#just the fact they're in their bubble and with their love language and don't want to let go but now they'll have to??? :((((

[fcdcdmcmories]

"I'M SO SORRY. WHATEVER HE DID, I.. I SHOULD HAVE FOUGHT HARDER. TO STAY WITH YOU. TO GO HOME TO YOU. I DON'T KNOW MUCH, BUT.. I DO KNOW THAT I NEVER WANTED YOU TO BE HURT BECAUSE OF ME." shaking his head and there was absolutely no point in not letting the tears fall anymore. they were just going to anyways and.. he meant it. how was it possible that they were losing each other yet again? his first smile? maybe. "yeah, yeah. i'm an idiot who loves you more than anything in the world and who knows that's an absolute lie. you're not selfish and nor do you deserve any of this. we fight for each other. that's what we do. WE'RE NOT STOPPING RIGHT NOW, ARE WE?" shaking his head, but.. had he ever been able to deny her anything before? the answer was no, but still.. "i.. i don't know how to be without you. i don't. not when i'm pretty sure that's the life we were supposed to have. together. SOMEWHERE FAR AWAY FROM HERE. HOW CAN I DO THAT ALONE? HOW CAN I BE OKAY WITH NEVER SEEING YOU AGAIN?" he wasn't and if he had been a mess before with the thought of never seeing her again? now, he was crying freely as he held on tight to her hands. "see? how can you say you're selfish, when you're putting everyone before you again? THAT'S NOT SELFISH. THAT'S NOT WHAT A BAD PERSON DOES. THAT'S WHAT A GOOD AND REMARKABLE PERSON DOES." he bowed his head, looking down at their hands. he couldn't meet her eyes. how could he ever even be okay without her? that seemed truly and completely impossible. "i'll love no one else. i can't. you're.. you're it for me and this place is crazy and.. if there's a chance that i'll see you again one day? THAT'S WHAT I WANT TO HOLD ON TO. I REFUSE TO BELIEVE THAT THIS IS WHERE OUR STORY ENDS. IT CAN'T BE." he found himself chuckling sadly at her joke, before shaking his head. "i'm pretty sure i locked the door when you got inside. he won't be getting in here anytime soon and.. i'd never let that happen." he didn't want to let go of her. his hands were still shaking at the thought.. "i'll try. i promise. just.. god, i love you. i love you so much." would he succeed? not very likely, because when he pictured what the world would look like when she walked out of that door? he couldn't come up with anything. it was blank. it was why he put everything that he had into that kiss, knowing he'd never let go if he didn't have to. how could he? this was the most that he had felt like himself since this had started. he pulled her closer to his chest with his good arm and deepened the kiss, forgetting all about the cameras and the rest and just focusing on the fact she was still right here. it felt like she was going to slip through his fingers, but for now? she was still here. you're the love of my life. even not remembering, i still fell in love with you all over again. i'll never love anyone the way that i love you. ever. nor am i giving up hope that we'll see each other again. how can this be the end of our story?

@xtinyslip

"IN MY FATHER'S EYES I'M A WALKING DISASTER AND I'M NOT EVEN SURE HOW WRONG HE IS ABOUT THAT ANYMORE. IT'S BEEN A FUCKING MESS SINCE…" she wasn't going to say since i thought you were gone. this wasn't anything he should feel guilty about because it wasn't his fault and yet she knew him well enough to know that he might. that he might blame himself. even when the only person to blame was herself. when he placed the lock of hair behind her ear, she sucked in a breath. her head tilting slightly as all she could do right now was stare back at him, perhaps trying to create a secret bubble with him even now. she linked their fingers together properly when he gave her hand a squeeze, knowing that now she'd started to let him in properly. it was going to be even harder to walk away but she had too. "YES, WELL YOU'RE AN IDIOT." her tone was soft, clearly, she didn't mean it as an insult, trying to flash a small smile at him. knowing it was going to be held up on her expression with pure sadness. "we have both been through hell just to be together and i should never have let you. not for me, i was selfish. i deserved whatever he did to me but you? you're a good man." cecilia was used to crying at this point, she cried when she was awake, she cried when she was asleep. "hm, glad you asked because i'm going to tell you." gently running her fingers through his hair. "you're going to let my grandfather treat your wounds. he's a good man, no longer naive to my father's behavior. when you are good to go?" placing a hand on his shoulder. "you're going to go settle somewhere away from here. hm? play your guitar, smile and be good. hm? and then he doesn't win. not really." she just didn't want him to ever be dragged back into this nonsense with her father, the thought that he could leave, find some version of peace? that was everything. "it may not feel like it but we are completely surrounded. this is not a matter of fighting or giving up. i'm… i'm not just fighting for myself anymore. hm?" there wasn't anything she could do to offer comfort in this situation and she knew that. she did, but? she swallowed back the lump in her throat, knowing she hadn't been okay for a single moment of losing him. how could she expect him to be okay now the roles were reversed? well, he was just going to have to be. "you are going to be okay. it's what i want, hm? for you to be okay." it was more important than he knew. "well, i assume the moment my father hears of how we're behaving in here. he's going to throw a fit and remove me by my hair so as far as letting go is concerned? that will be done for you." trying to make a joke out of something so fucking awful? well, yeah, what else could she do? sob with him? well, she was practically already doing that. "you're my life too which is why i need you to do what i asked. yes?" run, leave, try and fight to have even the tiniest bit of peace in his life ; that's what she wanted him to do. cecilia was letting herself get far too lost in this kiss but there was so much she needed to say, so much she was telling him through this kiss that… she never wanted to break from it. in fact, deep down she already knew this was going to be the last chance she had to be this connected with him, therefore, despite knowing how much worse she was going to make it for herslef when it came to her father. cecilia moved closer to him on the bed, breaking any distance there was between them as she attempted to deepen the kiss further. i love you. even if i wanted to let you go, i was never able too. you were it for me. you achieved the impossible when you made me fall in love with you. you are one of the bravest people i know. you can do this. @fcdcdmcmories

[banamine-bananime]

Growing up I lived in an area with a lot of cattle farming and I was very scared of the cows. Do you have any cool facts that will make me either more or less afraid of cows?

oh hmm let me think on that!

facts related to how to interact with cows so all parties feel and stay safe:

they have a very prey herd animal mentality. they want to move with their herdmates. they want to watch any potential threats like people and move away from them. they don't like loud or unfamiliar noises (they're sensitive souls. sometimes if i visit a dairy wearing waterproof coveralls where the cows are only used to people wearing cotton coveralls, just the whisper of waterproof pants rubbing against each other can spook them) or abrupt movements or going into areas they can't see well (and they have difficulty with depth perception due to their wide-set eyes for 300 degree vision, and with high-contrast, so going from sun into shade or vice versa can look like stepping into a white or black void for them and they don't like it)

based on this, we know the keys to low-stress cattle handling are consistency in how you interact with them, calmness (small movements, quiet words to let them know you're there), moving cows in groups big enough to have friends but small enough you can control the whole group without them milling around or the ones in front stopping and causing a traffic jam, and slowly moving them by just barely getting in their "bubble" of "whoa, you're a little too close for comfort, i'm going to move in the other direction" without ever getting into their "YIKES RUN AWAY FROM THIS THING" bubble

the last point involves understanding pressure and flight zones and point of balance:

from Mississippi State University Extension:

from grandin.com (highly recommend as a source of information about animal behaviour and welfare!!! temple grandin my idol since i was like nine i love her so. and i tear up when i think about how much she's done for millions of animals ;_; she's a genius and no lie revolutionized low-stress handling):

pet cows that get doted on enough to bond with people may not see people as a threat so the normal ways we use pressure zones to iinteract with cows don't necessarily do anything for them. you would lead them more like a horse, using a halter. or lure them with treats.

beef cows typically have little contact with people, often just processing (vaccines, preg checks, quick exam for any health problems) a couple times a year, so they can be very wild. doesn't mean they're aggressive, the overwhelming majority are non-aggressive but they have very large flight zones, so if you don't recognize that and approach too quickly, getting deep in their flight zone, that can get you into a dangerous situation where they get aggressive as a last resort. that said, they do usually still choose flight unless their calf is with them. "never get between mom and baby" applies as it does with any species

dairy cows are in between beef cows and pet cows. they interact with people regularly, several times per day, and it's respectful but not doting. kind of a business relationship with their handlers. they're not terrified of people by any means, but they haven't been, like, hand-fed treats to get over their instinctive wariness of potential-predator-like animals, and they know sometimes handling results in unpleasant experiences like medical treatment or pregnancy checks, so they avoid touch and have a flight zone, though it's small (and sometimes they'll calmly let you walk right up to them unrestrained, or approach you and lick you out of curiosity). very very rare to have an aggressive dairy cow (as in, one that attacks you instead of moving away when you're bothering them a little. really bothering them and ignoring body language when they can't move away is much more likely to get you kicked)

bulls are not docile. not every bull will be aggressive, but you should assume that every bull has the capacity to become aggressive with little provocation, and always keep a respectful distance and know your escape route if you have to be in a pen or field with them

cows love exploring with their tongues. any time you're in a dairy barn there's gonna be at least one friendly girl mlem mlem mlemming who won't leave you alone

adding on to the above, there is a slight caveat that you still have to be a LITTLE wary of friendly cows. 99% of the time they're just friendly but sometimes cows in heat will try to mount people. you don't have to be scared of friendly cows but if they're right next to you just keep them in your line of sight so you can move away if they make like they're going to mount. again, not common, never happened to me, but something to be aware of

signs of a happy, relaxed cow: lying down, chewing cud or eating, tail hanging down relaxed, moving slowly with her herd

signs of a slightly wary cow (you have entered the "pressure zone"): standing still/stopping what she's doing, turning towards you, ears turning towards you (watching the ears is a very good way of knowing what she's paying attention to), tail swishing or raised a bit away from body

signs of a distressed cow: vocalizing (they also moo for other reasons though), tail swishing, fidgeting/pawing/looking like she wants to move but doesn't know where to, freezing up and intermittently making erratic movements (back away a little)

signs of an aggressive cow: head down with attention on you, pawing ground, turning to show you their broad side. (turn sideways and calmly but swiftly walk away diagonally)

[violetasteracademic]

Hello!! I absolutely adore your posts and how well you've researched and thought everything out. I am curious what you think about Mor being Azriel's mate. I go back and forth on the question - it's a lot to tackle with Mor's sexuality and how mates are chosen etc. I feel like there's some language that could indicate they're mates, but I know it's not a popular theory in the Elriel bubble and ACOTAR fandom as a whole. It would also solve the question of "what would Azriel do if him and Elain aren't mates, but he found his mate later on?" Just curious if you have any thoughts on the matter. :)

Hello my love! First of all, I want to genuinely thank you for your kind words. I have quite a few days in this fandom where I wonder if I fit in here, but my deep enjoyment for writing theory posts and fanfics keeps me going! You caught me on a day I was sort of in my feels about it, so it was really lovely to see a kind word attached to the ask!

I am 100% a Morrigan and Azriel are Cauldron breeding mates just like L/ucien and Elain truther, and I have soooo much to get into about it and am bringing my usual receipts. I'm pretty convinced that even if she ultimately opts not to go that direction, she for sure was thinking heavily about it.

This post is EXCEPTIONALLY long (as usual) because I think Morrigan is a character that receives unjust hate in every microcosm of the fandom and some things need to be noted, and I hope you all will give it a chance even if you dislike Mor or hate this theory!

It is important to remember that every character is in fact *not* a real person, but the author. And sometimes character flaws are not intentionally curated for arcs and development, but they are author flaws. I believe this is partly the case with Morrigan. I don't spend a lot of time critiquing SJM. This is not because she is above reproach, it's simply because there are plenty of people out there doing it and there are valid spaces for that. That being said, I cannot address the Morrigan situation without addressing the very real issue of SJM and her blind spots when it comes to representation. This is something that SJM and Bloomsbury have addressed and made necessary steps to improve:

Time article published January 30th 2024, found here.

SJM has fallen into a lot of bad tropes and stereotypes when it comes to her BIPOC and LGBTQ representation, to the point where she has hired sensitivity readers to ensure she does not continue to so do. This is a great thing, and personally I think sensitivity readers should be the bare minimum and the absolute norm and not solely employed in response to criticism. Alas, it is a new addition and her past mistakes live on.

Sexuality is a spectrum, and while some people might identify with the way SJM has represented it, she had a pattern that she did not break until recently: Tokenizing sexual representation as bi characters interested in having sex with all genders and orientations without experiencing emotional attraction outside of their preferred gender.

*TOG spoiler* The Aedion bi reveal in the second to last book served literally no purpose other than- look! More representation! He had no romantic or emotionally intimate experiences with men throughout the series, but very suddenly and randomly reveals he has sex with men. It is mentioned once, then never again, because he is pursuing a heterosexual relationship. That is a valid experience with sexuality but in the context of ToG it was a brow-raising and unearned attempt to throw in an extra queer character because she was being criticized. That's a hey you tried but maybe do better next time.

But then it happened again with Helion- freely having sex and experiencing physical attraction with both men and women but only suggestions of having fallen in love with a woman, and will likely only persue a hetero relationship.

Then it happened again with Morrigan (with a slightly flipped script), who only experiences love and romance with women but freely has sex with men. Now we see a *pattern* and at this point its like, mmkay, skill issue. Even if it does feel authentic and representative to *some* readers, it is also a reflection of the authors limitations exploring emotional intimacy with her bi characters and just treating them as wanting/willing to have sex with anyone while only like liking just boys or just girls.

I bring all of this up because I am going to bring in my usual methods of comparisons, themes, development, ect- but I am typically talking about things SJM did exceptionally well. When it comes to Morrigan, I don't necessarily think she has done things all that well. But the threads are still there, and my love for Morrigan and experience with her themes live beyond an irritating skill issue on the authors part. Lets get into it.

I've made quite a few posts about the usage of the mating bond as a plot device and the development of theme. The best one to catch up on if you'd like is probably this one here.

The biggest indicators to me that Morrigan is Azriel's corrupted Cauldron (aka breeding) mate are twofold: parallel behavior between Mor and Lucien as well as the development of Morrigan's theme of her value being tied to her breeding in ACOWAR alongside the introduction of the mating bond being nothing less than a tool for powerful breeding, also for the first time in ACOWAR.

With the confirmation that the Asteri corrupted the Cauldron, along with the conversation regarding the Asteri forcing mated pairs outside of sexual orientations and not caring (*HOSAB), SJM doubled down on all of this. The Asteri need powerful offspring. They will force queer women to mate with men to do it.

Spoiler alert: Celestina does *not* prefer males. And the Asteri do not care.

CC also, in my opinion, cemented the two-bond theory. The Mother Bond (also known as Urd or Wyrd) the true soul-mated pairs, and Breeding Bond- created at the behest of the Asteri.

With breeding bonds, you can experience a sense of ownership and possessiveness over someone you are not even remotely romantically interested in:

Both Mor and L/ucien go stiff during representations of their *alleged mates interacting romantically with someone else even when there is no attraction or emotional intimacy. For L/ucien, he doesn't even know Elain. He doesn't automatically assume they will even be together, because he wants to know more about her personality and decide if they are a good fit. Honestly? Super healthy and valid.

Morrigan is having her moment during ACOFAS. She is very much out as queer (again, with some confusion of whether or not she is bi due to a skill issue on the author's end, but 100% confirmed to not be romantically interested in men) so why is she going tense at the sight of Azriel acting like a BDE husband to Elain? The unjustified and unsympathetic take (imo) is that she is being weird and jealous and wants Azriel's attention even though she doesn't want him. This makes no sense. She has actually only ever acted positively towards Elain, and before this dinner mused on Azriel giving Elain truth-teller without a shred of jealousy. But then to see them together, even though she does not want Azriel and only wishes for his happiness, she tenses, then recovers quickly. To me, both of these moments indicate a jerk reaction to the breeding bond at work.

There is also this idea of feel a pull to explore their *alleged mate just once:

L/ucien actually has already seen Elain, and although he had some immediate instinctive reactions, it didn't leave him immediately feeling like this was the woman he was supposed to be with. Alternatively, Morrigan deeply loves Azriel, just not in that way. She loves him so much that sometimes she wonders if she should try, just once, just to know for sure, even though she is not capable of falling in love with men. Both of these scenes are from ACOWAR, and tie into the way mating bonds are finally described, and how most mates feel like they should try:

Even though neither Mor or L/ucien experience romantic feelings for their mates, they feel a pull to try. They think about giving things a chance just to be sure. This is not something any of our other mates have experienced.

This passage also leads me to another important note- which is the severity of mating bond rejections. Again, all of this is in ACOWAR and thematically connects. Both Elain and Mor have very good reason to be afraid of a mating bond rejection. It can drive a male mad and make them go violently insane. We can criticize both women all day long about how they should just reject their mates and have the conversation so everyone can move on, but when this is what is on the table for them? A man possibly killing because of the power of the mating bond? That is no joke.

The only reason Morrigan slept with Helion is because she was sick and terrified over Azriel handing Eris his ass because he called her a slut. Mor has already seen Azriel act in an uncontrolled and violent manner that could not easily be stopped on her behalf. If she is afraid of what a mating bond rejection will do to Azriel, the depth and complexity of her decision, and her behavior to try to distance and avoid the conversation is a lot more sympathetic. I also believe that Morrigan, Azriel, and Elain will be doing some work together in Vallahan, and the issue of the Cauldron being wrong for both Azriel and Elain will resolve during that storyline. You can read more about that here.

And then of course, there is this:

Rhys only brings up Mor when Azriel brings up the Cauldron. That feels extremely intentional to me. I think Rhys either knows or assumes that Azriel and Mor have a mating bond. I think both Az and Mor know (I also think Azriel absolutely knows Mor is queer, and their weirdness and his constant confusion and staring at her has more to do with that than being in love with her, because he doesn't understand why she is sleeping with men at all.) Crack theory, but I think Eris knows. What happened between Mor and Eris isn't a secret, it was all revealed in ACOFAS. But I think somehow, for some reason, Eris is also aware of the mating bond between Az and Mor, which is why Morrigan gets so pissed when Eris needles her about not telling the whole truth. She isn't trying to hide what Eris did to make herself look better (he didn't do much, really, still left her to die even though he did her a solid by not accepting her as his wife) but he also knew that a Blood Duel could be called by Az over her.

Here's the thing: ACOWAR states that some courts allow men to kill each other over their mate choosing or having other partners. The bonus chapter clarifies that violence as the Blood Duel. I do not believe the Blood Duel can be called over anyone over any situation- it is specific to mates. I could be wrong, but it seems strange that Rhys would talk about outlawed violent practices that is not allowed in his court but is in others, and then we would see the Blood Duel brought up as the Autumn Court tradition, and not see them as one in the same:

Ultimately, all of these characters are grappling with their choices being affected by deeply held cultural beliefs about the mating bond.

If Azriel and Mor are breeding mates, she is struggling with genuine love for him but being unable to love him romantically. She thematically is dealing with hiding her sexuality because there is no greater dishonor to the culture of her family than a woman not being used for sale and breeding. If Azriel and Mor are mates, so much of her behavior and her themes and experiences make so much more sense. Rhysand's response to Azriel thinking the Cauldron was wrong when he has a mate in the Inner Circle whom he already loves makes more sense. Azriel knowing Mor is queer and not understanding why she sleeps with men but also not pushing her to have a conversation about their bond makes more sense.

Everything makes more sense if Az and Mor are mates.

If they are not, well, skill issue, I guess.

Either way, I truly hope Mor gets her HEA and SJM's employed sensitivity writers will help her do it justice.

How did we do? Did anyone stick with me on this one? Have I won you over? I can't wait to see what happens, however it pans out! And I'm grateful for the addition of sensitivity readers to Sarah's work. I hope she does her best to represent as well as she can!

[ukranianacearo]

You asked for Kid requests? Oh hoh hoh, well I've /got/ Kid requests.

Okay, so an idea I have is Kid being with a girl who's kinda like the tichular character from Komi Can't Communicate. They come off as cool and collected, mysterious even. But they're actually just a socially anxious weeb/nerd who doesn't know how to people. She's always the kid in the back of class everyone is too afraid to talk to because she's either thought of as scary or too cool to talk to. And of course, since no one is too cool for Kid, he'd talk to her, finds out she's a loveable dorkfish like him, and the rest is history.

Any pronouns are okay but she/her or they/them is preferred!

-𓆣

The two of us could reach the stars

Komi-san!Fem!Reader

Tw: social anxiety maybe?

Pairing: Death, the kid x fem!Reader

Synopsis: Since Kid's first day at the Academy, he heard a lot of whispers and rumors about a certain classmate that always sits at the back of the class.

Genre: I guess fluff or something like that

Author's note: YAYAYAYAY anon𓆣 I love you sm, you're my savior. Also, I never watched Komi-sama can't communicate so the fact that you explained her character more in depth helps me a lot😭 Thank you sm for the request, I hope you like this and there may be mistakes, bc English isn't my first language and I didn't proofread this

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- "That girl is so weird, she never talks and always avoids people. What is it with her?" - BlackStar complained loudly as he and the group were going to the class.

- "You shouldn't talk like that about her, BlackStar..." - Tsubaki tried to calm down the blue haired boy. She was obviously curious about the girl too, but the girl herself didn't seem very interested in them.

- "Who are you talking about anyway?" - Kid, who was still on his first week at the Academy, asked.

- "Oh, that's right, you probably don't know, Kid, since you're still new. There's a girl in our class that's always in the back and she almost never talks. She's very smart tho, always making it to the top 3." - Explained patiently Maka.

- "She remind me of a ghost. Kinda mysterious, but also almost non existent at some point." - Added in a murmur Soul.

- "Hah, she must have that from me. My shining greatness is so illuminating that she decided to try and be like me. Not like she will ever reach my greatness." - Commented BlackStar again. Kid didn't take that seriously, for BlackStar is just bubbling non sense. They finally arrived to the classroom everyone was going to their seats.

- "Look, Kid, she's that girl sitting at the back." - Maka said as she looked at the mysterious girl. Kid followed her gaze and saw a girl their age. He must admit, she did have a mystical vibe around her. Maybe he should talk to her, but how?

...

- "Liz, Patty, go without me, I have something else I have to do." - Said Kid as he left the classroom.

- "Oh? Alright, take care." - Liz answered. As Kid walked out of the classroom, he could see the one who he wanted to talk to. He picked up the pace, since he could see that the person was getting further away. The crowd of individuals that has formed in the halls didn't help.

As he got to an empty hall, he finally could see the enigmatic girl. He hurried his footing and soon enough, he caught up to her.

- "Hey." - He called out to her and as if pulled out of a trance, the girl slowly turned around to see Kid behind her. Her upper body was slightly leaned away from Kid. She didn't answer Kid, even if she wanted, he soon started talking again. - "You're that girl who got everyone and their grandmas intrigued, right? I'm Death, the Kid, son of Lord Death. You actually are quite interesting and symmetrical, so what do you say to talking sometimes?" - The girl expression didn't change much, at least to Kid's impression. She shook her head slightly in affirmation, her school bag still in her hands by the handles. - "Alright, then it's settled. Now, I have matters to attend so farewell for the time being. I'll see you around." - with that, Kid went back the same way he came as the girl just stood there looking at him as he was leaving.

...

- "Today she will finally hear it from THE BlackStar!" - as usual, BlackStar was causing quite the scene when Kid saw him and Tsubaki pass by in the hallway. There weren't that many people around, so the sound of BlackStar's voice was echoing throughout the tall walls of the halls. Suddenly, Kid saw the girl who BlackStar was complaining about coming right at BlackStar and Tsubaki from the other hall. The girl clearly heard BlackStar's shouting, it would be surprising if she didn't thought Kid, so to apparently avoid the blue-haired boy, she quickly skipped to the next hall while BlackStar turned away and started walking back first, for some reason. This scene of the girl caused the wheels in Kid's mind to turn. Was she avoiding the loud boy because she knew it was about her or just because he was loud? He had to think it over.

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This short af and I'm sorry it's not as good as it could have been😔 I didn't know what I should do later on, but I hope you all like it (Black Star being the best wingman ever❓❗) If someone asks for part 2 I might do it and incline more in the romantic theme, I guess, I really don't know sorry

anyway, bye bye xoxo

[ackermanslov4r]

the 5 love languages

how dazai would express each of the love language

WORDS OF AFFIRMATION

If Dazai is gifted at one thing,it’s at using his mouth (take this info however you want). He knows exactly when you need to be cheered up,and he always knows exactly what to say to make you feel better. He doesn't even say words of affirmations consciously , it's just in his nature to whisper sweet words into your ears, to compliment you,to make you feel seen and loved. It's difficult for him to talk about his own feelings and how you make him feel ; but when it comes to talking about you suddenly no one can get him to shut up. If you ever need reassurance on anything, he'll always give it to you without any problem,going on a full rant about how wonderful he finds you.

PHYSICAL TOUCH

Physical touch is most likely Dazai's n1 love language. He's like a starving man when it comes to your touch,he just can never get enough of it. If you're in the same room,he'll always make sure that he's touching you in one way or another, whether it'll be a subtle and gentle touch or just straight up him clinging to you,trying to get as much of his body in touch with yours. he loves to hold your hand,love to hold an hug,love to give small kisses on whatever part of your skin is available : he just loves to touch you. He cant' even really explain why, it's simply as if his soul yearned for yours and the only way to satisfy this yearning was to become one with your body.

ACTS OF SERVICES

I feel like Dazai would be more subtle with this one. He doesn't specifically do big helpful gestures,but he does try to help you as best as he can in your day to day life. If he knows you always take a specific breakfast,he'll make sure to bring it to you from time to time, or if you two go on a mission together than he'll do the biggest part of it.His acts of services aren't clearly noticeable ones, especially since he brushes them off as "oh it's nothing" whenever you do notice what he did (but later on if he needs something he'll bring them up and go "don't you remember what i did this morning??" to convince you to help him), but they're still nice attentions.I also feel like he'll learn how to take care of himself by trying to help you on things , because if he brings you some breakfast, well he just have to get himself some too because he knows you won't let him simply watch you eat.

.GIFT GIVING

Dazai is TERRIBLE at gifts. Not because he doesn't know what to get,in fact he ALWAYS have the perfect gift idea ; he simply finds it funnier to get you something completely stupid,completely useless, completely dazai. You could tell him clearly what you want and he would still only get you some silly objects from a drug store, like a plastic duck or a book filled with dad jokes. He always cracks himself up when he buy these gifts,and in the end he's the only one who ends up using them.

QUALITY TIME

With his job, free time is usually rare for him, so choosing to spend it with you is truly a sign of his affection. He loves to just stay inside with you,talking with each other or just watching something while being in this little bubble where it feels like you're the only person in the world. I don't think he specifically enjoy going out once he gets serious with someone, preferring one on one moments at each other's houses rather than being at a restaurant or even a park where it'll be crowded with other people. But, if you're someone who prefers to go out then he'll make sure to find new places to visit every week, because even if he has his preferences, deep down if he gets to be with you then he doesn't care where you two are.

[theflyindutchwoman]

Grey gave me a rock-star review. Yeah, well, he should. You're amazing. I'm excited. I'm excited. Let's go to dinner tonight and celebrate. T-- Tonight, I can't. I'm sorry. I really, really want to, but I can't. I promised my friend that I would help him with something. Tomorrow night. Okay. Do you need any help? No, no. It's something I got to do on my own. But tomorrow night, it is a date. We are gonna celebrate you. Congratulations. They're really lucky to have you. Thank you.

| ANATOMY OF A SCENE - CHENFORD EDITION 5.13 - Daddy Cop

The joy these two exude every time they see each other, even if it's just in passing, is so pure… And the way neither of them can contain their excitement in this scene makes it that much more beautiful. Especially with how it parallels another moment, where Grey offered Tim a promotion. His reaction was so muted then, despite his obvious pride at his score, which served to highlight Lucy's enthusiasm. But now, he's just as ecstatic, like he's about to burst. This is so different, almost unTim like… And yet, it feels natural. Lucy is the only here, so he can fully be himself. There's no longer a need for pretense or walls. More than that : he knows that she will be just as happy and proud, so he doesn't have to hide his feelings.

I love how he doesn't immediately give her the news though, making her walk through the process instead… Which is so ironic, since she knows all about it. But in that moment, this was all about him for her. About his achievement. There's this second where her face falls a bit, after he corrects himself and explains that technically, there was an opening in Metro. It's something that tends to be overlooked but this is a good reminder that, while she may have orchestrated this five-player trade, she had no idea if it was going to work out, that he would be considered or offered the spot. That was completely out of her hands. She created an opening but he still had to get the job on merits. She was making a gamble with her career with no guarantee that it would pay off. That's how much she loves him. Of course Tim is unaware of her turmoil, all too happy to tell her the good news. And look at her being so enthusiastic, hitting him in the process - seriously, these two are making 'playful physical violence' a love language. It is so funny to see her suddenly remember where they are and check around her before dialling it down a notch, like she did in Follow-up Day, after catching Grey's and Tim's looks. And now, he is the one bouncing on the balls of his feet, almost bouncing. How the tables have turned!

And her words of affirmation, with the most loving look… the way the lighting is hitting her eyes, making them shinier… You can feel all the love. No words are needed here. And Tim being so over the moon… I don't think we have ever seen him that ecstatic before. The way he whispers the first 'I'm excited', just for them… They are in their own bubble, even though they are standing in the middle of the bull pen, with their colleagues in the vicinity. For two persons who used to avoid PDAs with their previous partners, it's quite telling.

The fact that he wants to take her out and celebrate this with her… this is a complete contrast from his prior reactions, including when he became a Sergeant. Lucy might be bummed that she can't celebrate with him that night, but Tim is not missing a beat. It doesn't matter when it happens. His big grin when she insists that they're going to celebrate him… The lower, and quite suggestive, tone of her voice… And again, those heart eyes and her words of affirmation… I love seeing this side of Lucy. Her choice of words are so significant as well : both in Follow-up Day and here, she makes sure to emphasise how 'lucky' the department is to have him. It really feels like a full-circle moment : back then, Tim gave up his promotion to finish her training and here, she played a part in securing him a new one. They're standing so close to each other, almost as if Tim is grabbing her belt to bring her closer to him… It even looks like they were about to kiss before Lucy catches herself and moves away, laughing. With a final lovetap on his shoulder. His big grin… The twinkles in his eyes… And his little nod at the end, as if he can't believe that this is truly his life… And you know what? I can't believe this is canon either.

[bbu-fan-blog]

Is there any kind of facts that you found about Aristotle?

I have some, yes!

Aristotle is Billie's mentor: decided to take up this task amazed on how much she is like her father, and out of the desire to relieve the glory days.

Aristotle goes by he/him and they/them, and is gay.

He and Arthur, for all intents and purposes, were married, just not in the traditional sense.

Aristotle's gem (yes, the purple brooch on his cape is one of the gems) is a magic booster.

This makes Aristotle REALLY powerful; but they're still an axolotl, which means that, despite their magic power, he gets easily hurt.

He's made a name for himself at Dutch's hotel, having tried so many ways to get the wolf's gem. That's why Dutch has wanted posters of the axolotl everywhere, making them enemies. Ari doesn't know which gem Dutch has.

Ironically, Ash ships them as an "enemies to lovers" kind of thing.

Katie and Ash want to include book extracts that Billie can collect during the game, and one of them is a book wrote by Aristotle and Arthur, titled "The ABCs of Magic Casting". This suggests the two of them wrote books about magic together.

And as you can see, they shared a last name together.

Aristotle likes eating worms.

The symbol on Ari's forehead is meant to be an infinity symbol. Specifically, it's meant to represent the iridophores that axolotls have on their skins, that create a sparkly effect when exposed to the light.

In the fandom he's officially known as "Rad Magic Dad"!

In the first concepts, Aristotle was supposed to be calmer and more reserved; the devs made him more akin to goofy yet fun dad since he came off as too boring. Also, apparently he used to be a crow before Ash officially made them an axolotl.

He also used to constantly float in a bubble.

On Mario Kart he'd choose Luigi because they'd feel sorry for him.

His favorite Halloween treat is chocolate covered crickets.

Aristotle is autistic, and he stims by swinging his hips from side to side while waddling the finger, and tends to walk by keeping his hands inwards.

When overwhelmed, he tucks at his gills as if they were hair.

Apparently one of the characters who inspired Aristotle was none other than Pikachu!

He's also inspired by game characters like E.Gadd from "Luigi's Mansion" and Toriel from "Undertale".

He's very talented in magic, and can make magic spheres he'll juggle with.

Apparently he's never met Barnaby.

He loves food and cooking; apparently the devs had in mind to have a cooking minigame with him, but I don't know if that's still going to happen.

Despite being powerful at magic, Katie believes he'd have slow reflexes.

He'd love ice skating!

He's also definitely ticklish!

Will happily recieve hugs, very soft and squishy!

Despite his calm and friendly nature, he's got flaws too: as in, he can be petty, overly confident and sometimes rash. He's been compared to Pearl from Steven Universe, and Ash thinks it's a pretty accurate comparison.

His name is a reference to Ace Attorney!

His go to instrument would be a concertina.

Would be friends with Glamrock Freddy, according to Ash!

He can stand on an orb made of magic, just like Raz from Psychonauts with his levitation orb.

If he owned Pokémon, he'd mostly have a Fairy Type team.

He'd never swear; he's the kind that would go "LANGUAGE!" if he'd hear someone say a bad word.

His way of speech has some Weird Al elements to it.

This is what I have, for now! 💜

[yuly]

angst idea: bau!reader and hotch have a secret relationship but he breaks it up (bonus: he regrets it but thinks she's now dating morgan or reid because they're always together when truly he is just trying to cheer her up after noticing how sad she has been lately) just regret, jealousy and P A I N (hahaha sorry)

-> hi lovely! not sure if I did this amazing idea any justice but it was fun to write ♡ 

cw: none really, just angst, both reader and hotch are toxic

Aaron Hotchner x fem!reader

No Second Chances

Your relationship with Aaron was short-lived, you had loved and admired your unit chief for years. You cared about him and found him to be an incredible agent and a strikingly handsome man. 

Aaron was surprised at your interest in him. He adored you and felt warm on the inside with every kind gesture you made toward him. On a professional level, he respected you greatly, in fact, he sought you out to join his team, and your reputation preceded you. He knew he wanted, no needed, you on the team. Your skills, work ethic and professionalism were unmatched. But he was slowly drawn to the other side of you, the sweet and caring side

But looking at the optics, it didn't look good, Aaron sought you out, and now he was sleeping with you. He didn't want that stain on either of your reputations. His fear of being vulnerable and allowing someone to love him again was another contributing factor. Ultimately, he decided it was too messy, too hectic, and simply not worth the headache.

You just returned from a 72-hour-long case, and the two of you had a special date night planned. His tense body language and nervous behaviour throughout the evening gave you goosebumps. You let your tired mind run wild, thinking he might finally want to take your relationship to the next level. So far, the two of you were unlabelled, and Aaron insisted on keeping everything hush-hush. Anyone would think you were just friends with benefits. You were hopeful that Aaron would man up and officially ask you to be his girlfriend.

He cleared his throat, leaning forward and resting both arms on the table.

“Y/N, I care about you, but I don’t think this is going to work out.”

You look at him, startled, “what are you talking about Aaron?”

He sighs, “ It doesn't look right, I don't want us to regret this someday.”

“So what have we been doing for the past 5 months, Aaron? First, you want to keep me a secret, and now you're dumping me for optics?” 

Your heart is thumping wildly in your chest, and you can feel the burn of tears forming in your eyes.

“Y/N, one of us has to operate with a clear mind. This is what's best for both of us.” 

The rest of the night was a painful blur. You felt like a toy he grew bored of, and it was time to put you away. 

After a weekend of moping, your toxic side comes in full force, and you were going to make him regret his decision. 

The next day, you come into work looking your absolute best and pay him dust.

“Damn momma, what's the occasion?” Morgan smirked, sending you a flirty smile. 

“Nothing Derek, just the usual, y’know” you giggle and offer him a wink.

Truthfully, Derek has been your rock for the past few days. He had no idea who broke your heart, but he was there for you regardless. Knowing how vulnerable you were at the moment, Derek was attached to your hip. He made it a point to constantly check in on you and crack jokes to distract your wandering mind.

Aaron felt betrayed and angry to see you so close to Derek. When you first joined the BAU, Derek had been the biggest flirt towards you and now, in Aaron’s mind, he finally had his shot. Although he was the one that initiated the breakup, Aaron’s ego was bruised at the thought that you moved on so quickly. From his perspective, you hadn’t even mourned the relationship.

Aaron decided to bring a date to the next BAU dinner to patch up his ego, a bubbly brunette named Beth who had the hots for him for nearly a year. Aaron brought her along solely to get a reaction out of you, to see you flinch, but to no avail. You were very pleasant towards Beth but did not show any further emotion or interest in their relationship. In your mind, she was not a threat by any means. You saw right through his pitiful attempt to make you jealous. You enjoyed yourself, laughing and looking stunning all the while. 

“I’m here to apologize for taking you for granted. I’m sorry for how things ended, I want to make it right.” Aaron was at your doorstep looking like a wounded puppy holding a bouquet of your favourite flowers.

And for a moment, you considered it because your love for this man ran so deep. But he disrespected you and broke your heart without a care in the world. He reaped the benefits of having you buy his side but was unwilling to make a single sacrifice to make you happy. He broke up with you claiming it for the greater good, then had the nerve to parade his new arm candy in your face. His cruel actions were a stark contrast to the sweet gentleman you initially fell for. 

“Sorry Aaron, but I don’t believe in second chances.”

[markofcastiel]

The Plan

Relationship: Dean Winchester/Castiel

Summary: Cas has been his best friend since they were eight. But now they're both applying for universities and Dean is more anxious than he wants to admit.

Tags: fluff, first kiss, self-esteem issues

"If you get accepted to all of them, which one are you gonna pick?"

"I dunno, Sammy!" Dean snaps, closing the book in front of him with more force than necessary. The pencil that Dean had been anxiously chewing on just seconds ago rolls off the desk with the vibration, and lands on the hardwood floors with a clack.

"I'm so sick of everyone pressuring me for answers!"

"Dude... it was just a question..."

His baby brother is getting bigger and bigger. He's nearly Dean's size now and shows no signs of stopping his growth spurt. But in moments like these Sammy can still pull off a face that reminds Dean that he's just a gangly 14 year old kid - with huge puppy eyes and a sad retriever look. Dean would calm down and apologize for snapping if he wasn't so riled up:

"Not when you're the third person asking me that today. Just lay off my back already!"

Sam raises his brows high, and his lips quirk in the way they do when he's preparing a comeback.

"Touchy~~"

"Bitch."

"Moooooom, Dean called me a bitch..."

"You-"

Mary's voice reaches in from the hallway almost instantly: "Dean, language!!"

Sam sticks his tongue out, grins triumphantly, and then whispers "jerk" before running back to his room.

Freaking Sammy...

"At the risk of being the fourth to ask..."

His best friend speaks up from behind him, letting the sentence linger in the air unfinished. Dean turns around in his chair to see Cas sprawled across his bed, calmly observing him. He has a book open in front of him, but it's upside down so Dean's pretty sure he wasn't really studying.

"I do wonder the same, Dean."

"Not you too, man."

"I'm just curious."

"Look... I don't know, Cas."

Dean sighs, and finally decides to give up on studying, since his mind is too far gone.

His room is not so big, so when he stretches his leg, it actually reaches the bed. He uses this fact to his advantage, one foot pushing insistently at Castiel's thigh in a silent demand for him to move. It works, effectively making his best friend sit up and scooch over enough so that Dean can also sit down on the cushy mattress.

Even though there was more than enough space to leave a few inches between them, they end up squished right against each other. But Cas doesn't complain, so Dean lets his head drop onto his best friend's shoulder, and closes his eyes for a brief moment, trying to chase away the worry bubbling inside. His brain keeps racing around, thinking about the future and how everything seems so scary and uncertain. He still feels like a kid but he has to make all these grown up decisions and move away from everyone he loves.

It doesn't really seem fair.

"Can't I just stay here forever?"

Although Cas doesn't answer, he reaches out, sensing Dean's distress. His hand finds Dean's nape, and starts stroking tenderly along Dean's spine, soothing all the muscles down its path. Dean just leans into the touch and sighs again, now a happier sound.

Cas has a way of always feeling like sunshine, peeking through even on the cloudiest days. Dean basks in the attention, and lets go of the worries for a moment, just focusing on the warmth of Castiel's hand, and the way Cas' breath ghosts against his hair. He thinks he feels Castiel kissing the top of his head, a feathery touch, barely there - but maybe he was just imagining it. After a few moments of silence, Dean finally allows himself to ask:

"What 'bout you, Cas? You never told me which university you decided on."

The soothing hand leaves Dean's back and he instantly misses the contact. Cas stares at him silently, and it's only when Dean rights himself up and looks back, raising a brow in question that Cas replies, with a mysterious finality to his tone.

"I don't know yet."

"What? Really? You don't know?"

Cas simply shrugs. He's suddenly very interested in the book in front of him - it seems he finally notices that it is upside down and his hands fumble to turn it around.

"Oh..." Dean is surprised, to say the least.

His best friend is always so sure of himself, so certain of the path that has to be taken to succeed in life. When they started highschool Cas had already picked all his classes before Dean could even decide on one. So Dean wasn't expecting an 'I don't know'. If anything, Dean was expecting a bullet list of next steps and timelines to achieve his life goals or something geeky like that.

"Ok," Dean mumbles out, slightly dazed, before turning even more interested. He can't believe he never asked:

"Huh... which universities did you apply to?"

Blue eyes snap back up, meeting his.

There's a weird sort of tension in the air until Cas finally answers.

"MIT, Caltech and KU."

"What?! Are you serious?"

Dean turns to face Cas fully, the ecstasy obvious in his eyes. He grabs Castiel's knees and squeezes.

"Those are exactly the same ones I applied to! Dudeeee, that's such a coincidence - it would be awesome if we ended up in the same one!"

Dean rambles excitedly, not noticing the calculated gaze on his best friend's eyes.

"This is the best news I've heard all year, Cas - I freaking LOVE you!"

He throws his arm around Cas, squishing him tight and kissing his cheek like crazy, forgetting that wasn't a normal thing best friends do.

"And with your big brain I'm sure you are gonna get into all of them, Cas!"

Cas huffs out a small laugh, his eyes crinkling softly at Dean's excitement. But his smile fades away when Dean's face darkens. He slowly releases his grip on Cas, and Cas knows what's coming before Dean even starts.

"Me, on the other hand... I mean... what if I don't get into any of them?"

"Dean."

Cas sounds tired beyond his years, as if he hasn't just turned 18, but instead has lived centuries watching the Earth turn on its axis.

"Dean, look at me."

Dean complies, though he's not sure why. Emboldened, Cas barrels on, confident and unwavering:

"You're one of the brightest people I have ever known."

"No, I'm not," Dean scoffs.

Cas squints, and his head tilts.

"You do realize that your GPA disagrees?"

"You're one to talk, Cas... you have 5.0 GPA! And I'm pretty sure the only reason you don't have higher is because you were afraid the teachers thought it was too good to be true."

"I like Advanced Placement classes..."

"Yeah, well. You're basically a superhuman genius or something."

"Hmm... in that case perhaps you should listen to me when I say you'll get into all of the universities you applied to."

Dean rolls his eyes, but Cas persists:

"My GPA is not the point, Dean. I'm not the one who secretly thinks I'm dumb, despite being elected Valedictorian and having the second highest GPA in our entire school, and likely one of the highest in the country for our year."

"I was only chosen as Valedictorian cus everyone knows you suck at speeches, Cas! You'd probably just get up there and give a one-liner about how 'we're all people trying their best in a world where it's easy to do your worst' and then end with a weird goat joke that no one gets."

"That was my speech in middle school."

"Exactly!"

"The joke just didn't translate well. It was funnier in the original language."

Dean roars with laughter, and then slaps Cas in the back.

"And that is why I am Valedictorian, buddy."

Cas looks slightly uncomfortable, but it just makes Dean laugh harder. He's clearly imagining a myriad of terrible speeches that some imaginary Castiel would do. When he finally comes down from his high, he wipes the corner of his eyes, and shakes his head.

"Man... I'm gonna miss you too much if we don't end up in the same uni..."

Cas awkwardly looks away.

"Why didn't you pick one yet anyway? Knowing you, I thought you already had a whole grand plan in mind," Dean pries, curious. Cas remains quiet, staring a hole into a spot on the wall. Dean can tell when his best friend is holding something back. Dean bumps his knee against him, and insists.

"What is it, Cas?"

Cas chances a look, and quickly caves in as soon as he sees the bright green eyes staring up at him.

"I'm waiting."

"Really? What for?"

Cas looks away again, cheeks slightly tinged in pink. If Dean didn't know him so well, he would say Cas was embarrassed. But Cas was never embarrassed, so he must be imagining it. When Cas seems to stall, Dean pushes again.

"What are you waiting for, buddy?"

"You didn't pick yet."

"Ok..."

Dean scrunches his nose.

"What does that have to do with it?"

Cas looks back at him, annoyed.

"What?"

"You didn't pick yet," Cas repeats slowly, as if somehow that explains everything. Dean just makes another face, even more confused.

"So what? It's not like you're planning to follow me into whatever university I-"

Cas looks at him meaningfully.

Wait. What?

Dean can feel himself turn red and redder, all the way up to his ears. No. No way. Was Cas really waiting for him to choose just so he could go to the same one???

"Yes, so..." Cas confirms his unspoken question, closing the book in front of him, "please hurry up, Dean. Your indecision is interfering with my plan."

"Your... plan?"

And that's when Cas pulls out a bullet list of his life goals - Dean was right, he does have one - and hands it over.

"I was supposed to be at step number 7 already, which is getting an apartment for us near the campus. But if you don't pick a university I can't start on that one."

"Cas."

"Yes?"

"Did you seriously put 'Marry Dean Winchester' as bullet point number 20?"

"Well, 18 is too early, and 22 seems too late. I think bullet point 20 is the perfect balance."

"Cas..."

"Yes?"

"We're not even dating yet."

"Of course not," Cas says with some exasperation, pointing at number 10 on the list, "that's only after step 8 and 9, Dean, since we will be much more emotionally mature."

Dean smiles, a silly, huge grin and shakes his head. Well, he was never one to follow grand plans and by led by other people's rules so he cradles Cas' face between his palms, leans in and kisses that stupid look off of his best friend's face.

Cas squirms under him, a delightful surprised hitch leaving his mouth, but ends up clinging to his leather jacket like there's no tomorrow. When Dean finally pulls away he marvels at his best friend's spit-slick lips, and the way that dark hair got all ruffled up, making Cas impossibly sexier.

"So," Dean chirps cheerfully, the future suddenly seeming much more exciting.

"Which university are we going to?"

Cas doesn't answer, just pulls him back in for another kiss, and then another. They only stop to come up for air, and even then they're both smiling wide, breaths ragged and hearts beating fast.

"What about th-"

Oh god,

Cas started kissing up his jaw, and somehow Dean's jacket found its way the floor.

"-C-Cas, w-wha- t-the plan?"

"Mmm," Cas mumbles between kisses, and then his tongue darts out to lick a line behind Dean's ear, making Dean shiver and fall apart with a whimper.

"Changed my mind."

"Hell yea-"

"Boys."

The voice suddenly startles them both apart, and they turn at the speed of light to find Mary Winchester at the entrance of Dean's bedroom, staring past the -very open- door. Dean can't believe he was this freaking stupid, and he can feel his heart hammer anxiously in his chest.

"Mom, it's - it's not what it looks like-"

Mary rolls her eyes.

"Oh really? 'Cus it looks like you knuckleheads finally realized you're made for each other. I could power a town with the stares you two have been throwing at each other for the last ten years."

"M-mom," Dean mumbles.

"Now, hands off each other and come help me with dinner. I think I burned the rice again..."

---

"MIT."

Dean blurs out right in the middle of dinner. All the eyes lift off of busy plates full of food, staring up at him, waiting for more explanation. Dean squeezes Cas' hand a bit tighter below the table before clearing his throat and trying again:

"We decided on MIT."

His family cheers, rushing to congratulate him. Sammy however, asks all too eagerly:

"We? Are you both going to the same one?"

Dean blushes, suddenly nervous, "y-yeah."

John groans, making Dean practically jump out of his skin, heart hammering on his chest. But then his little brother's voice raises over the sound:

"Called it," Sammy announces, and shoves an open palm in front of their father, "pay up old man!"

John reluctantly pulls out 50 dollars, just as Mary smacks both of them on the back of their heads, clearly displeased with whatever just transpired.

Dean stares at his father like he just grew an extra head but John just slowly chews at his food, and doesn't provide any additional explanation.

"I'm happy to hear that, baby," Mary says gently, looking genuinely pleased. She proceeds to elbow John, and the man finally seems to realize he should say something.

"Yeah. Good for you, son. You take good care of each other, you hear? Keep your noses outta trouble."

Dean blushes and nods furiously, the words of his father always his gospel.

Cas, in the meantime, is far too focused on scribbling all over his (now slightly crumpled) piece of paper. It seems 'Marry Dean Winchester' is now circled extra hard, and has been moved up a few steps on The Plan.

Dean ducks his head and smiles, shy and proud. Yep, it's still gonna be scary moving away from his mom and dad and he's gonna miss the hell out of his lil brother.

But he's got Cas.

Whatever happens, they're gonna be alright.

[saffronapplemanga]

Tenmaku no Jadoogar: A Witch’s Life in Mongol - 天幕のジャードゥーガル

HISTORICAL, DRAMA

Tenmaku no Jadoogar: A Witch’s Life in Mongol by Tomato Soup

(2 volumes, ongoing)

JP only. The first 5 chapters are up for free in JP here.

Links to my other manga posts here

Hi, Fatimah here to talk more about the story of Fatima >:)

Definitely check out my post for volume one because I worked really hard on that and there's lots of cool info there and I don't want to repeat myself here.

This post will be broken up into: Brief Volume Two Summary - My Thoughts - Let's Talk Religion (Again) - The "Middle East" Is Actually a Colonizer Term

Let's go!

Brief Volume Two Summary

***SPOILERS FOR VOLUME TWO***

*

*

*

8 years have passed since Fatima was taken by the Mongols. She has been unable to retrieve the book that was stolen even though she's had it in her hands over and over. Ögedei has been crowned the new Khan after the death of Ghengis Khan. Sorghaghtani has asked Fatima to go spy on Chagatai. While trying to get her to infiltrate, she ends up at Töregene's tent instead where Fatima is accused of stealing her "Jada Stone".

We learn about Töregene's back story and her forced integration into the Mongol Empire, losing those she loved, and her marriage to Ögedei. Töregene and Fatima bond over their shared trauma and hate towards their captures. They start working together on upending the empire.

And work together they are! Looks like they're gonna raise hell in the empire.

Töregene attends a meeting she normally skips, and there Ögedei Khan proposes that the nomadic Mongols build a city. Everyone is against the idea as they were expecting to discuss the invasion of the eastern country, Kin (also known as the Jin State). Ögedei says that he wants to use this new city for manufacturing, to gather craftsmen from around the world, and as a center for trade. They then discuss their war plans for the siege on the Jin State.

Töregene shares all the information she's learned at the meeting with Fatima, and they discuss potential weaknesses in the Mongol Empire that could cause its downfall.

*

*

*

***END OF SPOILERS FOR VOLUME TWO***

My Thoughts

I'm excited to see what Fatima and Töregene do and what their dynamic is going to be like.

Small nitpick, I do wish that some info was incorporated a little more subtly. Author Tomato Soup clearly has put a lot of care into researching for this series, so I just wish they took that extra step to weave the information in more naturally. But still a solid volume!

They put a lot of care into the visual language, such as the shape of text bubbles (right pic), so seeing charts like this (left pic) feels visually inconsistent.

Let's Talk Religion (Again)

Once again, I want to put the disclaimer that I am NOT a scholar, this is just what I know and my understanding so please don’t quote me. I probably have to gloss over and simplify a lot because there’s… too much.

At the beginning of the volume, there is mention of Islamic meat slaughtering practices (halal meat) compared to the customs of the Mongols.

I think halal is a word a lot of people have heard, especially in recent years, but what does it even mean?

Halal is anything that is permissible in Islam. Haram is anything NOT permissible in Islam, or sins. There are also things that are makrooh (strongly discouraged but not a sin) and mustahab (recommended but not obligatory) and so on.

How does that translate to food?

Halal foods are foods that are permissible for Muslims to consume. Most things are okay for consumption, so it's easier to list what isn't allowed/haram. You might be familiar with the fact that Muslims do not drink alcohol or eat pork. There's a reason for all this, but I'll get to that later. Some other things that are haram to consume are the following:

Carnivorous/predatory animals (Pigs are omnivores, so they technically fall into this category as well. Only herbivores are permissible to consume.)

Animals that died from disease.

Incests, reptiles, and "pests" (such as mice/rats).

These next points are debated depending on what scholar you follow:

Some Muslims only eat fish that have scales, while some believe pretty much any seafood that doesn't fall into the previous categories is fair game (I call this The Great Muslim Seafood Debate loll).

Some Muslims believe you should avoid eating "beasts of burden" such as horses/mules.

Exceptions to these rules are if you are in a situation where you are left with no other choice but a haram food option, then you will not be guilty of sin for consuming. God never wants to place unreasonable burden on his creation. One of the most important things in Islam is intention, and God can see what's in your heart.

Okay, so you have something that clears these rules. But! That doesn't automatically make it halal. When it comes to consuming animals, the slaughtering of the animal has to be done in a specific way. Let's break it down:

Land animals -

When slaughtering a land animal, it must be done in a specific way so that it becomes halal meat:

The animal must be well-fed and given water before slaughter.

They must be soothed and calm. You cannot slaughter if the animal is fearful and agitated.

Other animals must not witness the slaughter as it can frighten them.

The slaughter must be performed using a very sharp knife to cut the throat. Doing this will cause the animal to immediately lose consciousness and thus will not feel pain. It must be done as quickly, painlessly, and humanely as possible.

Do not allow the animal to see the knife as it can frighten them.

The slaughter must be performed by a Muslim. They must recite a prayer before cutting the throat and do so while facing Mecca.

The blood must be drained from the animal's body after the neck is cut as disease/toxins/etc. can live in the blood. This makes the meat cleaner and more sanitary.

You cannot stun an animal before slaughter (such as hitting it on the head or zapping it with electricity).

In cases where you are hunting, you can use arrows, guns, or hunting birds when hunting an animal that cannot easily be caught for traditional methods of slaughter.

Hunting is only allowed with the intention of hunting for food, not sport.

You must say a prayer when shooting.

If the animal does not die immediately during the hunt, you should slaughter them as quickly and painlessly as possible and not unnecessarily prolong any suffering.

"There's a reason for cutting the neck and slaughtering this way, you know..."

Animals of the sea -

The animal must die outside of the water (for example, using "blast fishing" or "fish bombing" is prohibited — it's horrible for the environment and does not discriminate on what fish are killed. Even animals like dolphins and turtles can get caught in the blast and die. Coral reefs and such can end up damaged as well. Also, according to Wikipedia "For every ten fish killed, only one or two float to the surface, due to damage caused to their otherwise buoyant internal air bladders. The rest sink to the bottom." This causes a lot of waste. Using this method, you also wouldn't know if a fish was dead from disease and was already floating around or if it was from the blast.)

They should not be descaled/skinned while still alive (this is the same for land animals).

I know this might seem like a long and tedious list, but there is a reason for these halal food guidelines. The purpose is to not cause any unnecessary pain to animals, be as humane as possible, and not consume anything that would be bad for your health. Health is of the utmost importance in Islam. I think we can all agree that alcohol is not great for you. There are studies being done about the effects of consuming carnivorous animal meat, pork, and so on not being the greatest for you either, etc. Again I want to reiterate, I'm not judging anyone. You do you, I literally don't care. I'm not saying you're wrong and terrible for consuming these things.

But yeah, I think that's everything for relevant religious stuff that came up in this volume.

I'd like to use the setting of the series as a springboard to discuss something I never see anyone talk about, and I think we should.

The "Middle East" Is Actually a Colonizer Term

Before you roll your eyes at me, just hear me out.

A while back, Drew Mackie, the guy behind Thrilling Tales of Old Video Games where I work as a translator/consultant, sent me an email with some questions for a post he was working on. Long story short, he wasn't sure how to refer to these Nintendo characters who looked stereotypically "Middle Eastern".

Big sigh... I am TIRED of seeing character designs like this... Check out Drew's post here! He writes lots of cool articles that are super interesting!

Luckily for him, this was VERY MUCH my lane. Please entertain my oncoming rant about the term "Middle East" guys. I swear I have a point to make.

When Drew sent me the picture of these Nintendo characters, I groaned. When I sent my brother the picture, he got real ticked off.

I don't know where it started exactly, but everyone just decided that this is what the "Middle-Eastern-look" is. To me, it just looks like Disney's Aladdin — in which what I mean is that this is what Westerners decided the whole region between the far East and far West looks like and everyone was like, "Yeah sure, okay." This look that is so prevalent looks like some bizarre mash-up of West Asia, South Asia, Central Asia, and North Africa to me. That's quite a range of regions to group together...

I always found it weird that this was the "Middle-Eastern-look" since it looked nothing like Kuwaiti traditional wear to me (or any other traditional clothing I'm familiar with tbh). And yet, it's like everyone was telling me, "Yes, this is what you wear. This is what you look like."

Some actual Kuwaiti traditional clothing. You can see a lot of influence from other regions due to trade. The headdresses remind me of the ones you see in Tenmaku no Jadoogar! Turkey has something similar as well! And idk about you guys, but it doesn't look like the aforementioned "Middle-Eastern-look". That is some unholy mishmash of "brown culture" from the perspective of those outside of said culture.

Bottom right pic is what ship builders and pearl divers wore. My grandpa was a pearl diver! The fabric tied around their waist that's different colors and patterns is called a wizar. Dishdasha (the men's robe) can come in various colors. White is worn in the summer and darker colors in the winter. The red qitra (the fabric on the head) is also for winter as it's thicker and warmer than the white one. You can mix and match, especially between seasons to suit you depending on the weather. The black and gold overcoat is a bisht and it's to dress up the dishdasha, usually for special occasions.

Honestly, I almost never use the term "Middle East" myself for a few reasons (and now that I think about it, most of my family and friends don't really either. Maybe that's just me and the people around me idk. I know some people from the region do use it but I'm talking about the people I personally know). Like, what does the term even mean? I mean, it's not a continent, but everyone seems to act like it's the eighth continent. I get that continents are usually further broken up into regions to help be more specific about similar groups since continents are, well, huge and cover a lot.

The problem is, the "Middle East" is wayyyy too big and broad, and it covers areas that often don't have as much in common as many would believe, and it spans multiple continents (Are there similarities? Yeah of course, but like...). It feels like they said, "All you guys talk Arabic so we'll group you. Oh, and throw Iran and Turkey in there because same thing, right?" But then what about Libya or Morroco, which are North African Arab countries? By some definitions, they're not considered to be in the Middle East even though they "fit" but Egypt, another North African Arab country is? I could go on, but idk it all seems very arbitrary.

Yes, these regions did have a lot of trade going on with the Silk Road so you'll see common things shared across various countries along this trade route, but many people have just mashed them together and decided it's all the same.

Which Middle East is the Middle East-est Middle East?

Where did the term come from? -

The term "Middle East" may have originated in the 1850s in the British India Office. However, it became more widely known when American naval strategist Alfred Thayer Mahan used the term in 1902 to "designate the area between Arabia and India".

Which reads to me like, because some colonizers said so.

There's also a term that's worse I learned about called the "Greater Middle East" which Wikipedia describes as:

The Greater Middle East is a political term, introduced in March 2004 in a paper by the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace as a part of the U.S. administration's preparatory work for the Group of Eight summit of June 2004, denoting a vaguely defined region called the "Arab world" together with Afghanistan, Iran, Israel, Turkey, and several other neighboring countries that have cultural ties.

I recommend reading the rest of the paragraph on Wikipedia for yourself. It comes off as incredibly nope. It's gross.

But even this description says, "denoting a vaguely defined region" which is what I mean when I say it's arbitrary. I feel like it's too often used as a blanket term with negative connotations.

Personally, if I'm talking about Arab countries, I say "Arab" but it also depends on what I'm talking about. If it's a shared Arab thing, then Arab is fine, but if it's a cultural thing that's unique to Sham Arabs for example, I don't use it as broadly. Arab countries vary A LOT. Many assume they're all the same, but truth be told, Arabs get culture shock from each other and have a lot that's different — including neighboring nations. Sometimes we don't even understand each other because of how different dialects can be across different regions.

Obviously, I don't expect everyone to know all this, but I think the way we divide up the region and how we refer to it could get a makeover.

The world seems to be okay with dividing up, for example, Europe into smaller sub-regions that make some kind of sense — like Northern Europe, Western Europe, etc. But we don't commonly do that for the "Middle East" —  nothing that makes any kind of sense. "Middle East" because it's halfway to East Asia in relation to the West? Because the colonizers said so?

Personally, I generally refer to myself as West Asian and I always check "Asian" on forms, even when they try to convince me Arabs are apparently white as if that makes sense (meanwhile my dad is perceived as being mixed race/black in the U.S. and he's not even close to being the darkest on his side of the family. While I am pale, no one would perceive me as white). Like I mentioned in my volume one post, I'm not only Kuwaiti Arab, I'm also Irani which is Persian/Turkmen and NOT Arab, plus some Turkish ancestry (also NOT Arab). Allllll of those countries are in West Asia. West Asia is already a term! Why don't we use it?????? We should all know why by now if you've gotten this far in the post.

Map of West Asia, which is already a thing. An actual geographical term. Wow. Too many people don't realize these countries are indeed in Asia. Crazy how Asia isn't just Japan, China, and Korea, huh.

I'm sure there are "Middle Easterners" who don't care, and I'm not here to tell those people how they should identify. That's up to them. DO NOT tell people how they should identify because that is deeply personal, and who the hell are you to tell them who they are?

But for the rest of you, consider adopting less colonizer vocabulary maybe? A lot of my family and friends find the term to have racist connotations since it's almost always used in a not-so-great context and it's from the view of the West. We HAVE other terms that we can use! Time to brush up on our geography and unlearn some nonsense kids.

I'm done. Thanks for coming to my TED talk❤️

✨And once again✨

I await your email publishers, my resume is ready… fatimahhajiasiri@gmail.com

🧿🪬🧿🪬🧿🪬🧿🪬🧿🪬🧿🪬🧿🪬🧿🪬🧿

—————————–

If there’s any Japanese-only manga you want me to check out, let me know! No promises, I’ll only read what I’m interested in, but I’ll take suggestions into consideration. Preferably, shorter manga or newer manga with a few volumes out since I like to take breaks from longer series I’m reading :)

[starlight-tea-writing]

Ask games! Loves these things.

Anyway, 4, 34, 35, and/or 64! Take your pick on how many lol

sorry that this sat for, like, two days...but thank you for the asks!

4. what is the plot bunny you've been carrying around the longest? optional bonus question: do you ever wonder why you haven't written it yet and experience deep existential dread?

I have many. many. many ideas. and not just for ATLA. but I think these are my favorites:

for ATLA

a. book 2, Iroh and Zuko are in Ba Sing Se. I say "screw you" to canon a bit and extend their time there. during that time, Zuko and Jin start actually dating, they become friends with the Jet, Smellerbee, and Longshot. with that friendship, they slowly relax into being teens and having fun (in part because they're committing Blue and Green Spirit shenanigans together). Zuko kinda forgets he was Zuko and really starts to embrace Lee. and then, Jet sees a poster about Appa and drags Lee with them, he sees the Gaang, and Zuko come crashing back to reality. they retrieve Ty Lee and Mai from the Palace (by accident, cause they think Suki is there), and then it's a trek of a dozen teens across the Earth Kingdom to take down Ozai. oh, and also, Jin is a secret (but very bad) earthbender.

I've written about half of it. maybe I'll finish and post it one day. there's also a GREAT scene where Zuko (as Lee) goes to Jin's for dinner and to meet her parents and younger sister (that I added for funsies). it's so awkward and fun and I love it so much.

b. I got permission to write a story based on @gemgirl28's idea. I have yet to write it yet, but it is outlined. that delay just makes me feel bad, because I want to do the story justice.

Spy X Family

a. like many others, I have been sucked into the Spy X Family world. it's three years ahead of where the story is now, and it starts with Donovan Desmond dying in a plane crash. and then it's just sort of how the cold war grows from there, Loid has to fake his death, Yuri evacuates Yor and Anya, it's a whole thing. a whole, very messy, very chaotic...thing. :)

I've already started writing it. I'm maybe a chapter into it.

34. how do you name characters and places?

characters: baby name lists. so many baby name lists. the targeted ads I get make my mother-in-law VERY curious and happy.

places: I tend to come up with a connecting theme for a place. so like, for the Earth Kingdom: a lot of actual real-life Chinese towns/cities are named sort-of based on their location (Bei Jing: Northern Capital). so, in Eight Years Later, the few smaller EK towns I created are named after the location they're at. however, for the Fire Nation in EYL, because I kind of view the cultural side of the Fire Nation as a pan-Asian country made up of a whole collection of cultures, each island I've "named" is just a "firebender associated" word from different Southeast Asian languages. so like, in EYL, Araw Island is "Day" in Filipino/Tagalog (don't remember exactly which one, sorry!), Moesashi Island is "Embers" in Japanese, and so on.

(fun fact: Mosu actually has MANY meanings...such as "ember" and "humble"...he's kinda the only character in EYL, at least, that I didn't find from a baby name list and instead went the language route - but it is an actual name, also, I think...I'm pretty sure I found it somewhere...it's been years at this point, apologies)

35. tell us about a character who's very different than you who you love a whole lot.

Ty Lee. I am not that bubbly and positive. I wish I could be. I know she's hiding mountains of hurt, which honestly, aren't we all? but she's able to put on a very compelling facade to get through her day, and I'm not sure if that's admirable or even more depressing. but I like to think that post-canon Ty Lee is very happy and doesn't have to fake it.

64. what is your favorite title for a fic you've read?

people can be real clever with their titles, and I wish I had that skill. I really like goofy, silly titles. little jokes and what not. I don't have any immediately in mind, I tend to forget details like that, but scrolling through my Ao3 history, I found this one and it made me chuckle:

Mission Impossible: Loid teaches Yor to cook

(^ pretty much all I read at the moment are cute little domestic one-shots, so...this is cute and silly and sweet)

thanks for the asks! in true starlight fashion, I wrote WAY too much, haha

[foxtricksterwriting]

Slaughter Squad MC

Author's Note; Yeah yeah I made another one. This one's a little different tho, lolol. @harlequinoccult, here take the bastard /affectionate

Legal Name:█̝̗̩̥̜̘̾̿̎̽̄̓̇ͫͮ̃̽ͯ̄ͫͣ͘͢█̞̖̝̲̞̹̤̲̠̮̟ͫ͗͐̈́̎͘█̡̡͔̤̓ͮͤͥ̒̇̌̐̓█̶̶̧̰̫̣͔̘͓̠͙̐́ͨͩ͋͂̏ͤ̌̒͗̑ͭͤ̈́̓ͦ̚̚█̷̷͚̟̟̳̮̫͈̹̻ͮ̿̀̕ͅ█̸̢̛̗̫̮̻̥͍̺̦̮͈͕̑͐̀ͬͯͧ̋̑̆̽̆̾̅̉͋̂ͫ́̔̂ͬ͜͠ █̰̔̃ͮ█͈̜̤̤͉͋█͓̍ͧ̅͌ͧ͜█̷̶̴̢̨͖̱͎̟̹̪̭̟̹͖͙͇̳͎̟̗̗̜͚̓͐̽́̍͊ͨ̎ͤ̐ͥͦ͐̓͑̓ͭ̄̈͊̑͝͞ (You don't need that, lovey~)

Alias: Apotheosis (Do you know what that word means, lovey? I'll tell you, if you beg~)

Gender + Pronouns: Demiboy + he/they

Age: 23

Occupation: Crime Scene Cleaner (It certainly comes in handy, eheh)

More About Him; So full of themself they should have a fucking medal. He's materialistic and loves having new shit. Said new shit ends up wrecked some odd days later, so you shouldn't buy anything for him. They go the extra mile with everything; he goes all out with his makeup, hair, outfit, and general attitude. He never shuts up about his fucking music, but artfully dodges mentioning anything specific. Their 'personality' is so heavy handed you can't help but think it's forced, not that they'd tell you.

When he's not wearing that damned mask, he's surprisingly calm. He's still excitable and loud, but not nearly as obnoxious. More willing to listen to others and go along with plans that don't align with their own, too. If you pay close enough attention, you can almost see the energy bubbling under the surface. Catch them at a bad time and you'll get some unhinged ramblings about beautiful music and art. They're quick to cover it up, however.

Some characteristics always stick, with or without the mask; they're quick to help and love pink. He'll let someone vent about their problems, and offer advice if prompted. And he's the first to come up with..... creative solutions to problems. They brush their own problems off and move on so quickly you have to wonder if you even brought them up in the first place. And despite the cheerfulness, he always has some sort of plan. Never unprepared. They try to hide this with a veil of impulsivity and reckless abandon, and it seems to work wonders. And, of course, their loner tendencies. He typically doesn't want anything to do with anyone unless they can help him somehow or give him something. He'll be pleasant if someone approaches him first, though. Generally, it's hard to tell if this is how he is naturally or if this is forced behavior. Sometimes, you can catch him staring wistfully to groups of people, suggesting the former.

Not to mention almost everyone that talks to him goes missing, only to end up displayed somewhere after being brutally murdered. People seem to have noticed this little connection, leading to others avoiding him like their life depends on it. How the police haven't been involved is a fucking mystery, honestly.

It's hard to tell what's their true personality and what's a facade. Either way, you'd be better off staying far, far away.

Fun Facts;

This fucker has a pinterest, find it here. Mofo's face claim is there.

He also has a playlist, found on youtube here and spotify there.

Has a dog, named Mace. Not Macey, just Mace. She's a Irish Wolfhound and bigger than him. He'll happily talk about her for hours.

Allergic to wasps and bees, terrified of wasps but not bees.

Desperately wants to murder Carter. Would give his literal heart to kill Carter.

Does actually make music, under his nickname █̩͎͓̙̼͔͆̿ͪͮ̓͘_̷̷̪͉̺͍̥͖̯̭ͦ̒ͣͤ̄̓̅̊͒ͬ́͢͡█ (Nuh-uh-uh! Can't have you giving away my secrets like that~)

Selectively mute, knows sign language but normally will use a text-to-speech app on their phone. Has downloaded a vocaloid-like voice program for this for shits and giggles.

Would probably be best friends with Overdose, I think they're similar enough they'd get along good. Or hate each other lmao

They'd romance Sweetheart or The Host, maybe Overdose but that's undecided.

[student-in-nightraven]

hello, can i request a match make with twisted wonderland boy please? thank you!

my pronouns are they/them and im intp-t and my zodiac sign is virgo. 

my personality: im really shy and kind of awkward when socializing others bcos im not really good interacting with them so i just stay in the sideline where i observe people and their behavior and thats the reason why people depict me as intimidating and hard to approach and also bcos of my stoic expression too but when im with my close friends, im really bubbly and more comfortable with them. im really quite moody sometimes and i also tend to overthink things. i always listen to my friends whenever they're having a problem and just be there for them sometimes pitching in some advice now and then. im also the type of person to run away from their problems and tend to push people away bcos i dont want to burden them, i also laugh at small things, im also the type of person to read a body language very well bcos of my observant nature. i also get insecure with my appearance too, im also blunt with my words too i do not sugarcoat things.

my hobbies/likes includes writing stories and reading books, poetry composition, learning about stars and outer space, watching horror videos on yt, staying up all night writing down my ideas about my next stories, sleeping, i also have a fascination to ocean and i tend to stare at it, dark academia, i also like abandoned places especially if its haunted, i also love matcha green tea, i also like dark clothes, i really love a meadow full of lavenders 

my dislikes are loud people including loud places too, vegetables (depends on my mood), cheaters and playboys, worms, hot weather, arrogant people 

that's all and thank you!! 🌾

Was deciding between Jade and Riddle but I decided that

I match you with..

..

...Riddle!

Riddle relates to the problem you have with people approaching you, he too has problems with people not wanting to interact with him because of his overblot and strict demeanor, so whenever riddle sees you just standing and watching others instead, he walks up to you to keep you company and start a conversation, since your bubbly around close friends and riddle is your match you act the same around him and he really appreciates that, warms his heart everytime you do so.

You know how your always there to give advice to people when they have problems? Yeah tables turned with riddle, he's gonna be the one to help you out of your overthinking state, if it's about anything he can physically help fix he'll do so or give you tips how to fix it.

Ps. Please don't push Riddle away, you are definitely not a burden to him, in fact he feels a giant comfort whenever you're around

You can tell whenever he is feeling down, whether it's because of an exam, remembering his overblot or even because of his mother, you know his upset and you always help cheer him up. He loves writing poetries with you, you 2 write love poems for eachother and gift them to eachother all the time. For a date he took you out on a clear night so that you could stargaze together (he will REFUSE to watch horror movies, he thinks they're ridiculous but really he's just scared and doesn't want to show it)

Whenever you go out to try and find an abandoned place my boy comes running after you screeching "you're gonna die don't go", bro goes through a heartattack everytime you even mention going to a abandoned house. He absolutely adores having private tea parties with you, (he prepares a matcha tea for you)

In my eyes you 2 are a perfect match, the elegant couple(?) You both are truly in love♡⁠˖

Thank you for the request dear annon!

[galindafication]

welcome to london, GALINDA UPLAND! did anyone ever tell you that you look just like ARIANA GRANDE? well, no matter, we hear that you are TWENTY-FOUR and working as a KINDERGARTEN TEACHER. we also hear that you currently HAVE your memories from WICKED  and have a tendency to be DELIGHTFUL as well as NERVOUS. 

will correct people if they call her 'glinda' instead of 'galinda'. the 'gah' is very important to her

has twin daughters named ellie and farrah, both named after her best friend elphaba and ex-fiance fiyero (their father). they're four years old and are mini galindas. very polite, but also very curious

when fiyero left her, she found out she was pregnant a few weeks later. she had no way of contacting him, nor did she know how to do so, so she was unable to tell him that he was going to be a father. she was upset with him for a long time for leaving her, but he'd been extremely faithful and loyal to her, even with his feelings for elphie. she decided she couldn't stay mad forever, and she knows that you don't choose who you fall in love with, so she made her peace and just wants them to be happy together. the curse brought her to london when she was still pregnant with the twins, so they have never been to oz but have been begging to go

is a kindergarten teacher and loves her job endlessly

can appear a bit oblivious

her signature color is pink, but her wardrobe is a variety of pretty, light, pastel colors. the twins usually wear pastel colors or pure white

loves video games

collects fairy figurines, witch figurines, and crystals

always wearing perfume

has a large collection of smell good lotion (and yes, she uses all of it)

loves anything vanilla flavored

has a ridiculous amount of cups. mostly cute water bottles, but it's way too many, but she DOES use all of them, she rotates between uses

loves to color. maybe it's childish, but it gives her something to do and it's always been one of her favorite activities

has lots of fidget toys. she loves clicky, clacky and crunchy sounds, so she has quite a few that she likes to mess with at home

has two refrigerators! one is for food, the other is solely for drinks

her house has to be cold year round. it helps her breathe better, and she likes to be cozy, so if she or the girls get too cold, they just wrap up in sweaters and blankets

always doing some sort of project or craft. if it's something simple but fun, she adds it to the curriculum for her kindergarteners

she calls all children munchkins. she refers to her students as "her" munchkins. she calls her own kids witchlings

has her own language. she speaks ozian, so some words are different. float / floating = floaticate / floatifying. confused / confusing = confusicated / confusifying and so on so forth

always has snacks on her

has an emergency bag that she keeps with her at all times. it stays in her purse. it's got bandaids, antibacterial cream, a tourniquet, hand sanitizer, wet wipes, pads, tampons, pantyliners, pain medication, a few portable chargers, a flashlight. she keeps it very organized, too. each thing is in it's own ziplock bag so it's easy finding and nothing is rattling around loose. she also keeps water bottles with her

has quite a few pretty light up things. a moon that lights up different colors, a light up lava lamp, light up salt lamp, cute stuff like that

is one of the sweetest people you'll ever meet

can get pretty nervous if she doesn't know what's going on around her

loves making new friends and meeting new people

makes lists. lots and lots of lists. they're all over her house

can fall asleep anywhere

loves to read

likes learning new things

her favorite mode of transportation is her magic pink bubble

will never say no to ice cream or coffee. in fact, her favorite ice cream is coffee flavored

she's not one of those "don't give me advice if i didn't ask for it" people. she appreciates advice. and she doesn't mind parenting advice either. she may have been mommy for four years, but every year is her first time raising witchlings at that age, so she'll take all the advice she can get. yes, even from non-parents. she doesn't believe that only parents can give good advice or ideas

[sagehqs]

hearing the short version of his story, she couldn't help the giggle that came out of her; whether it was pride or sheer disbelief that she was allowed the full story, she wasn't so sure. "wait, your counselor said that? what an ass. i mean, clearly it helped fuel your want, but it's still an asshole thing to say to a kid." her thoughts drifted for a moment, remembering why she had stopped perusing teaching very, very early on in her college career. teachers and school administrators always had bad attitudes and acted like kids were a burden, even though they're the ones that chose the career. his question caused her face to scrunch before she quickly admitted, "nope, it's a found passion. i've always been into the english language; creative writing, literature, editing -- all of it. when i got here i knew i didn't just want to let my english degree die... but i also knew there wasn't much i could do with it, god do they make that known in every english program." with a small huff they shrugged and carried on, "my position was posted literally the day after i got moved in, i applied thinking it would at least be a stepping stone into a career, but after a year i realized how much i actually loved working here and being involved in the library." without hesitation, she added her secret yearning into the conversation, "i've kind of actually been thinking about getting my masters in library science so i could do this work officially and not just out of interest... but i don't know." it wasn't that they couldn't do it, they figured they could do it, but they had just never imagined themselves getting anything more than the average college degree. the concept that she was capable of more wasn't fully developed yet.

maybe they were in their own bubble, but the concept of loud wasn't registering for them when most of their conversation was completely silent, they joined in with laughter, figuring if anyone had a problem they would make it known (library patrons were not the patient and forgiving type). "exactly! you get it! we can't be all that's here. i mean, sure it'd be really wild if in the whole entirety of space we were the only ones, but that fuels our egos. i think it's more comforting to just assume others are out there and the fate of all existence isn't on the shoulder of earth-folk." they may be thinking too much about it, but the fate of the universe being on humans wasn't a thought that gave them much ease. her grin grew as owen admitted his own affinity to aliens, as did an inkling of wanting to binge dumb alien flicks with him. instead of romantic interest, she pushed her energy to teasing, yet again -- their natural default. "fourteen? way to make eighteen year-old-me feel too old to be into aliens. it's not like... totally lame that i still heavily like that stuff -- right?" another round of laughter burst from her, fully assuming that her interests might be a little lame.

his reaction to the food made her features light up; she was already excited, but him thinking so highly of it made her ecstatic. trying food that he was clearly a little passionate about had her stomach in knots again, but this time the feeling didn't leave. her attempt at teasing just turned into her getting him to say what she desperately wanted to hear from him, even if she hadn't been aware of that fact. "ah..." her nose scrunched up as she fought off a blush with gritted teeth, "don't do that, otherwise i will be legally obligated to annoy you every day... more than i already do." with her focus on his hands, she nodded, "i could say the same about you, honestly." at the question she shrugged softly, quickly grabbing her phone to check over her hours once again, "i'm free at one, but i don't think that gives you much sleeping time. what about five or six?" it gutted them to offer the niceity of extra sleep, but she wasn't about to be selfish in a way that could affect his wellbeing. as she looked over his face, she let her lips fall into a small pout, noticing ever just slightly that his energy was waning -- a gut feeling that this was about to be the end of their little library rendezvous. realistically, it was probably for the better end of her job for them to part at some point, despite how much she wanted to live in little moments like these. heightened feelings aside, sage lived for moments with friends; craved the intimacy of others in a platonic way that would creep up and haunt her every time she was alone.

"Thank you." Owen signed back to them, his face so gentle as he looked across the table at Sage. There wasn't many people that knew about his past, about what had happened to land him being adopted. But if there was anyone he wanted to know, it was Sage. He felt like he could tell them anything, wanted to tell them all there was about himself and in turn, learn all he could about her as well. He ripped down every wall that had been built so high up over the years, let her in within a second thought. Trusting her fully, not a single doubt in his mind. "Usually people get the other short but also still true version. That my school counselor told me I couldn't be a nurse do I became one." He shrugged with a laugh- which was also true. But it was his experience when he was younger that really fueled him to become a nurse. And Owen loved every second of his job, despite how emotionally draining it could be at times. "What about you? Have you always wanted to be a librarian?" He asked, truly interested in everything Sage had to say. Wanting to learn all he could about them.

Owen gave another laugh as he watched their hands, before quickly giving an apologetic smile, hoping that he wasn't being too loud in the middle of a library. "Yeah, there's no way we can be the only living life forms in the universe. It's so big, so much still undiscovered that there has to be something else out there. Just waiting for us to find." Even the ease of talking about something like this came so natural with Sage. "I went through a big science phase hen I was fourteen so I totally get it. That and I probably marathon way too many alien shows on my days off." He admitted, making a face before his playful smile was once back settled onto his features. Aliens and cryptids was something he would never talk about with someone, well besides Phoenix, so it was nice to let this side of him out. The one that was into very random things that a lot of people weren't really into.

"Their food is some of the best, I swear. Burgers the size of your head, milkshakes of every flavor-" Pausing his hands for a moment, moving one to place over his heart, fluttering his eyes as he thought about the food. At Sage's comment, Owen raised his eyebrows at her. "There is no way I could get sick of you. Not ever." And that was beyond the truth, he cherished every moment he got to spend with them. Soaking it up and always looking to spend more time with Sage. So getting to see her this morning and knowing he would see her later tonight as well, he was beyond thrilled. "The more time spent with you, the better." Doing his best to keep his cheeks from tinting red once more. "It's going to be the best way to spend the rest of my way, hanging out with you." He added a few seconds later, his hands stilling for another movement. As he sat there, Owen could feel the night shift slowly catching up with him. Knowing that sooner or later he would need to get some sleep. Even though he didn't want to leave, wanted to keep sitting her and talking to them. "What time would work best for you tonight for dinner? I'm not doing anything rest of he day besides napping so I'm good for whenever."

[riddler-green]

Amor, amor, amor.

Summary: Edward has been considered the office outcast, the weakest link in the chain, but, if he's as invisible as he thinks he is, why are you looking at him?

a/n: Hi! this is my first fic in English, sooo apologies for any spelling mistakes, enjoy!

Warning: this fic is heavily inspired by The Riddler: Year One #1, obsessive behavior on the part of the reader and Edward, foul language, love at first sight, maybe a little cheesy.

Words: 8,200.

What is it that makes us valuable in the eyes of others?

It may be money, values, beauty, or anything.

But in this world loneliness has affected you, since you were born your desires are handed to you on a silver platter, anything can be yours. And with the social circle, you live with it's easy to fall, to be a spoiled and arrogant person.

Jewelry, fancy clothes, and brand name shoes, all your life you got used to that, that your only concern was what color you would wear for your nails this week. Everything seemed to be simpler, your mind enclosed in a bubble of glitter and pink, after all, you considered that you had a perfect life.

Well, until you met Bruce Wayne.

It was a one-in-a-million coincidence that you two met, it's even stranger that the two of you hit it off somehow, a very unique duo, he gave you a new perspective on the world, of Gotham, as you walked him through all the years where he figured out who he is and what he wants to do for the future of the city.

He practically burst your ideals, it's like he punctured your bubble and you came out, you realized what he meant. Then he started making it more formal, making his outfit, his weapons, and tools, he even made a whole lair where he would do his operations.

How you are trustworthy and practically his only friend told you after several months of thinking about it, you accepted it regardless of the consequences that would come in Bruce's life. You remember that night, you hugged your friend until your arms ached for all the trust he gave you, his secret will be safe with you, even though inside you worried too much. But how could you refuse? if it's to keep his legacy as he said, you weren't going to stop him.

Since then you have stopped seeing Bruce as often as you used to.

And it all seems so bland, even if you turned to Gotham's rich little group of young adults, it wasn't enough, it was all drab and dreary. You could easily die of boredom.

.・。.・゜✭・.・✫・゜・。.・。.・゜✭・.・✫・゜・。.

"Why don't you give work a chance, honey?" your father's voice is heard in the doorway of your room, bringing you back to reality, you stare at the fire in the fireplace. After so many introspections have made working not a condemnation for you, maybe in your spoiled past you would have thrown a tantrum for the simple fact of getting out of your comfort zone and working like any normal person, but now you lift your shoulders and just say "Okay".

"Great! They're hiring at KTMJ, just one call and you're done" You turn to see him pull out his phone "What if I want to get a job on my own?" The man shakes his head "You have to get experience first, my child! Besides I'll rest easy knowing you'll be in a safe environment" he exclaimed exasperated, maybe your parents were happy to have you working too.

You keep looking at him, he waits for an answer from you and you just stare at a fixed point on his face, do you need to work? The position you could fill is deserved by someone who is trying hard to get ahead, but you don't have many options anymore to get bored. "I understand father, I'll work as best I can" you reply looking back at the fire in the fireplace.

You hear him talking to someone you have no idea who it could be, but at the moment you just think that this new experience could be a good thing for you, you could stop depending on your family, you just hope to give a job worthy of the position they can give you.

.・。.・゜✭・.・✫・゜・。.・。.・゜✭・.・✫・゜・。.

You adjust your clothes as you walk up the stairs of the KTMJ building, today is your first day and you want to make a good impression. As you enter you notice the variety of people arriving and leaving the building. It's a small office complex compared to other skyscrapers, but you still like the detail of the logo on the elevator, you appreciate it as you walk up from floor to floor.

To your surprise, when the elevator opened, a lively and cheerful atmosphere greeted you, you see helium balloons and streamers on the ceiling along with company anniversary decorations, you perceive a group of well-dressed people talking happily, one of them notices you and jumps out of his seat to approach you.

"Wow! But look who's here!" a man in a sharp suit greets you, he has a sharp face and dark brown eyes with spiky hair like porcupine quills, you greet him back "Hello! Good afternoon I'm-" before you speak he interrupts you "Oh! no need for formal introductions! Call me Zach and I've already been informed of your arrival" he laughs offering his hand for a handshake, you take it warily but do so anyway.

"Zach, nice to meet you, um-" you take a moment to speak "If you already know who I am, then could you tell me where I can talk to Mr.Stone?".

"I'd be honored! Come, I'll walk with you" he walks deftly between the cubicles of the office, Zach guides you to a staircase, and going up to the second floor you observe the view that gives the height, from here you can see almost the entire office, half of the people are talking and dancing with drinks in hand and the other working in their cubicles as if it were another work day.

"Here it is Miss, and welcome" he opens an office door and then smiles with perfect teeth. "Thank you" you reply and enter the office.

.・。.・゜✭・.・✫・゜・。.・。.・゜✭・.・✫・゜・。.

Apparently, it's not enough for this office to celebrate the anniversary once, so when you come back the next day you find the same scenario, this time there's a lot more decoration and everyone is out of their cubicles.

Well, except for one.

You look at the back of the man sitting in his cubicle, absorbed in all the commotion and writing frantically on bead sheets.

Interesting, you think.

You'd like to approach him to ask what's got him sitting and working instead of partying with the others, but you'd rather give him his space, he may be working on something important.

You walk towards the stairs to get to your own office, Mr. stone offered it to you as a cordial gesture, after all, you are the daughter of the biggest partner of the company, and the favoritism is obvious, in a certain part, you dislike that you are given better treatment than the others.

"Well if it isn't my favorite girl!" you hear Zach shout moving closer to you, here we go again. "We just met Zach" you wave if you can call it that, unlocking the office door with a set of keys, the man in the blue suit stands to the side of you "Well that doesn't take away from the fact that you are" you open the door and Zach walks in behind you "You should come downstairs, there's a party going on right now!".

You turn on the light in the room "I'd rather stay here" you refuse and then sit down at your desk "I want to start working at once".

 "Oh! Please! You'll have fun! Besides, Edward is already covering those bills" You stopped the express cleaning you do to your desk "Who is Edward?".

Zach Snorted "The bespectacled weirdo" speaks, adjusting his black tie. A red flag goes up on the flagpole in your mind "Oh, I think I saw him when I got here."

Once Zach arranges his tie the way he likes it and turns to look at you "Believe me tell you he's a very weird guy, but he's extremely good at the job, that's why he hasn't been fired yet" he revealed as if it wasn't a big deal.

Formulas some questions, why is he considered a weirdo? why is he still here?

"I find it interesting, I'd like to meet him" you reply curiously. "Well, there will be a time for that, now you have to meet the others" he comments and you sigh as he is right, the best thing would be to meet most people.

.・。.・゜✭・.・✫・゜・。.・。.・゜✭・.・✫・゜・。.

You chatted with the group of friends of the man in the blue suit, who were drinking glasses of wine, and taking pictures to remember the party, they were nice to you. Zach, apparently the leader of the group is the one who talks most of the time, makes jokes, and tells anecdotes and in the end, everyone laughs at what he says. But you know perfectly well that kind of man like Zach, his leadership potential is good, but he lacks nobility, he even becomes quite egomaniacal with the comments of his recent promotion.

It's a good atmosphere, but for you, this is a waste of time.

"Hold on, I have some papers to serve" Zach informs walking away from the group, you notice the direction he's walking in and he stops at a cubicle. Curiosity prickles your skin, he must be talking to Edward, you unconsciously get up from your chair, one hand occupied by a plate of food, and head towards the same cubicle.

"You finish the Smelkison accounts?" you hear Zach's stoic voice directed at the person sitting at the desk. "Yes" speaks the man you can't see as Zach's stiff back prevents you from seeing him.

You walk faster until you reach the man in the blue suit "Hey! Hello!" you hold up a plate with the sandwich "I guess we haven't introduced ourselves..." you say finally looking at the face of the man in front of you, you stop talking slowly looking at every detail of him. Slightly tousled brown hair, a round face, smooth cheeks, and a normal build but you just can't look away, he catches your eye so much that you continue to stare in fascination as if you were appreciating a newly discovered work of art.

You look at Zach's face for a second. Is he blind? Can't he see the beauty of the man in front of his eyes?

On the other hand, the center of your attention doesn't respond to you, and thinks you're talking to someone else, causing you to get confused and decide to speak again "You're Edward, right?".

"He-hello" he stutters a little, forming a nervous smile, in response, you smile at his shyness. Zach looks at the interaction skeptically "Oh, my favorite snack" he takes the untouched plate in your hands and thanks you for instantly taking a bite, you frown slightly "Actually it was for Edward, a gift for helping with the...Smelkinson account?" you improvise an excuse.

Edward adjusts his glasses hiding his eyes from the reflection of the light "Thanks, but I'm not hungry". Your smile doesn't stop, on the contrary, it grows because of how adorable you find him "Wow, that's a pity, the food is delicious".

Edward doesn't respond to your comment, it's as if his voice stopped working in your presence, he looks down trying to concentrate on his work "I also finished other things like the Goodman divorce".

Zach stops eating his sandwich and puts it in one of the file cabinets "jeez, we don't need this until the end of the month" he speaks busily as you stand silently watching their interaction. "Sorry" apologized Edward in a low voice. "It's fine but let's keep this between us," says the man in the blue suit then turning to you "we need to get back".

"I'll catch up with you later" you reply, causing Zach to raise his eyebrow but he doesn't think twice before turning back to his entourage. You turn to look at Edward who is surprised that you caught him looking at you "Are you sure you don't want a snack?" you offer hoping he'll say yes.

He shakes his head, muttering a "No, thank you".

"Mmm, well, best of luck in your job, Edward" you wave goodbye and walk away from his cubicle, causing Edward to lower the papers he put halfway down his face to hide his nervousness.

.・。.・゜✭・.・✫・゜・。.・。.・゜✭・.・✫・゜・。.

Luck is something he doesn't have, not even a hint of it, but he feels that something changed in his destiny when you looked at him for the first time, as you noticed him among so many people and that's almost a historical fact, someone who notices him and doesn't ignore him like everyone else.

He knows you, how can he not? If everyone talks about you, about your upper-class position that gets you to put in a better cubicle than him, you just starting to work, he's been here for five years and he's still at his simple desk while you rise to the top. It's unfair, totally unfair, and the strange thing about it all is that you don't repulse him.

You dress just like Zach's friends, in fancy and expensive clothes, and he watches as you approach the group with a serene face, after a few minutes you look in their direction, and instead of grimacing or telling someone that Edweird is looking at you funny, you simply smile at them and make a peace sign.

He is too surprised, he looks away to return to the accounts on the table, numbers are his safe place where he knows the result of operations. But social relations? He doesn't know about that area, that's why he's completely confused, why do you smile at him? why do you treat him well? It must be because you are kind or you are faking it to hide your cruel personality.

Kindness, he never thought that existed in Gotham, it's not every day you see a pretty, rich girl offering him snacks and being empathetic, so he's suspicious of any decent gesture that comes his way.

Edward sighs, the day will soon be over.

.・。.・゜✭・.・✫・゜・。.・。.・゜✭・.・✫・゜・。.

You walk out of the KTMJ building as the dusk turns into a starless night, you slowly walk down the steps blowing on your hands, you shouldn't have forgotten your gloves. You see out of the corner of your eye Edward's brown hair on the bottom steps, and you can't help but want to talk to him.

"Goodbye Edward!" you yell at him and he turns around with a surprised face, you wave a hand as a goodbye with growing excitement, and he waves goodbye without saying anything to you, just slowly waving his hand as you do.

You consider it cute and even refreshing, a novel feeling arises in your whole being, you watch as he mingles through the dangerous streets of Gotham, perhaps on his way to the subway, and you worry about how dangerous the streets can be at this hour, next time you might take him home.

Wait, wait, wait, wait.

Are your cheeks hot? Does your heart race in his presence?

Oh, you should call Bruce.

.・。.・゜✭・.・✫・゜・。.・。.・゜✭・.・✫・゜・。.

 Zach arrives at your office with a couple of coffees from the nearest branch of the building, he greets you with a big smile and sits down in front of your desk handing you the coffee, you take a sip and quickly push away the paper cup with the hot coffee, you burn your tongue a little causing a disgusted look on your face. "Slow down" Zach chuckles and drank his hot coffee.

Jesus, how disgusting this guy is, someday he must realize that you have no interest in him, he keeps coming back to you to brag about his luxuries and cases he has solved alone. Maybe in other times, you would have been captivated by his neat appearance of a successful businessman, but being surrounded by people like that you ended up losing interest.

It's your second week here and you've only done basic things, but it's not all bad, the good thing is that from your office you can see Edward from your window. You don't care how creepy it sounds that you watch in your spare time a man who probably doesn't want anything to do with you.

"Look what I did" he hands you a folder, it was the Goodman case you heard about the second time you arrived, but you remember perfectly well that Edward worked on this case as well. "That's fantastic, all this research" you congratulate flipping through the accounts and papers with all the information "But, didn't Edward help you with this?".

At the mention of the other man his smile falters "Yeah, well, he did the numbers part, but I did everything else!". You close the folder, this job is Edward's, not his, no matter how assertively he lies, you won't fall into his trap.

"Tell them Edward helped you" you hand the folder back to him. "But-" he objects, however, he watches your serious face and it cowed him, he doesn't forget who you are "Okay."

He leaves your office and you wait a moment, when a few minutes pass you quickly walk over to the only window in the room to watch Edward for a while, but what you find is Zach talking to him, your blood boils every time he talks to the man with the clear glasses, are you the only one who realizes that the idiot Zach is taking advantage of Edward? maybe some people realize it because of how obvious it is, but no one does anything.

You will change that.

.・。.・゜✭・.・✫・゜・。.・。.・゜✭・.・✫・゜・。.

"What?" Mindy, who you think is a female version of Zach, stopped looking at herself in her hand mirror to look directly at you. "I said," you clear your voice, "Do you know Edward Nashton?"

The woman rolls her eyes and turns back to her mirror "He's one of Zach's minions" she says applying red lipgloss. "Come on Mindy" you sit down next to her "you must know something more about him".

"Why so much interest, mmh?" she asks with a suspicious tone. You knew I'd ask you, are you willing to give up this intimate secret to the most gossipy woman in the office?

"I think he's handsome" you confess swallowing your distrust, with the crush you're suffering you need want to know everything about Edward.

Mindy starts laughing, however, when you don't follow her laughter, she instantly stops "Are you serious?". You shake your head in affirmation, Mindy's mouth drops open, totally taken off guard by the fact, "Wow, I mean, I didn't think that was your type”.

You set your sights on something other than Mindy, you get a little shy talking about these topics out loud "He's cute and very dedicated to his work."

"Well, if you say so" he keeps his mirror in his bag "Actually, Nashton is a very mysterious person, I mean, he hardly hangs out with anyone in the office, apparently he's really into crossword puzzles and that shit, all the time I see stuff like that wasted all over his desk."

Satisfied with the little she gave you, you point to her "Don't tell anyone what I told you" you just hope your secret isn't revealed before you try to move forward with Edward.

Your co-worker smiles "Relax!" she gets up from her chair "Your secret is safe with me!" she assures you before leaving the room.

You doubt it.

.・。.・゜✭・.・✫・゜・。.・。.・゜✭・.・✫・゜・。.

 Edward arrives at work at exactly 7 am when there is almost no one in the office, he likes to be early so he can be alone with his work, without the need to listen to Zach's irritating voice giving him folder after folder of new cases, however when he gets to his desk he finds something.

"1001 Sudokus to solve!" 

He picks up the little book and looks at it with fascination, looking around for someone who might have left it there. 

But he's alone... isn't he?.

He looks towards the stairs, on the second floor, and watches the shutters of one of the offices close quickly, if he remembers correctly, yours. Was it you? Did you give him this? He sits down at his desk and picks up his red pen to start the sudoku on the first page, while he solves it without difficulty he thinks of you.

He's skeptical, he can't help it, it must be a joke on you and Zach, it can't be a gift, it's a joke, just that, but as he finishes his first sudoku he imagines you leaving him this book with joy in your eyes, that he's not a joke on you.

He hears some footsteps from the iron steps, he turns up and finds you in front of him "Good morning Edward" you smile at him already close by in his cubicle. "Good morning" he reciprocates the greeting ducking his head, he had already seen too many pictures of you last night, but when he is next to you he just freezes.

"I heard you like crossword puzzles" you laugh "but I couldn't find one of those, so" you sit in a chair with desk casters near him "I chose Sudoku."

"You gave it to me?" he speak hesitantly filling in the boxes with numbers. "Yes!" you confess with unconscious enthusiasm.

"Why?" he didn't mean to sound so confused but he can't help it, that thorn in his head telling him that he doesn't deserve any of this too he wonders the same thing Why, why are you giving him a gift?

"Because I want to, someone should thank you for the cases Zach took, right?" you replied cheerfully even though you worry inside, doesn't he like the gift? Does he find it strange?

"What?" he abruptly stops solving his sudoku, he looks at you with utmost surprise, what did you just say? "Nothing" you quickly get up and walk away saying "have a nice day".

Edward stares at your figure as you climb the stairs again, that you're back to the top again, he should hate you, but he can't, nor does he want to. The gears in his head turn to come up with a workable answer, you're not like them, his smug superiors, he smiles slowly, he didn't get a chance to thank you for the gift. Edward thinks about what he should do, he could go upstairs and thank you directly but he also thinks that this situation needs to be cleared up once and for all.

He needs to know if you're playing him, if he trusts you even for a second, you'll probably show up laughing with Zach and his group over poor naive Edward who believed in you.

.・。.・゜✭・.・✫・゜・。.・。.・゜✭・.・✫・゜・。.

 Mr. Stone looks at you as if you grew another eye on your forehead, yes, your request was more than unexpected, he adjusted his glasses and keeps his usual gesture of seriousness "Are you sure?

You are sitting in front of his desk with a chair, and you notice the various newspaper pictures on the walls, you don't have time to read them and you focus on Mr. stone "More than sure, I don't deserve an office if I'm only given simple tasks" It wasn't enough to just watch Edward anymore, you want more, and being up there with the others, it just takes you away from him.

The man sighs "But you can't go down to the cubicles where the others are, Miss" Your smile disappears at his reply "Why not?".

Mr.stone leans back in his chair "Well, your father insisted on a better environment for you, and believe me the second floor is the best section for that".

"I'll tell my father that I chose to be downstairs, he doesn't have to worry about that" you see Mr.stone's tired face with clear signs of wear and tear, but he still tries to give you a good deal. "okay, we'll give you a new cubicle". 

You give a little jump of joy inside you, and outwardly you smile determinedly "In fact, I know where I want to settle down."

.・。.・゜✭・.・✫・゜・。.・。.・゜✭・.・✫・゜・。.

 "Hi Edward!" you drop your files into your new cubicle, a freshly cleaned desk just for you, your expression of joy is hard to hide, how did you not think of switching cubicles before?

Edward jumps at the noise, looks at you a little startled then asks "What are you doing?".

"I'll be your neighbor, isn't that wonderful?" you sit down in a desk chair, and put your post-it notes in one of the drawers naturally, while Edward continues to process what you said. "What happened to your office?" he asks again.

"Well, I decided it's better to work directly with others than to lock myself in four walls" that's not entirely a lie, but you know the reason you came down is beside you, anxiously waving his red pen.

"Makes sense" Edward opines further accepting the idea that you'll be by his side for quite some time, he's not ready yet. in the meantime you smile at him relieved, he thinks it's no wonder you sit specifically near him, another bullet dodged.

The two of them remain silent, which you don't mind, you suppose Edward must be quite introverted and that's why you don't force him to chat if he doesn't want to.

"The sudoku you gave me..." he started to speak but looked down at the papers on his desk "I liked it, thank you very much."

"Ah!" His thank you catches you off guard, your cheeks start to hurt as much as you smile "It's nothing! I hope it wasn't too hard for you."

Edward smiles back "I figured it all out in less than an hour, it was entertaining." You are surprised by what he said "Really?" Edward nods his head with an approving hum "That's brilliant" you reply delightedly.

"You think?" his cheeks heat up forming a slight flush, when was the last time someone complimented him? this feeling is so unfamiliar to him, it's simply scorching, but also addictive.

"Yeah!" you laugh as you slowly come up next to him to talk closer "I take to do one, like, a half hour and you finish the whole book!".

Edward chuckles, flashing his smile strange to others, but to you captivating "It's not that hard."

"How cool" you flatter him again, and you look at his face closely, how sometimes most of the time his glasses hide his eyes from the sun or the glare, you'd like to see those green eyes more, get lost in them and never go back, wouldn't that be wonderful?

Edward opens his mouth to speak again but a call stops him "Nashton!".

Your smile fades. Why does Zach have to butt in where he's not wanted?

Zach stopped in front of Edward's desk with some files in hand.

"Look at this" gives you a new folder, from the perspective of your view you see the title of the file -New Beginnings, animal rescue-.

"What happened to Goodman account that was here?" Edward questions receiving the folder giving Zach an indecipherable look.

"Oh, I decided to hand it over, after all, they're impressed with how fast we work" he informs holding up his hand with his thumb, you roll your eyes inquiringly.

Edward's face softens to a completely reflective one, still staring at Zach... <we>?

"So you told them that Edward did most of the work, right?" Zach is surprised to hear your voice, he didn't notice you when he came to give Edward the files, he turns in your direction and smiles with that fake face "Yes, I did."

You narrow your eyes in extreme distrust, he's most likely lying, but you'll give him the benefit of the doubt. "What are you doing here, by the way?" the suited man ignores Edward's glare at him.

"I moved my desk, I'll leave the office to give it to you" to Zach's eyes it seems like a nice act but the truth is it's a sign that you want him as far away from Edward and you as possible.

"Aw! You shouldn't have done that!" she replies in a cloying voice that makes you want to bust your eardrums if you hear it again.

"I insist, keep it."

Edward stays in the background of their conversation, ducking low enough not to turn around and watch you talk to Zach like he's your friend. "I need you to look at this file, it's something from upstairs, they need it urgently so they gave it to me" Zach informs him again, god, this job will kill Edward someday.

.・。.・゜✭・.・✫・゜・。.・。.・゜✭・.・✫・゜・。.

 You look at Edward again, and you think you might consider him your new hobby, however, you are worried that something is wrong with him. Another nice thing you find about him is that when it's time to work, he nimbly moves his hand and answers the boxes on the charts, he takes the time to look at each receipt for evidence and compares each bill to find a discrepancy. It's as if he's so focused on just that that everything else gets put on the back burner.

You can't get enough of seeing him like this, but it's getting late and you're practically alone in the office. You tap him on the shoulder and shake him gently and call out, "Edward?

Edward comes out of his trance, he looks around and finds the office about to close, but he also finds you there, right next to him "Yes?" he looks at you a bit dazed.

"It's late, let's go" you put on your coat for the cold and settle in your chair already standing up. Heeding you he gets up from his seat and puts on his coat and backpack "I didn't notice the time, did you also work late? 

"I finished my work early" you declare walking towards the elevator, and Edward follows you "I was just waiting for you."

The elevator closes, you inhale the cold air, and you see Edward who similarly watches you and just smiles. "How long have you been here?" you start a conversation, averting your gaze at the speed of light, seeing the logo plastered on one of the walls of the elevator instead of Edward's smile that could blind you if you stare at it too long.

Edward adjusts his glasses "Five years" he replies somewhat embarrassed, at this point he knows you won't make fun of him, but he still has that thorn in his side.

"That's a lot" you reply "You deserve better".

"I don't think so," he says hiding his hands in his coat, "I'm not capable enough to be promoted."

"Edward please" you speak almost angrily, not at him, but at the people who made him feel this way "I've seen your notes and let me tell you they're great, you're talented."

Edward looks into your eyes, looking for some lie you can give him, if this were a dream, he doesn't want to wake up, he shyly pulls his hands out of his coat and gives himself a little pinch, he feels the pain, he's awake.

That's all I wanted to hear from someone, but now that he has you in front of him he doesn't know how to take it, no, don't fall for it Edward, it's a game of yours, everything you're saying must be a joke, after all, it's not the first time someone plays with his happiness.

Meanwhile, your head is burning for not knowing what to say, you have so many things to confess to Edward, the urgent need to tell him that he looks great in that plaid shirt, or that his hairstyle makes him look incredibly handsome, so many options but you decide to keep them to yourself.

The elevator goes down to the first floor when the doors open Edward gets out first almost running but you stop him "Edward, you're going to the subway right?".

"Yeah, are you going too?" he asks innocently and you almost say yes just to tag along, but you have a better idea.

"Oh no, I have a car" you look at the watch on your wrist "It's late enough and it might be dangerous, I can give you a ride home, if you want" you pose crossing your fingers internally, you hoped it wouldn't sound so weird your proposal.

Edward could pass out right there, this all sounds like a romantic movie I used to watch when the orphanage had a worn-out TV but it worked "I don't want to be a bother".

You gasp "Impossible!" you reach over and grab his arm "I would never think something like that."

.・。.・゜✭・.・✫・゜・。.・。.・゜✭・.・✫・゜・。.

 All Edward thought as he looked at the streets of Gotham was that all is lost, desolate, and full of evil, he examined the people silently on their paths to the subway, as he blended into the crowd of god-forsaken people.

But now he's sitting in a beautiful carriage next to you.

The streets are still the same, and the people are still there, yet he rejoices in the privilege of not being on his way to the disastrous subway, that he doesn't have to put up with gangsters bothering office workers like him.

One thing is obvious, he hates your kind, he loathes them with all his being, all the while wondering if there is hope in this life, and it seems that fate has answered him.

Yes, there is hope, and it's you.

And he admits it in the depths of his being, the attention you give him scares him a little, it must be something normal for people to treat each other like that, with kindness and respect, but you make him feel special and that makes him not want to get away from you, he craves that attention little by little.

You look out of the corner of your eye at Edward who is contemplating the view from the passenger window, once again absorbed in his thoughts, what a cute thing to do, you did not regret it taking him home.

Once your father told you when you were little that someday a rich man would give you a great life and you wouldn't have to worry about anything else, that you wouldn't have to lift a finger for your husband to give you everything you want.

But now? You wanted nothing more than to give Edward that comfortable life. Oh, Edward had you wrapped around his finger and didn't know it.

"What are you thinking about?" Zach spoke to you sitting comfortably in his new office, next to another colleague whose name you don't know but they were chatting about trivial things, Edward was keeping busy doing his work and you didn't want to interrupt him, so now you are here.

"Edward should be promoted" you replied looking straight at him "I should mention it to Mr.stone".

The man in the blue suit laughs "Come on honey, Nashton doesn't have what it takes for this position".

"And you have what it takes?" you ask him with some distaste, you're not his honey.

"Uh, yes" he still laughs and the girl next to you laughs along with him "But well, I don't want to talk about him anymore, have you been to Paris?" he expertly changes the subject to which your companion replies.

Without answering his question you leave the office, but unexpectedly the office door opens unexpectedly.

A somewhat dejected and uneasy Edward enters the room so quickly that Zach is startled, shouting "Jesus!".

"Edward?" you speak to him and he turns to look at you and smiles softly, raises his hand in greeting, and turns to Zach.

"Uh, can I have a word?" Edward murmur to the man in the blue suit who reluctantly gets up and follows him toward the exit.

You sigh, Edward looks good in anything he wears "what are they talking about?" you say quietly.

"Who cares?" replies the other woman in the room.

"I care."

.・。.・゜✭・.・✫・゜・。.・。.・゜✭・.・✫・゜・。.

 Walking down the stairs towards your desk, Zach runs in the opposite direction down the stairs past you and ignores you "I'm taking you upstairs with me, Rain Man!" he yells excitedly.

Oh, so he must mean Edward since he gave him that nickname recently. Back in your cubicle, you pick up a piece of paper from the floor and hand it to Edward, who has disorganized his desk.

"Did you find anything?" you put the paper on his desk, Edward nods his head with clear happiness, starting to tell you in detail about the discrepancy between accounts, and various financial terms confused you, but seeing him so cheerful talking numbers makes you so happy you just listen to him.

"You're so smart Edd," you said without filters in your mouth, you open your eyes in surprise realizing how you said it, in a gawking tone.

"Tha-thank you" he takes his red pen that has black ink in it and starts playing with it.

You sit stiffly clearing your throat to look more decent "I hope they notice your effort."

You and Edward stare at each other as if it were a staring contest, you both smile comfortably together, he squirms with happiness at the compliments you usually give him, and on the other hand, just the fact of making him smile delights you.

You hear a noise coming from the second floor, Zach energetically descends the stairs and Edward approaches him still maintaining his excitement.

"What did they say?" asks Edward without batting an eye, Zach grabs his shoulder with an unconvincing smile.

"He said it was probably nothing" the man in the suit informs and Edward's eyes widen in surprise "What? But-" he tries to speak but Zach stops him, "He said it was a mistake, but it was a good job! He even bought me lunch!" he starts to walk away to start walking up the stairs "Don't worry! I've got it from here, bud"

"But!-" Edward shouts but Zach no longer hears him, his serious countenance turned to disappointment, again he was ignored, standing there, static and beginning to darken his mind, a formulated hatred, screaming internally in his conscience for the time he invested in analyzing the account.

"Idiot" you whisper looking towards Zach's office, you have to do something to make them notice Edward's effort, you pick up your bag and walk over to the man still standing there "Let's get something to eat, Eddie"

He comes out of his trance and feels your arm touching his "Yes, let's go".

.・。.・゜✭・.・✫・゜・。.・。.・゜✭・.・✫・゜・。.

 "So, what do you think?" Edward asks your opinion on his plan to talk to Mr.stone. "It won't work, trust me" you comment eating a French fry as you see Edward in front of you, the two of them standing in a booth at the nearest diner in the office, a place set in the eighties with a menu with plenty of burgers and sodas "He'll just tell you it's a mistake, but I know it's not".

Edward looks at you in confusion, eating his food and thinking that you are right about his could-be plan being in vain.  But he doesn't know what to do to make his work stand out or at least get an explanation as to why his discovery was a mistake.

Clicking his tongue quickly, you noticed, this whole thing is fixed, if that investigation is done in depth there will be a danger for everyone involved, it was expected that Mr. stone dismissed the case without much thought.

This company could be up to dirty tricks and that's what you fear the most, is your father involved too? It's time for you to do your investigation.

"What goes up and doesn't come back down?" Edward asks shyly, it's like he's testing the waters with you.

 "Is it a riddle?" you smile stopping eating to turn your attention to Edward who shrinks back in his seat "Don't you like them?" he says unsure, nodding you told him "Yes, but I'm not that good" you shift restlessly around in your seat, trying to hide how elated you are, it seems like the two of you are a couple on a date.

"Your age".

Your naive fantasies are distorted back to reality "what?".

"That's the answer to the riddle" he comments taking a bite of his food "They're not that hard, it's just a matter of thinking about it."

"You make it sound so simple" you laugh wiping your mouth with a napkin "I'd rather you tell me the answer."

When you are next to Edward, that self-critical part of him that puts him off disappears, you make him feel like he is normal, in that he doesn't have to hide his personality and you pay close attention to him when he talks about his crosswords, he is starting to enjoy your company, he has fallen, he is so weak to your charms, he takes a sip of his drink and nods his head, he will tell you the answer to every riddle he knows.

.・。.・゜✭・.・✫・゜・。.・。.・゜✭・.・✫・゜・。.

It's two in the morning when the ringtone of your cell phone rings, you raise your arm lazily to reach it from your bedside table "Who is calling?" you ask with a sleepy voice, whoever it is you were going to hang up the call in less than a second if it wasn't because you heard Edward's voice calling your name frantically.

"Eddie? Eddie! what's wrong?" your eyes widen in alarm, leaving your tired mode to a worried one "Are you okay?".

"I saw them!" he shouts through the call, you pick up the sound of the rain and the city in the background "I saw them all!".

You get out of bed and put on a sleeping robe, still holding the phone to your ear, "Where are you?" you grab your car keys and head for the front door of your apartment.

"I...I" stop talking making you worry more "I'm outside the iceberg Longue!".

"I'm on my way, don't hang up please".

.・。.・゜✭・.・✫・゜・。.・。.・゜✭・.・✫・゜・。.

 "Sorry " Edward muttered sitting on the floor, warming himself near the fireplace in your new apartment, like emancipation from your parent's house. 

You take your time drying her hair with a towel and hum softly, you dreamt of this before, the two of you sitting there appreciating the warm fire and holding each other to feel the warmth of each other, but you didn't want things to happen this way, you have so many questions to ask, what happened, what did Edward see to put her in that state? You decide not to ask that for the moment.

"What are you apologizing for?" you whisper to him gently, not wanting to overwhelm him any more than he already is.

"I disturbed you in the middle of the night" she speaks softly cringing trying to dry herself more with the towel she has covering her entire body.

"Listen Eddie" you finish drying his hair and sit down next to him, the two of you on the floor near the fireplace for warmth, seeing his distressed face you reply "I would never think you were a bother, on the contrary, I'm so glad you called me."

Edward is still silent, the iceberg lounge event still haunts him, making his thoughts turn to mush and behave so shyly "Why are you doing this?" he asked sharply, he doesn't know whether to trust you anymore, he saw his boss talking to a criminal, you may even be in on it, he just wants some peace or else his mind would explode. 

Their gazes meet, your cheeks get so hot you could be mistaken for having a fever, and you have an inexplicable fear of confessing your love for Edward, of telling him that you want to give him the whole world without it sounding like an exaggeration.

"I like you" you confess, expecting a negative reaction, but you only hear Edward's voice crack "really?".

"Yes," you let out a nervous laugh at how impressed he is "do I need to say that again?".

Of course, Edward is still not speaking and you take his hands "Edward Nashton" you move closer until your face is inches away from his "I like you".

"You..." he muttered closing his eyes and squeezing your hands, he's hurting, he's terrified of all of this, that it's not real, he's just telling the truth.

You repeated "I like you" to him, enduring the small pain he makes by squeezing your hands tightly.

He starts to cry, an impulse of such strong emotions he feels at the same time, a catharsis that makes his eyes blur and he just sobbed in front of you, no one had ever said such words to him that he feels it's all too good to be true, Edward doesn't feel worthy enough of your love.

But you just look at him anyway, letting him cry whatever he wants, knowing that he's not ready to say the same words to you yet, you don't mind wiping the small residue of tears on his cheeks "Do you want some water?" you offer in a calm voice, Edward shakes his head and says "Stay".

You pull him close to your body and they embrace, you can feel the warmth of his sturdy body and you notice that you prefer that warmth to the warmth of the fireplace.

You smelled Edward's chest as he kept hugging you, they were like that for so long that you forgot the minutes that passed.

You smile still crushing your face by his collarbone, there are so many things going through your mind, a total devotion that you want to give to Edward so he is safe and doesn't have to live in more danger, when you sniff his shirt you perceive the smell of the humidity caused by the rain, remembering the reason why he is here "What happened Eddie?" you talk to him with clear concern when he called you, he was very scared and you were afraid of what could have happened to him in those parts of the city.

Edward is silent and just keeps staring at the fire in the fireplace with a sign of fear, why even he can't process what he saw, Zach and Mr. stone at the entrance of the club along with a criminal who several days ago was on trial. He almost threw up in disgust, why are they there, what were they doing? You don't want to imagine all the things they did in that club, the image you had of the boss was shattered into a thousand pieces, the faces of those people merged with the mud puddles on the dirty floor, and on autopilot, you grabbed your cell phone and called you.

"Nothing," he says hoping it sounded convincing but it wasn't, you pull away from the embrace and look into his eyes, seeing through his glasses and you notice him bewildered, stunned.

"Tell me the truth."

Even so with the confession of love you gave him doubt, inside his being he has an immense terror of you making fun of him for how he took a simple shameless situation.

"Did they do something to you? " this time your meek voice was changed to an angry "Did they hurt you?" just the thought of someone touching a hair on his head makes you angry.

"No, no, no" he replied "Remember that case I told you about a few days ago?".

It takes you a few seconds to remember which case he was talking about " about the animal rescue?".

"Yes, I....." he gulps "I saw Zach and Mr.stone with one of the people involved."

You open your eyes full of surprise at Edward's statement, to this point it wasn't a crazy thing to happen "Shit."

"Yeah" he nods "Something's going on and it's not very good" he opines and you couldn't agree with him more, jeez, Edward just uncovered a sewer of fucking KMTJ corruption. "Damn" you curse still in shock. "Did they see you?" you ask.

"No, they didn't even notice me."

"Good" you snort "I also noticed something weird is going on" Edward hums with affirmation, he shudders at everything that happened in one night, he shouldn't have gone to that animal shelter.

"Hey, don't worry" you whisper touching her cheek "it's going to be okay".

Edward feels your warm palm, and closes his eyes softly absorbing all the affection you give him, he never thought he would have such genuine contact with another person, for the first time in his life, he feels he's not alone anymore. But that soft feeling starts to mix with something darker, he spent five years working for an idiot who only takes advantage of his talent. Something new emerges in him, but he doesn't know how to name it, it's only a matter of time before his mind becomes clear.

✧˖°. Thank you very much for reading. And again, an apologize for any errors! My ao3 ✧˖°.