#though i totally understand what you're saying and don't worry i didn't get the impression that you're trying to condone it at all!!

[mad-hunts]

after hearing what jervis had to say, although it was an impulse he didn't want to give into, all jack could do was turn his face downwards. the act of relating to someone saying something like that about themselves and being able to empathize with them — it made his throat sting, as jack had drawn up the proper dosage for someone of jervis's size of both meds. the pain-reliever was injected into the IV first before he had to stop.

jack still wasn't looking at the other while he spoke to him, ❝ that's not true. i may not know you personally, but your life is valuable. if you spend enough time around people who treat you as if you're just a bother to them, though? you start to believe stuff like that in my personal experience. ❞ it was only when he was finished with having the cyclizine (the anti-vertigo medicine) join the other meds in his IV that he finally looked up. and directly at jervis, too, while squeezing the bag of it. why would he be asking for ketamine?

jack might not be so good at remembering all of the pharmaceuticals his dad just hoped he would memorize, but he knew that ketamine was pretty notorious for causing hallucinations. shaking his head was an almost instantaneous reaction once he recalled something and tried to keep his tone light-hearted. ❝ no, i'm afraid we don't have any of that here. what you really need is food anyways; your body seems to be running off of just hopes and dreams right now, after all. no offense, ❞ jack smiled a bit sheepishly at that before turning his back to jervis.

deciding to just get it over with, he then disposed of the needles in the sharps container in the room once his feet had successfully carried him there. this allowed jack a moment to drop the smile he'd put on and stare at the wall in confusion. because even though it wasn't really his business to ask jervis about the ketamine, in his opinion, it was still perplexing. this was of course after jack had given the man the washcloth he'd carried with him. he supposed now that he'd learned a bit too much about nico, that jervis was now the person he was wondering about.

and i say this because he seemed different. not in a bad way, but from an emotional standpoint. the rest of jack's family always seemed so reserved at the best of times. then unfeeling, at the worst. but here jervis was seemingly intentionally trying to connect with jack. it made him feel less like an outsider than he usually did, which he was thankful for. jack only blinked at the idea of lewis carroll also being a mathematician. he honestly never would've guessed he had both an analytical and creative mind. that was just further evidence that it was easy for people to get swept up in seeing only one facet of a person, jack supposed.

whoever jervis's wife might've been, she must've been smart. a small smile tugged at his lips as the other talked about her liking for puzzles and wanting to pursue different intellectual challenges. jack decided to only ask him a short question, then, ❝ it sounds like you knew her like the back of your hand. how long were you two together? ❞ the smile that was on his face soon dissipated just like that, however, when the topic of miscarriages was brought up. oh... that was devastating. jack didn't even know what to say to that.

he turned his attention to his tarot deck due to being at a complete loss as to what he should say. jack's breath caught in his throat at the apology, nodding as a way of saying 'thanks.' ❝ yeah. i'm sorry too, honestly. ❞ that felt like the best way to convey his feelings about it at that point. it wasn't that he was bitter about it, but saying 'it's okay' never felt right to him. jack lifted up the table and chair one by one to move them directly next to jervis's bedside. and then, it felt as if his heart was being squeezed. ❝ we were. julien was always looking out for me and although i was three years younger than him, i always tried to look out for him. ❞

jack spread out all of the cards in a fan-like pattern with one hand upon the table. he cleared his throat to try to maintain his composure as he said, ❝ i try to, ahh, talk to him sometimes even though he's not here. which does strangely help. and allowing myself to feel all the things that come with grief, then letting them go has been like... going from being swallowed by the waves in a shipwreck to surviving one. ❞ jack blinked up at jervis, smiling briefly before running his hand along the cards.

❝ while we've got time to spare, do you want me to read your past, present, and future? it could be therapeutic. ❞

“Both. Please. Although, you needn’t worry about me fainting; I’m not worth the trouble or the concern.”

Jervis folded his arm across his eyes; counted the seconds as he tried to focus on his breathing. The five senses technique wouldn’t do him much good with his present state, as erratic as his thought process currently was; as battered and muggy as his body felt.

“Maybe even a dash of ketamine, if it’s possible? Though I understand if that’s something you don’t have on hand.” A joke at his own expense; pitch-black, crashing and burning.

White walls, white ceiling, white floor. Everywhere, the gleam of white. The scent of antiseptic choking like mothballs. Good old Vitamin K, thin and watery. Enough pills forced down his throat to incapacitate a warhorse. Which will it be today, Tetch, IV or up your nose?

Not entirely a joke, either, if we were being completely honest here. But the boy didn’t need to know that. Pathetic. As though you weren’t wretched enough… get over yourself. Are you that much of a coward?

He didn’t want to look at Jack’s face, couldn’t fathom how the boy would possibly react. Didn’t want to consider it.

Instead, he accepted the washcloth with a faint, grateful hum and carefully dabbed at his mouth, blotting away every bit of blood he could taste. It almost reminded him of how Alice would use sponges to wipe away errant streaks of paint on her canvases—

Jervis cut the thought off before it could finish maturing. It was a wonder those mental shears hadn’t blunted, with how much he’d been using them of late… He shifted his focus on the comments the other made about the Carroll quote. A very faint grin quirked the side of his face; blink and you’d miss it.

“Correct… though I suppose it’s just a matter of perspective, really. Carroll was also a mathematician, but not many people outside academia tend to think about or focus on that particular facet of his legacy. Quite brilliant… geometry, linear and matrix algebra…” He moved his arm, gazed at a hairline crack in the ceiling.

“My wife would frequently read and re-read his essays, after I introduced them to her.” Pale, scarred fingers swept his sweaty hair off his brow. “She was mad for Sudoku and logic puzzles, always looking for ways to challenge herself intellectually…”

Jervis straightened the chain from where it tangled around his neck, carefully tucked it back beneath his shirt; out of sight but not out of mind. “… she’d had two miscarriages, before our daughter was born; I guess the equations and the rules were her way of channeling it; all the pain and sadness and self-blame…”

His voice trailed off again, and he shrugged. There was no point to any of this; he hoped Jack had enough sense to just dismiss it as delusion or fatigue-induced rambling, and ignore it all. He couldn’t rightly say why his thoughts turned in that direction, and he certainly wasn’t looking for any sympathy or pity. He could barely keep his own eyes open, as it was. But there seemed to be an air of warmth and easiness around Jack; in sharp contrast to his sister and father.

In any case, Jervis’ attention diverted as Jack’s shell bracelet rattled softly around his wrist. “I’m sorry for your loss,” he murmured; nothing in his tone facetious or contrived. Merely a sense of pure, genuine empathy embroidered those four words; infusing them like a cloud of purple mist.

He let out a soft breath and shook his head slightly. “Did you have a close bond?” Thoughts of his uncle Stephen and father, Simon, danced in his mind; their uncomfortable silences and lengthy, strained strolls. Memories flickered like shadows, each one a reminder of the distance that had grown between them over the years.

More often than not, the air between them was thick with the lingering scent of pipe and cigarette smoke, enveloping them like a veil. Each moment felt like a thread in a tapestry woven with both love and resentment.

Two sides of the same coin… but then again, when was family ever perfect?

[pomefioredove]

Hi! This is very very specific, but…I've had a rough start to my day today, kinda relating to the topic of my request…

So I was wondering, would it be alright to request HCs of Jamil, Ruggie, Leona, Floyd and Rollo with a Reader who runs into an emotionally abusive/manipulative parent they haven't seen in a long time? The kind of subtle abuse that's hard to tell (from the inside, at least) is even abuse at all, and makes you doubt yourself a lot. Kinda narcissistic abuse

Kind of a hurt/comfort thing? Like how they'd deal with the bad parent and the Reader opening up a bit about it. Romantic or platonic, either one is good

Feel more than free to ignore if this kind of request isn't your thing: that's totally fine, I understand it's a bit heavy, not to mention very specific, so please do what makes you feel best. I hope you have a good day!

ahhh of course! I relate to this sort of thing a lot (although I don't use terms like narcissistic abuse since abuse is just abuse to me) and I know exactly what you mean. I love hurt/comfort and you're well within my boundaries since the only thing I wouldn't write pertaining to this topic is intimate partner abuse (like with an s/o). so you're perfectly fine! I enjoyed writing this <3

summary: comforting a reader with an abusive parent type of post: short fics characters: jamil, ruggie, leona, floyd, rollo additional info: reader is not specified to be yuu ("shrimpy" is used as a nickname during floyd's part tho), reader is gender neutral, food mention (ruggie's part), actual interaction w the parent happens during leona and rollo's parts, mentions/descriptions of emotional abuse, although reader is kinda vague about it

Jamil Viper

Jamil knows what it's like to feel stuck.

That's really all he has to know when he recognizes that look on your face.

Perhaps you usually wear your heart on your sleeves, or perhaps you're better at keeping your emotions to yourself, like him, but either way he can tell something is very wrong the second he sees you.

It's a bit strange, isn't it?

Surrounded by people in the cafeteria and yet no one seems to notice the shadow cast over you.

He tries to talk himself out of it for the rest of the day. He has enough on his plate as it is, and it's not his problem. He's Kalim's keeper, not yours.

But that sense of unease doesn't go away.

He drags himself out of bed and somehow finds himself at your door in the dead of night.

And even though it takes you a moment to answer, he can tell you were already awake.

"Here," he says, handing you a warm meal in a container. "I noticed you didn't eat today. We had leftovers."

You don't feel very much like eating, but you accept the gift, anyway. It smells amazing. His cooking always does.

"Thank you," you mumble.

You can't think of anything else to say.

"Are you... well, Kalim sent me to ask if you're feeling unwell," he lies through his teeth.

"I'm fine,"

Another lie, this time of your behalf, which annoys him ever-so-slightly.

"You're clearly not. Are you sick?" the question is vague enough, said in such a way that leaves you with the impression that he wasn't exactly referring to a physical illness.

"I've... had a rough day,"

Jamil is quiet for a moment, thinking to himself. And then: "Do you mind if I come in?"

He's always so careful with his words that such a direct (yet polite) request almost catches you off guard. You step to the side, letting him in your room.

"I don't mean to pry. I know it's not my place," he says, watching you close the door. "But... Kalim is worried. Yes."

You shake your head. "It's fine. I'll get over it,"

It.

What did "it" mean? Surely this couldn't just be a lousy day.

"Did something happen?"

You hesitate.

"Have you ever... ran into someone who made your life miserable? That you thought you moved on from... and it starts to feel like you're stuck in that place all over again?"

Of course. Of course he knows what that feels like.

He has to live through that exact experience every day, without even being able to move on.

But he can't just say that. And this is about you, after all.

"I'm familiar with the feeling. I suppose that's what's ruined your day, then?"

"That's one way to put it," you sigh, sitting at the edge of your bed. "Sometimes it feels like all the progress I've made is just... null. Like I'll never really move on."

He hates how much he's relating to you. How much you're affecting him, now, too.

He follows you to the bed and sits beside you.

"Someday, though, you will. It may feel hopeless now, but... you won't stay stuck forever,"

Unlike me, he thinks.

"How can you be so sure?"

"I can't be. But you don't strike me as someone to give up after hardship,"

Like me.

You're quiet for a moment, seemingly considering what he told you. And then you hug him.

A nice, soft hug. Not abrasive or sudden like the ones Kalim gives. He'd almost forgotten what it felt like.

"Thank you, Jamil,"

He hugs back. "Of course,"

Ruggie Bucchi

It was almost painful, watching you fumble with your wallet like that.

You couldn't seem to get the proper amount out, shaking like a leaf and apologizing profusely. Sam keeps telling you it's okay, but the line forming behind you is starting to grow restless.

Ruggie included.

He has places to be, after all, and he's got two whole crates of energy drinks to lug back to Savanaclaw.

He has half a mind to ask what the holdup is.

And so, he peers over your shoulder, ready to- oh, no. You're crying.

Damn it. Why can't things ever be easy for him?

He can't even chew someone out for taking up all his precious time without being thrown a curveball. And now he feels bad.

Sigh.

"Hey, I got this," he says, setting his heavy crates down on the counter and flashing a card.

Your eyes widen. "Oh, no, Ruggie, you don't have to-"

"Relax, it's Leona's money, not mine," he offers a grin, ignoring the tears trailing down your face. "He won't even notice it's missing."

The line behind you two breathes a collective sigh of relief (much to your embarrassment) and Ruggie shoots them a glare.

"I... I still can't accept this-" you start, before he quickly shushes you.

"Hey, if you wanna make it up to me, you can help me carry these things. I'll call it even,"

You're silent for a moment as Sam finishes ringing you both up, and then you take a crate. As quiet as ever. It's unnerving.

You're walking back to the Hall of Mirrors when Ruggie breaks that silence by bringing up your purchase. "So, what's up with the afternoon snack? Not that I'm judging- I'm jealous. I skipped lunch, shishishi,"

"Oh, it's nothing," you mutter. "Comfort food, I guess."

The concept of comfort food is extremely appealing to him. "Huh. Long day?"

"Something like that... Why'd you skip lunch?"

Trying to change the conversation topic? Clever. But he'll bite, anyway.

"Leona forgot some of his class stuff, so I had 'ta run and get it. Too bad he forgot where he left it... I was all over campus,"

"Did you find it?"

"Eventually. Or else I'd be busy getting my neck wrung instead of 'bein here with you,"

You nod, and the conversation swiftly dies.

After another awkward beat, he clears his throat. "So you... you wanna talk about it, or something?"

"What?"

"You know, your... your day," he mutters, shrugging. He's desperately trying to remember all of the things his grandma did for him when he was upset as a child. "Talking about it might... make 'ya feel better, y'know?"

You're quiet again, and for a moment Ruggie is worried he said something to offend you.

Then, much to his relief, your voice picks up. "I ran into someone today,"

"What? Like someone was giving you trouble?"

"No, not a student. Someone I don't see very much anymore. Um... I guess it just threw me off,"

He tilts his head to the side. "Why?"

"I don't... well, we don't get along very much. Something about them just makes me feel... very... small. Insignificant,"

You don't ask if he understands what you mean, but he does. Not that he'd ever admit that so openly to you at a time like this, but being small and insignificant is basically his job.

And as much as he likes the perks, he can imagine how rough it would be to deal with that and not get to use a bottomless credit card whenever the opportunity presented itself.

He struggles to respond for a moment.

"That's rough,"

Definitely not the sympathetic response he was going for. At least you don't seem to mind.

"I-I mean, sometimes we have to act small to survive. It's a part of life, 'ya know? But that doesn't mean you are small. Just surviving on its own is an accomplishment," he recovers from his earlier blunder, trying to smile. "You should be proud of yourself, if anything."

"That's..." you say. "That's one way of looking at it."

He sighs. "I'm not expressing myself very well, am I? What I'm trying to say is that you're not small or insignificant, and living life feeling like you are is a survival tactic at best,"

The both of you stop in front of Savanaclaw, and he offers another grin.

"And if you ever wanna talk about this stuff... well, I'm around... And you can come inside now, if you want. I could definitely find more stuff to carry!"

Leona Kingscholar

Leona Kingscholar is very, very much enjoying parent weekend alone, thank you.

Of course his folks don't want to attend a school event for their disappointment of a second son. Why would they care? And on Cheka's birthday weekend, no less...

But that didn't bother him. Not at all.

As long as he slept through the weekend without being bothered by any happy-go-lucky nuclear family units, he'd live.

That plan lasts about five hours.

"You'd be better off doing something more useful with your time. Sports, or science, or... something that might help your future. But if you're so sure... I suppose it's better to cut our losses now than put any more faith in you. You just can never decide, can you?"

That voice. Unfamiliar, but drawling, laced with poison. Aggravating enough to stir Leona from his nap in the botanical gardens.

And it's getting closer.

"I just don't understand. Why get accepted into one of the most prestigious schools in the world just to spend your time goofing off?" a long sigh. "But as long as you're happy... we just want what's best for you."

Leona grumbles, turning over and trying to drift back to sleep.

"I'm trying,"

This voice is different. No- he recognizes it. It's yours.

"Are you? You know I know what's best for you, right?"

Sevens. This is your parent speaking to you? No wonder you've been acting all jittery lately.

He sits up, giving up on his nap, and continues listening in.

"I know," you say. "I really am trying, though."

"Did I say you weren't? Don't speak for me,"

This is getting ugly. Leona stands, stepping out of the shrubbery and clearing his throat behind the two of you.

You're the first to turn. "Oh- Leona! Sorry, we didn't mean to disturb you,"

"You're fine," he snaps, sharp eyes turning to your parent beside you. "Who's this, then?"

"This is-"

"Their parent," they go ahead and introduce themselves, cutting you off as if you weren't speaking at all. Like you're a piece of furniture hanging in the background. He's not a fan.

"Really? From the way you were talking, I would have guessed that you were their coach. Or boss,"

Your eyes dart between the two. "Leona-"

"You're fine," he reaffirms. "I was just looking for you, anyway. We really have to talk."

You pause, raising an eyebrow. He? Wants to talk to you? Now?

"Is it important?" your parent asks. The question is directed at you, although he answers.

"Very. I was just coming to ask you, very politely, I might add, to reconsider my offer,"

"Your... offer...?"

Your parent looks down at you. "What's he talking about?"

"Can't blame you for forgetting. I'm sure you're busy with all your... school... things. But I do have to ask you to rejoin the spelldrive club. We're in shambles without you,"

He gives you a certain look, one that clearly reads "Go along with it."

Leona Kingscholar offering an olive branch to someone is a rare occurrence. So you take it.

"Oh! Right, I have been busy with school. I've been meaning to get back to you..."

Your parent looks between the two of you with just the faintest hint of confusion, and then frustration. "You've been playing spelldrive? When was I going to hear about this?"

"They haven't been playing with us," Leona says, a small smirk already forming. "They're the team manager. They're way too smart to be out on the field- no, they're running the team, they're organizing everything, their strategy is like nothing we've ever seen. If only they were in Savanaclaw, we might have a chance at winning one of these years."

"Uhhh..." you start, looking between your parent and the oddly friendly and receptive clone that's replaced Leona. "...Yeah, right."

"Now, if you'll excuse us, we really have to discuss official club matters," he says, shooing away your parent until they eventually give in and leave.

As soon as they're out the door, you turn to him. "What w-"

"Are you alright?" he asks.

Stunned would be an understatement. "I'm fine,"

"Really? Cause you're looking at me like a gazelle caught in headlights,"

"I-I guess it's just been hard... having them here,"

Leona nods, closing his eyes as he thinks to himself. Then, he sighs.

"Yeah. I get that. Come on, then,"

You raise an eyebrow as he starts off in the opposite direction. "What? Where are we going?"

"Somewhere quiet and warm to nap. Being around that person sucked all the energy right out of me, I can't imagine how exhausted you feel,"

He turns to look over his shoulder with a smile. "With any luck, we'll avoid them for the rest of the weekend,"

Floyd Leech

Of course, he can tell something's up right away.

Well... maybe it takes him a little while to tune into the conversation, but once he does, he notices you've been... awfully quiet throughout it.

His favorite little shrimpy? All sad? Moping around like a kicked puppy?

Now this catches his attention.

"Bored?" he asks. It's his first guess.

"Hm?" you ask, looking back at him. "No, I'm fine."

"But you're not,"

"Okay, I'm a little distracted,"

Now that, he can understand. But there's still something very off about the whole thing that he can't quite put his finger on.

"You're not telling me something," he states, matter-of-factly, crossing his arms.

You raise an eyebrow. "...And?"

"And I wanna know. I'm not letting you leave until you tell me,"

Your thought process is probably ranging somewhere between "oh, no," and "oh NO," by now.

"I sweaaar, it's nothing," you insist. "I just had a bad day, okay?"

"Why?"

There's no turning back now. He's invested, and until he loses interest, you're stuck here.

"It was... just... long. Can I go now? I have things to do,"

He frowns, and stands, and then puts you in a headlock. "Alright, where're we 'goin?"

"FLOYD!"

He drags you along with him, remembering not to be too rough as he takes you from place to place on his dailies. You begrudgingly learn to accept it.

When you walk back into the Mostro Lounge, Azul and Jade don't even bat an eye.

"You're thirty minutes late- ah, why do I bother?" Azul says, rifling through a stack of papers on his desk. He only looks up when he catches a glimpse of you. "Oh. Hello, there."

You wave half-heartedly. "Can I get some help?"

"Floyd. What is the meaning of this?" he asks.

Floyd pouts. "There's 'somethin wrong with them and they won't tell me what,"

"Are they ill?"

You lower your eyes at the two as they speak like you're not even there. "Hello?"

"Nah, they feel fine. They're all mopey, though,"

Azul hums to himself, lost in thought. And then: "Well, figure out what it is, and get to work, if you please,"

"Azul!" you shout. He ignores you.

Floyd drags you back outside the office and sits down with you at one of the tables, waving to concerned lounge-goers as they pass by.

"Now will you tell me?"

"Geez, alright, alright. I give up, you win," you sigh. "I... well, my parent was here earlier. At school. And we talked, and they... said some not-very-nice things to me. That's why I've been upset, okay?"

Floyd's smile immediately drops. "I win? But that's not a very good prize,"

"Tell me about it,"

"Why would anyone be mean to you, anyway? You're the best shrimpy I know!"

You avert your eyes. "It wasn't... mean... per se. Just... not nice,"

"Sounds mean to me," he mutters. "I don't get it."

"Well, sometimes these things just... don't make sense. It's my fault, anyway," you sigh.

His gaze sharpens at that. "'An who told you that? You didn't do anything! I'm starting to really dislike this parent of yours,"

His sudden mood swing doesn't phase you, but it does lift your spirits... just the tiniest bit. Even if you wouldn't admit that to yourself. "Hey, it's fine. I'm over it,"

"You sure you don't want me to squeeze 'em?"

"Heh. No, that's okay. I would like you to let me go, though,"

His eyes widen at the sudden realization he still has you in a headlock and he quickly releases you.

You sit up, stretching and rubbing the back of your neck. "Thanks,"

"My arm was starting to hurt, anyway..." he thinks for a moment, looking back to the office door. "Ya think I can use that to get out of working? I wanna spend more quality time with my favorite shrimpy. You could use it!"

You look to the door and shrug. "Hey, worth a try, right?"

Rollo Flamme

Out of all the things to ruin the day, of course it had to be your parent.

The disappointment between the two of you was palpable. And even though it was only a brief encounter, it was enough to sour the rest of the afternoon for the both of you.

The first thing Rollo noticed, of course, was the manner in which they carried themselves. As an authoritative, important figure, puffing out their chest and towering over you. What gave them the right...?

They were not a leader, nor a public figure, nor anyone of interest, if your earlier mentions of them gave him any idea. Nothing but an adult who spoke to the both of you as if you were tiny children.

He loathed being talked down to.

Perhaps he should have said something sooner than he did, and perhaps he should have said something more than the interruption he used to excuse you from the conversation.

And now you're just quiet.

"Are you well?" he asks, looking at you from the corner of his eyes.

You shrug.

"I apologize for not speaking on your behalf sooner. I did not want to be rude,"

No response at all.

Your silence was driving him mad. He couldn't get a good read on what you were feeling when you kept looking away like that.

"If you'd like to return home early, I would understand and escort you promptly,"

"No,"

A response. Not a good one, but a response nonetheless.

"May I ask you a question?" though he doesn't really wait for your permission to go on. "Why do they speak to you like that?"

That comment seems to jolt you, and you turn to look at him with wide eyes. "What? Speak to me like what?"

He struggles for the right words.

How could he describe it? It was so... odd. The words they spoke to you didn't sound cruel, but there was something sinister lurking beneath them. And not even in the typical "polite for the sake of it" sense.

Each response they gave was laced with a sort of venom that seemed to sting you. You had grown quiet, distant, as if you weren't really there at all.

Of course he was familiar with such tactics. He could weave his own words with ease. But you had done nothing wrong- you were guiltless. Why were you being punished?

He couldn't quite come up with an answer.

"You seemed uncomfortable," he finally says, looking away again. "I apologize for such an experience happening to you under my watch."

"It's not your fault,"

"It certainly isn't. And it's not yours, either,"

A blanket of silence falls over the two of you until he speaks again.

"You have nothing to feel bad about," he reaffirms.

Another pause.

"And I don't mean to intrude. But if you ever need my assistance, you know where to find me,"

[hijackalx]

GHOST +18

SUMMARY: Gortash helps you remember what your relationship with him was like.

WORD COUNT: 4000

UNDER THE CUT: F!reader, good dark urge reader, hard dom gortash, degradation, praise kink, spanking, daddy kink, sadism and masochism, SLIGHT NONCON, some angst at the end

You watch as the crowd disperses, chattering amongst themselves. The once quiet hall becomes an echo chamber for indiscernible voices; you quickly begin to search for an escape before the socializing gives you a headache.

The coronation wasn't worth your time. You didn't even get to speak to Gortash before he disappeared into the sea of people, and your chances of finding him now are slim.

You needed so badly to speak to him about the situation at hand; you hoped he'd be willing to come to a compromise. There's little desire for conflict in your veins— is it bad to admit that sometimes you wish this weight was bestowed upon someone more combative?

You push through bodies, interrupting minglers and meaningless conversations. "Oh, I'm so wealthy!' 'Yes, yes, me as well!" you mock them under your breath, putting on your most haughty persona. The topics that enthrall patriars never quite intrigued you.

As far as you can remember, at least.

You knock shoulders with one of them, though you remain in character. "My deepest apologies, good sir," your voice comes out nasally, your nose held high with a level of snootiness.

Their hand graces your upper arm, each finger laced coldly with steel. It's not a dismissing touch, but a grab. It wraps around your bicep, holding you in place. Your body tenses, shoulders shooting upright— perhaps your impression was a bit too insulting.

"U-uh—" you laugh nervously while your eyes follow their way up to their face. Your heartbeat stutters in your chest, a stillness overcoming you like a startled rabbit.

A man stands before you; his eyes sunken, his hair cut haphazardly, his skin tanned and scarred. You know who this is.

"You," his deep voice finds you through the noise. "I've been looking for you. For a moment, I was worried that you’d left." he doesn't release you, as if he's afraid to lose you again.

"Gortash," you mutter, your gaze darting over his features. "I... was looking for you as well, actually." you're totally and utterly surprised by the fact he even acknowledged you, let alone had been seeking you out.

"Enver," he speaks, and you don't quite understand what he means until you notice the playful raise in his brow; he's correcting you. How... informal of him to suggest you call him by his first name.

He finally removes his grip from your arm. A gentle grin pulls at his lips, and he seems to try to hide it behind the wine in his glass. There's a beat of silence, and during it you catch his eyes not-so-subtly gracing over your figure. "Your dress is lovely," is all he says, and you suddenly feel that your garment is too revealing.

Your arm lays over your stomach and fastens to the other, as if that would some how barricade you from his scrutinizing gaze. So, the Archduke is a bit of a pervert— not something you expected, but something you can deal with, nonetheless.

"I, um— listen—" you begin, yet struggle to pull your thoughts together in the chaos. "Is there... somewhere else... we could talk?"

His eyes suddenly appear more lively, though there's something else inside them that you can't quite place. "Of course." he places his glass down on a nearby waiter's tray. You're shocked as he places a palm towards the middle of your back, making contact with the bare skin through the window of your dress. He guides you out of the crowd, and you're amazed at how easily he wades through it as his obstacles yield to him.

He takes you toward a dark, spiral staircase. You're not sure if he's being polite when he insists you go ahead or if he's attempting to peek up your dress, and you try not to think about it.

Once you reach the top, your body is caressed by the cool, night air. You stop in your tracks, amazed at how the city glows in the dark. You can hear the sounds of the bustling streets, and the faint hum of the gathering downstairs.

"Magnificent, isn't it?" Enver's voice appears behind you and you flinch. You'd forgotten he was there. "As are many things that bend so pliantly to my will."

You turn around to meet his eyes, how they look up at you from under his brow, steady and ravenous. There's a pit that opens up in your stomach— his plans are sinister, and you need the upcoming conversation to be enough to stop them.

Suddenly, you're attacked by a barrage of self-doubt. What a heavy task for someone as measly as you.

The wind blows through the both of you, pulling at your hair and clothing as if saying to stop stalling. Your eyes flit to the ground once before allowing him to lead you further.

He opens another door for you, this one leading to what you believe is an office. Your bodies are bathed in the warm candlelight as you enter. You approach the long, many-seated table in the immediate vicinity as the sound of him closing the large doors fills the chamber.

You observe the architecture, feeling a sense of awe at being in the presence of such expensive tastes. Enver walks around you, heading to a compartment holding many different kinds of liquor. "I keep the good stuff in here," he comments, the bottle in his grasp clinking against the others as it's removed. "Although, I rarely have the pleasure of sharing it with guests as enchanting as yourself."

His words seem to carry an implication of familiarity. You turn to him with a raised brow. "You know why I'm here?" Your mind flits back to earlier— you remember him saying something about looking for you as well.

With a still hand he pours the cinnamon-colored liquid into both of your glasses. He doesn't look up as he responds, "Do you really believe me to be so dull?" he lets out a small laugh, placing the cork back into the bottle. "Besides, my intuition tells me we both want the same thing."

"... We do?" you mutter in disbelief. Had you been wrong about him? Is he really willing to hear you out so easily?

He hands you your glass. "We do." he raises his drink to you as if to toast, then brings it to his mouth. As he lets the drink disappear down his throat, his eyes remain on yours. This time, you feel that you may be able to trust whatever is behind them.

You join him with a small sip, and there is a short moment shared between you two. You notice just how close he's standing to you, but for some reason you don't step away. Your gaze falters from his own, shakily sneaking a glance at his lips, then his neck, and his exposed chest...

You stop there, quickly darting your pupils back upwards. You notice him still staring, and you wonder if perhaps your eyes explored just a bit too much.

Flustered, you turn around and place your palms on the table. "I—I'm sorry, this is just... a bit much for me." you try to compose yourself, feeling the start of your proposal bubbling to the surface. With a sigh, you begin, "Gor— Enver, I wanted to discuss the future of—"

You can't get any more words out— not even a sound. Your eyes widen, your temperature rising throughout your entire body like a surging wildfire. The only thing you can focus on is his lips on your neck and his body pressed against yours as he pins your hands to the tabletop.

Your breath quivers, heart in your throat. What is happening?

His mouth begins making its way downwards. You shiver out of your frozen state. With a swift, freeing elbow to his ribcage, you turn and shove him away from you.

He stumbles backward, the emotions on his face cycling too quickly for you to make something of it. Eventually, anger is the one that settles and stays. "What in the hells is the matter with you?!"

Your hand grips the glass on the table tightly, ready to use it as a weapon if you must. "I— what's the matter with me?! You just came onto me! I don't even know you!"

"What else did you expect, you little—" A crease forms between his brows. "... You don't know who I am?" his voice appears more softly, harboring confusion.

"Well, yes, you are the Archduke— but you know what I mean! Y-you don't just walk up to any stranger with their back turned and start kissing their neck!"

He glances away for a moment, shoulders relaxing as he finds the answers he's seeking inside the night’s prior instances. "You and I are hardly strangers, my dear."

You go quiet.

No— your memory can't have failed you again, not here. Not with him. You'd remember, surely you would.

With an inquiring grin, he approaches you slowly. "So it’s true. How curious." he studies you as if you're a freshly discovered specimen. "If you don't remember what we were, do you even remember what you are?"

His words rattle you to your core. To imply that your relationship with him was so deeply intertwined with who you once were— it almost makes you sick.

"You're lying," you respond quickly, regardless of whether you think he is or not. You won't accept otherwise.

"Am I?" he stops mere inches from your face, as if to allow you to see the truth through his eyes. They delve into yours, carrying an intensity that yours lack, a confidence that you wish wasn't there.

He hums. "Allow me to jog your memory." with a deep inhale, he opts to press his lips against yours. Your trembling body leans into the table behind you, backing further and further away from him until you can't anymore. He kisses you, and for some reason, you let him. You don't make any extravagant attempts to rid yourself of him— instead, you allow him to have you, as if on instinct.

The kiss lasts a few seconds, and he lingers for a moment before pulling away. You feel an emptiness on your lips, your fingertips leaving the glass at your side to reach up and gently inspect the area.

"First, we were accomplices. You, a chosen of Bhaal; I, a chosen of Bane,” he looks you directly in the face as he speaks, making sure you’re listening intently. “After so much time together, we took an interest in each other, particularly each other's bodies," he explains, "We were so young and knew so little— but we learned from each other. Experimented with each other—"

You shift underneath where he has you trapped against the table. You sink into yourself, your chin tucking down in shame. You're not sure how you feel about all of this, but you do know that there's a growing warmth between your thighs.

Even if your mind fails to remember what you two did together, your body knows.

His head tilts so that he speaks into your ear. "And, Gods, the things you'd let me do to you," as if reliving the memory, he almost moans, the lilt to his tone making your stomach lurch.

”N-no…” you mumble, though there is little substance behind the word.

He lowers himself, his mouth hovering over your neck once again. His breaths fan your sensitive skin before pressing his lips to it.

You twitch, your hand involuntarily coming up to rest in his hair. He hears how your breath hitches, and you feel him smile against you as he sucks softly.

His restless hand finds itself on your thigh, slipping into the slit of your dress. The cold material of his gauntlets raises goose bumps on your skin, your muscles tensing every time he reaches just inches from your core.

He pulls his lips from you with a pop, slightly breathless.

"It became an addiction. We'd meet up at every opportunity— almost every night just to fuck," he says with enough emphasis to make you realize just how filthy your past together was. “Hells, I even remember asking you what your father thought of his prized offspring becoming my personal little whore."

You burn hot with embarrassment, though some part of you likes the name he's given you. "... a- and?" you hate yourself for playing into whatever this is, but you can't help it. You want him to keep talking.

He laughs, "you said you didn't give a shit. Can you imagine that? Daddy's little girl willing to sacrifice everything just so she wouldn't have to go a day without me fucking her into the mattress.” he gives you a lift onto the table, both of his hands roughly pulling your thighs apart so he can place himself between them.

As if acting on its own, you fail to notice how your body arches into him, begging for his touch. "Enver..." you moan quietly, the sensation feeling so familiar on your tongue. The memories he describes to you seem so real yet so distant. You want to remember them, to experience them.

His chest rises and falls quicker by the minute. As his hand comes up to direct you by your jaw, the gold points on his fingertips leave indents in your skin. "You have no idea how elated I was to get news of your reappearance. I don't have words to explain how badly I've missed you— your body."

Unable to compose himself any longer, he finally stops teasing and slams his mouth into yours. He's aggressive and rough; the biting, smacking your teeth together kind of rough. You struggle to keep up with him, balancing yourself with an arm over his shoulders until he pushes you onto your back. Impatiently, he rips his sharp gauntlets from his hands, the objects landing somewhere on the floor with a clatter.

He runs his bare hands over the curves of your body, taking in the sight as if it's the first time. You lift your back as he reaches for the zipper of your dress, his adrenaline-ridden fingers fumbling before undoing it successfully. You help him wriggle yourself out of it.

The cold air hits your exposed breasts, your nipples erect and sensitive. His calloused thumb brushes over one before he tightly squeezes your tit, an obvious attempt to hear your voice. He's delighted when you gasp in both pain and pleasure, his mouth meeting yours to devour the sound. He then quickly trails down your neck to pepper kisses over your chest.

He takes one of your nipples into his mouth, purposefully grazing it with his teeth before soothing it with his tongue. Your hand tangles in his messy hair, lifting yourself into him.

His opposite hand sneaks into your panties, toying with your clit in a cruel fashion. He pinches and teases, refusing to give you what you want. Frustrated, you reach down to move his hand out of the way, to which he grabs and restrains. You try the same with the other, and he repeats.

"Insubordinate little slut," he mumbles under his breath as he pushes his knee between your legs, providing pressure but no friction. "You want to do it yourself?" he says meanly, slightly irritated by your actions.

You immediately begin rubbing against his thigh, finally feeling some relief. You exhale, feeling waves of pleasure course through you.

He peers down between your bodies to watch, his erection prominent in his pants. "Fuck, that's right. Show me how badly you need it."

Your hips eventually start to stutter, unable to continue as you lose yourself in the sensation. "I- I can't," you whine, unsatisfied as you fail to keep your rhythm.

He smiles sadistically at how you struggle. "Oh, you can't?" he pouts mockingly. "Poor thing."

You know what he wants, it sits in the back of your mind, ready without second thought. You've been here before. "P-please,” you choke out. "Please, I need you. Fuck me, please," your voice comes out pathetically, happy to continue begging until you get what you desire.

As if on cue, he flips you onto your stomach, your ass stuck in the air and your cheek pressed to the hardwood. He takes your arm and folds it behind your back, holding you in place. "You say that like I was going to give you a choice." You see how he leers down at you through the corner of your eye, a wolfish look on his features. You don't know how much truth there is to his words, but your pussy flutters anyway.

He runs a finger over your folds, the friction from your underwear making you jump. You whimper his name, completely at his mercy. With a huff, he rips your panties off of you, splitting the delicate fabric in half.

Pausing for a moment, he admires the glistening wetness between your thighs. He kicks your feet apart further to spread you open, using his finger to circle your clit before covering the digit in your essence. You watch as he sticks it in his mouth, cleaning it off with his tongue. He lets out a content sigh, savoring the taste.

You whine while deepening the arch in your back, presenting yourself to him further.

His brows furrow. Picking up your torn panties, he wads them up and shoves them in your mouth. It extends your jaw fully, making it impossible to spit them out. "Shut up," he growls. "You'll get what you want when I feel like giving it to you."

You can taste yourself on the ripped garment, feel how wet you are with your tongue. Your saliva begins to dampen it by the second, and it’s only a matter of time before it drips past the barrier.

The sound of him disrobing fills the air. Your irises roll back behind corkscrewed eyelids, anticipating what is to come with little patience.

The gag muffles your sounds as you feel his length drag between your thighs, parting your puffy folds. Your hole contracts spastically, desperate for him.

Then, he slams into you without warning. You scream, writhing beneath him as his dick forcibly stretches you out. The pain is almost unbearable as you feel tears start to materialize.

He balances himself on the table with his free hand, letting out a long, shuddering breath. "Fuck." He takes a moment before moving. There is no slow build-up, his pace is aggressive and hard from the very start. He fucks you like he absolutely hates you, and you suppose it's possible that he does. If what he says is true, then you abandoned him. Not on purpose, but you still did.

His cock moves in a shoveling motion, hitting your G-spot with every thrust. You send your body back to him every time he reenters you, rocking in sync. It feels natural— it feels good. As you adjust, you realize that you fit together perfectly; two puzzle pieces that were never meant to be apart. Suddenly, his dependence on you makes so much more sense.

You gasp as he grabs a fistful of your hair, roughly pulling your head upward. He holds you there uncomfortably as he speaks into your ear, "if you ever leave me again," he pauses to catch his breath, "I'll fucking kill you. Do you understand?"

Nodding your head is not enough for him. He rips your underwear from your mouth. "yes, what?"

Your breathing is ragged and high-pitched as you're finally allowed to use your mouth again. "Yes, daddy!" you assume that must be what he made you call him before, based on how it forces its way past your teeth. You're sure he gets some kind of power-trip from it, perhaps he's envious of your previous devotion to your father.

“It seems you remember more than I thought.” he uses his thumb to wipe the drool from your swollen lip, then massages the spot where he yanked your hair. "Good. You're doing so good."

His unexpected praise makes your pussy tighten around him, milking him, begging for him to come.

He lets out a deep, throaty moan. "Gods, you feel fucking amazing." his palm makes contact with your ass, a sharp smack echoing through the tall ceilings of the office. You yelp, your fingernails clawing at the tabletop. You can feel the hand-shaped welt forming right away, the stinging sensation rising to the top of your skin. "You like how daddy fucks you?"

He asks just as you feel yourself reaching your climax. It builds in your lower stomach, bubbling in your chest. "Y-yes!" you cry. "Please don't stop! Just like that!"

Cruel man that he is, he does the exact opposite of what you ask. He stops, pulling out of you and leaving you feeling empty. Ushering you up, he switches places with you and grabs you by your wrist, guiding you onto his lap.

He looks at you through his brow, cheeks flushed, breaths erratic, yet with a smirk playing at his lips. "Work for it," he orders, holding himself up with his palms on the tabletop.

As you lower yourself onto his length, he watches you intently, brushing your unruly hair out of your face. Your cheek is red and swollen from being pressed into the table, and he gives it a few condescending pats. "You look a mess, dearest," he laughs.

You ignore him, focused on taking him in. You do it slower than he did, but he remains patient for you. You suppose that's his act of kindness for the day.

Balancing on your knees, you start bouncing in his lap. Your hands hold onto his shoulders, watching how he slides in and out of you. A creamy, white liquid has been created between the two of you, coating his shaft and your entrance.

His attention remains on your face— sometimes shifting to your tits, but mostly your face. You eventually notice, suddenly feeling self-conscious under his gaze. Placing a hand to the back of your head, he pulls you in for a kiss. You cup his face with your palms, whimpering into his mouth as his tongue grazes the inside of your teeth.

He breaks the kiss along with a line of saliva. His nose finds the crook of your neck, resting there as he pulls your bodies flush together. Your arms rest over his broad shoulders, occasionally digging your nails into his skin. He seems at peace with you in his grasp, holding you near. It’s in this moment that you truly feel just how much he missed you, worried for you, yearned for you. You realize that your relationship may have been more than just sex to him, even if not officially so.

He lets out a broken groan as he reaches his climax. His grip becomes almost painfully tight, taking your waist into his strong arms to fuck you again as he releases a thick load of cum inside you. The warm substance coats your walls as you tense around him.

His orgasm encourages your own. Squirming in his grasp, you throw your head back. You never imagined yourself crying out a series of his name, but here you are, and you never imagined it would be so sweet on your tongue. He keeps you in place with his hands on your hips, helping you ride it out.

You rest your weary body on his, your cheek against the sticky skin of his shoulder. Although, you don’t rest easy. There’s a heaviness to your heart, a guilt.

You can’t be the woman he knew— you’ve changed. The things you want are no longer the same, and you’ll betray him without even meaning to. He’s in love with a ghost, one that you just can’t pretend to be.

In the end, you’re in each other’s way, and you always will be. Whatever is between you two is an obstacle, and it’s destined to be destroyed.

[bubblegumbarbie33]

The Lost Boys Using Slang From When I Headcanon They Got Turned

David, 1910's: This hunt is gonna be duck soup, don't worry about it. Marko's just being a goldbrick cause he doesn't want to deal with dumping the bodies. Yes- we DO have to dump the bodies Marko, remember that time in the 40's you ended up in the hoosegow because you ripped those honey-mooner's throats out and left the evidence behind? Oh, you wanna go, ya bimbo? Yeah, that's what I thought. You gotta quit letting me get on yer nerves ya crackpot.

Michael, leaning over whisper to Dwayne: What the fuck is he saying?

-

Marko, 1930's: Ackamarackus! It's gonna be aces! Quite talking that booshwash and gimme a five-spot so I can nab us some rotgut from the convenience store. Don't be a tightwad, Paul, I know you've got some dough in your pockets. I can't just filch it from 'em, last time I did that the coppers got on my ass and I had to rip their throats out.

Michael, whispering softly to himself: What the fuck?

-

Dwayne, 1950's: Well, half of the time Marko and Paul act like little ankle-biters. Somehow they always manage to feed girls on the boardwalk some smooth apple butter though. Although last time Paul got a little too excited and flashed his teeth- had those girls beating feet pretty quick. They had a bitchin' ride, really burned rubber on the way out, but we caught 'em. It should be easy for you to draw in the ladies Michael, you're a bit of dreamboat. Oh, don't have a cow David, no one's stealing him from you. Besides, Michael's a bit too nerdy to impress me. I mean it! Word from the bird!

Michael, mouthing silently: Word from the bird?

-

Paul, 1970's: You're not gonna get all flower power on us, are you? I'm gonna be honest Michael, sometimes when we're rapping it gets a little too peace and lovey for my taste. Wait, hang on, I wanna listen to the lick in this song. There it is. You know, these guys are doing a gig up in L.A. later this year- I'm stoked. David thinks they're a little off the wall, but I just think they've got a certain X-Factor, y'know?

Michael, nodding: I can actually understand the words that are coming out of your mouth right now.

-

Bonus, Star and Michael, 1980's:

Star: Ugh, bag your face Michael, you look like you just got hit by a truck.

Michael: I had to book it back here, alright, I didn't have time to clean up.

Star: That's cause you're turning into a total couch potato. You just lie on the ground after you eat- y'know it's just like a man-

Michael: Star, don't be a hoser alright, it's not because I'm a MAN-

Star: No, I'm being legit, like, I've been reading a lot of interesting literature about feminism and how woman are socialized-

Michael: Where are you getting books from?

Star: Dwayne has a library card. Y'know Santa Carla's got a primo library.

Michael: What- Oh, shit, some of that skater didn't go down right, I think I'm gonna ralph.

Star: Smooth move, Travolta. Ugh- dude, you puked on my shoes, what's your damage?

David and the boys, watching from the corner: Kids these days sound so weird.

[hazbin-a-helluvamagines]

Howdy howdy! Could I request Blitzø, Fizarolli and Millie (separate, not poly) with a chubby s/o?

No worries if you're not interested in writing this one. Take care 💛💛

"More To Love" ; Blitzø, Fizzarolli, Millie

AN: Aw, hun, don't worry about it!! These are always some of the sweetest requests!! I'm super thin tho, so if something is inaccurate or offensive, please tell me!!

Also, new format who is SHE??

Let's get this out of the way: Blitzø does not care. Like, at all. Sometimes, you aren't even sure he notices your appearance.

Which, yes, is very comforting. He's attracted to you regardless, he wouldn't be with you if he wasn't.

Blitzø's favorite thing in the world is to cook for you. Half of his attempts could be considered lethal, sure, but hey, he's fed himself and his daughter for at least a few years off of his skills, right? He'll do his best to adhere to any special diets and eating routines you have, too, since he totally understands if you have any insecurities. He knows how cruel Hell and earth alike can be toward anybody who isn't a stick figure.

Allergic to nuts? Sweet, guess what's no longer in the house. Pescatarian? He's suddenly the hugest fan of fish. Vegetarian? That's fine, he didn't like meat, anyway. Even though he did.

He's a dad, after all, and if he's that doting with his daughter, imagine how doting he is with his partner. You're the light in his dark world, and he hates the idea of you ever feeling like anything less than you really are.

Now, granted, sometimes, some of the things he says sound insensitive, but he really is trying to learn more about your situation. So he gets some very... er... sweet-intentioned, but possibly perverted-sounding nicknames for you.

"Heeeeyyy, Sexy~." "Woah! Got someone you're tryna impress today~?" "Well, aren't you a sight for sore eyes~?"

I wouldn't be surprised if your face is eternally red, like, at all.

If you ever confessed to actually being insecure about your body... oh god. Good luck, that's it for you.

He's basically going to be so touchy on you, it'll be like you have a Blitzø-sized tumor attached to your hip.

If you've got a tail, Blitzø will ensure that your tails are basically always intertwined.

Unless you tell him to stop, of course. He's a dick, but he's not that much of a dick.

But he'll make sure you're always comfortable and feeling loved and basically worshipped. Seriously, have you ever seen an assassin get pissed off because somebody insulted their S/O?

Well, you did after meeting him.

And it didn't end pretty for the other person in question.

Millie is someone who grew up around a lot of farm folk, a lot of whom were also on the chubbier side. It happened, it wasn't a bad thing. If anything, she liked it more on you.

And she'd be the one who'd actually fucking maul someone over insulting that trait of yours, my god- I'm not sure if there's ever been so much blood from one person-

You're insecure? Aw, you've got a little sweetheart right at your side.

"Baby, you're the cutest thang I've ever seen! I could just gobble you up~!"

As long as your physique doesn't pose any issues for your health, she's all for it! She finds it so cute and she loves how soft you are!!

And although she's never experienced it, herself, you can always count on her endless support and love, regardless of whatever it is you may need!

She'll always try to be right next to you, both because she's ready to strike if anybody dare makes a rude comment toward her lovely S/O, but also because she just adores you that much.

Like Fizz, she'll also wrap her tail around you when she wants cuddles because it's a way that imps like her often show love.

Another thing I think she'd like is comparing hand sizes.

And cheek pinching!! My God, with chubby cheeks, she'll be on them like glue!!

"Ain't you just the cutest lil honeybee in the hive, baby~? Yes you are! I love you so much~."

Honestly? Marry her. She's sweet, she's loving, she loves your appearance and running her hands over your curves, she adores you.

Plus, she'll protect you from fatphobic assholes. What's not to love?

[cirilla-fiona-riannon]

Francis Drake Main Story

Translations may not always capture the exact nuances or tone of the original text. Expect grammatical errors. I didn't proofread this.

The historical figures who were resurrected as vampires have made contracts with Comte, except for Napoleon.

Napoleon was revived against his will, without a contract, and had become a being with both human and vampire traits.

Comte: "Based on what I've heard, it's possible that Drake arrived at the mansion through the same circumstances as Napoleon did."

Comte: "Although it's still a mystery how historical figures can come back to life as sort of half-vampires, even if they didn't ask for it."

Drake: "Hold on."

Drake raised his hand to stop Comte.

Drake: "I can accept that this is the 19th century, but all this talk about resurrections and vampires is getting crazy. Can you at least tell me more about what's happening?"

Drake, who had been smiling nonchalantly, looked confused.

Napoleon: "I understand how you feel."

Mitsuki: "Me too..."

(When I came to the mansion, I couldn't keep up with all the unrealistic stories either.)

I totally understand how Drake felt.

Feeling sympathetic, I decided to make a suggestion to Comte.

Mitsuki: "Comte, I think we need to explain the situation."

Mitsuki: "And since he doesn't have a place to go, why don't we let him stay at the mansion for a while?"

Drake: "........."

It would have taken at least another month for the door to open again. Even when it did, there was no guarantee it would be stable.

Considering the recent abnormalities in the door, he's lucky he was able to reach the mansion.

And if Drake was supposed to have died in his original time, he may have no place to return to.

Even though it wasn't my problem, just thinking about it made my heart tighten.

Mozart: "Are you crazy? This pirate just attacked us out of nowhere."

Arthur: "I can't say I don't understand the situation. Of course, attacking Mitsuki was unforgivable, but I'm also worried about letting him roam freely."

Dazai: "He's right. It would be a problem if he got a sudden bloodlust and bit someone on the street."

Drake: "Wait, there's a possibility I could turn into some sort of wild animal? Me?"

Sebastian: "On that note, we have both Rouge and Blanc here in the mansion. They should help manage both your meals and impulses."

Napoleon, who had fought with Drake, glanced at him.

Napoleon: "I can't sense any hostile intentions from him anymore. If this guy does something weird, we'll do something about it."

Napoleon: "Right, Jean?"

Jean: "Of course."

Drake: "You guys are reliable yet intimidating."

Napoleon and Jean nodded to each other, and everyone's gaze turned to Comte.

Leonardo: "What's your decision, Comte?"

Comte: "........."

Comte: "Drake, can you promise not to harm anyone?"

Drake: "Yeah, sure. If you're worried, you can keep an eye on me."

Comte nodded in response and untied the rope binding Drake.

Comte: "Then I welcome you. Maybe you came to this mansion guided by something."

Arthur: "A miraculous and fateful encounter, perhaps?"

Drake: "Seems like an overly dramatic fate to me."

Drake: "Anyway, sorry for the terrible first impression. I'll be in your care from now on, so let's all get along."

Drake chuckled, and I couldn't help but relax along with him.

(He doesn't seem like a bad person.)

Mitsuki: "If there's anything I can do to help, please let me know."

Drake: "You're such a kind-hearted person."

And so, a new resident joined our mansion.

That night, after the sudden turn of events, I found myself on my bed, flipping through a book I'd brought from the library.

Mitsuki: "I wonder if it's in here. Ah, here it is."

I flipped through the book titled "Historical Figures Who Moved the World" and found the page about the person I was looking for.

The title was Francis Drake, Hero of the Sea. A page dedicated to Drake.

(Sebastian sometimes scolded me for being clueless, so I should at least learn something about Drake since we're going to live together from now on.)

The book mainly recorded Drake's accomplishments.

("He was the second person in history to circumnavigate the world. Queen Elizabeth awarded him the title of knight for his achievements during the voyage.")

(He discovered the Drake Passage during his voyage. Come to think of it, I've seen it on the map!)

I was surprised to learn that the famous landmark on the map was named after him.

At the same time, it was mentioned that he had committed numerous acts of piracy, such as attacking enemy ships and looting valuables.

(For his homeland, he was a hero, but for someone else, he was an enemy. He lived his life amid conflict.)

I couldn't help but feel the light and shadow of history after learning the background of this historical figure.

As I continued reading, I found a description that caught my attention.

Mitsuki: "After his death due to illness, his body was placed in a lead coffin and submerged in the sea."

Mitsuki: "A sea burial?"

(History says he died and was laid to rest.)

(I wonder if something happened at that time that caused him to come back to life like Napoleon?)

I closed the book I had finished reading and lay down on the sheets.

(I never thought someone would come through that door.)

He didn't seem anxious or troubled, but he's in an unfamiliar place, so he might still face some challenges.

With that in mind, I fell asleep.

The next morning一

Drake: "Morning, little fawn."

Mitsuki: "G-Good morning, Drake."

When I came to the dining room in the morning, Drake greeted me cheerfully.

However, there was something that caught my attention.

(Does he mean me when he says little fawn?)

Mitsuki: "Um, Drake, my name is..."

Drake: "Hm? Isn't it Mitsuki? Am I wrong?"

Mitsuki: "No, you're right!"

However, what caught my attention even more was Napoleon slumped over the table beside me.

Mitsuki: "Good morning, Napoleon. You're up early today."

Napoleon: "I didn't sleep."

Mitsuki: "Huh!?"

Drake: "Haha! Last night was fun."

Apparently, after that incident, Drake received some explanations from Comte.

Comte told him that the door could potentially connect at any point in time as long as it was working normally.

He also told him about the vampire's nature and that this mansion was home to historical figures from various eras and nations.

After that, Napoleon spent the night with Drake, serving as both his guard and companion.

Drake: "Our situations are pretty similar, so I had a lot of questions for him."

Napoleon: "Then we got carried away and ended up talking all night."

Sebastian: "I heard they chatted the whole night. It would've been cool to eavesdrop on their conversation!"

Sebastian, who came out of the kitchen, offered Napoleon a warm cup of tea instead of coffee.

Drake: "Napoleon was not only a military commander, but also the Emperor of France. No wonder he's so strong."

Napoleon: "Stop teasing me."

Drake playfully slapped Napoleon on the shoulder, and Napoleon, with his eyes half-closed, swayed sleepily.

(Napoleon is a heavy sleeper, so he must have been tired.)

(It feels like they've gotten a lot closer.)

Napoleon: "I'm at my limit. I'll leave this guy to you."

Mitsuki: "Okay. Good night, Napoleon."

Napoleon stood up and left the dining room unsteadily.

After seeing Napoleon off, Drake let out a big yawn.

Drake: "Fuwah. I'm getting sleepy too."

Drake: "But before that, I'm hungry."

(This guy is so straightforward when it comes to his desires.)

(But come to think of it, he's also half like Napoleon, so he's probably hungry too.)

Sebastian: "I'll prepare breakfast. Please wait a moment."

Drake: "Sure. So you guys are on cooking duty?"

Mitsuki: "Yup. Is there anything specific you want to eat this morning?"

Drake: "Let's see."

Drake: "Blood."

(What!?)

Drake: "Just kidding. I thought vampires could only drink blood, but I'm glad they can eat regular food too."

(He said it so seriously that it caught me off guard.)

Drake: "I'll leave breakfast up to you."

Mitsuki: "Okay. Then I'll make pancakes!"

Drake: "It's nice to have a meal without any trouble. On the ship, there's always a bunch of hungry men fighting over food."

Drake: "Plus, it's great to have a pretty girl like you cooking for me."

Mitsuki: "You're quite the smooth talker, aren't you?"

As I responded, feeling a bit flustered, Theo suddenly chimed in.

Theo: "Are you also a flirt like Arthur?"

Vincent: "Good morning, Mitsuki, Sebas, and Drake."

Theo and Vincent came to the dining room.

Drake: "Let's see, you guys are the famous Van Gogh brothers, right?"

Drake: "The angel brother and the devil brother, as Arthur said."

Vincent: "I often hear that, but I think Theo is the real angel."

Theo: "B-Broer."

Drake: "Haha! Vincent, you're such a doting older brother."

(He interacts with anyone so casually.)

It might be a little unusual for someone to get so close to others in this mansion.

Theo: "Hey, Drake. Don't call him that so casually."

Drake: "Oh, then Vincent big bro."

Mitsuki ▪︎ Theo: "Vincent big bro!?"

Hearing him say that to Vincent made both Theo and me yell unintentionally.

Vincent: "Big bro. Fufu, it's refreshing to hear that since no one called me that before."

Drake: "It looks like he likes it."

Theo: "Rejected! And stop being so happy about it, broer."

Sebastian: "Drake has incredible social skills."

Mitsuki: "Pffft…ahahaha!"

I couldn't help but burst out laughing as I caught Sebastian secretly taking notes in his diary.

For some reason, after finishing his pancakes, Drake started arranging the chairs in a perfect row.

Drake: "*yawn* I'm really sleepy. I'll just take a quick nap. Nighty night."

Mitsuki: "Hey, Drake! You can't sleep here!"

Drake: "Huh, I can't? Then I'll sleep on the floor."

Mitsuki: "That's not allowed either!"

(We shouldn't encourage more people to sleep anywhere like Leonardo!)

Mitsuki: "Sebastian, is there any unused room available?"

Sebastian: "I'll need to confirm with Comte first, though if ever there is, it might not be clean."

Sebastian: "Let me show you to the guest room for now. Mitsuki, please help me prepare it."

After preparing the guest room for him to lie down, he nodded and smiled, saying it was more than enough.

Mitsuki: "Then, take your time and relax, Drake."

Drake: "Hmm. Thanks for going through the trouble, Sebastian and Mitsuki."

Just as I was about to leave the room after Sebastian一

Mitsuki: "Waah!"

He suddenly grabbed my arm and pulled me back into the room.

He pressed me against the wall, and his face came close to mine, his eyes cold.

Drake: "Hey, Mitsuki. Did you tame everyone in this mansion with your blood?"

Previous Part ╎ Side Story 1 ╎ Next Part

[stargazer-sims]

Journal Entry #49 (part four)

previously - Journal Entry #49 (part three)

Victor

When I'd finished recounting the events of my visit with Dr. Ishida, I looked to see if Yuri was still awake. He'd let go of my fingers at some point, and I thought maybe he'd fallen asleep. He hadn't. It appeared as though he'd been hanging onto every word.

I smiled at him. "You doing okay?"

"You're going to look cute with glasses," he said.

"That was your take-away piece?"

The corners of his mouth quirked upward, and I got the impression that he'd be laughing if he had the strength for it. "No, I got everything. Reading, going to university, snowboarding. But, that doesn't change the fact that I think you'll be cute with glasses."

"I'm pretty excited," I said. “I can’t wait to find out how much my reading’s gonna improve. Like, maybe it’s really true that I’m not stupid after all.”

“You’re not stupid,” he said. “Don’t I keep telling you that?”

“Now we can find out for sure.”

“You need to discover it for yourself before you fully believe it, don’t you? I think I can understand that.”

“As soon as I get my glasses, I’m going to read the hardest book I can find,” I said.

Yuri gave me an indulgent look. “Of course you are. I wouldn’t have expected otherwise.”

“Know what I’m going to do after that? I’m going to ask Ellie to send me a couple of her old books from nursing school, and I’m gonna see if I can read those. You know, because… reasons.”

“You’re still wavering between physical therapy and nursing, then?”

“Yeah, but you know one of the big reasons why I was struggling to choose is because I didn’t think I could do all the reading for nursing. I’m still really interested in physical therapy, but I think I’d do better as a nurse. I’m thinking licensed practical nursing, ‘cause it’s more hands-on.”

“For what it’s worth, I think you’d be an amazing nurse,” Yuri said.

“You’d know,” I acknowledged. “You’re probably in the best position to know, actually.”

"Well, now you’ve got to figure out what you really want to do. You obviously can’t stay in Japan to train and compete, and go to university in Canada at the same time."

“Yeah, and there's the haunted house. Depending on what happens, we may or may not end up buying it.”

"Yes, the haunted house," he echoed. "I think we have a lot to talk about."

"When you're feeling better," I said. "I want to figure everything out as soon as we can, but none of it is so urgent that it can't wait a few weeks. I mean, it's still up in the air whether or not I'll be able to compete again anyway. I won't know that until I see Dr. Sato again and have all my scans and stuff."

"Do you really want to compete again?"

"I didn't want to stop,” I said.

"So, I should ignore what you said before?" he asked.

"When? If I said it when I was in the hospital, just assume you can't rely on any of it. Unless I said I love you. That's totally true."

""You're the light of my world. You know that, don't you?" he said. "I know I can always rely on you loving me."

"Just like I know you love me,” I said.

"I do," he said. "Very much. More than anything."

We can decide what to do once we have more information."

"That's reasonable," he said. He was quiet for several seconds, but then he ventured, "There is something we have to talk about now, though."

"If you're feeling well enough, we can."

"If I were feeling well, it'd be a moot point."

I chewed my lower lip, slightly worried about what he might say next. "What's up?"

"Dr. Kasongo and Dr. Shibazaki both think I'm going to need home care."

I remembered that Dr. Shibazaki was the one who'd seen Yuri when his parents and I brought him to the emergency department, and she's still following up with his care. The other doctor, Espérance Kasongo, is Yuri's gastroenterologist. She's the one who's most closely monitoring him, and the one primarily responsble for his care while he's here.

I nodded. "Dr. Kasongo told me."

"What did you say to her? Did you agree?"

"I told her I'd have to wait until I could talk about it with you," I said. "I can't make that decision for you as long as you're capable of making it for yourself. If you want to know what I really think, though, I do agree with her."

The expression on his face was one of betrayal. "You do?"

"I don't like the idea," I said. "If we had a choice, I'd say no because obviously I'd be looking after you myself, but that's not an option right now 'cause I still need help too."

"But, our parents and Uncle Kaz—"

"Mom and Julian have to go home, and I assume Uncle Kaz does as well, so that’ll just leave your parents. We can't expect them to do everything. You know your dad's not going to be able to stay away from the office for too much longer. Plus, he and your mom still have Yuki to look after, and they'll be busy getting ready for the baby, too."

"Kinai," he said. "That's what they're calling him. The baby."

"Your mom says they're going to court to ask a judge to give them full custody of him," I said.

"I think it's a terrible idea, but Papa seems pleased about it."

"They want to adopt him eventually."

"I'm staying out of it," he declared. "I want as little to do with that whole situation as possible."

"Because you don't like babies?"

"Because I don't like Hana," he stated. "She's going to cause as much trouble as she can, and all her nonsense is going to take our parents' time and attention away from me and Yuki. Besides, being anywhere near Hana is stressful. I don't need that."

"No, you don't," I agreed.

He sighed. "I wish you could look after me at home. Then we wouldn't have to worry about asking my parents or anyone else."

"Me too, but you know I need both arms for that."

"I know. It's just... I don't want home care. I don't want some stranger touching me and... and doing intimate things for me."

"People are doing that here," I pointed out.

"I don't like them doing it here, either," Yuri said. "But, our home is my safe place. I don't—"

His voice hitched and he stopped speaking, and then quickly pressed a hand to his mouth to stifle the whimper that was trying to escape.

"It'll be okay," I said.

He stared at me, eyes wide, as if I'd said something truly horrifying. Behind his hand, his voice was barely audible as he insisted, "No... it won't."

I opened my mouth and drew in a breath to say something in reply, but quickly closed it again when I saw tears in his eyes. He was full-on sobbing within seconds, and his attempt to hold it back became a wasted effort.

Yuri crying that way was a sight so rare that it scared me a little, and it quickly occurred to me that he wasn't just being stubborn and wanting his own way when it came to the home care issue. He was absolutely terrified.

I didn't know what to do. My elation of only minutes before was completely gone, and I was beginning to feel useless and overwhelmed again. Taking a deep breath to steady myself, I reached out to stroke his forearm. My cast was probably bumping his poor little arm in a less than comfortable way, but I couldn't sit there and do nothing. I couldn't not try to soothe him.

I wanted to tell him everything would be fine, that the home care nurse wouldn't harm him, that nothing bad would happen, but even though that was surely all true, I didn't know if Yuri was in any state to believe it at the moment.

I tried to imagine myself in his position; sick, scared, physically tiny and too weak to defend himself from anyone who might try to do something to him. Add all that to the fact that he's generally touch-averse and also very particular about his hygiene and personal care habits, and the idea of having a stranger come into our home to tend to him suddenly seemed like an invitation to disaster.

When I first came here and moved in with him in his small rented house in Wakabamori, he'd barely let me touch him. The most we could do in the beginning was hold hands or hug briefly, and it'd taken time for him to understand that I wasn't going to hurt him. Ironically, it was when he hadn't been feeling well that he sought physical affection from me for the first time. He'd wandered into my room in the middle of the night and crawled into bed with me, wanting me to hold him. Even then, I didn't hold him too close, and he told me later how much he appreciated that I'd known what to do.

What I hadn't known at the time, and only learned after he felt safe enough to reveal it to me, was that his unwillingness to be touched wasn't due only to his general aversion to physical contact. He'd been traumatized by his former partner's abuse of him, and he'd never truly gotten past it.

And it seems he still hasn't, I thought.

Being hesitant or uneasy or just plain obstinate was one thing, but this...? Yuri's fear was on a totally different level. I'd literally never seen him this emotionally vulnerable, and the worst part for me was that I didn't know how to help him.

"We'll think of something," I said quietly. "We'll make sure your safe place is still safe."

I hoped my promise didn't sound hollow and empty. I didn't want him to feel scared and unsafe in the place that had become a refuge for him, but i also realized we needed support. There had to be a way to make both those things happen.

The problem was, I couldn't think of anything. I was exhausted, and my head was starting to ache, and everything I'd already experienced during the day suddenly felt like... too much.

After what seemed like much longer than it was in reality, Yuri regained some composure. He sniffled, tears mostly subsided at last, and rubbed at his eyes. "I need to lie down."

I nodded, and fumbled with the bed remote until I got it where he wanted it. "Good?"

"Yeah," he said. "I'm sorry for being so much trouble."

"You're no trouble," I assured him. "You need to stop worrying about that, if you can."

"But—"

"If I thought you were too much trouble, would I be here?"

"I suppose not." He wiped his eyes again. "Why does everything have to be so difficult?"

"I don't know, love," I said. "We've survived all our worst days so far, though, and we'll get through this too."

"I don't want any more bad days."

"Me either, but we don't get to decide that."

"I know." He sighed shakily. "I really am sorry."

"For what?"

"You're tired. I can see it," he said. "I didn't mean to burden you with one more thing."

"It's okay," I said. "You were right. We had to talk about it, or at least bring up the subject. But, listen... we don't have to discuss it any more right now. Let me work on it. Maybe there's a solution."

"Okay," he said. Then, after a pause, "I'm glad it went well with Dr. Ishida. I... I didn't mean to kill your mood."

"Don't worry about it. I'm still happy. Just kinda... out of energy, I guess. Today's been a lot."

"Maybe you need a nap."

I didn't fail to catch the not-so-subtle hint, but climbing onto the bed without the use of my arms and also avoiding his IV line would've been next to impossible. "I can nap later, but don't let me stop you if you need one."

"You'll be here when I wake up?"

"Either I will or your parents will," I said. "Sakura's coming over this evening, so Mom's going to come pick me up around five-thirty."

"Oh."

"If you need me to stay, I'll ask Sakura to come another night."

"No," he said. "I'll be fine if my parents are here. It's just... I'll miss you."

"Every moment we're not together, I miss you," I told him.

"Me too," he said. "But, I suppose we have to be reasonable about it. You can go at five-thirty, but if I'm still asleep, wake me up before you leave, please. I want to be awake for my goodbye kiss."

"You don't want me to kiss you while you're sleeping, like in a fairytale or something?"

"My knight in shining armour," he said.

"My prince," I replied, and we both smiled. "I'll wake you up before I leave, but you gotta remember where you are. No saying anything naughty like you do when I wake you up with a kiss at home. You don't want to embarrass me in front of your parents, do you?"

"I don't say naughty things."

"Oh? You think telling me to take my clothes off and get back in bed with you isn't naughty?"

"It isn't," he said, somehow managing to sound completely affronted. "Skin-to-skin contact is very therapeutic and beneficial."

"I guess that includes hands and lips?"

"Mm-hmm," was his soft reply.

"Go to sleep," I said.

He closed his eyes obediently. "Victor?"

"Yeah?"

"We're going to be okay, aren't we?"

I leaned down to kiss him lightly on the forehead. "We're together. There's nothing we can't face together, right?"

"Right."

"I don't know what’s gonna happen, but I'll be with you no matter what. For better or worse, in sickness and health, just like we promised, remember?”

“Just like we promised,” he repeated. "I'm glad you found me. You changed my life. I'm a better person because of you."

"You were an amazing person before I ever came along," I told him. "You think I'd give my whole heart to somebody who wasn't exceptional?"

He didn't answer, but his little smile was enough.

I honestly don't know what's going to happen, but in that moment I told myself it'd all be fine. I wanted to believe it. I still want to believe it, in fact, to the point where I keep repeating it like a mantra in my head. Everything will be fine.

Yuri once told me that a happy outcome doesn't have to be a perfect outcome; all that's needed is for you to be satisfied with it. Time and again, I've seen that he's not wrong. Nothing ever goes exactly the way I envision it, but I'm still happy.

And I guess if that's the standard we're measuring by, everything really will be fine.

[7ban-sama]

since someone already asked avvy it just feels right to ask you too - whats it like kinning amane?

You're right, it's only fair. But I must out myself, pretty much immediately after reading Avvy's post, I said aloud to her: "Man I hope no one asks me what it's like..."

Not because it's a bad question to ask (so don't sweat it) but, I just don't think it's going to sound as... fl-flattering? Lol... I must accept my fate.

The first thing I should say though, is that it feels really, really good, to be Amane. (Most of the time.) Does that sound silly? Probably, right...? Haha.

I'm not totally unfamiliar to a sense of ~kinnie euphoria~. I've definitely experienced this before. In general, I've always had issues navigating my very-compartmentalized self, and kin stuff helps me more thoroughly understand who Bird even Is, and what it means to be Bird. Which can feel relieving... it helps me define my art as well, and ultimately I get more satisfaction through it all. Though... eh, kin isn't exactly a 'choice' either, it's more like seeing a photo of yourself and recognizing yourself in it. If you're someone like me, who's struggled to even know what you look like, sometimes seeing that photo is relieving. "Oh, thank god... that's me." Er, but once you're past that stage, it's more often a neutral observation ("Yup... that's me.") and at worst, kind of humiliating. Seeing a BAD photo of yourself... a lame one. It goes back and forth; this is the downside of kin...

So... with Amane, I guess a lot of the time, it's like seeing myself, and it's — haunting. "My god, am I really like that?" But also I look really Cool. This is new, lol. I'm not used to feeling so cool. And like uhh, handsome, and interesting. So it makes me act... cockier, ruder, more insufferable. More arrogantly. My ego is unfathomable, at this point.

I feel so justified though. Maybe I'm prone to acting worse because I know I have a little brother that'll always be into it, though... Hmm, I guess I'm spoiled too. Not a small detail. I understand, implicitly, that I am adored... Tsukasa loves everything I do. Or, he'll have to, if I bully him about it. I'm not really worried about that, ever. At most I just get frustrated he didn't clap at the right time, or he didn't clap hard enough. (Be impressed by me!! Dummy...)

Hmm, I really feel as though my body is being piloted by a shitty 13 yo boy. (And it's one that won't stop watching porn and fucking his girlies.) When I was Actually 13, my life sucked and I couldn't really act like that at all; I had to be passive and meek, for a myriad of reasons. In some ways, it's pretty novel, just being so... unencumbered, at times? I've never felt more like Some Guy. It's a feedback loop also, I think, cuz Avvy's probably never seen me be so... *shitty boyfriend♂️*

Of course, not always smooth sailing, I do feel guilty at times. Amane is errr, unstable, as much as anything; he can make us get obsessively depressed and self-hating for a week straight, like literally making us cry over it kfkfkfkf.... This is the cost for all those high-highs, I suppose. He gets so depressed about how poorly he acts and how the girlies shouldn't be shackled to him (like, is sad for them, to be stuck with a jerk... why... why can't I just be normal... *sulks*) Usually he just needs a blowjob to reorient. You know how it is...

I can say that my favorite moments are like hers. :) I find that I get the most peace out of our day to day exchanges. It's really all about those little moments, like showering together, taking walks, sharing food. Somehow it's like... nostalgic, you get all, natsukashii... As if it's something we've done our whole life. That's nice... I like that. Feeling as though Avvy's always been with me, that what we do now is simply evocative of our entire childhood together. And I can't imagine it being any other way. Very cozy... I love watching my dumb baby brother make weird noises at me and chew on my nose n stuff... and I love to be rude and shove him, or grab him by the throat, or say something to make him go "nuuhhh!!!" and flail... That's the good stuff ❤

I think Avvy went into the 'states' she occupies... I think in my day-to-day, I'm sort of floating around ages 8-12. Kinda depends on how fussy or bawdy or awkward... Depressive states are like, I become ghost boy, at the roof staring at the moon. 'Arghh, I'm so terrible for what I've done, uuuruaruhh,,,, I can't visit your beautiful corpse, I'll just stay here'. When I'm physical agonies, I really regress into 4yo boy, cough cough. But the it's nice when I am brought water and food and stuff. Relief of brother care me... bring me things.

I worry, in terms of 'true self', that bandage boy is the most Me, deep down. I can't word that any more clearly. We haven't seen him in full, so of course, it's just that kind of delusional certainty. No way to "know", I just...

Hah. hahaha... hahahhahaha.

[roastyoualive]

Send “Examine!” and an item or person and I’ll write an RPG description of it/them. || ACCEPTING

Anonymous asked:

EXAMINE>the sidekicks

STRONGHOLD’S FRIENDS

>> EXAMINE

> Speak

> Fight

> Trade

> Join Party

> Ignore

A group of students in Sky High that are almost always together. As far as you know, they’re freshmen, like you. Unlike you, they’re all Sidekicks. And unlike you, they all seem to like Will Stronghold. You don't really care; they're not who you're most worried about. No, you’re looking at the Commander’s son.

You wonder if he’s anything like his father. 

For both your sakes, you hope not. 

TABLE CRASHERS

>> EXAMINE

> Speak

> Fight

> Trade

> Join Party

> Ignore

What are they doing? Why are they here? You don’t get it. You tried to chase them off, and it didn’t work. They don’t care. They barely even react to you. You always knew they were weird, but this is really pushing it. You almost feel surrounded, closed in. The empty table feels so much smaller now. You feel more out of place than you ever have. The only one you’ve ever spoken to is the redhead - Layla, Hippie - and yeah, she seemed alright at the restaurant, but you’re not friends. Even if she seems to think you are. The longer she talks, the more you’re one hundred percent sure she’s nuts. They all are. … But, hey, she wants to mess with Stronghold. Guess they can't be all that bad.

YOUR FRIENDS 

>> EXAMINE

> Speak

> Fight

> Trade

> Join Party

> Ignore

Yup, there they are, just like always. Over time, your table - 'the tough guy' table - just turned into 'the' table. Stronghold's friends became your friends. … Stronghold himself became your friend, which, yeah, you didn't see that coming. You wouldn't change it, though. 

Layla, sitting in her usual spot across from you, is talking about the English homework. A paper she's writing on Stellaria. You're almost impressed that she picked a topic that fast; yeah, you have yours, but her enthusiasm for it all leaves your head spinning. You wonder if she ever needs to drink a coffee - or if she chugs the stuff. It’s one of the two. 

To either side of her are Will and Magenta. You couldn’t imagine more polar opposites if you tried (excluding yourself, of course). The lost, pleading look on Will’s face tells you he was totally not paying attention when the assignment was given out. You’re already reaching for your bag and rolling your eyes before he can ask for your notes. You can’t get too annoyed; he’d actually put some effort into note-taking for you when you’d been out sick a few weeks ago. Miracles did happen. 

Magenta had been mildly interested in the conversation, but had gotten distracted by Zach (on your left, as usual). He was saying he was glad he wasn’t getting ‘Hero’ homework, ‘cause how am I supposed to find anyone more inspiring than me?’. Maj speared her salad with her fork and reassured him that he was the best lamp since Pixar. Zach took that as a genuine compliment. 

A jostling on your right lets you know Ethan is fidgeting again. You glance over. He’s fighting with a bag of mini Oreos. He gets it after a few more tugs, blinks, then grins victoriously. He notices you looking and holds the bag out. … Okay. You’re not about to turn down free cookies. You take a few, nod your thanks, and fold your arms on the table as the conversation continues around you.

Yeah, you don’t understand how this happened.

But you’re glad it did.

[crossdressingdeath]

First off: I never claimed that Nico would've been universally beloved at camp if he talked to people. Obviously not everyone's going to like him, that's just how people are. The closest I got was saying that no one really expresses a negative opinion of him in ToA, which... makes a lot of sense given his boyfriend's godly dad is around in every scene where he comes up for obvious reasons. What I'm saying is that Nico's firmly held belief that literally everyone hated him is clearly false based on how quickly he seems to befriend people, most notably the Apollo cabin, once he lets himself open up (and I suspect once he has someone to smooth over that first meeting). And yeah. The Seven are dicks to Nico. That was a large chunk of my point. Hazel being a little worried that Nico sees her as a replacement for his dead sister isn't really the same thing, though.

And... I do hope you're not taking Will commenting that Nico's scaring the campers over a poor rendition of a camp song at face value. Nico and Will snark at each other constantly. It's the backbone of their relationship! But we also see that they drop that when shit hits the fan (see the total lack of snark while Austin and Kayla are missing in ToA and Will not being amused by Nico's trauma jokes when they're having a serious conversation about said trauma in the TSatS excerpt, as some examples). These two have a very healthy understanding of when they should and should not be playfully sniping at each other, we love to see it. If Will's snarking at Nico here, I'd be more inclined to take that as a sign that this isn't something Nico's insecure about (or if he is he hasn't told Will). Especially given Will is canonically also not a great singer, so he doesn't have a leg to stand on if he's being serious. Hell, if anything the "More than usual" bit suggests the campers aren't scared of Nico now that they've gotten to know him, or at least no more than they'd be scared of any mega powerful half-blood. Also, I mean... someone introduced Nico to his camp friends, most notably the Apollo cabin, and there's only one long-term Camp Half-Blood resident among his actual friend group who'd know those people. Again, especially the Apollo cabin.

Sure, Nico's incredible power levels play a part in why Lou Ellen and Cecil are so glad to see him, but consider: Lou Ellen is described as flustered rather than scared or uncomfortable, and Cecil seems pretty neutral until Nico suggests fucking with the onagers' trajectory, at which point he's delighted. Are they friends? No, they've barely spoken. But to say they don't seem to like him feels inaccurate.

And... we don't know why Will and Nico didn't make friends before BoO. Neither of them have been POV characters before that point, we have no idea what they did and didn't do or why. It's possible Will tried but Nico was too closed off at the time to listen, it's possible they just never got the chance to talk (Nico didn't stay at camp long after the battle of Manhattan and Will would've been incredibly busy as both the camp's best combat medic and the new head of the Apollo cabin), it's possible Will was just being shy about it given the impression I get is that he had a crush on Nico well before BoO... we have no way of knowing until/unless it comes up in TSatS. Certainly Will seems to jump at the chance to make friends (and more) in BoO! Personally I'm against passing judgement on a situation I know nothing about, so I'm not going to hold that against Will until we know why he never befriended Nico before.

I am once again asking Rick to confirm in TSatS that the reason why Nico thought no one at Camp Half-Blood wanted him around was that he exclusively spent time with Percy's friend group while he was there.

Like... ToA confirms that Will's claim that people would be Nico's friends if he talked to them is accurate (I can't think of any non-villain character in ToA who responds to him with worse than neutrality, and he's clearly become very close with the whole Apollo cabin, not just Will). So does Will, Cecil and Lou Ellen's reaction to him running into them during their recon mission; all three of them are as friendly and pleased to see him and work with him as you could expect under the circumstances. But we also know that Nico is right about people not wanting him around, because the Seven (minus Hazel and later Jason) are about a step removed from openly hostile towards him in their POVs the whole way through HoH and only interact with him when they have to to the point where they barely seem to remember how he literally had to walk through Tartarus alone like a week before they rescued him from the jar where he had been locked up to slowly suffocate to death. And we can confirm that Percy was basically gossiping about Nico on the way to Rome (and we can assume that Annabeth, who would also have been one of the people Nico spent time with at camp, either didn't know or didn't try to do anything about it) and that that did play a part in the Seven's dislike of him based on Jason's POV in the Split section. And if Nico's only been spending time at camp with that group...

Basically Percy's friend group are fine on their own, but they do seem to be pretty insular (Percy says he has other friends at camp, but aside from Annabeth, Grover and Tyson they seem to be more like school/work friends than close friends; he gets on with them okay, but he doesn't seem to really interact with them except when they're put in proximity to each other by the structure they're part of) and they clearly don't particularly like Nico specifically. Both Percy and Annabeth are pretty open about being uncomfortable around him in their POV, and while Tyson's his usual friendly self when he runs into Nico in BoO he and Grover tend to take their cue from Percy and Annabeth in a lot of things. Nico clearly picks up on that (his bitterness when he tells Jason that he's sure Percy told the Seven all about him really does speak volumes), and he never really sticks around at camp long enough to interact with other people (and even when he is around he's definitely not the most sociable of people, and while people are clearly perfectly happy to be his friend there probably is a sense of intimidation from his death powers and general Big Three energy that means people are a little nervous about approaching him first; I suspect part of the flashbacks in TSatS will feature Hazel, Jason, Reyna and Will dragging him into socialization). It would make sense for him to conclude that no one at camp wants him around when all the people he actively talks to don't really want him around!

And also like... just in general it's the only way I can really think of to reconcile Will's claim that Nico could very easily have friends at camp if he talked to people (and how that's backed up by ToA) with how Nico has never felt welcome at camp and how the Seven's POVs (minus Hazel's and later Jason's) show that he's right to feel that way based on how they think of him. At least the only way that wouldn't feel like a copout. And that's one of the things that really bothers me about Nico's situation, because almost all the POVs in HoO prove his view of the situation right... but then he does seem to have made friends pretty easily between HoO and ToA, and it just doesn't line up.

[awesomeanimelover39]

Hi!Since your request are open can I ask that IkeRev Alice is 2 or 3 months pregnant when she arrived in Cradle and the charactera are Ray,Lancelot, Jonah,Fenrir~~Advance thanks ^‌_^!

Yay! Ofc I can do this! (Lancelot and Jonah under the cut)

Requested by: @i-am-totally-a-weirdoo

Alice in early stages of pregnancy when arriving in Cradle

Ray Blackwell:

While he did notice your baby bump, he didn't exactly know what it was

He didn't want to ask, (he's not stupid) but he was curious

Eventually he wrote you a note and slipped it under your door, claiming another officer wanted to know

Of course, you knew he was in fact the one who was interested

Once you told him he was impressed

He thought you were pretty emotionally and physically strong for a woman who has a baby growing inside of her

He honestly admires you even more now

But as he watches you use magic, he suddenly grows more and more concerned

He didn't want you to hurt the human growing inside of you

He loves that you're stubborn, but maybe a break is a good idea?

He doesn't want to order you around, but he is worried

Maybe if you let him do some of the work he'd feel better

You noticed how his face twisted in concern every time you practiced

It was touching how he cared about you and your pregnancy, even though it wasn't his

Just let him worry, it's not only the cutest, but the most emotional side to him

Fenrir Godspeed:

Hmm. Alright here's the deal

He has no idea what it is

For a while he didn't even notice

But he did straight-up ask you

It didn't occur to him that could be offensive (please go easy on him)

Once you tell him, he's OVER THE MOON

You don't get why he's making such a big deal

But he thinks you're awesome!

He goes on and on about how strong you are and how thought it must have been for you to fall into an entirely new world after already having to adjust differently to your old one

He does act a little less reckless after he finds out

He doesn't want you to get hurt in any way

You took notice of the fact he was always with you

And how when he helped you get down from carriages, he looked at your bump to make sure you weren't straining in any way

You were shocked to see this caring side of him, it was a nice change

He was very dramatic when he told you one day that he would consider this kid his own

You were more than happy, he did seem like a greta dad

He really is so excited for you, you couldn't ask for a more supportive man

Lancelot Kingsley:

He also didn't notice

But that's because he was too busy

But he heard from another soldier that he noticed you were pregnant

Well, that soldier didn't tell him, Edgar did

And that's because Edgar heard him congratulating you

Now he's interested

He understands this must be hard

Having fallen into Cradle so unexpectedly

He asks you personally to take things easy

(You didn't know he knew)

When you tried to shake it off and work harder, he just kept sending soldiers to take you to a chair, or lunch

You figured he had something to do with it, so you went to see him

He was embarrassed when you called him out on knowing, but secretly happy he gets to talk to you about it (he is interested in how you are dealing with everything)

You told him your ex got you pregnant, but when you told your ex you were pregnant, he called you gross and ran away. You said that it broke your heart

He was furious

He wanted this man to pay in painful ways for abandoning you like that

That's when it slipped out

In all his anger he said "Ugh. I would NEVER abandon you like that,"

Lancelot: 😳 MC: 🥺

It was adorable to hear him say just how much he cared, it made you feel just a little braver and a little more loved

Jonah Clemence:

This is a mistake

Why would you tell him

Let him figure it out. Telling him was a death wish

Now he is ordering you around

He was very worried about you using magic, and about you walking alone, and unlike the others, he's not afraid to show that

He will duct tape you to the chair if he has too

He will have Kyle keep an eye on you all day and follow you when you leave the headquarters

Isn't that Edgar's job?

Everything you do becomes dangerous

You both got in a fight with each other when you told him he needed to let up

He must have felt bad because a bouquet of flowers were on your nightstand the next day

He doesn't say he's sorry, but he is saying he loves you in his own unique Jonah way

You were sure that he would call you gross

"Absolutely not!"

He thinks you are outstandingly strong and smart

He respects you deeply, and knowing you want to have kids makes his heart beat faster

He'll never say anything, but he hopes that even though this kid isn't technically his own, he is able to love him like a real father

He silently promises himself before the kid is born that he will never let anything bad happen to you, or them

[wattpadscapcons]

This is Your Fault (Pregame Rantaro x Reader)

tw: bullying, fluffy bs, Rantaro starts out as a total dick but evolves into a person ooooh how shocking!

Word Count: 1215

=

"I fucking hate when you leave."

You can hear it in his voice, he definitely means it. Well that was quite the stark contrast from what you received from him months ago.

=

"You've been staring at me for like a fucking hour, can I help you?"

That was your initial first impression of him. Just another rude prick that had a lot of money, and didn't have time for a "nobody" like you. You didn't give a damn that he was practically a celebrity, he's supposed to be helping with the group assignment. What is he doing? Probably texting his friends or scrolling through his social media feeds.

=

"Are you going to help me with the group project or not?"

"Does it look like I want anything to do with you?"

"Right. I forget that you're a total douchebag, at this point, I'd rather be paired up with Kagehara. At least he'd be a better partner for this stupid assignment. I'm going to talk to the teacher."

"......."

=

The fact that you had the balls to say that Kagehara was better than him had him frozen for a second, before he actually started to work for once in his life. It wasn't enough though, and was considered too little, too late in your standards. You ended up working with Shuichi who was extremely pleasant to work with, which had you confused about all the rumors surrounding him.

=

After that Rantaro was strangely nicer to you? It was a bit distressing to you, one because his presence was annoying, and two because you didn't know what he wanted from you. He was seemingly trying at a pathetic attempt of sucking up to you.

"You need to leave me alone Amami."

Oh he did not like that at all. He left you alone sure, but it really pissed him off. He worked as hard as he could to actually get on your good side. Got people to stay off your back, left you presents, anything just to get your attention for a second longer. He was falling head of heels, and he doesn't even understand why, and let's be honest, neither do you.

=

You don't understand how he can simply keep going when you've told him off over and over. Maybe he just likes that you treat him like he's a normal person and don't try to worship him like a god? The fact you blew him off when he gave you trouble? It was invigorating to feel like a normal guy again instead of a god. Not saying that he didn't enjoy the attention and being able to do what he wanted because of his sheer popularity as a tv star and get away with it all, but you.... You didn't even seem to care about that.

You saw him as a person. He's just not used to that. You on the other-hand were getting sick of him bugging you.

"Ok Amami, the fuck's your deal? You treat me like trash one minute and then try sucking up to me the next. It's extremely annoying."

He said something under his breath before giving you a genuine smile, something you've never seen out of him, ever.

"You made me feel like a person instead of an idol."

"Well someone has to, you can't just treat everyone badly because you're some "tv star". I don't give a damn about your title either, treat people the way you want to be treated, you prick!"

=

Somehow, within a few weeks he started growing on you. You still didn't appreciate how he treated some people, but weren't really bothered by his presence anymore. Other girls in school had a problem with him spending time with you though. It became hell for you, threatening notes, girls cornering you in the bathroom's to "talk", and just some really mean spirited "pranks" that usually ruined your outfits. Rantaro was angry when you happened to vent to him about it, he looked pissed, he was 100% not having any of those girls jealous bullshit.

"Don't worry about it Y/N, I'll fit it."

"Did you just call me by my first name?"

"Ah...I guess I did. Sorry."

"It's fine, I just didn't think we were that close yet."

"I guess it's just different for me."

The bashful smile he gave when he put a hand to the back of his head in embarrassment was warm.

"You're so weird Rantaro."

"Yeah, I know."

=

Just as he had said he would, he did fit it. You have no idea what he told people, but they wouldn't dare to even touch you in any harmful form if he had any say in it. One girl had told you that you're lucky to have a tv star so whipped for you. Excuse me, what did she just say? Whipped? You two aren't even dating. How annoying, people are getting the wrong idea already. You're going to have a heavy hearted conversation with him again aren't you?

=

"Rantaro? What did you end up telling them? Someone told me you were "whipped for me". What the hell does that even mean?"

"I told them we were dating."

"Oh for god's sake. Why would you lie to the entire school like that?"

"Entire school? I only told the girls who were bothering you."

"Did you forget how fast gossip spreads when girls are the one's "spilling the tea"?"

"Shit... Yeah I guess I did. It's so different when you go from the one gossiping to being gossiped about."

"Alright genius, how do you suppose you'll be able to fix that?"

"Well, I know of two ways."

"Go on, I'm listening."

"Either we stage a breakup and pretend to hate each other for a while, or you could actually go out with me."

"Would you happen to have any other ideas? Like ones that wouldn't ruin our friendship?"

"Not really. I really screwed up this time didn't I?"

"Yeah, yeah you did..... I'm going back to class, I can't deal with this right now. Bye..."

=

You were beyond pissed by what he did, but it was going to happen sooner or later, there were already rumors going around previous to your eventual torture. Now you have to decide between throwing away a friendship with this guy, and faking a breakup. Neither were really good options, and you tried to tell people you were just friends, but sadly people just gave you a look of pity, saying "You shouldn't hide it, it's obvious. You're so lucky!/ I'm so jealous that you got with such a great guy!" You thought about just avoiding him at all costs and ghosting him online, but that would cause so many new issues for you. Why does this have to be so damn frustrating?!

=

Now, when you think back it wasn't really that bad of a decision. He did become really clingy during the weekends though, which was annoying when you had work to do. You made it a habit to go over to his place just to hang out when you guys actually made it "official". You two did have some more issues with girls at school, but it wasn't anything you couldn't really handle.

"I know how you feel. Remember I'll be back tomorrow."

"You better be..."

[xiyao-feels]

Finally got around to writing down some thoughts on the differences between Empathy and the original—per scene and then a general reflection.

Episode 10

(episode 10 differences)

Going through this chronologically, our first comparison is the captain encounter. Honestly I think NMJ was straight-up inventing most of this—even aside from the sheer absurdity of MY, what, smuggling XY out of prison, bringing him into the middle of everything (he runs into the Captain and friend AND WWX!), XY…just going back into prison…well, anyway, putting all that aside—the Captain's questions here seem like NMJ's preoccupations, not the Captain's. The Captain is hugely contemptuous of MY, but he's not, like, obsessed with his innermost heart, you know? "You're lying! I just saw that. You were talking. Tell me honestly. What's your ulterior motive?"—that's NMJ, not the Captain at all. Plus there's the way the Captain grabs MY basically the exact same way NMJ does. 

Next up there's MY telling NHS he's going to go check on XY—minor phrasing differences aside, one thing that's interesting is we don't get all of MY's reaction/decision before he tells NHS in Empathy, just the tail end:

Ahhhh, now, the bit where NMJ sees MY stab the captain! You can see here the beginning of a pattern of Empathy erasing the Wen. MY throwing himself in front of the blade to save NMJ is removed, of course, but so is NMJ fighting WZL, as he was before going to the prison in episode 10; in the Empathy he's just kind of standing there. And then sees MY, uh, creepily pick up a sword??? And follows him??? Instead of hearing that XY's escaped and running to the prison because of that, which is of course what happened in episode 10. (So XY is erased some in this scene, too; even when it comes to MY's excuses, he says It wasn't me, but we don't get to 'Xue Yang killed him', as we do in the original.)

Some other points of interest here… Of course the expression NMJ sees on MY as MY kills the captain is only shown in Empathy. Interestingly, also, while MY is quite clearly terrified at NMJ's approach in both, in episode 10 it's presented immediately, while in the Empathy he has a beat before he starts reacting that way.

The last scene—NMJ confronting MY and kicking him out of Qinghe. In the Empathy, we start with MY having been thrown onto the floor, rolling—but this isn't there in episode 10, and to be honest I think it probably didn't actually happen. First, while I can see NMJ throwing MY onto the floor, I don't actually think he'd throw him quite that hard at this point in time? And it's also got a lot of visual echoes of JGY rolling down the stairs; I think he's projecting backwards. Of course, it still takes MY longer to recover in episode 10; Empathy consistently minimizes the physical harm done to MY.

So the conversation is interesting because it's really just two different conversations in the Empathy vs episode 10. In episode 10, MY leads with the Captain's abuse of him, and he's clear that it's habitual, ongoing, long-term. In Empathy, he leads with the Captain releasing XY, /adds in/ that the Captain wanted to kill him (that's not there in episode 10!), and absolutely skips over and minimizes the abuse: the beatings aren't mentioned, the credit-stealing isn't mentioned, the insulting and humiliating… even the 'Every time' is removed from before the 'he humiliated my mother', making it seem like this was a one-off provocation instead of habitual. NMJ's somewhat unhinged rant about MY's motives, including the would you have killed everyone at the cave if I hadn't helped you, is also Empathy-only (and then when MY starts to reply NMJ is like, Don't lie to me! and MY shuts up, suggesting perhaps that a denial would have been lying, which may be part of why people think this is a remotely reasonable assertion).

Some other interesting things—in episode 10, we see NMJ lift his sabre and then lower it, unable to go through with it; in Empathy, we don't see that at all—in general I think there's less of a sense that he's struggling with his decision, in Empathy, it's more just like He Is Doing The Righteous Justice. Fascinatingly we also don't see him put Baxia away in Empathy—I think he must because we see a scene where he already had, in episode 10, but we don't actually see it. We also don't see MY, injured, get up and thank NMJ and walk out, or indeed NMJ's conflicted gaze after him; the scene cuts off too soon.

Episode 22

(episode 22 differences)

There's only one scene for episode 22: the WRH, NMJ, and MY scene, inside Sun Palace. Right off the bat, we have the Wen erasure again; the episode 22 scene starts with WRH directly addressing NMJ and tormenting him and his Nie cultivators, whereas the Empathy one only starts when MY walks in. (Although interestingly MY addresses WRH as xiandu, while he doesn't seem to say anything with his bow in episode 22).

This one is an interesting scene because there's relatively little overlap? In the episode 10 scenes, you mostly saw different versions of the same events; in this one there's some of that, but there are also large chunks of time that are only in episode 22 or only in Empathy. Most of the MY-interacting-with-NMJ is only in Empathy, including, yes, the damn sabre touch. But we do have the beginning of MY talking to NMJ in both. MY's expression is different in Episode 22 vs Empathy—it's a little hard to capture in a still, but it's a lot more, mmm, simpering-mockery in the Empathy version?

Ah, one detail that's interesting—so, in CQL—which is to say in Empathy because we don't see this sequence at all in Episode 22—when that Nie cultivator calls the place 'a den of Wen' he uses 温/温氏, for Wen, and then when people are insulting MY in this scene they're using 走狗. But in MDZS all of those are actually 温狗, Wen-dog. Which is definitely more directly disrespectful to WRH than the 走狗 insults, but I feel like in general CQL doesn't use 温狗 a lot, while in MDZS it's all over the place—so while it's an interesting detail I'm not sure it's suggestive for Empathy in particular. Hmmm.

We return to things being shown in both Empathy and Episode 22 with NMJ shoving MY back. In Empathy, we only see MY stagger a little, while in episode 22 it's quite considerable—again, Empathy's tendency to minimize the physical damage MY suffers.

And then MY kicks NMJ in return! Okay this is actually fascinating, because in Empathy, it looks like this totally wipes NMJ out, and the scene stops here. But that isn't at all what happened! He's knocked onto his back, yes, BUT he recovers and comes up and shoves MY hard enough he goes flying: 

He gets up and goes to attack MY, and would probably have killed him if WRH hadn't interfered. Which, don't get me wrong, is entirely reasonable of him given his understanding of the situation but it is not at all the impression you'd get from Empathy. If anything NMJ's collapse in the Empathy after MY kicks him looks like the collapse he has after WRH finishes with him, in episode 22. And MY saying How dare you be so rude in front of Clan Leader Wen when he kicks NMJ is also removed—the whole sequence here is really another example of the removal of the Wen from the Empathy scenes. 

Incidentally, MY didn't actually kill all the Nie cultivators, in this scene. If you look while MY is flying back, at least one of them is still alive:

And then you can see all four are dead while NMJ's attacking WRH:

But MY has been on the floor recovering from NMJ's attack, so he definitely didn't kill the at least one and quite probably two who are still alive.

WRH asks MY if NMJ killed Wen Xu question; you have MY staying quite noticeably silent, which I think is still meant to be understood as MY saving NMJ's life. I guess they changed it because the MDZS version really doesn't work with the flow of events as happens in CQL? For the record, in MDZS MY answers yes, but then immediately suggests that they torture him instead of killing him immediately, and then once WRH isn't set on killing him immediately, kills WRH on the spot and starts lugging NMJ's unconscious body out of there. So there's no WWX for distraction, and Sunshot's army definitely isn't right outside, there's only LXC he sent a message to and who hasn't quite shown up yet—so in MDZS he's taking a bigger risk, and more unambiguously saving NMJ's life and winning them the war. Which is not, to be clear, to in any way minimize CQL MY's astonishing bravery and achievements.

Episode 23

(episode 23 differences)

So in both we start with LXC holding NMJ and looking down at him. In episode 23, when NMJ sees MY, we see LXC see and notice his reaction and /then/ look over at MY in concern, whereas in Empathy we don't get that moment—it just goes to both of them looking at MY.

NMJ demands his sabre back, and in both MY complies, though in the Empathy one he takes a beat longer and looks more worried about it. In the original, MY also has "Let me explain" which is dropped from the Empathy.

In both we have NMJ attacking MY with Baxia, and trying to get past Shuoyue—in the Empathy it's a bit shorter, though, and we also lose LXC asking NMJ what he's doing this for. I think that goes with cutting LXC seeing NMJ react before he looks over at MY, above; the effect is to make NMJ's response seem more obvious/natural, when in fact LXC is pretty baffled by it at the time.

"he became the Wen's underling and had been helping the tyrant at Nevernight!"—the language on 'became the Wen's underling' is actually different in episode 23 vs Empathy. In episode 23, you have 原来投靠了温氏; in Empathy, though, it's 原来是做了走狗. Note the 走狗 as earlier!

Okay, and now the big one: LXC giving NMJ reasons they should trust MY/not kill him. Empathy cuts most of this. It keeps that MY is the one who sent the map, but it drops: that the reason LXC is here today is because MY sent him a message; that MY was the one who schemed to get WRH's guard down, and then /killed him/; that MY was the one who saved LXC's life after CR burned; and that MY independently approached WRH to spy on him and has been sending LXC letters the whole time. /That's really not trivial. That's a lot to cut./

I wonder if this has any relation to the common idea that LXC did not in fact have a lot of very good reasons to trust JGY.

(Incidentally it's after the MY killed WRH reveal, in episode 23, that NMJ lowers his blade.)

...also. so. In episode 23 LXC asks MY, you know, didn't he already tell NMJ about all this (a question which makes a lot more sense in MDZS, where NMJ has already woken up before LXC joins them, but I just run with it), and MY says, you saw it ZWJ, even if I had he wouldn't have believed me. And NMJ—again it's kind of hard to capture in a still, but he pretty much reacts like he thinks that's ridiculous and MY is just making excuses/being manipulative?

And then of course that gets erased from the Empathy, as well as as just mentioned most of the reasons LXC actually gave. So. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Oh, this also means it cuts what I'm pretty sure is the first on-screen use of A-Yao—it does show up later in the Empathy version of this scene, so I don't think that's hugely significant, but just as a note.

Then there's MY kneeling in preparation for apology, which is in both Empathy and episode 23. The Empathy cuts make it seem like he kneels pretty much right after NMJ lowers his blade, though, and we don't get to see him making the deliberate choice to step out if LXC's protection to kneel—again, I think it makes LXC seem more understanding of NMJ than he actually is here.

The apology proper is only in Empathy; honestly it mostly seems fairly reasonable to me, although it does mean you only hear LXC saying "But I believe, when he was doing such things, deep in his heart he must have been…" after the version that cuts most of his reasons for believing that. In terms of actual changes, I wonder if LXC reacted more quickly/strongly to the bit where it looks like NMJ is actually going to kill MY? It's definitely more understated than his previous reactions, and it would fit with the other changes made.

Last scene: the oath. At this point I think it's fairly well-known that NMJ looking at JGY, and LXC turning his head to look at them both, is only in Empathy—there's also, maybe?, a small change to the text; in episode 23, "Both God and people will be furious with us" is 天人共怒, but in Empathy it's 天人共戮. I say maybe because—on the one hand, the subs definitely use a different character, and it's in both the YT subs and the Netflix subs even though those aren't always 100% identical, but while I'm not usually checking the audio for this I did here because it's just the one character and the audio pretty much sounds the same to me? (ep 23) (Empathy) Could just be my ear, or a mistake on the subs' part or the audio part, who knows.

Overview

Looking at all the changes together, a few patterns emerge.

First, people who are doing damage who aren't JGY—the Wen, XY—tend to get minimized or erased from the narrative. Similarly and to some extent as a result, the harm caused by JGY is exaggerated; also similarly, the good that JGY does is also minimized or erased. Meanwhile, the damage done /to/ JGY is minimized—both the environment of abuse he suffered at Qinghe, and the physical harm done to him, which he usually recovers from much more quickly in Empathy (even when the attack itself is made stronger as, unusually, it is in the confrontation where NMJ kicks MY out of Qinghe). Finally MY is made more manipulative than he necessarily is; while I'm not saying he's never being manipulative, NMJ understands his expressions of weakness as /purely/ manipulative and inherently false, when in fact the weakness MY expresses is very real, however calculated, or not!, its expression may be.

Honestly—in this JGY who does way more harm and way less good than he actually does, who is more powerful and experiences less damage than he actually does, who is never actually weak but only acting that way to manipulate people? I feel like I'm seeing a lot of where popular takes on JGY come from.

[curiousconch]

Chase You/Chase Me (Pt. 4)

Part 4: The truth will never lie to me

Catch up here: Series Masterlist

Chapter Summary: Trapped in a conference, Gabe and Alex bask in the afterglow of their interrupted moment by the lake. But before Alex can fully comprehend how she felt, she unravels a truth that may cease the chase altogether.

Book/Pairing: Choices - Laws of Attraction / Gabe Ricci x MC (Alex Keating)

Words: 1.8k+

Rating/Warnings: Mature (16+) / alcohol consumption, language, implied sexual content. Reader discretion advised.

Author's Notes: Surprise! Yep, it's an early release! I made revisions to fit the ongoing narrative and ended up breaking it down into two parts. Also, this series may span longer than I originally intended it to be, not wanting to rush things. It will probably extend until Part 7, depending on what happens at the finale. I do hope you'll still stick around. If not, I'll totally understand. 😉

Disclaimer: Most of the characters as well as some dialogue belong to Pixelberry. I am merely borrowing them.

Late night, Boston

Shoe laces, cool wind and the darkness of the forest enveloping them. His breath shuddering with how close her lips was. His throat running dry.

Wanting, longing.

Just a little taste to find out how intoxicatingly delicious those cherry lips would be in his mouth and to feel the heat of her body against his.

And then a splash.

Gabe blinked as he felt ice cold liquid pouring over his crisp white shirt. He wasn't sure if he was having déjà vu.

"Oh, sorry mate," a man standing nearby had bumped into him, making the glass of scotch he was drinking shake and spill into his impeccable suit. He forced down the tasteless curse words forming in his mouth, groaning in frustration at the dissipating sensations from what he had been imagining.

His mind was stuck in an endless loop, replaying the romantic encounter with Alex just the night before. But very much like after Beau's dive into the lake, his consciousness whipped achingly back to reality.

Gabe was leaning on the mobile bar, set in the middle of the conference reception. Did he just lose himself in a daydream like a fool? He wondered, murmuring through his madness.

The time alone with her provided him a glimpse of what could be between them. And oh how euphoric it had been to have her so near, to watch his body respond to her like no other.

It left him just craving for more.

He was lying to himself if he continued to deny that he has feelings for Alex, and how deep he was already in for her. But he knew it wasn't meant to be, at least until after he admits the truth. Until then, he had to pull away.

Easier said than done.

For now, he settled for a view of her, his eyes scoured the room for the subject of his fancy. When he found her, Gabe couldn't stop his smile and the fluttering of his heart, or the warmth growing between his legs.

There she was, in the far side of the room, shining brighter than any star that they had seen in the night sky. Her audience completely captivated as he was with her.

The sight of her in that blue dress swept Gabe back into his fantasies, and how infuriatingly near he was to giving into them. He had to clench his fist around his tumbler, suppressing any trace of his earlier wild thoughts.

Apparently sensing the weight of his gaze, Alex turned to him, their eyes meeting in silent conversation. He watched as she excused herself before making her way towards where he sat.

Half-smiling, Alex's confident expression as she approached him made him swallow hard.

Gabe summoned all his willpower to rein himself in as she got closer. He plastered his usual cocky smile, once again putting up a wall of professionalism. They were in a conference, he reasoned.

"Still watching your wards, old man?" Alex chuckled as she reached a seat beside him.

"Working the room like a pro like that? Very hard to ignore," Gabe interjected, shaking his head. "Had to say Alex, I'm impressed."

"Glad you noticed," she smiled, clearly enjoying the compliment.

"Frankly, you charming the top tier lawyers were hard to miss," he said, with lips quirking into a grin.

"Were you watching the whole time?" she asked.

"Difficult not to, seeing how you're the best-dressed lawyer in the room," he continued, savoring the easy conversation.

She scoffed before turning around, grabbing a napkin from a bartender. Alex offered it to him, pointing at the light stain on his clothes.

He finally muttered a curse, realizing he had been too distracted not to notice the result of the spillage from his own drink. This was one of my best suits.

Gabe almost jumped when Alex started to wipe the front of his suit.

His eyes narrowed, unable to process what was happening. On impulse, he reached out to her, encircling his palms around her wrist. Alex snapped her head up at the touch, the intensity of her gaze enchanting him.

It took all of his strength to break free from it. He cleared his throat and looked away, before grabbing the napkin from her grasp without warning.

It had always been like this. At first, there was this fluidity, a natural attraction between them while they interacted. Then another goddamn minute passes and it all becomes downright complicated.

Gabe wasn't having it.

He briefly shut his eyes closed and released the breath he was holding. When he opened them, he focused his attention on wiping the stain from his jacket, avoiding Alex's questioning gaze. He decided to divert the conversation, robbing her of any opportunity to re-capture him in a trance.

"Don't worry, I don't judge potential partners solely on congeniality. Though I can't speak for Sadie." He then turned and discarded the cloth on the bar. "Now if you'll excuse me, I'll have to speak to a friend who I'm sure will be thrilled to know I'm now a partner."

He finally dared to look at Alex with almost apologetic eyes, before swiftly walking away towards a sea of unfamiliar faces.

Alex was left gaping at his hasty departure, uncertain how it all went south so quickly. She wanted to grab his arm and pull him to her so badly, to pick things up from where they left off last night. From that moment when his lips was inches away from taking hers, before they were interrupted.

Her body ached to be near him. Then again, that's not how she usually operates, so she let him be.

She had never thought her idol was such a tease. Or perhaps, traditional? Alex snickered. Oh how I'll make you beg, Gabriel Ricci. She exhaled, the sultry thought of the man on his knees in front of her suddenly hiking up the temperature in the room. Alex had to fan herself to cool down.

Along with the idea of finally spending some alone time together, conjuring the image of waking up beside Gabe excited her. Well, if ever this chase between them actually culminates to something.

But why was she following this trail of thought? In all her conquests, she had never stayed for what came after. She had that with Julian, and look how that ended. For her, it was always just for the fun. So why does she suddenly liked the notion with Gabe? She shuddered. Ugh, weird.

Maybe it's because it's taking the long game with him? Alex didn't want to know.

Leaving that for now, she resorted to ordering another shot of patron to drown the remnants of her heated thoughts. On her third glass, Alex heard a familiar voice ordering a shot of bourbon. She swiveled towards it and caught sight of Lina Reyes, the opposing lawyer from the Willow case.

"Fancy meeting you here," Alex smiled lazily, remembering how temptingly attractive she was. She also recalled the offer of a hook-up, which she politely declined out of courtesy.

But now, seems like she's getting another chance. And with Gabe being annoyingly hard to get, Alex had to have fun somewhere else. It's not like she and Gabe was committed, right?

Lina scooted closer to her, smelling of a heady mix of alcohol. "Speaking of fancy, damn. You look more incredible than I can remember, Alex," she teased, provocatively arching her brows at her.

Alex quickly picked up Lina's attempt to flirt, stoking her bruised ego. "Gotta be dressed to impress, right?" she waved her fingers as if in curtsy. "Enjoying the conference?"

"At this point, things tend to devolve quickly. But I do plan to have a nightcap back in my room," Lina smirked, Alex feeling the heel of velvet pumps brushing along her bare leg. "Maybe you could join me?"

The woman wasn't exactly subtle, though Alex had to give props to her for her confidence. She liked that in anyone. So Alex returned the gesture, letting her fingers hover an inch over her arm while batting her eyelashes. Two can play that game.

"I think we should stay here."

Wait, what? Did she just say no? Subconsciously? Did hell just freeze over? Or did her brain left her head?

Both women blinked, unable to determine who's more mortified between them. They were both quiet, until Lina broke the awkwardness by a chuckle.

"Had to try, didn't expect I'd be turned down twice," she said consuming the rest of her drink in one gulp. "Worth it though." she shrugged, ordering another round for herself.

Alex struggled to compose herself, brows furrowed in confusion by how that went down.

"Oh don't be so bothered, you're not my first rodeo." Lina poked at her jokingly, clearing up the air. Alex thanked her, and the conversation went smoothly from there.

Several more drinks in, the two women chatted on, venturing into a variety of topics in law and in love. It didn't take long before Lina started to slur in her words, to which Alex found amusing.

"Looks like someone didn't pace herself," she observed as she sipped her cocktail.

"Ah don't mind me, had to cleanse my palate after all the boring sessions earlier," Lina toasted her glass on hers, wobbling as she shifted to face her. "We are a rare breed, us fighters," she leaned towards Alex, lowering her voice to a whisper. "We like-minded women should just stick together, you know?"

Alex was relieved she turned her down the second time. Barely listening to her, she started to drift off as Lina continued rambling on, turning around to face the crowds as her eyes tried to locate that handsome man. Alex smirked when she found Gabe's sexy outline.

"Lot of ungrateful dipshits being freed from prison, even after we work our asses off proving they deserved an earlier release. Khan, Kozlowski, those celebrities involved with the Ivy League admission scandal? Hell, even small town criminal Cornell was released in the last five years alone!"

And with that last statement, Alex froze. "Say that again?"

Confused, Lina stuttered as if she can't remember what she was saying. To Alex's annoyance, she went silent, apparent that more humiliation was on the way. Lina abruptly stood, covering her mouth with her hand as she sprinted to the bathroom. Alex let her pass.

Assured that she'll be fine with her colleagues flanking her, Alex started to obsess over Lina's last sentence.

Was that just the patron? Or am I getting too drunk and starting to hear things? She asked herself, bewildered at how randomly Lina mentioned a Cornell.

With an exasperated sigh, she decided it wouldn't hurt to check. She pulled out her phone from her purse and fired up a search engine, where she typed in the godforsaken name. Alex tapped enter.

As soon as the results loaded, she felt the world crumble beneath her.

No, no, no, no, no. This fucking didn't happen.

She clicked on one of the articles from a local news outlet. The picture beneath the headline shoving her nightmares front and center. There it was, the title written in bold stated loud and clear: Cornell Son Gets Early Release.

Alex bit her lip as she fought to gather herself together, speed reading through the article. This was definitely a surprise, but what really got her reeling was the figure of a man walking behind Maximilian. She'd pick up who that was from anywhere within a mile radius.

Alex tried to keep herself rational, but the shock rippled through her, enough to shake off the alcohol in her system. And why did her stomach churned like she was punched in the gut a hundred times over? Why did she felt fucking betrayed?

Unexpectedly, she knew it wasn't discovering Cornell was now walking freely in the streets.

Deep down, Alex was aware it was because Gabe Ricci was involved. Either way, it looks like her high and mighty boss has some explaining to do.

Her blood boiled, a myriad of questions went through her mind. Resolute, she wanted those damn questions answered. Tonight.

She downed her drink and slammed the empty glass on the bar, sending a text to draw Gabe's attention.

She looked over where he stood, watching the frown in his face as he read her message. She clicked her head, beckoning him outside.

Even he can't fathom the fire storm that was about to come his way.

Author's Notes 2: Thank you for your continued reading! 💖 How do you think things will go down next? Let me see your reactions on your comments and reblogs!

Tag list: @adiehardfan @pixelnutrookie @starryjieun @latinagiraffe @sarcastic01lily @spookycolorpeanut @ophrookie @suitfer @thegreentwin @mkatschoicesblog @made-of-roses @lillijill

@choicesficwriterscreations

[just-puddding]

Team Minato week day 5- sacrifice/resurrection

The noise of the door slamming open startles Obito into dropping his pencil as he whips his head around to the source

There's a scrawny looking boy standing in the doorway who Obito had definitely not seen before because he can guarantee he'd remember him if he had

It's hard not to stare, the guy was pretty weird, lanky with visible bags under his eyes, a surgical facial mask and, most importantly, striking silver hair that, somehow, didn't look dyed

Of course, as it always goes, there's a consequence for staring at someone hard enough for long enough, as the boy swipes his eyes across the classroom before landing on him and stopping dead on

The boy narrowed his eyes at him, pinning Obito with an unjustly intense glare that made him squirm in his seat

He probably didn't like that Obito was staring (but weren't most people staring?) or perhaps he just didn't like his face because the boy seemed to be judging him hard

Obito thanks all the gods out there when Mrs Hyuuga saves him.

She coughed loudly, finally making the boy stop staring at him "Hatake-san, why don't you introduce yourself to the class?"

'Hatake' hesitates for a second, as if he'd completely forgotten where he was, before nodding and going to take place beside her, standing in center stage

Before he speaks, he side-eyes Obito -i'm Hatake Kakashi, 15, and i just moved here- he states, leaving no time for questions before he's already walking away

When Kakashi passes him by, Obito barely thinks about it before he latches out onto his sleeves, worried he caused a bad impression or something, and pulls him back before he can get away

"uh, hey!" Kakashi stumbles into a stop and turns to stare, silently, completely devoid of any expression, at Obito,

Obito squeaks, now regretting his habit of acting before thinking

"i didn't mean to stare at you earlier- I, uh, i'm sorry about that, okay?" he tries, chuckling awkwardly

Obito expects a shrug, or a 'no worries' or maybe a rude comment, so he's left completely defenseless when he's met with absolute nothingness

"uh" he says dumbly, before wildly shaking his head, quickly moving to let go of Kakashi's sleeve to offer him a wide grin instead "hey, why don't we just forget that and start over, I'm Uchiha–"

"Obito" Kakashi says, states, matter-of-factly "you're Uchiha Obito"

instead of taking Obito's handshake offer, Kakashi grips his hand and tugs him forward as he speaks, staring oddly intensely into his eyes "What in the world–" he mutters to himself before realizing Kakashi can hear him

Obito squirms under his glare

"i-- i mean, yeah! Yeah, that's me i" Obito blubbers, yeah, his family is famous but Obito? Possibly the least known Uchiha in history, completely forgotten. so–

"why? Why do you, ah!" he bites his cheek, forcing a smile "why do you know my name?" Obito manages, then adds, so it doesn't sound totally accusing, (even as he puts some distance between them) "like, Have we met Before?" but they can't have, Obito would remember. He's sure of it

Obito would have remembered someone as odd as Kakashi

Kakashi, though, doesn't seem to have even heard Obito, still very focused on staring straight into Obito's eyes.

then, suddenly, Kakashi brusquely pulls him forward, making Obito squeal as he gets pulled to him

"you're the boy from my dreams" wha– "i'm the what?" Obito laughs incredulously, eyes wide as plates. what. What. What. What. What. What the fuck.

"i dream about you" Kakashi reeinterates, as if it clears anything up and Obito laughs again, further retreating into himself "well, uh, i don't– uh... what's happening?"

"now" Mrs Hyuuga hoarse voice cuts them off and sends Obito's eyes flying her direction. Oh my god, they're in the middle of class

Kakashi also turns to her, and she fixes him an condescending look "i understand you are new here, Hatake-san, and i appreciate your efforts to get acquainted–" Obito might just dig himself a hole and stick his head in it "–with your new peers but I have to ask you to please take a seat so we may begin our class"

He can hear a few people snickering now, making Obito realize their entire class had heard that, they kept silent to listen, too!

Man he felt bad for himself but, man did he feel even worse for Kakashi, he must be feeling so embarrassed right now!

But Kakashi simply stared, then sighed, sluggishly straightening his back "of course teacher, i apologize" then a pointed glare at Obito, looking as lost as they come "i didn't mean– we can talk about this later" he's already leaving before Obito can answer

Obito forces his mind to work properly as he bolts up to look back over at Kakashi, shouting "Wait! My friend and I will be having lunch on the rooftop, if you want to– umm– talk!" Obito flinches, knowing their teacher is sending him a nasty glare his way, he isn't even sure wether Kakashi heard him in the first place

He sinks into his seat. Well. This could have gone better

Later, when he's sitting in their usual spot, waiting for Rin to come by (Rin who had told him she could take a little while longer if he wanted) there's a sudden thump and out of the blue Kakashi is right there beside him, having appeared completely unannounced

Kakashi's sudden materialization by his side winds up scaring Obito, who still didn't know what to even think of the situation

Still, before Kakashi can speak to him, Obito opens his mouth and immediately starts spilling out complete nonsense before he can stop himself "i'm sorry– i– we barely know each-other! I– I mean, I just met you! I'm not even sure how you know me? so, like, ah– sorry! I'm just– just not"

Kakashi cuts him off, seemingly frustrated by Obito's stammering, "I didn't mean it like that!" he groans

"I meant that you're that boy, the one I've been dreaming about" Kakashi complains, digging his fingers in his hair as if Obito was the unreasonable one, as if he was making any sense at all.

Obito just laughs awkwardly "i know, and i said i don't know you well enough!" then he does a double-take "it's not that you're ugly or anything! You're actually kind of pretty, really, It's just that–"

"No!" Kakashi snaps, clearly growing more exasperated by the second

He throws his hands up "literally! i literally dream about you" he barks at him, as if that made any sense when they've never met once before

"you… " Obito blinks, tilting his head "dream about me?"

Kakashi gets a serious look in his face as he crosses his arms "i know it's you" Obito purses his lips, uncertain "i'm sure of it"

Huh, Obito shuffles uncomfortably

"okay then, what do I even do in there?"and isn't that the issue "in your dreams?" Kakashi's face sours further

"you" he turns back around, looking around with an indecipherable look in his eyes -i can never get a clear look of you face, it's always muddled-- but you talk to me, i recognize your voice, I'm sure of it- he whispers, tensing his shoulder and bringing his legs closer to his body

Kakashi's hidden his face from him now and Obito pouts, contorting himself at odd angles to try and catch Kakashi's eyes "and what do I say?"

Kakashi hesitates, then shakes his head, "forget it" he dismisses "you wouldn't understand" much to Obito's irritation

come on! Why even tell him about the dreams if he's not even gonna talk about them!?

"well, do you dream about anyone else, then?" he presses, crossing his arms

"just you, Rin, my dad, mina"

"Rin!?" Obito jolts forward in surprise, almost planting face-first to the ground "like, Nohara Rin!?" Kakashi stops to give him a tired look in between his fingers -yes- he pauses "do you know her?"

Embarrassed by his outburst, Obito flushes -yeah, she's actually, uh, she's that friend I said would be coming sit with me- he mumbles, string himself back down

that seems to affect Kakashi in a way Obito can't quite understand, as his body goes fully stiff and he gets this absent look on his face

The silence, even as little as it lasts, is deafening before Kakashi quietly mutters "oh" moving his hand from his hair to hold his other arm "is she?"

"do you have a problem with that?" Obito immediately snaps, defensively, before realizing how he sounded and correcting himself "like, what? Did she do something bad to you… in your dreams?"

just saying it felt ridiculous, but Kakashi seemed really adamant about having weird dreams with them and so far it seems… kind of true?

I mean, he knew Obito's name, and now Rin's too, and that's kind of weird, right?

Kakashi looks to the side opposite of him "no, it's nothing–" he mutters, starting to get up "–just forget it"

Obito feels inclined to do something, before Kakashi can leave, but he doesn't know what exactly "ignore what I said, I'll be leaving now, good lunch" and he still said nothing as he watched Kakashi's back leaving, hurriedly

What a strange boy

Then he shrugs, should've guessed he was a weirdo

[aeempress]

Apritello Express Evidences, part 1

Greetings, Apritello enthusiasts and attention! Here comes a loong post is written by totally nerd. You've been warned. Here we go.

The thing is that Apritello is a double-edged sword. The series shows us established friendship of these two, give us a lot of content with them. We can see development of relationship through interaction between the characters, their reaction about the situations they are put in. We can sense their synergy and bound through the show.

Donnie and April have incredible chemistry, and both options, brotp and otp seems fine to me.

But let me tell you why I ship them.

Apritello is the kind of pairings, which consists of small details, hints, that's hidden, but if you're sharp and attentive one, you will notice that. Apritello has a strong foundation: the best friends trope.

And from the very beginning, it works as planned.

When I start watching show, I could say that April and Donnie are best friends. It is worth noting that April is like an older sister to the other brothers, more of a sisterly figure than a friend, but with Donnie she behaves somewhat differently, namely, as best friend. Obviously, she sets him apart from his brothers, although girl tries to pay attention to all of them equally. And Donnie behaves as well.

Dee's battle shell designs for April needs as well as his. His shell transform into comfy spot for taking ride for April. Special and only for her. Because his bros are not supposed to use it (at least, he carries no one on his back), Donnie carries them by his techno-bó or his limbs.

This tiny detail shows his special treatment to her. April is a very, very special occasion to D. Don does care about her comfort, he accept the way she is. Donatello does not try to prevent her from participating in their affairs because he respects her decisions and is pleased that April can be shoulder to shoulder with him.

D is glad to be at her service.

Yeah, Dee's still playing cool, he has image to perform as tough and coolheaded guy. So Don doesn't show his intentions, interest and feeling to other people (he's tryin', but fails). Because his actions matter. They are always small, hidden, but meaningful.

April, in return, trusts Dee and depends on his tech, even knowing what his inventions are the opposite of success (usually).

Go on. Look at Donnie's facial expressions and body language when April is near.

Donnie seems more relaxed when she's around, happier. His emotional response is always different from his brothers ones.

Oh, and look, he wanted to be first to give her a high three.

They worry about each other. Look at Don. He does worry about her way more than his brothers. Yeah, they all want to protect her, but Donnie is more expressive.

Mayham has no particular sympathy for the brothers: he is afraid of Raph and behaves aggressively, he is indifferent to Leo and Mikey. Mayham immediately takes a liking to April. And then the details come back: he let Donnie touch his neck. The most vulnerable place for any living creation, for a second. Let him to study an important vial without any hesitation. Mayham depends on April trust for Donnie. When everything goes wrong for Don, the little doggie comes to his rescue, just as April would have done. Is the hint transparent enough?

We can see links with "A mystic library", wherе Donnie begins to look for solutions to save April's pet. Yes, this may seem like his next leap, "sit down, I'm smart, and now I'll solve all the problems, watch and learn," but Don says one phrase that opens up the veil of the second plan, what happens behind the scenes. "My illiteral colleagues and I was conducting a mustic research, with a life of the beloved pet, hanging in a bounce".

Strange wording, Donatello. Beloved pet? Not yours, as we can see. I can say, that everything in this sentence is true, but Donnie and Mayham has something more.

Continue. Next episode "Origami tsunami". Interactions are kept to a minimum, as April herself appears for a maximum of 5 minutes in the series itself. But devil is always in the details, dear friends.

When April was attacked and hung up, the only one who excitedly called out to her was Donny. Raph is furious that the thieves have escaped, Leo is frustrated that their plan has failed, and Mikey is worried about the salami.

Yeah, we didn't see his worries about her when she fell, because Donnie is on the mission and must be coolheaded turtle, and second, he's calm because now April life is safe and sound, out of the danger.

Dear passangers, Apritello Express arrives to the next station - episode "War and Pizza".

Bare facts:

1. April has Donnie's number on an emergency call.

2. "Anything for you"

3. Donnie is the reason why Alberto knows April's name.

No one calles April by her name (except for Donnie, while phone call, but Alberto wasn't nearby) it was "Captain O'Neil" by her chief, her badge seems blank. And yeah, you can say, that's just economy of budget, but I assure you: in the first episode we were shown the name of the delivery guy. The animators were not lazy bones and wrore "Stewart" on his badge. So if something isn't there, then it either shouldn't be there, or it really isn't, that's how this show works.

So, the reason explained in the episode. When Al has short circuit, parts of its new code flashed through its mind.

Info about April was in its memory, in its code. Alberto was a lame animatronic, and it seems somewhat outdated. I do really doubt about Alberto is being something smartass machine with complicated AI like Freddy's Pizza's ones. Quite questionable. Donatello fix Al's brain and wrote code, synchronize with his remote control. He put information about Cap O'Neil into animatronic's head. All this pictures are kind of massage: "You was created for birthday celebrations. You are machine, and there concepts of "life" and "birth". Do great party for this birthday kid and April won't be like this". Or, something like that.

So Alberto did - do a memorable party. And he do what his creator programmed him to do, but in his way.

4. In other words, Alberto was a tool to impress April. Don flaunts himself in front of her, stating how he did the upgrade while doing the upgrade, even though April is fully aware of his tech wizard. And his abilities supposed to help Cap O'Neil to finish the birthday party, so she will stay at her job, not fired. All thanks to Donnie and his upgrade Alberto. (Or not)

By the way, Donnie was the last to leave April in ruined "Alberto's". And it's not an isolated case, it is a pattern.

5. They understand each other without words.

First, Donny came at her at the speed of light. Second, she hadn't even finished speaking before Dee was taking Al apart. Third, their chaotic, well-coordinated work? Donnie was a distraction (although he wanted to just take a break from the battle or let Alberto's guard down, while April just knocked him out). Donnie and April are great team, and sometimes the DonniexApril team is much more precise, coordinated, and interdependent than the DonniexBrothers one.

D&A feel each other and anticipate each other's actions, their skills complement each other, creating an incredible synergy of their interaction. They act as a whole, while it's not always possible with his brothers, even though they're family and know each other the way more Donnie know April. And Dee hasn't trained with cap O'Neil.

Donatello didn't show his crush for April. No puppy, loving eyes, no lovey-dovey speeches, no planning schemes (at least, the audience don't see one) . He just want her attention, but stays cool and hidden. D is already her BFF, but still.

The same thing is claimed in 5B episode - Mascot Melee. Donnie has no problems with interaction with idol of his childhood - Atomic Lass. She'd put Leo in a stupor, but Donnie? He playfully challenges her to a dance duel. Yes, he adores this character, who may have become his measure of the attractiveness of others to Donatello, determined his type. But still, he's playing all cool and confident guy, he's really smooth with girls, so you will never see a puppy loving eyes from him. Only two things can betray him at this point: his voice and his body language. Remember, how's soft his voice became for Atomic Lass? Now I want you to remember the scene before, in turtle tank, when April sent guys a meme.

D is the first to respond to the message, despite the fact that Mikey is sitting closest to the screen. And the responding is a little too emotional for this situation, don't you think?

And this face of his. And he comments it. He likes her sense of humour.

The only difference between April and Atomic Lass is that the first one is a real girl who is a friend of their family, practically a member of it; and the other one is just a fictional character. It is easier to say about love for a fictional character, because it brings less problems for a teenager, especially when he is living with three brothers and a father who likes to tease as well. Donatello needs to be careful and outline the area of emotions he could show, so that he does not get hurt.

Now, dear passangers, we are returning to the previous episode, shall we?

Donnie presents to his brothers his precious Turtle tank, but she's gone, and it's really necessary to find out, who has taken her. And the first person to suspect is April.

Something is odd, don't you think? Yeah, Raphael has taken tyre for their "Midnight special", Leo claimed that Donnie's stuff is common, but they are D's beothers. It's natural for family to borrow(stole) stuff of each other. But this trend was not observed in April. She would never steal anything from Donnie, much less steal anything from him.

Actually, there is a good, logical and solid explanation here. April was number 1 in Donatello' suspect list, because he simply told her about Turtle tank. His brothers didn't know he were working at Moon buggy, except Mikey (Orange helps Dee get the vehicle from Repomantis), but they didn't know what exactly Donnie was working for. They didn't know he build the Turtle tank, he kept it a secret, to surprise his brothers. But April knew.

- Alright you! Where's our turtle tank?

- Hi, DONNIE. You have 9 seconds to say, why are you just broke my door.

- Someone's stole Donnie's turtle tank.

- Haha-ow, I see. As your best friend, you naturally suspect me.

- She gets it!

- Oh-ho, don't give me that! You're the only one could taken it!

The only one, because she knew about it.

As Splints said in this episode - "April is not a snitch"

Donatello does trust April and share with her both, sorrows and joys. But we are not shown this directly. We do not see the action itself, we do not see their calls and conversations on the phone late at night, we only see the consequence. We have no choice and take it as a given.

And the way she cooled him down? Fast, efficient, and Donnie seems to used to it. Moreover, she slapped everyone, but still, she throw Don out of window the last. However, why such a large time delay between him, being slapped and him, was throwing out of the window?

And my favourite scene. It was obvious that Donnie had taken the hardest hit (judging by his scream and the way he was putting his knuckles back in place). Don then claims that their inner circle is secure, Mikey tries to make amends for everyone, and April agrees, blowing them a kiss and closing the window. Cute and mean, isn't it? (You're cute! but mean! why do I always go for your type?! - ep. War and Pizza)

Nota bene: Donnie wouldn't apologize to April. Tough, not caring badass boy image, remember? Even to best friends. It's hard to him to express his feelings by using words, he cannot do it in proper way. But he has Mikey, who is so alike inner him. Michelangelo apologizes not only for himself, but for D mostly, because D starts suspected April.

Let's continue: the episode 8B: Hypno Part Deux

• Donnie put "Donnie's blocker" at April's phone to protect her.

It's common thing that your friend install some programs or apps on your device. But you will always ask your friend to do such a favour, and you will always know about what, when and where were installed on your phone.

And April didn't know Donnie had done something with her phone. It was a real surprise for her, to see blocker with "Donnie says no-no-no".

And you know, the interface of his app. The way he tell this current phrase. Donnie could put a huge banner "THE APP YOU WANT DOWNLOAD TO IS A REAL PIECE OF GARBAGE", as usual antiviruses do. But no, voice interface. It makes the app more personal and thoughtful. Because when Don made gifts for his brother, the program was voiced by a computer-generated female voice. Yes, the tank's interface is voiced by Donatello himself, but his voice sounds more like Google than the real Don. And, we talking about HIS BABEY, for a second. Bit still, the point remains.

• Also, Dale.

Dale is nerdy boy in purple, wow, how convenient for making a parallel with certain purple turtle.

But thing is, April doesn't like Dale. He's clingy, remora guy, who has a little obsession with April, even he's not harmful, still, such behaviour freaks girls (and not them only) out. Her classmate is usually tell her what April O'Neil is "his favourite person" and he loves her. There is little that is attractive about this behavior.

So, there is nothing new and unpredictable here that Dale was rejected. Because April didn't, doesn't and won't like him because of his lame personality and strange behaviour. Our girl in yellow do right thing: she clearly sets personal boundaries and does not allow any dubious personalities to invade them. So that's the reason she refuses to go on a date with him at the end. He's weird, obsessed, and she doesn't like him.

Donatello, as far as I concerned from different versions of TMNT, was always a little obsessive with some things. And, you know, putting a blocker inside your best friend's phone seems a little weird, because it's, in simple words, violation of privacy and personal space. And there are people who may regard this as stalking or sorta.

Yeah, for the most part, he gets away with it, not only because April's focus is in a different area, but also because their bond is stronger than April's with anyone else at school.

She has known him for years. Donnie is her best friend. I can't say that it's fine to her when Dee violates her personal space - her phone, but April can accept Donatello's personality in general.

And he does really have good intentions. Donnie installed this blocker, developed by himself only for one reason: to protect personal space April from fishy apps from nowhere, from being hacked and etc. Don knew her too well, how much she depends on stupid apps that will distract her. He also knew well, that he can't be with her 24/7 to fix problems with April's phone, so Dee put a part of himself to prevent any harm in the future.

And again, "Donnie's gifts"'s vibes. Donatello genuinely cared about April, because he wrote, coded, developed, designed, and dubbed it, turned on the database, and installed it all on April's phone. 'cause, you know, writing programs in general is a bit of a hassle, but writing an antivirus is much more difficult, because viruses are changing, and questionable applications are finding ways to bypass. Do you feel how much effort Dee put in for her?

But Donatello didn't mean to fix April, as he tried to do with his brothers. Purple turtle accepts this girl the way she is, and tries his best to play smoothly with April, by adjusting, not being passive aggressive jerk. It's his outstanding way to show his caring nature, soft side.

Remember, small but meaningful actions.

Maybe, Donnie also can foresee that April may be forced to download some suspicious program, but still, it work: he managed to prevent April being hypnotized, even if couldn't be physically with April at the this moment - Dee was working for Repo Mantis, building dog's paradise for Todd. That's why, by the way, Leo and Raph were dragged into this whole situation. Mayham would teleported literally anyone to help his hostess. Donnie just wasn't at the Lair at the moment.

And on this note, we'll take a break for now. Stay tuned, expect parsing of the series, there's a lot to discuss.

Part 2

Part 3