#people hate too much on Viola

[fazuellibutbayonetta]

Viola redesign?

Yes

I'm not sure what exactly she is - because while I really like the "She's a Bayojeanne kid" side of things, I also love the theory/headcanon made by @leolithe (original post!) that Viola is actually just an amalgamation of all the people Bayo knows and loves - Rodin, Jeanne, Luka, Enzo, Loki, so on and so forth - so I ended up making two lore bombs under the cut to go along with both, since I couldn't decide on just one

Viola being a Bayojeanne Kid

With Viola being a Bayojeanne kid, I could see a "Possesed/Kidnapped by the Fae" situation going on with her

If you're like me, you didn't like Singularity. Hell, if you're truly like me you hated Singularity. Which is why I'm benching him from his villain pedestal in favor of the Fae.

Fae are much more compelling villains, and if the Cereza and The Lost Demon Cereza is the same Cereza as Bayonetta 3, then I'm pretty fucking sure the Fae are itching for revenge.

Aaaaaand what better revenge on a witch than to take her cub away?

And that's what happened - once Bayo and Jeanne had their little baby girl the rebel coalition of Faeries started plotting on how to steal her away. They probably have agents or spies to keep tabs on them, and once Viola was idk maybe a young teenager - they came in and snatched her away right under her mothers' noses.

The Faeries plan wasn't to just replace Viola with a Fae double - that would be too mild to be proper revenge for what Cereza did to them - so instead they settled for transforming Viola into a Fae, so she would never return to her mothers at all.

...but they failed to realize that not only were they messing with Umbra Witch MOTHERS, they were also messing with an Umbra Witch CHILD.

Cereza and Jeanne at least have some self control over themselves and their magic. Viola had a whooping total of none, zero, negative, she was a ball of chaos and untamed demonic potential - she was arguably worse than child Cereza ever HOPED TO BE, and that's how a portion of Avalon Forest dissapeared in one night 💀.

But to make things clear, what happened was that Viola was able to stop the Fae ritual before they could complete it - and then proceeded to cause massive chaos on the Avalon Forest while trying to get out, only for Cereza and Jeanne to come in, rescue her and trash the remaining Faeries like they were in a Rage Room.

However, some effects from the Fae ritual still were present in Viola, and it didn't matter how much they tried to, it wouldn't come off - so Viola had to learn to live as a 1/3 Fae from then on. Which, as far as Viola is concerned, if having a very powerful Fae form and a sick ass hair and face mark is living as a 1/3 Fae, then she's good with it lmao

And yes, due to the ritual being stopped at about halfway, it caused Viola to have this angry looking dark purple mark on her face - her purple hair strands aren't painted, it's just because the face marking seeped into her hair and made it into THAT. She thinks it's cool tho :)

Viola being an amalgamation of all the people Cereza loves/loved (Fae creation)

With Viola being an amalgamation of Cereza's memories created by the Fae, I can see her as being meant to be a weapon that chose to not be a weapon

In this scenario, I can see Viola being meant to be a counter attack against Cereza - "the only one who can defeat me is myself" and all that - essentialy, a glorified clone.

The Fae used up all their knowledge gathered about Cereza and her family circle, and crafted Viola based on those people and memories. She has everything - Jeanne's volatile/short fuse nature, Balder's flair for dramatics, Luka's determination, Rodin's resourcefulness, even Enzo's goofyness and Rosa's agility and steadiness, Loki's sassy behavior and desire for independence, and most importantly, Cereza's power.

She was born and bred to be the perfect anti-Cereza weapon, capable of blocking any and all her attacks, and counter them accordingly - but with how many people were used to make her, her mind is a jumble of feelings and memories that are not her own at all, and they influence her in ways the Fae didn't imagine it would.

Cereza's love for her mom, the memories of the sadness over not being able to rescue her, her love for Jeanne, how she considers Enzo, Luka and Rodin as her family and would do anything to protect them, all of her experiences and feelings and memories - Viola feels all, she knows everything, for fuck's sake she can hear Cereza's heart bleeding for these people - and she can't find it in herself to ever turn her hand against them, she feels too much, she's too soft. She also feels for Cereza too, how could she not, when she was made from her?

However, as much as she has Cereza's memories and feelings, she slowly begins to wish for her own self, to not be a weapon or a clone or just another Fae, but Viola, her own person with her own feelings and her own experiences. Which is what drives her to reach out for Cereza and her family as a call for help (the gang probably adopt her as a collective but she only calls Cereza [and maybe Jeanne] Mom)

The facial markings and hair are from the fact that while she is quite the outstanding creation, she's still both a Fae and an imperfect copy. Viola is not human, or Umbra (her ability to activate Witch Time comes from Cereza's memories, not really from a natural place within herself), she is and will always be Fae until the day she's dead, and she's not a perfect carbon copy of Cereza either - she has her own emotions and reactions that are wildly different from Cereza herself.

Another thing that is worth mentioning, is that one of the reasons Viola couldn't find it in herself to attack any of Cereza's family might be because she was made from the people she loved - love was the key in the equation, if the Fae had made Viola using only what Cereza hated (angels for example) chances are they would have a much more effective but volatile weapon (Viola evil counterpart maybe 👀?)

Aaaaand that's it for Viola for now, I must say I prefer the Amalgamation!Viola tho gotta love experiments that learn to be human 😍

[sagesbard]

I'm bored and it's like 2 am I got work in 4 hours but we ain't sleeping chat🔥🔥🗣️🗣️ so here's some Mouthwashing Head canons!

Captain Curly🎉

100% was a performing arts kid in Highschool either band or orchestra, probably played the viola or was in pit for marching band.

Only child but always wanted siblings.

Did college for 2 years then dropped out, he originally wanted to be an astronomy teacher but couldn't afford the tuition.

Back on earth he's a frequent gym rat. Not one of those annoying gym bros but he goes often.

Has a Scottish or some kind of accent.

He hates places that are super humid because they make his hair puff up like no tomorrow.

Smells like citrus and oak aftershave.

Anya🌟

She did theatre in highschool but was on tech crew.

Before pony Express she was a teachers aid for a kindergarten class. It didn't pay enough so she got on the ship in hopes it would pay for her nursing school.

She's an amazing cook. She can cook but not bake the last time she baked she burnt it so bad she thought it caught on fire.

I can't explain it but I feel like she has a small southern accent don't @ me guys.

Grew up in Tennessee she has three siblings she's the oldest out of all of them.

Both her parents worked which put her in a motherly role which is why it's sort of a default for her.

She sees Daisuke as a little brother.

Smells like the strawberry pound cake perfume from bed bath and body works.

Daisuke🌺

He had braces from 6th grade to his junior year of highschool.

He did art in highschool.

He got his Hawaiian shirt from his older sister when she went off to college.

He has one older sister.

He paints his nail occasionally.

A GOD at DDR (Dance dance revolution) and nobody can convince me otherwise.

100% worked at an arcade before joining the pony Express.

Sees Anya as an older sister.

His parents always asked why he couldn't be more like his sister.

He smells like the sugar sweet perfume from Victoria's secret.

No accent but he's from LA California.

Jimathan

Smells like axe body spray and sweat.

Doesn't wash his clothes until he can smell it.

Has had the same shoes for 4 years.

A firm believer in 5 second rule.

Only child but was okay with that.

Was never told no as a kid.

Hiiiii I hope y'all enjoyed this first run though of mouthwashing head canons! If you have any requests PLEASE drop me some. I'll do NSFW but I will not write NSFW for swansea or anything for jimmy. I can do platonic stuff for swansea just not romantic he looks too much like my dad guys :/ ANYWAYS I hope y'all have a good day/night be good people 💗💗

[raconteur-wanpi]

I know you like Reiju- thoughts about how Sanji sees her in others? i realized while rereading Dressrosa that she and Viola are actually very similar characters, having to unwillingly become a villain to save themselves and their family, working for a person and a cause she hates because she doesn’t have another choice, and I thought maybe Sanji might’ve seen that in her too.

Oh absolutely! I think about how often Sanji sees Reiju in other people constantly, especially women under the control of violent men.

There's a really good post going around, talking about Sanji's treatment of Nami and Robin, when they each respectively "turned" on the Strawhats in Arlong Park and Enies Lobby. He says something along the lines of "a woman has her reasons to lie"; he shows a lot of understanding towards their need to project themselves as "villains" in order to save what is dear to them.

And yes, part of it is the way he perceives women in general, but part of it is also the sister he grew up with. A girl who had to lie and perform cruelty in order to be spared from violence, the violence that Sanji himself was a victim of. He was ABSOLUTELY shaped by that experience, and the way he perceives """cruel""" women.

Viola is a really good example of this, too, yes! And he doesn't do this with every woman he meets either! He's able to read them and tell. He didn't do this with Black Maria for example, there wasn't any performance to her villany. So it's not just a "Sanji-ism". You're definitely onto something.

Pudding is another good example, of course. But to me, an element of this I've never seen anyone talk about is how Sanji treats children.

Yes, on the one hand, he treats all of them pretty nicely, and even when he's rough, it's in a similar way Zeff would have been on him. Think of his lines about the children of Elbaph, how they were "raised with love and care" and how he gets mad at Luffy for berating them for that. But despite that, he can be a bit more rough with young boys; think about how he clashed with Momonosuke often. He wasn't afraid to call him a little brat or scold him.

But Sanji with little girls? He's so protective. The way he acted around Toko specifically, is kind of ingrained in my brain. There's that little extra bit of animation in the anime, where he holds her head close to his chest when she cries to comfort her. I can't help but wonder if he sees his sister in her. They're nothing alike in personality, yes, but when Sanji knew Reiju, she was also a young and resilient little pink-haired girl who was living in fear. Idk, maybe it's a reach, but it's an interesting reading to me!

And as always, let me clarify that I don't think Sanji doesn't have feelings of frustration about Reiju's treatment of him. But that inner conflict is probably exactly why he understands women who are similar to her so much. If she had protection back then, maybe she wouldn't have been afraid, and thus she wouldn't have been forced to treat him that way. It's a weird mix of self-preservation and love for the one person that was, in limited ways, kind to him. In the end he is definitely grateful to her, and he does see her as the only family he actually has left in Germa. And part of me wonders if he feels guilty that she was left behind, and maybe the way he acts towards those who remind him of her, are a way to retroactively thank someone he wasn't able to.

[k3nz1ekorn]

Jayvik actor au- "This isn't my bedroom?"

Shooting continues at the lot, production is finally ramping up and our beloved actors Vlad and Joel get to talk a bit more. Part 2 chronologically in the au.

Character cheat sheet: Vi-Viola, Cait-Cathrin, Mel-Miah, Savannah- Sevika, Sky- Skyler, Powder/Jinx-Piper, Ekko-Elijah

Disclaimer: I know nothing about professional acting or studios, lot setup, etc. I will not be looking things up while writing this so if you notice something is blatantly wrong leave a comment about it! This is purely self indulgent and fics will probably be posted out of chronological order in the timeline. (If I write enough I’ll make a timeline list of them tho)

It was obvious to anyone with eyes that Vlad had a busy schedule. Between shooting for arcane and his other projects he was on the production lot practically 24/7 this week. It was mostly other roles he’d booked that he was shooting this week since basically all of his scenes in Arcane involved Joel, who was turning out to be quite the busy man. They’d barely spoken since their first official meeting and none of it had even been to run lines! He was a bit worried about that specifically. They were both good actors, but that on screen chemistry didn’t always come naturally. It was always good to practice, he thought as he absently massaged a knot in his thigh. It was only in these early hours that he really had time to himself, time to just exist as he is, to not think about his lines or how to say them, and especially not to think about any of his co-stars. It wasn’t that he hated them, quite the opposite actually. The ones he’d met so far he gets along with very well, even joining them for lunch when his schedule allows it. They’re people he could actually see himself enjoying the company of outside of work. He makes a mental note to invite them all out for drinks this weekend, the ones that were going to be in town for it that is. The problem with his co-stars was actually a singular person, one with striking golden eyes and a face Vlad is sure was sculpted by the gods themselves with the explicit intent to taunt him. 

The brunette squeezed his eyes shut and brought his mug up off the table to take a long sip of his coffee, to distract his wandering mind. He wasn’t going to think about Joel right now. This was his me time, not fantasizing about his coworker time. He had found it too much of a hassle to make the drive back to his apartment the previous night and had opted to instead sleep in his trailer, meaning his clothing for the day were whatever he had supplied for himself when he packed the dressers before it was brought to the lot. A pair of black jeans  and a thick dark grey sweater seemed to be his best options that day, it didn’t matter too much anyways, he would be in and out of costume all day anyways, this outfit was just for his meal breaks. 

He was already showered and ready for the day, which he knew was going to be starting soon, it was already- Jesus 8AM? He had to get moving. He stood up as he chugged the rest of his half finished barely lukewarm coffee, rinsing the mug in the sink and moving to the table on the opposite side of his trailer to grab his script and water bottle before descending the steep ass ramp out of his trailer. Skyler should be here soon, he thought absently, should she not? It wasn’t like her to be late and call time was slowly approaching. He pulled his phone from his pocket as he let the door shut behind him, did she maybe text him and he just hadn’t seen it? 

Ah. He had a few missed texts it seemed.

Displayed brightly on his screen were three texts, the first from his aforementioned assistant, saying the line at their usual coffee shop had been longer than usual and she was running a bit late, delivered maybe 15 minutes ago. Second was from Viola, a picture he’d have to actually open the message to see and the words ‘did you get it yet?????????’ received about 3 minutes ago. He didn’t need to guess what she meant as yes, he had in fact gotten it. The third text is no doubt what she was referring to, and the one that had initially caught his attention. It was from an unknown number, a simple ‘this is joel we should meet to run lines over lunch,’ and he definitely wasn’t mentally scolding his clothing choice for the day. He didn’t have time to dwell on it though as he felt a hand on his shoulder and saw two coffees on a holder come into his line of vision.

“SO sorry for running late Vlad, the line was crazy, even mobile ordering ahead of time they were just slammed.” She sounded out of breath as she spoke to him, her other hand holding the coffee lowering a bit as the hand that had been on his shoulder moved to cover her chest. She looked as professional as ever in her black pantsuit and deep red button up. Her hair was up in a high puff today, a few pieces coming out to frame her face. She moved her free hand to grab her phone from her pocket to go over the itinerary she no doubt had open. “You have a few new faces for your scenes today, some old ones too I noticed! So we should probably get you there just a pinch ahead of time. Wanna head to the set now?” She finally looked up at him as she caught her breath. Vlad was already looking at her when he opened his mouth to speak. He hadn’t thought about a response yet. She’d given him plenty of time to refocus himself and yet here he was, still reeling over a text like some teenager. He raised his phone just a bit.

“Joel texted me.” The silence was deafening. Skylar blinked once. Then twice, before finally letting a smirk overtake her face.

“Oh did he? And why are you telling me this?” Truth be told he didn’t know. Most likely because he hadn’t had a coherent thought since she got there and he’d like to believe they are at least on friendly terms by now. 

“I should respond to it before we head over. It would be rude not to, no?” He turned back to his phone and unlocked it before clicking on the new number to respond, Skyler let out an amused laugh from beside him. He had to send something before he could overthink this, and fast. ‘Yes please omg’ seemed like too much, and a simple ‘Sure.’ was definitely too cold, he needed to be professional but enthusiastic about it. He settled on, ‘I’d actually been meaning to ask you the same, we will discuss further when I get to the set, yes?’ He quickly clicked out of their texts to stop himself from rereading it and opened the text from Viola instead. Texting back a quick ‘I did :3’ he looked over the photo she sent. The picture was quite cute to say the least. The camera was at a high angle, only showing her forehead and eyes at the bottom of the screen, the main focus of the photo being Cathrin and Joel a few feet away holding out their phones in front of one another. Was that a blush he saw? He quickly blinked the thought away and pocketed his phone before turning back to Skyler to let her know he was ready to go.

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Vlad had finished his second cup of coffee before they even stepped foot onto the set they’d be at for their first scene. He had to, after nearly spilling coffee on his Academy uniform earlier in the week he’d had to cut back on his on set coffee breaks. That’s actually why he was now drinking more water,.much to Skyler’s delight he may add. His cane gave gentle clicks as he moved into view of the set, a dark hallway and a door loomed in front of him, this was their scene breaking into the lab if he was not mistaken. The schedule had said all of their group scenes would be before lunch, which meant this one, the trial with the council, and the scene where they get to be hooked up to a bunch of wires. That one made him a bit uneasy if he was telling the truth, he never liked heights much, and having no experience with being hooked up like that he was unsure of how his leg would handle it. They had a fantastic team helping to make accommodations for him, but he’d had his fair share of bad experiences so it was natural to be cautious.

He was broken from his thoughts as he recognized a familiar face out of the corner of his eye. He adjusted himself to face the newcomer and gave a warm smile, “Miah! I was hoping we’d get a chance to chat before we were called to places. You look wonderful! That makeup was a great choice I must say.” His old friend only laughs in response, head tilting back in amusement before coming to embrace him in a small side hug. There was no lie, she was a vision really, in a beautiful all white dress with gold accents that perfectly matched the jewelry in her hair and makeup painting her face.

“Hey Vlad, can’t say I’ve seen the costume or makeup department make anyone look bad so far, yourself included. Did they make your moles bigger? And that vest, oh my god!” She circled him once, as if he didn’t already know how good he looked right now. “The lace up sides are a very nice touch, on both you and Mr. Torres over there.” She gestures somewhere behind him and he has to grip his cane a bit tighter to keep himself from shooting around to gawk at the new topic of their conversation. Instead he just gives a light chuckle and takes a breath to respond- “He’s on his way over.” She says glancing between him and who he can only imagine is the very man that had been capturing every other thought he’d had for the past week. His eyes crease at the corners every so slightly as he turns to look over a shoulder to greet the new addition to their conversation with a polite smile. 

“Joel, how good to see you again, have you met Miah yet? She’ll be playing Mel.” It would be rude to not introduce them, he thought, especially since they’d all be filming the next few scenes together. Joel gives him a glance and turns his attention towards Miah to extend a hand.

“Pleasure to meet you, you are Vladimir's friend?” A shiver definitely does not try to make its way down his spine upon hearing his full name, and gods does he hope he’s not blushing again. The handshake, he notes, is much slower and longer than the one he had received…he tries not to read into that. He looks up at the woman beside them as their hands part, she clasps hers together in front of herself and gives a polite nod.

“The pleasure’s all mine! I was very excited to hear I’d finally be getting a chance to work with you! And to work with Vlad again too, on the same project no less. We’ve been friends since filming that weird pumpkin themed horror movie a few years back. Have you two worked together before? Vlad didn’t mention it when we went over the cast list together.” She raised her eyebrow as she spoke, her eyes pointedly moving between the two of them, as if trying to hint at something almost. It was at that moment he realized Joel had stopped nearly directly behind him, just barely off to the side enough for them to see each other's faces actually. The cough that escapes him is definitely not nervous, just a tickle is what he tells himself as he brings his hand back down to readjust his cane. He reminds himself to ask Skyler where she’d had them put his chair.

“We haven’t. I met him filming a scene earlier in the week,” the taller man’s eyes move to Vlad again, “I’d like to have a word before we’re called to places. I’ll be in my chair.” He started to turn to leave, eyes moving back to Miah, “I look forward to working with you.” And with that he was walking away. He really didn’t like letting people respond did he? Two of their interactions now he’d ended by just walking away. With a small shake of the head he turns back to his friend, who is now trying to hide some very obvious amusement. She says her next words in a hushed tone, her wrist partially covering her mouth.

“Oh my god he’s so into you.” 

“He’s what now?”

Vlad’s jaw drops open and he gives the most incredulous look at the woman across from him. He turns away from her, only to look back at her completely aghast, “He barely looked at me when he was actively speaking to me just now. What about that indicates he’s into me? If anything I’d say he was checking you out!” He emphasizes his words with a flick of the wrist in her direction and tries to keep his voice hushed so nobody overhears their conversation. It is quite embarrassing to be having this conversation while at work actually, something he’d rather keep private.

“Are you kidding me? First of all,” she raises a finger up beside her head. Oh great, she’s making a list, “you didn’t see what his eyes were doing when your back was turned. Second,” another finger and a pointed tilt of the head, “he was staring me down. NOT the same as checking me out. Third,” hopefully the final finger in this conversation raises, “even if he had been we both know he’s nowhere near my type in men. Much too…stoic.” She finishes with a slight downward curl on her lips and a shake of the head before finally putting her hand down to cross her arms over each other. She glanced over his shoulder once more and her eyes just barely widened before she smirks, letting her eyes fall back to his once more. “You better get a move on with your conversation, your man keeps looking at us.” As she looks back again her eyes shift to a new area behind him and stop, her mouth forms a soft ‘o’ and a new look overtakes her and she seems to spot something else, something not Joel he decides. A hand is placed on his shoulder as she very quickly steps around him. Her next words come out quiet as he walks away. “Speaking of my type…I’ll see you on set.” He turns to watch her go with a mild curiosity, eyes following her direction of travel to the prosthetics tent where he could see a very muscular woman with a short ponytail getting pieces attached to her already augmented arm. He gives an impressed hum to himself and nods, he’d definitely have to invite them all out for drinks if for no other reason than to hear about how that develops.

He turns a bit more to face Joel’s direction and notices the other man’s eyes just barely darting down to the script he held in his hand. Vlad begins to make his way over when a very very small chuckle breaks through his lips, any previous tension about how the other perceived him already forgotten. Either he was trying to look nonchalant and failing miserably, or he could read upside down, seeing as that’s the way the script was being held. With a final few steps they’re next to each other and Vlad decides at the last minute he won’t mention the little continuity error in the other's facade.

“Eager to steal my attention eh? I already agreed to have lunch with you.” There’s a chuckle in the way he says it, something light. Joel lifts his eyes from the pages he’d definitely been pretending to read and gives a small hum. His unoccupied hand came up to smooth over his jaw and chin before he spoke, turning his head in his direction but still not fully looking at the man he’s addressing.

“We have a lot of scenes together. It seems our characters become…very good friends, by the end of the season. Over half of the dialogue I’ve read so far is either directed at or talking about your character in some way. We should discuss their dynamic.” With that he turns his head to rest it on his hand, and finally makes eye contact with the other. There’s no real identifiable emotion on his face aside from what seems to be sheer boredom. “I was told by my manager the production team wants them,” he raises his head to make air quotes with the hand he had been leaning on as he continues,”‘strictly platonic with no room for romantic interpretation,’ I assume you were told the same?” Vlad closes his eyes and he lets a little giggle slip at that, bringing the back of his hand up to cover it. He misses the way the other’s light up just a bit more at it.

“I was, yes, I assume you think we should take more creative liberties with it? You wouldn’t be talking to me about it otherwise, correct?” His hand comes back down to rest in his pocket, his posture relaxed, and he gives an inquisitive look. He really hopes he’s about to suggest what he thinks he is.

“Yes. Whether my character knows it or not, he will be in love with yours by the end of the season, and whether yours reciprocates or not is up to you.” He speaks with an air of certainty that leaves no room for discussion, luckily Vlad is already in agreement with him.

“He will. I’m very glad we had this chat actually, I had been planning on adding a level of…longing? I’m aware your character is romantically involved with Miah’s by the second half of the season, however I do love some good old fashioned, one sided, seemingly unrequited tension.” He lets his lip curl up into a mischievous grin as he looks down at the other. “It won’t be too obvious of course, just an underlying something or other to give a bit more depth to their relationship…though it does seem quite deep even without it. They become quite close, no? We should find some time outside of filming to talk, get into character a little as they say.” He’d already said he wanted to find ways to get to know him more, and he fully meant that shit. Whether the reasoning he was giving was the only reason was not important. Joel gives a hum of agreement and looks back down at his script, he’s silent for a second before- oh he’s blushing. He must have finally noticed his script was upside-down.

Credit where it’s due, Joel has a very good poker face aside from the light blush dusted across his cheeks. Vlad keeps his eyes on him as the other clears his throat and closes his script, looking back up as if nothing had even happened. The bell to signal a start rings and places are called, cutting the rest of their conversation short.

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“So far, so good.” He whispers, the glowstick just barely illuminating the lock enough for him to see it. Suddenly a bright light flows over them both, slightly startled he looks directly into it before bringing his hand up to try and deflect some of it. Blinking a few times to correct his eyes he hears a familiar voice in front of him.

“Hmm. Willing to risk exile for your endeavour. That’s quite the conviction.” It’s said with a hint of amusement. They’d filmed this scene a few times already and he felt his lack of lines right here kept making the whole exchange rather awkward. Time for a new strategy I guess.

“Councilor!” He hears from behind him. Quirking a brow up he barely listens to the continued flustered rambling, he feigns confusion and turns back to the keys still in the lock by his face.

“Wait a minute this isn’t my bedroom?” He mutters with mock embarrassment, “How could I have…” Their voices overlap for a second before silence engulfs them. He looks back up at the ‘Councilor’ and sees her fighting for her damn life to keep in the laugh that’s threatening to spill out. She’s come to expect this of him, he supposes, makes it easier to keep her composure. Joel seems as composed as ever, easily continuing on with his lines and it’s only a little disappointing he didn’t laugh. It’s almost too easy the way the rest of the scene flows from there, almost too easy the way Joel looks at Miah with such curiosity and wonder as she walks away with the security guard. Almost too easy how he doesn’t have to fake the way his lips pull up to his nose in distaste, or even the slightly annoyed huff he gives before turning back to the door, bending down to finish unlocking it as the director yells cut. They didn’t have to redo the scene again at least.

Authors note: This shit is 3.5k words and I edited without coffee. Thanks for the love so far! Glad to know yall are liking it. I'll definitely be branching out at some point to do more with Caitvi and Melvika. I'm not sorry about it.

[aceof-stars]

I feel very strongly about Recipe for Turnabout, but I don’t think it’s a very good case. I just think it has so much potential to be amazing. 

Trials & Tribulations’ running themes are deception (personas and disguises) and the lengths people will go out of devotion (usually in romantic relationships but Bridge deals with familial). And there’s so much that could have been said about identity, self worth, and being so devoted to someone that you lie to yourself in Recipe.

If Furio Tigre's impersonation of Phoenix was actually really good (and not played off as a joke), it could have done so much to explore Phoenix's identity surrounding being a defense attorney. I mean think about it, Phoenix lives for other people, he doesn’t seem to know what to do with himself when he’s alone, and became a defense attorney to save people. And Furio Tigre ripped that away from him by pretending to be him and getting an innocent person locked up. Everyone thought Tigre was Phoenix. Maggey thought he failed her. It feels straight out of one of Phoenix's worst nightmares. Seriously, why is this plot point only used for laughs?

Viola Cadaverini is probably the most intriguing new character in 3-3 but she’s completely brushed aside. She's a perfect parallel to Phoenix himself. Viola tries to convince herself that Tigre truly loves her, rather than confront the truth that he is paying for her bills and being so kind to her because he's terrified of her mafia boss grandfather. To the point where she stays by his side and becomes an accomplice to his crime. Similarly, Phoenix believed that Dahlia truly loved him. And while Phoenix wasn’t a willing accomplice to Dahlia’s crime, he still hid evidence for her and ate the necklace out of belief in her.

The game itself even acknowledges this connection briefly.

This is what Phoenix thinks after breaking Viola’s psyche-locks. He was scared of her at first but now he sympathizes with her and is filled with new determination to take Tigre down. Phoenix chooses the drink the espresso she prepared, effectively trusting her not to poison him too.

Also side note: Phoenix is really sensitive to betrayal. And it’s really interesting that he seems to hate it because it’s cowardly. Phoenix seems to hate the deception involved in poisoning and betrayal. He’s is terrified of his believing in someone so much, only to be hurt and left alone. (… eyes Phoenix’s reaction to Edgeworth’s note). Yeah it definitely stems from Dahlia.

Now imagine if Viola was the defendant instead of Maggey. That would mean Tigre, the person she convinced herself truly loved her, disguised himself in order to use her as the scapegoat for his crime. Does that sound familiar? Phoenix would probably be scared of Viola at first too. Maybe she reminds him of Dahlia. But slowly come to trust her.

Viola as the defendant would also continue T&T's pattern of guilty or questionable defendants (Ron DeLite being Mask DeMasque, Terry Fawles being in a relationship with 14 y/o Dahlia, and Iris being an accomplice). No case after 2-4 ever critiques Phoenix's misbeliefs as a defense attorney again (that being an attorney is not about saving people but fighting for them, and they everyone deserves a proper defense). But 3-3 could have done that, because Viola was still an accomplice and would have to go to jail for that. Phoenix could have continued to learn that he doesn't have to save everyone, that he has to fight for them and for the truth.

Do you see my vision? Do you see the potential? Recipe for Turnabout could have been a top tier case.

Oh and here's my collection of Recipe's most... memorable quotes. (Aka why is 3-3 like that??)

[lorelaiblair]

addams family headcanons

- we’ve all seen the headcanon that gomez is allergic to roses and that’s why morticia cuts their petals off?? yeah??? it extends to wednesday, she’s allergic to them too, enid brings her thorns or just simply black viola’s

-why that instead of black dahlias? they’re wednesday’s favorite in the show? trauma. thornhill gifted them to her, thornhill tried to kill her and the people she loves. she’s not open about it, she likes to seem like she’s not effected, but enid always knows.

-werewolves, canines i might add, cannot consume chocolate. this includes enid. she hates it. she absolutely hates it.

-wednesday goes back for the snood

-enid has angsty poems and short stories in her notes app, they are directed towards her mother

-the lesbian flag sweater enid owns was a gift from yoko, when enid realized her sexuality she gave the vampire girl an earful and asked “why didn’t you tell me!??”

-enid is an avid clothes thief, she has a few tank tops and flannels from ajax, shorts and jeans and blouses from yoko and divina, a sweater or two from eugene, a dress from bianca, and she wears wednesday’s clothing as she pleases (at this point they share wednesday’s closet)

-enid makes wednesday jewelry out of animal bones

-wednesday makes enid jewelry too, she breaks into the metal shop classroom to do it (she also makes them weapons)

-after enid wolfs out for the first time her hair starts growing super fast, it’s pretty hard to keep up with her roots but wednesday always helps her blend them in

- enid thinks it’s sad that wednesday doesn’t have any stuffed animals, on a trip to jericho with her girls she sees a stuffed scorpion and knows that it was meant to be

-the stuffed scorpion has a permanent spot on wednesday’s bed, and sometimes in wednesday’s bag when she knows her day will be tedious (she also has a picture of enid in her bag that she looks at when she feels down)

-wednesday doesn’t mind showing affection, enid and their friends assumed that she would, but after the two started dating she nearly became the more affectionate one (enid cannot get enough of it), this still does not extend to their friends and family, enid is the only one allowed to touch her

-enid learns spanish to flirt with wednesday, it goes much better than expected (and she’s really good at learning other languages, who would have thought?)

-they also talk shit (gossip) about people in other languages, enid thinks it is hilarious and wednesday loves seeing an evil side to her girlfriend

-when enid is having a hard day wednesday will play the cello for her, she has learned way too many pop songs just to make the other girl happy. enid will make a pallet of blankets out on their balcony and watch wednesday play for hours

-they roughhouse often, at this point nevermore students are used to seeing knifes flying straight for enid sinclair’s throat, enid catches them easily with a scary ass smile and then launches them back full force

[moonyssmommyy]

My Marauders Headcanons Pt. 9 ~ Regulus Arcturus Black

Channel Remus' sad, weepy, loser boy energy, multiply it, make it EVEN more traumatized, and viola there you have it, Regulus Black

Insomniac

Will stay up til 5 am studying

The definition of a bookworm

Dead ass reads the encyclopedia for fun

Was not how most of the fandom portrays him

He was not weak

He did not cry every day for Sirius

Though he did quit the quidditch team after he left

He was morally grey

Would do anything to please his mother

Stayed by her side 24/7 after Sirius left

Was a momma's boy though Walburga never had as much affection for him as she did for Sirius

Not to say she didn't love her son

He more than overcompensated her for the loss of Sirius

He would have been the perfect heir if only he was born first

Or so his parents said

The only member of his family that Orion actually liked except for Walburga

Though over time his affections for her fizzled out and left Regulus the only member of The Noble House of Black that Orion actually liked

Spent quite a lot of time with his father as they were both quiet and loved to do the same things

Picky eater

Favors dark colors but doesn't exactly have a favorite

He can never choose between black, green, and purple

His favorite candy is dark chocolate

Calligraphy King

Astrology nerd from hell

Plays the piano and the violin

Music is his therapy

He has a very smooth, soft voice definitely not to be mistaken with feminine though

Their lineage is far more prominent in his voice than in Sirius'

Speaks multiple languages including Latin, French, and Russian

Loves poetry

He writes it too sometimes though he'll never tell anybody

Likes to write down things he deems important about those her cares about because he fears if he doesn't he'll forget them

Very close with Barty

Pandora is still his best friend though

They actually adopted Barty in their second year

Gossip partners with Dorcas

Eventually began to consider Evan more of a brother than Sirius

Easily flustered

He's extremely handsome in a pretty way unlike the rugged way Sirius is

Prefers baths to showers but he can't stand to sit in his own filth so he rinses off after

The poster child for Dark Academia

Much of his comfort comes from familiar scents

He has two smiles; the one that everyone sees and the one where all of his pearly white teeth shine though very few are lucky enough to see that one

He's very slim not to say he doesn't have muscle it's just very lean

Enjoys being enclosed as it makes him feel safe

Actually really hates when people call him Reggie

I have many more thoughts about Regulus so I'll probably make a part two sometime

[flaneur001]

Whitney Theory Time

[CW- talks about mental health, child neglect, random character analysis and unnecessary deep diving into little details (lol)]

I went down a little rabbit hole pertaining to Whitney’s oral fixation. I have known that when something is brought attention to constantly during any story, then it’s not a simple coincidence. I feel like (how Sydney said in the library) that Whitney has a lot going on. And it’s probably not good. I feel like their back story will be very angsty and sad.

So as someone who has studied psychology for a while, I found this…and I feel like I hit the nail on the head (for those morbidly curious like me this is Freud’s theory on oral fixation…and yeah don’t judge me for going all Freudian analysis on Whitney/silly)

So chances of our Whit being a neglected child are very high. But from their general appearance in the game (m!whitney wearing a blazer and f!whitney wearing a long school skirt. Both items are on the costlier side in game) I feel like they come from a well off family? the general hate towards the privileged people they hold, points to either them living a life of privilege but they are so miserable they want to escape? (Tbh their whole schtick sometimes gives rich kid doing all kinds of weird stuff trying to get attention from their absentee parents trope)

Or maybe used to be a part of a well off family? I feel like they are not being able to cope with the sudden change in their lifestyle if this is the case. Thus are trying to sell this fearless image of themselves.

And Is it just me or do you find it weird too that although Whitney is sent to detention Leighton almost never does anything to Whitney besides scolding? I feel like they do come from a powerful background. Otherwise why would all these lackeys follow them around?! And they own a phone to top it all off. I know all the other NNPCs have a phone too but amongst the LIs only Whitney (and Avery) owns a phone?!

The lowkey neurotic and manic tendencies they have towards PC also screams of separation anxiety. (Ahem collection of stuff toys?) For example, them needing to control PC at all times. Their love stat going high only when PC willingly chooses to act on their every whimsical/cruel wishes, them wanting to tattoo their name on PCs face of all places, not being able to be more open/ vulnerable with PC because they feel that PC might leave them.

And their dismissal event also shows just how much their image matters to them, and why they crave to be in control. This is yet another trait they share with Avery, when on low dominance, you can see how humiliated they get whenever PC fights back with them. Add insecurity about looks on top and viola, you have some deep childhood issues (I love complex fully fleshed characters so much)

Also the not being sufficiently fed during nursing part (I’m referring to the picture above) makes me think that the Headcanon about their parents being divorced and maybe their mom moving out at a very young age, seems like a possibility. Hence Whitney not being able to withstand emotional cheating seems like a result of that (I’m just spitballing here…)

So yeah. Thank you for coming to my Ted talk. I feel good after hyperfixating about a fictional character.

[Bonus Angst Headcanon] I like to imagine, if it indeed turns out that Whitney lives in some mansion with their dad, and their mom left when they were young, why do I get a feeling that their mom left them/ said goodbye to them near the water fountain on a rainy day. Them just staring into the fountain with a solemn mood, feels like there is a definite reason behind it. Or maybe they used to come to the fountain and make wishes with their mom? (Yes I like to torture myself with sad thoughts)

[dynasty889]

I’m having thoughts of an Epic Cycle/Iliad/EPIC: The Musical high school au. I don’t have a lot, but here’s my general idea:

The school is located in a really remote era. Like there’s nothing to do in town. There’s a mall half-falling apart. That’s like the only place of entertainment. Everyone in the town knows each other to an uncomfortable extent.

For characters, these are the ones I’ve thought of so far:

Odysseus: Odysseus in this au would be the new boy. Methinks he lived by the water (idk like California or something lol) and his hobbies were surfing, fishing, and working out. But then he moved away and he can’t do any of his hobbies anymore lol. He probably works at a bowling alley (it’s in the mall). I feel like a lot of people from school would come there after school and he just hates it so much when his friends see him in his silly little uniform. He likes to sass his teachers.

Penelope: I have a few alternate ideas (including emo/mean girl Penelope but that’s for an au for this au). The one I’m gonna go with is like shy bookworm vibes. She’s got all As (of course she does). But then she’s also a reluctant member of Helen’s rat pack group of friends. She tried to get away but Helen and Clytemnestra drag her out past her bedtime haha. I feel like equally hates hanging out with Helen as much as being alone, because her shyness kind of makes her a target to some teasing? She’s in the school’s orchestra (surprise surprise she plays the viola).

Helen: something something Heathers something. Alexa, play Candy Store from Heathers: The Musical. Do I make her 100% vain? Or do I make her vain for the sake of hiding her pain and struggles? Yeah, probably the latter. Flawlessly perfect…?

Clytemnestra: She’s something like Helen’s right hand woman. If Helen ain’t there, then Clytemnestra is in charge of their friend group. I think she’s also on one of the school’s athletic teams. I don’t know what, maybe track or tennis.

Achilles: The not so secretly gay footballer player I guess. I don’t know. Makes out with Patroclus in the locker room after practice.

Patroclus: He’s all of us. He’s just trying to survive high school. Average grades, As and Bs but maybe a C in there too. Supportive boyfriend, goes to all of Achilles’ games and sometimes (a lot of the time) practice (do they let people watch practice? I actually don’t know I’m not involved enough).

Nestor: The history teacher. He’s kind of chill but man does he talk too much. Odysseus has him, unfortunately. First period.

Agamemnon: On the football team too. Somehow he hasn’t gotten kicked off despite the fact that he’s probably definitely broken all rules of the game at least ten times and his grades are sinking. Achilles and Agamemnon hate each other.

Menelaus: Also on the football team. He’s a little more respectable than Agamemnon. Pining after Helen and Agamemnon tries to help him, but it always fails.

Diomedes: Not too sure about him because I don’t have a lot of headcanons for him in general. He’s probably a delinquent. I could see him in the school’s band on percussion and just loves doing exactly what not to do with the instruments. He and Odysseus like to get up to some shit on a regular basis.

[p-artsypants]

The Pale Rider (7) Using the Old Boot Straps

The Isle of Berk is cursed. Like, extremely cursed. It has been for generations. The extent of the curse has been forgotten over time, but no descendants of the original village are able to leave the island, lest they suffer a gruesome fate. Three years ago, the Blacksmith invited the Pale Rider to town. He’s a creature that’s haunted the forest and childhood campfire stories for centuries. Now, he arrives every day at noon. One day, Astrid Hofferson decides to be brave and talk to him. He’s actually really nice…for an eldritch abomination. A Beauty and the Beast AU.

Ao3

Even after a week, Astrid still had bruises. Her side hurt, but she could get around. 

It didn’t mean much. She had no cart to sell flowers from. Luckily, she had a handful of orders come in. Anniversaries, well wishes, congratulations, these tried and true events could be planned for. She was just missing out on the spontaneous purchases. On people walking by and seeing the beautiful blooms and thinking, ‘oh I want some of those.’ 

As Astrid was out in the garden, assembling a bouquet for an older couple, a friendly voice greeted, “getting right back into it, huh?” 

Astrid looked up and smiled. “Good morning, Snotlout. What brings you to this side of the village?” Oddly, he wasn’t wearing his guard uniform either. Just a green tunic and leggings. The Rider’s gifted sword was still on his hip though, along with a satchel. “And where’s your armor?” 

His smile turned sordid. “I guess I forgot to tell you, huh? I had been meaning to, but uh…well, Dagur got me. I was relieved of duty.” 

Astrid’s heart sank. “Oh no!” 

“But it’s okay!” He put his hands up. “‘Cause honestly, I didn’t wanna do that job anymore anyways. The guards are all stooges for Oswald and Dagur.” 

“So what are you going to do now?” 

“I’m a pioneer, you know. I’ve made my own niche in the village, and it’s going very well.” 

“Yeah?” 

“Yeah! Mailman! Mailman! Oi Oi Oi!” He cheered, pumping his fists. 

“Mailman, hmm? I can see it.” 

“Viola!” He handed her a piece of paper. “My going rates. And I’m here to offer my services to you, for say…delivering bouquets to clients, or perhaps saucy love notes to your spooky boyfriend in a certain haunted castle on a certain forbidden mountain?” 

Astrid decided to ignore the ‘boyfriend’ part. “You’d go up there?” 

“Sure,” he shrugged. “Maybe not a month ago, but now I know the Rider’s a total teddy bear. Nothing to worry about! Just a little hike!” 

Astrid bit her lip. She really hated the way things ended the last time she had seen the Rider. Even just a letter would help. “Okay, I’ll take you up on that!” 

“Yes!” He pumped his fist again. 

She quickly picked a few flowers and finished the bouquet. “Okay, these are for the Sorenson household. They’ve already paid me for them.” 

“That would be 5 copper fee.” 

“Okay, and for the letter to the mountain?” 

“That’s another five copper.” 

“Really? Even with that hike?” 

“Yep! Because I know he’ll want to respond and I can charge him as much as I want!” 

“You’re terrible.” 

“I can still decline your delivery, missy!” 

She laughed. “Okay okay, why don’t you take the bouquet and then come back? Then I’ll have the letter and the silver piece for you.” 

“Done!” 

—-

Rider,

I hope this letter finds you well, though I can only imagine how lonely you’ve been. It hasn’t been the same around here without you. 

Heather says Dagur has gone completely out of control. There’s chaos in the village. As much as I hate to admit it, I believe it is best you stay away for now, for your own safety. I want to keep in contact with you, and I will let you know when it’s safe to return. Hopefully that will come soon, as Oswald is bound to get Dagur under control once he feels better.

I can’t help but feel this is my fault. I pushed you too quickly, pushed the village too quickly. We should have taken things slower. Maybe then Dagur wouldn’t have been so emboldened. I don’t know, I just feel awful about all of this. You didn’t deserve any of this treatment. 

I hope you bear no ill feelings towards us, or me specifically. We all miss you.

I miss you. 

I hope to hear from you soon.

Love, 

Astrid. 

—

True to his promise, Gobber went ahead and got to work on building Astrid a new cart. This one would be financed by the Rider, and would solely belong to Astrid. She wouldn’t need to pay anyone back. 

Though, she had yet to receive the invoice from Oswald for the cart that Dagur burned. She hoped that when the old man felt better, he’d make Dagur pay for it instead. 

Astrid visited the forge, eager to see what Gobber had come up with. 

It was a beautiful dark wood, picked specifically to enhance the beauty of the bright flowers put on it. The surface was smoothly lacquered, almost feeling like glass. 

“Like it so far?” Gobber smirked. 

“It’s so beautiful! It’s perfect!” 

“I still have to add the awning, and I want to put a rack with holes around the sides so you can display more bouquets! I’m pretty happy with the turn out.” 

Astrid fondly ran her fingers over the surface. “You…put a lot of time into this.” 

“Sure! I wanted to make it good for one of my favorite customers!” 

She smiled, albeit sadly. “Is business down?” 

He waved her off. “Sure, but it won’t be forever! Dagur’s threatening people, but sooner or later, someone’s going to have a toothache!” 

“Or need a blade sharpened, or a deer cut.” 

“That too!” 

“I’m sorry, Gobber.” 

“Don’t worry about it, Lass.” 

“I am, though. If I hadn’t jumped on Dagur’s back…” she rubbed her arm.

“Aye, maybe that wasn’t the wisest thing you could have done—”

Her shoulders sank further. 

“But the Rider needed to see someone fight for him.” 

Was it really worth it? People were being punished for her actions. 

She checked in on the others. At Fishlegs’ bookstore, things were the same. Business was down, but neither Ingerman were worried about it at the moment. Fishlegs assured that the book that the Rider had brought would be plenty to keep them a float for a while. The Twins were similarly optimistic. They had even joked about going up to the castle to ask for retirement funds. 

Though, knowing the Twins, it was hard to tell if it was a joke. 

Heather was a different matter, however. She hadn’t been seen since the Rider was banished, and there was a ‘permanently closed’ sign nailed to the front door of the cafe. 

How Dagur could be so cruel to his own sister, Astrid couldn’t imagine. 

—-

Two days went by before Snotlout returned with a reply. He knocked on the cottage door, grinning mischievously. 

“Afternoon,” she greeted, cautious because of the smile. 

“He wrote back!” He sang, waving the black envelope at her. Even from here, she could see it was open. 

“You little snoop!” She scolded. “And how much did you charge him?!” 

“Enough that he wouldn’t mind me snooping,” he drawled. 

“That’s not how it works, Snotlout!” 

“Okay okay…I just wanted to see what kind of writer he was. You know, if he was literate.” 

“And is he?” 

He chuckled, “is he ever!” 

She snatched the envelope away from him, but didn’t want to seem too eager to read the reply. Instead, she asked, “what’s the castle like?” 

“Boy, I’d tell you all about it, but my feet are killing me.” 

She sighed. “Would you like to come in for tea?” 

“Oh Astrid, that is so sweet, of course I’ll have some tea.” 

She fondly rolled her eyes and let him in. 

“Afternoon, Mrs. H!” He called upstairs. 

“Good afternoon, Snotlout!” She called back. 

He flopped into a chair, kicking his feet up on the hearth. “Ahhh…much better.” 

Astrid put the kettle on. “So…the castle?” 

“Oh! Right! Well, first of all, I didn’t see that much. Just the foyer. But let me start from the beginning.” He sat up and gestured with his hands like he was surveying a canvas. “The path there is actually a lot more clear than I thought. It’s not a hard walk, but it is long. It kinda spirals around the mountain. Then there's these huge iron gates and as I approached, they slid open, and these two huge cauldrons of fire ignited at the top!”  

“Just by walking up?”

“Yep! Super creepy, but super cool! Then, there’s this long bridge you have to cross, and it goes over a giant gorge with a river at the bottom.” 

Astrid leaned over the counter, chin resting on her hands as she got lost in the picture he was painting. 

“And the castle…wow! And I mean wow! Like, we can kinda see it from down here, but that’s only the tip of it. It’s huge with probably a hundred spires! And I swear, some of them were twisted!” 

She narrowed her eyes in skepticism, but didn’t stop him. 

“So, I go over the bridge, and there’s another iron gate, right? Same deal, it opens on its own, big flames at the top, yada yada, inside that gate is a courtyard. And, you know I don’t care about flowers, right?” 

She nodded. 

“The courtyard is beautiful. Roses, vines, big trees, plants that you could probably identify immediately and I’m not doing it justice, at all. And in the center, a big huge stone fountain in the shape of a dragon!” 

“Sounds fantastic,” she hummed. At least the Rider wasn’t living in squalor. 

“Okay, so then I get to the front door, right? I knock using this huge iron knocker, which, by the way, is still in the shape of a dragon. Then a few minutes pass by and our friend opens the door and greets me. He was pretty confused why I was there, but then I handed him your letter and he thanked me and asked me to come back so he could reply.” 

“And that was the first trip?”

“Yep! Second trip, I arrived and he let me in, but had me wait in the foyer. Astrid, I have never been in a room this big. You think the Grand Hall is big? No way. That’s a closet compared to this room! It had arches! And chandeliers! And two winding staircases! And huge black and red curtains everywhere! Actually, next time I go there, I might ask him about the decor choices because there was some unpleasant artwork in that room.” 

“Like what?”  

“Like, right front and center when you walk in, there’s a painting of a guy who’s been stabbed and he’s bleeding all over the place.” 

Astrid felt her lips tighten. 

“Then he came back with the letter, and I left.” He shrugged. “I may have stayed longer, but I wanted to give you that letter…and I got a weird vibe from the place.” 

She leaned forward more, crossing her arms. “What kind of vibe?”

“Call me crazy…but I’m pretty sure the castle is alive.” 

Her eyes widened. “What?” 

“Yeah. I was looking around while I waited, and I swear the walls were moving, and I could feel a deep thud every once in a while.” He wiggled his fingers. “Like a heartbeat.” 

“Now you’re just messing with me.” 

“I’m not! I swear!” He held up two fingers. “You’ll just have to go up there yourself.” 

Astrid had thought about it a few times over the week. Figuring that once her ribs felt better, she could probably make the climb. But she had a fear of leaving her mother for long periods of time. It was one thing to work outside all day, but to be away from the village?

“At any rate, thank you for bringing this to me.” She held up the letter. 

“Your friendly neighborhood mailman, at your service.” 

He stayed for a little while longer after that, drinking tea and talking about how his service was going. He seemed happier than she’d seen in a while, and deep down, she was proud of him.

Though she’d never tell him.

She waited until after he left to read the Rider’s letter. Even though he had already read it, she wanted some privacy. 

The paper was black as well, but the ink was white. His handwriting was elegant, with clean, even runes. 

He evidently still knew how to write, even with his too-long fingers.

—

My Dearest Friend, 

Words cannot describe the joy in my heart I felt when I saw Snotlout standing at my door, with a letter from you. Though I have been lonely, thinking of my reply to you has made my day go by swiftly. 

As much as it pains me, I will stay away from the village as you suggest. I would never forgive myself if you were hurt on my behalf. 

Dagur’s words hurt, yes, but what truly hurt more was seeing him hurt you and not knowing what to do to help. I chose then to leave, hoping in my absence, his rage would subside. Was it successful? Are you still tormented? What more can I do?

Astrid, does the moon hate the sun for casting light upon its face? Does it hate that it is brought from the shadows and made known to the Earth? So why then would I hold any ill will towards you? You’ve only shown me kindness. You have given me what I asked for, and more. 

We will see each other again, I promise. 

Please tell the others I said hello. 

I miss you too.

Your humble servant, 

The Pale Rider.

[hylianane]

Now, I’m someone who sometimes gets kinda grossed out with Sanji’s gag, I often feel like it goes too far. But I’m also man enough to know that in the show? The ladies fucking love it.

Viola much like myself was a bit put off at first, but she is smitten with him by the end of Dressrosa. Nami often acts all resigned, but Whole Cake alone shows she adores him and appreciates all the little things he does for her. The mermaids in Fishman Island- arguably the place where Sanji was must unhinged and insufferable- cheer for him and blow him kisses when he leaves. Pudding found him pathetic at first, but then saw him as the only person who found her beautiful. Stussy in Egghead is endeared when he barks at her.

I often see a lot of people mischaracterize these girls as feeling secretly threatened or repulsed by him when that couldn’t be further from the case. As much as sometimes Sanji comes off as a weird virgin loser to the audience, he is in fact a lovable charmer with plenty of game and plenty of girl/friends who trust and adore him.

There’s only one female character I can think of who has only been shown to have a gross-out reaction to Sanji, but instead of fandom exaggerating that to a hate, fortunately and hilariously enough she gets the opposite treatment. A couple times I’ve seen them portrayed as unlikely friends. And listen. I understand that both her and Sanji have close friendships with Zoro were they both rag on him constantly, so it’s fun to imagine them joining forces and ganging up on him every once in a while. But I hate to be the bearer of bad news.

Perona fucking hates Sanji’s pussy.

[helen-cooper-fan-account]

Guys stop with the Sebastian hate smh

I feel like sebastian is just far too sad to think of long term things + I think he was rather dependent on his sister so he doesn’t really know what to do on his own. Personally I don’t think Sebastian and Antonio were hooking up or anything during their time together, I think the two just became very close which led to Antonio falling in love with him. I think sebastian was far too caught up in his own grief to even notice Antonio’s feelings. Antonio did say he loved Sebastian a lot but in a very poetic way, a lot of people reading twelfth night don’t even realize Antonio means romantic love. Sebastian in most productions and even just in the script itself seems to be more emotional about his sisters “death” than viola is of his, I feel like he’s the more emotional while viola is the more logical. He acts on impulse and spur of the moment feelings rather than thinking like his sister does. He’s a bit stupid, but not without a heart. I think he marries Olivia just because he’s so lost and confused and happy to be wanted like that in such an upfront and understandable way so he just went with it. It was a certainty in his uncertain life. In the end he and Olivia only stay together out of convenience. They most likely wouldn’t be happy together. As for Antonio, perhaps if he was straight up said “let’s get married Sebastian!” Sebastian would’ve understood, however you also have to remember that Sebastian is upper class, maybe it’s not that he’s unaware of Antonio’s feelings but that he just can’t reciprocate due to societal norms, Olivia was a safe option. Or maybe his feelings for Antonio were just too much and with Olivia it was just like a quick fun feeling that made him feel better. Another interpretation I have is in the line “my kind Antonio, I can no other answer make but thanks.” Which is in response to Antonio talking about his love. I performed it as if I were saying “Antonio, I understand what you’re saying but I just can’t think of these things now, so I simply give you my thanks.” Or my reading before I decided to make Sebastian zesty was “Antonio, I understand what you’re saying and I’m sorry but I don’t reciprocate so all I can give you is my thanks.” Antonio being left in jail sucks tho however loads of productions make sure to include him getting out which is either done super sad or more happy.

Anyway I am Sebastian’s no.1 defender y’all are attacking the wrong stupid Shakespeare character 👿 may I redirect your hate toward Claudio from much ado about nothing? Hero deserved FAR better than him.

(Making this a proper post cos I can)

[witchinatree]

magnus protocol episode 29 ramble

we're so back!!! i cannot believe next week will be the last episode of the season this went by so fast

also watch dead boy detectives on netflix please i want another 100 seasons of it and it's also just really really good

anyway here we go!!! episode 29!!!!!!!! it does not feel like january was that long ago but like fuck. it was.

oh sam are you ok oh fuck he is not okay

ok he's alive that's good that's very good

he doesn't want alice to be right also gwen absolutely would care she cares so much (it is the fear)

well no because alice met it and she survived and gwen got attacked by it and she survived but i guess they wouldn't know the gwen part

feed me the institute. woah did it cut off when he thought of the hilltop centre? also celia's right do not go there

oh i'm so excited get alice there too GEORGIE MENTION anyway let's go gang this is a horrible .. ok celia you stole my thing

ohhh gwen and lena banter why does gwen hate lena so much i actually kind of love her she seems like the ideal boss

"don't call me unless it's an emergency" they're calling her later

wait. i need to pause and pull up the transcript. lost track of the numbers

the 2020 mention made me think the magnus archives

viola locke?

oh this sounds so cute like a surprise trip with a travel diary?? adorable. don't ever surprise me with a trip though i would have a heart attack not being able to know any of the plans

these guys sound so adorable what the hell

stan please don't murder her i will stop believing in love

huh. what. what. huh? gonna translate that later

i'm stressed out now can we go back to the cute old people romance

fuck i accidentally went back a few minutes LMAO

yea this is not a museum you should leave now

wait this is on lena's computer right? like gwen was on lena's computer after she left? i wonder why lena would get a statement (unless it was for gwen)

oh no they got locked in (ironic)

ohhhh it means "unlock your heart" thank u for translating for me viola

this is terrible they are too old for this

oh no. oh stan. oh no stan. wtf this is gonna make me cry

this is horrific! thanks!

alright so um. wtf.

alice!!! oh and teddy omg!!!! oh. teddy. i forgot i'm worried about him

something serious? uh oh. NOO TEDDY NOOOO DON'T DIE OH FUCK ALICE DON'T LEAVE HIM HE MIGHT ACTUALLY DIE

NO WAIT ALICE DON'T LEAVE HIM ACTUALLY AND ALSO DON'T GO JUST PLEASE HELP HIM TEDDY I'M WORRIED FOR YOU TEDDY I'M REALLY SO WORRIED ABOUT YOU

ALICE HONEY??? OH MY GOD IT'S ON THE TRAIN OH MY GOD IT'S ON THE TRAIN REST IN PEACE SAM KHALID REST IN PEACE CELIA RIPLEY

oh you. you. youuuuuuuuuu. you. you. you. you. oh . youu. you. you can't end it there. you can't end it there. you are. joking. you are. kidding.

actually tweaking out oh my holy jesus fuck

[celestiall0tus]

Adamsapple Angst Week - Day 4 Masking Emotions/Miscommunication/Pride - Eden

Day 1 || Day 2 || Day 3 || Day 4 || Day 5 || Day 6 || Day 7

            Adam headed up to his room with Lightning with him. He grumbled after a long day of cleaning with Niffty watching his every move. He grabbed the doorknob when his name was called. He groaned and turned as Viola, one of his former Exorcist Captains, ran up to him. Not far behind Viola was Myrtha, another of his former Captains.

            “There you are! Guess what! We’re having a fun night down in the bar for all the hotel guests. You’ll join us, won’t you?” Violas asked.

            “Oh, wow, that sounds like so much fucking fun!” Adam mocked.

            Viola gritted her teeth and forced her smile to remain. “Really?”

            “Absolutely fucking not. Why would I want to spend any time with a bunch of people that hate me?”

            “Lucifer doesn’t hate you,” Lightning remarked.

            Adam snarled as he fought against the warmth the remark made him feel. “And? That doesn’t change anything!”

            “Then wouldn’t this be the perfect opportunity to make nice with others?” Viola suggested.

            “No,” Adam said.

            “Give it up, mi Cielito. We’re just wasting time he doesn’t deserve,” Myrtha hissed.

            “Now, Myrtha, I understand, but this is for all the guests. Adam is one of those guests. So, we have to invite him too. Like we did with everyone else.”

            Myrtha rolled her eyes.

            “So, what do you say?” Viola asked Adam.

            “Still no,” Adam answered.

            “Never figured you one to pass up on the soda at the bar,” Lightning commented.

            Adam’s eyes widened as he reconsidered. “Maybe a drink or two.”

            Viola squealed and took Adam’s hand. Adam flinched when Myrtha gave him the death stare.

            “Let’s go! We’re going to have so much fun!” Viola cheered.

            Adam yelped as Viola dragged him away to the bar. He shrunk back as he felt Myrtha’s eyes burn a hole right through him. He weaseled out of Viola’s hold once they reached the bar and put distance between them. Viola was sweet, but Myrtha was not. He took a seat at the bar as far from Viola and Myrtha as possible.

            “Look who it is. Didn’t think you’d show up,” Husk commented.

            “Cut the shit and just get me my usual. I don’t plan on being here too long,” Adam muttered.

            Husk grunted as he got Adam his usual drink.

            “And what about you?” Husk asked Lightning.

            Adam looked back at Lightning as he took a sip.

            “The answer hasn’t changed, and it won’t,” Lightning remarked.

            Husk shrugged and moved over to Angel Dust and Cherri Bomb. Adam’s eyes darted around from Angel and Cherri to Viola and Myrtha with Vaggie and Charlie. Angel and Cherri laughed and teased each other. Myrtha and Viola prepared a stage while Charlie talked Vaggie’s ear off. Adam sighed and continued to drink when he heard Niffty.

            “And this is the bad boy. Say ‘hi,’ bad boy,” Niffty said.

            Adam glanced back to see Niffty dragging Baxter around by the collar. He locked eyes with Baxter before he flipped the pair off.

            “Ah, yes, Adam, the first man, am I correct? What a fall from grace you must have suffered. Such a pity to be ripped from your perch, isn’t it?” Baxter mocked.

            Adam grumbled.

            Lightning stepped up and loomed over Niffty and Baxter. “Remove the sassy fish creature before I punt it.”

            Baxter snorted. “Please. You wouldn’t do that. I’m a guest here.”

            Lightning reared back her leg and kicked Baxter across the room into the wall. Niffty giggled and jumped up and down.

            “My turn. My turn. Me next!” Niffty exclaimed.

            Lightning shrugged and kicked Niffty like she did Baxter. Niffty splatted on the wall and fell on the stage with Viola and Myrtha.

            “Yay! Pain!” Niffty cheered.

            Adam watched in horror as Niffty jumped up and ran back over to Lightning.

            “Again!” Niffty demanded.

            “Little freak,” Adam muttered as Lightning kicked Niffty again.

            “She is, but this is fun,” Lightning commented.

            Adam finished his drink as Niffty ran back up to Lightning, demanding to be kicked again.

            “Well, hate to cut this short, but-,” Adam started.

            “He’ll have two more drinks, Husk!” Lightning called as she kicked Niffty again.

            “Coming right up!” Husk yelled.

            “What the fuck, bitch?” Adam demanded.

            Lightning ignored him as she picked up Niffty by the scruff. She stomped her foot once and Rain materialized.

            “Go long, Rain!” Lightning called.

            Rain flew up as Lightning tossed Niffty up. Rain kicked Niffty higher in the air as Lightning darted up and kicked Niffty down to Rain. Everyone stopped and watched the pair zoom around as they used Niffty as a sports ball.

            “Uh, should we stop them?” Angel Dust asked Husk.

            “Niff’s fine. I guarantee she’s having the time of her life right now,” Husk remarked.

            “Eh, Charlie sure ain’t,” Angel muttered.

            Adam glanced over to see Charlie trying to reason with Lightning and Rain but was ignored. He snorted in amusement when another drink was placed in front of him. He sighed and drank as he zoned out.

            “H-hey there, Adam!” Lucifer exclaimed.

            Adam jumped but caught himself. He held down the soda he just took a big gulp of, not wanting to be chased by Niffty. He took a deep breath before he glared at Lucifer, who sat next to him.

            “Can’t a man fucking drink in peace?”

            “You can, but I’ve heard drinking is better with company. So, care for some company?” Lucifer offered.

            Adam sighed. “Knock yourself out.”

            “Why thank you. But, uh, there is something I wanted to hopefully talk to you about. If you have the time, of course.”

            “And what would that be?”

            “Well, I know I said a lot of things were complicated, but I may have reached a slight breakthrough,” Lucifer started.

            Adam hummed and tuned out Lucifer’s ramblings. He watched Lightning and Rain toss Niffty around before Lightning threw Niffty into the ground. Lightning and Rain took each other’s hands as they spun around and Charlie secured Niffty. He looked down at Viola and Myrtha as Viola copied Lightning and Rain’s interaction with Myrtha. He smiled when a pang of guilt and pain hit him.

            Adam knew they were down here because of his actions. Because of his assault on the hotel that led to his death, everything was wrong. Lute didn’t know he was alive and had to be hurting. He knew she cared the most about him and knew his death would have impacted her the most. It didn’t make knowing this any easier that Lute would throw down Viola for speaking against violence and opting for peace. And with Viola down here, Myrtha was bound to follow. Viola was Myrtha’s pride and joy, her life, her precious daughter, her everything. And because of him, they were cast out for the wrong reasons.

            Adam watched Myrtha shower Viola with love and affection as his mind wandered to Abel. He wondered what would have become of Abel for the first time in what felt like ages. He never had to worry about Abel because he was always with St. Peter and Emily being cinnamon rolls in Heaven. He was never in any danger, but what now? Myrtha announced that Abel took over command of the army, but was that wise? Abel matured in Heaven, but he had still died young. Could he handle commanding an army? Could he handle the blood? Could he manage to even kill? The only way he’d ever find out is with Extermination Day when they came for all sinners, that included him now.

            “Adam! Hey, Adam!” Lucifer called.

            Adam snapped out of his thoughts and shook off the unease and regret that nagged him. “Sorry, drifted off. What were you saying?”

            Lucifer looked taken aback. “Did you… did you not hear anything of what I said?”

            “No. Was I supposed to?” Adam asked as he took a sip of soda.

            Lucifer’s face fell for a moment before he forced a garish grin. “Oh, no. Not at all. Just the ramblings of a silly man. I thought I’d give this whole conversation thing a try. I mean, you like having me around to listen to you, right?”

            Adam raised a brow. “Are you alright? You seem… I dunno, something.”

            “Oh, yeah, perfect! The night’s just beginning after all. Let’s, uh, tear shit up, right? Barkeep! Another round! Er, make it five rounds!” Lucifer called.

            Adam glanced over at the other patrons at the bar. Husk shot Adam a disgusted look before he served Lucifer a set of five shots. Angel Dust stared at Adam with his mouth agape and eyes wide. Cherri glared at Adam as she seethed and flipped him off. He rolled his eyes as he briefly glanced at Lucifer throw back the shots before he glanced up at Lightning and Rain. He straightened when he saw Thunder with them. Lightning gave orders shortly before Thunder and Rain vanished. He watched Lightning compose herself before she rejoined him.

            “So, uh, the fuck was that about?” Adam asked.

            “Nothing,” Lightning answered.

            “Bullshit. What happened?”

            Lightning didn’t answer. Adam opened his mouth to ask again when he saw a woman shuffle into the bar dressed in an Exorcist uniform. His eyes widened when he saw Sera’s silver hair loose over the woman’s shoulder, a lighter shade of Sera’s cedar-brown skin and blue-gray sclarea, and her eyes lidded that showed off the same color as Sera’s eyelids. She shambled in and left a trail of golden, angelic blood behind her where her wings once were.

            “Lyre!” Myrtha cried.

            Adam turned as Myrtha bolted from the stage and took Lyre into her arms. Lyre collapsed into Myrtha’s arms willingly as she rested her head on Myrtha’s shoulder. Everyone crowded around Lyre except for Lucifer, Adam, and Lightning.

            “That’s what that was about, wasn’t it? Thunder saw Lyre be thrown down,” Adam stated.

            “Not thrown down,” Lightning said.

            “What?” Lucifer and Adam asked.

            “Lyre walked out of a portal alone, with no one behind her. She wasn’t thrown down. She chose to abandon Heaven.”

            “What? Why the fuck would she do that?” Adam asked.

            “What other reason? Her daughter, and her heart, had been thrown down here. And unlike you, she can make that choice. Just as we all did. Because paradise isn’t paradise without the ones you love. You might as well be in Hell at that point.”

            “Uh, Adam, why does that Exorcist look a lot like Sera?” Lucifer asked.

            Adam glanced over and saw the terror in Lucifer’s eyes. “Uh, well, uh-.”

            “Three captains were made, one to look like each Seraph. Lyre and Myrtha were the first two, designed after Sera and the fallen Seraph. Viola came later and was modeled after the Seraph of Joy, Emily,” Lightning answered.

            “Uh, yeah, that,” Adam confirmed.

            Lucifer’s face fell as panic set in before he forced a smile and laugh to match that panic. “Oh. Oh! Isn’t that wonderful. Well, I’m just going to.”

            Adam watched Lucifer clamor over the bar top and grabbed a pair of bottles.

            “If anyone needs me, I shall be in my tower, definitely not hiding!” Lucifer announced before he disappeared.

            “Why was Lucifer acting stranger than usual?” Lightning asked.

            “Who fucking knows. Let’s just get the fuck out of here,” Adam remarked.

            Lightning nodded and escorted Adam away.

[astra-galaxie]

What are Rose's headcanons? I want to know more about the toughest girl in the squad.

That’s definitely one of her titles! It always felt like there was more to Rose than we knew, even with everything that was revealed about her near the end of the season! Plus, unlike other members of the Flying Squad, she appeared as a suspect multiple times, while most appeared only once or not at all!

(Excluding Diego because most of his suspect appearances were when he wasn’t officially a part of the team.)

Now, on to her headcanons!

Thanks to her underground work, Rose knows about the supernatural community. Likewise, she can usually tell who’s hiding a supernatural secret, but not always what it is specifically. (She knows Argo and Diego aren't human but won’t confront them unless necessary.)

Rose and her husband didn’t marry because of love (though they did care for each other, in a platonic way) and instead for reasons they never revealed to friends or family to protect themselves. Even after her husband died, Rose never revealed the truth behind their marriage

When working underground or undercover, Rose avoided going to the hospital no matter how bad the injury was. Even after joining the Flying Squad, she hates visiting doctors and prefers to patch herself up after an injury. But when the wound is too much for her to bandage, Rose goes to Dick (before and after joining the Squad). It's how she was able to be recruited since Dick introduced her to Arthur given how hard she was to find during her underground working days

She always has snacks for humans and rats on her. If you're ever hungry, Rose has you covered with cheese and trail mix!

She struggles with phantom pains from her missing arm. There are days when her scars hurt so bad it feels like she’s losing her arm all over again. The prosthetic arm helps a little, but she refuses to let people see her break from the pain, so she'll only do it when she’s alone

Rose is surprisingly good with children. While she never wanted any of her own, she’s always had a soft spot for them. She can be very maternal when necessary and always seems to know how to calm a screaming child

Rose loves singing. It's one of her favourite hobbies, whether it be while working or to lull Ratsputin to sleep. And all that practice pays off as she’s a very talented singer; Viola tries to get her to sing duets with her all the time! (Rose only agrees if it is a song she likes)

To probably no one's surprise, Rose is never unarmed. She always has a weapon hidden on her, and not even the most skilled cops can find all her hiding places

That’s everything I have for Rose headcanons for now! I hope you enjoyed them, and thank you for the ask!

[redbloodtea]

Safe Harbor

Description: Viola has had a really, really, really long day as an EMT. Luckily, Kazu is there to help her.

1.9k words

Notes: Okay, so I love @tricitymonsters game so so much, and even though we haven't seen much of Kazu yet, he's one of my favorites. So, I had to write a fic about him and an OC of mine. Rest assured that after the end Kazu goes right back to doing his thing for schedule.

TW: mentions of burns and child death, mentions of bodily fluids (NO GRAPHIC DESCRIPTIONS), PG-13 movie level cursing, let me know if you see other things worth mentioning.

It has been a long day.

Blisteringly fast-paced, as Viola's shifts always were, but dragging on and on through some of the worst events in her career.

 A little girl and a muffin print sun dress they almost got to the hospital, before Nancy had to call time. An old man, one that looked like the bitter old bastard she called her Paw, who was covered head to toe with broken skin and burns, his cataract cloudy eyes spinning sightlessly in pain. A gang shootout on main was the gory frosting atop her shit cake of a shift, with 37 civilian casualties and hours of back and forth to and from the scene.

She ran through both her spare pants and had already used her planned laundry quarters yesterday, after another grueling 12-hour shift. Her pens are all gone, given to the nurses and now she has to stock up before her next shift. On top of that, the fuzzy dice she carries with her to lovingly hang in the pit trap of an ambulance her team of three shared had been stolen after she accidently left them yesterday, probably by the bastards on night shift.

 Viola really just wanted to see Kazu. She knows it's hard to date when you work emergency medicine. Viola’s had all the arguments and all the scars and all the cigarette shared stories to tell her that. But she can't quite help believing Kazu is different, that her life won’t be too much for him.

He's a bit of a pain to sleep with, Viola's muscle man, but well worth the fact that she actually gets to talk to him every morning.  It's almost domestic the way he kisses her breathless when she leaves and checks her for bruising when she gets back.

Kazu understands duty and suffering and cares a hell of a lot more than people pretend he does. He hates it when she smells hospital sterile but doesn't flinch when she's bitter and smells of her own sweat and other people's bodily fluids.

To get to him though, she has to get home. Her feet hurt, thick socks and supportive boots that do nothing for her at this point, and she's so hungry she might snap and attack the next street food stand she sees. And she wants to see Kazu. Know he's home and breathing and grumbling along to whatever new J-Pop idol has him obsessed.

Viola keeps trudging back to their shared apartment, thick bag slung over her aching back. Her rain jacket is pulled high over her face against the drizzle, but she can still feel stragglers getting wet and she's so tired.

She gets through the base floor easily enough, nodding to Mrs. Nguyen but not having the energy to talk or entertain the woman's claims that her grandson would be better for Kazu than she would be because “your hours simply aren't as compatible with him as his are”. As if she doesn't worry enough about that on her own.

When she reaches the front door, she just leans against it for a long moment with her eyes closed. A tall dark figure carrying a mysterious dark lump on their back is probably ominous to the neighbors, but Viola's fucks have all died in a drought about six hours ago when a 25-year-old vomited all over her and screamed threats as Viola and Nancy tried to save her life.

Still, the only way she's getting off her feet is going inside, so Viola hoists herself off of the white door and shoves her key in the lock, pressing precisely to manage the way the door sticks.

The bubbly hum of one of Chu-Z's older songs and the smell of hot food is almost enough to send her to her knees in tears right then. Viola’s bag drops to the ground with a thud, and she has the vague thought to be grateful that there are no metallic or shattering sounds even as she haunts forward like a woman possessed.

The short hall she’s in is dark, with shoes cluttered in their stand and a metal tray where she dumps her keys and lip balm. Viola should take off her shoes here. Should avoid tracking the grime of the day further into their home, but she’s fairly certain once she gets off of her feet, she won’t be standing up again for a bit.

Peanut, the sly creature, darts over one of Kazu’s massive black boots to curl around her ankles. Peanut is a particularly small cat, all white with stripy orange markings, but her rage massively outclassed her size. She didn’t tend to like anyone but Viola and Kazu’s friend Mori when they were awake. Still, Peanut isn’t fussing, so Kazu fed her.

She shuffles herself into the warm kitchen, carefully avoiding tripping over the white and orange cat. The sensible thing to do would be to get a shower and some old clothes worn soft, maybe even wash her dark hair but-

Kazu slept late this morning, as he only does occasionally. Viola checked if he was sick, but he mostly seemed worn and tired and a little bruised, so she got ready quietly and left him be, with no kiss or boxed lunch, the only things that made yesterday bearable.

She hasn't seen him since then, hasn't spoken to him since yesterday. A text to check that she got to work safe, a couple of updates throughout the day, a truly masterful texted integration once he found out that she was even close to the gang fight. But none of that can hold a candle to Kazu himself.

And there he is, in the kitchen in front of the small stove. In all his ridiculous glory, looking edible and soft and all in a truly gigantic blue crew neck she's fairly certain she wore to bed two days ago. It still, to Viola's private amusement, looks a bit tight around his shoulders and arms. He’s taken up all the counter space with his chopping and their cheap rice cooker.

She should leave him be while he cooks. Should turn to their small, shared bathroom and clean off the day.

 She doesn't.

Instead, Viola walks forward with the neat steady steps she learned in ballet and uses every time she works trying to hold people together on the worst days of their lives and wraps her arms tightly around his ridiculously tiny waist. She buries her face in the thick dark fabric covering his back and Kazu hums along to the song.

He doesn't jump, of course.

He's got to have ears like a bat given everything she's seen him do, and it's not like she was quiet. Peanut probably ruined any chance Viola had at surprising him when she came in. Still, it's nice to be trusted.

They stay like that for a long moment, Viola just feeling the shifts of Kazu’s muscles as he stirs and chops.

“Sit,” he says, and on any other man Viola would probably snap, at least a little, at being ordered around. But she's so tired, and Kazu, as much as he hates it, can't really help being a good man.

 At least to her.

So, she does, collapsing into a chair like a puppet with cut strings. Her feet hurt all the more from the pressure removed, making them buzz back to life in pins and needles. Kazu sits a large bowl of chicken and eggs mixed together over rice in front of her with a spoon and a pointed look and then just sits down in the chair next to hers at their little square table.

He also brought a dish of water, a washcloth, and the first aid kit in the kitchen (less diversely stocked than the one in the bathroom). He pulls one of her feet into his lap as Viola starts quietly spooning eggs into her mouth, carefully untying the triple knotted laces and pulling her boot off.

The dark sock is as gross as the rest of her, but Kazu doesn't seem to mind. He simply pulls it off, still humming along to the song and wipes down her foot with the wet cloth.

It's warm, and Kazu’s hands can be so gentle, and Viola knows she's crying now. His dark eyes flash up to check on her, but he clearly puzzles out that stopping won't help and goes back to what he's doing, other than a grumble of “Eat, don't tell me you're not hungry.”

He keeps wiping her foot clean and then carefully bandages the bits that need it and massages the rest. He looks so focused, her Kazu. His hair is down and hiding parts of his face from Viola, but she can see the furrow between his brows and the slight scowl.

He often scowls, but most of the first months of their friendship were spent figuring out what each one actually meant. This was a focus scowl; the same one he wears putting together cabinets and cars and memorizing lists of songs and their release dates. It's a scowl that brings a buzzing sort of warmth to her, that she might be just as worth focusing on as the things that fascinate and intrigue Kazu.

By the time she's finished her bowl, Viola has cried herself out and Kazu has finished up with her other foot. Her boots lay discarded by the table, Peanut chewing on the laces, as he drops closer to her and opens up his arms.

She slumps into them and clings when Kazu stands. He holds her tightly, just a little too strong to be called gentle.

 It's so much better than if he was.

Kazu carries her to the shower and washes her hair for her. It hangs around her face and slicks to her spine, and Kazu braids it while it's still wet because even when he's gentle with her, her proud monster of a man is a bit of a jerk.

Still, he washes her with his soap instead of her own and asks if she wants to get off before she goes to bed.

 Viola has a feeling that going to bed part isn't negotiable, but when she shakes her head, Kazu just nods and lets her brush her teeth.

He carries her to bed (Viola doesn't protest, but she imagines the carrying is also nonnegotiable) and dresses her in his own clothes. At this point she's fairly certain this is Kazu’s constipated meathead way of saying he missed her too.

He doesn’t go to bed for another hour, so when he dumps the covers over the top of her but doesn't climb in himself, Viola isn't exactly surprised.

However, she can't bear for him to leave.

So, when Kazu turns, to presumably do some cleaning, Viola sits right up in bed.

“Stay,” she demands, with all the power she can command from her shared bed while only beginning to not look like roadkill.

Then, she melts and looks at her lap.

The “Please, Kazu. Stay? Just until I fall asleep?” is quieter but no less sincere.

He sighs, but says, “Fine, but don’t try to stay awake.”

Viola smiles at that, a smile so soft and so different from her usually wry grins and smirks. It’s sincerely meant, an offer of sincere thanks.

They lounge in bed, Viola’s head laying in his lap and his hand gliding over her wet hair. Peanut, having crept in after she and Kazu settled, tucks herself beside his thigh. The wind and the rain pick up outside, the drizzle starting to pound against the windows, a true storm brewing. She drifts off there, warm and content in the little safe haven they’ve built, safe from the storm.