want to push him any further out of his comfort zone than he already had.

Bruno chuckled. “Pues, milagros, El Encanto, it’s all the same thing really.”

Of course it was. Wilfredo pulled back as he finished cleaning Bruno’s face.

Bruno nuzzled the rat in his hand before he spoke.

“I should probably start with introductions.” Bruno smiled proudly as he pointed to various family members scattered about the plaza and down the busy main street. The girl assaulting the town with color was Isabela as he’d already learned. Bruno’s oldest sobrina could grow plants and “has a real wild streak in her.”

The boy putting on a one-man show down the street with his many faces was Camilo. Bruno had introduced him before. The little one who flooded the space around his stage with animals was his hermanito Antonio. Wilfredo met him once before when he came to visit the library. According to Bruno, he was a very sensitive and kind child. Camilo seemed deeply supportive as he managed to work his hermano's animal friends into his improv routine.

A large woman, who he’d seen doing manual labor around town a few times, was trying to learn a dance from a woman in yellow. Luisa and Pepa. His hermana and sobrina respectively. Bruno was quick to clarify she was not Pepa’s daughter however but his other sister Julieta's daughter. Luisa was the strong one, Pepa could control the weather “When she’s in the mood.” and Julieta could heal the town with her cooking as Wilfredo had learned on his first day.

Bruno seemed to beam when he talked about his family and their amazing talents. He pointed to a dunk tank where a smartly dressed man had his suit ruined much to the amusement of a stocky fellow in yellow. “Those are mis cuñados.” He explained. The stocky one Félix was married to Pepa and Agustín, the clumsy one, had married Julieta.

“Then there’s Dolores of course who’s…” Bruno looked around curiously for his sobrina. “Actually I don’t know where she is right now.”

Wilfredo did his best to listen attentively and try to remember every Madrigal. He wanted so badly to pull out his notebook and write it all down but he'd left it at home. Besides, he was well aware of how dehumanizing it would probably feel to have someone taking notes on your family like a science experiment.

“Tío Bruno!” Came a voice that cut through the night like a beam of sunshine. That must be Mirabel. Bruno had mentioned her multiple times amidst his rambling. He seemed to love all his sobrinos but Mirabel somehow made it into every anecdote.

Wilfredo looked up to see the curly-haired girl trot over. She hugged her tío and smile at him from behind green round-rimmed glasses.

“This must be tu nuevo amigo.” Her smile was infectious. Wilfredo couldn’t help but smile back and give her a gentle little wave.

“Uh, sí. Mirabel, this is Wilfredo.” Bruno introduced him awkwardly.

Wilfredo offered her a hand to shake. She seemed a bit surprised by the formality but took his hand with a surprisingly firm grasp.

“Su tío speaks very highly of you.”

Bruno and Mirabel both looked away from each other shyly. He wondered if he’d said something inappropriate.

“Is that so?” Mirabel gave her tío a cheeky smile.

“I was just telling him about la familia.” Bruno clarified.

“Before you ask. I didn’t get a gift.” Mirabel intruded.

Wilfredo wasn’t going to ask but that did send him reeling with more than a few questions. He opened his mouth as if to ask a follow-up but closed it when he couldn’t think of where to start.

Mirabel gave Bruno a gentle punch on the shoulder. “Abuela is going to want to talk to you both before the night is out.”

“Oh, estoy seguro.” Bruno sighed.

“Just making sure you're ready for that.”

“I’m fine.” Bruno insisted before playfully waving off his sobrina. “Now go, shoo, go play, have fun while you still have the time.” He insisted.

Mirabel chuckled and rolled her eyes before returning to the festivities.

“So what was that about? If you don’t mind my asking.” Wilfredo inquired.

Bruno looked out at the twinkling lights and thought for a moment before he responded. “Mi Madre… She's a difficult woman. I don’t make many friends so mi familia’s made somewhat of a spectacle of me. It’s no wonder she wants to talk to you. Don’t feel too bad if she’s not impressed.”

Wilfredo looked back at Bruno. His eyes traced along the subtle age lines on the man's face as he stared into space with a stoic expression. That explained a lot. A domineering mother. A timid son. Bruno wasn’t so timid when he spoke of the things he loved. Wilfredo loved seeing that light in his eyes. Hearing the cheer in his voice. The mention of his mother dimmed that spark so quickly.

Wilfredo didn't make many friends either. His mother wouldn't have allowed it. He has many acquaintances. People who might have called him a friend, but no one stayed in his life for long. It was how he preferred it anyway. Life was easier that way.

“She seemed friendly when last we spoke.” He still recalled the Madrigal woman. His introduction to the council the day he and his hermanita came to town. The woman seemed condescending and cold that first day. He wasn’t going to tell Bruno that.

“She is.” Bruno corrected anxiously as if he thought he might have given the wrong impression. “She’s just strict is all.”

“Then I better be on my best behavior, eh?” Wilfredo laughed as he nudged Bruno playfully.

Bruno rubbed at his arm with an awkward smile. He struggled to maintain it though. “She’s the reason this place exists.” He explained.

For all his enthusiasm bragging about his family Bruno had yet to explain how the town was founded. One of the few questions Wilfredo had actually asked. He suddenly suspected the answer might not be a pleasant one.

“Guerra de los Mil Días.” Bruno spoke softly. “They lost their home, everyone did. I was just a baby when it all happened. I lost mi padre that day.” He paused for a moment as he looked down at the cobblestone below their feet. “The miracle was born out of his sacrifice, mi madre’s prayer…”

“Lo siento.” Wilfredo was at a loss for anything better to say. He had so many questions in the back of his mind. The academic in him was reeling at the evidence of honest to god divine intervention. Unfortunately he revelation had to wait. The pain in his companion's eyes drowned out all other thoughts.

“Oh, no pasa nada. Estoy bien. It’s not like I knew him right? You can’t miss someone you never knew.” Bruno didn’t seem very convinced by his own words. A cold shiver seemed to overtake him for a moment as he hurried out a stipulation. “Don’t tell Ma I said that.”

“I would never.” Wilfredo purred. Bruno smiled back and it felt so warm.

Bruno seemed to regain his focus and gestured around the space. “The miracle gave us all of this. The mountains. The magic. Our Castia…” Bruno stopped and his eyes lit up as though he was about to launch into another familiar introduction “You haven’t seen Casita yet have you?”

Wilfredo had already lost track of his thoughts. His mind had wandered somewhere unexpected. “Tu padre debe haberte amado realmente.” He couldn’t help the words that tumbled out.

Bruno froze. His hazel eyes grew glassy in the low light. Wilfredo immediately regretted his lack of self-control.

“I-I didn’t mean to..” It was his turn to stutter for once. He'd surprised himself with his own sincerity. He wasn't expecting Bruno's story to hit him the way it did. He wasn't prepared for the places his mind went.

“No, no te preocupes.” Bruno replied gently.

There was an odd silence. Almost deafening before the sensation of tiny paws on Wilfredo’s hand nearly made him jump. He lifted his hand to find a small rat clinging to it. The little creature examined him as he lifted it up to eye level.

“Oye vaya!” Bruno exclaimed as two other rats stared Wilfredo down from either shoulder. “Beatrice is usually very shy. She must really like you.”

Wilfredo eyed the little rat curiously. She sniffed at his nose. He gently reached a hand up to pet her with the tip of his finger. She ducked first and he was about to pull away before she reached her head out to receive his pets. It was oddly soothing. She was small. Almost blueish in color.

“You’re lucky. My parents never let me have any pets. I'm pretty sure a rat in the house would have given mi madre a heart attack.” He replied sadly.

“Why didn’t you get one when you moved out? A pet I mean, not, like, a rat specifically.”

“Oh, we weren’t in a good place at the time. It’s never really been a good time.” Wilfredo felt a bitterness rise in his chest. “You have a good life here. A stable home with good people. Never take that for granted.”

“I don’t.”

Bruno’s reply was surprising. Not what he said, but how he said it. Bruno had this oddly intense look in his eyes for a moment as he looked him over. There was something bitter in that gaze. Bruno was often timid and unsure of himself but this was something else. It looked like he might have been considering his words before he looked away and returned with something that seemed unrelated.

“H-Have you ever felt... out of place, in your own home?” He asked as he looked up at the stars. His tone was shockingly cold.

Beatrice the rat leaped down from Wilfredo's hand and ran back to Bruno. She snuggled into him agressively. The rats on his shoulders seemed to grow similarly affectionate all of the sudden.

Wilfredo considered those words carefully... “Everyday.” He finally replied. He wasn’t normally one to open up too much about himself. Something about those words struck so close to his core. He couldn't help but give this man something. Something of himself, if only just something small.

“I attended a boarding school.” He explained. “My parents didn’t live far but they weren’t very interested in seeing me most of the time. Whenever I was home it was mostly for show.” He paused and contemplated how best to share. How much. “Leaving was… The best and the worst thing that ever happened to me.”

Bruno looked back to stare into the river bitterly. “So they just let you leave?”

Wilfredo was hesitant to answer. “Something like that, sí.”

Bruno took a deep breath in before tucking Beatrice back into his front pocket. He hopped down off the wall. “We should go see what Mamá wants.”

Wilfredo felt a little sad the conversation was over so soon. It was for the better. Best to keep things breezy after all. Best not to dwell on the painfully familiar bitterness that had passed over his companion like a specter.

︵‿୨ -❇- ୧‿︵

Bruno led him down the road to a more open space where the town bordered the woods. Tables had been set out for people to eat and drink. It was quieter here than in the noisy plaza where people danced and played games. It didn’t take long to recognize Julieta and Señora Madrigal chatting by the buffet table.

“Bruno there you are.” The elderly woman called out.

“Sí Mamá. You wanted to talk to me?”

Señora Madrigal patted some of the purple dust from her son’s clothes as he approached. “I just wanted to see how you and the newcomers were getting along.”

She looked over at Wilfredo. “You clean up well, Señor Fontana.”

Wilfredo gave her a courteous nod. “You caught me on a bad day, Señora. I’d hate to miss a chance to correct any misgivings you may have had.”

The elderly woman eyed him up and down skeptically.

“Your son’s been teaching me about the town and its history. The way he tells it you sound like a truly incredible woman.” Wilfredo smiled confidently. Feeling a slight twinge of pride as he watched her face soften. She straightened her shawl as she smiled back.

“We all do our best.”

His flattery had the desired effect. Unfortunately, he couldn’t help but notice Bruno’s expression out of the corner of his eye. This confused wide-eyed look. Just subtle enough his mother didn’t seem to notice. Bruno had caught him being just a tad dishonest. He wondered if that would hurt Bruno’s impression of him. No matter. This woman ran the town and impressing upon her was of greater importance. It still hurt though, knowing Bruno would know he was a liar.

Wilfredo reached out to grab a snack from the table. He didn't intend to eat more than a bite or two. Just to share in the festivities. He felt a slight anxiety as he caught snickering from his new companions. He tried not to second guess himself and took a bite. He turned to shoot Bruno a confused glance before the taste hit him. This was not the wonderful food that had healed his bruises. This was something else entirely. Something entirely rotten and foul. A creatively horrible assault on the senses that boggled the mind. He cleared his throat slightly as he struggled not to make a face and risk insulting the cook. Julieta was standing right there, and she was... laughing? It was slight as she tried to hide behind her hand.

Bruno burst out into roaring laughter. Julieta joined in shortly after. Even frigid Señora Madrigal seemed to stifle a snicker.

“I don’t get it.” He choked out as politely as he could manage. “What’s so funny?”

“That’s not Juileta’s cooking hombre.” Bruno managed to compose himself enough to get the words out.

Julieta passed him a pastry from a different tray. “Here these are mine. I wouldn’t recommend you taste the other contestants' food unless you’re muy valiente.”

“Contestants?” He repeated cluelessly as he took a cautious bite of her offering. The delicious coconut flavor was an amazing relief.

“We have a cooking competition every year, but Juileta kept winning so folks started competing to see who could make the worst dish.” Wilfredo couldn’t help but notice the adoring look he gave his sister. Bragging lovingly about her skill.

“I think it’s all very silly.” Julieta blushed as she adjusted the bun at the top of her head.

Señora Madrigal cleared her throat. “Agreed. Sino the town seems to enjoy this silly tradition and there’s little harm in it.” She looked around for a moment curiously before changing the subject. “Where is tu hermana? I keep hearing whispers about her around town. I’ve yet to check in with her.”

Whispers. Of course. Why did he expect any different?

“Whispers huh?” Wilfredo hid his anxiety with great expertise.

“She does seem to leave a strong impression on people.” Señora Madrigal was difficult to read.

Sensing the tension Julieta was quick to interject. “I heard from Antonio about your work on the library. He really likes the reading space you set up.”

The littlest madrigal had come to visit him in the library before looking for books on animals. Wilfredo had been making some quality-of-life changes to the space once he’d finished organizing the place. He refurbished some old chairs and set out some rugs and pillows in the corner of the library. The boy had come by looking for something to read to his pets. He spent the whole afternoon cleaning stains out of the rugs. Still, he had to admit the child was rather charming.

“I’m glad. I’ve not had many kids come by the library. He seems like a bright child.”

“Oh, he is. He came up with half the stage commands we use in our shows.” Wilfredo saw that light in Bruno’s eyes that prepared him for an exciting ramble. Turning vibrant green under the lanterns as he bragged about his sobrino. It was terribly sweet how much he beamed over his sisters' children. Tragically, before Bruno could launch into an explanation of rat dances, a loud crack ripped across the space and disrupted his rambling.

The sound of thunder was startling absent any natural context and drew Wilfredo's attention to the end of a residential street. There she was. Jacqueline had finally rejoined his night. He felt a pit in his stomach as he watched her rush over with her hair standing on end.

“WILFREDO! ESTA PERRA LOCA!”

And there went any attempts at endearing himself to the town's matriarch...

Jacqueline rushed over and grabbed him by the arm. She was barely shorter than him but hid behind him all the same. Hissing back in the direction she came. “This woman’s trying to kill me hermano!”

Wilfredo let out a deep exasperated sigh. He pulled his arm away and turned to look his sister over. He took her arm aside to find burn marks. When he pulled her pouty face to meet his it was clear she’d been drinking.

“Jacqueline, what did you do?”

“I didn’t do anything.” She replied indignantly. “These people are completely unreasonable.” She pouted. She turned to notice the matriarch standing beside her. “Oh, hola Señora Madrigal.”

Señora Madrigal leaned in slightly to get a look at the burns on his sister's arm. Wilfredo was about to apologize for his sister's misbehavior only to be surprised by what came next.

“This looks like Pepa’s doing.” She remarked.

“Here.” Julieta passed Jacqueline one of her confectioneries, “Perdón, mi hermana has a bit of a temper.”

“Sí, she threw me into a tree once with a hurricane. Took Ma all day to get me down.” Bruno chuckled.

Wilfredo watched the burns on his hermanita's arm heal and slowly released his grip on her. He hadn’t meant to grip her so tight. The reassuring smiles from Bruno and Julieta were a relief. Their mother groaned as she recalled the tree escapade.

Then there she was the woman in yellow herself. Pepa stormed up to the group in a rage. A dark thundering cloud followed overhead and a delicate girl in a red bow followed behind.

Jacqueline nearly dropped her snack as she let out a terrified squeak and hid behind her brother’s ample mass.

The girl in the bow tried to soothe her mother but to no avail.

“If you ever go near el novio de mi bebé again I’ll make sure you regret ever setting foot in this town!” The enraged mother stormed. Pointing a judgmental finger at the offending woman.

Jacqueline nibbled at the pastry in her hand and glared back at her over Wilfredo’s shoulder. “How was I supposed to know he was spoken for?”

Pepa looked flabbergasted as she stammered, grasping for words, “He’s a baby you should know better tu puta!”

“Pepa! Language.” Her mother chided.

“He’s twenty-three Pepa.” Her brother corrected. It was obvious Pepa wasn’t being literal but Bruno seemed frustrated with her exaggerations.

“Sí! And he’s too young to want anything to do with la solterona!”

“Oh really?” Jacqueline was clearly offended as she emerged from her brother’s shadow to confront Pepa.

Wilfredo impulsively took his sister by the shoulders, “Tranquila hermanita.” He soothed as she growled under his grip. She let her hackles down a bit. Eying her aggressor up and down. “If I’m so old and ugly then you shouldn’t have anything to worry about right?”

Jacqueline was thirty-eight and she was far from ugly. Not that Wilfredo was the best judge of female beauty. He didn't have to be. He was well aware of the dark magic she cast over every man within a ten-mile radius.

The two women stared each other down. The electricity crackled around them. Pepa was tall but only an inch or so taller than Jacqueline. She may not have had any magic but this insult to her womanly wiles had given her newfound confidence.

“Pepi, mi amor, what happened?” The husky fellow Wilfredo saw at the dunk tank earlier came over with a worried expression and a gentle tone.

“This-” Pepa cut off as she looked back at her mother who shot her a stern look. “Chica!” she spat out finally. “Was trying to flirt with Mariano.”

Félix chuckled as he took hold of his irritable wife. Gently brushing a clump of stray curls from her face. “Easy mi vida. It’s a party. I'm sure she didn’t mean any harm.”

Wilfredo quickly cupped a hand over his sister's mouth before she could reply. “Jacqueline’s an overly friendly person. It’s not the first time there’s been a misunderstanding like this.” He glared down at her. “And I’m sure she’s muy arrepentido.” He warned. Jacqueline glared back at him but got the message.

“Perdóname.” She sighed once he released her face.

“Sí, don’t let it happen again.” Pepa huffed before allowing her husband to lead her away to calm down.

The girl in the bow watched her mother leave then looked back to the rest of the group.

“Dolores I assume?” Wilfredo offered her his hand. “Lo siento. We didn’t mean to disrupt your night.”

Dolores eyed him for a moment with a look that was difficult to read. Then it dawned on him.

When they had made up their mind to accept the council’s offer Señor Robledo had dismissed his concerns over meeting with the council. He simply asked, “Dolores, did you get that?” Seemingly to no one in particular. At first Wilfredo had thought the old man might have been a bit senile. That was until he explained to him. Dolores hears everything.

She took his hand gingerly. “It’s no trouble. It’s good to finally meet you both. You two have been the talk of the town lately.” She glanced back over to her tío for a brief moment.

Did she know?

[dentwy]

number 7: here is greenwood

GREENWOOD!!!!!!!!! WOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! okay i'm cool. "here is greenwood" is a shoujo manga serialized in hana to yume from 1986 to 1991 written and drawn by nasu yukie. in 1991 until 1993 it got adapted into a 6 episode ova and this is kinda where it ends i feel. i wouldn't say it has had any kind of major impact in the medium, the genre or any major group of individuals, but god i do think it did stir something inside me.

i either tend to gravitate towards stuff that isn't particularly popular, because i'm trying to come off as cooler than i am or simply because it just happens naturally. couldn't tell you, but finding that one little thing you end up enjoying so much without anyone else seemingly caring about it is always fun regardless of your personality. turns out it's a lot easier to become the biggest fan of a thing no one has seen, you know. a bit like becoming the world record holder of a game no one has cared to speedrun, it's just funny.

picking out what consists of "my favorite shows of all time" isn't so easy once you've been watching media more seriously after a while, those starting years will definitely shape you up and become a major part of the main stuff you like. even if you fully know it's bad, you hold it close to yourself because it was there at the start, and it's always nice to think back on that. so, it often happens with me where i certainly enjoy something enough to think of it as "this could be a favorite, but does it deserve the spot?". not even sure right now if greenwood deserves it, but i don't know if it matters that much. i decided to make a list of "favorites that aren't favorites" because of greenwood and even if it doesn't stay there and goes up into the list, it sure means something.

ironically, i don't quite think this show came out as a surprise to me as i'd been hyping myself up before even getting into it. it did, though, take turns i wouldn't have seen coming and i'm glad for that. these days i honestly tend to watch anime based on the soundtrack and it's no different here. the soundtrack showed up in online platforms on september of last year, which is around where i found out about it since i already follow nagata shigeru (even if i haven't even seen ocean waves, he just makes good tracks). my first mention of it over discord was me getting mad at my bank while i was dealing with my phone insurance after i tried reading one piece and got my phone stolen 13 pages into the first chapter, but that's a story for another day. i just said "this is the soundtrack of me killing a man" with a link to shun's theme , which is honestly accurate for any man killing activities. in context however, there's a bit more to the story.

this is why, to anyone caring to read, i want to do the longest and probably only essay / analysis / backtrack / retrospective / whatever the hell for "here is greenwood" you will find online. i HAVE to be that guy. otherwise, what have i been obsessing over this thing for around a month? the show has 6 episodes while the manga has 11 volumes (although viz squished it into 9 which is better), so i'll be basing myself on the pacing of the anime in relation to the manga, back and forth between them so the chapters match up. the manga does, however, have more stuff to it throughout half of its runtime so it's gonna be a lot of that i suppose. although, and i'll get into it later, the anime seemingly ends up being the more enjoyable version of the two. otherwise, skip to the tldr in bold letters to avoid reading the long ramblings of a crazy man skimming through a show and manga you probably haven't seen and read.

we begin with the hero of our story. he doesn't really have anything that would actually make him a hero, he's just a teenage boy just starting his first year of highschool at ryokuto academy. his name is hasukawa kazuya and i don't blame people for making him the least popular of the 4 central characters on myanimelist, but he's still technically the main character. our dear boy kazuya is moving into the ryokuto dorms, because it turns out he's kinda the unluckiest guy you'll ever meet. his older brother just married the girl he had a crush on, and since they don't have any parents left, they're all living under the same roof, something he simply can't stand anymore. he took the entrance exam for this prestigious boys only school and managed to get in, but in the process he: almost got ran over by a car while he was visiting the school, barely managed to take the entrance exam since the trains were stopped by a blizzard, had his acceptance letter delayed in the mail, and got an ulcer the day of the entrance ceremony that forced him to stay hospitalized for a month. even if god is against him, he persevered, and finally got in.

kazuya is hot headed (almost literally since he's prone to getting nosebleeds), overly serious yet still a bit of a goofus. he's not particularly smart, but he proves himself with the sheer effort he can put into the things he wants to achieve. he often feels like he needs to be stronger and grow on his own, failing to rely on others, as he doesn't really like getting pampered either.

he is introduced to the dorm head, ikeda mitsuru, and the president of the student council, tezuka shinobu. the two most popular, best looking, and important members of the dorms, currently on their second year of highschool. these two are the ones that will introduce him to "greenwood", as they call the dorms, since the full name is kind of a mouthful.

inside room 210 rests his roommate, which he's quickly informed is, in fact, a girl. according to them, kisaragi shun was born a girl, it's just that her birth certificate and every record lists her gender as male. by this point, 8 minutes into the first episode i'm already clocking out. i understand we're talking about japan here and it's the 1980s (rest assured, this becomes more evident as it goes on), but i have the sneaking suspicion that gender identity can't be this series' forte. from my understanding, hibari-kun does tackle these topics in a proper manner and it was also a manga from the 80s, so perhaps it's not completely unheard of. besides, shoujo manga isn't known to be scared of tackling stuff the rest would never dare, but still. me, the audience, and the guy on screen, kazuya, are being informed that he absolutely must keep this fact a secret from the all the boys at the school. if he does not, there will be consequences. added to the fact this guy is seemingly pissed off at his brother for not being "manly enough" since he "works as a nurse" at this school (and also the fact he got married to the woman he liked, even if she's at least a decade older than him), we're not looking too hot. whatever, i'll give it the benefit of the doubt.

3 days go by for kazuya living with a girl in his room, often going outside to let her change, being uncomfortable at night and trying to ignore people's comments of his situation. he finds out, however, that it was nothing more than a farce. shun isn't a girl, he's just a cute guy with long hair. this dude got tricked into thinking otherwise only so everyone in the dorms could bet on how long it would take him to figure out. "damn! i lost... if only it took one more day..." you hear a guy in the background. greenwood, refers to "a nest for bandits and villains" which is all this place is. as much of a prestigious school as this may be, it doesn't speak for the people actually attending it.

there's the guy that sleeps with his motorcycle, the club used to devote their time to a made up religion, or the duo that rent out their room as an arcade. the main trio that will share their time with kazuya stand out as much as anyone else, if not more, so we should get into them.

shinobu (on the right) is the son of a prestigious family. he's calm and collected, devious and cunning. not a lot seems to change his expression, as he's swift and decisive yet his has his mischievous side as he often enjoys messing with people, and specially his roommate. mitsuru (left), is the handsome, aloof guy that simply loves giving kazuya as hard of a time as he can.

shun, aka the most popular character in the show, is a confident, assertive and strong willed young man. it just so happens he kinda looks like a girl. it is very often played for jokes, but not once does he mind it and finds enjoyment in it himself. he is, in fact, "a guy with a gender", as you could say. he leaves his hair long because he likes it, he dresses up however he feels like and often more feminine because he finds it fun, and he just knows who he is and what he wants to be, which is highly respectable. i was mentioning earlier about his theme and it's honestly pretty fitting for the guy, there's something magical and cheery about it that really sticks out, while having a tone of that seemingly feminine side.

these four are the rag tag greenwood team, getting into trouble, helping others and messing with each other. guys that maybe wouldn't usually be friends with each other, but it's always the time and place that will bring people together.

most of volume 1 isn't too dissimilar from episode 1, they change around the order of some scenes for it to make more sense and remove or add dialogue for it to flow better, but most of the main events stay intact. kazuya's main goal is to stay far from his home to avoid thinking about sumire, the woman he loves and his now sister in law. this is what he's in greenwood for. it's not as simple as "running away" from it and his feelings, but trying to come to terms with it, get distracted, and find himself. the main overarching theme of this series is moving past a love that was not meant to be. whether it's by moving away, making new friends or finding new love, the goal is the same. ironically, the people around him don't really allow him to move past so easily, since his brother is still around all the time, his friends kinda make fun of him for it (because it is funny) and sumire herself is so oblivious to it that it keeps stabbing him in the heart which, yeah, i get it.

not sure if you, dear reader, has had the experience of being in a dorm with other people, or going through a moment of unrequited love, but it doesn't get any realer than this! for one, living with people close to you for a while is just a nice experience. always having people to rely on, to hang out with, to talk to, at any given moment. almost to the point you may start depending on it. as a matter of fact, the room i shared with other people for a bit was 211, the same one mitsuru and shinobu are in! for the other, trying to move past something like that isn't the easiest. in fact, it may just be the aftermath that's the hardest and that takes the longest, that is, finding the same feeling somewhere else. filling that spot with something new, or someone new. cannot really blame a guy for trying so hard to change his life around.

kazuya decides to stay in the dorms for summer vacation, as he insists he does not want to set foot home, and sumire decides to pay him a visit. not only her but his brother kazuhiro also plays fun with him at times simply because he likes to see his reaction. he's kind of a goat, but he does genuinely care for his brother. later he's informed he can't stay in the dorms for winter holidays, which is what forces him to go back home for once.

half of the first volume doesn't get adapted probably to improve the pacing, although the extra chapters also don't feel too substantial to the story overall. in one of them the lights go off at the dorms and a couple of girls get in, which they initially think are ghosts, only to turn out they're not. it's not that exciting of a chapter and the show does a better version of this a bit later on. besides, i believe that not showing as many female characters in the ovas works better for the series, as opposed to the manga which starts doing it more often from here.

after kazuya goes back home for the first time in a while, the boys meet up out in the city. here, they find a strange looking girl being tailed by men in suits. it only turns out this girl is "nitta mieko", an idol that simply wanted to get some free time for herself while her agency wouldn't let her. uh, she becomes a bit of a prominent character throughout the manga, while she doesn't really appear at all in the anime. to the actual plot itself, she doesn't do a whole lot, she just comes and goes from time to time. not much against her, it only feels like she's just there.

for another chapter, they're already on valentine's day, meaning they will get chocolate. shun mentions he's straight and he had a girlfriend already which the rest find strange, i suppose. both mitsuru and shinobu get all the girls from other schools to wait outside and throw chocolates at them, to which they run away from. kazuya has one girl that's a bit obsessed with him, yet he doesn't remember her name nor who she is. she mistakes shun for a girl, so she gives up on him quick, though. i'm a bit iffy with this chapter because even if it is supposed to be a well known fact that mitsuru is constantly getting girls to ask him out (and he's generally also unlucky with said girls) the anime doesn't actually show much of that, unlike the manga. i don't think this is bad though, it's more of a thing they just say but never really show as you're kind of invited to fill in the blanks for yourself. since it is only 6 episodes they obviously skip around a lot of parts of the year, and i don't think it's quite necessary to see everything they do, as getting a glimpse around their life is all you need to understand how they're doing and what a random day in greenwood can be like. the manga almost incessantly needs to show both mitsuru and shinobu as the popular guys and since we're talking about an all boys school, even if they are popular, it doesn't feel like it's something that should happen so often and at such a big scale, in my opinion.

kazuya also simply not knowing who the girl that has a crush on him seems off and a bit too early. i suppose his mind is still focused on sumire, sure. so, he's probably not ready to move on that quick? even then, the situation kind of presents itself in front of him and he simply fumbles it for no major reason, he simply does not know the girl from his previous school.

the final chapter sets up the next volume, where mitsuru gets abducted by none other than shinobu's big sister. the anime does a funny thing here on episode 2 where they kinda tell you "go read the chapter for context" but it doesn't really matter. the episode centers around shinobu's sister, nagisa, kidnapping shun's little brother, reina, who obviously looks like a little girl because feminine looking boys is a staple of the kisaragi household. this is, in turn, a direct sequel to the manga chapter.

nagisa hates her brother because he's kinda just better than her really. she's stuck up, pretentious, demanding and selfish. since they were little she always wanted to be seen as the superior one, and because shinobu doesn't give a damn about anything, he never really cared about whatever she tried doing to him. part of their father's favoritism towards shinobu must certainly come from the fact she's a woman, i will not deny that, and she has the right to be mad. she's still an awful person though and only wants her to be the one to inherit the family business. so, to "take revenge" on him, she decides to kidnap his friend. genius!

part of the volume is dedicated to them finding out it's her and then going to save him. in the process mitsuru tries to escape and makes fun of her. he ends up with only his underwear on to, uh, make it worse for him? i guess? in the process of escaping mitsuru gets his face cut which was supposed to be something they planned on doing to ruin how pretty he was or something, but apparently mitsuru has superpowers so the skin on his face simply fixes itself instantly. now, greenwood isn't scared of the supernatural, weird things will happen. but having his face regenerate is a bit too much in my opinion. i think it would be a really solid joke for him to "suddenly be fine the next page" instead of it actually and legitimately being superhuman. would play on the meta and sell the ridiculousness of it even more. which seems even weirder considering nasu loves to play with meta jokes. she will often draw herself commenting on facts or details that don't really make sense so she can address them herself, or have the characters directly refer to her or the manga as a whole. in this same chapter in fact, she mentions how it doesn't make sense that they're still in their first and second year of highschool if holidays are already over. i think some of these jokes are fine, but nasu loves doing it a little bit too much for my taste.

anyway, what the anime does instead, as i mentioned, is have shun's little brother be the victim. nagisa decided that she won't deal with boys anymore and only cares about girls now, so he picks up reina instead (unbeknownst to her that he's actually a boy). i think this take on it is better, since shinobu ends up knowing what the deal is way faster and manages to figure out a plan for the rest of the boys to follow. reina does, too, mess with her and her agents by asking for food and to take a shower, which gets weirder than it should! these guys kinda get really flustered about the supposed little girl they've kidnapped which is extremely weird (one of them even trying to peep while he's taking a shower!). nagisa is also really weird about it at the start but we know for a fact she's a terrible person so whatever. it tries to follow with the joke that people often mistake the kisaragi boys for girls, but it could've been something else, you know. specially when it's grown ass adults we're talking about, but whatever, it's still a fun episode. all of this ends with shinobu giving his sister a final warning, effectively pointing a gun at her and saying he was gonna take care of her this time for sure. only to turn out it's a toy gun. a little detail that stands out at the end of this episode, in a strange way, is mitsuru making fun of kazuya for developing a crush on igarashi miya, a girl from an all girls highschool that will become relevant later. it's a bit funny because by this point they have never shown the two of them interacting, and the first time that he will see her is later on in the anime. however i think it's mostly working as a little nod of foreshadowing, as the events in the ovas don't really seem to be in chronological order.

what is honestly surprising is the chapter that follows this, still on volume 2. a side story about two guys from the dorms in room 117 ending up as a couple and finding out they're gay. i'd honestly recommend just reading this chapter, as it's surprisingly good and i'm almost left wishing they had adapted it. they sure do the "but it can't be, he's a guy!" / "there's no way i'm a homosexual!" and sure, one of the two guys also does look like a girl, but it's cute and well handled in my opinion. throughout both the show and manga kazuya stays as the guy that like, simply doesn't know gay people exist, i think. he's not inherently homophobic, i'd say. he's always genuinely shocked as if he doesn't know what just happened, almost to the point it's funny. it simply does not process in his mind and he resets.

next chapter is about girls from another school taking pictures of mitsuru with his shirt off because it's too hot? and shinobu has diarrhea. the one after that, the boys go to the pool. everyone there thinks shun is a girl (as usual) so they ask him to go into the women's dressing room, and the lifeguard gets disappointed to find out he's a guy, but their outfits are sick so it's fine.

we continue to see kazuya being the one taking care of dorm head duty since mitsuru is away for the week. reina rolls up to the dorm and he's actually way more of an annoying brat than in the anime. kazuya lowkey bullies the kid and thinks shun should be rougher with him, or something. he still kinda has that thing of being disappointed that his brother isn't tough for whatever reason.

volume 3 starts school sports festival, not a thing we see in the anime. shun is dressed up as a cheerleader, kazuya is the fastest runner alive, shinobu set up bets for each team. typical stuff. later we see a girl show up at the school because her girlfriend was going there to see someone else. every single one of the boys absolutely loses their mind at the sight of a "real lesbian" who they thought was nothing more than a myth, and then it just turns out the her girlfriend saw mitsuru dressed up as a woman as part of the festival event (which they never even showed) and she was interested. rest of the volume is mieko showing up again asking for a favor because someone is trying to assassinate her, the boys celebrating new year's, a kid trying to figure out if shinobu is evil to get into the journalism club, and the motorcycle guy getting a real girlfriend.

a thing the manga definitely does better over the anime is showing the rest of the people in the dorms. although i barely even up remembering their names, they sure are there and have their own things going on. they do become more prevalent and they're part of greenwood as a whole. i just don't particularly feel like they stand out as characters themselves? some of their stories are fine and all but they serve as a bunch of background dudes that chip in at stuff most of the time. while it is cool to see the dorms more lived in, they're also not so important that it makes them feel like they actually matter, if it make sense.

as the manga goes on it starts feeling like a bit of a bottleneck. by no means is it not entertaining, it's simply that it jumps around between stuff that doesn't feel like it amounts to a lot. probably the reason why as i continue explaining things here i go over these chapters with stuff to say about them. next is volume 4 though! so almost halfway through!

this volume shows us the woman that shinobu's older brother (because it seems he has one) was supposed to marry. i believe, she doesn't really amount to much in the story, so i won't even go into detail about her. they go into a flashback with how shinobu and mitsuru met in their first year and fought, to then end up respecting each other. it's cool.

the rest of the volume is half a dragon quest parody and the other half a ghost story. both of these do, in fact, appear in the anime. however, they do so in a different way. in the manga, the fantasy manga parody is really just that, a sort of spin off that goes for a couple chapters. in the ova, the boys at the dorms plan on filming a movie to show at the festival, which is honestly such a cooler idea. they show them going around planning and filming stuff. shinobu and mitsuru even have to go pose for the self insert manga author that uses them as reference for her next manga so they can get the outfits they need. it's a whole process of them showing how they're doing this indie movie at their own school while cutting into the actual scenes of the supposed movie, real neat stuff.

in the other chapters, they go to a hotel shun's family just acquired and stay for the night. it just so turns out it's haunted and a bunch of girls try to get the boys to become ghosts as well so they can be together. mitsuru, however, manages to exorcise them since his family runs a shrine and he simply knows how to do that (?). ironically, he's the one that needs to get an exorcism in the ova.

this episode is one of my favorites by far. the lights go dark in greenwood, just like they did in volume 1 long ago. this time, mitsuru gets haunted by a girl he doesn't know. what's funny about this is that she is just a normal, cute girl and nothing else. she hangs around, talks to them, plays games, etc. fully visible to everyone, you simply can't touch her. mitsuru gets into trouble for bringing a girl into the dorms since he's clearly not allowed to, but it's not like he can do anything about it. he gets really stressed out and consistently asks her to leave him alone (which, wow. rude). i'm almost definitely biased here but this girl is actually voiced by the same woman that does my favorite character in the trails series, so, yeah. she's just really cute and fun and doesn't really hinder his daily activities in the slightest so seeing him get really pissed off about it is entertaining. the way the episode starts is also my current favorite thing ever:

this episode perfectly encapsulates the charm that has me tied to greenwood. the music, the characters, the wacky situations that get oddly real for short spans. by the end of the episode, she reveals that there isn't any major reason for her to be haunting mitsuru besides the fact that he's good looking. she simply hadn't ever kissed anyone before dying, and she wanted to do that. he strictly refuses because he's a little baby bitch and she leaves. instead, a day later, she tricks him by picking up the cat and having him kiss it. except that she's actually not done with him because she still likes him, so she brings a bunch of other ghost girls to mess with them. really funny. again, ironic, how he's the one getting haunted this time and he can't do anything about it.

the two final episodes of the anime are the most relevant arc of the series, which won't happen until much later in the manga. so we keep moving.

volume 5 takes place around the school festival, the one they made a movie for in the ova. kazuya gets tricked into a game of ping pong to see who would get the main role for the play they're doing, while shun does also take part of a different play. basically, we get 3 of the 4 main guys to dress up as women. shun's play is lupin's castle of cagliostro, which did also happen in the anime as an extra special segment at the end of that episode and it's really neat.

the rest of the volume has a new guy show up claiming that kazuhiro isn't worthy enough to be married to sumire. this guy is just her cousin, which is also in love with her, so let's leave it there. at the end they show a flashback into how the two of them met back in college, to then get introduced into the hasukawa household. this flashback is neat overall, it gives further information on how they've been doing as a family of two brothers, and a bit of insight into both kazuhiro and sumire's relationship.

sumire has been with them since kazuya was around 14, while she was in her early 20s, which i suppose isn't too terrible for him to fall in love? it obviously wouldn't work out regardless of the circumstance, but this isn't something they actually ever try to push for or imply it could've happened. not a lot more than teenage love, you know. what is actually fun is getting the news that sumire is pregnant with a boy. it doesn't really shape the story at all, but in the large scheme of things it does try to show the shift between their relationship and kazuya's feelings, which is great to see.

volume 6 has one chapter of shinobu meeting an alien that tells him he has a specimen that looks exactly like him who recently escaped containment. shinobu shoots him and doesn't flinch at the idea of killing someone that looks exactly like him, maybe because he's more of a robot than whatever this alien made could be, but we're still stretching the logic of this manga the more we go.

following chapter is the boys playing baseball against a friend of mitsuru's, fun chapter. the dorms move on to the next year, and they do actually start their second and third year of highschool. kazuya is the one becoming the dorm head this time, either because mitsuru likes to mess with him and / or because he does genuinely respect the guy. kazuya isn't too sure himself, though. some new students show up like the kid from singapore who they keep trying to explain things to as if he's some sort of otherworldly being, and he also shows signs of being completely clueless on how stuff works like not even knowing what a school trip is. i asked someone i know if this is true and they said that people in singapore do know what a school trip is (as i assumed), but sure. the school trip does happen, where they meet mieko once again and she asks mitsuru to do some modelling for a tv ad. this becomes a whole thing with mitsuru not being sure whether or not he wants to do it because like, his brother will think that he's only doing it to attract the attention of his "real parents" because actually he feels that he's not really part of his family since he's adopted? it's weird, the adoptive part will come into place later (although it's not that big either).

in volume 7 kazuya's nephew is born and they need to take care of him because sumire was gonna give them a couple of tickets for the ice ring. in the ice ring, two girls try to trick shinobu and mitsuru into becoming their partners because they need a couple to do competitive ice skating, or something. the conclusion is shinobu saying "why doesn't one of you get a sex change?" and they think it's genius and leave it at that. hooray for surgery. there's another three side stories with an edo era spin off, the boys going into the kisaragi onsen, and the duo in the arcade room getting cursed by an evil videogame you have to beat in one go.

it doesn't end with, but midway through we got the start of the main final arc, the one with igarashi miya. miya is a girl mitsuru used to know back on his previous school, she seems to be a bit of a delinquent that got into trouble with some girls over turf conflicts. she needs a place to stay for the night and tries to get help at greenwood. kazuya insists in helping her and offering his room even if it's strictly forbidden, because he sees something in her eyes. there's a certain sadness and uncertainty he's not sure about, so he wants to know more.

she explains to kazuya about her situation, and it turns out, she's not as tough as she seems. she doesn't like that people see her as a delinquent, she's not strong, she's a bit of a scaredy cat and is always trying to keep herself from crying. in the process of helping her and getting the girls from the other school to stop annoying her, kazuya realizes that, whoops! he kind of likes her! unfortunate for him, she already has a boyfriend. she does really insist that he's a good guy since he's always been there for him. on the other hand, kazuya wonders why was it because of him that she turned into a delinquent, or why doesn't she ever feel loved by him. she feels that he doesn't like her for who she is but rather he believes he likes her because they've always been together. not a lot he can do about it though, as he doesn't really have an excuse to see her again.

the anime doesn't change much here, the episode starts with kazuya already dwelling about her as they usually do with these episodes, starting with the aftermath of the events and recapping on what happened to them. i do like this, i'll say.

volume 8 is the last one before overlapping with the final episode, so it's mostly filled with extra chapters. there's one about a boy not going to class because he hates one of the teachers, another one with mitsuru getting tailed by a girl (again) who loves the made up version of mitsuru she imagined while seeing his commercial, devilwood again with the dragon quest fantasy manga parody, and the sports festival once more. the thing i like about the sequel to the sports festival is how kazuya gets into the track team to distract himself from thinking about miya, which seems to work for a bit. not essential, but realistic.

another one of the chapters is him falling off a ladder and landing in an alternate dimension where everyone is female, which is actually kinda fun, if not a little bit short. they call it "cherrywood" instead of greenwood, and there's actually a version of this they had the voice actors record as part of the drama cds. there are a couple of these mainly for the special chapters like the sports festival and stuff, they're neat. once kazuya comes back to his world the boys in the dorm keep dropping themselves off the ladder to see if they can go there as well so it's pretty funny.

i think the girl that was obsessed with mitsuru is somewhat a different version of the ghost girl from episode 4, although this one gets so mad at so many things he does that he legitimately cannot go around doing anything without having this girl break into tears, so it's funny i'll let it slide. i insist that having mitsuru be overwhelmed by girls all the time doesn't give the vibe of the "all boys dormitory life" that most of the series tries to push forward, but only some of them wouldn't hurt too much, i suppose.

we arrive to the final volume, as well as the last episode. had you been reading and watching these alongside, you would have a decent grasp of all the activities these people have gotten involved with. the thing is that, the 6 ova episodes released some time after the manga was already finished, meaning that it's not like anyone actually expected you to go back and forth between each other. it would be impractical to do so anyway without knowing what actually gets adapted and not. i've seen people mention that the way these episodes are formatted makes it so only a fan of the original manga would be able to enjoy it, with how much time is skipped between each one. i can't really agree with this point, as it is very much structured in the normal episodic anime way, only with some details here and there that probably don't end up being super clear since they weren't addressed but don't actually hinder the overarching narrative or actual character interactions. after all, these dynamics work well enough on their own to be used in whatever situation they get in. it's not that the manga does not do this, but it often feels like they're there to fill time rather than to simply entertain. more often than not, the chapters feel disorganized, same-y and as if they don't have any major purpose to be there than simply "what if x thing happened". it happens, and it's over. probably not inherently a bad thing, i guess it's a matter of presentation after all. ironically, the manga may just feel like more targeted towards fans than the adaptation, as it really takes a long while for these relationships to grow and develop. if i get too many details, it'll get stale and won't feel like i'm really learning much until something major happens. if i just get the core elements, i can build the gaps myself. less can definitely be more. dudes will be dudes, after all.

in that regard, the episode starts with kazuya helping out at mitsuru's house. the place used to be a bigger temple, but over time the land was reduced and the place isn't what it used to be. not a big deal for them though, as they still maintain the place. it's a nice family of 4. mother, father and siblings. sho, mitsuru's younger brother is only a few weeks younger than him, as by the time they found mitsuru outside their house, it had already been a little bit since he was born.

adoption is usually treated as a careful subject matter, but i don't really think it should be. throughout the manga, mitsuru has his moments of doubting himself, his past, where he comes from and his family. he cares about them and they care about him, specially his brother, but there's always a weird air to it. since he is the older son, he would be the one to take over the shrine, which he's not really sure if he wants to do himself. his mother makes sure to tell him that he doesn't need to worry about it, he should just do whatever he wants to do. his brother misses him, but he needs to focus on himself too. sho seems to be angry at him because mitsuru mentions how he is trying to go live on his own as soon as he can. this is where we get a little bit iffy.

from what i am able to gather, mitsuru feels indebted to his family. they aren't blood related, so sure, he loves them but he knows that they had no right to take him in and they did anyway. it's not that they actually show any sign of it being a pain on them or anything, he is just a son to them. i suppose he feels bad for taking his brother's spot for the shrine, but he doesn't even need to take the place if he doesn't want to. so, in the end, "wanting to leave home as soon as possible" is kinda just a normal thing i believe. i mean sure, deep down it's probably because he doesn't want to be more of a burden, and even if he's not he still wants to make their life easier. this is fine. he makes it such a bigger deal than it should ever be, though. his brother gets pissed at him and his response is "i'm not trying to be an outsider, i am an outsider" my guy what are you saying. kazuya goes as far as to ask him if he ever thinks of his blood related parents and he says no, so what is even his deal? mitsuru wonders to himself if you can still be family even if you aren't blood related, kazuya says that it's love that matters. unfortunately this is literally where this ends and it will never be brought up again or be concluded, because miya appears in front of them. it's unfortunate that it doesn't really get any closure, i feel exploring the meaning of family, specially with kazuya's situation being a thing, could be a really cool addition to the series. nevertheless, it doesn't happen. mitsuru just says that, he feels like he has to leave home as soon as he can, his brother doesn't like this mentality, and that is it. not even the manga chooses to explore this further, that's all there is.

they bump miya and his boyfriend tenma on their way back to the dorms, kazuya still sees that expression in her face, as if she's about to cry but she's holding back. now before getting ahead of ourselves this guy isn't abusing her or anything, he is kind of just a dude. not the best dude, but a dude nonetheless. miya has been wanting to say thanks to kazuya for a while, but she never gathered the courage to go visit him and say thanks. she would go nearby the school and then run away, never sure herself of why she was doing that. this time with the opportunity right in front of her, the only thing she manages to say is "i'm sorry". inevitably, this almost kills kazuya and gets him sick for a couple of days.

"sorry" doesn't really cut it. sorry for what? she didn't do anything. kazuya decides to give her a call after his brother convinced him to. his counseling is essentially: "you shouldn't care about the other guy, focus on yourself", which is fair enough i suppose, but i think a situation like this is very much gonna depend on who you're talking about. kazuya doesn't want to ask a girl with a boyfriend out, no one wants to be the guy that steals someone else's girlfriend really. but you know, there's something going on here too, as she doesn't seem particularly happy with him either. i think this brother bonding is a good moment for the two of them, although not the most particularly touching. kazuhiro is a fun guy, he is confident and he would do anything he needs to get the girl he loves (he did, after all, get the girl his own brother loved). it does come off as a little weird piece of advice from his part, but it works in context so that's all he needs to call her. she does, however, say sorry again and hang up instantly.

"i heard hasukawa got rejected by that delinquent girl", no! he hasn't even said anything to her! so the guy decides to wait outside her school to see her. he stays for a week until he finds out she was hospitalized, they find where she's staying and she's already gone. he sends her a letter but tenma grabs it before she can read it. luck is never on his side. persistence, however, never fails. a little bit of a bizarre thing here, tenma explains how "you need a special permission from their parents to date the girls from this school" which i don't - know, if it's a real thing or not in some japanese schools and honestly i don't even feel like looking it up right now. they both leave and run away from kazuya, leaving him alone.

then, on their way home:

which is an excellent moment, although my favorite part of this is how loud the trains are it's so funny to me i can't even begin to explain. tenma is a bit of a self centered prick, he mostly shows off his nice side but he's the guy that wants things to go his way all the time, you know. he didn't particularly do anything wrong, he's just a bit of a toxic influence on miya. he's the reason she became a delinquent so maybe he would care about her more (or get scared and dump her), he's the reason why she doesn't feel loved or particularly pretty, he's the reason why she's so sheltered. having a guy like him that won't let you do the things you want, always holding your hand and trying to keep you "safe" isn't part of a healthy relationship. kazuya is the one that incites her into being herself, opening up, finding her strength and dealing with her weakness. "i'm with you", is what he replies to her once she tells him how he feels. it's about finding that person that will be there for you, the one that will always be around and, most of all, love you unconditionally.

the rest of the manga has a little bit of the aftermath and how the people at greenwood are doing. it, once more, doesn't stand out from the crowd. they're not bad chapters, they're fun. the story is already over, though. the final chapter is actually nasu drawing a bunch of reader requests she never got to do and kazuya inviting some of his friends over to show them around greenwood and work on a project (friends we have never ever seen nor have been mentioned before now, but whatever). here is greenwood in all its glory.

if you didn't care to read all of that, great. this is the tldr; greenwood is about finding that next opportunity. mainly in love, but in most things in life. the anime adaptation takes things in some fresher directions, streamlining the experience and focusing on what is important. in the span of 6 episodes we get to know these guys, what their deal is and how their relationship works and shapes who they are. some more than others, but meeting new people you care about and will be there for you when you need it (for better or for worse) is what makes us human, and what inevitably helps us grow as people. grow out of pains, grow into understanding others and what makes us who we are.

there's something special about the serenity behind it all that i can't quite put into words, hence why i didn't go into much detail. the backgrounds are often soft and share a clean palette with a watercolor texture to it that makes it feel like a never ending dream. compared to the manga in this case, nasu's art is nice and specially with the covers and colored pieces, but it does take a while for characters to particularly pop or look like themselves as they often suffer from the same face syndrome shoujo manga can be known for. color goes a long way into helping battle this. the manga does also often rely on jokes that maybe aren't as funny in the current age, so there's that too.

the music helps sell the impact of it all, with the magical orchestra that follows around the almost play like scenarios that overcome greenwood on a daily basis. as the subtitle reads "under the tree of memories", like looking back on the moments that mattered the most and shaped the future. the theme of greenwood echoing behind this feeling. some of the other songs they made for the show sell the fun of it all as well i'd strike a comparison with ocean waves considering it's the same director and the same guy doing the music, but i haven't actually seen that so there isn't anything i can mention.

in retrospect, 6 episodes isn't really a whole lot. there's 3 of them that center around some plot and then the other 3 are extra content that focus on whatever the hell they felt like. it's obviously not something for everyone, i'm not gonna come out and say this is a must watch or anything like that, only how i feel about things. stuff doesn't need to be deep, it can just be for self fulfillment. it's often the mindless things that get the most enjoyment out of me, being there to have a good time before anything else. exactly what they do here at any moment, picking out a day at random and making the most out of it. a day where any one of these bandits will get into trouble and they'll come out of it with a smile.

i could wish it was a bit longer. maybe add some of the chapters with the other boys at the dorms, add the part with kazuya's nephew and then him entering the track team and idk, maybe the one with mitsuru and his commercial to actually give an ending to his whole adoptive family thing. alas, this is what we get, and i will not complain.

had it been at a different point in my life i watched this, i probably wouldn't care as much. it speaks to a part of me i hadn't learned about years ago, and would probably only look back on fondly into the future. those things that happen and make you rethink stuff for a good while and, in turn, open your horizons. so, feeling identified with media and connecting with stuff is a bit of what we do this for, i think.

[kirishwima]

Bet on me, baby - Part 4

Fandom: Obey me!

Pairing: Mammon x Reader

TW: Slight mention of violence (?), a lot of repressed mutual pining, lol

…..

Time moves slower on summer days.

You can’t prove it, not really, but you can feel the time trickle, like molasses oozing out of tree bark, sticky and sugary like the summer heat sweltering across your forehead. 

The bookshop you worked part-time at was far too old to house a decent AC system. As such, you did what you could with the little fan in the corner of your register, the one that Ari, the owners’ big white cat, was far too preoccupied with trying to throw off of the counter, blocking the cool conducted air from ever reaching you.

You sighed in defeat, picking up one of the dozen piles of books in front of you to begin restocking them.

Your shift neared its end, the gentle light seeping through the big wooden windows facing the street of this hidden bookstore now lower, tinted pink.

The day’s been lazy thus far, only having to deal with the occasional customer coming in, an busy mom asking about the latest Colleen Hoover book, a student or two buying books relating to their courses-you distinctly remember one buying a self-help book, along with a ‘Happy Birthday Mom’ card, which you couldn’t help but chuckle at.

And of course, your regular customer, the one that will come into the shop once a day, without fail, if not more.

He nods towards you from the corner he’s sat in, a pile of books bigger than the one you’re carrying in your arms surrounding his frame as his green eyes are glued to the pages of the one book he’s got propped open on his lap, blonde hair obscuring your view rom the expression he’s currently sporting.

"Hey, we’re closing soon", you remind him as you start shelving the books in your arms, "If you’re gonna buy something, do so within the next 10 minutes or I’m not ringing you up."

Your words made him pause his reading, shifting his attention towards you.

"Now, is that how you treat loyal customers like me, Y/N?" He grinned, carefully shutting the book in his arms-you noticed how he placed a bookmark in it, one he pulled out of his pocket. You can’t help but wonder how many more he might have in store.

You laugh, shaking your head at him affectionately.

Satan’s a loyal customer, sure, but he’s also a dear friend, one you always bonded over literature with.

He follows you to the register as you head back, the heap of books in his arms so tall you can’t even see his face as he sets them down for you to start ringing them up.

"So, I met your brother yesterday", you start.

Satan huffs a laugh. "Judging by that sour look on your face, I take it it wasn’t Beel or Belphie. It can’t be Lucifer either, since you wouldn’t have been so casual about it, and  nor Asmo’s or Levi are in town for the week so…Mammon?"

"Excellent deduction, Sherlock" you huffed, "as if you didn’t already know he’s my project partner. I swear, he’s just-he’s so-ugh!"

You rant to Satan about yesterday’s horrendous meeting with his brother, appreciating his silence as you vent and he nods along, empathetically.

"Yup. That's Mammon. A pedantic idiot with zero emotional intelligence-or any intelligence really, with his heart set on money, sex and pranking Lucifer”, he laughs, 'Still...he's not that bad. He can definitely give off a bad first impression, and he's foul mouthed and loud, but..he has a good heart. He doesn't show it but he cares, a lot more than he lets on."

He peers back up at you, his previous soft small smile lost from his lips. "Tell him I said any of that and I WILL send you to an early grave."

You roll your eyes, already used to Satan’s antics by now. 

"Fine, fine! I won’t breath a word. And I guess I’ll give your rude brother another chance, for the sake of our grades at least." 

You pick up the last of his books, bring the scanner over to it as it beeps.

"So…wanna know your total? I think you just broke last months’ record"

Satan grins. Pulls out a black Amex card out of his mystery-content-pocket.

"Hit me with your best shot." 

You scoff.

…..

The chime bells beside the store’s door jingle as a pair of footsteps starts making its way towards you, where you’d been dusting off some of the shelves in the forgotten corners of the bookshop.

You’d been so caught up in cleaning and chatting with Satan, who’d offered to keep you company until you finish up, that you’d forgotten to lock the front door.

"I’m sorry, the store’s actually closed right-"

You turn to face the man that just came in, trying your best to not let your expression sour. "Oh", you utter, "hi."

Mammon’s stood there, a sheepish smile on his face, an arm awkwardly scratching at the nape of his neck.

"Yeah, hi."

Satan doesn’t miss the tilt of your lips at the sight of his brother, eyeing the two of you with an odd look.

"Nice of you to show up on time", Satan greets with a nod, his expression back to that of his normal chaotic mischief. 

"Yeah" Mammon starts, walking past Satan to stand across of you, "didn’t wanna get the shit slapped out of me again."

Satan shrugged. "You left me no choice", he said, "You were acting stupid."

Mammon turns to him, lips snarled.

"So ya’ had to slap me?! My face was red all day! All. Day! Y/N can vouch for me-wasn't it red when you met me?!" 

You’d already started making your way towards the register-maybe if you physically distanced yourself from this conversation the two of them might just…forget you were there? You sighed, not wanting any part in this brothers quarrel-yet got dragged along into it regardless. Something inside you told you that this wouldn't be a one time occurence either, if your previous experiences with Beelzebub and Belphegor were anything to go by. 

"Well…yeah, it was red when we met" you hesitantly agreed.

Satan rolled his eyes. "Well, was I in the wrong? He would've stood you up had I not knocked some sense into him. It's not like he's some damsel in distress. He can take it" he shrugs. 

You frown at that. You know Satan well, and are well aware that he can get...explosive. He's been nothing but kind to you, but you've seen people draw the short end of the stick with him, and it was never pleasant. Still, he'd mellowed out significantly since befriending you, seemingly taking your advice to heart. 

"Satan, we talked about this, Many times actually. No matter what, violence is never the answer. Especially with your own family."

You steal a glance towards Mammon who's staring back at you wide eyed. You quickly put two and two together, but halt your thoughts before you begin to sympathise with the man that did, evidently, nearly stand you up.

"Thank you for worrying about me and not letting Mammon ditch our appoitntment but...I think you should apologise to your brother for slapping him. Being family doesn't excuse violence. Nothing does. You know that."

You look to Satan expectantly, a silent conversation running between you two that Mammon isn't privy to as he stands dumbfounded in the middle. 

Whatever it was, it seems you’d won your silent argument as Satan sighs, turns to Mammon with his fists clenched.

"Fine. Sorry I hit you Mammon. It was wrong of me. Though you were wrong too for being an asshole."

That's...something, you guess. More than Satan would ever admit by himself, at least. You smile at him, proud of how far your friend has come-you still remember the day you’d first met Satan, how rigid his posture was, ready to fight anything and anyone in his way.

"Mammon, what do you say?" You turn to him, already far too used to being a mediator in this meddlesome family.

Mammon sighed. 

"Thanks for apologising, I guess. And….I guess I was also an ass for planning to ditch. ‘M sorry too, I guess"

Figuring that’s as good as you’re gonna get between the two stubborn men, you clap your hands, shifting both their gazes towards you.

"Great! With that settled, I’ll be heading to the back to store my work clothes-Mammon, if you can give me 5 minutes, I’ll be ready and we can head out."

You smile at him and something in his gut twists, an odd, profound feeling and yet…he doesn’t mind it. Not really. 

He nods, just as you turn to Satan.

"Need any help carrying all of that?" You ask, nodding your head to the paperbag stacks he’d picked up, barely containing them all in his embrace.

"I’ve handled worse" he says, "I’ll manage."

With that Satan walks towards you, bags in tow, as he leans close and whispers something Mammon can’t hear from his spot a few feet away, tucked between the rows of bookshelves.

What he does hear, however, is the sound of your laughter, loud and wondrous, his mind racing to catch up with the way your face lights up as Satan shifts away from you, a small foreign smile on his brothers face.

Satan doesn’t turn to Mammon, merely leaves-though he does heed a warning before letting the store’s door fall shut behind him with a jingle.

"Hurt them and I’ll make your life hell, brother."

Mammon gulps.

He had no idea you’d gotten so close with his brother. Had no idea Satan could smile like that, that you could…

Never mind. That’s not a train of thought he wants to follow. Not now, at least. 

You remind him you’ll be ‘back in a sec’ as you vanish somewhere behind the register counter, leaving Mammon alone to look to the dust particles swirling where the sun filters through into the shop.

You make quick work of removing your work apron and the t-shirt with a woven label of your name on it, changing swiftly into your own casual clothes, grabbing your backpack and heading out of the store, locking each door behind you as you usher Mammon outside and double-check you’ve properly locked the front door.

Mammon’s silent as you do so, only the warmth of his presence on your back reminding you he’s still here, comforting in a sense you don’t dare indulge in.

You turn to him, tilt your head as you catch an odd gleam in his eye-the moment you notice it it’s gone, his face schooled into a forced scowl.

"Well…what do you say we head to that coffee shop I told you about? It’s only two blocks from here, and usually quiet enough we can work undisturbed."

He shrugs and you take that as an approval. Or as a ‘whatever, ugh, let’s get this over with’. You can never be too sure when it comes to Mammon, apparently.

With a nod you lead the way, his frame lagging a few steps behind you.

"Hey…thank you for coming on time today. I do appreciate it" you speak up after a long moment of pregnant silence, the awkwardness stifling your lungs.

Mammon sighs.

"Yeah, no problem. I guess…you were kinda right, yesterday. We both gotta get this project over with, and I don’ wanna fail this class again."

That…catches you off guard.

"You what?!"

Mammon halts, turns his face away from you-not quick enough to hide the deeper shade covering his cheeks and ears.

"It’s a stupid class! With a stupidly annoying professor! He gave out a group project last year too, and the guys I had to work with were-" he sighs, runs a hand over his face. "Nevermind. I just didn’t do well on the project, okay. I’m sure it’ll be fine this year."

You ponder over his words for a while as you continue to walk, a small grin slowly forming on your lips.

Mammon pouts at the sight.

"What? What are ‘ya grinnin’ at?!"

You shrug. 

"Nothing, nothing. I just don’t think you need to worry this year. I don’t know what happened with your previous group, but so long as you’re paired up with me, we’re gonna work our asses off to get the best freaking results we can."

You turn to him triumphantly, and something about it-it makes Mammon smile. Not that pompous grin, or his mischievous look from before, something soft and genuine, and paired with the fading sunlight atop the city, the blinking lights of closing stores behind him, the faint glow of the street lights-

Something about it makes your heart skip a beat.

In this light, with such a smile, he’s…beautiful.

"Yeah. Yeah, you’re right. We got this" he says.

You shake your head, hasten your pace.

"Let’s get going. The sooner we get to working on this thing, the better."

You’ll be damned if you let these thoughts catch up with you.

*****

Y/N, the champion of the ‘YOU CAN’T CATCH ME GAY THOUGHTS’ race :)

-masterlist-

[abalovesfic]

Just wanted to say hi and stuff.

Anyways, first, really excited to see u do the https://www.tumblr.com/tenyearsofbillcipher/755662672538861568?source=share

thing.

And to see u as u said: "come back to ur roots" for a bit.

Do u know when the zine is going to start releasing and stuff?

Also, just wanted to say, I totally understand u being busy busy in another fandom for awhile, fic-writing-wise (well, at least were and/or etc.).

I.e. "Psych".

Even though, I am not too big into the "Psych" fandom (I do actually really like the series, I just don't' interact much with its fandom usually), and I love ur Gravity Falls, GF TAU stuff, that one Reverse Falls fic u did, etc. And patiently wait for more, hopefully someday (well, besides that zine fic, lol).

I totally get having other fandoms and stuff and doing stuff for more than 1 fandom. I myself have and do too. Though I do have stuff I more prefer and favor.

Also, might end up checking ur "Psych" fic someday. Since I do actually love "Psych", ur a great writer, and that "Psych" fic of urs does look interesting (and would have a lot to read to!). So yeah, might check out. Maybe.

Off of that, I love so much of the GF TAU stuff u have reblogged on here.

Liked the ones I haven't already liked, and really want to try to reblog them at some point.

Like that one that has Dipper and Mabel going "Someone will die." "Of traumatic blood loss!". It is just so funny and suits them so well. And is a nice twist on that meme. Also, Dipper and Mabel look great in that picture.

Anyways, I have some other things to say.

Like:

I might send Ask(s) about this:

"WEIRDLY SPECIFIC BUT HELPFUL CHARACTER BUILDING QUESTIONS"

at some point.

And I want to talk about some "The Book of Bill" stuff, but in case, u haven't read/seen that much stuff on it (yet) and/or etc., I want to sav that for another Ask(s), because of that. And also because this Ask is getting long already. So I am gong to end this one here. 1/?.

Hi!!!!!

1. Preorders start today actually!!!!! It’s a really great zine and I’m excited to have been a part of it.

2. I do plan on finishing at least The Helpful Lie, I think I owe the fic that much and I have so much of it mapped out. That being said…

3. Spending time in the Psych fandom has been so rewarding. This was the right time for me to transition into something else. I’m gonna put this vaguely for privacy’s sake— I needed a new fandom if I was going to engage healthily again. And honestly, I think in 7 months Psych has given me more support and community than 12 years in Gravity Falls ever did. (But that’s luck, considering I went to Psych con and met the people who live in my phone.) (And probably also demographics.)

4. Obvi Gravity Falls and TAU are still the loves of my life and rn there’s this beautiful meld of Psych and Gravity Falls coexisting in my brain. Book of Bill was great and it reinvigorated something in me. So yes, I’ll come back eventually and write more but for now, I’m invested in my little queer detectives

[elvisabutler]

how many kids do professor presley and belle have? (I imagine 2 or 3) omg the part that really got to me is when he’s being absent and she’s worried sick! can we headcanon where maybe its months later and he gets sick again and doesn’t show up and she leaves right away and stays w him for two to three days despite him urging her to go to class? and when she’s pregnant he takes vitamins/eats better/goes on walks all bc he doesn’t want to add any stress on her by getting sick himself? i imagine by the time she graduates she’s already 3-4 months but it isn’t noticeable but they know. And he always assures her he isn’t going anywhere any time soon bc he has to be around to help her take care of their young ones

my main thought has always been four at least so you're not far off my dear sweet anon. and listen, that was always my way of trying to lean into the big daddy era elvis i set for the two of them. because he wasn't going to ever have a drug problem- in that he sort of nipped the one he developed in the army driving the tanks in the bud when he got back and found- well- that bit's a long story but suffice it to say so i don't detract from the point of this ask, i really just wanted something that had the effect of scaring belle and bringing them closer together. mildly unleashing her helpful nature that most people never really- bothered to relish in/get to really know about.

but we most certainly can headcanon that since she definitely would do exactly that. because she'd be in bed with him when he realized it was going to be a rough day, a bad day that would mean staying home and he'd try to kick her out of the bed to go to class only to have her tell him that she would be doing no such thing and honestly babying him and just trying to nurse him back to health/help him with whatever he'd need. finally manages to kick her out on that third day when he's like "goddamn belle, already feelin' loads better just go to class, ain't gonna die if ya leave me be for a few hours." and she of course smacks him in the chest for even the implication before you know- actually going to class. comes home to find him cooking a little tiredly but that's when she knows okay he's on the mend, he's fine.

and yes you're right about him taking better care of himself when she finds out she's pregnant. though he does start once she moves in since she's having none of this "him still living like a bachelor" bullshit let alone smoking as many cigars as he does/being as sedentary as he is. she gets why he has been but it's nothing she can't cure with a bunch of bullying all the pre med majors she knows. because even before she gets pregnant she just want him to be healthy for her. especially since he says and i quote. "belle, i might- i don't know if i can give ya kids." which makes the accidental pregnancy right before she graduates hilarious in hindsight.

as far as her first pregnancy goes since it's twins she shows pretty early despite not necessarily being on the thin side. so people know when she graduates and i'm saving the bulk of this for a headcanon post i got from another anon asking for more headcanons but she's going to eventually be teaching so she's immediately gonna be heading right back in to get some requirements sorted out so that she can take over an empty spot in the department. because nepotism or not elvis makes a case for her as do multiple other professors- not the ones she slept with mind you- that she'd do well as one.

basically anon i love you for this ask and you already basically get what i had planned out to be perfectly honest. i'm also truly and deeply delighted that him missing classes his as good as it did.

[redwayfarers]

A long, long line

Fandom: Infamous IF Ship: Swan/Orion Characters: Swan Ellis (OC), Orion Quinn Rating: Gen Words: 684 Summary: Swan wants their morning coffee so very badly. If they could trade their feelings for their manager for it, they would. Nero’s note: Felt like this fic needed to be let out of my google doc drafts. Swan has eaten enough of my braincells for it. Please enjoy my breach into a new fandom!

Someone’s car honks in front, another honks in the back. It’s 8am on a Sunday, there shouldn’t be so much honking, in front of Starbucks, of all places. Childishly, Swan considers adding in a sorrowful little honk of their own - if cars can be sorrowful, which they highly doubt. They’re not using their voice before they’ve had their morning coffee. 

There was no coffee at home, they reason. There was no coffee at their place so now they have to buy the Starbucks one. Why wasn’t there any coffee? Well, they forgot to buy it yesterday. Their phone sits with its screen darkened on their lap. By their calculations, they have about 45 seconds to figure out a logical excuse as to why they’re late for rehearsal. Orion’s gonna be on my ass about this, Swan bemoans internally as they tap their nails against the wheel. The line isn’t moving. Their head is screaming for caffeine. The phone screen is dark and nasty and evil and filled with Orion’s quiet frowns that cut into their very soul.

On the 43rd second mark, it comes to life. Orion’s name clouds the photo of the band, tightly wrapped in a group hug. Their manager’s name sits directly over Swan’s head and they can’t help an aborted, miserable snort. Where are you?, the message reads. We’re waiting for you.

Swan sighs and opens the message. The line’s long, they reply to the background vocals of an annoyed shriek of yet another honk. It’s fucking Sunday. I’m decaffeinated.

Don’t you have coffee at home? Swan can hear the disapproval. It makes them tap their nails of their free hand harder against the wheel.

Forgot to buy it yesterday. 

Irresponsible, if you’re going to have an addiction to it anyway. 

Swan frowns and adjusts their glasses. Vocal parts will have to come later today unless Devyn wants to start before I’m there. I refuse to sing without caffeine in my system. Then, finally, the line moves! They almost drop their phone as they move a few inches closer to ambrosia. Now, it’s only 4 cars ahead of them. They can almost feel the smell of it in the car. 

Be as quick as you can. And do remember to buy coffee next time. I don’t think you guys are making instrumental music. Swan’s joy deflates like a puffed balloon. They hate it when Orion scolds them like a child. All the more since the unfortunate discovery of a little crush on him a few months ago, which has already ended up in several songs they don’t want to show anyone yet. 

Whoever said that having a crush was fun and games lied. Orion would never consider them as anything other than a client, maybe a friend. It’s stupid and there’s no end goal in feeding their hopes of ever getting past that. But there are songs and singing about Orion is miles away from writing breakup songs.

There are three more cars ahead now. Swan has tied and retied their hair into at least seven different types of buns as the lady ordering hashes out her wishes to a barista. They feel like kicking their feet against their seat, but they’ll have to clean it up later. Dad’s always liked a clean car, after all. 

Two more. They reread Orion’s message and bang their forehead against the wheel. It echoes in their mind like a spank. Humiliating, or would be if Swan hadn’t been a dumbass who forgot to buy coffee yesterday. Disappointing Orion feels like the worst possible punishment, perfectly adjusted to the crime committed. 

One more. It’s almost within their grasp. A bald guy’s arguing about his order. Their annoyance is almost as palpable as Soft Violence’s music on the radio. 

When the coffee - delicious, black, bitter, perfect for 8am on a Sunday - is finally in their hands, Swan sighs contentedly. It’s kinda funny how fast it’s gone, considering how long they waited to get it, but they feel revitalized and ready to face Orion's frowns now! 

Mirror in the Creek isn’t an instrumental band after all. 

[cloudlessnightskyline]

pt 1

Okay i'm rereading the webtoon so. thoughts. (if you notice any spelling mistakes please ignore them im on an energy drink and time is weird)

"Several years in the future" (abt the apocalypse). the usage of "several years" makes me think its like. 4-5 years AT MOST. because i dont think we call anything more than 5 several?

"players". sjs says "about 2 years from now" except we have a 1 year timeskip. so that means in sometime around 12 months players are going to start getting chosen?? which is shorter than i thought tbh

"That's how Dawon Guild became one of the top guilds" okay. listen. we know this probably doesn't happen in a day or two, right? it should have taken at least months. and since sjs says he put time into learning all abt weapons, we can further speculate abt the exact time everything started going to shit.

so there was enough time since the guildleader was chosen for him to both raise their guild to the top and let sjs invest in weapon learning? that takes at least sometime from a couple months to maybe a year or two. (there were still people knowledgeable about weapons alive)

so this would put the apocalypse. i am thinking roughly around 2-4 years from current time? the players need time to get acquainted with their skills and have enough time to grow to face the apocalypse.

okay time to theorize more. went back to reread and sjs says the difference in weapon creation is the amount of mana.

Sjs also says he's creating the weapons with little mana? and he's already a D-ranker. what happens when a rank A or B creator gets that knowledge? they can put more mana into the weapons, so they could potentially be stronger than sjs' ones?

yth also makes a comment about the sword. "higher than b rank". why is this a surprise? how do creators work? when a rank B creator standard-generates a sword, is it rank B? Or is it the same as a rank C or D creator's sword??? god i love worldbuilding

Are creators a rarity? surely his old guildmaster could have found another creator? potentially C class, since his whole guild is C class except sjs, so why does he settle on D class sjs? i dont think its abt money since he could probably hire a class C creator and still spend less money than on all the daggers he'll need to keep buying

speaking of which

"do you know how much money we spend on weapons?"

weapons are important in this world!! weapons are very very important so its obvious they'll be expensive. this leads to my question: why are they expensive?

I think it's probably due to a lack of supply.

good weapons are hard to come by and even cheap weapons are expensive. there's so many different classes in rpgs, there's bound to be one that has less people in than others. there are so many we can see in this.

i think, at this point in time, there just hasn't been a way for creators to make indefinite weapons, which means people had to rely on blacksmiths, but there's only so many blacksmiths in the world.

lack of supply + high demand = high prices

obviously this gets solved in the future (either due to players getting weapons from the system or creators just figuring it out due to gaining knowledge)

but this makes me wonder!! why only in the future? surely, somewhere out there, there's gonna be at least one creator who got invested into weapon making, right? this is just swirling around in my brain i had more things to say but it vanished so

yth says "most creators", but he only lists sjs as the exception. "it was as if the limitations didn't apply to him at all". so pretty much this means no creator ever decided they wanted to know more about weapons and i think this is sad.

anyways!!!!

...this is getting too long im making a separate post abt the rest of my thoughts

next part ->

[textbook-machismo]

SAVED BY A SIREN

Chapter 1: Off at Sea

Pairing: Crosshairs/Drift

___________________________________

The sea was calm. Everything was quiet, not even the call of a seagull was heard. It was a peaceful day at sea. A sudden groan interrupted the silence. One of the crewmates was looking over the edge of the ship, staring into the big blue sea with a dull expression. It was a boring day for him, in fact, its been a boring 4 months! There was absolutely nothing to do but talk to the same people and make sure that everything was secure and in good condition.

He let out another groan before taking a step back away from the edge, looking over at his other crewmate, who was sitting on the wooden floor leaning against a barrel eating an orange.

"Oi Hound! What are we even doin' out here for? We've been at see for at least 4 bleedin' months now and Ahm gettin' irritated!"

Hound just sighed while chucking the orange peels away, looking back at Crosshairs.

"I told you this already. There is something very valuable out there and Prime wants us to gather the item before the Cons do, otherwise we will be in deep trouble."

"Yea yea just watch yerself on those rations aight? We got a limited supply and there's no land for miles." Crosshairs said, folding his arms over his chest.

Hound rolled his eyes and went back to eating his piece of fruit in silence. Crosshairs just shook his head before walking over to where the rest of his crewmates were standing.

Bee and Hotrod were currently chatting with the Captain of the AutoShip about where this valuable object might be. All three are close. Bee and Hotrod are brothers and before joining Captain Prime they were just two small orphans stuck on the streets. They were actually one of the first to be part of his Crew and were basically raised by the Captain.

Crosshairs was the second to join. He was just minding his own business one day, fixing up a couple of spears and other supplies for other sailors. That same day Captain Prime arrived for some rope and steel and had also asked if Crosshairs was keen on joining him and his small Crew. At first he wasn't sure since he was more comfortable on working by himself, but once Prime gave him the massive payment he changed his mind and gathered his things.

Hound was the final one to join. They don't really remember why he came along, but he did. Yup. They were a small Crew indeed.

Captain Prime did have a Crew a long time ago, but they did not survive. His first mate, Jazz and his weapons supplier, Ironhide were killed in a battle between the Cons, his close friend Ratchet was murdered in his sleep when they returned home to rest. Captain Prime was devastated, but he had to move on, no matter how painful the memories were.

Crosshairs made his way over to his Captain with a serious look. Prime noticed Crosshairs presence and excused himself before turning into Cross' direction now focused on him.

"Is there something that's bothering you Crosshairs?"

Crosshairs folded his arms again meeting the Captain's tired eyes

"Exactly how long do ya think we are gonna be searchin' for this...whatever the bloody hell it is that yer after?"

"I do not know exactly, but we cannot give up and let this treasure fall into the hands of those who are part of the Decepticon Crew. If it does..we are doomed..lives will be lost..."

Crosshairs sighed and shook his head, resting his weight on one leg

"But we've been stuck here on this bleedin' boat for months! What if we never find it ey? What if this 'treasure' never existed in the first place-"

"Crosshairs enough..! As long as you are part of this crew you will help us. If not, you will end up like Chargewire.." He said, now with a stern look.

Crosshairs grumbled under his breath avoiding the Captain's stare. Chargewire was also one of Captain Prime's old crewmates. She suddenly went missing after Ironhide's death, blaming Prime for her partner's death. He heard stories about her, but he never met her.

"Whatever. Ah'll see ya in the mornin' or whenever.."

Cross fluffed out his coat before opening the hatch, climbing in. Inside the ship everyone had a small spot to claim as their own. He made his way over to his spot in the far corner further away from everyone. He laid down in his hammock letting out a sigh while looking through the small cracked window. It was still noon but Crosshairs already felt tired so he just placed his arms behind his head and closed his eyes, drifting off into slumber.

[darlingpoppet]

Writing Updates!!

For anyone who doesn’t follow me on Twitter (or if my posts haven’t been showing up on your tl recently lol) here’s some updates on what I’ve been up to for the past month or so!

First off, I participated in NaNoWriMo again this year and I won with 50,345 words!

About 14k went to a new pza oneshot WIP that can best be described as a modern AU mashup of the Iliad & the film The Dreamers and whose draft is about one-third of the way through now.

The other 36k went to the Where The Dead Forget manuscript, mostly drafting chapters 6, 7, 8, & 9 (chapter 7 ended up getting split into 7 and 8 in the process so now the whole thing is 22 chapters).

In my notes for chapter 5 on AO3, I said I would be publishing chapter 6 before November and then having chapter 7 done before the end of the year but I ended up letting myself take a break from writing in October so I could do reading & outlining while refilling my creative cups and I think that ended up being the correct choice!

So that just means I’m now gonna be editing and publishing WTDF ch 6 in December, and since the rough drafts for the next three chapters after that are near completion, I’m hoping the time between updates will be shorter for the time being. It actually seems rather efficient for me to write 3-4 chapter chunks at once so if I’m able to also edit & publish several chapters at a faster clip this way I might cycle between “writing months” and “editing months”.

My unpublished manuscript docs are now at 72k and if we add that to the almost 51k of WTDF I’ve already published, that puts it at 122k… rough estimate it’s about 50% complete. Soooo yeah it’s another one of THOSE fics that completely took on a life of its own and became a monstrosity LMAO. Hope no one minds! uwu

I’ll do my best to publish as much as I can in 2024… hopefully it’ll only take me another year to at least finish all the drafting.

Also one more: I’m participating in a Hades fandom gift exchange this year so after WTDF Ch 6 goes up, I’ll be focusing on writing one more Hadesgame fic with a deadline of mid January. I can’t say anything else, such as what it’s about or even which character(s) and/or ship(s) are involved without possibly giving away the game but trust me I was really excited & honored to receive my giftee and I was immediately inspired (I wrote 1k already!) I hope they’ll like it ;3;

So TL;DR:

WTDF Ch 6 sometime in December (the title is Guilt btw)

Gift Exchange Hades fic in January

The Dreamers-inspired modern AU Iliad PZA fic… sometime. Spring might be nice, let’s shoot for spring (also btw the working title is Liminal Spaces)

WTDF chapters 7-9 as soon as they’re edited (working titles are currently Known, Glory, and Champion, although they still might change) TBD 2024!!

[shaampoo]

So im kinda writing another fic (damnit this stuff gonna kill me but its like a drug i cant stop it jlksjk) where Emmet shares a body with Rex but in tlm 1 and it kinda made me wonder what if Rex and Emmet shared a body in Apocalypseburg before tlm 2 happened? cause imagine if everyone knew

let's assume they've been sharing a body in tlm1 and now they're in Apocalypseburg since everyone there is like really obsessed with being tough they like Rex more than Emmet like if they're with Rex they're ok with him but with Emmet? The only reason they arent hostile with him is because they know if they were Rex would knock their light out so imagine if Emmet knew that people felt this way about him and his friends only let Rex go to patrols so he just lets Rex go out and do whatever and he mostly only takes control when he's home or whenever he's with Lucy and his friends cause imagine how much his confidence took a hit from knowing that.

Uh well yall probably already know im gonna write a oneshot about this

Rex went home after a long day out on patrol with the others, he stretched and went inside his apartment, and closed the door

Swishh

Emmet went to the bookshelf and pulled out a book and went to the couch to sit and read, as always Rex noticed that Emmet was sad. Whenever he tried to talk to Emmet about it he just brushed it off, saying that he was just having an off day

Hey, Broski you okay? Rex asked

"Yeah Rex im fine," Emmet said "Probably just having an off day that's all"

Oh please you have an "Off day" everyday Rex said Just tell me, Broski

"Rex is fine," Emmet said

Swishh

Rex threw the book behind him

"No way" Rex said "Listen you've been putting this off for long enough just tell me"

Emmet stayed silent

"I'll make you drink black coffee for a month straight if you don't" Rex said

Fine Emmet said It's just people like you more

"Well you shouldn't care what people think of you" Rex said "Plus you haven't even hung around them recently haven't you noticed that they're actually tolerable?"

Well yeah but thats because you're the one talking to them! Plus you and i both know that they're only nice to me because I share a body with you! They know you'll probably punch them if they're mean

"Listen just dont let them get to you" Rex said "They're a buncha nobodies,"

Its not just them even our friends like you more! Emmet said, ever since they've been sharing a body they've been sharing feeling too, so Rex could feel Emmet's sadness and slight bitterness

"They just need me for patrols," Rex said "Its not like they're gonna ditch you completely" Emmet was silent for a few seconds

Its just im scared that if you weren't with me they would just ditch me Rex's eyebrows flew up

"What are you talking about?" Rex said, "Listen i know they did that to me, but in the next few years they would never ditch you and I'll make sure of that!"

... Emmet was silent It's just if you're in control then maybe they would go and look for us...I mean at least I know they like you. In your timeline, it was just me and they never came, maybe if I or at least you were tough they would come back, right?

"Listen, you made me realize that they would've came for me if they knew" Rex said "So i guess i gotta do the same for you, I'm calling the others because one you guys need group therapy second you need to let them know how you feel" rex got up and went for their phone

Swishh

"No!" Emmet said "Listen Rex I'll tell them when I'm ready"

Broski. Rex said If you put this off its gonna get worse

"Let me at least think about it okay?" Emmet asked "It's late they would be annoyed if i called them this late" Emmet went to bed and could tell Rex was planning something

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

Rex woke up around 4 am, he was a light sleeper unlike Emmet.

"Alright wheres the phone?" Rex said searching the house, for some reason whenever Rex or Emmet was awake the other wasn't awake until later. Finally, Rex found his phone, he debated whether or not he should call the others but decided that if he didn't Emmet would just put this off forever. He went to his friends group chat and made a group meeting, the phones rang and everyone answered

"Ugh Emmet or Rex or both of you what are you doing calling this early?" Lucy said

"Yeah a girl need her beauty sleep" Unikitty said, then yawned

"Yeah you kinda disturbed my stargaz- i mean brooding" Benny said

"Hey guys Rex here sorry bout callin ya this late" Rex said "Actually I'm not, but anyways its about Emmet, he's kinda asleep right now"

"How does that even work?" Benny said

"Dunno" Rex said "And i kinda don't think about it, but back to the topic" Rex proceeded to tell them about the conversation he and Emmet had

"Oh wow" Benny said "He's been feeling this way the entire time?"

"I always kind of thought Emmet was a bit sad lately" Lucy said "But i didn't think it was because of this"

"I know!" Unikitty said "Let's visit Emmet to cheer him up"

"Yeah!" Benny said "It's the least we can do"

Swishh

Emmet almost collapsed when he found that he wasn't in bed, though he had plenty experience to know what to do

"Woah" He said as he hit the floor

Or maybe not

"Uh Rex what were-" he spotted the phone that was on call "Rex...?"

"Hey Emmet" Unikitty said "We're coming to your apartment later kay?"

"Uh sure" Emmet hung up the call before glaring at Rex in the mirror

"What did you tell them?" Emmet asked

Listen you would've just put off the problem forever Rex said I should know because I've been doing that when I was you, in fact, i was in this position before but i didn't have anybody to make the call for me so i just ended up putting it off forever

"..." Well Rex had a point Emmet would've just put it off, after all it would've been a 'weak' and 'pathetic' thing to do...

When did asking for help become something that made him look weak?

There was a knock on the door and Emmet opened it to see all his friends

"Oh" Emmet wasn't ready to come by this fast, he expected that he would have enough time to comprehend what was probably gonna happen "You guys were fast"

"Well yeah we wouldn't miss this" Lucy said giving Emmet a kiss on the cheek

"Now how about we sit down?" Benny said, when they were sat Benny began "Listen, Emmet, Rex told us that you felt a bit...unliked"

"To quote him" Lucy said "He said 'Emmet feels like that without him we would just leave you in a moments notice'"

"I-" Emmet hesitated, did Rex really have to phrase it that way "I wouldn't put it that way"

But its true Rex said you need to be honest with them Emmet Emmet sighed

"It's just you guys seem to like him more" Emmet confessed lacing his hands together, sometimes making his fingers go up and down, like how he always does when he's nervous, "And everyone else like's him more, i..." Emmet paused "Well Rex was me in some point of time, of course you guys know this, and you guys know that in his time it was just me, and well..." Emmet looked away from them "You guys know that you guys from that time just never found him and I'm scared that its because he wasn't 'tough' enough. That you guys didn't like him, that you guys just didn't like me" Emmet tried hard not to cry, it wasn't 'tough' after all, but his hands shook whenever he stopped making his fingers moved

Lucy put her hand on his, she could feel his hands shaking, she looked at him with pity, a look he was used to when he was the one in control, but this time she hugged him

"Oh Emmet..." Lucy said "Im so sorry we made you feel this way"

"Yeah" Unikitty said "I don't know how we can fix it but we'll find a way, we always do" Unnikitty joined the hug, soon everyone was hugging emmet, who hugged them right back

Told ya Rex said

"Shut up Rex we're having a moment" Emmet said, laughing, everyone laughed too, while they didn't hear Rex they knew what Rex probably said.

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

The others already went home after confirming that Emmet was fine. Emmet sat on the couch

"Hey, Rex?"

Yeah?

"Thanks," Emmet said "I really needed that"

Anytime Ems anytime

[wrestlingisfake]

Forbidden Door preview

Kazuchika Okada vs. Bryan Danielson - Danielson issued the challenge for this match on June 4. It's a dream match, and expectations are running high. The entire build for the match is that you know it's gonna be good, so it'd better be.

Danielson has not wrestled since May 28, and that was his first match since March 5. He's reportedly banged up and clearly saving himself for big matchups like this. Conversely, Okada has been working a regular schedule, and after this he's headed into the G1 Climax, where he'll have anywhere between seven and ten grueling matches in a month.

Bryan turned heel a couple of months ago, with the gimmick that he's embarrassed by wrestlers that act like "amateurs" and wants to teach them a lesson in violence. Meanwhile, Okada has been acting more heelish this year, acting like he's too good for the young guys who challenge him, and beating the fuck out of them when they piss him off. So I'm figuring Danielson, 42, will treat Okada, 35, the way Okada treats Kaito Kiyomiya and Ren Narita, and Okada will flip out and go apeshit on Bryan's ass. That should be a good time.

Okada almost has to win. Even when he isn't the world champion or factored into the main event of the next Tokyo Dome show, protecting Okada is always paramount for New Japan Pro Wrestling. Danielson, on the other hand, has already settled into an aging legend role that can be pushed as a top guy but mostly gets used to put over younger top guys. I guess there's a small chance of Danielson winning, but it'd be a huge story, and everyone would be scrambling to figure out when they'll do a rematch.

Kenny Omega vs. Will Ospreay - Omega won the IWGP United States title from Ospreay on January 4 in the Tokyo Dome. On June 4, Ospreay won a tournament to earn this rematch.

The last Omega-Ospreay match was easily a match of the year contender, with Will bleeding all over the place and desperately trying to hang with one of the best of all time. Ospreay has been leaning into that, saying that match "broke" him but he's coming back for more. Omega is from Winnipeg, so Ospreay has made a big deal of beating Omega in his home country, and heeling on Canadians. It's kind of basic, but it'll probably work.

The x-factor in this match is Don Callis, who cornered Kenny in the first match but turned on him on May 10. Callis is clearly planning to assemble a new faction to square off with Omega and the Elite. I don't sense that Ospreay will be a part of such a faction, but Don is clearly trying to get his hooks in. Even if Will wants nothing to do with Callis, you can bet Don will stick his nose in this match just to screw over Kenny.

I think Ospreay has to get the belt back. The simplest way to book this is to have Callis cost Omega the win, so that Will gets his revenge and Omega is more interested in chasing Don than getting a rubber match.

MJF vs. Hiroshi Tanahashi - MJF is defending the AEW men's world title. One of the many facest of MJF's gimmick is that he acts like he's too good for New Japan, and he has no idea who those guys are and he thinks they're overrated by the internet. So the money is in convincing us that Tana will kills this little pecker as soon as he gets his hands on him. Except MJF will pull a cheap shot or something and Tana will end up selling the whole match to build sympathy.

MJF has to retain. I just can't picture his title reign ending here, against someone from another promotion. And anyway, Tanahashi is already scheduled for the G1 Climax, so that would mean AEW has to go a month without any appearances by its top champion. The only question is whether the finish involves a nutshot, a foreign object, or a basic headlock takeover.

SANADA vs. Jack Perry - Sanada issued an open challenge for the IWGP world title, and Perry answered. I was hoping Sanada would get a more impressive challenger from the AEW locker room, but at least it advances the story that Perry is fixated on winning his first singles title. Jack asked HOOK to be in his corner for this match, so I assume that'll play into things somehow.

The intrigue around Perry right now is that he almost tried to win the main event of the May 28 main event with a belt shot. So everyone figures he's this close to a heel turn. I don't think we'll see it during this match. But a loss to Sanada would go a long way to increasing his frustration.

CM Punk vs. Satoshi Kojima - This is a first round match in the Owen Hart Cup men's tournament. It's also Punk's first singles match since September 4, when he won the AEW men's world title, tore his triceps, and got into a backstage fight with the Elite. By the time Punk healed up from surgery and negotiated a return to the ring, most of the better opponents from New Japan were booked, so Punk ended up with 52-year-old Kojima, who is basically a jobber to the stars at this point.

These two have 16 world titles between them, so I'm sure they can have a good to great match. But the outcome is in little doubt--Punk is stil riding high off his return, and Kojima is so far off NJPW's radar that he's been primarily on loan to All Japan Pro Wrestling. Punk is the heavy favorite here, and probably throughout the Owen tournament.

Sting & Darby Allin & Tetsuya Naito vs. Chris Jericho & Sammy Guevara & Minoru Suzuki - Sting and Allin have been encouraging Guevara to re-evaluate his relationship with Jericho. Suzuki has teamed with Jericho before, for whatever reason, so that's why he's here. Last year Sting and Allin teamed up with Shingo Takagi from Los Ingobernables de Japon, so now their partner is the faction's leader, Naito.

The big story in this match is the first in-ring action between Jericho and Sting. The problem with that is it makes Suzuki and Naito feel secondary to the match, which is counterproductive on an AEW/NJPW supercard. It should be at least as big a deal that Sting is across the ring from Suzuki, and teaming with Naito.

The Sting/Allin team has never lost a match, and I don't expect that to change here.

Orange Cassidy vs. Zack Sabre Jr. vs. Katsuyori Shibata vs. Daniel Garcia - This is a four-way for Cassidy's AEW international title, so whoever scores the first fall on any opponent will win the match and the belt. Sabre is the NJPW World television champion, and Shibata is the ROH pure champion; their titles are not at stake here.

This whole thing started because Sabre wanted a title shot against Cassidy, but Garcia has been trying to challenge both Cassidy and Shibata. So Cassidy proposed an Orange/Shibata vs. Sabre/Garcia tag match, which led to Garcia pinning Shibata when Cassidy accidentally punched out Shibata. So now Shibata is kind of pissed at Orange too, and everybody wants a piece of him.

The storyline for Cassidy is that he's been defending the international title at a grueling pace, and he's never given his right hand time to heal. Sooner or later that's going to cost him the title, although I'm not convinced that will happen tonight. My pick is for Cassidy to pin Garcia to retain.

Toni Storm vs. Willow Nightingale - Storm's AEW women's world title is at stake; Willow's NJPW STRONG women's title is not. New Japan is just barely starting to establish a women's division so even though both of these ladies are primarily based in AEW, this is as close to an AEW/NJPW women's match as we're going to get. Toni is 2-0 against Willow in singles matches, and in their last tag team encounter Willow's partner pinned Storm's partner. So I'm not exactly sure how Willow got this title shot, but okay.

The direction all year has been for Britt Baker and Jamie Hayter to feud with Storm, Ruby Soho, and Saraya, with other women like Willow kind of vaguely orbiting the main storyline. So unless there's been a big pivot in the booking, I don't see Willow capturing the AEW title before Baker or Hayter get to it. Then again, Willow is catching fire with the live crowds, so maybe they decised to hot-shot her to the top. There's only one way to find out, but try not to be too disappointed if Willow loses.

Jon Moxley & Claudio Castagnoli & Wheeler Yuta & Konosuke Takeshita & Shota Umino vs. Adam Page & Matt Jackson & Nick Jackson & Eddie Kingston & Tomohiro Ishii - Mox, Claudio, and Yuta represent the Blackpool Combat Club; Page and the Young Bucks (Matt and Nick) represent the Elite. The two groups have been feuding for months. Since Kenny Omega and Bryan Danielson are busy in other matches, they're bringing in reinforcements.

Takeshita had been an ally to the Elite until he turned on them to align with Don Callis on May 28. Umino has been Moxley's young sidekick in New Japan, and on June 4 he brought in Moxley and Claudio in a bid to take the NEVER trios titles from Okada, Tanahashi, and Ishii. Kingston doesn't really like anybody on his team, but he loathes Castagnoli and will happily fight his old buddy Moxley to get to him.

Technically, standard tag rules apply and only two men can be in the ring at any time, while the other eight have to stand in the corners. But I expect this one to break down into a wild brawl real quickly. There's way too much going on for anyone to meaningfully enforce the rules. Either team could win, but if I gotta pick I'll go with Moxley's team to build heat to whatever blowoff match they're planning.

Adam Cole vs. Tom Lawlor - AEW recently announced MJF and Adam Cole have to be tag partners in an upcoming tournament, and after Cole badgered MJF into accepting the title match with Tanahashi, MJF returned the "favor" by requesting this match for Cole. Lawlor's affiliation with New Japan is mainly through their US-based STRONG brand, so you'd have to be a pretty hardcore NJPW fan to even know he's there. I'm sure Lawlor can project the image of a legit MMA fighter who doesn't sweat a scrawny flippy-superkicky guy like Cole. But he's nowhere near Cole on the pecking order, so Adam has to win this one.

Athena vs. Billie Starkz - This set for the pre-show, and it's a first round match in the Owen Hart Cup women's tournament. Athena is the ROH women's world champion, but the belt is not at stake here. As far as I know Starkz is not under AEW contract but this is still largely an AEW vs. AEW match. I figure Athena will get knocked out of the tournament by someone who will be her next challenger, but I'm not thinking Starkz is the one who will get that spot. Athena wins.

Kyle Fletcher & Jeff Cobb & TJP vs. Shingo Takashi & Hiromu Takahashi & BUSHI - Another pre-show match. All of these guys are New Japan regulars; in fact I wouldn't be shocked if this exact match has already happened on a New Japan show. The only hint of an AEW connection is that Fletcher recently signed with AEW and works for both promotions. I assume the main idea here is to get Hiromu on the show after he was forced to miss last year's. I hope his team wins.

Stu Grayson vs. El Phantasmo - Yet another pre-show match. Well, at least it's AEW vs. NJPW, though I can't say this is a matchup I was hoping for. I guess both guys are Canadian so they wanted to give them both spots on the card. ELP's storyline is that he got kicked out of Bullet Club and doesn't have any friends right now. Grayson's storyline in ROH is that he defected from the Dark Order to the Righteous, but I'm not sure what that really means. Phantasmo should probably win.

Swerve Strickland & Bishop Kaun & Toa Liona vs. Rocky Romero & Trent Beretta & El Desperado - More pre-show action. Romero and Despy are the only New Japan guys in this match, and Romero appears in AEW semi-regularly, so it feels like he shouldn't count. Swerve and his Mogul Embassy faction seem to be going nowhere fast, but they ought to be able to at least win this match.