#polaris hall

[consistentlyshifting]

World’s First Cinema | Polaris Hall | 4.30.24

[concertclown]

Topics: Valid ID + 2020 Possible Requirements + Prohibited Items

Valid Forms of ID

Any event that is hosted through the venues we frequently cover should be assumed +21, unless clearly marked as “All Ages”. You will need a valid form of ID to enter these venues, even if you don’t drink.

Valid forms of ID include: Driver’s License, State Issued ID, Passport, Military ID, Merchant Mariner ID, or a paper copy of your replacement ID with the expired ID. 

(Unfortunately, if you lost your ID and only have a paper ID, most venues will not allow you in with the temporary form.) 

—-------- 

2020-

After the events of 2020, some venues require you to present proof of vaccination to enter depending on the current health and safety guidelines. Additionally, venues can require a mask be worn if the general population is dealing with a new variant flaring up. 

So, try to keep an eye on updated protocols. 

—---- 

Prohibited Items

Most venues have policies against the admission of specific types of objects and accessories. 

One of the most common problems we see is related to spikes and chains. Even if these additions legitimately cannot be removed from a piece of your outfit, some venues will flat out turn you away for them. 

Most venues will also turn away guests with water bottles (yes, even if they are empty), as well as self defense items. 

The only venue thus far who has directly confirmed they will hold onto your self defense items at the door is The Crocodile in Seattle, WA.

For your convenience, here's a list of our featured venues' FAQ + Prohibited Items Lists in alphabetical order!

PDX

Bossanova Ballroom - FAQ/Prohibited Items The Coffin Club - [N/A updated: 7/30/24] Crystal Ballroom - House Rules + FAQ Dante's - [N/A updated: 7/30/24] The Get Down - FAQ + Prohibited Items Hawthorne Theatre - FAQ + [Prohibited Items Not Listed] Holocene - Venue Info [Some Topics Missing] Lola's Room - [^ see Crystal Ballroom ^] The North Warehouse - [Currently under review. Updated: 7/30/24] Polaris Hall - All Information Roseland Theater - FAQ + Prohibited Items Star Theater - [N/A updated: 7/30/24] Wonder Ballroom - FAQ + [Prohibited Items Not Listed]

SEA

Barboza - FAQ + [Prohibited Items Not Listed] Central Saloon - FAQ + [Prohibited Items Not Listed] The Crocodile - FAQ/Prohibited Items El Corazon - FAQ + Prohibited Items The Funhouse - [^ see El Corazon ^] Madame Lou's - [^ see The Crocodile ^] Neptune Theatre - FAQ + Prohibited Items Neumos - FAQ + [Prohibited Items Not Listed] The Showbox - FAQ (some prohibited items mentioned) Showbox SoDo - [^ see The Showbox ^] Substation Seattle - [N/A updated: 7/30/24]

*note: Admin is in the process of contacting venues to attempt to update information. If successful, the post links will be updated immediately.

[freaky-little-genius]

i love sapphics

[johntorrington]

mutiny is always 100 percent morally correct. throw the captain overboard.

[covenofagatha]

But you're my stepmom! (Part 9)

Word count: 2100

Warnings: mommy kink, rough sex, bondage, spanking, oral, overstimulation

Taglist: @stayevildarling@i-just-cannot@hazey-g@buttercandy16@320viada@evilangels-stuff@rmaximoff@morganismspam23@aboutcustardcreams@sasheemo@rigglemethat@walkethisway@mommywandas@r-3-becca@harknessshi@ihaveawifebutwerenotmarriedyet@polaris-likethestar@ahintofchaos

You don’t hear from Agatha after that for a day and a half. 

You can’t help but feel like you did something wrong. Was it making her pull over on the side of the road because your needy cunt was begging to be filled by her cock? Was it taking her hand with yours and holding it for the rest of the drive to get pizza? She didn’t seem to mind in either moment. 

Nothing else had happened Monday night once you two had come back to the house. She had given you a chaste kiss in the car, telling you to behave, and you had. The hug you’d given her before you left for the night was the picture of appropriateness. 

Everything had been fine, so why was she icing you out like this? 

It’s sixth period on Wednesday when you finally get a response from her. 

You’re sitting in Biology, textbook standing straight on your desk to hide your phone, staring at your messages with Agatha. 

You’ve sent probably close to thirty texts since Monday night, all of them going unanswered. You were confused at first, then angry, then sad, these emotions spilling into your various messages. 

I had a really nice time with you tonight ;) 

Hey, everything okay? 

Agatha what the fuck 

I’m sorry for whatever I did, please just talk to me. 

You’re wondering if you should send another one now when suddenly, the bubble with three dots pops up. 

She’s typing. 

For the first time in a day and a half, she’s not actively ignoring you. You hold your breath, almost afraid to keep watching. 

Sorry I haven’t replied. Come over after school? 

No explanation for the radio silence. You feel bitter and debate not answering just so she gets some kind of semblance of the hell you’ve been going through. 

But it’s Agatha and she has you under her spell. You can’t imagine not obeying.

Okay. You type back. 

You get a gut feeling that tells you something is wrong. 

Fuck. Did your dad find out about you two? The thought sends your heart racing and nausea climbs into your throat. 

You tell yourself that surely your dad would’ve said something to you if he had found out that you and his wife were fucking. This rational thought helps a little bit but you know that something isn’t right. So if it’s not that, then what is it?

You completely pour over every single interaction you’ve had with Agatha and this consumes you until the last bell of the day rings. You don’t even remember walking across the hall to seventh period but you clearly must have. 

On the drive to your dad’s house, a pit grows in your stomach with every turn that brings you closer to an inevitable confrontation. You absolutely hate conflict.  

You take a deep breath before ringing the doorbell. Your palms are sweaty and your heart feels like it’s pounding in your throat. You remind yourself to breathe. 

Agatha opens the door and moves to the side to let you in. “Hey,” she says quietly. 

And that sets you off. “‘Hey?’ That’s all you’re going to say? I haven’t heard from you since Monday! I texted you like a million times and you say ‘hey?’ What the actual fuck, Agatha?” 

Pain flashes in her eyes and then it’s gone. “I’m sorry, sweetheart. Things were happening, I was busy.” 

You scoff and roll your eyes. “Were you also busy when you fucked me in your bed? In your car? When I went down on you on the couch and made you cum harder than my dad ever did?” You wish you hadn’t brought up all those memories because now you’re angry and turned on. 

At the mention of your dad, she grabs your wrist with a bruising grip and drags you upstairs. She brings you into her room and shoves you against the wall with unnecessary roughness, her lips catching yours in a harsh kiss. She bites your lip so hard that your mouth fills with blood and you hate how hot you find it when she licks it off her own lips. 

“Are you okay?” You ask, seeing the black glint in her eyes. Something is off. 

But she doesn’t answer, only slides her hand up to clasp your throat. Your breath hitches in spite of yourself and her eyes darken. “Do you trust me?” 

“Yes,” you say without thinking. You know you shouldn’t let her touch you until she explains herself, but you are too desperate to feel her hands on you again. Her face lights up in a wicked way and she leads you to the bed and shoves you down so your stomach is on the bed, ass in the air. She flips your skirt up and you shiver at the cold air on your bottom. 

You can almost hear her grin as she slides her fingers up and down your covered slit. It’s embarrassing how wet you’ve become from her practically manhandling you. 

“Good,” she says and her hand cracks down on your ass. You gasp and lurch forward on the bed, the sting clearing all the thoughts in your head. 

“Fuck!” 

Her hand tangles in your hair and she pulls you up so your back is now flush against her front. “Count for me,” she whispers lowly in your ear and then lets you go so you fall back onto the bed. 

“One,” you say weakly. 

She spanks you again and your hands grapple with the bed sheets. 

“Two.” 

Again. 

“Three.” The pain has started bleeding into pleasure and you begin slowly rocking your hips against the bed to release some of the tension building between your legs. 

“Ah, ah,” she tuts, hands grabbing your waist, holding you still. Her fingers dig into the skin and you inhale sharply. “Don’t move.” 

“Mommy,” you beg, panting for more. You have to tense your muscles so you don’t start grinding again after she slaps you again. “Four.” 

“Almost done, sweetheart,” she coos, rubbing her hands on your ass cheeks, soothing the burn. Agatha literally has to peel your underwear off because of how wet you are. She then spreads your thighs even more and takes in the sight of you. “Oh, baby, you like this a lot, don’t you? You’re dripping onto the bed.”

You keen and nod your head pathetically. 

“Last one. You’re being such a good girl for mommy.” 

You arch your back in preparation, but this time, she smacks her hand straight on your pussy, fingers landing directly on your clit. You cum from just the bit of stimulation with a guttural moan and she watches in awe as your body contorts. 

“Five,” you say weakly, once you’ve come down from your wave of pleasure, just in case she wants you too. She laughs and flips you over, not giving you any time to recover before burying her head between your legs. Your back shoots off the bed and your hands immediately find purchase in her hair when her tongue gives you a filthy lick but she stops. 

“No touching,” she warns. 

“But, mommy!” you protest. 

She stands up and walks to her nightstand, your cunt cold against the air now that she’s not near you. 

Agatha pulls something out and walks back over to you. “Move to the top of the bed,” she instructs. You do without hesitation. She climbs on top of you, showing you the two lines of rope that were behind her back. You whimper involuntarily. “Are you okay with this?” 

“Yes,” you rasp, too quickly and she chuckles evilly. She leans down to give you a quick peck on the lips and then she makes quick work of tying you to the bed banisters. 

“Not too tight?” She checks and you move your wrists experimentally. You feel like with the right amount of force, you could free yourself if you needed to. 

“They’re good,” you say, voice clouded with lust. “Can you–” And then you stop, unsure if it’s okay to ask. 

“What do you want, baby girl?” Her fingers stroke your thighs reassuringly. 

“Canyoufuckmewithyourcock,” you spit out. She raises an eyebrow, silently prodding you to slow down. You try again, forcing yourself to pause after each word. “Can you fuck me with your cock?” 

She groans out loud. “Such a good girl, using your words like that. Since you took my spanking so well, I think I can arrange that.” She goes back to the same drawer where the restraints were and pulls out her harness and strap. She shimmies out of her pants and hastily gets ready for you. Your hips have started undulating ever so slightly in anticipation. 

She climbs back on the bed, rubs her strap-on against your opening to lube it up, and then slowly pushes in. You immediately feel better with the fullness, your anxiety at Agatha’s weird silence the last few days ebbing away. She gives you a second to adjust to the size and then starts fucking you like an unhinged woman. 

She snaps her hips with every fast thrust, pulling a strangled noise out of you each time. You’re both panting with the exertion and one of her hands finds your throat again. She squeezes and your cunt clenches around her cock, making it harder for her to move. 

“Mommy, fuck, yes,” you sob, the pleasure making you lightheaded. All of your senses are completely overridden by her. All you can feel is Agatha and you wish more than anything you could touch her. But being tied up and completely at her mercy is driving you absolutely crazy. “I’m so close.” 

You can feel her smirking against your skin where she’s leaving bite marks and then soothing the spots with her lips. She keeps fucking you just right. 

“Don’t cum yet,” she says, voice gruff. You whine and she grabs your chin with the hand that was around your throat and turns it roughly so you’re making eye contact with her. “Who do you belong to?” 

She picks up the intensity of her thrusts, if possible. You’re teetering on the edge. “You, mommy, only you!” You wail. 

“Good girl,” she purrs. “Cum for me.” As if you’d be able to stop yourself. 

Your second orgasm hits you much more intensely and you can’t stop chanting her name as she fucks you through it. Your mind goes blank for a second in the bliss. 

She pulls out slowly, leaving a gaping emptiness inside you. It doesn’t stay that way for long, though, because after she takes the strap and harness off and throws them across the room, Agatha moves down the bed and thrust her tongue into you. She sucks your clit into her mouth and you gasp at the stimulation. It’s too much as she eats you out with renewed fervor.  

“Mommy, fuck,” you mewl and strain your wrists against the ties. “It hurts.” 

She pauses for a moment to look up at you through hooded eyelashes. “You can give me one more, can’t you?” 

You nod meekly and she grins, diving back between your folds. It doesn’t take much for her to coax you back to the edge and a few minutes later, you’re crying out her name when you cum for the third time, her hot mouth knowing exactly what to do to make you scream. 

You wince as she gives you one last lick and then she climbs up to pull you into a deep kiss. Her tongue moves into your mouth with raw hunger and you go to put your hands around her before you remember that you’re tied up. Agatha notices that you’re struggling and smirks before untying you. You move your stiff arms around to get the blood flow back. 

“How was that?” Agatha murmurs. 

“Really good,” you answer honestly. Your brow furrows. “Are you okay? You seem a little off.” 

She doesn’t say anything, just lies down on her back on the bed. She motions at you and you cuddle against her body, head resting on her shoulder. Her arm comes around you and you draw soft patterns on her stomach, enjoying the feeling of her warm skin. 

You almost forget that you asked her anything and you’re about to drift off to sleep when she whispers, “Your father is having an affair.” 

[mokulule]

Ghastly Glacial Goodies

What is this Moku? Another AU? Yep, sorry not sorry. It's cute okay! I'm gonna be doing illustrations and stuff. Also ice cream, who doesn't love ice cream? I blame this like 70% on @clockwaysarts cause they were playing around with a blob popsicle design (a blobsicle XD) and this thing spawned. Thanks to the people who took part in brainstorming on the Dead on Main server.

Chapter 1 - Polaris

The evening was dreary that day. Jason couldn’t tell you what had made him want to take a pre-patrol walk of all things. The light drizzle wasn’t terrible, but he’d been out so long his hair was plastered wetly to his forehead. The sun hadn’t quite gone down yet, but the clouds stole a lot of the light. A white mist had rolled in from the bay, softening the corners of buildings, and it almost made the world feel unreal. It dampened the sounds of the city and echoed his steps.

That was when he heard it, like little bells or a music box, a haunting tune. He frowned and followed the beckoning sound. He knew that melody, though it played a bit slow. What was the name again? He walked, unknowingly matching the notes as they slowly gained speed. A sense of urgency rose in his chest. He turned a corner and froze, stunned.

In the light from a hazy streetlight was an ice cream truck.

In this weather? Jason’s befuddled brain protested as he took in the downright baffling sight of the truck and the surprisingly many customers in line as well as the groups of people chatting and smiling eating ice cream in the rain.

The truck was all soft rounded edges with minty green accents, a cartoon ghost that looked as surprised as Jason felt with wide eyes and a mouth in an o decorated the side of the truck beside the counter. A quaint canopy stretched out over the counter. Its white and pastel pink stripes ended in festive tapered triangles which looked more at home at a fair, than some random street in Gotham. Apropos Jason looked up trying to figure out where he was, but didn’t find any street signs, just the sign telling him this street was a dead end.

The music was still playing, pleasant bells clinging softly. It didn’t feel so urgent now. He remembered the song suddenly: In the Hall of the Mountain King. A strange song for an ice cream truck, Jason thought as he walked to the back of the line. In the play wasn’t it for when Peer Gynt was escaping the mountain? That seemed in a way like the opposite of what an ice cream truck should signal. But then again as long as people recognized the song that would draw them in anyway. It was still a very impressive line for the weather.

The line moved slowly but steadily. The happy chatter was like a comforting blanket of background noise and Jason felt his shoulders slowly relax. He reached a sign that showed off various shaped ice creams on sticks in the shape of what looked like cartoon people and a happy green… blob? with red eyes called a blobsicle. It was a ghost Jason suddenly realized, of course that was the theme going by the truck.

Polaris the sign said in big swirly letters and then underneath in a smaller type it said “Ghastly Glacial Goodies” - someone had really wanted the alliteration there, Jason thought bemused. That person might be the young man behind the counter who just wished a girl and her mother a good night, before turning to the last person before Jason. I was hard to judge the man’s height since he was inside the truck, but he struck Jason as short, he was on the slender side an impression only enhanced by the formfitting green striped west and the way he whipped around inside the truck filling the newest order.

Apparently the current customer was buying for his friends, there had been pointing to a waving group standing a few yards away. It gave Jason another moment to ponder his options. The glass shield had stickers on it detailing the various scoopable options - they included such gems as Booberry, Spookistacchio and Rum and Raising, which had a small cartoon zombie on its sticker. Jason felt almost like he could have stayed there all day chuckling over all the silly puns, they had certainly committed to the bit.

Finally the last order was handed over with a wide smile. The ice cream guy exuded such a genuine warmth, that had nothing to do with the actual temperature - in fact it was really cold Jason noted as he sniffled to stop his nose from running.

Finally ice cream guy, Danny his name tag said, faced Jason in his classic ice cream man glory; striped vest, sleeves rolled up to his elbows he even had a silly little hat in his unruly black hair, it was a miracle it stayed on.

Danny looked a bit startled to see him, but then his smile was back and he leaned on the counter slightly to be eye level with Jason. Jason felt his breath hitch just slightly in his throat; It was almost like those blue eyes sparkled like stars.

“Why hello there, haven’t seen you around Polaris before.”

Jason shook himself out of it, grasping for something to say in return, what popped into his head was the oddity of the music, what came out was, “So are you the Troll King?”

For a moment everything was silent, then Danny burst out laughing. Hand over his mouth, he leaned on the counter. His shoulders shook as he tried to contain his snickering.

“You-“ he lost control and laughed, “are the first person” - more laughing - “to remark on the music.”

The laughter was infectious and Jason found himself chuckling. His cheeks hurt slightly from smiling. He wasn’t sure when he’d last smiled this much.

Danny finally gained control over his laughter. He peeked up at Jason through his fingers from where he was practically lying over the counter.

“Not quite the Troll King,” he snickered again before straightening up and gesturing around himself “but welcome to my castle of ghastly glacial goodies.”

“Did you have to think hard on that one?”

Danny’s face turned mock serious. “You have no idea, there were even thesauruses involved.” Then in a lower voice he added to himself, “violent little bastards.”

“What was that?” Jason said, not sure he heard that right.

“Never mind,” Danny smiled, “so what can I do for you? You’re my last customer of the night.”

Jason frowned confused and looked around. To his shock, somehow everyone had left without him even noticing, it was just him, Danny and the truck in the lamplight. He had to be really off his game tonight maybe he was coming down with a cold. He sniffled again and saw Danny frown worriedly. Ice cream wasn’t suitable for the wet weather, but it seemed silly to have stood in line and not get any.

“Do you have any recommendations?”

“Well, all ice cream is made by yours truly so I can’t really pick a favorite, but bloop of the month is Rum and Raising.”

Of course it was the zombie one, wait-

“Bloop?”

“Yeah instead of scoops? I was told it was cuter than gloops.”

Jason blinked.

“Here let me show you.” Danny grabbed a cone and expertly swirled the ice cream scoop round his fingers once before scooping up a mostly round ball of Rum and Raising and plopping it in the cone, he then considered for moment before adding another scoop, this time of “Cosmic Crunch”. He then pressed four small round red gummies into the ice cream, two on each “bloop” and held it out for Jason to inspect and huh, they had eyes now - a bit similar to the Blobsicle actually, except these were stacked on top of each other. It was a kinda cute idea, kids probably loved it.

Jason took the ice cream.

“How much do I owe you?”

“Four dollars, and this is on the house.“ He pushed a cardboard cup of steaming coffee towards Jason on the counter. “That will bring back a bit of life to you, you’re looking a bit ghastly.”

“Ha ha, very funny.” Jason rolled his eyes, but he was feeling pretty cold and he sniffled again as he found the money and put it on the counter next to the cup. “But thanks anyway.”

“Have a good night.” Danny smiled warmly and Jason couldn’t help but smile in return. He lifted the cup as a salute and turned around to walk away. He took a small sip and instantly felt warmth spread in his chest. That really hit the spot. He kept sipping at the coffee until a drip of melted ice cream hit his fingers and reminded him of the ice cream.

Oh yeah, he had paid for this.

He licked at the droplet and quickly followed it back up the cone to make sure there would be no more dripping. Cosmic crunch he quickly discovered was hazelnut with lots of crunchy nuts and he didn’t really know how to classify the rest. There was something indefinably delicious about it. Yes, it was all the things ice cream should be, creamy, smooth, rich, but there was something more. Like something he never knew he needed. Before he realized it he was down to the last bits and biting into the cone. Only a few more bites and it was gone.

That was-

It was easily the most delicious ice cream he ever had, but not only that; he felt sated, calm and almost floaty. Was the ice cream drugged? Alarmed at the thought, he spun around, but all that met him was a long empty street with no ice cream truck in sight.

Had he really walked that far already?

He would track down the ice cream truck later. He looked at his phone, it was almost midnight. How odd… He must have stood in line longer than he thought. No patrol was happening tonight, he realized with a yawn. He was much too tired.

The walk to his apartment was a blur, and it felt like it was only a couple of steps until he fell over on top of his bed, clothes and all. Everything was so fuzzy and nice.

Jason slept with no nightmares.

-

Okay, so this is definitely a small back burner project I'm working on, so don't expect any regular-ish updates, they are gonna happen when they happen. And now that I've gotten that out of my system I can hopefully focus writing the next bit for Catnip.

[aethon-recs]

Love the blog!

Wondering if you have any Tomarry/Harrymort case-fic/mystery recs?

Thanks so much for the ask! I also can’t get enough of the casefic/mystery genre.

Usually I throw together a mix of both WIPs (why WIPs?) and complete fics, but for this set of 15 recs, I selected for fics which are either complete or still actively updating, so as not to leave you on a cliffhanger on a mystery fic! A few of these fics are outright casefics, and a few of these have a mystery component where the big reveal comes to light as the story unfolds. Hope you enjoy!

*

Tomarrymort Mystery Recs

aurora polaris by @aglassroseneverfades (E, 153k, WIP)

Harry wakes up one day with no memory of his past, upon which he’s greeted by a handsome, doting older man named Gaunt who claims that he and Harry have been in a relationship together for years. 

Blood in the wine by @girl-with-goats (E, 31k, complete)

Tom Riddle achieves immortality by the means of vampirism. Enter young copper Harry Potter, fresh recruit from Scotland Yard, sent to investigate the mysterious disappearances of all the young men who uncannily look like him.

Corpse Party: Hogwarts Edition by @robinegberts (E, 67k, complete)

Harry, Hermione, and Ron skip the Halloween feast, only to wake up to a world where the castle isn’t right. It’s cold, empty, quiet. The layers of dust suggest it’s been abandoned for years. And outside the classroom lies the corpse of a girl who went missing years ago. As they wander the halls of this strange alternate version of Hogwarts, they encounter corpse after corpse, warnings left behind by the dead, and for some reason Harry feels they’re being followed.

Dead Leaves on a Wet October Day by @trelloreads (T, 29k, complete)

Harry is a ghost hunter. Riddle Manor is his strangest case yet.

Everything We Dream Can Be Real by @vdoshu (E, 52k, complete)

Harry had a life after Voldemort. He had a family. He had a career. And then one day it was all ripped away when he woke up at Number 4 Privet Drive. Or: Where Harry doesn’t exactly get that chance to do it over again. And things are Not Okay.

Keepsake by IceLynx (M, 5k, complete)

“I am Lord Voldemort, and I have not kidnapped you.” “That's... I should have known that.” Because Voldemort's words ring true, deep in Harry's heart. Harry tries to remember, but the thoughts won't come to him. The more he forces it, the more obvious the gaps in his memories become. “Why didn't I know that?”

Let's Cross Over by @whisprchrysalis (M, 251k, complete)

A hundred years after the end of the Second War, Harry Potter, Master of Death, unwittingly helps the last fragment of Lord Voldemort’s soul escape Limbo. Now, bound to Tom Riddle for the next five years, Harry has to coexist with the man he feared the most. Or: Auror MOD Harry and Tom Riddle strike an uneasy truce and solve crimes together, and Harry has to decide if his capacity to save everyone includes everyone, really.

love seeping from their guns by @purplemineralwater (E, 41k, complete)

Detective Harry Potter is just trying to enjoy his holiday when the tranquility of the lovely cruise along the Nile is shattered by the discovery that Theodore Nott has been shot. He was young, rich and beautiful, a boy that had everything – until he lost his life. Or: Harry investigates some murder, Tom tries to help, everyone has many, many secrets.

No Body, No Crime by @duplicitywrites (M, 20k, complete)

Harry works as a car mechanic in a small town. He and Ginny are best friends, their close bond the product of a traumatic event that scarred them both as children. One day, Ginny confides in Harry that she thinks her husband—the charming, enigmatic Tom Riddle—is cheating on her. A day later, Ginny goes missing. Harry is convinced that Tom is behind her disappearance, and becomes determined to exact justice by any means necessary.

One Year In Every Ten by @saintsenara (E, 165k, WIP)

A decade after the final battle, just when the wizarding world thinks itself safe, a serial killer emerges, leaving a trail of dead women in his wake. Each of the bodies bears a gruesome message for the Aurors. A message which claims the Dark Lord has risen again. All Harry wants is something to distract him from a marriage falling apart at the seams. Maybe his latest plan to save the world, requiring Lord Voldemort to agree to turn his talents in the realm of wrongdoing to solving the case, will be just the thing…

Personal Assistant by @phantomato (E, 10k, complete)

Harry receives a mysterious package. Inside is a ring. A weird, ugly, old one made of gold and some kind of black stone.

Reconciling with Death by Madame_Psychosis (M, 27k, complete)

Featuring a dead girl in a forest, little-soldier-boys, some tenuous grasps on reality, straw mothers, a ghost in a bathroom and, slowly and sadly, kindness from a boy who’s just passing through time.

The Matchmaker by @eris-dawn (M, 44k, complete)

The Matchmaker is a serial abductor whose modus operandi consists of pairing two same-sex individuals together in a coffin, six feet underground - buried alive. He isn't a killer. He's a kidnapper with morals, and Detective Chief Inspector Tom Riddle finds himself obsessed with solving the case. Unfortunately for Tom, the Matchmaker is just as intent on knowing him.

Tom Riddle and the Quest for Vulnerability by lejf (E, 16k, complete)

They found him in an old house, under the stairs. His face was pale and instantly recognisable. aka: Auror Harry Potter has eighteen-year-old Tom Riddle bent over the table barely a day after he becomes his ward.

Wings of Ash by IceLynx (M, 31k, complete)

If eight people going missing isn't cause enough for panic, one of them being found dead might do it. The Ministry of Magic has no choice but accept all the help on offer, including that of former Auror Harry Potter. For Harry, it might be a chance to get his job back, if he can only crack the case first. Surely Harry can be forgiven if he too takes all the help that's offered. Including that of his pet snake, the former Dark Lord Voldemort.

*

[abybweisse]

Ch209 (p4), The queen of tragedy

⚠️ Long post ⚠️

You might be wondering where that heading comes from. I'll get to that in a bit....

So, we are back to recent events, where Finny and Doll fight over Snake, each one claiming the other is the enemy. Both parties are involved in deception; he wonders why they helped him but lied the entire time. Out of the circus troupe, he seems to have been closest to Doll, and she never told him the truth about the circus. He also becomes particularly close to Finny, who immediately likes his snakes, but Finny doesn't inform him about the true fates of his circus friends. Then there're our earl and Sebastian, who lead him to believe the circus members are still alive and just on the lamb.

Why would the people closest to him all lie to him?

Then we get a couple scenes before his and Finny's assignment begins.

But this flashback switches from what Snake is recalling... to what a reaper is reviewing. Born March 15 -- the Ides of March -- to an actress named Sarah Kemble. More on her at the end. Death on December 9, 1889, from blood loss.

The expression on this (new to us!) reaper's face makes me wonder what he's thinking. He says "no additional remarks", but I believe he's thinking some additional thoughts.

He must realize there's something odd about Doll, who is holding Snake's body and grieving over him. Doesn't he realize she's a bizarre doll? Has he not taken note of the blood transfusion equipment in the room down the hall? What about all the veins popping up all over her body? Hasn't he been informed about the search for Undertaker and his moving corpses?

Does he not yet have info from Othello regarding Layla/Al? We have to keep in mind that this is all probably happening around the same time that Ronald and William are taking Layla/Al into custody, so this reaper might not be fully informed and so might not know what all signs to look for.

Besides, Ronald is sent to Norfolk ahead of the impending deaths, because there was word a bizarre doll is stationed there. He just has to figure out which person it is. Ronald can't tell who the bizarre doll is just by looking, so he has to wait and see who starts acting like one.

This reaper apparently isn't sent to investigate FOL Orphanage, suggesting HQ didn't have similar intelligence regarding a bizarre doll there. If he's not looking for one, he might not bother to take much notice of Doll's appearance or the medical equipment.

Everything is happening at about the same time:

Mey-Rin and Ran-Mao are heading to their next meeting spot while Polaris makes his report to real Ciel and Undertaker. Heathfield is arrested, and the legal investigation there is still underway.

Ronald and William are dealing with Layla/Al, with the intention of taking her back to HQ for examination. Baldo, Lau, and the others are still planning their getaway; they have not yet escaped the sanatorium.

Othello is probably at HQ, working out the finer details of the transfusion machine he has just recently confiscated from the underground facility at Bath. Beyond that, the dove he sent back to HQ might be the only call for help he's requested to deal with Undertaker.

And this reaper is (as far as I can tell) just responding to the assigned task of collecting souls from Snake, Susan, and the head matron. He really might not be in the loop about Undertaker and his moving corpses... just yet.

This gives an easy setup for him to go about business as usual and leave Doll to her grieving. If he doesn't confront her and just leaves, she can ask Undertaker to turn Snake into a bizarre doll -- even if it's just to be her companion. Undertaker would see old goals of revenge in Snake's cinematic records and could potentially turn him against the Phantomhives, through creation of his "episodes" by cherry-picking the memories and goals that would compel him to seek that revenge again. If that happens, we could get Snake confronting our earl and Sebastian... where Sebastian fulfills the implied threat he makes (to Baldo, about any servant who turns against their master) in ch51.

So, there's that.

Then we have a couple other things to discuss: the current date and Snake's mother.

It's December 9, 1889. This works great with my Mother3 theory, which states the contract should end before our earl is officially 14 years old. December 13, 1889 is the eve of that birthday, and it's also a Friday the 13th. This is highly symbolic because of when his father is born and when his paternal grandmother dies. I'm sure there are absolutely zero coincidences in this.

We will go back a few days (again) for the start of our earl's and Sebastian's assignment in Brighton, then we will catch up to December 9th with them. During this time and soon after, they will receive word about the other three assignments, as word trickles in. Or perhaps they are bombarded with all the reports in quick succession. Then we've got another four days for them to finish not just their own assignment but also their contract. Perhaps their assignment finishes around the same time as the others. If so, they have three or four more days to address whatever they have learned.

Now onto Snake's mother. She's based on a real person, or a combination of a few people in a notable family. My own initial research pulled up a Fanny Kemble, who was a British actress who lived in this time period but was too old to be Snake's mother. She bore a daughter named Sarah (Kemble) Butler, but Sarah wasn't an actress. Fanny was well known as a former actress and an abolitionist -- who separated from her husband (Butler), partly over disagreement about slavery -- and returned to the stage, where she renewed her focus on the works of William Shakespeare... performing public readings of his plays.

Discussing the chapter in Discord, I got word -- from @mjmj2994 -- about a Sarah (Kemble) Siddons who was an actress, though she was from the mid-18th to early 19th century. Her mother was also a Sarah Kemble. Turns out that Sarah Siddons (née and a.k.a. Sarah Kemble) was an aunt to the Fanny Kemble I'd found! Small world, eh? Anyway, Sarah Kemble/Siddons (wiki article here) became known as the "queen of tragedy" for her portrayal of Lady Macbeth and other Shakespearean tragic characters -- including numerous cross-dress performances as Hamlet himself. Even though Yana-san would have to change the timeline to fit our Sarah Kemble, this is most likely the historical reference for her. Here's more information about the Kemble family line and their extensive involvement with the acting industry.

Our Snake comes from an esteemed family of actors, and I suppose we are to assume he's an issue who was so quickly covered up and forgotten that he was perhaps never even named. Who was his true father? And how did he come to have such strong snake-like traits? We might never know.

Now we wait to see if this reaper does anything about Doll. And then onto our earl and Sebastian in Brighton!

[mumuscae]

DAY 9: THE ACADEMY

featuring an OC I don't think I shared on Tumblr yet? She's the Alpha Sculptori, better known as Professor Tori. She's a senior sorcerer who specializes in mineral manipulation magic. Though she's specifically good at manipulating calcite based minerals, like marble and limestone!(and teeth.)

shes a super old granny who throws rocks at her students sometimes but she's chill ngl.

Also hey I made this

The Contell emblem is meant to resemble Polaris' shield. It everywhere at the academy. In the halls, in the committee room, and even the shield itself is displayed to honor the late sorcerer. He has to be reminded of Polaris every single day, and everywhere he goes in the academy. The only place he can remove it from is where it sits over his heart on his uniform. RIP bro sounds like a skill issue

There's like. One piece of official art where he has the badge on his uniform. except I refuse to believe that piece counts cuz his hair isn't even rainbow in that artwork 😤

[silent-sanctum]

✧ Polaris ✧ - Jotaro x Reader

PART 11: Someone Special

— The previous parts of the fic can be found in the pinned post of my profile. Hope you enjoy! —

I'm back with another Polaris chapter loyal readers and this one's a long one 😘😳 This one covers the Anubis fight but other than that, the chapter also includes another deep dive into Jotaro's psyche and feelings. So expect some hurt/comfort and fluffy times with our favorite delinquent. Enjoy! 💌

word count: 10.6k

The shallow dip of your body against the plush bed was the first thing you’d sense as you came to.

Opening your eyes and the dim environment of a mimicked bedroom was what greeted you next. Through the darkness, vague silhouettes of what appeared to be ruined furniture lay abandoned on their spots in the room- wardrobe torn from its hinges, clothes that used to shine for stage ripped on the floor, the glass on the mirror of your dressing table shattered in pieces,

And just like before, everything was just as cold as winter. 

You pulled back the sheets and a chill snaked all throughout your limbs causing you to shiver, a puff of warm breath fleeting past your lips with every exhale. 

None of this surprised you anymore. You’ve been here too many times to care more so you knew what to expect in each.

In this situation, you’d panic less for yourself but for the people near you out there, dreading the image of rose gold arcing through the air during a friendly fire. But you took a deep breath and turned to the window, gaze immediately turned towards the night sky.

Where it was devoid of light, a lone star remained in place to shine enough for you to see. For you to feel some comfort in the manor. 

He was there watching over you. You trusted his words and it was enough of a push for you to get up.

You stood and reached for the nearest coat you could find on the tiles- a flimsy fur type that was a bit tight around you considering its size was meant for children. You shrugged them on regardless and with some semblance of warmth, you made your way to the door and stepped out.

Everything was how you remembered it with the mansion’s marble, granite, and antique light fixtures, but it wasn’t as polished as the first time. The walls seemed to decay with smudges spotting its once spotless surface and the tiles were matted over with something that dried out with time.

‘What should I do?’

You looked around, nervous but determined. ‘How do I get out of here without...’ You shook your head before the intrusive memory of what had happened could plague it again. ‘... escalating the problem’.

Your eyes fell on the open doors leading to the trees outside. For a second, your feet moved without a second thought, tempted to walk out of this hellhole and sprint free. 

But as your steps landed on the third step of the staircase, you paused. ‘This already happened and you know what happens next.’ You continued down the stairs and with caution, you went to the entrance and stopped before the door frame.

‘Running away won’t do anything to avoid her and if that’s the case,’ you took one last long look at the swaying trees past the fence, and with another heavy exhale, you grabbed the handles of both doors and shut them close with a resounding echo. ‘Then I have to confront this damn Stand head-on.’ 

You turned on your heel and faced the empty hall. With all the frustrations in your chest, you called out into the air. “Come out! I know you’re waiting for me! I’m here!” When nothing answered back, you persisted, “What? Now that I chose to shut myself in is when you decide to be silent?”

“Stop being a damn hypocrite and face me!”  

“You should watch your language child.”

Your breath hitched for a split second as the onyx Stand swirled up from the shadows from atop the staircase, tendrils curling in on with each other until it formed into the nightly figure that imitated your mother, blood ruby eyes rising from the dark to complete its look. You bit your lip and clenched your fists. 

Its sinister, booming voice dwindled into its more “motherly” tone that could almost pass off as a witch. It bore its teeth. “Well princess, you didn’t bother running away this time? Why?”

“You made it clear that fleeing from this manor won’t do any good,” you bit back. “Because you rule this hellscape you’ve built in me.”

The Stand crooned as its shadowy tendrils crept down each step. “Whatever do you mean?”

“Don’t play dumb with me. You know exactly what you can do here.” The shadows crept closer to you, its tips dancing underneath your feet. “I don’t remember everything from before but from what I do recall, your user treated her child as nothing but a way to seek fame. And somehow, I escaped her and you’re here in her place to torment me for disobedience-”

You gasped as a freezing cold grasped your cheeks in a flash with the shadows now curling around your body. You felt your eyes well up with tears, breaths coming in fast as you clawed with the darkness and stared into the gleaming eyes of the feminine Stand that opened its mouth into a grinning snarl. 

The haunting melody started to play in the background and a rush of paranoia surged, your fight-or-flight on the verge of activating. You could feel Silent Sanctuary wanting to break free from you with its need to protect. ‘No! Don’t... don’t come out please.’ 

“You are a smart child, little one. Don’t you see how you’ve decided to waste that potential with your insolence?”

“I didn’t want to live as my mother’s puppet. If anything, she was the foolish one for trusting that damn vampire-”

“YOU DO NOT INSULT HIM IN VAIN, STUPID GIRL.”

You bit back your whimper as its claws dug deep into your skin, an icy bite encircling you entirely except your head. “Now stop that childish rebellion of yours and sing for your mother, princess.” You closed your eyes and exhaled a shaky breath. ‘Persist. Don’t give in.’

A rational part of your brain switched on and in that brief moment of clarity, you found the words to respond with. “You’re not her. You’re just the petty remnant of the mother I used to know. A coward’s memoir.” Despite the cold, you gripped the clawed darkness and squeezed it with the anger that bubbled in you. “So stop pretending to be her and stop kissing DIO’s ass, you stupid ghost.” 

The piano’s song cracked at a dissonance and the Stand towering over you stilled, its grin faltering into a disgusting frown. “How dare...” The tendrils crept up your neck, making their way up your jaw. “HOW DARE YOU?!” 

You stiffened as the chill crawling on your neck surged up intending to swallow you whole. You squeezed your eyes shut and-

You gasped, bolting upright from your slumber.

In an instant, you wrapped your arms around yourself and pat yourself with a repeated pattern, taking deep breaths to calm down from your nightmare. 

A hand laid on your shoulder and you gazed up at the wide blue eyes of Star Platinum hovering before you, his bulky figure hiding you from the harsh sun. Once you’ve eased yourself into reality, you took in the current situation- a sunny day in the middle of the desert, ashy remains of a campfire, the Crusaders up and about talking amongst themselves, Iggy nibbling with a piece of wrapper, and-

“You’re awake.” 

You turned to watch Jotaro approach you with bottled water in hand. Looking at his bare arms and faded green top, you realized you were still wearing his gakuran from last night. He knelt beside you and handed you the liquid. “Did something happen?” You scanned your surroundings for any possible damage dealt. “Did I go off the deep end again?”

Jotaro shook his head and you sighed with relief, patting your heart. “That’s good.”

“Had a nightmare again?”’

“Same old,” you smiled with resignation. “But good news, I might have found a way to fight against it.” He nodded in return. With nothing else to say, he gestured to the bottle in your hands. 

“Drink up. It’s scorching hot out here.” 

“Speaking of scorching hot,” you shrugged off the black fabric and after one last feel of it, you offered it back to him. “Here’s your uniform. You’re gonna get sunburns if you don’t cover yourself from the heat.”

Jotaro cocked a brow and retrieved his piece of clothing. “I got set on fire for a second,” he huffed. “It isn’t anything new.”  

“That doesn’t reassure things!” You said with a pout.

“I got to help the old man with packing.” The delinquent stood and donned his signature gakuran, completely ignoring your statement. “If you’re done hydrating, join the group meeting. We’ll just be there waiting.”

“Now hold on! You can’t just walk off after reminding me that you were burned alive!”

Jotaro put up a hand of goodbye and you scoffed.

“Yah!”

---

The drive to the nearby city was not as long as you had expected.

There wasn’t much stuff to pack into the jeep so the boys were able to finish the basic task without your help, and after helping a now-blindfolded Kakyoin into the vehicle, the Crusaders traversed through the sandy landscape, powering through the blistering heat, alleviated with the wind breezing past your face.

Transferring Kakyoin into a booked hospital room was the first to tick off the itinerary, prioritizing patching up his eyes by a Speedwagon Foundation doctor before they could permanently blind him.

They arrived at their destination without great delay and given that the only thing left for them to do was to determine where DIO’s hideout was, the Crusaders opted to use a bit of their time to explore the city, ask the locals, and gather supplies while they were at a well-populated area. Iggy wandered off on his own. To help? To laze about? It depends on that dog’s mood.

Of course, being wary of your surroundings never left your to-do list. You’d expect that being near a leader’s den would mean an influx of their minions would lurk about to guard their base. Not even that but ever since you’ve begun to see a chance of overcoming your night terrors, the piano would begin to play in your mind again, and that mysterious figure stalking in the sidelines would appear at random.

Your mother’s Stand was wicked. It knew your mind returned to a stable state and with that found something to fight against its attempts of gas-lighting, so it began launching a counterattack to crumble you back into a crippling mess.  

But you knew better this time. Having experienced the rough of its worst, you understood better how the Stand operated in you. And so, walking through the streets with Jotaro became a test of your new trick. You allowed the music to play in the back of your head, slowly growing accustomed to its haunting keys despite some of its notes still making you quiver and anxious. 

You paid no attention to the stalker in the shadows. You had no reason to be afraid of him in the first place when you had a Stand whose purpose was to defend her user. The delinquent was with you as well and any aggression pointed at any of his companions resulted in a solid jab to the face by Star Platinum.

All of that considered, it helped quell the rising paranoia bubbling in you. 

Walking around crowded pavements in Egypt never felt so decent as it was in India.  

The group had split up into 2 in the meantime with the assigned tasks of buying refreshments and asking people about any suspicious activity happening recently. Polnareff, Avdol, and Mr. Joestar were off to the shops while you and Jotaro were left with the latter. Iggy, being a canine unable to speak, went along with the trio.

You agreed to meet up at the hospital by afternoon and discuss the next course of action with Kakyoin involved. 

Just as agreed on, after a day of roaming and talking, they all gathered by the building’s entrance. You had nothing special to report given that the locals had no clue about the issue at hand, to which the delinquent could attest, but the others shared something quite bizarre- of allegedly spotting “Jotaro” crouched by the jeep without you around, claiming you went ahead. 

Regardless of the news, the trio bought a bag of oranges and with Jotaro peeling one of them, you gladly accepted an offered slice. 

An ambulance arrived just as the Crusaders stepped into the establishment. 

---

Their first-day efforts didn’t show any fruitful results even with the assistance of an undercover Foundation agent who’d been patrolling the area for weeks before their arrival.

The group collectively agreed to resume scouting the city the next day and with that, each Crusader went off to spend the rest of the day doing what they wanted before evening. Joseph and Avdol stayed near Kakyoin’s room, Polnareff expressed interest in exploring the nearby ruins, while Jotaro and you decided to visit the marketplace to shop for trinkets.

The idea was yours and given that he didn’t have anything else to do, he volunteered to come with you. Not that he was thinking it would be dull and lifeless without you around or that not having you near him would induce immense concern and paranoia, but they were in enemy territory and you shouldn’t be alone wandering around.

At least that was Jotaro’s way of reasoning with himself.

But your Stand’s ability is primarily born to- He shook his head. It still wouldn’t hurt to have a backup.

Why are you always in my mind? Jotaro glanced at you walking beside him down lines of shops and tents, eagerly eyeing each stall with sparkling eyes and a rosy smile. 

Could it be... that? If so, is this what it felt like? 

When his heart would race every moment you looked up at him?

When he’d unconsciously begin to mirror the smile you'd have?

When his chest would cave and throb in pain when he sees you suffer helplessly?

When every ounce of his being wanted to fulfill that wish you made back in Singapore; about wanting to watch the ocean with him after all of this was over? 

Jotaro honestly didn’t know, but what he did know was that he liked experiencing them. In contrast to the irritating squealing and scolding of school girls and teachers, the constant attempts of bullies wanting to fight him, and the general stress that high school had to dump on him, being with you was a breath of fresh air he never knew he needed.

You were special to him. 

And for now, that was at least something for the delinquent.

Lost in his thoughts, you had skipped ahead of him with two small plastic bags that hung from your wrist, leaving Jotaro behind a few steps but still within his line of sight. There wasn’t much of a crowd to begin with so it made watching over you easier. 

Just as he was about to pass by another stall, something glinting sparked his interest from the corner of his eye- another vendor selling a collection of accessories and items that appeared high quality despite their simple designs. 

Jotaro turned to look if you were nearby and when you weren’t, his focus returned to the booth with his hand already reaching for his wallet. 

Shopping ended with your hands filled with souvenirs and his pocket slightly heavy.

---

The next day came and Polnareff, the apparent high-maintenance Frenchman that he was, suggested he visit a barber’s shop for a clean shave and simple hair trim. Jotaro was the first to notice the new sheathed sword in his hands but you were the one to bring it up.  

The adult shrugged it off and told the dubious teenagers that it was simply a “token of hard work”, and even though it was suggested to leave the weapon in his room, Pol dismissed the idea and brought the blade with him to the shop. For what purpose?

 

Who the fuck knows? To Jotaro, there was no other reason to bring that thing out unless it was to earn bragging points.

Regardless of the trivial inclusion, the trio visited the barbers at noon. There weren’t many customers falling in line to get a haircut in the small building, which made the waiting time much more bearable. The man in charge was a nice person as well, greeting his new customers with standard courtesy. 

He gladly led Polnareff to his seat while you and Jotaro took your spots on the lounge chairs by the shop’s window, where a stack of books was readily available for its customers. He pulled out one that cataloged the marine life of the Red Sea and began reading. 

The delinquent caught you glancing. “Should I expect a perfect score when I quiz you about that?”

“Don’t push your luck,” Jotaro said. However, if he were to answer properly later on, he’s somewhat confident he can ace your exam. You huffed and returned to your book about true crime and mysteries. Damn. Now he caught himself looking over at you. That looks interesting too.

“You can read it after I’m done.”

Shit. Jotaro turned a page with traitorous flushed cheeks despite maintaining his well-kept stoicism. Though you weren’t helping with that smirk plastered on your face, nor was the gleeful humming of the Frenchman nearby as he had the man apply shaving foam. He clicked his tongue, and in realization, he said “Hey, shouldn’t our first stop be the police station?”

“Oh take it easy Jotaro,” Polnareff waved him off.

“A man’s gotta look his absolute best as the saying goes around this part of town,” the barber added.

The delinquent was about to make a retort until you placed a hand on his shoulder. “We can visit in a while. I checked their schedule ahead of time.” He stared at you for a second, took one look at your knowing eyes, and sighed. 

“Fine.” 

“Oh before I forget,” Pol reached down beside him and offered the barber the new sword. “You don’t mind putting this out of the way?” The guy gaped at the random piece of weapon handed to him but did what Pol said. 

Jotaro still couldn’t believe the man would bring that with him everywhere. Even if he made no further comments about it, he held back a judgmental scowl and kept it behind a look of resignation instead. “Alright! Back to what I was saying earlier, I’ve done a fair amount of rolling around so I ended up getting kinda dirty.”

This time, both you and Jotaro glanced up from your respective books at the adult. “Make this face gorgeous again Mr. Barber~”

“Will do.”

A few seconds in and the minute the razor scraped an inch of the Frenchman’s face, he jerked upright and immediately complained of the blade being too dull for optimal shaving, telling the guy to either sharpen the thing or get a better one. “Good grief, you’re such a diva,” Jotaro said, unable to contain the judgment any longer. “Even Y/N’s not like this.” 

“Aww come on guys!” Polnareff whined from his chair. At this angle, the drape almost looked like a bib to an overgrown infant. “Y/N! You must crave for a touch-up from time to time at least!” 

“That’s not really a priority right now Pol,” You shrugged. “Besides, I can always have my beauty touch-ups after all this is over. Saves both cash and time.” And to that, Jotaro agreed. “Speaking of time- Hey mister,” You called for the guy’s attention. “Could you start with his makeover as soon as possible? We still have errands to tend to.” 

“You’re right sir... ma’am... my apologies,” the barber said as he whetted the razor back and forth.

More time passed and by the time the blade had finished polishing, Jotaro ended up taking a nap with you still up reading, while Polnareff lounged back with a warm, wet towel resting on his face. Nothing much went on but the mundane sounds of the brush against foam and skin. 

He could hear Polnareff hum in approval, praises spoken in French leaving his mouth with each smooth glide of the blade against his jaw. The barber responded when the Frenchman made a remark about continuing his good work down to his chin. Other than that, he could also pick up the sound of a book closing shut and the cushion lifted beside him.   

“Mister?” At the rising caution evident in your voice, Jotaro pried one eye open. 

And in a flash, he’s greeted by the sight of the barber brandishing the sword against the Frenchman’s jaw. The latter kicked into action and jolted the salon’s chair backward, enough for him to angle the blade away from his throat and launch it at the barber’s chest. 

Polnareff leaped out from his chair and stood away from the guy, putting himself in between the threat and his friends. “Who the hell are you?! And what have you done to the barber?!” The man pulled out the blade lodged across his chest as if it were nothing, blood dripping onto the wooden boards below. 

There was recognition in the Frenchman’s eyes. “Wait... could it be that... the sword is the Stand? A Stand that controls people?”

“Polnareff!” The man launched himself again but Pol pushed him back as he kicked the serving table towards him. Not that it mattered when he merely took the brunt of it and shoved it aside, already poised to strike him with a raised blade.

Silver Chariot entered the fight and the two swordsmen engaged in a one-to-one combat like old foes sparring just as before. They clashed blades and tossed each other around against the walls and furniture from the impact of their weapons. You and Jotaro could only watch and observe the fight that happened in front of them, trusting that maybe Polnareff would be able to find an opening.

But that wasn’t the case. He was struggling, growing more so with each time Chariot’s attacks were deflected and his slashes parried with ease. 

In the end, Polnareff ended up on the ground just as the barber stalked towards him with a confident stride ready to slash him down. 

At that time, a flash of rose gold zipped through the air and curled itself around the sword’s blade, tightening it and pulling hard enough to divert the man’s attention away from the Frenchman and draw him towards you instead. The second he faced the two guests, another fabric shot out to replace the other and encircled it around the guy’s neck. 

Jotaro saw Sanctuary lift him up to the air, rearing back in an arc as if it were ready to be thrown. It took one quick shared look with you and he took the hint. With no hesitation, Star Platinum manifested with its fists clenched and ready. 

As predicted, your Stand dragged the enemy by his throat across the air, ramming him straight onto his Stand’s gloved fist. With one loud “ORA”, Star delivered a heavy punch to the barber’s face and launched him out the window, shattering the glass in the process.

You, Jotaro, and Polnareff gathered outside the shop. “Think that finished him off?” 

“It’s never that easy Pol,” you said without tearing your eyes away from the body. “They’re tougher than they look.”

“Plus that punch was shallow to him, even if it took everything I had,” Jotaro added. Shit. It’s been a while since we’ve seen a Stand like this one. On cue, the man twitched and in an animated fashion akin to a zombie, he sat upright and turned to his opponents.  

“Not bad Star Platinum... Silent Sanctuary,” he said. “The rumors of your speed and coordination are true but now that I’ve seen it for myself, I can easily defeat them.” Jotaro stood his ground, admittedly a bit anxious at the sight of the man’s glowing, wicked eyes. His words felt threatening and as he got up, it felt like the battle had just begun.

 

A nearby civilian, a friend of the barber most likely, wanted to approach him but you stopped him and the other onlooking locals from nearing the threat. “Everyone stay back! The man is aggressive and dangerous!” 

“Stay back if you don’t want to end up in ribbons!” Polnareff called out. “Go inside and hide!”

With everyone at a safe distance, you three circled the enemy user with extreme caution. “This isn't good. This one feels different than the others we fought before,” you said.

“You’re right. The more we fight this Stand, the faster it gets.” Everyone got into position and braced for what was to come. “Every next attack of his will be the fastest after the last!” 

Jotaro took to heart what he said and kept a close eye on the man’s movements, and in a split second he could spot his gaze zero in on the delinquent just as he leaped into the air, screeching with a raised blade. I see how it is. He pushed both you and the Frenchman aside, away to safety, and stepped one foot forward with Star at the ready, arms raised.

I’m the one he’s after.

“Jotaro!”

Before any of the two could intervene, Star Platinum reacted accordingly and caught the falling blade between its palms, just before it could graze his forehead. The barber gaped at what had happened and in the next second, his Stand snapped the metal sword clean in half.

“That speed is remarkable. I’ll duly take note of that,” the man said with a quick grin as he fell to the ground face first, dropping the halved sword onto the dirt. 

Jotaro stood by, continuing to watch over the now-unconscious barber with suspicion. Take note? It's not over? 

“That can’t be it, right?” Polnareff said, eyeing the man.

“It’s too easy if it is,” you started after him. You turned to the weapon nearby. “Let’s first keep that away. We don’t want anyone touching it by accident.” 

A strip of cloth crept its way to the fallen blade only to be stopped by the delinquent’s Stand taking hold of its edge. “Don’t. What if it takes over you?”

“My Stand is immune to other Stand abilities,” you said. “You know that.”

“Still...” Jotaro shook his head. He can’t fathom what he’d do if he had to fight with a supernatural entity that directly opposes his Star Platinum. An impenetrable shield that's able to react as fast as Star. “We can’t risk it.” 

“It’s fine if the sheath is touched. The sword itself is the cursed object.” the Frenchman said, walking over to pick up the leather case and maneuvering it to slide the blade back in. “There. Now where do we put it?” 

“How about we toss it to the Nile?” Jotaro suggested. 

“Good idea.”

“Hey! This is the police! We’ve been reported that there has been violence in the area!”

The trio turned to face the single Egyptian officer dispatched to the scene. “Finally! Quick, this man needs help so you better get him to the hospital,” Polnareff said but the officer had already grabbed the Frenchman by his wrist. 

“Possession of a dangerous weapon? You’re coming with me!” 

“H-Hey!” Jotaro watched with unease as the man struggled with Pol, both their hands fumbling with the sheath. “I’m not the problem! Let go! You’re not supposed to touch this!” Anxiety spiked as his hand increasingly grew close to the sword’s handle.

“Excuse me, but my friend just picked up the weapon from that guy!” You attempted to reason with him. “He was only keeping it away for safety purposes! You can’t just take him into custody like this!”

“Polnareff, your hand-”

Before Jotaro could finish, the sound of the blade sliding against the smooth surface was enough for you and the police officer to pause and turn to the Frenchman. “Pol?” You uttered, already stepping away instinctively once it was clear something had already taken over him.

“It can’t be...” You walked back until you were standing beside the teenager. “It actually happened.”

“Hey, you drew the sword!” 

Polnareff, or whatever took over him, turned to the officer with his blade raised. But he wouldn’t get the chance to strike as Jotaro launched the man with a kick to the nearby roller-shuttered shop, knocking him out but away from being slashed to death.  

With his intervention, Polnareff looked over at the delinquent with that murderous intent clear in his eyes. A bead of sweat rolled down his temple. I’ve never thought about fighting one of us before, let alone Polnareff of all people. This was a problem because as far as he can recall, Silver Chariot was one of the Stands that could go at the same speed as Star Platinum and possibly Silent Sanctuary as well.

Fending off against such a threat that could likely beat his Stand in a speed battle sent a chill down his spine. At that rate, Jotaro might end up in a position where there would be no choice but to kill an ally. To kill Polnareff. He clenched his fists to prevent them from shaking.

You reached out to place a hand on his bicep, reassuring him that he might not need to do that if you helped him in this fight.

The possessed adult chuckled. “Don’t forget I, Anubis, have studied all of Star Platinum’s moves. It won’t be too long until I learn Silent Sanctuary’s next,” he cackled. “Someone I’ve fought before can never, ever hope to defeat me!” With a battle cry, Pol leaped to the duo with instant blood lust.

In sync, you and Jotaro leaped back to dodge the first slash, landing firmly to stand next to each other as Star and Sanctuary appeared before them. With each attempted arc, silk cloths rapidly darted across his vision, blocking each attack from striking Jotaro. 

Through an opening between fabrics, Star Platinum attempted to deliver a solid punch only for Polnareff to block it. Distracted, the humanoid tried to land another with its other fist but the Frenchman had already anticipated the next move. 

Immediately after shoving off the gloved fist, the adult burst into maniacal laughter as it began to slash at them with increasing speed. Sanctuary returned to deflect each cutting arc, flashes of rose gold creating sparks every time it collided with the steel. Star kept up his guard behind the fabrics, alternating between deflecting the stray slashes and sending jabs through gaps in the cloths.

But with every attempt at landing a punch, Jotaro felt Star struggle to return back to its defensive stance in a split second despite the cloths shielding them from most of the slashes. He could feel the blade nick at the Stand’s skin with every attempt, reflecting surface cuts on his own skin. 

This isn’t good. Jotaro heard you grunt beside him, breathing heavily as your Stand kept fending off the sword away from harming any of you. Yes, your Stand could tank hits but her user’s stamina could only last so long to keep it up. It’s getting faster and you’re starting to tire out. I have to stop that sword. 

At that moment, Polnareff raised the blade in a familiar downward move. I can catch it again! But as Star Platinum was about to do so, the blade sped up mid-arc and slipped past his Stand’s palms. Jotaro could feel his chest race at the rushing blade. “I’ll have your head!” 

A single strip of rose gold flashed a little above his eyes, deflecting the approaching blade away from landing on the delinquent’s forehead, but ended up cutting his shoulder instead. In that one-second opening, Star wasted no time and sent Polnareff flying onto the small tree. But the force of the hit also sent him back, knocking a fire hydrant off the ground in the process.

“Jotaro!” You hurried past the spraying water and crouched over to him. You sighed with relief as he got up with a bit more effort, wincing at the pain radiating from his shoulder. 

“This is the fastest Stand we ever faced,” he started. “I don’t want to lose this fight but if I don’t fight Pol with all I have, we’ll die.” 

“You guys said the problem was the sword right? Then there must be some loophole in that Stand’s tactics that’ll allow us to break that weapon for good,” you said. “No one has to die between us.”

Just then, Polnareff got up as well with the Stand that possessed him stating that their combined movements and attack patterns were learned. Shit shit shit. “So weak! Weak, weak, weak! But now that I know more, I’m going to show you something fun that’ll finish you and your little friend there for good.”

“Behold,” With a toss of the sword, Silver Chariot manifested once more and in a display of grand fashion, caught the weapon with its free hand, crossing blades with the cursed steel. “Anubis and Silver Chariot dual-wielding!” 

Nothing much could be said from the both of you. Instead, you braced yourselves in your side of the playing field, waiting for one of the two to move. 

To no one’s surprise, Chariot was the first to swing as it sped forward to thrust its rapier with lightning-fast movements, only to be countered by Star Platinum’s fist barrage. With the introduction of the one-sided sword, Silent Sanctuary joined the fray and swung its fabrics to parry off half of the hits. 

Every now and then, you tried to ease the rate of incoming attacks by having a stray fabric creep around the battling knightly Stand and either entangle its metal limbs or toss it entirely either onto the ground or off onto the side. And for a while, it worked. 

Midst the flurry of blades and fists, thanks to your interventions, Star was able to land a few punches on Silver Chariot, not that it dealt much damage when it took the hit like it was nothing and began its frenzied steel attacks again. Jotaro gritted his teeth, sweat dripping down his face. The sword. Damnit, I need to break that sword but how?!

But Anubis grew stronger with each strike, with each parry, and with each counter. Now, you couldn’t even toss Silver Chariot around anymore as the Stand was able to deflect the stray fabrics off of him while still relentless with its steel barrage. It grew faster and faster and faster.

You suddenly stepped forward, holding Jotaro’s wrist in doing so as you shielded his tall frame with your smaller one. “The hell are you-”

“Sanctuary is born to defend me no matter what. If I’m in the line of danger, then maybe my Stand will be able to respond better and quicker.” 

Jotaro wanted to refute and push you back before you could get hurt, but there was a bit of truth in what you said. With you in front, Silent Sanctuary’s fabrics grew in size and increased in speed the second its user neared the threat. Beyond the clash of cloth and steel, Polnareff continued to watch and observe with wicked eyes.

With the Stand distracted, it was Jotaro’s turn to launch a stealth attack. Star Platinum grabbed the nearest trash bin and chucked it straight at the Frenchman, drawing Chariot’s attention away from you to slice the bin in pieces.

But at that same moment, Star rushed over with a loud “ORA” and managed to land 2 solid hooks before the Stand recovered.

Star threw another object at it, a bush, but the Stand simply carved through the foliage before resuming its offense.

Before it could execute an arc to parry Star’s next set of punches, Sanctuary coiled a piece of itself around Silver Chariot’s dominant arm, pulled the Stand up to the air, and smashed it on the ground in a familiar whip-like manner. Once. Twice. Until it recovered again.

Polnareff clicked his tongue, looking dead at you. “You truly are becoming an annoyance. Always blocking. Always shielding. How about I fix that?” 

All of a sudden, Silver Chariot stood still and out of the one Stand spawned dozens of identical copies. Jotaro’s heart dropped with dread. He remembered this ability back when the Frenchman dueled against Avdol. And there were so many of them.

Anubis-possessed Polnareff cackled as all the Chariots spun their rapiers. “How about you block all of these now Sanctuary?”

Acting according to its strategy, Jotaro was forced to leap back and away from you as multiple Chariots rushed to Star Platinum at once. You weren’t doing any better as the remaining clones repeatedly clashed against the wildly whipping cloths surrounding you. 

Fortunately for the both of you, Star and Sanctuary were able to rid of the mirages with enough blind attacks and offensive defenses, but that left Jotaro having to fight off against the real Chariot while you defended yourself against a grinning, mad slashing Polnareff. 

At this rate, Silver Chariot was at par with Star Platinum and to make matters worse, in the middle of fighting its copies, his Stand accidentally managed to chip away a piece of shoulder armor hindering the knight Stand’s speed. And now, he’s truly left standing ground behind Star struggling to block off the speeding thrusts.

And Jotaro began to shake from where he stood as a few stabs of the rapier managed to slip past Star Platinum’s guard and cut the skin off his cheeks, arms, and legs. T-This isn’t good. The damn thing is speeding up. 

Even as his life was on the line, Jotaro glimpsed off into the side where you were facing off Polnareff wielding Anubis. You were on the defense as Silent Sanctuary focused on parrying all of the slashes instead of aiming for blind spots. You kept taking steps back, wincing with every advancing attack. The Frenchman pushed forward with his relentless swings, taunting you to risk a counterattack.

The delinquent clenched his fists as he watched you stagger the faster he became. If Jotaro had to knock an ally out to save another, then so be it. 

With newfound resolve, Star Platinum dodged the next set of thrusts and swung a heavy hook to Silver Chariot’s armored jaw. Jotaro didn’t bother checking if the Stand recovered and bolted to your side with his Stand’s fist raised and ready to put Polnareff out.

He was a few steps away now and just as he was about to deal the finishing blow, you caught him sneaking or rather, at something approaching from behind. “Behind you!”

Star Platinum redirected his punches back to the threat lurking behind the delinquent. Jotaro glanced over his shoulder to find Silver Chariot recovered and caught off guard as his rapier got deflected thanks to the metal embellishments of Star’s glove.

However at the same time, Anubis-Polnareff diverted his attention the same time Star did, and in that millisecond window, the cursed steel of the sword found itself lodged deep in his abdomen.

He couldn’t even register the pain when it happened but he could gradually feel it coming as blood accumulated in his throat and spilled out his mouth. 

But then it occurred to him. The sword’s stuck in one place. S-Shit, it’s not ideal but it’ll do. 

You cried out his name in terror and several strips of rose gold lunged out to attack the boasting enemy, reacting in response to its distressed user. “N-No wait!” He spoke through the pain. The fabrics halted just before they could strangle the distracted Frenchman. Jotaro locked eye contact with yours and through unspoken words, you nodded with hesitation.

I have a plan.

Jotaro grabbed hold of the wedged blade with Star’s help, faking an act of pulling the sword out of him. “S-Stop. Don’t push it any further. It’ll be murder.” 

As expected, Anubis cackled as he kept the steel firmly in place. That’s it. “I will not stop! I’ll push it in and tear your guts to shreds!” To further boost his ego, the delinquent allowed his grip to loosen for a minute.

That is until Star Platinum cried out a booming “ORA” as it began to punch at the sword, breaking it apart chunk by chunk. With the jackal now pleading for the teenager to stop, it further fueled him to continue until what was left of the sword was the handle.

With one last push, Star gripped the remaining piece in its hand, and with one last final cry, the warrior Stand finally crushed it to powder. 

Anubis let out a yell of defeat as his form cracked and disintegrated along with its ominous purple aura that kept Polnareff under its possession. Free from control, the adult fell to the ground.

Jotaro stumbled on his feet, making sure to put pressure on the stab wound. He didn’t even notice the lodged piece had dropped shortly into a small bloody pool below.

“Good riddance... It’s finally over.” Now that it was, all the adrenaline that used to rush throughout his body left in an instant. His surroundings seemed to blur and sway. He began to feel lightheaded and his body felt like lead. 

You hurried over to his side and kept him steady with half his weight leaning on you. The delinquent turned to your worried eyes and your frantic questions concerning his well-being. “That was a tough enemy... That last move took everything I had.” He continued to stare at you with his unfocused vision, reaching to touch your hand in a weak attempt to reassure you. 

“But I’m glad it was enough to defeat him before he could hurt you.” 

The world suddenly tipped over and the ground came up to greet him... or that would be the case if it weren’t for you catching him as his knees buckled and gave up on him. You laid him across your lap, cradling his head with one hand with the other pressing hard above his own on the profusely bleeding wound. 

“This is new...” Fuck... everything’s so fuzzy now. Blood continued to gush out of the gash in his abdomen, seeping past both your hands. Not to mention the other minor cuts still bleeding elsewhere. Why does it feel chilly all of a sudden? “I never felt this exhausted...” 

Above him, you whimpered as you kept alternating your focus on him and his wound. “W-What should I do?” You said in a foreign language he couldn’t understand. “Come on! Why aren’t you coming out this time?!” He could only assume you meant Sanctuary appearing to help apply pressure.

“Y/N...”

“No! Don’t do that! Don’t pass out on me!” You said in a panic. “Anyone?! Can someone call an ambulance please?!”

In the corner of his eye, he could pinpoint Polnareff stirring into consciousness. “What happened? Don’t tell me I got controlled!” 

“Pol, go get Mr. Joestar or Avdol or somebody! Just get help!” You gritted out to him and when he asked back in confusion, you screamed at him to go get the old man. Not wanting to upset you further, he darted off to do as you asked.

“Jotaro-ssi...” Through hooded eyes, he gazed up at you. “Still with me?”

“I’m... I’m trying...” 

“You better!” You said, your voice breaking into another whimper. You held his head close to you as you curled over him and kept pushing hard against his stab wound. “I know you like to be the strong, tough guy. So be one damnit!” 

Jotaro was about to say something in retort but he found it hard to speak when it felt like his throat was clogged. Just then, he heard something. It was faint at first but it picked up volume with each passing second.

It sounded like a gentle music box playing a soft song for him to listen to.

It was soothing. Hearing it put him into a sense of ease and relief one felt just as they were to rest after a hard day’s work. Whatever sharp or throbbing pain he could have felt dissipated and replaced with a relaxing sensation he could describe as cool waves washing over the heat of his injuries.

Jotaro didn’t know if he was imagining it but he could’ve sworn Silent Sanctuary hovered behind you, watching over him with her head tilted and her fabrics thinned and moving as if they were being plucked like a harp.

His eyes were heavy and all he wanted now was to shut them close and fall into slumber. 

Just as his consciousness was about to slip away, the last thing he could hear was the sound of his grandfather arriving flustered and your voice crying out and begging him to at least wake up for his friends. For his mother. 

For you.

He won’t be going anywhere anytime soon.

---

When Jotaro came to, his head along with the rest of his body still weighed heavy against the plush of the sheets blanketing him and the pillows cushioning him from all sides.

There was also the dull, throbbing ache from where he got stabbed sometime earlier than now. Given it felt like a tight band hugged his waist, he had expected to wake up to where somebody already wrapped a bandage around the area. Some band-aids helped with the other nicks he had on him.

His clothes were a bit different too- his hat and gakuran were hung on a nearby rack and his favored faded green top was replaced with a temporary red sleeveless one. He smelled nicer too, smelling like a mix of soap and citrus. How nice of them to sponge bathe me too. 

Then there was the shallow dip beside him. He lulled his head to the side and found you sitting by his bedside, asleep on your crossed arms with your face tilted to him. A couple of stray hairs had fallen on your eyes. What a bother... Jotaro slowly brought his hand up to gingerly brush the loose strands away and tuck them behind your ear. 

In turn, you furrowed your brows from the touch and he immediately drew back, cheeks going warm realizing what he’d done. You stirred for a couple more seconds before you blinked your eyes open. Seeing him awake was enough for you to bolt upright with surprise. 

You were asleep though. Your nightmares. “Were you okay?”

You scoffed as your eyes began to swell with unshed tears. “I’m supposed to ask you that, you jackass.” Jotaro tilted his head in confusion. Did he say those out loud? “You should know you had me panicking like crazy back there. What were you thinking letting yourself get stabbed for that long?”

 

The delinquent waved it off. “It was nothing. I’ve been hit worse before-”

“But that was the first time you collapsed and passed out!” You hissed back. Jotaro’s chest twisted in on itself as he watched you furiously wipe your eyes and sniffle. He remembered what you shared then that broke you into a sobbing mess.

Seeing you in tears was a bit more unbearable than he’d expected. 

“Don’t cry.”

You clicked your tongue, pouting afterward. “You can’t say that when I’m still reeling from what had happened.” 

“Like I said, it’s-” He shook his head. “Never mind. I’m fine now, alright? You patched me up and all.”

“Oh I didn’t do that,” you said. “Mr. Joestar was the one who did the bandaging. Avdol helped by calling a doctor to make sure nothing was infected.” For some reason, Jotaro was disappointed. Just a little bit. “Though the sponge bath was my idea so you’re welcome.”

“Also, they said that the blood loss was supposed to be severe since the cut was deep enough to puncture organs and a major blood vessel behind your guts, but you’re lucky that they found out most of the inner wounds were miraculously healed so all that was left was the superficial bleeding.” 

He would have found that weird but he thought back to that moment of him on the brink of unconsciousness- Silent Sanctuary watching him, the music box’s soft chimes, the cooling sensation that swept throughout his body. 

Jotaro had pieces he could put two-and-two together and it would make sense, but it was too sudden and out-of-nowhere at the same time. Guessing from your reaction, you hadn’t known the song played either so it couldn’t be that.

But he couldn’t be bothered to think too much when he still had a headache to deal with.

Knocking rapped on the door and in came Joseph holding a plastic bag filled with what he could assume were either snacks, medications, or contraband of some sort. “Hey, took you long enough to wake up sleeping beauty.” 

Jotaro scowled, further fueling the old man’s glee. “That’s the spirit champ! Here,” he handed over the goods to you. “Avdol thought you guys might need some stuff while my grandson here recovers- Biscuits, juice, a pack of smokes?”

“I said I’m fine.”

“Thank you Mr. Joestar,” you said as you shuffled through its contents just to see.

“Oh, by the way, Polnareff said he’s really sorry for what happened,” Joseph said, rubbing his nape. “He didn’t like doing what he did and he’d beat that shithead to a pulp if he still could-” 

“Yeah, I kinda went a bit too hard on him.”

“What happened?”

You sighed. “I lashed out at him for hurting you and told him to get lost, but now that I think about it again I feel really bad. It’s not his fault.” To that, Jotaro scoffed but couldn’t help but curl his lip at the same time at the thought of you getting protective over him. You turned to Joseph. “I’ll apologize to him in a bit.” 

“Knowing that dumbass, I think you should apologize now,” Jotaro said, crossing his arms. “He’s probably kicking rocks and pulling his hair out from all the guilt.” 

“Now? How about you?”

“Y/N,” he gave you a pointed stare and cocked brow. 

“Well,” You got up, still conflicted. “If you say so. But I’ll be back as soon as possible.”

His eyes fell shut before he muttered a quick “Take your time.”

---

You might as well label the Frenchman an overgrown kid by the time you said your apologies.

He was found pacing back and forth on the pavement outside the inn you were just in. You could’ve sworn he tensed when you approached him with open arms. For the most part, it was the adult who did most of the “sorry's" to your face even as you did your hardest to butt in and say that you should be the one to apologize.

It didn’t take long to get everyone back on good terms. Polnareff promised to buy you and Jotaro meals and left it at that. 

It was evening on the way back and you crossed paths with the old Joestar and his friend lounging in the building’s lobby, discussing matters with a man of short build and suit. You didn’t know who the guest was but based on past interactions, you could make a knowledgeable guess that it was another undercover Speedwagon Foundation agent helping the team find DIO’s headquarters.

“Oh Y/N,” you stopped as Avdol spoke. “Has Polnareff found agreement with you? Or did you kick him off again for another day?”

“Come on don’t be like that,” you said. “We’re back to being buddies. He’s just choosing to walk around the city for a bit before midnight.”

“That’s good news,” he said with an approving smile. “Care to join us? Perhaps you have some intel on the headquarters’ whereabouts or at least any leads on who knows where it is?”

You shook your head. “I still have to check up on Jotaro. Maybe tomorrow when he’s feeling better.” You waved at them and went on your way. Behind you, you could pick up the duo’s conversation.

“But it’s just a stab wound. The kid’s alright.”

“Let them be Mr. Joestar. Nothing’s more comforting than being around a close friend.”

“But why wasn’t she like that around Kakyoin? He’s admitted to a hospital so you think she’d be more concerned for him.”

“It doesn’t exactly work like that.”

You left them to their gossips and continued down to the stairs leading to the 2nd floor. You kept going until you reached the delinquent’s room and just as you went for the handle, a faint thud could be heard from inside followed by someone gagging. 

“Jotaro?!” Immediately, you twisted the knob and jerked the door open, rushing inside in fear something might have happened to your friend. The room was dark, the curtains drawn shut, and you found the bed empty and the bathroom door ajar, light spilling from inside. You threaded across the room and peeked through the crack.

Inside was the raven-haired teenager crouched beneath the sink, gripping the ceramic tight with one hand while the other lay on the bathroom tiles curled into a fist. “Fuck, stop it...”

Jotaro?

He didn’t hear you enter and just as you were about to call him again, he got up on shaking legs and raised his fist into the air. Then he swung it straight onto his wounded abdomen, causing him to gag and crumble back onto the floor.

“What are you doing?!” You swung the bathroom door open, surprising the delinquent from where he was crouched on the tile. “Are you crazy?!”

“Y-Y/N...”

“Come here.” You grabbed his wrist, pulled him up on his feet, and dragged him to his spot on the bed where you directed him to sit with his legs tucked under the sheets. “I shouldn’t have left you by yourself.” How long has been doing this since I was gone? Once settled, you switched on the bedside lamp and went to inspect his bandages. 

“Stop worrying. I can ex-” You harshly sucked air through your teeth, glaring and hissing at him to shut up. And he did. You pulled his tank top up to his chest and assessed the injury with careful eyes. A large, dark red patch marked the bandages surrounding the wound but given its color, it was due to earlier bleeding instead of his current doing.

You sighed with relief and tugged his top back down. But you still had questions to ask. “Why did you do that? How long were you doing that?” 

Jotaro didn’t reply His eyes looked elsewhere that weren’t in your direction, not wanting to respond. “Not answering? Do I have to be the most annoying person in the world to get through that stubborn head of yours?” You took your seat beside him, trying to get him to look at you. “Because I can. In fact, I can start now so don’t blame me if I begin-”

“I started overthinking.” 

You paused. “What?”

“You heard me,” Jotaro said. “I got into my head too much I started overthinking.”

“That doesn’t give you the excuse to punch your wound to snap yourself out of it,” you took a deep breath before you could go off into another nagging session. “Besides, I know you overthink a lot. What makes this any different?”

“I nearly died back there,” he muttered as if he was almost ashamed it happened. “What could’ve happened if I did? How could I help protect the others? How would my mom react? I wouldn’t even get to make up for the awful shit I did and said to her and could’ve died a bad son. Would she even be alive in time to know?” 

He exhaled a quivering breath. “But I lived, got to live another day, but it made me question myself even more- If couldn’t beat that thing, then how would I be able to beat the next that would come if they become more powerful and brutal than the last?”

You kept silent throughout his whole speech and watched him bear out the inner machinations of his mind, a crystal clear reminder of what both of you were- 2 teenagers on a death trip to stop an immortal vampire with his mother’s life put on a time limit. 

‘What should we do?’ was what he first asked Mr. Joestar the moment he found his mom passed out on the floorboards. You can only imagine the burden he had to carry ever since that question; the notion that it was his obligation to save her, that no one should be more involved in this mission than him. 

That he was responsible for her life more than anyone.

And you don’t know if this was him wanting to atone for all the surface-level mistreatment he’d done to her, or that it was simply out of the care and goodness of his heart.

Though it was a noble thought, it had its flaws and you made sure to bring those up to him. “Hey, look at me.” With reluctance, Jotaro did as asked. “You did what you could back then. You stood your ground against that cursed sword and found a way to defeat it even though it seemed impossible to do so.” 

“You shouldn’t blame yourself for not doing better. Both of us are just high schoolers with ghost companions that fight these obnoxious battles for us.” You chuckled. “Putting it that way makes it sound ridiculous. We should be doing homework but here we are.” 

Jotaro huffed, amused at your ramblings. “Still, I should’ve been stronger.”

“We all should, to be honest,” you smiled at him with a shrug. “There are tougher enemies? Then we band together and beat them using our wits. Find loopholes. More strategic thinking and less punching. You get it?” He tilted his head to the side. “What I’m saying is that we came to Egypt as a team and it should stay like that.”

You placed a reassuring hand on his arm. “You will save your mom, alright? She’ll be okay and we’ll help make sure that happens.” 

Jotaro regarded you for a moment with a contemplative stone-faced gaze, and your heart swelled as he chuckled shortly after. “I guess you’re right.” 

It was then you noticed the time on the clock. 10:30 PM. “Oh god, it’s getting late. How are you feeling? Do you need water? I heard you puking earlier.”

“I’m just tired and my head still feels like shit.” 

“I guess I’ll take that as my cue to leave then,” you said as you made a move to get out of bed, only to be stopped by the delinquent’s hand darting forward to hold your wrist. You turned to him in confusion.

“Aren’t you sleeping here?”

“Mr. Joestar reserved this room for you. In fact, he booked all of us separate rooms.”

“Alone? How about your nightmares? Who’ll make sure you won’t make a wreck again?”

You smiled at the concern seeping out of the delinquent. “I’ll be fine. I told you I found a way to avoid that from happening.”

“Oh.”

It was silent for a minute, neither you nor him wanting to speak or move in the dimly lit room. You trailed your line of sight to the hand still holding you from standing. “Then... uhm... shit. I can’t believe I’m saying this.” Jotaro let your wrist go and hid his reddening face instead. “This is so fucking stupid.”

“But could you...” He mumbled the next words. “Sleepover?” You widened your eyes at the request and your cheeks flooded with warmth. “Who knows? I might end up punching myself again while you sleep.”

“Yah, don’t you dare.” You puffed your cheeks and with indignance, you tucked your feet back under the sheets and made yourself cozy on the fluffy pillows beside Jotaro’s. “You’re really trying to piss me off with these threats of yours.” 

With audacity, the delinquent curled his lip upwards. “You’re still here though.”

“Well of course,” you pouted as you fidgeted with the sheets. “I realized I needed to pay back somehow for all those nights you watched over me. And now I got the chance to do so.” 

Then there was silence from his part and this time, you wanted to bury yourself whole to spare you from the embarrassment of saying that to him. You turned your head to face him with a snarky quip in mind, but you caught yourself from saying it when you found him staring at you wistfully with hooded eyes, that subtle smirk now wiped off his face.

Flustered, you blurted a quiet “What?”

Jotaro sighed and shook his head as he switched the lamp off. “Nothing.” 

Now engulfed in the darkness, you burrowed yourself further in the sheets as the delinquent did the same. You tried to shut your eyes and let what little drowsiness take over, but no matter how hard you tried doing so, you couldn’t fall asleep. 

So with all your probable solutions thrown out the window, all that was left was turning to your side. Beside you, Jotaro still laid on his back to not cause any pressure on his injury, but his head was tilted to face you. Both of you were awake, and it dawned on you how chilly it had become late at night.

“Can I?” You whispered. 

The delinquent nodded once without a moment’s hesitation. With his permission, you huddled closer to his side and curled up against him, head laying on his shoulder as you sighed at the combined warmth and smell of citrus permeating you. “You think Mr. Joestar’s gonna flip when he finds out he wasted cash on an empty room?”

“The old man won’t mind,” he mumbled. “He’s filthy rich to even notice.” 

“How proud of him then...” You yawned as you nuzzled closer to him. “Do you also think... he won’t get... chatty with the others?” 

“Hm?”

You slurred the last remaining words as you faded off into unconsciousness. “Because... I’m here with you.”

---

As you muttered out your last words of the night, Jotaro huffed and tucked his chin on your head, gently pulling you closer to him. 

“I’m here with you.”

His heart thumped at those string of words spoken for him. Jotaro flitted his gaze to you finding comfort in his hold.

His special someone.

Me too... 

“Who gives a shit what he does or says,” Star appeared momentarily to draw the sheets over both of you. He shut his eyes and followed you into slumber. “Just sleep.”

[sapphoswh0re]

recap post: star lords

(warning: lots of spoilers, old and new theories, personal rants ->this is going to be really long, maybe I should split it?) While we wait for the end of the hiatus, I decided to share a thing I've been working on for a long time, on par with the new releases.   It's not exactly a #theorypost because even if there are some theories, this is more of a personal guide to have a summary of events/characters and my thoughts about it all together (it also makes it easier to find them in the manga).

⭐ Who are the star lords? ⭐

They’re mentioned for the first time in chapter 110 with the beginning of the Blue Cult arc and the introduction of the ‘stars’, but only in chapter 115-116 the existence of "special" individuals inside the Sphere Music Hall is made explicit.

In the same chapter, we understand that the 4 stars are connected to 4 figures (Sirius, Vega, Polaris, Canopus)

->why do I only say 4 and not more? In fact, in later chapters, when the star lords' rooms were shown, some fans had doubts that some stars (like Sirius or Canopus) could be represented by more individuals/twins. In my opinion, however, it's already clear from 116 that they could only necessarily be 4 people. Nina is the one who takes care of their clothes, it's true that she didn't take the measurements in person (so she didn’t see them), but she’d have noticed if she had to create pairs of the same article for a single "person". I think it would have been suspicious, something easy to notice, instead she only talks about 4 people.

Even if the topic of blood and transfusions is there from the beginning, it's in chapter 117-119 that we're given the confirmation that each star corresponds to a blood type and they have different degrees of rarity:

Polaris = A

Vega = 0

Canopus = A

Sirius = AB

So, who are “those with the names of the stars”? Four people who need the collected blood, aka bizarre dolls (at this point it may seem trivial, but at that time it was still debated hahah).

Thanks to Sebastian in chapter 117 we can see the rooms of the star lords (from which they speak in 123).

Door with a star-> Sirius

Two stars-> Canopus

Three stars-> Vega

(the "infamous" double room that with the dialogue convinced some that Vega were two people) 

Four stars-> Polaris

SIRIUS ✨

Sirius is the first one to be revealed, and as the real Ciel who returns in 129-130 with the beginning of the Blue Memory arc. 

Despite being perhaps the most incisive figure among the 4, he's also the one on which there have been fewer conjectures since the “twin reveal” had been awaited by fans for years, so yes crazy but not THAT crazy.

The cover of 129 itself confirms this by showing the door of the “blue star” open.

However, why did Sirius, according to fans, have to be RCiel? 

Well, if you're desperate enough (like me), the clues can be found in the choice of the stars. From the article : “Sirius is a binary star consisting of a main-sequence star… termed Sirius A, and a faint white dwarf companion… termed Sirius B”, “A binary star is a system of two stars that are gravitationally bound to and in orbit around each other” -> twin theory (Ciel A/Ciel B) later also confirmed by the attempt to make OCiel another Lord Sirius for the police (two Lord Sirius?) “Sirius is colloquially known as the "Dog Star", reflecting its prominence in its constellation, Canis Major (the Greater Dog)” -> reference to the role of the Queen's Watchdog

Questions I still have about RCiel (some have been answered by now so I removed them)

is he a bizarre doll? Yes, but is he special in some way?

what is his purpose? Obviously it concerns his relationship with OCiel, but could it be just that? Actually, given the unstable personality he has shown so far it could really be just that -> clarification, RCiel's goals ≠ Undertaker's goals

how did his body "grow" to keep up with OCiel? Can BD grow or was he the exception thanks to some intervention from Undertaker?

what was it that Undertaker made him drink in chapter 108? An attempt to bring him back to life? (like a soul or something??? was the eye actually twinkling, or was it a scenic effect?)

what happened to RCiel's soul? We know it was used as a tribute to summon Sebastian, but did Sebastian absorb/eat it, or was it just lost as payment? The explanation was a bit too vague for my liking (they repeat a lot “price”, “payment”, ”paid” without really telling us where is it or if it still exist)

is his distorted personality an effect of being a BD, or is it something preexisting? (or something in between)

could his obsession with his brother really be a clue for theories about his role in the Phantomhive family tragedy??? This is one of the things that interests me the most, along with how BDs work (reminder: maybe add a post to remember pros & cons about the theory)

extra: was it RCiel who left the message on the wall or did Polaris carve it? (doesn't really matter, but I'm curious because the scene of Ciel who has to climb on the furniture to get up there made me laugh a lot)

CANOPUS ✨

Canopus is a character who, after many chapters of silence, was revealed as Doll in chapter 204.

First, what did we know about them?  The only information we had was the room, which was shown kinda bare, poorly furnished, with bloody bandages and what could be IV accessories -> we therefore knew that either they were patients (wounded, probably seriously?) or it was a blood drip for BD, or both options -> reanimated body of a person who died from a serious wound

The dialogue of chapter 123 for Canopus was almost useless, so at this point I tried to find clues by searching the actual star (like with Sirius) but in the article I didn't seem to find anything except this passage(?):

“In Greek mythology, Canopus… was the pilot of the ship of King Menelaus of Sparta during the Trojan War. According to legend, while visiting the Egyptian coast, Canopus was bitten by a serpent and died.” -> some kind of foreshadowing about her future relationship with Snake? update post chapter: sorry Snake, I’ll pray for your return 😭

Questions about Doll (old and new)

is Canopus dead or alive (BD)? A reanimated corpse but injured 

was she chosen for this role because of her feeling of revenge against OCiel? ->do the other star lords have similar motivations, or do they collaborate for personal purposes? What is her goal now?

does each star lord take care of a main blood source? Why are only Vega and Polaris out to get “nourishment”? ->now we know Doll was just too injured to go, but then she went to the orphanage (orphanage reminder: create a separate post, too suspicious, too many questions, I don’t think the arc is really over)

others I thought of: Madame Red (died from very serious injuries, body prepared by Undertaker, forehead covered by bangs ->she could still come back though), Doll (and I got it right hahaha), a new character

VEGA ✨

On Vega we kinda had some clues (when my ramblings got confirmed I screamed with my friend for like 20 minutes) and in 187-188 is revealed as Layla/Al.

But before the sanatorium arc, what did we know about Vega? We're told that they're out to get blood and their room looked like the bedroom of a (or two) noble girl with childish tastes. The presence of pairs of pillows, stuffed animals and vanity led to the belief that there were two people (but in my opinion, the single bed and the clothes thing mentioned above only indicated one). Another passage that tried to be misleading but was actually a clue is the dialogue in 123 where we have two text bubbles that join together while saying the same thing -> this passage!!!

Layla is introduced in chapter 172 and to me (and Lau hahah) she immediately seemed suspicious, with characteristics that matched the few things we knew about the star lord:

-> too young to be a nurse, good manners like a noble and it could make you laugh but the thing that most caught my eye was her pair of bows because it reminded me of the pairs of objects in Vega's room. 

With Bard’s attack we got the proof she participates in the blood collection and that she is a BD but in 191 she pronounces a sentence that sounded too familiar to me -> it didn't seem to match at first but I found it so suspicious that (even if it's something I never do since I do not understand the language) I searched the Japanese scans of the two scenes and... it is the same!!! insert screams

Even in this case we maybe had a clue thanks to the star Vega:

“Vega is the brightest star in the northern constellation of Lyra. It has the Bayer designation α Lyrae, which is Latinised to Alpha Lyrae and abbreviated Alpha Lyr or α Lyr.” ->Lyra/Lyrae=Layla and Alpha=Al?

Questions about Layla (they’re a lot but it’s because it’s a new character)

how did she get a death scythe?

why does she drink blood from other blood types? On the Campania the first BDs attacked people in search of the soul, Layla instead attacks for the blood?? -> why do transfusions to BDs follow the blood types? (connection to the orphanage?)

is Layla really a girl? Not so important but in the FOL Orphanage arc the categories that represent the stars made me doubt. The Collie Class is made up of children (almost all boys) dressed as nuns/nurses who do housework (and Oliver handles a knife) ->same dress as Layla even though they are boys -> could Layla be a boy?

how was she chosen as star lord? And why even though her blood is less rare than Canopus is she of higher rank? (room decorated as a noble) ->does she have more funds? Or did someone finance the project for her/to give her that role and therefore wanted to bring her back to life?

following the question above, who was she before she died?

Is it possible that she is the daughter of Baron Heathfield?

theory (not my only one, but this has more connections): in chapter 155 it's said that the baron lost his wife and daughter in an accident. (Obscured faces but the little girl has a bow on her head, light hair, short bangs, young woman from a good family) ->for this reason he looks for replacements for his wife (theme of the shape of the soul, could it be important in the future? reminder), but why not for his daughter? ->maybe the daughter was brought back to life by the Aurora association, for this reason he finances them and it’s an important blood collection site not directly managed by a star lord (he has a personal interest in the blood being sent to the Aurora’s labs and the research continuing). Disgusting detail ->can the baron's practices be reflected in Layla's sadistic attitudes (or is it a consequence of being a BD)?

Could she have witnessed or suffered something when still alive? ->Al is a second personality: (I tried to follow this article) said to be a disorder often caused by strong childhood traumas, the personality is born to protect the person from those painful memories and it allows to detach from them, just like Al does in 191.

POLARIS ✨

Polaris is currently the only star lord still unidentified, and he's perhaps the most mysterious. Having no confirmations yet but only clues I'll create a dedicated post about him with a link from here (definitely not because I've reached the images + links' limit and this became so long??? like when did it happen? opsie)

if you've read this far you deserve a prize 🎁

this was almost like a diary for me, so if you don't agree with some theories/comments/observations let me know, because I'm always interested in other opinions to expand this file, but please consider my heart of glass (jk just not too passive aggressive)

[petra-creat0r]

Deltarune: Fool's Fate Ch. 8 Secret Boss

Chapter 8 of 10 and the last boss unique to the Fool's Fate era! (The last two were originally intended for Kris's journey, but Kris skipped over them). This chapter we head back to Hometown because this SBs Dark World takes place in the Town Hall!

I originally came up with this gal like... Only a couple of days ago. I struggled with the Town Hall secret boss for a while. I knew I wanted the SB to relate in some way to the Holidays, but with how much time has past since the original Deltarune, I'm not sure Mayor Holiday would be mayor anymore. (I think it might be interesting/funny if the election happened recently and Mayor Holiday lost to Heats Flamesman after running unopposed for many, many years in a row.) Anways, on a walk home I eventually came up with something and that's how we now have Polaris!

Her name is both because she's based somewhat off a polar bear/lives in a polar climate (perhaps the only polar climate left in the transformed Town Hall Dark World) but also Polaris is the name of the northern star. Doesn't exactly relate to her time motif but I thought it still fit her. (I can't put a whole lot of thought into all the names, okay? Chapter 10's secret boss is literally just mirror backwards)

Not sure what to do for her text quirk, but I imagine with her hood up, she rarely speaks. When she does speak, it's in short, to the point sentences. She's cold and closed off. However hood off, she rambles about the vastness and never-endingness of time and dimensions beyond comprehension. The concept of infinity, the end and the beginning coming together as one. A 4th dimension. She sounds insane. But then again... Aren't all the secret bosses?

For Polaris's soul mode, it's a split orange and blue mode. I imagine it works similarly to how the Switch soul mode works, but still utilizing the orange and blue soul modes from my previous bosses. (Alternatively I might just give her the actual switch mode and give the next boss some twist up to the switch mode, for the sake of skill leveling.)

If it isn't clear by now, Polaris is based off a clock. Specifically a pocket-watch clock that was likely a gift to Mayor Holiday since the clock in her office doesn't work. (Imagine it's literally frozen because how cold she keeps her office) At some point though, the pocket watch's cover snapped off and it's face froze as well. Thus it got thrown in the trash and left behind when Mayor Holiday left office.

Backstory under the cut

Polaris wasn't really anything special back during the town hall world's old era, she was just the friendly clock tower keeper. Watching after the old and cold watch tower that loomed over the town hall Dark World from the north. Sure, she could sometimes be cold and a little blunt, but so were many denizens of this world. (Likely something due to the primary Lightner influence of the time)

Even still, Polaris did her job and she did it well. Upkeeping the clock tower and making sure it's time was accurate and bells tolled when they were supposed to. Everything had a schedule. Everything had a set time. There was order. There was routine.

Until there wasn't.

One day the clock tower broke. It's clockwork stopped ticking and it's hands refused to move. "It's fine" Polaris thought. "Just the ice freezing up the gears again. Just have to warm them up and get everything back on schedule!" ... But even after warming up the gears, they wouldn't budge. Polaris kept the heater on them for hours, days even... And yet nothing.

In the mean time, Polaris tried her best to keep the time herself. She knew when it froze and *approximately* how long it's been since then. She could help keep the time, right? Not to mention she was a clock herself! Though... It's a bit difficult to read your own face. Even still, Polaris had to try. So many Darkner's depended on the time for their own routines and schedules. There were meetings, conferences, appointments that all relied on Polaris and her clock tower. She couldn't afford to let them all down.

Eventually during this time of desperation and scrambling to try and fix the clock tower, now frozen at the same time for months on end, Polaris met a man. A man from beyond both time and space who offered to help. Not just in the little polar bear's dilemma, but also to show her how great and expensive time could truly be. The other Darkners below the tower were like ants, all scurrying around, scrambling to make their next meeting or appointment or conference on time. They limited and rationed their time because they believed it was constantly running out. That the ticking of the clock was always counted down to something. When in reality, the clock was just ticking. Time would always keep going, be it "wasted" or used, and unaware of anyone's life.

Even though he original deal was only about fixing the tower, after hearing the man talk about the endlessness of time and the futility of life, she needed to hear more. She didn't care about fame or power, she only wanted knowledge now. She paid no mind to if people even noticed the tower was fixed. Polaris only yearned to learn more. The man, ever the curious mind himself, was happy to oblige. Sharing secrets about time and the universe with the little clock bear that anyone else would fail to comprehend.

And oh, the more Polaris knew, the more she wanted to see. She wanted to understand, to be able to comprehend this glory that was the man's dimension, far from her own. Her world just looked so flat in comparison. So limited, so confined. She wanted to be able to view and understand time as the man did. As the endless expanse forever stretching on rather than just a meager ticking clock that could only imitate the concept by ticking the seconds down. Even when the man tried to explain that even those in his domain still see time itself as a clock face, Polaris didn't care. In fact that tidbit made her feel more entitled to the knowledge. ... Though hesitant, the man showed her all he could.

Perhaps it was a type of fear, or perhaps the man simply had more important matters to attend to, but regardless, one day the man disappeared. Polaris, loosing her mind and still yearning for more, started to spiral. She wanted to understand. She NEEDED to understand. She needed to be able to articulate what she'd learned to others! ... But how do you explain infinity in a way that others will truly get it? How can she share the Truth that the man shared with her? Polaris needed to see it again. She needed to see what the man had showed her but the man was gone... She went mad

Polaris tore her cover off. Her true face was the clock, it always had been. The cover was just a mask to hide behind. Why should she cover such a beautiful thing? If even just an imitation, it still represented the thing she yearned for most. That endless expanse. People around Polaris had eventually noticed her change in demeanor. How she'd ramble on and on about a dimension behind their own. Beyond even the world of the Lightners. They called her insane. By definition, she probably was. And all the while, Polaris was still searching for a way to see what the man showed her again. She new it was somewhere, that the man had left something behind. She just didn't know where.

Eventually, after enough people had caught on to her lunacy (and taken note that she'd fallen behind at her job), Polaris was relieved of her duties and kicked out of her tower. Out into the snowy tundra of the north. She couldn't believe it. Didn't they know what she was doing!? What she was trying to see, what she was trying to get everyone else to see!? ... Of course they didn't. How could they? Polaris could barely explain it herself. And so she walked the icy cold tundra, ever searching for ways to explain it.

Until a puppet and a group of young Lightners fell into the town hall world...

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

Hey, any of y'all watched/read Flatland? ... Yeah, that's just the secret bosses in a nutshell imo.

19:55;08:30;02:10;10:55 19:55;14:45;02:10;10:55 06:35;14:45;04:15;18:50 19:55;07:40;04:15 02:10;11:05;14:45;02:10;10:55 00:00;13:20;03:20 24:15;04:15;19:55 19:55;07:40;04:15 02:10;11:05;14:45;02:10;10:55 08:30;19:55 14:45;13:20;11:05;24:15 12:10;14:45;02:10;10:55;18:50 19:55;08:30;02:10;10:55 19:55;14:45;02:10;10:55 19:55;04:15;11:05;11:05 19:55;07:40;04:15 19:55;08:30;12:10;04:15 02:10;00:00;13:20'19:55 19:55;04:15;11:05;11:05 19:55;07:40;04:15 19:55;08:30;12:10;04:15 09:50;20:00;18:50;19:55 02:10;14:45;20:00;13:20;19:55 19:55;07:40;04:15 02:10;07:40;08:30;12:10;04:15;18:50 19:55;08:30;02:10;10:55 19:55;14:45;02:10;10:55 18:50;04:15;04:15 01:05;04:15;24:15;14:45;13:20;03:20 01:05;04:15;24:15;14:45;13:20;03:20 19:55;07:40;04:15 18:50;19:55;00:00;17:40;18:50;24:15;14:45;20:00 18:50;19:55;00:00;17:40;04:15 08:30;13:20 00:00;22:10;04:15 19:55;08:30;02:10;10:55 19:55;14:45;02:10;10:55 01:05;17:40;04:15;00:00;10:55 24:15;14:45;20:00;17:40 12:10;08:30;13:20;03:20 24:15;14:45;20:00 03:20;14:45;13:20'19:55 13:20;04:15;04:15;03:20 08:30;19:55 22:10;08:30;19:55;07:40 05:25;00:00;02:10;04:15 18:50;14:45 01:05;11:05;08:30;13:20;03:20 19:55;08:30;02:10;10:55 19:55;14:45;02:10;10:55 19:55;08:30;02:10;10:55 19:55;14:45;02:10;10:55 19:55;08:30;02:10;10:55;08:30;19:55;24:15 19:55;14:45;02:10;10:55 18:50;14:45 06:35;14:45;04:15;18:50 19:55;07:40;04:15 02:10;11:05;14:45;02:10;10:55 19:55;08:30;02:10;10:55 19:55;14:45;02:10;10:55 19:55;08:30;02:10;10:55 19:55;14:45;02:10;10:55 00:00;13:20;03:20 24:15;04:15;19:55 19:55;07:40;04:15 02:10;11:05;14:45;02:10;10:55;, 08:30;19:55 14:45;13:20;11:05;24:15 12:10;14:45;02:10;10:55;18:50.

[sionisjaune]

2023 Fic Reader Wrapped!

1. Fic that made me laugh

new rules next week by @onadarklingplain | George/Alex

Technically posted in 2022, but I will never forget the freak in the excel sheets mug. It is seared into my mind.

2. Fic that made me cry

must be nice where lovers go by @litafordvsferrari | Nico/Jenson

This fic came out when I was at my tenderest and hit me right where it hurts... as fucked up as the concept is, the vegas princess cake au is somehow very heterooptimistic to me. An all time favourite.

3. Fic that gave me a story hangover

dip it low | Lewis/Miles

This fic won me over on the Lewis/Miles front. And afterwards I clicked on the tag wanting more... but alas this is still a rare pair. Anonymous author of dip it low please know that you have written a foundational text.

4. Fic I want to discuss book club style

show you what you need to live by @loveisworry | Seb/Lewis

We need to talk about the psychology of Seb in this fic. And Nico in his glass supervillain prison playing chess and reading Proust. God, this is an all time favourite.

5. Fic that got me a little flustered

breathe deep by kangeiko | Lewis/Nico

Sometimes I'm just in the mood to read het, and this one always satisfies.

6. Fic by one of my favourite authors

Sing Myself a Lullaby by @kritischetheologie | Nico/Lewis

C will forever be a favourite because I can click on anything she writes and trust that I'll like it. Sing Myself a Lullaby/the urbp is her late 2022 masterpiece and a brocedes must read.

7. Fic I reread more than once

polaris by @grideon | Seb/Lewis

Easily my favourite grideon fic (although all are amazing). Hot and cozy and joyful... such a comfort read. Honourable mention to a sense of proportion which is also unbearably hot and hilarious.

8. Fic I sent to everyone I know

To the Victor Belong the Spoils by @powerful-owl | Max/Daniel

It is absolutely unbelievable that this epic was written in six months. We are so infinitely lucky that Em popped up in our corner of fandom. One of my friends is a huge Hunger Games fan and I've been bothering her about this one for months. I'll convince her eventually...

9. Fic that made me fall in love with an author

hall pass. by @eyes-likepilotlights | Nico/Vivian & Nico/Lewis

Lima is my new fav! Everything she writes is so smart and clever and packed full of feelings. This fic got me in a wag mood that I have yet to write anything about...

[midnight-in-town]

Orphanage of livestock

Alrighty, buckle up guys, time for another very cringy theory. :D Big thanks to my friend @dorkshadows for all our discussions about the current arc; this arc is really making us wrack our brain for ideas. xD

To start, here's a reminder as to where we stand vis à vis bizarre dolls:

UT first used to edit those corpses' cinematic records with fake memories he made during the Campania arc, but it quickly changed during the Weston arc to "longing for the future"...

...which are "incomplete fragments that the dead crave about the future they were to have had". Since UT didn't explain anything new ever since, it's likely that the records are still being edited with this method in the current arc.

Then, with the blue sect arc, we were introduced to the use of blood transfusions as "fuel" for the bizarre dolls' longevity...

...and our!Ciel's side set out to crash these collect operations in order to weaken the Undertaker and real!Ciel's side.

Mey Rin's investigation confirmed the existence of one blood collect site...

and so did Bard's:

However, in Finny and Snake's investigation, while the orphanage did sort the children into 4 groups too, the elder siblings pointed out that...

...not only have they never any blood drawn from them, but the orphanage is rather forcing them to attend classes, in order to develop their "aptitude" based on the tests they took when they arrived. Most importantly, when Ginny fledged, the chief of staff said...

...that "the aptitude honed there will make contributions to the world" (as a child with Corgi aptitudes, Ginny's classes were about physical activities "like gymnastics or horse riding").

Investigating Ginny having fledged, that's when Finny, Snake and the elder siblings discovered yet another lab (very similar to the one in Sphere music hall) with evidence of blood collection, but also of organ collection.

So, since this arc with Finny and Snake heavily parallels the circus arc, I was wondering if the purpose of dissecting these poor kids was similar to what Kelvin and the doc did with the kids they abducted:

In other words, whoever is behind this operation (UT is involved, but he might not be the only Shinigami deserter behind this) are maybe killing the kids to collect blood but also many different organs, so that they can probably upgrade their latest bizarre dolls (both in body and record).

Under read more for additional explanations/speculations:

1) the orphanage collects the children's organs to physically upgrade BDs ?

Most likely by grafting new organs or body parts (taken from the orphanage kids who fledged) on bizarre dolls who need them.

For example, considering the Polaris = Joker theory: back in the circus arc, Joker said:

and then Seb cut his second hand. Yet, when Polaris attacked Agni (who was quite strong), Agni noticed that...

...his opponent was very quick and strong. So if Polaris is indeed Joker, then it's likely BD!Joker has new strong arms.

Additionally, crack thought, but we witnessed both Doll and real!Ciel suddenly collapsing, which we automatically linked to needing more blood to keep on functioning, but if they really got new organs from those kids, then maybe...

...the issue we witnessed isn't anemia, but some sort of graft versus host disease? Or both lmao. (I'm totally reaching here)

2) the orphanage also collects the children's organs to gain more sponsors ?

Additionally to the Bizarre Dolls, these organs could be used to gain more sponsors, similarly to Bravat who used to provide blood transfusions to parliamentarians who suffered from kidney failure:

Only rich folks would have enough money to buy organs if they needed it, so they'd make good sponsors for this super expensive BD project.

Of course, the risk of graft v. host disease would be very high as well but, since Othello said "they learnt more than they ought to have" upon visiting the Sphere music hall's lab (ch125), maybe they figured out about how to make a successful graft, on top of blood types ? (Or, most likely, the ones running this clown show just don't care about their sponsors dying once they've gotten the money ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ exactly like Bravat who killed the parliamentarians)

3) the orphanage collects the children's organs for experimentation

This would explain why Finny finds a lot of similarities between this orphanage and the German lab by which he was experimented on for enhanced strength.

Additionally, this would explain Snake's weird comment on "orphanages being terrible places", if he too was also experimented on as a child (which is how and why he understands snakes) :

Lastly, back to the Polaris = Joker idea, Agni mentioned that Polaris had "unimaginable strength". As we know, Agni was one of the strongest characters, so for him to qualify his opponent as "unimaginably strong", it is likely that Polaris has some kind of enhanced strength.

So do they research about enhancing human (or bizarre doll) strength or longevity? Or is it research on cinematic records? Your guess is as good as mine but, as already proved with the circus arc, no one will miss these orphans...

...making this "the best recycling scheme" one can think of. T_T

4) the orphanage assigning orphans to classes based on aptitude tests is used to upgrade BD's records or lack of soul:

The kids are sorted into 4 groups based on the aptitude test they took. Literally quoting the manga:

Mastiff kids learn reading, writing and skills needed to be senior servants managing large manors

Corgi kids specialize in physical activities

Collie kids learn all the skills to make a living as a domestic servant and martial arts

Pomeranian kids (kids who scored the highest on the tests) study latin, maths and games

These orphans are told they are saved and then to envision their future based on their aptitude and what they're forced to learn in their respective classes. This is probably done so that they will develop very specific "longing for the future" which, again, are "incomplete fragments that the dead crave about the future they were to have had".

So, once they fledged and are killed, their "longing for the future" are probably extracted and used one way or another. Since the records are already edited, the goal behind this might be to create some sort of a soul substitute, as hinted by Jane in the Heathfield investigation arc:

and it sure would explain why the chief of staff said the aptitudes can contribute to the world:

That's why something like a change in the afternoon tea menu of the pomeranian kids (from lemon drizzle cake to lemon tart) would actually matter, because taste is probably one of the parameters that can influence the "shape of a soul" or something.

There are 4 groups in the orphanage; in the previous investigations that mostly meant 4 blood types, but this time it might mostly mean 4 star lords:

Mastiff kids for used for Polaris, who defines himself as a butler (he's not real!Ciel's butler tho++) (Joker?)

obviously Pomeranian kids are used for Sirius (real!Ciel)

For Canopus and Vega, it's a bit trickier, but I propose Corgi kids for Vega/Layla, despite her probably being high born, because she worked as a nurse helping veterans with rehabilitation, which looked like this :

This leaves Collie kids for Canopus...

even if Canopus' true identity is really the least obvious one right now. FYI, some Japanese speaking fans have discussed that Canopus is the maid Jane and she indeed worked as a maid and knew how to fight, so it fits (I personally have another theory in mind for Jane, but Canopus!Jane definitely has some basis). If not Jane (or Doll, like some fans keep saying), Canopus can still appear during Seb & Ciel's investigation, so we'll just keep these details about Collie kids in mind.

I'm sure the truth behind Snake & Finny's investigation, as well as the next one with Ciel and Seb, will provide us with more hints about how the bizarre dolls and, more specifically, the star lords are becoming more and more perfect. So far this post is what I can guess with what we were given.

TL;DR in many possible ways, the ones behind this arc (besides UT, I mean) are preying on these poor kids and making use of every parts of them (blood, organs and maybe even their longing for the future).

That's why giving them mistletoe when they reach fledging day is so ironic...

...because they really suck every "nutrient" possible from these kids until they die.

Not gonna lie, it doesn't look good at all for Theo. He's headed straight for real!Ciel... ://

Kudos if you read all that, I hope it was as clear as possible! As always, thoughts in comments or reblogs are welcome! :D

[samepicofthewowsignaleveryday]

Tagging y’all

Main is @joen-lenawley, she/her, follow my main for Tally Hall and The Beatles

@same-pic-of-the-sun-everyday @same-pic-of-wolftopia-everyday @same-picture-of-europa @samepicofproximacentaurieveryday @same-pic-of-juno-everyday @same-pic-of-the-earth-everyday @same-pic-of-the-moon-everyday @same-pic-of-the-stars-everyday @same-pic-of-titan-every-day @same-pic-of-jupiter-everyday @same-pic-of-saturn-everyday @same-pic-of-mars-everyday @same-pic-of-mercury-everyday @same-pic-of-venus-everyday @same-pic-of-uranus-everyday @same-pic-of-neptune-everyday @same-pic-of-pluto-everyday @same-pic-of-polaris-everyday @same-pic-of-haumea-everyday @same-pic-of-andromeda-everyday and prolly more people idk

Don’t expect me to actually interact/role play much, this is just because I am a little freak who is currently obsessed with the Wow! signal

Reading:

[exoluxionlove]

[INFO] EXO Chen’s first Japan mini album “Polaris” to be released on August 17, 2023 + Japan solo concert tour!

"CHEN's long-awaited 1st Japanese mini-album contains a total of 6 new songs that express various emotions through songs, comparing the events and experiences that occur in life to a road trip. It consists of various genres such as ballads, blues, and rock!"

- - - - -

『CHEN JAPAN TOUR 2023 – Polaris -』

August 19 (Sat) @ 6PM - Nagoya International Convention Center Century Hall September 1 (Fri) @ 6PM - Pacifico Yokohama Kunio Hall September 2 (Sat) @ 4PM - Pacifico Yokohama Kunio Hall September 4 (Mon) @ 6PM - Orix Theater September 5 (Tue) @ 6PM - Orix Theater September 8 (Fri) @ 6PM - Kurashiki City Hall September 16 (Sat) @ 5PM - Kitakyushu Soleil Hall September 17 (Sun) @ 4PM - Kitakyushu Soleil Hall

Source 1, 2