#you've gotta let people think things might actually work out for this kid and then rip the rug out

[bonerot19]

I'm so tired of the "Jason was doomed from the beginning" and "Bruce had to save Jason from darkness" and "Jason was angry and violent" narratives.

I'm so tired of the canon rewriting of a, frankly, largely amazing origin story.

It's so much worse, if Jason was a compassionate and kind kid. if he, despite the hardship and cruelty of the world, wanted to be good. sure he was angry and disillusioned and mistrustful, but that's not all he was. that's not even most of him.

it's so much worse, that Robin gave a good, kind kid magic. that that good, kind kid died in the suit that empowered him because he was trying to do good. he was trying to save his mom.

the narrative of Jason as violent and angry as his only emotions, as someone Bruce has to swoop in and save, is so much less compelling.

maybe Jason was always doomed. but it's so, so much worse if he was good and kind and smart anyway. despite it all. that, until the end he did his goddamn best and he still died.

[cowgurrrl]

Something in the Orange

Pairing: Joel Miller x art teacher!reader

Author's note: this might become a mini series idk idk

Summary: A parent-teacher conference leads to trouble [4.0k]

Warnings: no outbreak! au, teacher things, Ellie being a little loner, Joel the Menace making a return, Joel gets both his daughters in this one because it's what he deserves, flirty flirt, i think that's it???

You feel like you've been running a million miles a minute since you got in this morning. The second you could unlock the door, at least three students spilled into your room and chaotically ran to the kiln to collect their most recent pottery projects. One of them ended up shattering (the exact one you warned Colin about, but he didn't listen), and, as per high school custom, they were all screaming about it. You consoled the students just in time for your principal to walk by and ask about lesson plans which made you scramble through your backpack for your notebook even though you knew damn well there wasn't a single lesson plan in there. "Do you always have those lights on?" Principal Martinez asked, gesturing to the room's fairy lights and orange lamps. Leave it to administration to want to avoid art classrooms so much that they don't even know about the Big Light Philosophy. 

Since then, it's been class after class. You only have one more period before your planning period and then, finally, the end of the day. There are a hundred things to do, but you can't focus on any of them. You got so caught up in managing your classroom and helping students with the hardest parts of their portfolio work that you almost forgot you had a parent meeting scheduled during your planning period. 

Calling in parents for meetings about their children may be your least favorite part of your job. It makes you feel like a bad teacher, and parents usually don't feel great about getting called in on a workday to talk about their kid. Luckily, Ellie's dad, Joel, seemed more than happy to take time to talk about her. You rack your mind for his occupation as you add some detail to a canvas you've been hiding in your office and working on when you can. Was he a blue-collar worker? Or was he another stuck-up Austin transplant parent who's gonna accuse you of lying? He'd make the fifth parent who's made you cry this semester.

A knock on your locked door pulls you from your thoughts, and you quickly put away your painting before answering the door. "I told you she was in here!" One of your students, Dina, announces as she and a posse of three other kids you don't recognize push their way into the room. "Miss, you've gotta take that thing off your door; otherwise, people are gonna think you went home!"

"You mean the sign that says, 'planning period. Do not enter?'" You ask, and she snaps her fingers.

"That's the one." She says as she and her friends start putting their backpacks down at one of your high tables. You sigh and kick the door stopper into the threshold.

"You guys can't stay here. I have a meeting in five minutes."

"With who?"

"None of your business." 

"Miss!" Dina acts wounded, and you cross your arms over your chest, your keys jingling around your neck in the process.

"I am an adult with a college degree and the debt to show for it. You are a teenager with a still-developing brain. You have to listen to me," you say. "Wait, whose class are you supposed to be in right now?"

"Mr. Flynn's."

"Guys!" You groan before walking over to your desk and quickly writing up a hall pass for them. "I know you don't like math-"

"No, we don't like Mr. Flynn." Dina cuts you off.

"Or math!" One of her friends adds, and you shoot them a (loving) disapproving look. 

"Whatever you don't like, you can't keep hiding out here. Mr. Flynn is two seconds away from trying to get me fired for how often I let his kids in here during class, and I actually like this job, so," you rip the hall pass off the pad and hand it to Dina. As they pack their stuff up, a tall, bearded man steps into your classroom and makes eye contact with you. "Out, out, out! I love you. You're gonna change the world one day, but please get out." You blow them kisses as you usher them out of the room. 

"Are you Ellie's art teacher?" He asks, a confused look on his face, and you nod.

"Yes, I am. Sorry about that. They're still figuring out that I have work to get done even when I don't have a class," you explain, a little breathless from running all over the place and getting caught off-guard. You really do try to act a little more professional with parents, but the kids threw you off. The kettle whistling behind your desk doesn't make it any better. "Is there anything I can get you? Coffee? Tea?" You pick up a random mug off your desk but find it full of murky water. "Paint water?"

"Are you allowed to have an electric kettle in here?" He asks, and you laugh nervously as you find a clean mug and your tea box. 

"I won't tell if you won't." You say. He stands there awkwardly as you pour yourself some tea, and you realize you didn't pull a chair up for him. "Um, we can sit..." you glance around your messy classroom until you find a clear table and gesture toward it. "Here." He follows your lead, and you take a deep breath as you sit down.

"You gonna be okay?" He asks, the hint of a smirk on his lips. His curly hair looks golden brown in the low light, and his round eyes have a little knowing twinkle. You take another breath to compose yourself and nod. 

"Yes. Sorry. It's been a long day." 

"Don't worry bout it. I'm sure they run you ragged."

"Is it that obvious?"

"Well, you do have paint in your hair." He says, and panic seizes in your chest. You're never more aware of how crazy your job can be until you meet Real Adults. Even if you can't remember what he does for a living, you still have to admit that you look a little silly next to each other: you, with your paint-stained sunflower dress and markered hands, and him, with his black shirt and jeans. He doesn't have any apparent stains or splatters on his clothes, but he's broad with thick biceps. He must work with his hands or something within that capacity. You clear your throat and try to get back on track with the meeting.

"Uh, so Mr. Miller, the reason I called you here today was to talk to you about Ellie," you start. "First, I just wanna say that she is an amazing student. She always does her work and engages thoughtfully with the material. I really do enjoy having her in class." 

"Well, that's certainly good to hear. She talks a whole lot bout this class and you, so... it's nice to place a face to the name," he says, adjusting his position on the stool. "But I have a feelin' you didn't call me down here just to tell me how great my kid is." 

"She is great. She's extremely talented, smart, and funny, but she spends more time in my classroom during lunch than anything else. I'm worried about her making friends and finding a community here at school. I've tried convincing her to join the art club, but she's hesitant. During class, she just sits with her headphones in and draws. She really doesn't like talking to anybody but me." You wait for blame to be assigned to you or get lectured, but it never comes. He just sighs, and he deflates a little in his chair.

"She's been through a lot this year. Well, her whole life, really, but 'specially recently," he says dejectedly. "What can I do for her?"

"There's an art show this Friday night here at the school. It'll all be student work from across the district. I thought if maybe you or... whatever adults she has at home came with her to this, she might feel more comfortable talking to her peers or even want to submit some of her own stuff."

"We can do that. I'll get off work early and ask her uncle if he wants to come," he's quick with his solution, and you're a little shocked. You rarely get parents, let alone fathers, who act this swiftly when something is going on with their kids. "Is there anythin' else goin' on that I should know bout?" 

"Uh, no. Like I said, she's a great kid. You should be really proud." You say, and the concerned wrinkle between his eyebrows disappears with a proud smile. 

"Thank you," he mumbles, suddenly shy. "And thanks for carin' so much bout her. It's nice to know she's got someone lookin' out for her here." You don't know what to say, so you just nod and stare at him. You know, like an idiot. It takes a chuckle from him to snap you out of your thoughts, and blood rushes to your cheeks.

"Yes, of course. She's a good kid." You say. 

"You said that already." 

"I bet you'd be a little scatterbrained if you were at the mercy of two hundred teenagers all day."

"You're absolutely right. I would be," he says, smirking devastatingly. "Someone ought to get you a coffee or somethin' if you're dealing with all that." 

"People like you should go argue with the school board. I'm sure you'd be popular with all the teachers." 

"That'd be a first. I think I might've been the least favorite parent for all of my girls' teachers." 

"Well, I find that hard to believe." 

"Yeah?" He asks, leaning forward just a little, and you nod, smiling. Your brain struggles to come up with something to say, and you're a little embarrassed at your silence, but luckily, your projector saves the day by buzzing loudly and making the picture on the board cut in and out. You mumble a quick apology before getting up and climbing up on a desk to jiggle a piece back into place. You hear Joel curse behind you, and when you turn to see what the problem is, you see him holding his arms out behind you. "Do you stand on desks often?" 

"Only every day. I haven't fallen yet this year." You laugh at his exasperated expression and turn back to the projector. It's still making a weird noise, so you move it around a little more, moving the desk under your feet, and Joel stabilizes it with a sigh. 

"How long has it been doin' that?" 

"Couple months. I keep putting in maintenance requests, but nobody ever comes to fix it."

"I can fix it for ya," he says simply, and you look down at him. "I've got tools in my truck. It wouldn't take long at all."

"Really?" You ask, and he nods. 

"It'd make me feel better knowin' you're not almost breakin' your neck every day."

"You mean, standing on a decades-old desk to mess with an ancient piece of equipment isn't OSHA compliant?"

"Please," he says, grabbing your ankle when the desk wobbles under you, and you laugh at his worry. "Let me fix it for you before you give me a heart attack." You think about declining and just putting in another work order, but the likelihood that anyone would actually come and fix it is slim to none. Plus, you really shouldn't be climbing on top of desks every day. You pretend to think it over for a few more seconds just to watch the worry play across his features as his grip on your ankle gets tighter.

"Only if you really mean it." 

"I really mean it," he says, offering you his other hand. "Now, would you please get down?"

"Fine." You say and take his hand. You bend to safely get yourself down, but Joel moves his other hand from your ankle to your waist and basically hoists you to the ground. Once your feet touch the floor, he doesn't let you go immediately like he's trying to figure out if you somehow got hurt when he wasn't looking. There's a part of your brain that's aware of how inappropriate this would look to any passersby, but you're also highly aware of how warm his big hand is on your hip. 

"Ya alright?" He asks softly, and you nod, taking a conscious step back from his arms.

"Yes, thank you."

"Good," he says, also taking a step back. "Let me go get my tools, and I'll get that fixed for you." 

"Perfect. I'll be here." You stand there, staring at each other awkwardly, for another moment before he turns on his heels and walks out of the classroom. The second he's out of your line of sight, you bury your head in your hands and start silently freaking out. 

What the fuck are you doing? How did a parent-teacher meeting turn into him hauling you off a desk and offering to fix your projector? Technically, nothing incriminating has happened, and it needs to stay that way. It doesn't matter if you think he's attractive or like how he worries about everything. He's Ellie's dad. Teachers have gotten fired for much less than this, and you're not willing to risk your career because of one guy. 

When he gets back with his toolbox, you're sitting at your desk and sorting through assignments like a reasonable adult. He doesn't say anything as he climbs up on the same desk you were standing on and begins messing with the mechanics of the equipment. You each work in silence for a few minutes before a screw clatters to the ground, and he grumbles something under his breath. "Do you mind..." he starts, pointing toward the lost piece. 

"Not at all." You cover your anxiety with your chipper teacher voice and search for the screw with your phone flashlight. You find it tucked between canvases, carefully pick it up, and walk over to where he's standing, waiting for him to be ready for it.

"It looks like it's just an old piece in here. I'm sure you can order a new one, and I can come back and install it if ya want," he explains, looking down at you. You probably look stupid just standing there with a tiny screw in your hand, but he doesn't laugh. "D'you mind handing me that tool to your right?" He asks, and you blindly reach for the tool you think he's talking about. "Your other right." He corrects, and you flush in embarrassment. 

"Sorry. I never was a very good woodshop student." You say, and he laughs once he has the tool in hand. 

"My girls are the same way. Just askin' ‘em to hold a flashlight while I work on their car is like pullin' teeth," he says fondly. "Speaking of which, is there a reason the lights aren't on in here?"

"The lamp light is less harsh, and it helps students focus. Plus, nobody likes coming into a bright classroom first thing in the morning." You explain, and he hums.

"If I'd had a teacher like you growing up, I would've been at school much more than I was."

"You didn't like school?"

"Hated it," he says, opening his hand for the screw. Once you drop the tiny thing into his large palm, he straightens up, and you can barely hear it going back into its rightful place. "'S a miracle I graduated." 

"That was me in college." 

"Now, I don't believe that for a second." 

"Really?" You laugh, and he nods.

"Someone like you, with your pretty dresses and all that empathy, was meant to be a teacher." 

"I wasn't always like this," you evade the compliment despite the butterflies in your stomach. "Being a teacher was never on my radar until I graduated. A lot of my life was never on my radar until then." He puts the hood of the projector back on and climbs down from the desk until he's standing in front of you again, wiping his hands on a red handkerchief from his toolbox. 

"Well, with the way you carry yourself, I never woulda guessed." He says. He opens his mouth to say something more, but the sharp tone of the bell ringing cuts him off. You jump at the sound and look at the clock as if it were wrong. 

"I'm so sorry. Time must've gotten away from me. Thank you so much again, Mr. Miller, for coming in to talk with me and looking at the projector. I hope to see you and Ellie on Friday." You say quickly as the sound of rowdy kids fills the hallway, and you hold your hand out to him. He takes it and squeezes it firmly.

"You can call me Joel. Mr. Miller makes me feel old." He says, and you smile. He doesn't look old, unlike the other dads you've encountered. Sure, he's got some gray at his temples and in his beard, but it suits him. 

"Joel, it is then." You resolve. His hand lingers in yours for a little too long before finally pulling away. "Well, Joel, unless you want to elbow through teenagers, I'd suggest you hide out here for a few more minutes." He does happily, even helping you carry supplies to your car once the hallways have cleared out enough. He's a proper gentleman, slinging your backpack over his shoulder and opening doors for you. You part only once everything is in your trunk, and he bids you goodnight with a charming smile that fills your thoughts on your drive home.

Ellie surprises you the next day as you're setting up the classroom. Normally, she isn't in until right before the bell rings, so seeing her this early is a little bit of a shock. The ink staining her hands is not. "Hey, dude. What's going on?" You ask. "Did you get breakfast from the cafeteria today? I heard Mrs. Hodges has those French toast sticks that everyone loves. You can probably get two servings if you run." 

"No, I already ate. My dad and uncle had to leave early this morning, so we got breakfast. Speaking of which," she says as she takes off her backpack and pulls a cup of iced coffee out of her water bottle pocket. "This is for you. We didn't know what you liked, so we got a vanilla latte or something." 

"Oh, El! You didn't have to do that. Thank you, honey." You say, and she sets it on your desk for you to enjoy once you don't have paintbrushes in hand. "If this is your way of getting a good grade on your piece, I already told you that you have nothing to worry about."

"It wasn't my idea. It was my dad's." She says nonchalantly before moving to the back of the classroom to get her sketch book. You, however, are confused and secretly pleased that Joel thought of you when he didn't have to. You find a message scribbled on the side when you reach for the cup to take a sip. 

Thanks again. See you Friday. -J

You turn to hide your smile from Ellie, but she's so deep in her work that you doubt she would've noticed anyway. You put some music on, and you and Ellie work silently on your projects until the bell rings and the day starts. 

The rest of the week goes by without a hitch, meaning that nobody accidentally ingested paint, and you only had to have one Come to Jesus talk with your Art 1 class. When Friday night rolls around, you're excited to see all the students work and treat yourself by wearing a new shirt with black scribbles all over it and black dress pants. You figure you should look as art teachery as possible for an art teacher event. 

By the time you get to the school, the hallways are buzzing with students dragging their parents from one piece to another and administrators praising their art programs even though you know not one of them has seen the inside of an art classroom in months. You make small talk with some of your students and their parents before finding a way out of the conversation and letting yourself wander through the makeshift gallery. You love your kids, but you really don't want them breathing down your neck as you look at all the art. You're almost at the end when you hear a familiar voice calling your name, and you turn to find Ellie walking toward you with Joel and, who you assume to be her uncle, next to her. 

"Hey, kid! I'm so happy to see you here!" You say sincerely, and she smiles shyly. You turn to her uncle and hold your hand out to introduce yourself. 

"Tommy. We sure have heard a whole lot bout you at home." He says with a smirk, and you laugh. 

"All good things, I hope."

"Of course. Ellie just bout worships the ground you walk on," he says. "Joel was singin' your praises, too." 

"Alright, I think that's enough. Why don't y'all go walk around, and I'll catch up with ya?" He suggests, and Tommy chuckles. Another teacher calls Ellie's name from down the hallway, and she's quick to drag Tommy off to meet him, leaving you and Joel alone. He's replaced his black shirt with a light blue dress shirt, and it looks like he's recently trimmed his beard. He looks nice.

"Singing praises, huh?" You raise your eyebrows at him, and he smiles sheepishly. "Thank you for the coffee the other morning, by the way. It was a really nice surprise." 

"Figured it was the least I could do to thank you for takin' such good care of my girl." 

"Well, thank you. I owe you." 

"You don't owe me a thing," he says. "Although, Tommy was a little upset that I didn't bill you for lookin' at the projector." 

"Was he?" You ask, and he nods.

"Oh, yeah," he laughs. "Said next time I should, at least, ask you on a date."

"Mr. Miller-"

"I thought you agreed to call me Joel." He raises his eyebrows in a silent challenge, and you shake your head, fighting a smile.

"Joel, while I'm flattered by the offer from someone so handsome-"

"You think I'm handsome?"

"I can't date my students' parents." You say, ignoring his question, but even then, the playful look on his face doesn't fade. "Well, I can leave you to it. I know Ellie will probably want to show you around." 

"Right. Of course," he says. "It's really nice to see you."

"You, too. I'm just glad I didn't have paint in my hair this time."

"I don't know. I thought it was kinda cute." You feel yourself blush at his words, but you have to shut it down before it can become anything more than flattery. You take a deep breath and try not to let that stupid smirk weaken your knees as he watches you.

"Goodnight, Joel."

"Goodnight, ma'am." He says, tipping his head politely before sauntering down the hallway like he owns the place. Trouble, you think to yourself. But you can handle trouble. It's in your job description, for Christ's sake. 

So, you brush off the flirting and try to ignore how his kindness and sweet words made you feel. You absolutely cannot flirt with the parent of one of your students. Dating is completely off the table. You can handle this like an adult. You have to. 

After a cold shower and a leftover dinner, you check your email once more before going to bed that night. Sitting in your inbox with alarming clarity is an email from Ellie with the subject line: Art Club. Her email is somehow just as short as her subject line. 

Simply, "When can I start -E." 

TAGLIST: @abbyhaslongshorts @kiwiharrykiwi @sumsworldz @myloveistoolittle @anavatazes @marantha

[danieyells]

care to spoil any interesting dialogue Haku has when you reach higher affinity levels? Would love to know!

Haku's so. . .normal, it's kinda cute? Lol. But yeah I'm pretty down for that! I wanted to share one of these things but held my tongue lolol but since you're asking here're some of the ones that were more interesting or otherwise appealing to me!

I've amended this post to be all of Haku's home screen lines. Enjoy!

Hello: (the first time the game is opened after that character is set as home screen NPC. Only happens once per day, unless the character is switched out and back.)

"Oh, finally here, huh? I'm not really ready for you yet though... Ha ha. Wait over there for me, would you?"

You've Got Mail: (whenever there's something in the inbox, usually Arena rewards)

"Oh, looks like you've got a letter. If you don't open it soon, I might sneak a peek."

Default: (requires no affinity, has no time constraints)

"How's the search for clues about your curse going? Don't put too much pressure on yourself. If you ever want to talk, I'm happy to listen."

"Most people in Hotarubi have something they put their heart and soul into. That doesn't really work for me though. I lose interest in things way too easily."

"What are you doing here? Don't tell me you've gotten yourself mixed up in something again."

this is a very funny one to have him say when i use the sinostra casino as my home screen bg

"Haha. Don't expect too much from me. Ghouls are just glorified street magicians, really. Let's keep it light, huh?"

'glorified street magicians' is a hell of a way to describe. . .a lot of the stigmas we've got going here lmao

"Boo! Ha ha, didn't think you'd get that scared. I was just getting rid of the shadow imp that was sticking to your back... I'm kidding! There was nothing there, I promise."

Affinity 1: (between 5am and 11am)

"...So, how about we take a walk? This dorm's seen better days, so it's tough work checking all the places that need repairs."

Affinity 2: (between 11am and 4pm)

"You've adjusted to life at Darkwick pretty well, haven't you? Not that anomalies and missions are something you'd want to get used to..."

Affinity 3: (between 4pm and 8pm)

"Today doesn't really work for me... I'm going to be getting back to the dorm pretty late, so can we do tomorrow instead?"

Affinity 4: (between 8pm and 5am)

"...Hate to be the one to tell you this, but there's something untoward lingering behind you. Don't look! Hah, I was just kidding. It was just a little dust, see?"

Affinity 5: (between 8pm and 5am)

"Twilight has been a lot quieter than usual today... I hope that's not a bad sign."

Affinity 6: (between 4pm and 8pm)

"Subaru's just too nice. Keeping all the eccentrics in Hotarubi in check's gotta be rough."

Affinity 7: (between 11am and 4pm)

"Everyone here comes from different backgrounds and has different gifts. There's no reason you should feel out of place."

'we're all unique, including the most ordinary among us.' good lesson!

Affinity 8: (between 4pm and 8pm)

"Looks we're going to make it through today without any disasters. At least I hope so."

Affinity 9: (between 8pm and 5am)

"What are you doing out here? You shouldn't walk around at night with your guard down. Don't come crying to me if you get possessed by a fox spirit, you hear?"

Affinity 10: (between 10pm and midnight)

"Your parents ever tell you ghosts would get you if you don't go to bed? For some reason Zenji's the only one who gets spooked when I say that..."

after the reveal that zenji is a ghost this is so funny actually I LOVE THAT ZENJI IS A GHOST WHO'S AFRAID OF GHOSTS AND THE DARK.

Affinity 11: (between 5am and 11am)

"All these geniuses and their lectures are giving me heartburn. Wouldn't mind hearing the woes of someone long-suffering instead every once in a while."

(this sounds cruel but from what i can tell in Japanese he says he'd rather hear stories about hard workers/people who struggled from the bottom than prodigies. Basically he's more interested in, y'know, ordinary folks than people who're really special.)

Affinity 12: (between 11am and 4pm)

"That video I took of Zenji today? I'm just going to do some quick editing and post it. I don't know why he doesn't just focus on content that's more his style..."

Affinity 13: (between 4pm and 8pm)

"I saw Tohma a little while ago. Been a while since we last had a real chat. Sounds like he's got his hands full, as always."

so i initially left this one out of this post because i didn't think much of it but. . .the way Haku regards Tohma is so much more casual than Tohma regards Haku in retrospect, it seems. To Haku, Tohma's just the usual hard worker. Someone he'd actually enjoy having a conversation with. But Tohma speaks to Haku almost as if with suspicion or disdain. . .then again he speaks kind of coldly to Jin too. Maybe that's just how he is with people he kind of knows or views as more on his level. Or it's something more sinister. Who knows.

Affinity 14: (between 5am and 11am)

"Mornin'. You've got a sleep mark on your face. Yeah, right there. Good to know you got a good night's rest."

Affinity 15: (between 5am and 11am)

"You haven't collected all the papers that were supposed to be submitted by today's deadline yet? Who are you waiting on? Got it. I'll go get them for you."

Affinity 16: (between 11am and 4pm)

"I don't mean to scare you, but... be careful with your right leg. Especially when you're in the main building."

Affinity 17: (between 10pm and midnight)

"Getting cold feet when you try to jump into the deep end is just proof you're a normal human being. We're the crazy ones."

Affinity 18: (between 8pm and 5am)

"Can't sleep? In that case, let's go for a little walk. There's actually something I want to talk to you about."

pretty high affinity to be having chats on night walks. . .i wonder what he wanted to talk about.

Affinity 19: (between 10pm and midnight)

"Just having someone you care about at your side is all you really need... Ha ha. That was a little out of character, huh? My bad."

Affinity 20: (between 5am and 11am)

"Oh, you're awake. I was just about to make some tea to wake myself up. Want some?"

Affinity 21: (between 11am and 4pm)

"It's not very often I get to kick back like this in the middle of the day. Maybe I'll take a nap."

Affinity 22: (between 4pm and 8pm)

"None of us wanted to become like this. Living an ordinary life, and dying an ordinary death— why go after more than that?"

He just wants to be normal. And he can't. It's kinda tragic lol

Affinity 23: (between 8pm and 5am)

"(Yawn) Oh, didn't see you there. Haha... Guess I've been letting my sleep debt build up. I'm going to bed."

Affinity 24: (between 10pm and midnight)

"Being cursed really sucks, huh? You can't help but ask yourself, "Why me?" all the time, even when you know it's a question with no answer."

Affinity 25(max): (no time constraints)

"I know I'm being selfish— but sometimes, I wish you'd just forget about me..."

WHY. . .ARE YOU THE SUS ONE AND YOU FEEL BAD THAT YOU'LL BETRAY THEM? DO YOU JUST FEEL LIKE YOU'RE TOO LUCKY HAVING HAD FALLEN FOR SOMEONE NORMAL WHEN YOU KNOW YOU'RE NOT NORMAL ANYMORE? DO YOU FEEL LIKE THE PC DESERVES SOMEONE NORMAL AND TO BE ABLE TO GO BACK TO A NORMAL LIFE BUT BEING WITH YOU GUARANTEES THEY WON'T? WHY DO YOU WANT THEM TO FORGET YOU. . .he's so interesting to me simply because of how much he tries to keep himself apart from his being a ghoul(and, y'know, seeing spirits and shit--) so he can try and just be any other guy. . .and he can't lol his surroundings, who and what he is, he can't go back to being normal! It's a charming way to have a boy next door sort of personality i think lol

Spring: (March-May) (between 5am and 11am)

"I've been noticing more birds in the garden lately. Is that a bush warbler? A white-eye, maybe? A lot going on during spring in Hotarubi."

Boy knows his birbs.

(between 11am and 4pm)

"Heading into another nice, warm afternoon. Maybe I should take a nap...? Oops, nearly forgot I promised Zenji I'd film him."

(between 4pm and 8pm)

"Must be nice being a ghost—no hayfever, and no hangovers. Spring really is the embodiment of human weakness."

How drunk did you get last night buddy. . . .

(between 8pm and 5am)

"My family home is pretty famous in our area for its cherry blossoms... When I was a kid, my friends and I used to go exploring through them at night."

Summer: (June-August) (between 5am and 11am)

"It's so humid... Days like this make me miss Frostheim..."

He's former Frostheim! Maybe that's why he and Tohma seem to have some history. There's also Jin's friend who left that Tohma helped to switch houses. . .but Haku was a second year then so would he have needed it?

(between 11am and 4pm)

"Today, I've got to go round and check the stalls for the festival Hotarubi is holding— wouldn't want any dangerous charlatans sneaking their way in."

(between 4pm and 8pm)

"Zenji's off roaming around somewhere again... People are more sensitive this time year, so I wish he'd just stay put..."

AGAIN, BEFORE WE LEARNED HE WAS A GHOST I READ THIS AND THOUGHT PEOPLE HE MEANT LIKE. . .SENSITIVE EMOTIONALLY TO NOISE AND ZENJI'S BIWA PLAYING. I DID NOT REALIZE THAT HE WAS WORRIED PEOPLE WOULD REALIZE ZENJI WAS THERE.

(between 8pm and 5am)

"You're not going to wear a yukata? Eh, I just thought it'd be cute to see. That's the kind of thing guys think about, don't know what else to tell you."

It reads like he's a little disappointed the girl he's into friends with isn't gonna wear something he thinks is cute lol

Autumn: (September-November) (between 5am and 11am)

"They say fall is the season of the arts, but I'm a really mediocre flute player. I'm about as uncultured as you can get."

funny thing for an ex-frostheimer to say.

(between 11am and 4pm)

"You can hear the biwa, right? He's been going for three hours now. People are going to start getting pissed off, so I'll go tell him to stop soon."

(between 4pm and 8pm)

"Nightfall can catch you unaware this time of year. It'll be dark soon, so let me know when you're planning to head home. I'll walk you back to the cathedral."

(between 8pm and 5am)

"It's a stunner of a night. Maybe I'll grab a drink and do a little moon gazing."

don't drink too much you're trying to quit smoking, the solution isn't to replace it with another addiction--

Winter: (December-February) (between 5am and 11am)

"You'll catch a cold dressed like that. It's already pretty chilly out there, you know... Here, take my coat."

(between 11am and 4pm)

"Winter rain really chills you to the bone. Sorry, walking through the garden must be rough for you this time of year. Come a little closer."

I'm a bit of a sucker for huddling together in the cold lol

(between 4pm and 8pm)

"It's cold again today. Now that I think of it, Subaru said he wanted to make hotpot with everyone. Guess I'll go grab some things and make it happen."

(between 8pm and 5am)

"Your hands hurt because of the cold? Let me see. Oh yeah, your fingertips are all red. Here, stick them in my pockets."

Is that your flute in your pocket or are you completely unaffected by the cold

His birthday: (July 26th)

"Wait, you got me a birthday present? You're so conscientious. Oh, I didn't mean it in a bad way. Thanks, I appreciate it."

Your birthday:

"Hey, come over here a sec. Here. It's nothing special, but I got you a something. Today's your birthday, right?"

why is this worded like he's asking you to come into a shady alley in secret to give you a birthday gift lmao

New Years: (January 1st)

"Happy New Year. I know it's a cliché, but I hope this year's a good one for you."

Valentine's Day: (February 14th)

"Whoa, chocolate? I didn't think you'd give them to me too. Guess I better think of something good to get you in return."

White Day: (March 14th)

"Here, for the chocolate you got me last month. I wasn't sure what you'd like, so I got the ones I remember you said were good."

April Fool's Day: (April 1st)

"A bunch of spirits have been following you around all day, are you okay? Psych, just kidding. Seriously, I was joking, I swear."

Halloween: (October 31st)

"Looks like you've had your fair share of tricks today. I'll narrow down your options and just make it a treat, then."

Christmas: (December 25th)

"You look like you're having fun. Do you have a present for me, Little Miss Santa? Haha, I'm just kidding. Here you go. Merry Christmas."

Idle: (about 20 seconds without interacting with the game) (below 13 affinity)

"...Hey, you alive? Not much point me just standing here waiting around. Guess I'll take off."

(13 affinity and above)

"I know I look like a slacker, but I do have stuff to do. Guess I'll nap till she gets back."

Absent: (logging in for the first time in 2 or more days?)

"Hey there, stranger. Everyone's missed you, you know. ...Even I was starting to get a little worried."

Those're the ones that're most interesting to me I think! 'u' there are some that aren't up there though, like some of the ones that show him being responsible and worrying about his teammates haha. Hope you don't mind my little commentary here and there!

A while later and I've amended this post to include all of the home screen voicelines, not just the ones that appealed to me most in that moment! Haku's interesting in how. . .normal he is. Aside from the seeing spirits and things anyway lmao. He's just a casual flirt who wants to escape the abnormality that his becoming a ghoul got him. I feel like his lines don't really reveal anything about him. . .but also 19 in particular feels. . .a little lonely? Maybe because of how he had to leave Frostheim, he doesn't really feel as connected to the Hotarubi ghouls yet, compared to how he was with Jin before? Or, if he is the spy, he feels like all of his relationships are fake. . .and man that 'I wish you'd just forget about me' line is sad but also SO SUSPICIOUS. WHO SAYS THAT IF THEY DON'T PLAN ON LEAVING YOU OR STABBING YOU IN THE BACK.

[zishu-arts]

1. What's ur fav avm ep? Or generally ava ep

2. What's ur fav short?

3. And favorite character? Why is that your favorite character?

4. Do u kin anyone? Why?

5. What are your thoughts on King Orange? Personally, I do love the character but I wanna see some controversy. He was forgiven too easily. Do you think that he's affected by immense guilt of his actions? Pls go in detail as much as you wish

6. What are your favorite (hc or not) relationships? Doesn't need to be romantic. Do you have thoughts on relationships between characters that haven't interacted? Or some hc on characters that did (example: I love the hc on Purple and Red hanging out so often that Red goes to visit Purple for advice on PRANKS out of all things)

If I think of something more, I'll send it through!!

1). i dont think i can pick a favorite since there's so many but i love rewatching Lush Caves, Ultimate Minecart Race, The Chef, The Ultimate Weapon (and honestly just the entire KO arc lmfao). For AVA its gotta be The Showdown it's just SOOO GOOD the animation, the concepts, the plot, ahhhh

2). hard once again, but Music Lesson is so goddamn funny

3). THE DARK LORD THE DARK LORD THE DARK LORD (red is my second favorite tho). okay so, honestly it's just the amount of potential and trauma i could give him. i love his character and lore like, the idea of the Mission Code. what does it mean that you've been created for the sole purpose to destroy, and what does it mean that the person you're made to destory become your best friend? like, the existance of that code brings up so much potential and you could literally take it in so many ways. and like, just the story of cho and dark being two people who were coded for a purpose and run away. what...happens to that purpose? what are you supposed to do now? it's very "what am i if not a weapon?" "yourself. isn't that a wonderful person to be?" (i also dont remember where this quote is from). and also, i look at this little bastard and i think ah yes, he is a goddamn maniac. absolutely insane. i can make him as unhinged as possible and i think that's amazing.

i also think it's great that it's so easy for me to just do whatever i want with him like he's some dress up doll. i've got a genderbent version of him. i've got him with ADHD. i've got him with autism. i've got him trans. he's depressd. he has anxiety. he's in love. there's no saving him.

i also like that like. he's dead. he might not be dead. who fucking knows? and he's such an interesting character, is he evil, is he nice, does he care, what does he like? i want to know everything about him and i want to squish him like a little ball

(i alos like that he's very easy to self project into)

4). hmmmm honestly? i only ever kinned like one character (yuki from horimiya) so im not too familiar with actually kinning. if i had to pick, probably red, mostly cause i see him as a hyper possibly ADHD guy who's always running head first into situations without a thought and think damn he's jus tlike me fr

5). KO/MANGO TALK LETS GO !! you're def right, he was forigven too soon, but i like to think or hope that they at least had a bit of bonding. okay well first off i want to start off with: i see a lot of content where we view mango as like around 20 years old which i want to immedately have on the table: what do you mean 20 years old. he's got a goddamn kid that seems to be maybe 8-10, he's got to be at least reaching 40 by the time we actually see him in AVM. and no, 40 is not too old, they can still do backflips and fight ppl (as long as mango maintained a healthy lifestyle with daily exercise, healthy diet, and good sleep).

i love the fact that he went evil because he lost his son, and that he got lost in his anger and started hurting everyone around him. although i do think his and purple's relationship could do with A LOTT of work. their trust was broken over and over again (mostly on purple's end) and im not sure mango particularily remembers how to treat a child well. and did mango ever like,,,yk,,,properly grieve for his son? for all we know, he went home the same day he lost gold, punched his wall a lot, then went straight to working on the staff. now that he doesn't have that drive anymore, i think that's all going to catch up to him. he really needs to properly grieve and mourn and recover before he goes about doing anything else.

he can, in fact however, be a good person/father as long as he's got that under the belt. (which you could def see that he was pretty swag when he still had gold). i personally see him as a raspy and gruff guy so he's also a man of very few words. that also means he probably has a buttload of communcation issues that is gonna affect his relationship with other people. he has got A LOT to work on

i also want to mention how i don't particulary enjoy the "overprotective father that trails their child everywhere". i don't think a lot of people view mano this way either, but i just want it on the table that even though mango would definitely be protective of purple, he won't be weird about it

6). ohhhh okay okay if you've read my fics you know i am in love with the "siblings victim & dark" as well as "siblings chosen and second". i feel like vic and dark are both insane and enable the worst, unhinged parts of each other. and then chosen and second are pretty much polar opposites with "doesn't say a word + yapper"

i also love it when CC treat red as like the youngest hyper sibling bc he really does give off that energy. also I AGREE WITH YOU purple and red together were so cute it was so unexpected but i love that

i also really really really want to see dark and purple interact with each other. mostly because they're probably the two most least likely characters to ever see each other. but i like the idea of dark terrorizing purple and it works because purple the whole time is like 'holy fuck this is that terrorist holy fuck shit oml'

i also want to see purple and mango interact with alan. im not sure if they ever did? but id like to imagine one day alan logs onto his computer and sees these two random sticks on his screen and is like who the fuck are you guys

(my guy desperately needs a VPN)

i ADORE blue + yellow. both in a platonic and romantic sense. they're like skater girl + nerd girl to me. they're so goddamn adorable and i'm very obsessed with seeing them. they hold hands. they're polar opposites. they're always together. they're the duo that if you just see one of them it seems wrong. if one of them is missing, you automatically ask the other one where they are, because they no doubt would know. gods they're so entwined with each other

thanks for the ask !!

[goddevouringserpent]

WOTR Companions First and Final Impressions

taking the open tag @the-raging-tempest left over at Discord cause I really really wanted to do this hehehehe :3 it was very very fun, even if time-consuming, so I am open tagging anyone who wants to do it! (& please do feel free to tag me in it because I very much want to see 👀)

the first impressions match the first actual interaction my KCs had with the companions, for which I am using the first real dialogue they ever had; so, for example, although they both technically met Camellia at the Kenabres festival, I am counting the first meeting as being in the caves under Kenabres.

First impressions

Seelah

Irenni: "A spot of hope in the middle of so much destruction! You lighten my heart with your presence, lady knight."

Kaija: "Paladin of Iomedae, huh? Well, you don't seem as stuck-up as the rest of your kin, at least. Mind your own business, I'll mind mine, and we should get along fine."

Camellia

Irenni: "So poised and elegant... I'm surprised by how nonplussed you seem, but in all fairness, you look high-born, and I suppose nobles are taught to conceal their emotions."

Kaija: "Ugh. Do we really have to babysit this spoiled brat? Hope you actually know how to use that rapier of yours, pretty girl, 'cause I'm not sticking my neck out for you."

Lann

Irenni: "A valiant warrior with a noble heart, I can tell. 'Tis a pity you downplay your own worth with such ferocity."

Kaija: "I know your type. You hate who you are, don't you, underground crusader? Tale as old as time. Shed those chains already—they'll never see you like you want them to see you. We're all just horned freaks to the respectable folks."

Wenduag

Irenni: "You are so angry... We mean no harm to you or yours. Let us help, please. We can only save each other if we stick together!"

Kaija: "There's a shrewdness in you, isn't there? You're a clever one. A survivor. Dangerous. It's fine, I can work with that. You're nothing new to me, huntress."

Woljif

Irenni: "I hope I'm not making a mistake by helping you. You seem harmless enough, but that shadow... There's something wrong about it. Do you even know the nature of the magic you wield?"

Kaija: "A kindred spirit. You're the only one here who understands. I see it in your eyes. We have the same look, you and I, the same kind of dirt under our fingernails, the same bloodied teeth. I've got your back, for as long as this arrangement lasts—way things are, turning my back on you would be like turning my back on myself."

Ember

Irenni: "Oh, you sweet soul... 'tis fortunate Andoletta watches over you, but still—you should be somewhere safe, enjoying your childhood, not bearing witness to the horrors of war."

Kaija: "I can tell there's some sort of strength in you, but you've gotta toughen up, kid, or the world will chew you up and spit you out."

Daeran

Irenni: "You behave as though you knew exactly what to say in order to vex me, Count Arendae. I ought to chastise you for being so irresponsible and inconsiderate, but you would not care at all. And... truth be told, you are fascinating, in your own way. A weakness in me, perhaps. We shall see. In the meantime—make yourself useful."

Kaija: "Hello there, yet-another-noble-prick in the endless assortment of Mendevian noble pricks! At least you're fun to be around, I'll give you that. Maybe someday I'll crash one of your parties. You might even thank me for it."

Nenio

Irenni: "A fellow scholar! Oh, this is so exciting. I cannot even blame you for your... peculiarities; truly, all of us who share an interest for the academic can sympathize, to one degree or another. I do so look forward to trading theories with you."

Kaija: "Heard about people like you, here and there. Strange stories. Sad, often. Leave it to a genius to lose her mind—there's a certain irony in it. But I think we'll work well together, long as you follow my lead."

Galfrey

Irenni: "Everlight, I feel so inadequate. The Queen of Mendev! Here! Sitting at my table! It is a pleasure and an honour, Your Majesty, although I wish the circumstances were different... and I wish I were a bit more put-together for the occasion..."

Kaija: "Bah. Mendev's golden figurehead. Must feel good, to come marching in and have everyone prostrate themselves at your feet, even though you did absolutely jack shit. Don't expect any special treatment from me, Your Majesty. Far as I'm concerned, you're just some freeloader at our table."

Sosiel

Irenni: "A servant of the Eternal Rose is always welcome! I see a sincere kindness in your eyes that puts me at ease... and Sarenrae knows that is exactly what I need right now."

Kaija: "Nice to have another artist nearby. Not many of us here. And there's a steel in you, a fire. It burns low, more a simmer than anything else, but I can tell. I've been there. No wonder, after the losses you've experienced. You'll do fine. Channel that fire."

Regill

Irenni: "Hellknight, is it? Hmph. I guarantee you will disagree with my methods, Paralictor; I hope, for both our sakes, that you are still willing to obey my orders."

Kaija: "Credit where it's due, you're one hell of a fighter. Don't really mind the stick up your ass if we can use it in our favour. 'Sides, a little spot of pragmatism might do us some good in the long run. Tired of all the crusaders with their heads in the clouds."

Arueshalae

Irenni: "My heart reaches out to you, as yours does to mine. I am aware it is ill-advised to trust a succubus, but, as servants of good, ought we not embrace any demons who choose to leave behind the stain of evil and embark upon a different path? Is it not our duty to aid them in this difficult journey? I open my arms for you, Arueshalae, even if it means the death of me."

Kaija: "I should be suspicious, and yet... I heard you. I saw you. In the temple of Desna, and in the shrine. That... that can't just be a demonic trick, right? There are some things the Abyss can't touch. But an ascending succubus... Demons aren't capable of redemption. It isn't in their nature. It's what everyone says, isn't it? But... but maybe... Maybe there's a chance... Maybe, if you..."

Greybor

Irenni: "Why in the world would you refuse to address the demon invasion going on, but take on an assassination contract? I am astounded by the greed and selfishness involved in your thought process, but, most of all, I am baffled by your short-sightedness. There will be no gold to reclaim should the armies of the Abyss prevail, good sir."

Kaija: "'Go and get reinforcements from the Defender's Heart,' heh... You don't know who you're talking to, master assassin. Don't need help to kill these demons. Go ahead and take care of your mark—just don't get in my way. Wouldn't want ya to have your limbs cleaved off."

Parting thoughts

Seelah

Irenni: "What a joy, to have shared this fight with you. You have kept me steady, grounded in hope, and I am so glad to have done the same for you. Do not let anyone extinguish your spark. It is people like you that give our struggles meaning."

Kaija: "You've proven me wrong, time and time again. Never thought I'd be happy about that, but I guess there's always a first time for everything. It's been an honour fighting at your side, Seelah... And an even bigger honour drinking at your side!"

Camellia

Irenni: "I... I tried, Camellia. I really did. I would have helped you, if only you had been truthful. But in the end, I... I did what I had to do. I am not proud of it, but you forced my hand."

Kaija: "I keep telling myself it was for the best, and maybe one day I'll believe it. We would've ruined each other, beloved, you know that as well as I do. Better to stop when... when we still could. But that doesn't mean I've stopped loving you. I never will. You'll always have a part of me. Wherever you go, whatever you do... be safe. Think of me, from time to time. I'll think of you."

Lann

Irenni: "It is so good to see you happy, at long last. You deserve it—you always have. You have performed all your duties admirably, Lann, both towards the crusade and towards your people. Find comfort, now. Live the life you want. May your aim be ever true and steady, my friend."

Kaija: "You've got to let go, at some point. Move on. Bury it or it'll bury you."

Wenduag

Irenni: "I bear you no ill will. You were deeply wounded, I can tell that now, and my only regret is being unable to heal you. May you find peace in the afterlife."

Kaija: "Hasn't always been easy, because I'll be fucked if you don't like to make everything as hard as possible, but... Here we are. Looking at us from where we stand at the end, I can say I'm glad to have met you. Glad to know you. You've found your own power, your own strength, and—I respect you, for that. See myself in you a little bit. Who would've thought, huh?"*

Woljif

Irenni: "I am so, so proud of you, and deeply ashamed I ever doubted you. So many would have fallen prey to the temptation of demonic power, but you... I know it was what you had wanted all your life, and yet you found strength enough in yourself to refuse it! I am humbled by you, Woljif."

Kaija: "The light of my life. That's what you are. Can't say I believe in soulmates or none of that, but I do believe in choosing someone over and over, with your whole heart, every day of your life, and... Well, I'll keep choosing you, over and over, for as long as I draw breath. You've changed me, deep to my core, and once upon a time I would've fought against that—you would've had me kicking and screaming to get out, heh—but now I wouldn't have it any other way. Wouldn't have you any other way. I'm with you, dearest, 'til the end, through thick and thin. It's you and me."

Ember

Irenni: "Your kindness is brilliant, Ember. Blinding. I hardly understand it myself, and I have felt the touch of Heaven! I know you do not believe in divine intervention, but... I cannot, in good faith, claim our meeting to be a coincidence. Both of us, devoted to mercy and redemption and salvation... We are the company we keep, I suppose, but we are altogether too similar in ideals for it to not mean something. I shall be pleased to accompany you further, should our paths meet again."

Kaija: "First time in my life I've ever been so thankful for someone getting their thoughts in order. You were heading down a bad road, kid. Putting yourself in danger. And—d'you think I could've lived with myself if I'd let you and you'd gotten killed because of it? I know it feels bad to have to temper your expectations, but you'll thank me later."

Daeran

Irenni: "Ah, my love, what I wouldn't do for you. We have not had an easy time of it, have we? A rocky beginning, a middle fraught with difficulties and obstacles... We have been our own worst enemies, in truth. But there is not a single thing that I would change. I am honoured to love you and to have you love me; to know you and to have you know me. I am so fortunate that you have chosen to trust me with your life, your heart, your freedom, even. I will keep you safe, no matter what it takes. You can rest lightly in my hands—I promise. You will never regret letting me love you."

Kaija: "Not too proud to admit I misjudged you. I mean, in a sense I had your measure as soon as I met you, knew exactly what kinda person I was dealing with, but in another sense, you've surprised me. Never thought I'd find a real friend in you. My best friend, even. Life's full of little jokes and twists, isn't it? I think we can both drink to that, and not just because we'll take any excuse to drink. So—here's to your health, Count."

Nenio

Irenni: "I... I don't understand. Why would you ever want... What led you to... to make the choices you made? You are worth more than that, Nenio. I pray it is not too late for you."

Kaija: "Somehow what's going on with you is less outlandish than what I thought was going on with you. It's fine. Seems like a lot, but you'll pull through, if you really want to. I believe you can."

Galfrey

Irenni: "You carry your burdens, and I carry mine. I neither envy nor resent you. Let us part in peace. I wish you well, Galfrey of Mendev."

Kaija: "Fool. If you keep holding your chin up, your neck'll snap. We're not on even footing anymore—I've long since surpassed ya, and you know it. Write a letter to your goddess if you're so mad about it."

Sosiel

Irenni: "It is good to see you have healed. You were teetering on the edge of something so grim, far from the light of Shelyn, and although I had faith in your ability to remain steadfast, I worried for you, Sosiel. Yet you have so gracefully recovered from the blows life dealt you. A soul as gentle and good as yours deserves nothing but that, my friend."

Kaija: "I know it wasn't what you expected, but did good. Kept your spine straight when it counted. Didn't back down. Opened your eyes. So that closure you got, Sosiel, those answers—that was all you, in the end. It was your actions that saved both of you. Take pride in that."

Regill

Irenni: "We have not always seen eye to eye... quite the opposite, in fact... but in the end, I am glad to have fought alongside you, Regill Derenge. I think, in better times, we could have been friends, but war can make strangers of us all."

Kaija: "Surprised at how well we work together. Or maybe not. It's all in the fighting mettle, after all—we're warriors through and through, and I guess even through our differences we could recognise that in each other. Steel calls to steel. I respect you, Regill, and I'm pretty sure the feeling's mutual. Wouldn't be where you are now if it weren't, yeah?"

Arueshalae

Irenni: "There are too many things I should have told you, too many things I should tell you... but now is not the time. Later, once we are free. Then I will... Everlight's mercy, I just need you to know how deeply I care for you, how much I treasure and cherish and admire you, how badly I want to—augh, later, Irenni, later!"**

Kaija: "You say that I saved you, that you owe me so much, but c'mon, Arue, don't sell yourself short: you saved me every bit as much as I saved you. A mutual thing, yeah? Pulled each other outta the Abyss. I'm so proud of you, sister, and so grateful for everything you've done."

Greybor

Irenni: "Truthfully, I was not expecting you to take my advice to heart, and I am pleasantly surprised you have chosen to do so. I wish you an uneventful life, Greybor. Enjoy every moment."

Kaija: "A professional, through and through. We did some good work together. You've a... productive future ahead of you, I'm sure—who knows, maybe I'll require your services sometime, hah."

*Kaija's parting answer for Wenduag is largely a placeholder because this is my first time recruiting Wendu (I'd wanted to before, but I couldn't rationalise how/why Kai would, until now) & I am still figuring out their dynamic. however, I feel there might be... Something there. as in, the inklings of a very interesting ship dynamic. and I can never say no to toxic yuri, it's my kryptonite, soooo I am just kinda leaving that reply there for now lol

**Irenni romances Arueshalae, but only after the game ends. during the events of the game itself she's too busy dealing with her feelings towards Daeran to even try and address her feelings towards Arue. they are very much present, Irenni just... sets them aside, for the time being, because she already has enough on her plate emotions-wise as-is LOL but after everything is done, they become an item :3

[yakuzacanons]

ya dont have to answer this one cause it might be a bit silly goin to headcanons blog for this but idk ireally like ur blog ur posts always cheer me up. ive had a rough day and idk i thought it might be nice to hear how ya think these characters would try and comfort and/or cheer up their partner, yknow, make em feel better?

This is actually a great double feature to my last post which was specifically about comforting their partner on their period. That one was kind of more focused on their partner feeling physically unwell so this one will be more catered to their partner feeling emotionally unwell, if that makes sense and if that's okay.

Also, I'm sorry to hear you had a rough day and I genuinely hope you feel better. I don't think it's silly at all to ask for these kinds of things, we all have to do what we gotta do and happiness comes in all kinds of forms, so if this is one of those forms, I'm happy to be of service. I'm also sorry this post took a bit to get too as I've been rather busy but I didn't forget you dear anon! Thanks for your ask, headcanons beneath the cut as always.

I'll get to the rest of the asks in my inbox tomorrow, so good night my sweet sweet friends! Thanks as always for your kind words and asks, I really love writing these and sharing these with you. Goog nitey.

Kazuma Kiryu

He understands all too well what it's like to feel down and out. Having said that, Kiryu won't try to cheer you up right away or distract you as he believes getting to the bottom of what's bothering you is more important. Regardless of it's a rough day at work or if someone made a rude remark at you, he wants to hear you out. He is THE best listener, he never interrupts.

His very first action always is to give you a long, warm hug. How often Kiryu wishes he could've been held during his darkest and toughest moments, so now he pays that forward to others who need it. If you cry, he'll tell you it's okay and to let it all out.

Now that you've gotten that all out, it's time for him to cheer you up. Nothing makes Kiryu feel better more than a hearty meal so he'll offer to get food at your favorite place, his treat. If you'd rather stay home, then he'll do his best to cook something up for you. Maybe Haruka and the other kids at Morning Glory will get in on it and clamber to help him out in the kitchen, which you can't help but smile at. You're truly surrounded by loving and caring people.

Majima Goro

Now, if the issue was caused by someone else, his first reaction will be to go give them a nice talking to a.k.a. kicking them really hard. If you're down with that, he will actually go do it but if you're not, he'll grumble and say "Fiiine... only 'cuz you said not to."

Eventually, his thoughts will turn to finding ways to make you smile. Majima is a bit more of a "forget your troubles" guy, sometimes more than he'd like to admit. If there's nothing particular that you want, then he'll just start trying things until you crack a smile at his earnest attempts, to which he'll say "Ah, there's that adorable smile!" before giving you a hug and a kiss.

If you cry, Majima will actually become quite serious. More than anyone, he's felt so many times in his life like he was on the verge of tears but he's always held them back. He'll drop everything to comfort you through the tears, quietly reminding you to take deep breaths and just holding you until it's over.

Akiyama Shun

He believes rest is the ultimate medicine, especially when you're feeling bad. Nothing works wonders more than a warm shower and a nice, long sleep. Granted, he is the king of being exhausted so maybe he's projecting just a little bit here.

As goofy as Akiyama can be, he's pretty good at hearing you out. However, he might be somewhat oblivious and slow to notice you're not feeling your best. Once he realizes it, he'll apologize for not noticing sooner and ask what he can do to help.

If some alone time is what you need, he's absolutely not offended. Akiyama knows when to back off and won't pester you and ask if you're sure you want to be alone. He trusts your intuition on that and won't put his ego before your feelings. After all, to him, that is the very meaning of loving someone else.

Saejima Taiga

Out of all the boys, he's going to feel the worst when he sees you're feeling down. Some part of him just feels bad that he wasn't able to prevent whatever it was that hurt or upset you. Saejima has major protective vibes and he'll always wonder if he could be doing more.

In the end, making sure you're okay is more important to him. Saejima is pretty mature and he'll be able to push through those weird self doubting feelings in his own time. He'll gently hold you but won't pressure you to tell him what happened. If you want to, he'll listen intently although he may not always know what to say in response, especially if you want advice, as he doesn't think his life experiences necessarily line up with most people.

Definitely the type of guy to say things like "I'm here for you, okay?" and really mean it. If you ever need a shoulder to cry on, Saejima is your guy. After all, he has giant shoulders.

Tanimura Masayoshi

His life experiences have made him very empathetic and he will be able to really connect with you if you talk about your problems verbally. Where he struggles is if you don't talk about it because he doesn't want to force it but also doesn't really know what to do unless he has some direction to go in.

If you don't want to talk about it, he'll just sit next to you in silence. He doesn't want to just fill the space with his words, so instead he'll just lean his head against yours, taking deep breaths with you. Tanimura will stay for as long as you need, just so you know that you're not alone in this.

He's down to get some food at Homeland once you feel ready to get back up and out there. Tanimura is very food oriented and nothing makes him feel better than a nice meal, especially since Zhao and Mei Hua are always so welcoming and kind. He has a very infectious smile and he notices that you light up a bit when he smiles, so he'll try to do something fun with you like eat food or maybe play a video game at his place. By the end of the night, you'll both be grinning ear to ear.

Ryuji Goda

Secretly, he's also a "Show me who upset you and I'll give them a real nice talking to" type of guy but he's better at keeping that under wraps than Majima is. Of course, if it's not a particular person bothering you, that's where he stumbles a bit. He's never been great at just talking about things, like giving advice.

He'll refute any thoughts of self doubt you have. Did someone make fun of your hair? "They were probably bald 'n ugly themselves anyways, the hell would they know?". Do you feel self conscious about your weight? "I'll have you know that yer damn perfect as ya are." Ryuji loves you for you, for better and for worse, so what he lacks in advice or long talk sessions he makes up for with pep talks.

He's the type of man to kiss your forehead and ruffle your hair while holding a box of tissues while you cry. Ryuji rarely if ever felt safe crying in front of others before and honestly wishes he had spaces like that when he was younger, so he takes care to make sure that you feel completely safe in letting those feelings out if you need to.

Nishikiyama Akira

King of self care. Self care is the solution to everything. Nothing makes it all better like looking AND feeling good. It might sound shallow but Nishiki tries to make it fun in some ways, like getting face masks with silly colors or faces printed on them.

Out of all of the boys, he's best at gossip. If you're someone who wants to go on a long rant about all the stuff bugging you, he's all ears. If someone in particular is bugging you, he'll interject with "Oh, she did NOT" or "They did WHAT?" every so often.

He won't ever get violent. He might feel frustrated that he can't really do more than just hear you out or distract you with something silly but that won't stop him from trying at least. If you have suggestions or things you want, he's all ears though.

Daigo Dojima

The gentlest boy there ever was. He's the most perceptive of all the boys, able to immediately spot if his partner is feeling off that day. He'll always ask you about it in private, making sure to never embarrass you, softly asking "Honey, are you alright?"

If you're at a work related function and it's obvious that you're overwhelmed, Daigo will excuse you both from the event early and bring you home so you can have a safe place to decompress. When he's at work and if he knows you've been having a bad day, he'll call from his office and say "Hey honey, I just wanted to see how you were feeling". He makes himself as available as possible, always looking out for your welfare.

Daigo is really in tune with your needs and quite attentive to the things that make you happy, the things that bother you, and the like. When you're having a bad day, you'll hardly have to ask for a thing. If you're a stay at home and lay in bed all day person, he'll bring your favorite drink in and sit on the bedside while listening to you talk. If you'd rather go out, just say the word and he'll be out front with his private car ready to go wherever you want as soon as he can slip away from work.

Mine Yoshitaka

He often feels helpless in situations like this. If it were up to him, every day would be the best day possible for you. He doesn't necessarily feel like a failure but he definitely feels your pain and sadness, wishing he could just magically make it all go away.

His best skill is reassuring you. If you ask if you're actually good at something, the answer is yes. If you feel like you're failing at something new, he'll say something like "The important thing is that you're trying, and I admire that about you". He's very steady in supporting you with things like chasing your dreams, no matter how hard the road may be.

He's probably the most practical when it comes to interpersonal issues, likely a direct result of his type of work. He's good at helping you iron out tough situations, like an awkward conversation with a friend. His deep understanding of you combined with his solid reasoning skills allows him to give you a pretty good outside perspective on those kinds of situations, provided you want him to of course. Mine wouldn't offer you advice without asking if you wanted it first. Also the type of guy to wipe away your tears for you.

[basics-academy-yum]

Info dump about the students in high school. Do they go to the same one coincidentaly? Are they still in touch with the teachers?

prepare for an unskippable cutscene <3

SO SO SO SO SO!!!! Most of them do go to highschool together, considering they don't live to far from each other in the first place... And to answer your second question... yes. They are still in touch with the teachers. More than you might think :]

Playtime, Paisley, and Andrew (Baldi's son, for those unaware) honestly treat each other like cousins. Paisley's legal guardian is Micah, Playtime's stepdad is Prince... and Prince and Baldi are best friends, so those 3 are super close.

Paisley Playtime Andrew Art Billy

I'll give you little bio of each of them :]

Paisley - 15 (she/her) Super overprotective of Playtime. Stays out late hanging out with Andrew. She's finally on medication for her OCD so she rarely ever has hallucinations anymore!! Yippee!! She's pretty mature actually, for a 15 year old.

Playtime - 15 (she/her) Gonna be so real, puberty hits this poor kid like a truck, some days it takes ever fiber of her being to not curl up in her bed and cry. She's super studious and loves laying in bed watching magical girl anime. She's very into soft harajuku styles as well (like yume kawaii and a bit of lolita and stuff <3). She does get relentlessly bullied, but luckily she's got some pretty cool friends that tend to beat people up a bit too much–

Andrew - 15 (he/him) In a bunch of AP and honors courses and is burnt the hell out!!! He's pretty depressed and constantly beating himself up... Paisley will help him escape all the work and ruminations and just be a teenager sometimes. It's pretty awesome :D

Art Audrey- 14 (she/her) She's a very reserved art student, but believe it or not she's been managing her anxiety pretty great! She's been dating Billy, and boy does that kid have some enemies for protecting the LADIES in his life. Speaking of which...

Billy - 14 (he/him) He's still got anger issues, but he's learned how to be a lot more true to his feelings. Any time he sees his girlfriend or his childhood friend, Playtime, getting bullied, boy does he let them have it. Anyway, him and Audrey love to make comics and stories together, they have a huge universe with the craziest plot– it's super nifty 👍

Now I know what you're probably not thinking, but I've gotta bring it up. Playtime's bestie, 1st Prize!!! They stay best friends of course but... gosh, there's really no good way to put it. Philip (that's 1st Prize btw) passes away when he's about... 17. Playtime visits him all the time, of course. Some days she'll sit by his grave for hours, doing homework or telling him how her week has been or plots to her favorite anime... she'll also visit his mom sometimes and just hang out with her :]

Another big thing you've probably noticed is AUDREY!!!!!! Yeah, she's trans, pretty cool B) Now, as for interacting with her in the current timeline of the blog (pre-transition), it's best to still just use Art and he/him, solely because at 8 years old he's like "damn being a girl would be so awesome, too bad that's impossible" (if anyone wants to throw little asks at him about said topic tho to help him figure things the freak out, i cant stop you 😳🤭)

Anyway those are the basics (no pun intended), but if you guys wanna know more i will GLADLY tell little stories with them (idk about drawing them but i can write them 🤭!!) also feel free to use this knowledge as you wish, you can ask questions to them as highschoolers or as elementary schoolers, you can bring things up to try to figure out how they get for point A to point B.... all sortsa fun stuff!!! go go!! :D!!!

[novelistash]

It's a long flight to Mauville City and my shoulders need a break. Strangely enough my legs are killing me. Even though I used to fly everywhere in a litter, it still makes me reflexively hunch to be on a space so small. I should've upgraded, but travel was such a non-issue in Alola and now I'm paying for it.

I spot the elaborate fort of lights from a distance. Mauville boasts that it's the "bright and shiny city of fun," but I'm in no mood to spend my pen or even to get drunk. A Jenny Clone directs me to a nearby hotel and I'm quoted rates for a week. The rich kid tries to upsell me to three days and I slam a hand on the counter.

"I need a room for the night. Think you can handle that or are you gonna have to wake Daddy?"

They're grumpy when they give me the key, but I'm too tired and sore to be personable. Someone should've taught this kid that stubborn doesn't work when you're renting out rooms to travelers.

The bed is too nice, the sheets starched and soft. I turn on the television set to try and engage with the world outside my misery and pass out.

+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+

Loud speakers wake me. It's already lunch time, but room service hasn't pushed me out. Maybe I went too hard on the kid. Thinking back, they probably weren't even a kid at all, but someone closer to 18 or 20. I've officially aged into my grumpy old man form and it's sapping me of empathy. I get my stuff together and hope to apologize to the kid I saw before. It's a different person, a looker with a warm toned tan. She's all smiles as I hand off the key cards.

On the way out I check my account balance and can't make sense of it over the blaring speakers. This time I hear what's going on, a gym battle. Some tryhard must be making their rounds. Stretching, I walk on out to the balcony of the third floor and see a Pokémon arena in the center of the city. It's still Wattson running the show. He's gotta be in his seventies now but he's having the time of his life. His Voltorb is rolling around to give this youngster trouble.

I spot a body nearby, well, not exactly nearby but around a pillar from me. They have a better view of the youngster trying for a badge and our eyes meet like trainers on the open road.

Spiral. She's here killing time with a fancy plastic drink in her hands. Last time I saw her, she had her hair dyed like seaweed. Now it's a purplish color and her attire looks utilitarian. Things have been complicated. She doesn't look like the proud champion looking down on a display of incompetence, but a mournful soul contemplating life.

I take a step forward and she gauges the escape routes.

"I'm not here to fight," I say nice and loud. Some locals glance in our direction, but I keep my eyes on the former champion. She's stationary, letting me get close. "It's been a long time, Spiral. I haven't seen you since we ran into each other in Alola."

Her distant eyes look to her Poketech X and the nearby café. "If you've come for revenge save it. I don't have my team anymore."

I put together that means that she has some Pokémon on her, but why wouldn't she? Few people walk around without any. I get closer still, but she takes a step back, taking a trainer's stance out of old instinct. "Like I said, I'm not here to fight."

"Then why are you in Hoenn?"

I chuckle and scratch the back of my head. "Math. Nerd stuff like that. Listen, why don't we go outside? This gym battle makes it hard to hear."

The announcer telegraphs the youngster's stall tactic in agonizing detail. From the sound of things, Wattson might actually win this.

Spiral isn't happy to see me, but maybe the years have given us enough distance to put our rivalry back into perspective. We were good, we were both really strong trainers but she ended up stronger and I gave up.

"Outside," she decides. "I can't stay all this artificial light."

"What? You don't wanna spend all that champion pen?"

She doesn't laugh. She doesn't even smile. All her thoughts are elsewhere, looking back at ghosts in her mind. "Ten minutes." Spiral walks off and I'm left contemplating how the years have changed her.

+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+

Mauville City is set up like a big shiny fort. The cardinal directions have entrances on the inside and the roof is covered with grass and trees to offset the generators, fans, and broadcast towers. The fifth floor is a nice place to walk, but I can't appreciate the view.

I didn't have time to change and I would've had to buy something to look presentable in front of the former champion. I'm in trainer garb, carpenter pants, windbreaker, and a tangle of flaxen hair that is trying to mimic the clouds. This was not how I wanted to see Spiral after our time apart. I wanted to look like a winner. I wanted to be a champion of a different region, to bring fear back into her eyes so that she would apologize for killing four Pokémon in one fight. The fear is already there, along with the regret. Spiral's ditched her drink and is looking off to the ocean.

"What happened?" I ask hoping that I don't have to clarify.

She responds defensive, but her tone is more bitter than spiteful. "I'm sure you already know."

"I gave up on being a champion in Galar. I gave up on being the best, on owning enough Pokémon to collect breeder fees, and on revenge. I haven't been keeping up with you because I've gone into isolation. Everything is different now. I wanna put all of that behind us."

"I can't."

"Hey, you're the one that killed my Pokémon," I snap.

"You think I don't know that?!" she snarls at me. "I was so mad at you for pushing that fight. It was your fault Pokémon died. It didn't have to be that way! It didn't..." She looks away. "It doesn't matter now."

"What do you mean?" I walk over to enter her line of sight. She's maybe a head shorter than me but I don't feel intimidating. If anything I wanna crouch down to make her look me in the eyes. "You want me to apologize to my Pokémon, I did. Whatever's left of their spirits haven't come back to haunt me and they don't show up at graveyards. They died fighting. How can you say that doesn't matter when it's clearly something that still bothers you."

"My Pokémon are gone."

"What like you sold them?"

"They glitched. All of them! Everything but the six Pokémon I had in my balls were destroyed; corrupted by some Missingn0."

"What?" I step forward and try to clear my head. My analytical mind is processing, offering possible explanations for a situation that goes against my understanding of Pokémon, but there's something more important for me to consider.

Spiral is hurting. She's been hurt for a long time and for some reason, a woman as popular as her hasn't gotten all of this off her chest by now. She's been through a lot of pain because her Pokémon were in a box.

"Spiral, it's not your fault they're gone."

"That's easy for you to say," she snaps.

"No, it isn't." I take a step forward and this time she meets my eyes. What's happened to my Pokémon was my fault, but we were both partially responsible. "My Pokémon died fighting because it's what they wanted to do. They chose that life, just like we chose to be trainers."

"Well, mine didn't choose to be erased in someone's PC!"

"No, but you didn't choose that either. Whatever happened, whatever the reason, it wasn't anything that you could predict. You can't blame yourself for something you didn't have any control over."

She bares her teeth at me, but I can see the tears welling up in her eyes. "They trusted me, don't you get that? They trusted me to take care of them and I put them in a box while I ran off to play youngster in Galar. I don't care if I couldn't have known, it's still my fault."

"It isn't." I ignore her swear and press on, moving in to put a hand on her shoulder. The gesture startles her out of her rage, letting nothing but her sorrow remain on the surface. "You were a good trainer and a great battler. You raised them well."

"I..." she looks at my hand and steps back to get me to stop touching her. Completely somber, she studied the grass. "All my fighting did nothing but kill Pokémon."

"It also made them happy and it made you a better person. Do you remember when we were in Unova together and Team Plasma was spreading all of that anti-fighting rhetoric?"

She nods.

"Why did you keep fighting?"

"Because Team Plasma were a bunch of hypocrites following a cult leader."

I laugh. "Yeah, but there had to be a reason beyond that."

"I liked it. I liked spending time with my Pokémon." She's tearing up again, probably remembering that Eelektross that trounced me.

"I'm sure they liked spending time with you. I'm not much of a psychic, but I picked up enough to learn empathy. When my Pokémon were dying they were at peace. They felt proud to serve me with their last breath. There was something else inside, something I felt when Fission passed away. I think he wanted me to let go of my hate and I think I finally can."

"What?" She raises her head so fast tears flow down her cheeks. She knows what I'm gonna say and it's creasing her forhead.

"I forgive you, Spiral. It wasn't your fault that they died."

She scowls at me, walks up and pushes me. "I know that! I already told you it was your fault!"

"It wasn't my fault either. Sometimes Pokemon die and there's nothing anyone can do to stop that. I'm sorry you lost your Pokemon to a glitch, but that wasn't your fault either."

She turns her back to me and slowly her shoulders begin to shake. I reach out a hand to comfort her and then think better of it. She already showed me that she didn't want my comfort. All I can do is walk away and give her space to grieve.

@trainerspiral

[crimsonblackrose]

.

And with that they stopped putting the girl's hair up. Both Sam and Tory have their hair down for their practice/training. Sam on the beach a la her dad and Tory in the Cobra Kai dojo.

Robby and Sam are leading lessons at the Miyagi dojo the way Alisha and Miguel used to. Ah, at least Sam's hairs up here. But Robby, come on man, you need a hair band at least.

I don't fully get why Daniel can't have Robby and Sam teach...earlier. Like that probably would've helped more with balancing things. At least he's doing it now.

The not putting our hair up kata beach date.

lol omg is Tory at Johnny and Miguel's apartment? Tory, do not practice fighting on cement. This is dumb. Miguel you should know better. Also, this case, not Johnny's problem because they're not working with him this time.

Tory using the same pinning techniques or trying to that Carmen did in Johnny's dream. Really this apartment complex is not where they should be sparring, even if it's flirty.

Tory's voice over was something she told Miguel, 'everyone's got a sob story it doesn't give you the right to be a bully' from Sam though isn't a line I recognize from earlier.

Also, Sam I think I gotta take 'bully' away from you and put it on a shelf. Like you accused Tory of stealing your mothers wallet, which she didn't do, and then put your hands on her. That wasn't her bullying you. Her knocking you down at the roller rink, might count. But then you hit her right back, so I don't think she's really bullying you. I think you two are just straight up fighting. And she's not really bullying anyone else, she's kicking other students, but that was under Kreese's orders and Johnny's trying to reign that in. I think you can't consider Tory a bully, but a rival. Like girl congrats on your first rival but again, nuance.

Sam, why are you watching/potentially following Tory?

Oh good they both put their hair up.

Oh hey Sam's going for telling her parents. Kudos. Finally. Her and secret boyfriends never work out well.

Shannon is finally home. She's dressed a little bit like Johnny, plaid and jeans.

She apologizes and says Cabo was a mistake. You think? You abandoned him, lost your apartment, and probably all of your stuff. Made him homeless.

He seems unsurprised she's leaving again. His body language though completely changes when she says she's going to rehab.

Johnny has a drinking problem, Shannon has a drinking and pill problem. (Which explains why she only came home before Cabo to collect all her pills)

Amanda and Daniel offered to let Robby stay with them until she's done with the program, and then she lightly says Robby can stay with his father. Who, reminder, doesn't know that Daniel took Robby in because Shannon was out of town and they couldn't reach her and then refused to tell Johnny what was up. Johnny probably assumed that Shannon had left Robby with them rather than him based off the last time he offered to take care of Robby he got rejected by both Shannon and Robby.

Shannon darling, he needed that a long time ago. Because now he has you and everything you've said as well as everything Daniel's been saying. Everyone in his life is anti-Johnny. Except Amanda, but I highly doubt Daniel told Amanda that he didn't actually tell Johnny what was going on which led to Johnny going into mama bear/papa bear mode and punching Anoush in the side/stomach. Which if anyone else had done that, it'd have been understandable, panicked can't find your kid? But no, because Johnny is Johnny it was just marked off as Johnny going wild and attacking people and being who they always assumed him to be, not where the hell is my son and how dare you kidnap him tell me where he is.

He cares about you and wants you in his life. 100% true, but because everyone has been against his father and saying how awful he is, Robby seems surprised to hear that and it looks really hard for Shannon to admit that.

I love Rosa and her "in that outfit I'd say you're saying hot for teacher"

I also do love Carmen being tentative about it. Their date is a lot of things. Like it's her son's karate instructor, it's also a guy who is a mess and she knows that, with a lot of baggage, and who her son lied about hanging out with and who sometimes she doesn't like how her sons turning out after being around him. Johnny's a hot mess.

Look at Johnny wearing a button up and jeans like Miguel taught him.

Carmen, Johnny can't ghost you btw, he lives nearby (two doors down) and teaches your son. 😂That's gotta be one bonus at least.

Rosa: Have fun, don't knock her up. (If only he'd listened to your advice Rosa)

Moon knows Tory, from hanging out with her and Aisha and the rest of the cobras so it's interesting that she doesn't try and contextualize or peace middle ground balance the whole thing. She does for 'at least you both moved on' but Sam seems unhappy about that, which like so teen soap.

Moon's terrible karate party. I forgot it was in season 2.

LaRusso date night, dinner and dancing (omg I forgot that coincided with Johnny's first date with Carmen, dude I'm so sorry, he didn't even get one date with her without it turning into an awkward double date, though it has been a while since Daniel and Johnny ran into one another, but I'm getting ahead of myself)

Amanda: Have fun, make good choices, I know I don't have to worry about you.

Sad that that doesn't hold up. I mean she lied about the party, she omitted she was in a car accident, she's been in multiple fights with Tory that I don't think Amanda knows about based of the hubbub of how much of a deal she made out of Robby, Demetri and her fight at the mall. She doesn't know that Sam was being bullied after breaking up with Kyler, let alone what all Kyler tried to pull. She does I think know that Miguel hit her, but didn't seem mad that she used Robby as an excuse to break out from being grounded. She's had two secret boyfriends since Kyler. Amanda is a mom who gives a whole lot of breaks even though this is a very rough patch Sam is in.

Johnny: when your a teen it's hard to avoid a little drama...only to run face first into his own drama. 😂I love that Amanda hears Daniel's complaint first, then sees Johnny and turns her attention to Carmen and they compliment each other. Best friends forever straight from the start.

Daniel: Will this be okay? Johnny checking with Carmen if it'll be okay before saying it will be and then Amanda just being blunt: They have warring karate dojos. 😂

Amanda knows she's in for a night and orders a Cadillac margarita, big glass.

It's interesting that they're even eating in the same spot since they live in different neighborhoods.

I love that Demetri brought a board game: Trivial pursuit, he would've brought balderdash had he been properly informed on the attendance level.

I guess it's summer. I was going to say the way these kids are eyeing each other it's like they haven't seen each other since what five of them defected to Miyagi-do? But nope, it's still summer vacation despite all the plaid and fall clothing.

Moon's party includes kegs and vegan pigs in a blanket.

Yes Miyagi-do and Cobra Kai don't get along but honestly kinda surprised that she didn't also invite Kyler who also doesn't get along with...any of them.

Moon trying to avoid fighting on the first day of school, if only she'd succeeded

Daniel ordered a Don Julio 70 extra chilled (which I'm realizing is his signature, the ice ice cold thing) which is a type of tequila

Carmen got a michelada (beer drink with hot sauce and lime)

And Johnny got his usual coors

Daniel judging Johnny's drink. And it's not like he's not judging, Amanda even gives him a look.

oh right, the pissing contest started. Poor Carmen, this is their first date. Johnny play it cooler than this you dumbass. Carmen: Wow that's great, so proud of you. Totally catching that he's doing this and being a good sport, but goodness. Neither Carmen nor Amanda should have to sit through Daniel and Johnny's bickering adjacently.

Meanwhile I love Amanda going, ah so this is happening. Her directness is just, refreshing. She's also gotta be so tired of it all. Carmen's at least outskirts of it, while Amanda is like living it because Daniel flipped her world upside down all of a sudden.

Lol Johnny immediately gives up pretense to talk directly to Daniel. So much for separate dates. Congratulations Carmen on your first date with Johnny, you didn't realize it'd be a double date with Daniel and Amanda.

Daniel is legit being rude. Carmen said she's Miguel's mom and she's sorry to hear they broke up and Amanda is polite but Daniel is sarcastic. I don't know if it's because of Miguel or Johnny but literally everyone in his orbit is like tainted to him, which is unfair.

Amanda saying she was with a different boy every week truly delighting Johnny while Daniel takes instant offense even though it was before they got together. For a guy who had a different love interest in every movie, he sure is judgy on that type of thing.

Carmen lets push the tables together, the guys: NOoooooo Amanda: YESSSS

The girls are going to have a great night whether you guys are awful or not, which if you just calm down you'll realize you actually like each other.

The Cobra Kai inviting Nate to dance, after being great at dancing and then everyone cheering Nate on. They totally had a chance to all get along.

Oh I forgot Stingray brought a woman to the teen's back to school party. 💀

I missed that Tory has been drinking for a while before Sam challenges her. Miguel says "still" champion, which means there was another guy before this. And really so far everyone's chill.

Miguel literally stands through their interaction with his eyes closed looking so done with Tory and Sam's antics.

Tory called Sam a princess again.

Robby trying to be a voice of reason. Sorry Robby she's got her dad's mongoose brain.

The restaurant they're eating at is called Don Corazon's

Carmen is an x-ray technician.

Ah yes the leg challenge.

Carmen ordered: tostadas de pulpo (the name of the ep) asado with no sour cream.

Johnny making sure she got the no sour cream.

Amanda orders: Chili relleno with camaron instead of carnitas and extra cilantro and no corn.

And she still doesn't want to write that down.

Daniel orders the same thing Amanda does but with the corn.

Johnny orders pollo tacos and asks for a hard shell (not an option he was given) and no green stuff. And Daniel starts up again but Amanda tells him to stop it.

Johnny: Please don't leave me. Amanda: Oh I'll go to the powder room too. Daniel: Nooo please don't leave me. 😂 Boys be adults huh?

Tory finishes her drink first and Sam's already wobbling but stubborn (like her dad) and finishes her drink.

Stingray's girlfriend cheers for Sam.

[bonesandthebees]

LETS GOOOOO ITS SANDDUO TIME BABYYYY EHEHEHEHEHEHEHE

I read most of it on my break, and finished the rest while on my way home from work, and let me tell u i was screeching so hard when i got to the part where phil cupped wilburs face like ooohhhdhfkfksjff this man is SOFT, hes a SOFTIE ur honour

Goddd all ur descriptions always makes the fic feel so *real* and yay for the pirates actually?? Being semi decent?? And not abusers WOO, tho rip that one dude bruh why would u hit a child over berries

I love wilbur in this fic sm lmfao he is such a little shit i love them, hes also so so clever and still *wilbur*

You do such a good job at making Wilbur still feel like himself even when aged down. Like him immediately asking super morbid questions and phil being like wtf?? That was so in character of them lmfao 😭😭

ALSO PHILS MERMAID TAIL IS VERY COOL, 1000/10

Honestly tho im very intrigued about the captain... i feel like it might become plot relevant that hes super traumatized n stuff... im keeping my eye on him

Speaking of suspicious things--

Stares at the non consensual body modification tag

Also the magic tag

Wilbur may not be a mermaid now but i have a feeling that wont last...

Oh well at least we get sandduo :D (and uncle techno<33)

Also when phil mentioned that they communicate through clicks and whistled i got vivid flashbacks to what the water gave me and started crying

/j i didnt start crying but i DID get emotional DHFJKG

Rahhhh

I just reread the entire thing again LMAO

Goddd theyre so lovely:((<33

Im so intrigued about whats gonna happen also slightly scared but mostly excited :DD

glances at the tags okay yeah he's soft we'll go with that

aaa thank you though!! yeah I really didn't want to fall into the trope of just making the pirates a bunch of cartoon-like assholes. wilbur's a kid, so they try to take care of him and be nice to him, but they're also 10 people stranded on a desert island with very limited supplies. they are stressed to say the least. definitely not fair for that one guy to slap wilbur, but again when you've literally been worried nonstop about starving for the past few days and then you find out the 11 year old is hiding food, you might not react like you should. obviously not okay, but again, at least there's reasoning behind it

:D I'm so glad you like wilbur in this. I love writing kid!wilbur and trying to make him still feel like wilbur as a character, and I think I did a really good job of it in this fic. he's such a little shit.

YEAHHH I was looking up different types of fish tails for inspo, kept seeing betta tails so I just googled the different kinds of betta tails, and I saw this infographic with a bunch of different ones and the second I saw the crowntail I was like holy shit that's gotta be phil's it looks so cool

hahahaha just don't look at the nonconsenual body modification tag it's definitely not important hahaha

oh yeah you bet I'm bringing back the clicks and whistles from what the water gave me. it's not talked about as much as it was in what the water gave me, but I loved that so much from that fic I had to use it again

tyyy im so glad you're enjoying so far <3

[mainstoryarchive]

Underachievers - 17: Tricksters

Translator: Peace

Proofreader: 310mc

Subaru: Hmmm..?

[Read on my blog for the best viewing experience with Oi~ssu ♪]

Location: ES Live Stage

Subaru: Hmmm..?

Makoto: What's wrong, Akehoshi-kun? And stop moving!

Why're you so unsettled? I'm trying to fix your make-up, but you're going to keep smudging it at this rate!

Subaru: Ah, sorr—hee?! Ahaha, stop that, Ukki~, it tickles!

Makoto: No~pe. Since Anzu-chan's overrun with work from the Producer Association at the moment, I'm in charge of making sure your clothes and make-up are perfect.

Just trust me, Akehoshi-kun, I'll make you the most beautiful star in the sky ♪

Subaru: You're so reliable~! Just what you'd expect from a world class kid's model!

Makoto: That was before, okay? As an adult model—Or rather, as your everyday model, I'm still far from anything "world class"…

Which is exactly why I'm trying to re-learn various things, including make-up. So hold still, okay?

Subaru: 'Ka~y. And of course, I'll definitely cheer you on. But seriously, it feels super ticklish! I'm not used to being touched like that~! Wahahaha☆

Mao: Ahaha, Hokuto's always fixing your make-up, after all. It's pretty routine for you guys at this point, but—

You can do anything, so if you're just gonna fuss you might as well do it yourself, don'tcha think… Subaru?

Subaru: Eh~? I so can't do anything—anything, I'm not a magician, y'know?

Actually— Just 'cause I can do something doesn't mean I want to do it, I'm happier when someone else does it for me! It makes me feel loved!

Makoto: I know what you mean~. But really, what did happen to Hidaka-kun? He's always the one who fixes your make-up, and… It feels like he's been gone a while, doesn't it..?

Mao: Ahh, he said he got a strange message on HoldHands from his father's email.

He thought his dad might show himself at the venue, so Hokuto went to check it out.

Makoto: His father? But Hidaka-kun's dad is the legendary Super Idol Hidaka Seiya…

Isn't he out of the country right now?

Until ES gets its footing here, he's not letting foreign influences get their hands in it — I heard he's basically acting as a breakwater[1] of sorts.

Mao: Ah, so that's the plan. A breakwater… It happens every time, but I feel like whenever people gossip, they tend to make it a bigger deal than it really is.

Makoto: Ahaha, it's just something I saw someone say online… People think they can say whatever they'd like on there, especially when exaggerating things.

Hokuto: Hey. Stop chitchatting and prepare for our live.

Subaru: Oh, welcome back, Hokke~! Speak of the devil and he shall appear!

Hokuto: Who am I, Cao Cao of the Three Kingdoms?[2] Don't talk about me behind my back.

Mao: No, it was your fault for disappearing all of a sudden. No one knew where you went, so we were all worried.

Hokuto: Ah… Sorry, I should've said where I was going before I left.

I've still got a lot of work to do when it comes to that bad habit of going off on my own — how arrogant of me.

Makoto: Fufu. We're all the same in that way, aren't we?

That's why it's pretty miraculous that the four of us could band together as Trickstar ♪

Hokuto: Well, while I may be capable of uniting with you guys, I've started to suffer realizing just how much I need to keep up pace with others. Especially lately.

Mao: That's no surprise. We might've won the SS and became the top idols in the entertainment industry, but…

We keep being left in the dust by the aftershock of ES.

It's all 'cause we keep doing as we like, all while going against the higher ups and not following the pace of others.

Hokuto: Yeah. But that's just how Trickstar is.

Mao: Don't get smart. This live wasn't something we were planning on doing, nor did we even have to, in the first place.

In modern society, doing as you please'll come back to bite you in the butt.

So you've gotta learn how to match pace with others already. Put yourself in my shoes and understand what it's like to be the one cleaning up your messes and making ends meet.

Subaru: Ahaha, Eichi-senpai says the same thing~. Maybe this is a side effect of being the student council prez?

Makoto: Um, we're getting off track like usual.

To bring it back— I didn't think to check with you guys about this before, but why did we decide to do this live?

Please don't just suddenly call on me next time, I need to prepare myself mentally for things like this.

Everyone's so busy with their own jobs that we haven't even been able to practice any, right? I'm pretty worried about if we can actually do this live in the first place, you know?

Subaru: Nope! I've got no work like that to do, so I've had a toooon of time to spare! I'm ready to sparkle like always ☆

Hokuto: You sure are. Sorry about not telling you guys, I was also just as surprised…

See, someone paid a hefty fee in advance just for us to make a guest appearance on their stage.

And since the L$ was deposited anonymously, I've no idea who did this, and why.

The whole thing sounds suspicious, but— I thought I'd be able to know who it was if I went to the place in question.

Receiving the money gives me a bad taste in my mouth, but I can’t return it to them if I don’t even know who they are…

I feel as if they knew I'd think this way and led me by the nose.

[ ☆ ]

← prev ❖ all ❖ next →

Breakwaters are the long walls found near coastal cities that protect them as well as their sediment from general erosion and bad weather; in that sense, Seiya is acting as the barrier between the rest of the world and ES.

Through to modern times, the Chinese equivalent of the English idiom "speak of the Devil" is "speak of Cao Cao and Cao Cao arrives". Wiki link

[apricusnights]

Stories from the past #5.

"Did you even request permission to go digging through the personal files of a now retired soldier? You've got special privileges Doctor but sometimes I think you're trying to press my buttons on purpose."

Finishing his coffee before shrugging. "Seems like a lot of people have done quite a bit around here without permission. Someone going through files that were left behind is the least of your problems."

"If we're done here, I have to get back to work." Giving the commander a half-assed salute before heading off.

Time: Several years after the "Viceroy" incident.

Location: Guardian District.

The following are excerpts from the personal log of a soldier who wished to remain anonymous. They take place over the course of several years.

"Observation duty can be boring as crap. You do have to watch yourself though. Sometimes you start noticing weird little details that may or may not actually lead to something. Sometimes you gotta let it go. If I wrote down every little thing I wondered about in my official reports, they'd probably think I was out of my mind. Off the record though.."

"There's a kid that's been showing up on base. I honestly don't know where she's originally from. She's apparently one of the scientist's foster daughter. Cybele I think? Though I've seen Windsor around her every now and again. Am I the only one who thinks there's somethin off about that guy? Anyway, not the point."

"That kid is nice enough. The higher-ups don't seem to mind her being around too much. Though the more times I see her, the more times I just..wonder about things. I saw her playing around on some of the training courses. By playing around I mean actually doing some of the courses, and at a reasonable time no less. Yeah I actually timed her, just to see if I was losing it or not."

"Most of base has just grown accustomed to having her around by now. Despite her young age she's pretty good at Hecaball. Heard a few rumors that they may consider recruiting her for the team in a few years once she completely qualifies. As good as she is now, she might be a prodigy or something."

"Had a buddy tell me there's been some glitches in inventory. Occasionally some stuff shows up that nobody officially ordered. It sits there for a bit but before the clerk can have it sent back it tends to go missing. Since it's not on record of being ordered it's sort of hard to track down."

"First time actually being in the same room as the kid. Bunch of us sat down to play Caverns & Chimeras and she wanted to play. Not sure where she learned how but the game is popular enough so that's not a big concern. We let her. She's a sweet kid, knows a lot more about a lot of things than someone her age should probably know."

"Sometimes I wonder if I've watched too many sci-fi movies or something. It's just..people like Cybele, and especially Windsor, those are not the kind of people I think of when I think of folks that want kids. Not sayin Cybele's kid is some guinea pig or anything but..yeah I don't know, I need a vacation.."

[elusivewildflower]

I Want You to Stay | Luke Glanton x Reader

Pairing: Luke Glanton x F! Reader

Summary: The carnival is back in town, and you’re hoping to capture Handsome Luke’s attention just like last year. After all, the news you have to share might be enough to keep him around for more than a few days.

Warnings: Not much, it's generally pretty sweet and fluffy. If you've seen the movie, think kind of how it went with Romina & Luke, except Romina would actually want him to know his son and be around.

Word Count: 2.2k

A/N: It's been forever (again) since I've written something. But this idea has been sitting in my drafts for months. Somehow, I perfectly managed to get the word 'Stay' in Navy and Roo's @the-slumberparty One-Word Warm-Up, and immediately knew which fic to work on. I know it was supposed to be a drabble for the warm-up, but this totally went longer than that.

Your heart beat wildly in your chest as you grew closer to the sound of motorbikes revving their engines. The carnival surged around you, children screaming with delight, people laughing and cheering as they won a game, and even the faint sound of a live band playing in the distance reached your ears. It had been a year since this particular carnival was in town, setting up shop the last weekend in September, and it was opening night. You were late, which is why you were currently hustling your way through the crowds to reach your destination. Work had been way too busy to leave early, let alone on time. 

As you made your way into the tent, your nose scrunched up from the smell of exhaust. It was never your favorite, but you had your reasons for enduring the stench and the aggravatingly loud sound of dirt bikes in an enclosed area. Making your way towards a seat, your eyes caught a glimpse of the reason and you felt your breath hitch in your throat. His bleached blond hair was hidden beneath a helmet, but that red leather jacket gave him away. Handsome Luke and the Heartthrobs. Well, you only cared about Handsome Luke. 

You managed to get his autograph last year, and let’s just say that the two of you hit it off quite well. He may have only been around for three days, but you spent each and every hour that you possibly could together. Most of those hours were spent in your bed – but you held no regrets for that. It was, however, the exact reason you were here. Sure, at the end of the weekend, the two of you decided it was just a fling and you’d move on, but he never once called or texted. The phone may work both ways, but what you had to tell him, you didn’t feel comfortable speaking over the phone. Hell, you didn’t even feel comfortable telling him in person a year later, but you knew you had to. You owed him that much. 

When the show was over, you sat patiently as the audience slowly dispersed from the tent. He hadn’t seen you yet, but you knew he would. As if he could sense your presence, his attention turned towards you after saying goodbye to his mates. An unlit cigarette hung from his lips as he closed the distance between you. Just as he was about to reach you, a group of kids called out his stage name, holding up various items that they wanted him to sign. He glanced back and forth between you and them. 

“I gotta sign some autographs. Will you stick around?” He rasped out, a hopeful expression upon his face. 

His gruff voice seemed like music to your ears after not hearing it for so long. It brought back memories of all of the things he used to whisper to you. The memory and his presence simultaneously calmed and made you feel anxious. You opened your mouth to speak, but you couldn’t find your voice. You suddenly felt hot, like a blush was creeping up your cheeks and your hands were growing sweaty. You settled for nodding, and pulled your bottom lip between your teeth. 

He took that for an answer and turned on his heel to appease the young children with his autograph. Honestly, you liked watching him with the kids. He was always good at putting on a show, answering any questions they had and devoting his attention to them for a short time. A soft smile pulled at your lips as you hoped he’d react positively to the news you had for him. It didn’t ease the butterflies in your stomach, but you supposed for a moment they were there for  a different reason. 

Luke made his way back over to you, eyeing you up and down. “Are you free tonight?” 

You bit down on your bottom lip as you nodded. “Yeah, I’m free.” 

A smile graced his tattooed face. “Good. You wanna go for a walk?” 

You hesitated for a moment. “Uh, actually, can we go somewhere private? To talk?” 

Luke’s brows pulled together slightly, but he nodded. “Yeah, of course. Follow me.” He gestured towards the entrance to the tent with his head, moving in that direction a second later. 

He made sure that you were walking in step with him as he made his way to the employee’s designated smoking area. There wasn’t anyone around at the moment – and you assumed that was either because not many employees smoked, or they were all too busy working. Luke took a seat on the bench and patted the spot next to him before lighting up the cigarette that was still hung from his lips. When you sat next to him, he rested his hand on your bare thigh. 

“So, how have you been?” He questioned, taking a drag from his cigarette before blowing the smoke in the opposite direction of you. 

“Good. How about you?” You asked right back. You hated this small talk, but you were still trying to work up the nerve to say what you needed to. 

Luke gave a nod of his head, taking another pull from his cigarette. “Good.” He replied. 

The two of you sat in silence for a moment as he smoked. 

“So, you wanted to talk?” 

You nodded. “Yeah, I, uh, need to tell you something.” God, this was so much harder than you thought it would be. Your heart was beating so fast, it felt as if it would give out at any moment.

Luke gazed at you expectantly, a brow raised. 

“Luke, when you left, I found out that I….” You trailed off, the words dying in your throat. 

His warm hand squeezed your thigh gently, coaxing you to continue. “That you….?” 

You sucked in a breath of air, your eyes locked with his. “I was pregnant.” 

There was silence once again as Luke processed your words. You watched as he blinked a few times, completely stunned by this revelation. He took a long drag from his cigarette, the smoke he blew out of the corner of his mouth a second later billowed around him. 

“You were pregnant?” His voice was soft, almost a whisper. 

You nodded, releasing a heavy sigh. “Yeah,” you paused for a moment, watching for his reaction.  “Luke, you have a son.” 

Luke nodded to himself, his eyes breaking away from yours as he glanced around timidly, pulling another drag from his cigarette. “Where is he?”

“He’s here, with a friend.” You turned to look in the direction you had left your best friend and son prior to entering the tent, even though you couldn’t see them from where you sat. “The bikes would’ve been too loud for him, he’s only three months old.” You explained, bringing your attention back to Luke. 

Luke’s eyes met yours once more. “Can…Can I meet him?” His question was spoken just as softly as the last few, as if he were nervous. 

Your heart swelled in your chest, a bright smile spreading across your face. “Of course.”

Luke stubbed his cigarette as you moved to stand, and he followed suit. The two of you wordlessly make your way through the crowds, nerves radiating from each of you, until you spot the familiar head of your best friend, holding your son in her arms. She was crouched down, pointing towards a goat in the petting zoo. 

You call out her name as the two of you grow closer, gaining her attention. She raises to her full height, shifting your son onto her hip as she spins to greet you. Her eyes land upon Luke and a small smile spreads across her face. 

“I see you managed to find him.” 

You chuckled softly, reaching to take your son from her arms as he noticed your presence. He was already reaching for you before you could even introduce him to Luke. “That I did.” You responded cheekily. 

As you turned towards Luke, your best friend stepped away to give you some space. “Luke, this is your son, Noah.” You spoke softly, watching as he gazed at Noah in awe. 

Noah was playing with your hair, thankfully gently at the moment, and glancing all around. That is, until Luke spoke and drew his attention. 

“Can I hold him?” He asked, rubbing his hands together a few times before wiping them off on his pants. He probably had motor oil and God knows what else on his hands from the show. None of that bothered you, though. 

“Yeah, of course,” you replied without hesitation. 

Now that Luke had Noah’s attention, he was making grabby hands at him. Luke chuckled softly in response and carefully took him into his arms. Noah had always been a baby that loved to be held, but there was something about seeing him in Luke’s arms that made you feel complete. You wondered if somehow Noah knew who Luke was to him, because the way that he looked up at Luke seemed significant. His chunky little hand reached up and patted Luke’s cheek, then poked at the dagger he had tattooed under his eye, babbling nonsense all the while. 

The two of you laughed as your infant continued to explore his father. He was reaching for all of the tattoos he could see on Luke’s skin, and tugging at the collar of his red leather jacket. They were all such new experiences to Noah, but his excitement was palpable. You glanced around for a quick moment, noticing that the crowds were beginning to die down. 

“Do you want to walk around for a bit with him before we have to leave?” You asked, drawing Luke’s attention from Noah. 

He glanced around at the dispersing crowds for a moment before nodding. “Yeah, let’s go for a walk.” 

As you walked around the carnival, passing by the games, food trucks, and the tent where Luke performs, neither of you spoke. Noah was the only one babbling and making noises as he saw new things to be excited about. However, as the carnival entrance was in sight, Luke was the one to break the silence. 

“Has it been difficult?” He asked quietly. 

“Hmm?” You questioned, your head turning to look at him. You were too busy lost in your own thoughts to know what he meant by his question. 

“Raising him on your own, has it been hard?” He explained, asking his question in a different manner. 

You nibbled on your bottom lip as you mulled that over, eventually nodding. “A bit, yeah.” You then shrugged. “But my mom helps babysit when she can.” 

Luke nodded, his expression thoughtful as silence fell between you once more. It wasn’t necessarily awkward, but it was clear that neither of you quite knew what to say. You’ve had three months to acclimate to having a son, and nine months that he grew in your belly to prepare. Luke, on the other hand, did not. You knew it came as a shock to him, to say the least. 

Noah stayed in Luke’s arms until the three of you reached your car in the parking lot. That was when Luke gave him back and watched as you buckled him up properly in the backseat. He leaned against the car as you leaned against the open door, staring at each other for several moments. It seemed like neither of you would find the right words to speak, until Luke’s eyes finally left yours and drifted towards your son. 

“I don’t know what to do.” He admitted weakly. 

Your brows furrowed as you followed his gaze. “What do you mean?” 

Luke licked his lips and raked a hand through his hair. “I leave in two days. I won’t be back until next year.” He paused, shaking his head. “I don’t know what to do.” 

When your eyes meet once again, you can see the confliction clear as day on his face. 

Nervousness stirs in the pit of your stomach again as you open your mouth to speak. “You could…stay?” 

Luke seemed confused by your suggestion. “Stay?” 

You nod your head slowly, glancing towards your son who had begun to doze off in his carseat. “Yeah. You could stay here and help me raise Noah.” You explained. 

“You really want me to stay?” Luke questions, drawing your attention back to him. His expression is a bit unreadable, but his tone conveys his disbelief that you would want him to be in Noah’s life —  in your life. 

A warm smile spreads across your face. “Yeah, I do.” 

The corner of Luke’s lips turn upwards for a quick moment as he looks between you and Noah. “I’ll stay then.” He confirms confidently, taking a step closer to you. His hand reaches up to cradle your jaw, his blue eyes gazing into yours for a moment before he presses a gentle kiss to your lips. 

As the two of you part, a smirk pulls at the corner of your mouth. “Don’t think that I’m just forgiving you for not calling or texting, though.” You tease, feeling far removed from the annoyance you once held for that slight. After-all, you reminded yourself once more, the phone does work both ways. 

Luke chuckled slightly, leaning in to capture your lips in another kiss. This time, your lips pressed against each other more passionately, your arms wrapping around his neck and his around your waist. It was several long moments before he pulled away, resting his forehead against yours. 

“I’ll make it up to you, I promise.”  

[joaquinfeed]

He's My (Boy)Friend (Arthur Fleck x Reader)

Prompt: Arthur thinks you both are just friends. You believe you've been dating for weeks and are just taking it slow. Misunderstandings ensue.

Note: I am back. As I said on a little post on my page, I couldn't get into this account for the longest time. After a year of not writing for Arthur, here is a new reader fanfic. I hope you enjoy. Please keep in mind that I am very rusty (as I haven't written anything remotely creative in a year), and this may be out of character.

Warnings: Some cursing Word Count: 2453

You’re used to getting yourself into situations.

There are situations in your personal relationships, situations at work, and really, if you’re being honest, your life is mostly one giant situation. However, one constant in your world since moving to Gotham City is Arthur Fleck.

The conversations between you and him have always been easy and unconditional. Neither of you expects the other to fill the silence every time you’re together. Instead, you’re both happy just existing in each other’s space until the next topic of thought comes up naturally.

That’s not to say your connection with him is boring—oh no. Arthur quite literally crashed into your world at Pogo’s Comedy Club one night after tripping into your table and sending your drinks flying onto the ground around you. Since then, your relationship with him has been a whirlwind of comfortable discussions, movie nights, and private comedy show’s containing Arthur’s best jokes.

And because of that, you’ve put absolutely no effort into stopping your heart from calling him near.

“Y/N, did you hear me?”

You glance up to see Arthur’s neighbor Sophie standing in front of you with a smirk. Her brown eyes flicker with amusement as she leans against the wall of the building’s lobby.

“Sorry, Soph,” you smile sheepishly. “I was thinking.”

She gives you a knowing look before asking, “What about?”

“You know, just life things,” you shrug, trying to move past her towards the elevator that will take you to Arthur’s floor.

“Life stuff? I believe I’m familiar with that,” she chuckles, following you. “Does this ‘life stuff’ have anything to do with the long-haired, awkward clown from upstairs?”

“He’s not…awkward,” you tell her, pushing the button to the floor and leaning back to look at her. “He’s a nice guy.”

“People can be awkward and nice, you know? The two aren’t mutually exclusive.”

“Fine, he might be a little awkward, but he’s charming too,” you say, crossing your arms. “He’s really sweet and funny, and he cares about people, Sophie. It’s not like you and I are so perfect and—”

“Hey, hey, hey,” she interrupts you before putting a hand on your arm and giving it a squeeze. “I’m not trying to make fun of Arthur, okay? Relax.”

You sigh. “Sorry, people can just be so shitty to him that sometimes I forget not everyone is trying to be malicious.”

“It’s all good,” she smiles. “You gotta stick up for your boyfriend, right?”

“Yeah,” you breathe out, biting your lip. “My boyfriend.”

The elevator comes to a shaky stop, and the doors slide open with a piercing screech. You step out into the hallway and take a right, walking silently towards Sophie’s apartment.

After a few quiet seconds, she glances over at you. “Are you okay?”

“Yeah, why?”

“Arthur’s apartment is back the other way,” she says, pointing past the elevator to the other end of the long hallway.

“I know, I just—” you stop, hesitating on your next words. “I need some advice.”

Sophie stays quiet, prompting you to continue, but the familiar feeling of embarrassment washes over you as you contemplate your next words to her.

“I’m sorry, I know you’ve got to get inside to your kid, and I’m taking up all your time,” you start, letting out a sigh of frustration. “It’s just—It’s Arthur. How do I talk to him about where we are in the relationship? You know, Soph, it’s been almost five weeks of us dating, and he hasn’t tried to kiss me at all. I realize he could just be shy, but I’m kind of worried that maybe he doesn’t actually have feelings for me.”

“Ha! Arthur doesn’t have feelings for you,” she snorts, her face only turning more serious once she sees your frown. “Y/N, that’s the dumbest thing I’ve ever heard. That dude looks at you like you literally flew to space and hung the stars and sun yourself.”

You smile softly as Sophie continues to speak.

“If you’re worried about why he’s not kissing you, just ask him,” she shrugs. “What’s the worst that could happen? And if you don’t want to do that, just kiss him yourself. Maybe he’s the kind of guy who wants you to make a move first.”

“I guess I could kiss him,” you say skeptically before stopping to roll your eyes. “God, I feel like I’m in middle school.”

“I hear you,” she chuckles. “Dating never gets easier.”

You nod, stepping aside as Sophie unlocks her door and pushes it open. You thank her for her help, and she makes you promise to text her with updates on the ‘Arthur situation’ before she heads into her place, and you turn to walk back down the hallway to the opposite end.

When you reach Arthur’s door, you knock twice quietly, trying to be mindful of his mother, who’s usually napping around early afternoon. You listen carefully, and soon you can hear someone moving about inside. A few seconds later, the door opens up just enough for Arthur’s head to pop out from behind it.

“Hey,” you flash him a gentle smile, and he quickly steps back to open the door the rest of the way. “I didn’t mean to take so long, but I got caught in a conversation with Sophie.”

“That’s okay,” he says, letting you walk inside before shutting the door. “I was just helping my mom get into bed.”

You wait for him to join you on the couch before letting your arms snake around him in a hug, which he immediately returns.

“You’re so sweet with her,” you mumble into his shoulder. “She’s lucky to have a son like you.”

“Thank you,” he whispers, keeping the ambiance around you both hushed and relaxing.

As you hold him close, you feel Arthur’s steady breaths hitting your neck, and you realize for the first time since you’ve met him, he’s not erupting into uncomfortable, painful laughter after a compliment from you.

You pull back just enough to get a look into his eyes, but you only see warmth reflecting back at you. Suddenly, Sophie’s words from earlier are ringing through your ears. Just kiss him yourself. Maybe he wants you to make the first move. Just kiss him yourself. Just kiss him yourself.

For the three seconds it takes your lips to find his, you question whether Sophie’s advice was actually good advice. Still, as your lips finally collide into a soft kiss after weeks of waiting, the only other thought besides “Arthur” in your head is that you better write Sophie a thank you note.

You’re so caught up in Arthur’s taste overpowering all of your senses that you don’t even notice he’s not kissing back until you feel him tense up under your touch. You pull away gently, looking into his eyes, only to see that the warmth from earlier has been replaced by shock.

“Artie, are you okay?”

“I—I’m—” he stammers, his mouth twitching up into a smile.

On anyone else, it would have been endearing, but you’ve known him long enough to realize where this was going.

“Arthur,” you say in a low voice, backing up a few inches to give him some space on the cushioned couch. “What do you need?”

He covers his mouth, his head shaking, as short bursts of laughter sound through the apartment. You sit there, not wanting to ask him any questions that would only spur his condition along.

“S-sorry,” he breathes out between his laughs. “Not—not you.”

You nod sympathetically before walking to the kitchen to retrieve a glass of water for him once he’s calmed down. As the sink water fills into the glass, you can hear Arthur’s wheezing turn into shallow breaths as he comes down from his attack.

You turn off the sink handle and walk back to the couch, placing the glass in front of him before taking your place by his side once again.

“Thank you,” he says for the second time that day after taking a few sips from the glass and returning it to the table.

“Are you okay?”

He nods, staying quiet.

“I’m sorry if that made you uncomfortable,” you say, trying to keep your voice steady so you don’t launch him into another attack. “I should have asked if you were okay with it. I just figured it might be okay since it’s been a month since we started this.”

His eyebrows furrow in confusion as he looks off to another part of the room. You can tell he’s wracking his brain for something; you’re just not sure what, and before you can ask, he’s looking back at you.

“What did we start?”

“Huh?”

“What did we, um, start a month ago?”

“Oh,” you say in realization. “I just meant that we started dating a month ago.”

Arthur’s eyes go wide beside you, but you’re too focused on getting the words you want to say out that you don’t notice.

“I know we promised to take it slow,” you continue. “It’s just really hard to not kiss you. When you make jokes, and your whole face lights up, or when you talk about Carnival and the shows you get to put on for the kids at the hospital, or when you answer the door in your cute pajama pants and messy hair—I mean, just everything. Everything makes me want to kiss you, Arthur. So, when you didn’t kiss me, I thought maybe you didn’t actually want to date me. Maybe you just didn’t know how to say no?”

The room is dead silent for a few looming seconds before Arthur squeaks out, “We’re dating?”

You pause, thinking to yourself. Did he ask me that? Was that a question? You run your mind back over every interaction from the moment you met him until now, and nowhere can you find an explanation as to how you could have misinterpreted the friendship for romance. Everything Arthur has said—everything you have said—makes it perfectly clear that you two are romantically involved. Right?

“Um, yes,” you push out a little awkwardly, hoping this is one of Arthur’s weird jokes. When he doesn’t immediately crack a smile, and instead, you see his cheeks flush red, you realize you truly have found yourself in another situation—a big, ill-fated, uncomfortable situation. Without warning, your eyes glaze over with tears as you come to terms with how much you messed up and what this will mean for your future with the comedian.

“Oh, God, Arthur,” you groan, putting your head into your hands. “I’m so sorry. This is all a huge misunderstanding. I thought you knew.”

“Y/N, can you look at me,” Arthur gently pulls at your arm. “When—why did you think that?”

You sigh. “Last month, I asked you to dinner, remember? I tried to be very obvious that it would just be the two of us. We went to that Italian restaurant downtown. I mean, didn’t you notice that the lights were dim, there were flowers on every table, and every other person in there was with their partner? It was clearly a date-night spot.”

“I didn’t notice,” he says honestly. “I only noticed you.”

You smile, feeling heat spreading through your chest.

“And when we came back to your place,” you continue, “you told me you wanted to take things slow! We had that whole conversation about being hurt in the past, being new to relationships, and all that. I even asked if we were official! How could I not get the wrong idea?”

“I’m sorry,” he says, looking ashamed and embarrassed by his oblivious behavior. “I thought—I thought you meant as friends.”

You tear your eyes away from his as a fresh set of tears forms. You cannot believe you’ve just been dumped—well, not technically, but it sure felt like it. Instead, and more accurately, you’ve just found out that your romance with Arthur has been no more than a figment of your imagination essentially. Of course, our “dates” were nothing more than friendly outings, you think to yourself. The loving touches, soft hugs, and whispered compliments were nothing but exchanges between two emotionally stunted friends. How fucking embarrassing.

Before you can wallow in self-pity any longer, Arthur starts speaking again.

“Did I hurt you?”

You shake your head ‘no,’ but you both know you’re lying. “I just feel kind of stupid and like I took advantage of you.”

“You didn’t!”

You jump slightly at Arthur’s outburst, but your eyes stay trained on the floor in front of you as you talk. “I was being greedy for something that I never had in the first place.”

“You had me,” he says, almost begging with his words for you to meet his eyes again. “or—or you can have me.”

At that, you finally take a glimpse up, only to find that Arthur has shifted, so your noses are nearly touching once you catch his gaze.

“I can?”

He nods jerkily, emotions flashing across his face. “I’m sorry, I didn’t realize before. I never thought you would want me like this.”

“I don’t know how anyone wouldn’t want you like this,” you tell him. “To be completely clear, I mean romantically.”

Arthur’s smirk at your joke slowly turns into a shy smile as he glances down at your lips that are only inches away from his. “Would it be okay if I kiss you?”

“I thought you’d never ask,” you chuckle as he closes the distance between you two. You cup his jaw, kissing him tenderly as he responds in kind. The kiss is a little clunky and awkward as you two try and figure each other out, but it’s easily the best kiss you’ve ever had.

By the time you finally pull apart, your heart is hammering in your chest, and your head’s a little dizzy from the feeling of Arthur’s lips on yours.

“Okay, and just to make sure,” you start, “I was kissing you with romantic intent. I have feelings for you.”

Arthur gives you a bewildered look. “You have feelings for me?”

“Wha—,” you stare at him for a moment, dumbfounded, before he breaks eye contact to try and gain control over his impending smile. You narrow your eyes in faux annoyance as you realize he’s only joking. “Oh, ha-ha. You think you’re so funny, Mr. Comedian, but you’re just an ass.”

“Well, maybe you will just have to convince me a little harder that we’re dating,” he smiles.

“Oh, I will definitely have to,” you say, bringing up a hand to rest on his cheek, “And after we’re done, trust me, there will be no room for a misunderstanding.”

[booksrbetterthanpeople]

Incorrect sb+ib with she ra and the princesses of power quotes?

Max: Imperfection is what makes scientific experimentation possible! Imperfection is beautiful!... At least, to me.

—

Alya: Isn’t it obvious? There’s an amok spy somewhere in the school! *Thunder and lightning* And no one is going anywhere until we figure out who it is!

—

Scarlet Beetle: He’s just so cute!

Monarch: I am not cute!

—

Rose: It’s not easy being the friendly and upbeat girl all the time! And I get that it’s hard being friends sometimes. You gotta work at it. So why am I always the only one who’s willing to work at it?

—

Jean: I can’t cry on cue. Whenever a roll calls for tears, the only thing that works is thinking about people falling. They’re tears of laughter, but no one can tell the difference!

—

Ikati Black: Ooh! Are we messing with Scarlet?! *Sits in Scarlet Beetle’s lap and purrs*

Scarlet Beetle: Ikati, do you have to sit right there?

—

Aurore: The Scarlet Akumas are wreaking havoc across Paris! We gotta find a way to survive, and-

Cosette: Leave this to me! *Slams their notebook on the table and opens it to a few illustrations* I've been keeping track of everyone’s weakness. And I've figured out the best tactical strategy to overpower every one of them. Nath’s weakness is obvious.

Aurore: Uh-huh, uh-huh. Real obvious. And, um, ahem, what is it exactly?

Cosette: Everyone knows he twisted his ankle when he was a kid. If you keep him off balance, his injury will act up on him. *Flips to a page of them kicking Nathaniel’s ankle* So if we come across Evillustrator, I'll target it, and subdue him, and take his akuma, and save him, and remind him of it every time he tries to take the last cupcake at lunch! *Shows a drawing of Nathaniel handing her a cupcake*

Simon: Right. But could we circle back to your not-at-all-weird-and-very-detailed theories on our weaknesses?

Ismael: Yeah, not all of us will be as easy as a twisted ankle.

Cosette: Oh, you don't believe me. That's--That's fine. I'll just demonstrate. Simon’s weakness? *Pushes a laptop off of a desk which Simon quickly catches* tech.

Simon: Demon!

Cosette: Mireille- loud noises. Reshma- also loud noise. Aurore can't act to save her life. Also, EXTERME pigtail-envy with Stormy Weather. Ismael- crippling self-doubt mixed with overwhelming hubris.

Ismael: Whoa, whoa, whoa, that's, like, really personal compared to loud noises.

Denise: What about me?

Cosette: An inability to unleash your full strength due to your overwhelming fear of hurting the people you care about.

Denise: Some might say that's actually a positive quality.

Cosette: It's really not. Jean weakness... *Scrolling through a comments section* Terrible reviews of plays he was in.

Jean: NO! *Smacks the phone out of Cosette’s hand* You've spent a lot of time thinking about this, huh?

Cosette: Contingency plans are how you win, and we will win.

Lacey: Okay, we get it. They are easy to take down. You and your files don't have anything on real threats, like me. *Sees Cosette holding a picture of her brothers over a lit match* You monster!

—

Marinette: *After meeting Audrey* Chloé… *Holds her hands* You’re worth more than what you can give to other people. You deserve love, too.

—

Monarch: I’m like, the only one who’s not a hero.

—

Denise: I Am Brave, Strong, Loyal, And I Give Great Hugs!

—

Simon: What does it say?

Alix: *Reading her dad’s note* It says, “What did the ancient Greeks say when they burned dinner?” … “It was ruined.”

—

Cosette: So, we all pitched in, took Jean’s ration bars for a week, and made this! *Points to a cake*

Jean: I’m hungry, but celebrating your victory is worth it.

—

*After the Wish was made, it’s now the canon universe*

Lila: *Sits next to Nathaniel* Hi. I’m Lila.

Nathaniel: Oh, hey. Nathaniel.

Lila: … *Stares at him* You know, I don’t know what it is, but I do not like you.

—

Nathaniel: *Pulling Alix along* Come on, let’s get you outside. You need some air.

Alix: No, Nath, I don’t need air- *Suddenly, she and Nathaniel are on the roof of the school* … How… How did we get out here?

Nathaniel: We climbed up, like we always do. Don’t you remember?

Alix: I don’t know what’s happening to me. It’s like I’m losing my mind!

Nathaniel: You just need to relax.

Alix: Yeah. Yeah, you’re right. I’m fine. Everything’s fine. *Looks at Nathaniel, and for a brief second, he turns into Monarch* …

Nathaniel: Of course, I’m right. Everything’s perfect. I mean, unless you count HawkMoth running around, but, that’s why we got Ladybug and Chat Noir.

—

Lila: *Pouring some chloroform into a rag* In fact, Kim, I think I know some nice people who can help if you just-

Kim: *Quickly turns around and Lila hides the rag* Lila! You have to remember something! Tell me you remember! Everyone’s acting like things are perfect, except for you. Oh, and don’t get me started on Nath-

Lila: Nath?… Nathaniel?… *Has a flashback of Monarch striking her with his cane and a pink tambourine cracking*

Kim: … You do remember.

Lila: … N-No, I… *Has a flashback of Monarch snatching Scarlet Beetle and Ikati Black’s Miraculous* I mean, I don’t know. And, Nathaniel, he… Did he… Do something? *Looks around, startled* … What’s going on?! I keep forgetting things!… This is all wrong! How did we get here?

—

Marinette: *Having flashbacks of Monarch transforming back into Nathaniel, putting on the Ladybug and Black Cat Miraculous, and smirking* Nathaniel. It was Nathaniel! Nathaniel did this. He… He was dressed as Shadow Moth, he took… *Flashes back to Scarlet Beetle and Ikati Black unconscious on the ground transforming into Kim and Max* The Miraculous… He made the Wish?!

—

Kim: Oh, wow. This is gonna be a lot to explain. And it’s gonna sound a little weird, but I swear, it’s all true. *Sighs* … Reality is collapsing in on itself because of the Wish Nathaniel made back in a different reality. The Nathaniel here had the Butterfly Miraculous in the other world except you guy don’t remember because the Wish altered memories. It was pretty crazy. The Butterfly Miraculous is now in Hawkmoth’s hands, but I promise, it used to be Nathaniel’s, and Marc had the Peacock Miraculous, and I was fighting Nathaniel and Marc when they had the Butterfly and Peacock Miraculous, because I had the Ladybug Miraculous and I was fighting them alongside by partner, Ikati Black. I had the same powers as Ladybug, but a cooler suit, but Nathaniel- Monarch, used the Ladybug and Black Miraculous to make the wish, and I need Ladybug and Chat Noir to help re-do the wish and save all reality. *Takes a deep breath and starts panting*

Master Fu: I… Uh…

—

Marinette: *Grabs Austin T’s shoulders* Austin, I know what I’m about to say sounds crazy, but-

Austin T: Is this about the unstable portal caused by Nathaniel’s wish that’s slowly consuming and warping our reality?

Marinette: Now, you’re not gonna believe- What did you just say?

Austin T: Oh, I figured it all out a while ago while you guys were still freaking out about Nath and Marc being villains in another reality.

—

Marcelle: Nino! You aren’t the spy!

Nino: You don’t know that! It all makes sense. Who else could it be? *Thunder and lightning*

—

Cosette: I think I saw Marinette with Nino’s phone.

Nino: Wait, you guys have been here the whole time?

Cosette/Simon/Lacey: Uhh…

Cosette: *Offers a cupcake* Cupcake?

~

Sabrina: I can’t believe you read those two! Dark Mystery: The Mercury Case is my favorite.

Alya: Ugh, that one’s so predictable. I saw that twist coming a mile away.

~

Chloé: *Posing on the table*

Kim: Chloé. You weren’t even there.

~

Adrien: I told you how I took out 100- No, 150 guys, right?

Alya: *Groans*

~

Nino: You have to arrest me for everyone’s safety! Otherwise my evil alter-ego might do it again!

Max: Nino. Knock it off.

~

Chloé: *Posing with a ball and chain*

Kim: Still no! And put that back!

~

Max: *After interviewing Manon and Kiran, Mme. Bustier and Mendeleieve, and Denise and Simon who look a little irked after their date was interrupted* Not them. No. No.

Lacey: Okay, so, I think, like, maybe Scarlet Beetle did it!

Alix: Hey! We already questioned you!

Lacey: Oh yeah, I came back for the cupcakes!

[citizensofeggtonarchived]

"Well, only reason I straightened out was because of Lily. Didn't make the smartest choices in my younger years." Poppy used to be a very different person. One that was simply angry at the world that was angry at her, though that was behind her by this point and while she may still have a temper she was far better at controlling it than she used to be.

"Uh, the best I can help you with is I was in the Kingdom of Flora and on my way to a small town called Eggton. Mostly canine live there as it's, well, canine territory." Poppy had been all over the place, though Flora had been somewhat the easiest on her as most people just tried to ignore her and act like she didn't exist rather than make threats or straight out attack her just for walking around. "If I remember correctly Kit Darling is the acting Queen while her older sister is taking over as the head of the family. Something about their dad being too sick to do that right now." The opossum couldn't remember seeing as it was a recent thing that happened before she found herself here.

"Well, sometimes the hand we get sucks, but just gotta make it work as best we can, right?" Poppy felt like fate dealt her an extra bad hand considering how she lost her parents when she was no older than Lily, though she'd keep that one to herself for the time being. No need to overshare and bring down the mood. "Besides, if I can end up making sure Lily is set before kicking the old bucket then that's more than enough for me." The opossum just wanted to live a simple life and take care of her daughter until it was her time as that was enough for her.

"Oh, I just meant I'm not as in shape as I used to be. Don't get me wrong, I'm still plenty strong and I keep myself on a good diet, though it's been a bit since I've actually done any solid workouts." Poppy spent most of her time take care of Lily and making sure to raise her right so somethings had to be cut like her workouts she used to do, yet it was worth it at the end of the day. "Might take me a bit to get back into things without feeling like my body is gonna give out on me." She could already imagine the struggles in getting her body back into shape.

"Yeah, I've got no clue about setting tax's or any stuff like that. I'm good at managing money, though that's about it." Poppy couldn't imagine the struggling of find a tax rate for a city let alone an entire kingdom. The opossum was good at math, though not that good. "I'd say you both have pretty important jobs. You make people safe and keep things in order without stepping on any toes while making sure you've got other's trained to help defend the people and he does the background work to keep people happy with their day to day lives. At least, I think I'm reading that right." She was simply guessing that's how it was, though she could be completely wrong.

"I know that, though if you let her she'll bug you for hours on end with question after question and to me I find it adorable. I've just met people who can't manage curiosity very well or won't even try." Poppy knew Lily can be a handful, though she is just a kid so of course she was going to be a lot to handle. At least it sounded like Blaze's mom had a soft spot for kids so she didn't have to worry about her daughter overloading the Goddess when they met. "It sounds like me and your mom will get along great, regardless if she let's me stay here or not." The opossum was thinking she had a good chance, though there could be other factors that force Blaze's mom to have to send her back home, even if she doesn't want to. Only time will tell.

Poppy watched as Gardon struggles to try and catch Lily, already knowing that was a pointless venture. The opossum took noticed her daughter continued to run around even after Blaze attempted to get her attention as well as the other's. "Oh, you just gotta know how to reign her back in. Lily, how about you take a seat on the bed so you can tell me all about the cool stuff you found in here."

Lily stopped in her tracks before rushing over to the bed, climbing on it before taking a seat on the side, her feet hanging off the side as she kicked them back and forth. "I found a lot of super cool stuff. There's all kinds of pencils, papers, staples, and more office stuff in the dresser. The bed is super comfy and super bouncy. I went super high, though I did almost fall off. The bathroom is super duper big. I bet we can both take a bath in the tub and the sink is very tall. I couldn't even climb on it. Everything looks fancy too and we got a super big window. Oh, and-" The young opossum just kept going on about what she found in the room and how it looked.

"That should keep her busy for awhile." Poppy was used to keeping up a conversation while also listening to Lily talk about pretty much anything. The opossum could recall her daughter always asking if she was listening to which she would simply repeat what she's heard so far and at this point she knew that she'd always be listening to her now matter what. "Thanks for looking after her so me and Blaze could talk."

Poppy hoped what little she could tell about the people from her world who tried to help out opossum's would be a help, though she just wasn't sure. The opossum was more focused on the fact she had to constantly move just to keep herself and Lily safe so she never kept up on any politics's.

"Ah, it was worth a shot, though I can get not wanting to make your mom made." Poppy could recall the times she avoided trouble not to make her adoptive mother mad at her. "Ah, I'm over him by this point, just hoping he got a bit of karma is all." The opossum didn't wish anything bad to happen to him, though he was sure things would catch up to him if they haven't already. "Though, if you do see him. Let him know Lily is fine and healthy. I know he's a jerk, though I'm sure he'd like to make sure his own kid is doing okay." She was sure he'd be glad to hear she was alright and he did have somewhat of a right to know being her father and all.

Poppy took notice when Blaze looked away and while she may be able to tell by looking at her she could sense something was amiss. Something she seemed to have picked up since having Lily. "Well, that's just how life is. Some get to live longer and other's don't. We can spend our time feeling bad about it or wishing to change it, but I think it's better to live life to the fullest no matter how long one may have. I mean, why worry about how much time you have left when you can focus on using that time." The opossum wasn't sure if this was simply because she had a short life compared to anyone that wasn't an opossum, though that's just what she believed.

"Well, I guess going on a light jog doesn't count towards any of those stuff, though I think it can be just as important. Making connections comes in many different ways even the little stuff. I have zero clue about running a kingdom, commanding a military, or priest stuff, though I'd say I've gotten good at dealing with people and sometimes something small can go a long ways." Poppy was kinda getting off the subject of jogging, though she felt like it was some advice Blaze could use, that's what her gut was telling her. "Doubt I could keep up with you, though I'll try my best."

"Well, I think you're already doing an amazing job. I mean, your guards seem to respect you and I'm sure you people do to along with feeling safe you're here to keep things in order." Poppy may not have known Blaze long, though she seemed so kind and respectful that it was hard to imagine her as this paranoid and ruthless ruler she says she once was. "Hopefully I can help with that if I get to stay. I always try to make someone's day a bit better in my world if I can so I'm sure here I can do more." The opossum wouldn't have to worry about anyone being hostile to her just for being an opossum. She wondered if some might not like her from being from a different world, though only time would tell with that.

"I'm still gonna say thanks anyway. I'm sure Lily will be a handful with all that energy she has, though she loves to learn, maybe a bit too much sometimes." Poppy could recall countless time she's just went on and on with questions, though it was hard to tell her to stop as it was only because she wanted to learn more about, well, anything. "I'm sure when she gets the chance she'll ask you loads more questions and if she gets to talk to your mom even she might not have enough time to answer all her questions." The opossum hoped it wasn't improper to make a joke like that, though she was sure even a Goddess might have a hard time keeping up with Lily's curiosity.

"Let's hope Lily can sit still long enough to have him check," Poppy said as she entered the room. Lily seems to have woken up as she was currently tearing through the room like a small tornado. Jumping on the bed, opening anything that can be opened, and just running all over the place. "Guess that nap gave her a lot of energy to burn off."