my-arlington-academia

[my-arlington-academia]

It’s been a few months now, and I honestly can’t see myself ever going back to liking Dulcet again, especially sweet elite. I remember it from time to time and I try to at least stay positive about it but everytime, each thought has a bitter after-taste.

I still see people liking some of my old posts but I’m starting to wonder if it would be better if I just deleted this blog.

[my-arlington-academia]

Hope you're doing well with all of what's happening. I certainly am having a lot of feelings right now, as another fan of SE. Just wanted to say that. Feel free to ignore.

Hey there, no worries and thank you for the kind message!

Honestly, I don’t even have the energy to be angry. Since you’re sending me this I’m guessing you’re someone who still visits my blog despite the fact that I’ve been literally missing for months (thank you!) Truth is I’ve started going to uni and sweet elite just sort of got out of my head for a bit (and believe it or not but I have other interests too lol).

I’m not even gonna lie, I was really hoping for dulcet games to succeed because I wanted to try working for them one day if the opportunity ever came, whether it would be translating the games into French or trying to write a story myself once I improved enough.

I know people will wait for an answer from their part and I 100% respect that, but as someone who was active on the dulcet discord server for about a year or so (even maybe 2) I recognized some of the screenshots in this "call-out" post or whatever else you want to call it, so this makes me further believe to the rest of the screenshots although I’m not sure from which server or servers they come from exactly.

Realistically speaking, I don’t think anyone would go through the trouble of faking so much info? Plus, the way they talk in the screenshots is accurate to how they used to talk when they were still communicating with their fans on the server. (I mean like, speech patterns, their personality, etc.)

So yeah, overall, I believe this unfortunately. (Also, Serena on the server said that she wants to "take accountability" and "properly apologize" so she’s not denying any of it.)

I’m just not sure what to do from now on tbh. I have no trouble separating the art from the artist but I sure wouldn’t want to support them in any way. I guess we could all agree that the characters and the story of sweet elite belong to us from now on? Idk. I feel like an apology and "taking accountability" are useless for all of the things they did and said. It’s way too much and it’s way too grave. I’ll wait and see what they do just in case but... I’m not hoping for anything.

#sweet elite #dulcet games #I’m just confused and disgusted I guess #I saw Serena as a role model to follow as cringy as this sounds #own their own company? #make a living by writing stories? #interact with fans and treat them like friends? #it’s awesome #I could’ve never imagined all of this #the MJ stuff isn’t looking good either...

[my-arlington-academia]

Evidence - Alt Accounts

The following posts will be covering the speculation that Layelle/MJ, the community manager of Dulcet Games has created multiple alt accounts over the timespan that she has been a member of the official Dulcet Games server. The theory is that these accounts have been used by her to achieve different personal objectives. Most commonly to: call out certain people she wouldn’t be able to as herself, bring attention to herself, cause drama, make herself seem like a victim and to garner sympathy. These alternate accounts have caused major drama and upset to people, harassed people and wasted the time of many others.

For 95% of evidence in these following posts, that is still accessible, videos have been taken of to further solidify the evidence and so the parties mentioned in this document would not be able to claim that this evidence is fabricated.

All names are blurred out for privacy, but if any witnesses would like to speak out or share their story, they are welcome to do so.

The Accounts in Question

Ocean As of September 2021 : Banned from The Dulcet Games server, and Discord account terminated.

Pinkie As of September 2021 : Still inside the Dulcet Games server.

Lonegirl As of September 2021 : Banned from the Dulcet Games server, and account is terminated.

Sonia As of September 2021 : Still inside the Dulcet Games server.

Key:

Alt account - Alternate accounts made by one person to pretend to be someone else

Prune/Purge/Purging - Mass deletion of messages from a server using a bot (accessed and performed by the staff of a server)

Other Server - Another fan Discord server, which is not related to the official Dulcet Games Discord server

MIA - Missing in action/disappeared

Serena - Server Boss at the Dulcet Games official server, COO at Dulcet Games

Layelle - (also known professionally as “MJ”) the main discussion in this document, the alleged creator of these alt accounts, community manager and marketer at Dulcet Games

Sun - Layelle/MJ’s boyfriend

Olivier - CEO of Dulcet Games and Serena’s partner

TW // mentions of sex, COVID-19, body shaming, Nazis, bullying based on Zodiac signs

Masterlist:

Fake Account Tutorial

Dates

Screenshot Names

Pictures on Desktop

Speech Patterns

Extra Suspicious Points

Astrology

Obsessive and Self Praise

Strangely Interested in Sun and/or Layelle’s Relationship

Mentioning Staff by Name

Maintenance Issue “First time” Talking to Layelle

Layelle on the Alts

Similarities Zodiac and Birthdates Adult Channel Stories Drama Seeking Gossip Girl Demanding Apologies and Warnings to Others

Fake Fan Review

Conclusion

The evidence has been shown and stated, and now it’s up to you, the reader, the fandom and everyone else, to come to your own conclusion on how you feel, and what you think about all of this.

Everything in these threads is speculated, but it is clear to see that the evidence is quite solid to show that many of these events cannot be only coincidences. That said, everything in these threads is ALLEGED.

#hhhhhhhhh #oh god... #I get why people care less about this post than the other one #since not everyone is on the DG discord server #but as someone who was somewhat active during a certain amount of time on the server #the idea of this potentially being true is disturbing #I don't know what to believe anymore but #unfortunately this looks pretty legit... #on a stand-alone basis each of these points could be ridiculous #put all together though? #yikes. #if this is really true then I wonder if Serena knew about it

[my-arlington-academia]

Evidence - Dulcet Games

This document will be covering multiple cases of inappropriate things said and done by Serena (COO at Dulcet Games) and Layelle/MJ (Community Manager and Marketer) such as bullying, doxxing, bigotry, leaking private company information and more.

For 95% of evidence in this document, that is still accessible, videos have been taken of to further solidify the evidence and so the parties mentioned in this document would not be able to claim that this evidence is fabricated.

All names are blurred out for privacy, but if any witnesses would like to speak out or share their story, they are welcome to do so. 

Key:

Serena - Writer of the game Sweet Elite, Server Boss at the Dulcet Games official discord server, COO at Dulcet Games

Layelle - (also known professionally as “MJ”) Community manager and marketer at Dulcet Games

Sun (also known as Lukas) - Layelle/MJ’s boyfriend

Olivier - CEO of Dulcet Games and Serena’s partner

Rafael - Lead developer at Dulcet Games

Finn - Former worker at Dulcet Games

Nadir (also known as Keith) - Worker at Dulcet Games as the writer of the game Kortia

Gen - Worker at Dulcet Games as the co-writer of the game Kortia

Andy - Worker at Dulcet Games as the writer of the game Black Tarot, former co-writer of the game Sweet Elite

Dorito (also known as Alison) - Dulcet Games’ current artist

Eli - Dulcet Games’ former community manager 

VNs - Visual Novels

DMs - Direct Messages

TW // Transphobia, doxxing, racism, xenophobia, ableism, sexual topics 

Afficher davantage

#not sure what to say #or if I should even say anything #but I think it's important for everyone to read this #sweet elite #dulcet games #my feelings are all over the place

[my-arlington-academia]

Seeker: *just vibing and trying to live a good life*

The world:

Seeker:

#black tarot game #black tarot #bruh imagine #someone is legit trying to kill you through your dreams #I would be so done hahakfjdhfhduej #screenshots

[my-arlington-academia]

Pinky promise scene with Vinn

Aaaaaaaaa Vinn didn’t know what a pinky promise is 🥺 So cute 💗

#black tarot game #black tarot #Vinn #screenshots #chapter 3 made me love Vinn haha #although I already liked him

[my-arlington-academia]

Chaya summoning scene (chapter 2)

Ngl I’m kinda living for her dead fish eyes 😂

#black tarot game #black tarot #the fact that we can summon them is cool but kinda funny at the same time #like imagine Seeker going #'Chaya I choose you!' #the crystal 6 are pokemons #we connected the dots guys /J #Chaya #screenshots

[my-arlington-academia]

Beautiful lady! (Art creds: @recklesssketches)

#aaaaaaaaa I love herrrr #Nubiiii you really make the best edits 👍👏 #keep it upppp #reblogs

[my-arlington-academia]

Kissing the cards of the Crystal 6 goodnight 🌌🌙 (headcanons/scenarios)

Since the crystal 6 can feel a "tingle" when Seeker draws their card from the deck during a reading, that got me thinking: What if they also feel a "tingle" through their card when Seeker is touching it outside of a reading? Or in this case, what if Seeker kisses it? 🤔

Chaya

- Blushes right away

- What she felt... it was lips, right?

- "B-but why would Seeker kiss my card? That’s kind of silly, maybe I’m mistaken..."

- Spoilers: she wasn’t mistaken 😂

- This feeling comes only when Seeker is alone in their room

- Chaya quickly comes to the conclusion that this isn’t just a random feeling she gets out of nowhere, it really is Seeker kissing her card before falling asleep...

- She tries to confront them about it, although really shyly

- "Seeker, I don’t mean to pry b-but... You’ve been doing something to my card lately, right?"

- Seeker just goes silent for a moment

- "So... You could feel that?!? Oh God..."

- Chaya is really confused, she’s unsure of what to do next and just sorta stands there silently until Seeker calms down

- Does that mean Seeker will stop doing that?! Chaya regrets confronting them now, it’s not like she disliked it

- On the contrary, if she had to be completely honest, she liked it. A lot.

- "Will... Will you stop doing it? I’m totally fine with it so you can keep going! Uh- only if you want to, of course!"

- Seeker is not dumb, they got the message: Chaya likes the feeling she gets when they kiss her card

- And so, they get a little bit cocky. Seeker takes Chaya’s card out of the deck and kisses it right in front of her

- As always, Chaya blushes but she covers her face this time, knowing that Seeker is watching her reaction

- "Wh-what was that for?! You can just kiss me directly when we’re together..."

Kera

- Understands what it is right away although she doesn’t 100% get why Seeker is doing that

- Sometimes, she doubts her judgement a bit because of the confusion, though she quickly gets back on track

- "Come on, Kera. What they’re doing is obvious, stop doubting yourself..."

- Tries to ignore it, thinks to herself "What they’re doing alone is none of my business."

- But after mulling it over some more: No actually, it is her business.

- It’s her card and she’s bound to it so she obviously feels everything that’s happening to it

- Why is she trying so hard to ignore this???

- "Feeling shy is not like me." Kera thinks to herself. She finally decides to confront Seeker, and she’s really honest about it

- "I know you’ve been kissing my card from time to time. Could you tell me why you’re doing that? It... It confuses me."

- Seeker tenses up immediately and avoids Kera’s gaze while trying to explain it

- "I see... So you’re attracted to me and kissing my card goodnight pleases you in some weird way? ...Alright."

- Seeker is losing it, well yes, long story short it’s what they said but still...

- "...Don’t look down like that. You can keep doing it. I didn’t want to admit it at first but... Frankly, I enjoy that feeling."

- Seeker is a bit surprised, they’re used to Kera’s bluntness but they didn’t expect her to actually like something of this sort

- Unconvinced, Seeker takes the card out from the deck and places a gentle kiss on it

- Kera tries to stay stoic at the contact, and yet her pale skin betrays her. Even the slightest blush is clearly visible on her cheeks.

Maeve

- Gets it immediately and is eager to tease Seeker about it

- Goes to search for them and finds them quite easily

- "Oh, of course they would be in their room..."

- Doesn’t want to be too aggressive about it so she knocks a few times

- "Heyyy~ Owner? May I get an explanation as to what you’re doing to my card right now? Even better if it’s a cohesive one and not some fresh served BS pretty please~"

- Seeker opens the door in a hurry, cheeks flushed

- "What...! Ugh. Don’t tell me you felt that?"

- "I sure did. ❤"

- Seeker tries hopelessly to dodge the question and change the subject... really clumsily

- "...Wow. You won’t fool anyone with that cute face of yours, you know?~"

- She pinches their cheek and Seeker backs away

- "P-please don’t. You don’t get how mortified I am right now..."

- "Aww come on, there’s no need for that. It felt kind of nice, actually. Why don’t you try to do it again?"

- Swiftly, Maeve steals the deck out of Seeker’s pocket and draws her card, then she holds it in front of their lips

- "No need to be shy~ If you did it once already then surely you can do it again?"

- Reluctantly, Seeker closes their eyes and softly places a kiss on the card

- She would never admit it, but Maeve liked that kiss more than she should have...

- "See? It wasn’t that hard now, was it? ❤ Goodnight~"

Mikael

- Is really perplexed. Why would Seeker do that?

- There’s no way they’re wrong, Mikael is really in tune with their card by now to make this kind of rookie mistake

- Well, it’s not like there’s a need to confront Seeker about it. It was probably just a one time thing although Mikael isn’t sure as to why they did it in the first place

- Spoilers: it wasn’t a "one time" thing 😉

- Almost every evening/night, Mikael feels this pleasant sensation... but why?

- It’s not like them to get so curious but... Well, it wouldn’t hurt to ask, right?

- "Seeker, I’ve noticed that at about the same time every night, I feel some pleasant sensation go through my body. I have the suspicion that you’re the one behind this. Am I wrong?"

- Seeker goes into panic mode

- "O-Oh- Uh. Yes, I’m so sorry, I won’t do it again-"

- Mikael reassures them immediately, they just want to know why Seeker is doing it, that’s all

- "Well I- Ugh, that’s so embarrassing... For a little while now, I got the habit of kissing your card goodnight before I fall asleep... Please don’t think I’m a creep."

- Mikael is taken aback by this, they’re not sure what they expected but it surely wasn’t this

- "No worries. I was merely curious, that’s all. And I like the feeling I get when you do that so please, don’t stop that lovely "habit" of yours. Plus, if you wouldn’t mind..."

- Mikael gently slides their hand into Seeker’s pocket and takes their card out of it

- "...Kiss it in front of me, you’ll see that this doesn’t make me feel unpleasant at all."

- Seeker does as they’re told and seeing Mikael’s reaction to it, well... they don’t want to stop with only one kiss.

Reyes

- Doesn’t fully get it and tries to pass it as "just a random jolt" the first time it happens

- The 2nd time, he wants to believe that it’s just some weird coincidence or something

- But the 3rd time... There’s no way around it, Seeker is doing something to his card and he’s not sure if that "something" pleases him, knowing what it is

- It may be the first time that he’s hoping for his intuition to be wrong

- Tries to ignore it even after having figured out that Seeker is the one doing this (obviously) he doesn’t want to talk to them about this matter... or like, talk to them at all

- It would be kind of annoying... but mostly really awkward to be honest

- However, It starts to happen too regularly so he finally decides to confront Seeker about it

- "Listen here. I know what you’ve been doing to my card these last few weeks and I’d appreciate it if you stopped doing that."

- Seeker is really embarrassed at first but they quickly get a hold of themselves

- "...Aren’t you curious as to why I’m doing it?"

- Reyes actually questioned himself a lot about it, not like he would admit that so easily though

- "...What, you’re really bored or something? You want to annoy me, is that it?"

- "No. I’m just wishing you a good night."

- "I- Y-you know that we can’t actually sleep for real, right? Are you completely stupid?!"

- Oh boy... getting that sweet answer flustered him a lot more than intended, Seeker loves this side of him

- "Details. On that note, it’s getting quite late so..."

- Seeker draws Reyes’s card from the deck and places a soft kiss on it, Reyes flinches at the contact

- "Goodnight, Reyes."

- "You- *sigh* Whatever, do what you want... Goodnight."

Vinn

- Wonders what it is the first time he feels it, this type of thing has never happened to him before

- A little "tingle" from time to time when a Master draws his card from the deck, sure. But this "tingle" has never felt this good...

- It happens more and more frequently and- is that the feeling of lips on his cheek??

- He starts looking forward to that "feeling" every night

- Somehow, it always happens when Seeker is about to fall asleep

- He’s really hoping he’s not wrong and that this "feeling" is caused by Seeker kissing his card

- It’s really romantic in a way, but he’s scared of getting the wrong idea

- And so, he tries asking Seeker about it

- "So... How to say this. Don’t freak out but- you um, you kiss my card every night before going to bed, don’t you?"

- Seeker almost spits out their tea

- "Well uh- H-how...? Don’t tell me you feel a "tingle" of some sort?"

- Vinn places his right hand on the back of his neck, he didn’t expect to feel so shy about this to be perfectly honest

- "More than just a "tingle" actually. It feels really good..."

- "So you don’t want me to stop doing it?"

- "W-What?! Of course not! Why would I not like to be kissed goodnight? I just wanted to make sure that I wasn’t the one making this up because of my wishful thinking.... Actually-

- Vinn points at Seeker’s pocket, understanding more or less what he means by that, they take the deck out of their pocket and draw Vinn’s card

- "...Can you kiss it while looking at me?"

- Seeker is really embarrassed because of this whole situation but seeing how Vinn is also blushing... well, let’s say they’re not the only one to feel this way

- Seeker places a gentle kiss on the card, resulting in Vinn’s blush switching to a darker shade of red. Nonetheless, Vinn smiles cheerfully at them, Seeker’s heart melts at the sight.

#black tarot game #black tarot #headcanons #scenarios #crystal 6 #come here simps pspspsps #sorry if it’s bad haha I’m a bit rusty #it’s been a while

[my-arlington-academia]

Happy Birthday, Vinn! 🥳🎉 July 5th is Vinn’s day and we gotta celebrate it, don’t you think so? Help us celebrate his day with dedicated messages for him! 🤩🎉

#i’m late but- #🎉🎉🎉 #🎊🎊🎊 #Vinn is such a good character aaaa #he deserves the world #which fits since he’s a traveler haha #reblogs

[my-arlington-academia]

@nyxerya @blacktarotgame 😏

#aaaaaaaaa this is so well done Nubi! #those editing skills- #reblogs

[my-arlington-academia]

chapter 3 start hc ✨

#kgigjfjtirkrjfj #well thank god they can’t eat or taste anything /J #I guess it’s easier for Seeker but also #kind of heartbreaking for the crystal 6 😥 #aaaaaaaa I want them to eat and be happyyyyyy #reblogs #also damn #that hairstyle is so pretty

[my-arlington-academia]

Black Tarot Chapter 2 Guide

This guide is written in the order the characters/ event appear. If you’d prefer I organize the next one differently, let me know, as I’ve mentioned, this is my first guide!

Mikael:

Push them away: -2

Look into their eyes: +2

Take their hand: +2

Don’t take their hand: Neutral

Try and run: -2

  Objectives: Follow the mysterious person: Go to the living room

Story choices (I don’t know how else to call them, give me ideas)

The name

Tell them: Neutral

Don’t tell them: Neutral

The tea

Accept the offer: Neutral

Reject the offer: Neutral

Automatic Lore unlock: Box of Preservation

Reaction Mikael’s explanation

Get angry: Neutral

Remain Calm: Neutral

Laugh: Neutral

Objectives: Get some fresh air! Go to the garden (go to the store and from there you can access the garden)

 Vinn

Freedom: +4 Unlocks Achievement Freedom

Nothing: -4 Unlocks Achievement No thoughts, empty head

Blue: Neutral Unlocks Achievement Blue

Infinity: +2 Unlocks Achievement Infinity

Strength: +2 Unlocks Achievement Strength

Go back inside the store, to the back:

Mikeal

Why me? +2

Who was the previous owner before my grandfather? Neutral Unlocks Lore Lady C

Can’t we just end this cycle? -2 Unlocks lore Destroying the Deck

Maeve

… -4

Isn’t that a little harsh? Neutral

You’re fine with just that? +4

No choice dialogues in either the Friendship or Love interaction

Objective: Bring your bag to your bedroom 

Reyes

And I’ve got mine on you: +4

I’m not afraid of you: Neutral

Leave me alone: -4

Chaya

Maybe: Neutral

I don’t believe in that: -2

Still, it’s unnecessary for him to be so rude: +2

Kera

Yes: Neutral

No: Neutral

People I care about: Neutral

My own happiness: -4

I don’t know: +4

Objective Find out who’s the mysterious person Go to the store. 

Choose who you want to save you (they each save you in slightly different ways). 

Achievement unlock Reality check (it unlocks automatically)

  Chaya:

Accept the touch: +2

Get away from her: Neutral

Story choices

Agree: Neutral

Go alone: Unlocks achievement Lone wolf (will not unlock if you had Reyes save you)

 Ok! I’ve replayed more times than I can count. All the option above were tested by yours truly. I haven’t figured out how you get the little illustration quotes, I only unlocked 3 (Mikeal, Chaya and Vinn) and don’t know how I did it. It’s not linked to the affinities. If you know how to get them, send me a message and I’ll update this guide! Hope it helps! 

#if anyone needs this #there you go 👌👍 #and thank you so much Naiyara for making this! #reblogs

[my-arlington-academia]

With a new logo and a new chapter, we also have a new game thumbnail! Do you like it, Seeker? 💜🖤

#look at THEM #ngl they all look good but #I’m living for Kera’s jacket in particular idjrufjehrjd #or whatever it’s called #Mikael’s clothes are interesting too #it’s not visible here but he has clocks on his shoulders I think?? 🤔 #reblogs

[my-arlington-academia]

Who knew that a simple deck could turn your life upside down, Seeker.

#one day y’all better make this deck into merch #I swear it’s so pretty #reblogs

[my-arlington-academia]

I L o V e her  🔥 💕 @dulcetgames

#w o a h #how did I miss this?? #she’s so beautiful wth #reblogs

[my-arlington-academia]

Cliffany part 2

O-kay, and that’s it! I don’t know if I’ll write a continuation tbh since it was just a silly little idea that came out of nowhere. (Although I did have some ideas for more!) I haven’t really been active on my fanblog lately so it’s not like it’ll make much of a difference though haha. By the way, I’m thinking about making my blog more "Dulcet-oriented" rather than just SE. I hope you guys don’t mind? Recently, I’ve been getting more and more into Black Tarot! So expect my blog to change a lil 🔮🕯🌌

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

It had been a couple of days now since Tiffany’s last interaction with Claire, and while she was still ignoring her like before, Tiffany’s efforts in doing so had increased. The moment she spotted her in the corner of her eye, she would move at a faster pace, as if running away. Was it guilt after all? No, she just didn’t have the energy to deal with Claire’s annoying and unnecessary empathy. The empathy that she knew she didn’t deserve which made her feel even more frustrated towards Claire.

All she should be worried about right now is getting more followers on Instaglam, not avoiding a nobody like the plague. On that note, spring was coming soon, the flowers started to blossom and the days were getting longer which meant... that the "cottagecore" tag on insta would go trending soon, no doubt! And of course, living on the Arlington campus as one of its students, this gave Tiffany the access to its beautiful garden. Although honestly, she only ever went there to take pictures and this time wasn’t any different. She had prepared some tea sets and dresses for the occasion, all of which she would throw away once spring went away along with its "trends."

Carried by her confident footsteps, she walked to the garden. That confidence was only a facade though. She knew exactly what kind of people and who in particular went to take strolls quite often in this goddamn garden. But hey, it was 7pm and the sun would soon start to set. Knowing that Claire always arrives 15 minutes in advance to any meeting and most likely always wakes up at 6am, there was nothing to be worried about. Chances are, she was either doing her homework before going to bed like a goody-two-shoes or watering her weird-ass plants. Tiffany always had the horror of seeing these at Raquel’s parties. It just didn’t fit at all with the rest of what was going on in the room and ruined the whole "party" vibe.

In any case, there she was, searching for a good spot to take pictures and set up a fake picnic. That basket filled with different colored blankets, tea sets, biscuits, tea and a pie was way heavier than Tiffany had initially thought. Maybe she really should’ve asked for collab pictures with Trisha from the fine arts department. She didn’t really like her but when it came to follower count they were surprisingly close, although Tiffany was still number one of course. Still, if she had asked for a collab they could’ve carried those heavy props together.

After finding a good spot next to the pond, Tiffany set everything up in an aesthetically pleasing manner and got down to taking the pictures. She was taking different shots to post them one by one throughout the week and give out the illusion that she was taking those the same day she posted them. She was ready to upload the first one, call it a day and go back to the dorms without touching any of the tea or cakes. It’s all just useless calories anyways. As she was putting the tags on the picture, she started wondering what were the names of those flowers in the background.

"Ugh, fuck. What are those orange shits called again?"

"Marigolds."

"Ah right, thank y-"

Tiffany immediately snapped her head back. This annoyingly gentle voice could only belong to one person.

"...What the fuck, Claire. Where did you pop out from?!"

There’s no was she was there the whole time, right? It’s true that Tiffany could get lost in what she was doing once she was focused but it wasn’t to the point where she became completely unaware of her surroundings.

"I came by a few minutes ago... Y-you looked so invested in what you were doing that I didn’t want to bother you! I didn’t mean to pry."

Well, Tiffany could always upload those damn pictures from her room. Claire’s arrival just meant that it was time for her to leave. However, seeing that Tiffany started packing up her things, Claire panicked thinking that it’s her fault. Which was in fact, her fault... in a way.

"O-oh! You’re not going to finish your picnic? I’m so sorry, I’ll just leave! Throwing all of this good food away would be such a waste-"

"Are you fucking dumb?"

Did she not get that this was all only a set-up for taking pictures? It was obvious that Tiffany didn’t have any intention of eating or drinking any of that. Not to mention that after everything that happened the other day, she was still not scared of approaching her?

"I don’t give a damn about the food, it was just for my social media accounts you dumb bit- ... dimwit. I was already done anyway so you don’t have anything to do with the fact that I’m leaving."

"I see! T-then maybe I can help?!"

Help? What did Claire even know about- Actually, on second thought. This whole "cottagecore" shtick was a great fit for Claire. She probably already had all of the things Tiffany bought last week for those pictures, even better and more authentic-looking ones probably. This was maybe the one and only time Tiffany would let Claire "help" her. But from her point of view, she was mostly just using her.

"Hm. Is that so? How can you help me then... Claire."

"Wait just a second! I’ll be back right away!!!"

She ran immediately towards the dorms. Well, she'll probably bring a bunch of random stuff. In the end, Tiffany was really torn between the idea of staying and waiting for who knows how long and the idea of leaving right now. Surely, Claire would make a hilarious expression when she’d realize that she was played with and abandoned. While trying to laugh it off, Tiffany accidentally remembered what happened a few days ago, along with Claire’s crying face. Damn... Okay, fine. She’ll wait for her but only because it would be annoying if she bawled again like a damn toddler.

And so she waited until, from the corner of her eyes, she saw a girl with a pink dress running towards her. That girl, of course, being Claire. She carried a picnic basket with her too, but much bigger and more practical. For half a second, Tiffany thought that Claire actually looked maybe, just maybe, a little bit pretty. She erased the thought in a hurry, covering it with harsh words as usual.

"Wh-why did you change your clothes? You think I’m gonna take pictures of you?"

"Ah, no, well..."

Claire looked at the beautiful picnic set-up and the cyan dress Tiffany was wearing.

"I just wanted to fit in with the rest of what you put up, I guess. Also, don’t you think that we kinda match? I brought some of the cookies I baked and my favorite teas and tea set. I think mine will look better with your picnic blanket! Uh- N-not to say that yours looks bad!!!"

She was trying so hard to make herself likable that it was painful to see... and kinda cute. God, Tiffany was really hating her thoughts today. She was just going soft because of Claire’s aura or something. Again, this was definitely the first and last time she was letting Claire help her with anything. I’d be bad if she turns completely brain-dead and clueless like her.

"...Whatever. Show me what you got. I’ll decide if it’s good enough."

Claire was pulling everything out of the basket one by one. Everytime, better and better items were pulled out after the other. Her cakes and cookies gave off a "homey" feeling which was more fitting with the aesthetic rather than Tiffany’s store bought patisseries. Claire was staring at her, wide-eyed and excited.

"W-what do you think, Tiffany? It looks good, doesn’t it?!"

"Uh. Yeah, it’s fine, I guess. I’ll take a few pics."

That was a lie. This looked so much better than the try-hard bullshit Tiffany had done. She was good at riding on the "trend wave" but Claire was a natural when it came to this one specific thing. Tiffany was trying to look as poker-faced as she could so as to not show her satisfaction, but clearly, her apparent enthusiasm for each shot was  betraying her. Sometimes, she would accidentally take one with Claire in the shot and ask her to move.

"Hey. You’re ruining the picture with your ugly fac- dress. Move to the right."

Before Tiffany could even do anything about it, Claire was already pouring some tea into 2 cups.

"Woah woah woah, put the teapot down. I didn’t agree to this."

"But...This is a kettle, Tiffany. Not a teapot."

"Oh, shut it!"

Claire gave off such a dejected face that Tiffany, once again, felt like she was kicking a poor puppy to the ground. She held back on going off on a rant.

"But we’re already here and the weather is so nice! It would be such a shame not to use any of this at all..."

Claire looked around, observing this beautiful setting, not to mention, the sun was finally starting to set. Going home right now would be like an insult to the utter beauty of this scene, it almost looked like it came right out of a fairy tale picture book. Without mulling it over any further, Tiffany took a sip out of her cup.

"I’m only doing this because I feel compelled to, got it?"

Claire’s eyes lit up nonetheless.

"Alright! Please try out my cookies too!"

Tiffany contemplated them for a second... is it true that home-made stuff is more healthy? Surely, that’s just a myth, right? A cake from the store and a home-made cake will have about the same amount of sugar in them regardless of who made them and how. Well, she did see Claire share her food from time to time with her friends and while she would never admit it, it is true that she was a bit curious about trying them herself. What was the last time she had eaten anything "home-made"? Or did it ever even happen?

"...Okay, whatever. I bet they taste shitty."

Tiffany reluctantly took a bite... It was surprisingly really delicious!

"It’s bad."

"R-really?"

As much as she wanted to lie about it, she couldn’t after seeing Claire make that dejected face again.

"Uhhh. No, um. Hmm... On second thought, it’s pretty average. It’s okay-ish."

Tiffany really hated herself right now. Being mean has never been this hard before. She couldn’t wait for the moment where they would be done with this ridiculous play-pretend and go back to her room. She tried drinking and eating as fast as she could without making it look like she was in a hurry to run away from this awkward situation. And God, it was so fucking hard...

Unsurprisingly, they were both pretty silent the whole time. Well, it wasn’t like they had anything to converse about or things in common. Right as Tiffany was about to get up and pack up her belongings, for real this time, Claire spoke up. Nervously fiddling with the hem of her dress.

"Um. So you know, I have something to confess to you, Tiffany."

Oh God, not now. As much as Tiffany found this timing annoying, she couldn’t help but poke fun at that poor choice of words.

"Confess? Oh my, so you like me in that way, huh? That explains everything."

"Wha- N-no! That’s not it! I mean, realistically speaking, t-that would never even happen!"

Was she implying that she could never like someone like Tiffany? Well, Tiffany herself was the one who brought this up but she was a bit offended at that statement. Regardless though, the way she was trying to deny it so hard was kinda cute. No. Not cute at all! If this went on, Tiffany would really become crazy before the end of this day.

"Last time, you said that I was only being kind towards others to profit off of them and I didn’t say anything but... that wasn’t true at all! I always wanted to help you because I thought that you needed it, I swear. Not to satisfy myself! ... Well. Except maybe..."

"Except...?"

"T-today. I admit that I kind of had ulterior motives."

Now that piqued Tiffany’s curiousness right away. Suddenly, she didn’t want to leave as much anymore if it meant that Claire would finally admit that she did some things for her own benefit. Why was it? Did she want to post a picture of herself on Tiffany’s Instaglam to fish for compliments, knowing that she had a lot of followers? Claire hid her face behind her hands and muttered a few words.

"I... wanted you to warm up to me."

"...Huh?"

That’s it? That was it? Claire’s ulterior motive was for Tiffany to "warm up to her."?

"So like, you want us to be friends or some shit?"

"Oh no! Not necessarily that far, just... good acquaintances!"

Is she stupid? There’s no way that she genuinely thinks those "motives" are bad. Tiffany sighed in exasperation.

"Listen. I’m just really tired right now, I don’t have the energy to assimilate all the shit you’re saying. I’m packing all of this up and going back to the dorms."

In complete silence, they gathered all of their belongings and walked to the dorms while keeping a fair distance between the 2 of them. As if to say, "we’ve got nothing to do with each other." Surprisingly, Claire didn’t try anything anymore. Didn’t even wish for a "good night" or a "good evening" which was weird to say the least. Tiffany tried to ignore it and when she got back and unpacked all of the props, she noticed something that didn’t belong to her. One of Claire’s lunch boxes with cookies in them and... a note?

Here’s my number just in case ;3 Please give me my lunchbox back once you’re done eating the cookies!♡

"...Your note makes me wanna barf."

So that’s why she didn’t try anything. That sneaky little... she must've slid that into the basket when they were packing. She already knew that Tiffany would eventually be forced to talk to her again... as if! Who says she’ll return it? She can just throw all the cookies away along with the box... Or so she thought. Tempted, she took a bite, then another one. And another one. Her diet was ruined for sure now. Damn you Claire and your stupidly great cooking skills, as if you needed another skill to be better and more perfect than you already are. Tiffany put the box away, trying to forget the delicious taste and smell. Back to Instaglam she goes. Uploading the picture while adding the "marigold" tag on it. Going through the pictures again, she noticed that some of them had Claire in the corner. She was thinking of deleting them but... well whatever. She can just crop her out later if needed. Her dress looks pretty so it’s fine even if she does appear in the pictures. All we see is a bit of her hair, as long as her face isn’t visible, it’s okay. Yup. It was totally not because Tiffany was slowly starting to feel something towards the girl she was trying so hard not to get involved with.

#sweet elite #claire durand #tiffany #cliffany #crackship #fanfics