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ive-tumbled-down-a-rabbit-hole · 3 years

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BBQ at the Kent's

Clark invites his friends over for a quiet BBQ at Ma's farm. It just doesn't go quite how he expected.

Masterlist

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Clark had invited his closest friends and their underlings to a BBQ at Kent farm. So what if his closest friends, all happened to be from the Justice League. Kent Farm was a perfect location. It was out the way so if power mishaps it was unlikely to be observed by anyone passing by. It was a large space so could hold lots of people. Especially as his friends seemed to have a habit of collecting underlings like Pokémon, in particular Bruce. AND it wasn't Wayne manor which despite what Bruce says isn't always a relaxing place to be.

Ma was catching up with Alfred and Lois which was good, Alfred deserved a medal as well as the chance to relax. The teens and kids were mucking about/chilling in the house, and he could catch up with his colleague slash friends and relax.

What he may have miscalculated though was his little sister returning home to see Ma. She knew about him and his 'side job'. She had also, very early on, figured out his friends ‘side jobs’ too. Working it out was a breeze according to her, they weren’t particularly discrete in the beginning (according to her at least). She had covered for him and saved his bacon more times than he would willingly admit. Hell, she's covered for him to them and covered for them without them knowing. She’d provided so many alibis and removed evidence that they hadn’t thought about. The issue though, with his sister turning up, was more that THEY a) didn't know about her and b) didn't know that she knew and finally c) she could quite easily give them all a run for their money.

___________________________________

Walking into her family home she found a swarm of teens lounging around the living room. They were all chatting and talking over each other that they didn't notice her enter. Raising an eyebrow, she spotted Conner, who was currently wrapped around another boy with dark hair.

"Hey Mini Bale! Nice look you got going. Bet it's driving the old men mad and completely beats the plaid shirts and starched suits. Is Haybale out in the yard?"

Conner jumped, causing the others in the room to stop chatting, and looks to see his sort of aunt smirking at him across the room.

"Hey M, didn't know you were coming too? Yeah Clarks out back. Ummm….. why are you here?"

"This is my home too Mini Bale.” She deadpans him, “I was planning to surprise to see Ma as not visited in person for a while. I don’t need to tell Haybale every time I visit, he isn’t the boss of me.” Conner’s aunt pouted before gaining a glint in her eye, “What I wasn't expecting to see was Haybale having a "small gathering” here and not invite moi! But alas it is what it is."

The glint turning into a smug look with a dangerous edge as she took in the room.

"Auntie M!!!", the call distracted her from the room suddenly as Jon ran in from the kitchen and launched himself into a flying jump to hug with the women standing in the room. "Straw stack!! How are you doing sweetie? Made any new friends?"

While Jon dissolved into conversation with his Auntie, Tim took the opportunity to quickly assess the newly dubbed Em. She was well dressed, the sort you don't often see on farms and would be better placed in the city. Her clothes were expensive, the type he often could see board members wearing when relaxing. Even with Jon holding her attention she seemed to have clocked him studying her and nearly everyone else who was watching her interactions. Leaning into his boyfriend he queried.

"Em? Does she? Is she? Who???"

Conner chuckled at Tim's confusion, as well as the mystified faces of the others there.

"Tim, guys, I'd like to introduce you to Clark's sister, and my sorta aunt and Jon’s definite Auntie, Marinette. M for short. And before you ask Tim, no she isn’t like him. She *does* works with Max Kante in developing high tech material and gadgets since well she grew up with Clark and wanted to help him cope with his powers… She and Max created MiracuTech as a result. It’s her brainchild though really, M doesn’t really need Max."

"Mini Bale stop!! You’re dramatizing it. I need Max just as much as he needs me, our skill set complement each other. We couldn’t make half the stuff MiracuTech does without his input.” Marinette blushed, “Max says hi by the way and to tell you to pop by the office. He wants to test his new “creation” with you. Not that that offer will remain if you keep speaking of him like that. But it does remind me, how are you finding the glasses?"

It was Conner’s turn to smirk at his friends, and they could suddenly see the family resemblance in the pair.

"They're are awesome M. Like the play back function is brilliant. I've recorded so much blackmail."

His friends paused and a shiver went down their spines recalling all the incidents that have happened since Conner got his latest sunglasses.

"Fab feedback. I'll let Max know.” Taking as glance around the room, “I'm gonna take a wild guess as say Battle Barbie, Fishtails, Greedy Gonzales and Moody & Broody are out back with Haybale and Ma, Mini Bale?"

That again caused the room to freeze, being siblings with Clark kinda made sense that she would have known his identity, but for Clark to tell her about other identities was worrying. Conner tilted his head and looked at his sorta aunt as if trying to work out what she was planning.

"Yeeeeah, what are you up to M? I'm pretty sure you promised Clark you'd not cause mischief when you met everyone."

"I deny ever making that promise. I have evidence to back up that claim too. Plus, the amount of shit Haybale has caused me cos of his moral compass and lack of impulse control makes it fair game. Though I do support his altruism.” She paused debating what she would say next, “To set the record straight what I *actually* promised was that I would *consider* not causing *too much* mischief. And I have considered it and think that I'll survive this course of action. You’re not the only one with playback ability. Thanks for the info Mini Bale. Let's catch up more later!"

With that she ruffled his hair as she walked past him out to see her dear older brother.

"You've spent too much time as a cat M!" Conner called as he tried to sort out his hair. The room erupted as she left the room. Confusion, mild panic as to whether their identities were at risk and answers were demanded from Conner and Jon. Tim whined at Conner’s comment, "Cat?! We've got to keep B away from her!"

___________________________________

Out in the yard, Clark was relaxed surround by what he supposed was the founding JL members. He'd heard his sister turn up and cause subtle chaos amongst the teens in the house slowly dreading her announcing her arrival out here. Ma would be thrilled to see her. He was too, sort of. Just not in front of everyone. Kon-El was right with her spending too much time as a cat. And Tim was right as well. He'd have to keep Bruce away from her, she'd be just his latest type.

"HAY BALE! You're holding a party for little ol' me?! How delightful of you."

Clark cringed. He still hated her nickname for him.

"Lois! Ma! You both look lovely as ever! Oh, it’s been too long since I've seen you in person."

Marinette swooped past Clark to the ladies and gave them huge hugs before quickly falling into conversation to catching up with them, thankfully ignoring Clark allowing him some time to deal with his friends.

"Why is Marinette K from MiracuTech at your farm Clark?"

Barry quickly asked, staring at his sister with stars in his eyes. Ok maybe it wasn't just Bruce Clark had to worry about.

"Yes, why is the Guardian, Lady Fortune, at your home?" queried Arthur looking at Clark with confusion and slight apprehension.

"MiracuTech… Guardian," Diana quickly put together gasping, looking at Arthur who had cottoned on to her implications as well, then back at Marinette.

"Guys! Please! Cool it, M I hope," Clark quickly glared at his sister, who was grinning manically knowing the trouble she was causing for him, "can answer your questions and Barry, M, Marinette, is my sister. Why wouldn't she come here? Though this wasn't planned visit that I was aware of."

"You have a sister."

Bruce stated, as Diana and Arthur wondered off talking in hushed tones. Clark could hear that they had figured out one of her 'other' identities but was content that they wouldn't add drama for the moment he redirected his attention back to Bruce.

Clark sighed tiredly, "yes, I have a sister, Bruce. Who likes to keep her personal life private. Which is why you guys have just found out about her and not before."

"Is she Kryptonian?"

"Bruce!! you can't ask Clark that!!" Barry exclaimed, not really surprised by his bluntness but still Alfred was about, and he was ‘Bruce’ currently so social etiquettes, and all should be observed.

"What can't Moody & Broody ask Haybale, Greedy Gonzales?" Marinette enquired, a picture of planned innocence, as she snuck up on them. She gave Clark a side hug and a ‘knowing’ sibling smile.

"M… please… stop with that nickname. Bruce was just asking if you were adopted as well."

"Fine!" She rolled her eyes, "Boy Scout it is then. Moody & Broody I'm not adopted. Ma and Pa had me as a 'Surprise! you're pregnant’ a few years after they'd adopted Boy Scout here"

Bruce frowned at the names she'd been given them. While she just gave a facade of innocence, she held a glint in her eye that destroyed the illusion along with the names she was giving everyone.

Ignoring Clark and Bruce, Marinette turned to Barry to discuss his work at S.T.A.R labs and potential collaboration with MiracuTech. Clark internally groaned as he watched his sister get animated about some sort of tech project she wanted to discuss.

Bruce observed the interaction. It was clear that she knew more than she was letting on. Though he had done research on his peers to know their weaknesses and strengths, Clark having a younger sister never came up. How he had hidden her was impressive, unless it was herself who had hidden her existence from him… That was worrying causing Bruce to deepen his frown as he watched Barry and Marinette chat.

Clark joined in frowning at the pair, but because of how was Barry flirting with his BABY sister before he started to groan as it seemed to go completely over her head. She still seemed to be oblivious to those around her liking her slightly more than friendship.

"M! Ma's told you before no business talk at home."

Laughing back at him his sister nodded "We’ll have to continue this discussion another day maybe Greedy Gonzalez, when Boy Scout isn't being all boy scout-y and acting like a golden child."

Seeing an opportunity Diana butted in and 'subtly' tried to guide Marinette to where she was sitting with Arthur. "Lady Fortune, it's an honour to meet you in person. My mother has told many a tale of our mutual friends’ legacy"

"M is fine. Lady is much too formal for my liking right Ms Prince? Our friends have told me much about your mother as well Battle Barbie. But I must say I'd be more interested to hear about your curator work at the Louvre" Allowing herself to be led away.

___________________________________

Bruce gave Clark a patented batglare, "She knows." Clark rubbed his neck before back at Bruce.

"Yes. She knows. She's my sister. It's kinda hard to hide learning how to manage superpowers from family you know. It was her and Pa that helped find solutions to manage the powers. Lead glasses… her idea."

Growling at Clarks response. "She knows ours. You told her"

Taking a deep breath, "No Bruce.” Clark sighed out, praying to the god’s his sister cared for, for the patience to deal with his paranoid friend, “I didn't. She's smart. Ridiculously and stupidly smart but that's aside. She *knows* who I am. She follows my career, like I do hers. She knows who I work with, like I know who she works with. And who my friends are. The info is all there to work it out. She's also got me out of tight spots as an alibi way too often. I'm pretty sure this is opportunistic revenge for it. Especially for all she did before Lois *knew*"

"Oh god it was her calling you at the watch tower that made you pale. Not Ma Kent!!" Barry cackled, "She's the one you're scared of!!"

"Ssshhhhh Barry! Yes! She terrifies me. Much more than little sisters should. You do realise she has covered all your butts more than you think too. Remember she is a tech genius, she works *with other* tech genius’s and we, sometimes in a rush in the early days, forgot about cameras and visuals lining up."

Barry paled at that. Bruce on the other hand looked intrigued. Of course, her problem solving, and detective skills would attract him. "How long has she known?"

"Mine, since forever and never told anyone. Yours, as she has never said anything directly, I’m going to guess since we worked together the first times. I don’t really know for how long, but it’s been since the early days. You don’t need to worry though; she understands the need for secrets and how to keep them. This,” Clark says waving his hand around, “is her way to letting you know she knows without stating it. It’s definitely her subtle form of revenge on me for having to hack large corporations and delete footage or claiming that I was with her visiting so couldn’t get caught out.”

Clark turned to Bruce all serious, “Don’t antagonise or integrate her. Please Bruce! She can and will break into the Batcomputer and cause it to run slow and force your phones and alarms to only play baby shark.”

“So, she’s the one who helped you hack LexCorp to get the evidence required for your latest article”

“That’s what you got from that?! That my genius *baby* sister sometimes, might, maybe, help gather evidence to take down corrupt businessmen and politicians?! Not the fact that you shouldn’t wind her up!!”

“Well I know your tech skills aren’t up to scratch and though there was potential for Lois, it doesn’t really fit her MO so its nice to know how you truly do it. Do you think she would tell us how she hacked into JL main computer and the bat computer? Or be willing to assist in building better protection.”

Clark stared at Bruce, and was about to respond, but before he could Diana caught his eye as she knelt before M holding her hand. Stars in Diana’s eyes while Arthur looked like he was going to faint.

He groaned. Now, Diana!

His baby sister was really trying to stress him out with all the potential shovel talks he would need to make. The shimmer in her eyes when she briefly caught him looking at her suggested that she may be more aware that she was letting on. With the headache she was causing him, he would need a drink after all this.

Thankfully, before Marinette could cause more chaos with the Atlantean and Amazonian, her phone went off resulting in her slinking off to deal with what sounded like guardian issues from his eaves dropping giving what he thought was breathing room.

“Are you ok Arthur? Do I need to talk to M?” Clark enquired to his friend, hoping his sister hadn’t caused too much trauma for his friend.

“She can hold both sides of the balance and not succumb to the pressure or temptation. A true soul and so young. You let this all happen to your younger sister?”

Ok so she had caused some trauma for the Atlantean after all. He was certain it was related to the cat as well as the bug.

“Let is a strong word, Arthur. Forced is more appropriate. M is more stubborn than Bruce at times. And at 14... yeah hormonal teenage younger sister in Paris. My hand was forced.”

Diana and Arthur choked looking at Clark in horror, “14!?!?!”

Both Bruce and Barry raised an eye at him in judgement. Like they’re ones to talk with how young they let their mentees join the field.

“It is decided. She will be traveling with me to Themyscira and to Atlantis when Arthur puts on his ‘big boy pants’. She requires extra support in this matter.”

“14? Extra support? Diana, what are you talking about? She is in her 20’s not 14. You can’t kidnap Clark’s sister, Can she?”

Barry looked perplexed by the situation. Unsure on what they are talking about. She seemed to be fine and had survived years without assistance and knowing about their identities. Going to Themyscira and Atlantis would not help with that.

Staring at Clark with an unnerving intensity, Bruce answered Barry’s questions.

“She was one of the Parisian heroes. Their leader from what Diana and Arthur are suggesting. She started her extracurricular activities before even we officially did, much younger than we were and Clark didn’t stop her.”

“Oh.... Wait?! You didn’t stop her!!”

Clark was really regretting this BBQ. It was starting to feel more like an interrogation on his big brother skills, a judgement on his mentoring capability NOT a relaxing escape with friends.

“It would explain why Clark was so insistent of a some of the support protocols now,” Bruce mused. “She didn’t let you help and forced you stay away, didn’t she? Your powers, if you got akumatised, had the potential to cause a global disaster and the magic could have hurt you out of costume.”

“If you knew this, why are you giving me grief! And Diana, you can’t kidnap M. She has a support network already.”

“I didn’t. You just confirmed it. And more support can never hurt.”

Damn bat with his detective trickery and throwing his own arguments back in his face. Groaning in response Clark looked at his friends,

“Fine. You can ask but it’s HER choice no forcing it ok.”

After some grumbled agreements they all agreed.

___________________________________

“I hate you,”

“I love you too, Hay Bale.”

Marinette grinned at her brother with a cup of tea in hand. His friends had finally departed more than one had managed to get him to convince her to exchange numbers. She’d agreed to visit Diana when back in Paris to arrange a visit to Themyscira. It scared him how quickly after the initial interrogation and worry they all accepted her. She was bound to provide them so much blackmail on him. Clark was dreading his next JL meeting.

“You did this on purpose.”

“Not really. Ma knew I was visiting her this month. The fact you were here with everyone was just a perfect opportunity which I took up.”

Clark stared at his sister. None of her nervous tells were showing so wasn’t lying to him, not that she would. She hated secrets, and she carried so many with so many implications if they were revealed. As a result, she hated liars if there was not true reason for them.

“Fine. You do realise I have so many shovel talks now to dish out?”

“What?”

“Did you not see the heart eye’s Barry was giving? Or how Diana was constantly trying to get close? And once Bruce had assessed that you weren’t a threat, kept trying to engage you in conversation about detective stuff?”

“Oh, So, errr, they aren’t like that normally to friends?” A faint blush was making its way across Marinette’s cheeks. “I like wasn’t aware. Can I blame miraculous side effects?”

Clark laughed at his baby sister, yeah as clever as she was, she remained her wonderful blissfully ignorant self on flirting which he adored.

“Nah, they aren’t normally that friendly. Didn’t think you noticed and sure let’s blame the kwami, they caused some of this drama any way. I vote for Plagg and Trixx for being at fault.”

#maribat #maribat au #ml x dc #mlb x dc #dc x ml #dc x mlb #marinette x clark #siblings #platonic #marinette x superfam

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twisted-imagines · 4 years

Note

May I request some relationship headcanons (sfw & nsfw) for our Heartslabyul boys?♠♥♣♦

*Slaps the roof of the fic* this bad boy can fit so many words! Almost 17k words. It took much longer to produce than any other of my works, even the savanaclaw hcs you guys loved so much. In my defense, this is almost three times as big and more detailed. I would be grateful if you told me whether it's harder to read or not, now that each point got longer (What a silly writer, asking the readers if they want less content).

Also, I'm not saying I have written a good chunk of confession hcs for each of them before I edited them out, but I kind of did. You might want to keep it in mind when my requests open 😏

Anyway, please enjoy and leave feedback💓 don't let it flop

Heartslabyul relationships headcanons(SFW/NSFW )

Riddle Rosehearts 🌹

SFW

• The Crimson Ruler of your heart. While Rosehearts household did as much harm as good to Riddle, it didn't fail to bring up a perfect gentleman. It's very soon that you find out just how charming he can be, while on the quest to court you.

• The thought doesn't visit his head right away, the possibility of him falling in love with you. Riddle knows he likes your company, happy that at least somebody can see things the way he does, while also providing him with valuable input from the other perspective. And he wants to listen to your thoughts, to know more about you. Perhaps that is the reason he invites you to have a tea with him progressively often, or requests you to lend him a hand at caring for his hedgehogs from time to time? And when your own friends, his fellow dorm members, start to see less of you than Riddle does, it's because he just provides for a better company, correct?

• But then, why is it so hard to take away his hand when it accidentally touches yours? Why does he want to hold it so bad? Why his chest won't stop hurting, when he thinks of you, how you would fit in his arms, how your lips would taste against his?...

• It takes quite a long time for him to confess to you, but when he does, it's the most romantic proclamation of love you've ever heard, he's like a prince straight out of fairytales you read in your childhood. Maybe no prince blushes or fidgets like him, but it's obvious Riddle is very sincere and is determined to convey how he really feels about you. It almost sounds like a marriage proposal, with the solemn vows to make you happy, he's very serious about the whole ordeal.

• His manners are always on spot, he treats you with respect his "subjects", Heartslabyul students, see only once in a lifetime. Except for you, only Trey can boast about having special treatment, but even he is not quite on your level; you dare to say you are being pampered by Riddle. Maybe, just maybe, with you he can be more lenient in implementing his rules, and not all mistakes you make have to lead to punishments, especially if "cutting your head off" doesn't really do anything to you.

• But sometimes even you are not safe from his outbursts, though he tries to avoid it as much as possible. He can't let any student, his dorm or not, tamper with rules or slack off for as long as he's the prefect and an honorable student at this college, but at times his temper still gets better of him resulting in Riddle resorting to his old habits.

He actually makes an effort to become a better person, improves himself daily, and wants you to see the results of his work and be proud of your significant other. Any ungraceful scene he causes makes him regret his behavior in the end, and if embarrassment doesn't eat away at him too much, Riddle will search for your encouragement and affirmation that you didn't change your opinion of him and don't think less of him.

If he thinks he overstepped the line he won't show up to face you for some time, as if he placed some rules on himself to not seek your warmth out. It would have been nice to hear an apology from him, alas Riddle is, unfortunately, the type of person who doesn't apologize, simply can't do it. But the punishment he inflicted on himself already seems like a proof of him admitting he was wrong, so maybe just let him off the hook? Dwelling on it won't really bring you two much happiness. You being able to let offenses go is very crucial in your relationships with Riddle.

• Especially, since he's the least likely to do it himself. If it's you who starts an argument, don't expect it to end peacefully. He can't be wrong, no chances of that, he's not going to accept it. You'll have to leave because of how frustrating it is, trying to prove something to him and seeing him already turning red and ignoring you. It's until later, in a quiet of his study, long after you left, that Riddle can think about what you've said. Even if you were wrong, just like he anticipated, Riddle will still come up with some idea or solution, so that you two won't argue further. He's waiting for you to come and apologize to him.

Wait, no, not quite. But rather for you to first find him, beg for an audience with him in his free time and then say your heartfelt apology, with a delicious strawberry tart you brought in hands. He's as petty as that. At least he shares the pastry with you, while he tries to discuss the reason for your quarrel and finally put it to an end.

• Riddle has a strong will to make your relationships work, he cares for you more than he can potentially show. He's subtle, always telling you to dress according to weather, take an umbrella with you, taking you out for lunch and dinner himself, just so you wouldn't forget to eat. It's also very often that Riddle asks you to avoid commotions and not meddle with dangerous business of other dorms. He appreciates your kindness, it rescued him too, but every time something happens in this college you always happen to be in the middle, and it makes him extremely worried. And it would have been better if you came to one of the most talented students in NRC when you needed help. If you told Riddle about your problems.

• Even if it's something little, he wants to know about it. Yes, he knows you are your own, independent person, but it wouldn't hurt to speak to him, especially if it's something he can help with, right? And still, he tries to shoulder more than he should, suddenly prying into your life more frequently, and you can't help but notice the change and eventually point it out. But how else is he supposed to play the role of a responsible, caring boyfriend?! He's confused, he's not used to those feelings. Family. Friends. He has never connected to somebody on such level or felt a romantic attraction to anybody. Do wipe his frustrated tears and tell him, that this kind of controlling behavior is not what you need and there are a lot of other ways to he can show his love for you. And since you're his partner, you should be correct too, especially when it comes to your own life, right?

• It's hard to catch and steal Riddle for yourself during working days, the man has a lot of responsibilities in the college, as a student, as a dorm leader, as a club manager, and so on. But if you remind him that he also has responsibilities as your boyfriends, Riddle will have a hard time declining. As soon as he takes care of all urgent business, you'll become his priority. Too many rules, too many restrictions for him to pay you the attention you deserve, Riddle thinks surprisingly often. How shocking it is to him, when some of them conveniently slip his mind, just when you're about to go on a date. How very generous of him to not hold anyone accountable for violating said rules, when he comes back to the dorm in high spirit and a small smile playing on his lips.

• Riddle's favorite ways to spend his past time with you is to, of course, invite you to have dinner with him, tarts and tea are a must as well as any of your own preferred snacks or drinks since the meaning of all of this is for you both to enjoy yourselves. The time when he mindgames himself is when he welcomes you to the practice of Horseback Riding Club under the pretense that you would be learning too. But see, he has come up with a special regimen for you when you have to sit directly in front or behind him, while either of you has a strong grip on other's waist. Or maybe you two can ride separately, while your horses stride in a peaceful manner. No broken rules in sight, you two just train together, how can somebody say that the infamous Heartslabyul dorm leader is having a date during his club meeting? So maybe listen to your senior, Sebek, stop talking, or rather screaming, back, because your actions violate rules more than Riddle's do.

• He's weak to any show of physical affection, every time you do something mildly romantic he becomes red all over. An amusing sight, truly. Riddle chastises you and tells you to behave yourself, but at first, he has to become less adorable when doing it for you to truly listen to him. If you still continue your onslaught, he surprisingly will not take any action to stop you. He can't bring himself to. He feels so warm and fuzzy, every kiss and hug grounds the reality of just how loved he is and Riddle can't get enough of it.

• Do mind, that he's very strict about PDA. Sorry, rabbit, but no stranger will see more then you two holding hands while in public. That's a rule and you already know how strict he is about them. He has to remain composed while going on with his day and there's also quite a reputation Heartslabyul dorm leader has to uphold. Riddle can't let anybody see him being all mushy and lovey-dovey with his s/o, you shouldn't even think about tempting him for he will get angry.

• Not much into spooning, but Riddle is not against hugging in general. He prefers to lay side by side after the working day, play with your fingers and chat about what kind of surprises Night Raven College has cooked up for you today, or some interests either you or he picked up recently. It doesn't matter, really, it can be some meaningless chat and he will still be satisfied, as long as it's you. If the atmosphere is more romantic, in that case, he might beckon you closer for you to rest on his chest, while he lovingly caresses your head.

• Kissing is a whole new level for Riddle and it takes some time before he's ready to transit to this stage of your relationship. Chances are, you will be the one patiently anticipating until he's ready, but the wait is worthwhile. He's both planned it and did not. You are having a great time in his dorm long after the classes and tasks of dorm leader end, enjoying each other's company while sharing your favorite desserts. Although Riddle knows he has to abide by the curfew just like any other student, it physically pains him to let you go out of his embrace. It's just the two of you, and you can see the longing in his eyes until his face is impossibly close, his lips on yours. It's sweet, with a note of sourness, just like the strawberry tart he's eaten prior. It feels like a dream to Riddle, but as soon as the magic of the moment is gone, he's blushing like crazy. The process of escorting you out of his dorm, unfortunately, has sped up quite a lot, as Riddle could no longer look straight into your eyes anymore, but at least you got to share that experience with him.

From now on kisses become more regular, but Riddle always tries to reserve them for special moments, interrupting Rosehearts while he tries to give you one may result in potential beheading.

• There's always some kind of challenge that life gives you, but hard work always pays off, Riddle knows it the best. He's willing to fight for you and for your relationships, you're already his most trusted confidant. You take up an important role in his life, he wasn't sure existed, but the one he definitely needed.

NSFW

• If the first kiss is an event on its own, then what can be said about the first sex? You're frustrated, Riddle is even more frustrated, and not only sexually. But it's his rules that you play by. Riddle sets up a romantic dinner and when he finally leads you to his bed late into the evening you can barely contain your excitement. He's painfully inexperienced, but he was diligent about doing his research so at least he has the basics in his mind. If only using it all in practice was as easy. His face is flaming hot and the sight of your naked, inviting body messes up his thoughts. The experience is sweet and intimate, Riddle pours out his heart to you, it's one of the most vulnerable experiences he's had with you. The physical part will get better over time.

• The more often you become intimate, the more interesting facts you uncover about your boyfriend. Soon enough you'll come to an understanding that your dear lover is of quite a special kind and there were instances you had to adapt to, or rather submit to him.

• Riddle naturally takes up a dominant role in bed, he loves to order you around and make you obey him. You're his lovely rabbit, pretty dove, docile lamb, and get showered with plenty of praise and rewards as long as you serve him obediently. He knows best how to take care of you, so your job is just to listen to his orders and abide by his rules. But you can do this, right, cutie? As long as you do, you'll have the sweetest, most caring and attentive version of Riddle tending to you. Sex and intimacy are not something he takes lightly so he'll try his hardest to make each time unforgettable, the best possible experience for you, especially when a chance to have you just for himself doesn't come often to Riddle.

• He's pretty fair, always repaying you for the pleasure your lovely mouth gives him. It's a treatment not even punishments can take away from you, although if it's the case, you will need to wait until you're forgiven before Riddle descends to give lots of loving to your lower part.

At first, he's not successful at making you orgasm with his mouth only, but he's anything but not determined. He listens to any advice you may give him about your own body and saves this information for later use, each oral better than the last. It will get to the point he won't need even a finger to have you unravel before him. As expected, he's the best, the most talented. He couldn't just let you get ahead of him, could he?

• Which was quite easy, to begin with, considering that at first, you were the one who made him cum just by using your mouth. The moment you take him, he's already panting heavily. One sweep of your tongue and he arches into you, unable to withstand such pleasure. One bob of your head and he's painting the insides of your mouth white. He can't build his resistance up, for the life of his, even when he's hell-bent on not letting you take him over the edge. It's the weakness worth exploiting though, for Riddle will always strive to make it even, of course, by reducing you to the same breathless, blushing state that he's in.

• Not the one whose cock will rearrange your insides or make you choke on it, no matter if he's gentle or not. There's a perfect balance even in his pants. Just perfect. Maybe it's one of the prettiest dicks that a man can possess. Average in size, with the ideal angle and brightest red tip when your boyfriend gets all eager. At times you're not sure if you want to keep marveling at him or appreciate him fully, gliding every ridge and vein with your tongue. Riddle always prefers the latter, guiding you straight to him by your head.

tw: sex toys, punishments • Riddle gives off the impression that he will "behead" you straight away if you dare to do something scandalous in public. And it's right. That breaches any and all rules, even his moral principles, completely unacceptable. He won't ever show that he's aroused if there are other people around. That one time you wore a skimpier outfit and flaunted all day in his dorm went especially bad. The seduction failed miserably, not even once did Riddle look at you. Well, you thought he didn't.

"What was it today? I deduced, a new way to earn yourself a punishment, was it not, my sweet? Well, since you crave it so much you shall receive your "special treatment"."

The collar he has for you is vastly different from the one he gives to other students, so prepare to have it chocking your throat while a very angry and frustrated Riddle has his way with you. He didn't yell or behead anybody once that day, he saved all his pent up anger just for you and he expects you take it all.

tw: bdsm-punishments • For all and any disobedience you show, expect to receive a proper punishment. The idea of punishment itself is very appealing to him. The dynamic, the scene, the choice of words, all of this has the blood rushing to his abdomen. While he loves to give and receive gentle touches, whisper praises into your ear and have you arch for his soft, caring touches, he also wants to hear you cry and moan out loud, see the way you shut your eyes tightly and brace yourself before each of his movement, have you beg for forgiveness, ready to do anything just so he would give you permission to cum. Sometimes, even mistakes that would usually go unnoticed by Riddle, since it is you, or at most required a lengthy lecture for you to endure, will lead to you being pushed onto his bed; a malicious, but oh so pleased expression on his face.

But when he says times and times again, that you can't tease him in public, finish yourself off when he explicitly tells you not to, or make him jealous by batting your eyes at other students and you still do it, that's when the real deal starts. He knows what you're doing that for. You're going to get it and you better be grateful, when you lay later on his bed crying from either overstimulation or broken orgasm, your exhausted body littered with marks from the riding crop he's bought especially for you, to discipline you like a naughty animal that you are. He expects you to learn your lesson and never break the rules he's set, for he has much worse in his stock.

• But if you want to reverse the roles, well... There's a surprise waiting for you - making a submissive Riddle come out is not that hard actually. For sure, he would want to retain the control he has over you, but you cupping his face, placing gentle kisses to his red cheeks while reassuring him that he deserved to just relax and accept your love, makes his knees week. But wait, stern look and a painful grip on his hair work well too, since bad boys need to be punished, and he's been a pretty annoying, arrogant one today.

Point him to his place, now he can address you only with the name you choose, speak only when he's asked to, and cum only when allowed to. And he tries to hold off so hard because he's a good boy, because rules need to be followed, but those cute mewls still spill from his mouth, his thighs tremble before the impending orgasm. Regardless of how well he did, when your session is over, cradle his head to your chest and let him know how much you love and cherish him, and how no matter what he'll always be the best in your eyes, that you're not disappointed with him in any way. He won't stop thanking and saying that he loves you until he's too exhausted to even keep his eyes open. Not burdened by heavy thoughts, expectations, and responsibilities everyone has for him Riddle looks so peaceful, you think to yourself, when he finally drifts off to the sleep, cuddled in your arms.

Deuce Spade ♠

SFW

• If he had just a few more brain cells at his disposal, Deuce would definitely join the "husband material" squad, but his last one died when he tried to confess to you, what a pity. He's adorable and loving boyfriend nonetheless, and treasures you like an apple of an eye. He may be clumsy sometimes, but you can always rely on him, the boy will try his hardest for you.

• Your love story is the embodiment of "friends-to-lovers slow burn" cliche, sponsored mostly by Deuce's own obliviousness. It may actually be looked upon as the story of you crawling your way out of this boy's friendzone, because, that's what you're to him at first. He's so happy he made some real friends, he's going to tell his mother as soon as possible! He doesn't even notice how special you, of all people, are to him. When Deuce tells his family stories about college, they mostly end with him praising or telling something funny about you. Mrs. Spade can only shake her head and snicker at how much information she already knows about her son's future significant other.

All the "inside" jokes in your circle of friends actually belong just to you two. You're the first who gets to see a funny meme he found, an interesting story he heard, know about some problems or hardships that he's going through. Yes, you're definitely his best friend! It's only natural that he feels possessive of you, no? And that he gets grossed out by the idea that you may date somebody else, and then those hugs and happy moments that you two share may stop suddenly, is called for, right?...

• Ace sees all those fleeting touches and puppy looks that Deuce sends your way when it seems like you don't notice. Actually, if he squinted hard enough he would be able to see a tail wagging behind Deuce every time you join them in the morning, or so Trappola thinks. He enjoys seeing you be so dejected by your "friend" status and frequently mocks you for it, but he wants you two to stop being stupid and "gross" and actually becomes the much-needed catalyst for your and Deuce's relationships. Just don't thank him, he won't let you live it down.

• Surprisingly, not much changes, after you start dating, at least not on the surface level. You still hang out with all your friends, go to classes together, get involved in some mess together just like always. But actually, Deuce feels happier, more at ease. He's got a significant other! And you're just perfect, the most loving and kindest. He finally gets to do all this romantic, "couple" stuff he's seen in films or read in books. He's excited to try it all with you, albeit when it's just the two of you. Things that can't include Ace and Grimm should be done without them.

• PDA doesn't go well for the boy, he gets all blushy and nervous, unable to even tell you to stop, because he's just blabbering and stuttering some nonsense. Could you have even predicted that a small kiss on the cheek would make him so flustered? It's a perfect opportunity to tease him if you're ready to treat him to a meal in the cafeteria as an apology later. Hand-holding is a must though, everybody should know that you're with him now, that he's your boyfriend, not any of them.

• He's going to puff out his chest so much, he's so proud to have a partner, someone as incredible as you. You're basically a deity in his eyes, no one can slander you, much less lay a hand on you. Anyone who's stupid enough will make acquaintances with ex-bully Deuce's fists. He can't bring himself to be apologetic after he snaps out, everything he does for you is automatically justified in his mind.

• Protective Deuce is always on duty, ready to defend you. Ask him to tone it down slightly however, if you get uncomfortable, he can get annoying pretty fast. You've somehow dealt with your problems before, he's not bringing much to the table, except for new reasons for a headache. When you tell him this he's going to be startled, he has only best for you in his mind! Reluctantly, he'll comply, but let him have at least some of his "boyfriend duties" - this boy craves validation that he's doing well, just like everybody else does. Deuce wants you to be proud of him, think that he's reliable and dependable. He's eager to help you more than ever.

• As much as he's shy to receive them, Deuce loves kisses! He's not a great kisser, you've bumped your teeth more times than you can count and practicing helps very little, so more often then not he resorts to close-mouthed ones. His cheek kisses are also so...wholesome? It's like a big dose of love is injected into you. When techniques don't do the job, Deuce's goal is to just make you feel loved. He hopes the sentiment is not lost on you, while he promises to get better at kissing.

• When he's especially stressed or tired he treats you like his recharge station. The first opportunity he gets to tackle you, be there some comfortable, flat surface under you, he's going to take it. Deuce doesn't mind to either curl up to your chest, while you softly pat his hair, or envelop you in his arms, just hide you away from the word so he can enjoy your presence. It does stroke his ego when you ask him to spoon you. Look, mama, your son is so reliable and caring! You notice that Deuce often tries to find a way for you not to see his face, "for what reason" is a reasonable question. Probably because this boy has the mushiest, happiest grin on his face and he's not about to show it to you so blatantly. He blushes so hard when you try to see his face, he's so easy to tease, huh.

"It's all your fault, [Y/n]! You're too cute!"

His poor heart can barely take it.

• Deuce is so shocked when you seem mildly irritated at him or bring up some issues you want to discuss. You see it on his face, that he genuinely doesn't know where it came up from, but sometimes you ask yourself whether he's that oblivious or unconsciously tries to dissuade the situation by acting dumb? But whatever it's about, Deuce wants to solve it as peacefully as possible. He avoids any confrontations with you, going as far as just straight-up agreeing to anything just so you would calm down. You doubt he fears you or your wrath, but you didn't think that he held you with such high regard as not to oppose you at all. At least any argument ends before it can possibly start, both of you finding the compromise and moving on.

• It all goes down when he's the one holding grunge though. You won't hear a peep from him, Deuce bottles everything up and gives you the worst cold-shoulder treatment possible, he's downright mean. The change couldn't be more prominent, a whole 180° from loving boyfriend to a snarky stranger you have never met before. You can't pry anything out of him, he refuses to tell and when you can't take it anymore, just wanting your boyfriend back, and either lash out or pressure him harder, he'll snap. It could have been something minor on your end, but because Deuce couldn't bring it up right away and started to overthink, the original reason for his distress blew up to unimaginable proportions. Angry Deuce is intimidating, he's conscious enough not to near you, but it still hurts.

When he eventually comes to his senses he's going to regret his behavior and apologize to you, he didn't have any excuse to treat you so horribly. Deuce didn't want to start an argument in the first place, that's why he kept silent, but soon enough his emotions got better of him. He promises to talk to you if something bothers him or if he feels that your relationships are not working perfectly. Maybe you'll agree for him to treat you to dinner? A nice evening to take your mind off of your quarrel. Those puppy eyes hope you won't say no, but Deuce will respect any way you wish for him to redeem himself.

• As soon as there's a free time in both of your schedules you're going for a date, no questions asked. Deuce is always happy to go out with you, even daydreaming about possible dates that you can have makes him giddy. He's going to research the best spots for a romantic getaway across the whole Twisted Wonderland and if the magic mirror can bring you there, you're definitely going. He hasn't been to most of those places himself, but he's more interested in looking at your reaction, since you didn't know they even existed, coming from an entirely different world.

• College is stressful, trying to be an honor student is even more stressful, especially when he's quite bad at being well-behaved and concentrated all the time too. But, well, those thugs were the ones who started the fight so he's not responsible for it! And he's just so tired right now, he can't cram another spell into his head or otherwise, it's going to explode. When he's at his limits, both physical and moral, he desperately needs your support. Hugs, kisses, praises, a cup of tea and cookies made by you, anything goes to show him that you care and he doesn't have to suffer alone. Your relationships give him strength and boost his confidence quite a lot. You're precious to him and he wants to treasure you for as long as possible. Who knows, maybe those wild dreams of him waiting for you at the altar will eventually come true?

NSFW

• Obviously a virgin, not to mention a clueless one too. Even if he's seen some porn or read articles, he's not prepared to become intimate whatsoever. He has been given "the talk" by his mother, he doesn't think anything of it can help him right now, but bits of it play in his mind. His brain is gone with your clothes, Deuce can only stare at your naked body, blushing profusely, which is kind of unnerving. With a little prompting or if you decide to just take the reigns in your hands, your first time can turn out nice, but there's always room for improvement. Do expect a nervous wreck Deuce once again when you finish, because he can't believe he has had sex with you, it's a really emotional moment for him.

• Deuce is pretty vanilla, there are not many kinks that he has, most of them are centered around you anyway, for example seeing you clad in stockings, cute lingerie, or maybe even a maid costume. You on top of him or Deuce being the one on the receiving side of whatever activity you may bring up also gets him going. He's always motivated to make you feel good, show how much he loves you, and is ready to serve you.

•♀️Maybe this boy does have some kinks after all because having you dominating him makes him feel some type of way. You're his dear girlfriend, his Lady, his Mistress, how can he ignore your wishes and commands, it's would be unacceptable, a disgrace to honor pet like Deuce. He'll do anything you want without a fault for just a few praises or your foot stepping on his manhood. He's ready to worship the ground you walk upon, but better bring this eager mouth to your mounds to suck on. He'll let out sweet moans, praising and complimenting you, he's grateful he can just be your baby boy, alone with you, partaking in any pleasure you share with him.

• That one guy who practically has a bright red announcement on his forehead that "he has had a nice fuck last night!". He's unusually pumped up and energized, while also tailing after you like a puppy. To some, more experienced students, it's obvious what you guys have been up to, Ace is especially mean, teasing the hell out of Deuce, but at least Deuce is getting some. Oh, no, guys you're not children, stop fighting~

• Deuce expected for a blowjob to be pleasurable, but in truth, he cannot compare anything to it, it's an entirely different experience altogether. The image of you on your knees, a lewd expression on your face, while you look straight into his eyes with your mouth around his dick, indeed it will stay with him for the longest time, haunting him in his wet dreams. Until you go and blow him once again. He will do anything for a blowjob, both to receive it and after you give it to him, to show how grateful he is.

• He has a slight bias to receiving oral, rather than giving, but purely because he's not very confident in his own skills. He always has a hard time navigating, forgetting your preferences and what usually brings you to your high. His own tempo is pretty slow, movements gentle but persistent, he likes to worship and pay you compliments along the way. Small moans sometimes penetrate his speech; it's his everything, seeing you be satisfied by him. He won't complain if you grab him by his hair and just do with him whatever you seem fit and for as long as you need. Just don't forget he has to breathe, for this dork will try to assure you that he doesn't have to, just so you wouldn't stop.

• Deuce has worked for his reputation, just so he wouldn't be seen as a delinquent anymore, worried about his grades every year to near the "honor student" title, and now you want to place it all on stakes by sneaking your hands down his trousers, saying that nobody will notice anyway? And he can't even tell you to stop, because he knows he will moan as soon as he opens his mouth. "[Y/n], you're a bully now!", Deuce thinks dejected when your hands bring him to one of his fastest orgasms. He doesn't speak with you for the rest of the day, silently hides his red face in your shoulder when somebody tries to ask him about his well-being. No, no, Deuce is perfectly fine, and if he gets sick his kind significant other will bring him to his dorm room at once! Of course, to just worsen his state with those hands and mouth~

Ace Trappola ♥

SFW

• A trickster, there's never a boring moment with Ace. He's not for a fragile heart, you encounter his teasing and not so pleasing remarks now even more often, since you two spend more time with each other as a couple. You're his partner in crime, always there for him when he needs your support, even if he often acts like you're the one who needs him the most.

• When did you even start dating? Was it when he invited you to Monstro Lounge to celebrate your success in the most recent test, and when all other guys "didn't quite make it" and didn't join you? Or maybe when you've spent the entire night in his room, playing card games or reading popular comics and suffering on the morning lessons again together, because you didn't get any sleep? For the longest time, neither of you even thinks of putting a label on your relationships. You hang out with all your friends just as fine as just you two do together. It's light-hearted and fun until it isn't and Ace notices. He has to restrain himself and not touch you in a way a friend wouldn't, not say pick-up lines and things that can be easily misunderstood since you're just friends and it's slowly getting on his nerves. He doesn't think of you as a friend anymore, he doesn't! What to do is unclear to Ace, he becomes snappier and meaner, ruining the day for everyone around him, because he can't figure out what to do with his emotions.

It can go a longer way, with his other friends confronting him, both because they are tired of dealing with his mood swings and worried about Ace. Or you can approach him yourself and solve this problem tête-à-tête, which of course would lead to faster results, much to Ace's surprise, with you ending up legitimately, undoubtedly dating him. He hoped, he hoped so much for such an outcome, but did he really think it would happen? He's talking your ears off with how predictable you are, that it was obvious you were in love with him, but deep down he's thanking whatever or whoever made it possible for him to date you.

• This boy doesn't handle jealousy well. When you're the one being jealous he just shrugs it off, teasing you for being such a worrywart or acting mockingly hurt, that you don't trust him since he's loyal to you only, but when he's not suddenly a center of your attention or somebody else allows themselves to touch and flirt with his significant other, he's livid, not a ghost of a smile on his lips. He's going to just barge in on your conversation with the other person, nearly creating a whole scene, before he whisks you away. Who could have thought that the Ace Trappola could be self-conscious and insecure? Tell him firmly that you've never given him a reason to doubt you, that it can't be more apparent that you love only him. He'll feel ashamed, uttering the quietest "sorry" and demanding affection from you in the same breath. Of course, he knows he's your only one, there are no chances it would be the opposite, just look at him! He just needs you to...hold him and remind him about it, it can sometimes slip his mind.

• Unfortunately, just like most couples you two are not strangers to quarrels or falling out with each other. And when Ace can't solve everything with his happy-go-lucky approach and you're done being forgiving and understanding there's a big storm coming for you. Arguing is impossible with him. Impossibly annoying and exasperating. No matter who starts first, Ace turns into the worst prick ever, he twists your words and ignores all and any attempts of you trying to reason with him. The best defense is an attack, that's clear in his attitude, he's going to turn everything on you and make it seem like you're the one to blame. He's prone to saying very hurtful things in the heat of argument, words he will regret heavily later. But it's going to be later, when he'll have to beg for your forgiveness and think of all possible ways to mend your relationships, at the moment he only wants to shift the blame away from himself, make it seem like he's the only "good guy" here.

No wonder if you get hurt in the aftermath, your boyfriend absolutely can't hold himself accountable for anything. But as soon as Ace notices your offended expression or a first tear he'll shut up immediately. He's suddenly well aware of all the lies he has told you and the realization of just what a jerk he is crushes him. He's going to escape faster then you can utter his name and not show up for at least a couple of days. He's sorry, he really is, and also very ashamed of what he did, but he can't find the words to express it, every time he tries your sad expression surfaces up in his mind.

You surely hate him, don't you? He can't have anything nice, and frankly, he thinks he deserves it. He can't even properly say how much he loves you, and that's after all what you've done for him, how much happier you made him just by reciprocating his feelings. Looking at his pathetic form, a flower bouquet in his hand, eyes not meeting yours, you can only sigh. If you do decide to get it past yourself and propose going out to some nice place, like Monstro Lounge, to sort things out, Ace will practically cry. He will treasure this second chance, hopefully, he won't need any third and fourth.

• Depending on your attitude towards PDA you're either going to absolutely suffer or relinquish in his attention because is this fellow affectionate. Nothing can stop him from kissing your cheek in the middle of the cafeteria or pull you into a hug during the lunch break. Bonus points if you turn red or become embarrassed. Getting irritated kind of checks off in his list as a nice reaction too. No reaction just means that you're cool with his PDA, c'mon, he knows you like it! He can get pretty bold too - impromptu make-out session until somebody screams at you to get a room. This got you a detention a few times, but is he going to stop? No, absolutely not. He reacts very positively if you reciprocate his advances, getting a bit blushy even. It means you're proud to display that you two are dating and that you love him so much that you can't help but kiss or hug him, even when there are other people watching, right? He's going to tease you about it, but actually, he couldn't be more delighted.

• A big spoon, he's going to pout if you try to "baby" him and will say that you look more like a backpack on him, even if you aren't. There are no instances of Ace fitting snugly into your arms because he won't calm down and will even throw a temper tantrum just so he would be the one holding you. Only once you're cuddled up into his chest, you can expect to get your hug and love dose. Well, not before you swat away his hands from your sides and any other ticklish or sensitive spot, Ace is not giving you a break. Chances are you'll have to also take his hands back from under your clothes and lower back. He's having a blast seeing you so irritated! Now if he were to blow in your ear what would you do-

No normal cuddle times with Ace, up until you try to leave him alone or hit him with a pillow into his head. Ace will then catch and restrict your movements, saying that you don't understand jokes at all, and wait for you to melt into his arms once again. Trappola thinks that laying peacefully, while occasionally sharing a kiss or two is nice too, he can stay like this for a long time, just don't abandon him, he doesn't think he will be able to handle losing these precious moments after getting used to them.

• Who knows if Ace had someone before to practice or just gave a hard time to tomatoes in the Botanical Garden, but it's a fact that Ace is very proficient at kissing, and the more you do it, the faster he's able to take your breath away. He's a very fast learner, soon picking up on everything you like, what type of kisses you prefer, where he should place his hands and so on. It's such an ego boost for him to see you flushed, your head dizzy after he separates from you, he can't resist going in for another kiss, successfully roping you into a full make-out session.

• If you think that by dating Ace you will be except from his tricks and pranks, think again. You're his favorite in the entire college, both person and target for teasing. The added bonus is that he actually teaches you some of his skills, tells secrets to some of his "magic tricks", he can't have you losing in card games or anything of that sort to anybody else but him. He will be so angry if you eventually start to beat him too, he complains that you cheat, but you both know that you're just better at cheating than him at this point. He'll have mixed feelings, he's both proud of you and annoyed. If somebody notes to Ace that you've picked up on some of his habits or vice versa he'll boast that, of course, you're a power couple, it's only natural!

• Dates with Ace are spontaneous, or at least he wants you to think so. Each one is actually planned beforehand by him, but he doesn't want to seem "lame" so he plays it cool as if he hasn't been gathering courage the whole day to ask you out. While date places inside the college are pretty limited, outside of it Ace chooses true rare gems, places that you wouldn't be able to find even with a guide or a tourist map. How does he know about them, where from, is a secret. He's so proud of himself when he sees you enjoying yourself. Ace will do anything to see that smile of yours more.

"Ahaha, I knew you would like it! You haven't seen Twisted Wonderland at all. Want to see other places? Well, you don't have a choice but go out with more!"

NSFW

• When it comes to sex Ace's head is full of unrealistic expectations and picked up skills that cannot be applied anywhere, especially on you. He starts all saucy and smooth, but when the realization that he's totally lost and doesn't know what to do settles in, Ace will kind of shut down. The next thing he knows it's you pinning him down and continuing where he left because hell no it would be ending now. And he rolls with it, tries to laugh it off, and even challenges you when he regains his confidence. To give him back the control or not is entirely up to, but that night is pleasurable and exciting nevertheless, with Ace's adaptability it's bound to work out somehow.

• And you can't comprehend the speed with which he improves as a lover. He was able to pick up on most complicated "magic" tricks, figuring out how to do magic with his hips and hands is a breather, you're basically an open book to him, he's been looking at and observing you for a long time, getting better at understanding your facial expressions, gestures, and how they corresponded to the emotions you felt; it's all in his head. Ace is pretty attentive to you and often links your habits to some kinks you may display when you're having fun together, delighted to see when he discovers a connection.

He's also very versatile, sex is all about enjoyment and exploring new things to him, he would lie though, if he said that he wasn't biased to seeing you under him at his mercy. Entirely possible to turn the tables around, but do expect he won't give up without a fight, it's simply not his style. He wants to test just how far you can go with him and vice versa.

•♂️ Just how feisty can he get? A whole lot is the answer, especially if you're not exactly the fan of submitting, much less to a red-haired punk like Ace. You genuinely think Ace would look much better on your own dick, but he's not giving you the pleasure, running his mouth, smirking the whole time, all bratty and naughty. He just begs to be roughed up a little, maybe even a lot, but you're the one calling the shots, since Ace's head is already pressed tightly into a pillow and that cute ass of his is perked up in the air, waiting for something, for anything, preferably to be filled by you. Only fair to make him wait for it too, no?

• Does he love to see you in-between his legs, you just nearing the area of his crotch makes him all excited. He's pretty dirty-minded, yes. You blowing him is one of the most frequent dreams in Ace's head, to the point your jaw would lock forever if you acted it out every time he thought of it. He's pretty open about how much he loves to receive oral from you so if you're comfortable doing it more often, Ace will enjoy every minute of it. Expect hands on your head, holding you down there, and, as long as you're consent, face-fucking you.

• Ace can be pretty egotistical, oftentimes not paying you back for your favor, jumping straight to the other part or blissfully falling asleep. But it's not like he hates going down on you, not at all. He likes to feel you up, turn you on, before slowly descend down on his knees, taking his time to tease you through your underwear until you can't take it anymore. It's a satisfaction, looking at his erotic expressions, half-lidded eyes that search your face for any kind of reaction to his ministrations. The longer he goes, the more painful the tent in his pants becomes, he can't be apathetic to having your sex in his line of sight, leaking and throbbing so arousingly. He can't help but bring one of his hands to his member to relieve at least some of the tension, obediently eating you out/blowing you, until you're satisfied.

w: sex toys • There are many ways to spice thighs up in the bedroom, and of course, using toys is one of them. When Ace suggests employing some of them next time you get frisky, he has likely already got his hands on such and can't wait to bring it out. He's not one of those guys who sees toys as a competition, he's pretty sure he's the main deal there anyway and uses any available vibrator, plug or beads both on you and himself without shame. Well, maybe he will get just a bit jealous if you use them without him when he's free and ready to bang with you, but what a joke, you know some lifeless toy is not the same as him. If you tell him otherwise he'll cry.

w: overstimulation • Those little funny things called sex toys are also very helpful when Ace wants to indulge himself a bit and devote a night to listening to your cries and moans as he overstimulates your poor, exhausted from countless orgasms body. It's a kink he's willing to explore only if you're the one asking him to as a reward for you or if he thinks you haven't been on your best behavior lately and need to be punished. His attitude towards the whole event is very different depending on what preceded it. Should he be gentle and condescending, petting your hair and chuckling at you after he coaxes just another orgasm out of you? Or relentlessly plunge into you, until your body is at your absolute limit? Don't worry though, safe words you pick with Ace are usually so ridiculous they will not slip your mind too easily, guaranteeing that you'll tell him when he's ought to stop.

• This man of many ambitions, Ace made his intentions clear right on the first year, that he wouldn't be against becoming a next dorm leader of Heartslabyul, and without Riddle around it may just become a truth. Now he's the rule here, and while he's definitely not the worst leader the dorm has ever had, he'll use the power his position gives him much more freely than his predecessor. It's not an easy task to scold or give a detention to prefect himself and Trappola is quite proficient at twisting anything that they have to say about him around, debunking any accusation, making a fool out of them. You can only sigh quietly, knowing perfectly well that this poor soul did indeed catch you with Ace's hand shower down your uniform bottoms in an alley not far away from the main building. Well, a blot is no blot till it be hit, it just doesn't seem like your boyfriend will stop embarrassing you in public in the near future. You hope no serious blow will be dealt with your reputation because of Ace's inability to keep his hands to himself.

Trey Clover ♣

SFW

• The sole founder of "husband material" squad, Trey is unrivaled in being the best in this field and he's all yours. He's very serious about your relationships and works hard to maintain them, he grows and thrives with you by his side. There's not a day Trey doesn't tell or show you how much he treasures you, there's an inexhaustible pool of love for you inside of him and you relinquish in it fully.

• You are Night Raven College's token couple even before you two officially become one. It's obvious Trey cares about you more than just as a friend, there's an underlying gentleness and softness in all of his touches, all the words he says to you, gazes he casts in your direction. He knows what he feels for you is not a platonic feeling one bit and he isn't shy to give you some hints about it. As soon as Trey is sure you're comfortable with him being upfront about his feelings towards you and there's a high chance you will reciprocate them, he's preparing to confess to you and ask you to go out. It's nothing too pompous, but it still manages to impress you.

Trey will cook up some nice meal by himself and make sure your schedules are free, before welcoming you to Heartslabyul dorm or Rose Garden if the weather allows to. Of course, Riddle and Cater will wholeheartedly help their friend to get himself a significant other, Trey is free to stay past the curfew for as long as he needs to channel his feelings to you and Cater will shoot just enough photos to include later in your videos as a couple, the male can't help but swoon over you two!

• Trey is like a reward to you for enduring any hardships throughout your life, withstanding harsh blows and losses. Your heart is now in caring hands, and if he needs to, Trey will help you mend it back piece by piece. Until then he has enough love for both of you and even more. You don't have to struggle alone, he always reminds you that you can rely on and trust him. There are no unrealistic expectations Trey has about his life, he's a very down-to-earth guy, and one of his biggest dreams is to see you happy. He's got to know such an amazing person like you and learned to harbor a lot of adoration towards you, to him you deserve the whole world and all the love in it. As much as he has, he'll give it to you.

• Clover's love has many forms: you feel its warmth in homemade meals he makes for you, in sweet massages he sends you every time he gets the chance to text you during the day, in bear hugs Trey gives you after the long day in college, in hot kisses he presses to your face together with "I love you"s because he really does. You're never alone in times that you catch a cold, which is much rarer now, for a certain someone is all about reminding you to take your umbrella when he sees rain in the weather forecast, helping you choose effective vitamins, get enough nutrients and water, all in all, everything you see better when you observe your loved person from the side. And of course, your dental health is very much a priority. Sorry, it goes without a question, Trey frets over your teeth just as much as he does over his own, he starts a bonding activity to brush them together when you spend morning or evening at each other's dorms.

• Goes without saying how much Trey would treasure you taking care of him back. He has his moments of being dishonest about his own problems, that you should probably know as a loving partner, but ones he doesn't talk with you openly about. He can't resist your pouts or soft touches while you coax what's been bothering him, you have an unfair advantage on him, he thinks. Trey being forgetful is not unheard of too, thankfully you watch him pretty closely yourself. That handsome face and piercing golden eyes give you no choice, really, but it's a different topic. This man's head is always full of responsibilities and tasks he has to do, they can sometimes force something as simple as drinking water or taking a break out from Trey's mind. You can't have that, can you? He's going to smile gratefully if you give him little reminders, blushing slightly, not used to be on the receiving end.

• Arguments start from misunderstanding, undiscussed offenses, foul mood, and overwhelming emotions, and it would be impossible to avoid all of them while being in relationships, but you and Trey somehow manage to do it pretty often. Even though it can be sometimes hard for him, Clover tries to stay attuned to your emotions and notice when something is wrong. Thanks to his rather level-headed personality, Trey approaches every issue in a mature and respectful way, if there's anything you want to discuss with him it's always better to tell him about it straight on, otherwise by the time you do he will have already wind himself up with worry. If your tempers go out of control the worst you can expect from him is raising the tone of his voice and that's all. Trey is not someone who shows openly how angry he is, but it's pretty easy to notice he's feeling down after an especially bad fight or if he acknowledges that either of you hurt the other in the midst of it. He's always open to and waits for a chance to reconcile, he can claim he manages just fine, but going too long without you being near him or always there for him at least through a messenger is hard. He sees arguments as a challenge to overcome, to make your relationships stronger and is fine with them as long as you solve the problem afterward.

• And when it comes to hugging, oh, Trey is CEO of it! You feel like the most secure, protected, warmest cuddle bug in his arms, probably stuck there for a prolonged period of time, the man won't let you go on his own volition, never. Happy? Hug. Excited? Hug. Sad? A hug, a huge tub of ice cream or something he sure will make you happy, and a dozen of kisses to your forehead. Trey doesn't need meditation or yoga to relax, holding you close to his chest eliminates depressive thoughts and clears his skin. He has a preference to being a big spoon, but if you're big enough to hold him and not seem like a small animal clutching to his back then he's willing to be a "little" spoon, but just for a bit, such position makes him too mushy on the inside.

• A curious secret, disclosed only to you, but sometimes you wish you never had it that way. Only you know just what a tease your boyfriend is and how big is Trey's arsenal of underhanded methods to make a bright blush show on your cheeks! Gentleman, courteous and honorable, considerate, and kind to his other half, that's how everyone sees Trey Clover, and you too, albeit you also know how playful and unfair he can be at times. Did you really think he wouldn't notice how you react to certain words, especially praise, or tickling touches to your body on those particular spots, or any other gimmick that makes you shy and meek, all for him to enjoy the show? He doesn't abuse it often, but when in need of some serotonin Trey knows what exactly he has to do to brighten up his day, you're an integral part of his fun. And, well, if you're strongly against teasing, he can always think of a new way to mess with naive first-years or go and initiate cuddle times with you, that you won't refuse, will you?

• The kisses Trey gives to you often have a mature vibe to them. They're not over-the-top or too steamy when it's not called for, but he likes to involve some tongue action, stall you for some time before he finally releases you to go on with your day. Cheek kisses or kisses to the temple and forehead are common to, he can't have you go to classes without your daily dose of love and they're the best when he passes by you in hallways and has limited time to be affectionate with you.

• And being shy about affection in public is definitely not Trey's style. There is not a single soul that doesn't know you're dating, but affirming that fact is never a bad idea. Trey manages to stay classy and refined without neglecting you while going out somewhere and completely adjusts to your preferences, but he's calmer when he can at least hold your hand and doesn't have to fear losing you in a crowd. If you're not against, Trey can be often seen sneaking small kisses to your cheek, but don't expect him to shove his tongue down your throat, he has some manners after all. He can always do it behind the closed doors, he promises to you.

Preparing your own food and then dining together, in the company of each other sounds like an idea for a romantic date, but be assured Trey has a lot of other activities he would be keen on trying out with you. Finally, all those "relationships tips" posts Cater has been sending him since Trey gave the male his MagiCam will prove useful, he thanks himself for not deleting them. Clover is fine both with in- and outdoor dates, alternating between both variants. To his dismay, usually, he can allow himself only to welcome you in his dorm, his position as vice dorm leader takes up a considerable amount of his time, often leaving him too exhausted at the end of the day. However, you're always welcome to visit him for a sleepover and curl with Trey under the blanket, your boyfriend falling asleep almost instantly.

• Upbeat music, funny chatter, and happy laughter, all the while Trey prepares the dinner, handfeeding you some ingredients and letting you taste-test almost ready dishes. You're not obligated to help around, and in a case if you're not that familiar with cooking,Trey himself assures you that you can just sit there prettily and let him do his thing. He can give you lessons or teach you new skills or dishes, but it has to be separate from the normal cooking occasion. Although Clover will never refuse any help, particularly from his partner, so as long as you're confident you won't break something or set the kitchen on fire, he gives you a green light to participate in the process itself.

NSFW

• How deceptive of him to say that you're in caring hands and never mention how dexterous they also are, right until the moment he has you naked on his bed and under the guise of preparing you, unashamedly brings you to climax. Sooner than later you'll plead for him to go harder and finally give you the real deal that you've been eyeing for a while in his pants. Is he really that considerate or was just teasing you, you're not sure, but how his lips curl in a devious smirk upon hearing soft moans of his name from your lips doesn't help either.

• Regardless if he's being fair or not, your hole still requires some preparations before Trey can sink into you, this man packs some nice sized equipment in his pants, enough to rival several known non-humans. He's a bit apprehensive about going rougher on you at first, controlling the movements of his hips and not allowing himself go completely in fear of hurting you, but as you sleep with each other more often, you may convince him that you can handle more - a faster pace, deeper thrusts, his hands holding you closer. He asks you if are really sure, an unsaid warning in the gold of his irises. Rest assured, the possibility of you not being able to walk properly the next day is very high.

• Fret not, this man is absolutely the best at aftercare, and you're never seriously worn out or rouged up, to begin with, while your boyfriend pampers just the living daylight out of you. Trey wipes you clean, carries you to the bathroom if you need one, treats every little bruise, looking just a little too peeved about them, dresses you in comfy pajamas and definitely feeds you some snacks, while he pets your head and calls you darling and dear, compliments how great you are for him and how good he felt, you're just the best, he can't possibly get enough of you. He just laughs when it earns him a worried look in return, he's a good guy, don't you know, he's not going to strain you anymore that night, even though he's tempted. Oh no, sit tight, he can't let you go anywhere at such an hour, a responsible boyfriend wouldn't allow it. Sleep peacefully beside him, he's going to protect you from all harm.

tw: daddy kink • The reason why you would require nice aftercare after the deed stems not only from the necessity for Trey to care of your body but also of your mind. He's very into dominating you, leaving you vulnerable to both his words and touches. But don't worry little one, Daddy is there for you, he can see how badly you need to be loved, to be pleasured. While Trey does get a rush out of being the one in control, having you entirely at his mercy and sometimes disciplining you, he's also very gentle and kind and wants you to see him as somebody who will love you unconditionally will be always there for you, he wants to make sure you feel special and cherished. Trey is careful, he asks you prior about your limits and safe word is always there to ensure you only enjoy yourself, he wouldn't bear you getting hurt.

• But seeing you cry... It's his guilty pleasure. Tears running down your flushed cheeks, while he has you bent over his knee, spanking your ass, or beneath him, begging for him to let you cum, after he has edged you for countless times already. You look so sweet and adorable, gasping for air, your glassy eyes on him, but unable to see anything. He both wants to comfort you and make you wail even harder for him. Ah, you really bring all those twisted parts of him out, but you're his sweetheart, you can handle it, right? You will do it for Daddy?

• When it comes to turn-ons, there's one, in particular, Trey would like to explore with you. Who could have thought that responsible, reliable senior and relatively "normal" guy out of the whole Heartslabyul bunch would unashamedly surprise his dear significant other by sharing a dirty secret of his to see you bent over the counter in the kitchen? The proposition comes seemingly out of nowhere, one moment Trey is about to place the dough for just another tart in the fridge, and the other he has you trapped between himself and the table, a very prominent erection pressed into your rear. Trey creates a path up your throat, placing chaste kisses until he stops just by your mouth and questions whether you would want him to continue. If you do decide to humor him, prepare for the most exciting, and simultaneously the most frightening experience in your life, you're always at the danger of being walked on. It seemed however that unlike you, Trey genuinely hoped for somebody to come. He has to try another time, maybe it'll make every male in college know that you're off the limits, most likely permanently. He also swears to get it up with you more often, when you'll have your own kitchen.

• Trey adores positions where he can hold you against or cage you between some surface and his own body, it makes you look so beautiful and cute, as he's the only one able to command the tempo and you can just receive him into yourself and grace his ears with your pleasured cries and moans. Good old missionary is one of Clover's favorite too when he wants to go all out on you and pay you the attention you deserve.

• It's a heart-crushing sight, your boyfriend visits your dorm after the long and tiring day of helping Riddle to manage the dorm and also taking care of his own business. You want to help somehow, take care of the needs the man has, like getting a relaxing temple massage, a cup of hot tea, and a nice blowjob to top it off. Trey's eyes are full of adoration and gratitude, you can see them clearly as you allow more of his cock into your mouth, sucking and licking the shaft, releasing it when you can no longer breath properly, going without a break on a man such as Trey is difficult after all. But he's encouraging you, caressing your head and permitting hoarse moans to let you know how much he loves it. Blowjob as a stress reliever works exceptionally well for Trey, it obvious in the way his shoulders relax and deep frown goes away from his face when he spills into your mouth. Pray that your jaw doesn't lock, because this man may or may not have been withholding his release, just to keep watching you bob your pretty head on his dick. He's going to properly thank you, not at all repulsed to kiss you in the lips and assure that he won't forget this debt he has to you and will repay it soon enough.

• And you never have to wait long and never because you did it first. Trey does not think of himself as a remarkable gourmet, but he knows what's good and your taste even better than some of the best delicacies he's ever tasted. This tongue of his can work wonders on you, making you arch into his mouth chasing after the pleasure it offers, only for Trey to pin your hips to the surface you're on, he has a task and your trashing-around break his concentration. While on the one to blush easily, Trey can feel his cheeks become hotter, he has to take his glasses off pretty soon, he can't see a thing behind the misty lenses.

• In general everything that has to do with your or his mouth makes him hot and bothered. He's used to focusing his attention on that particular body part, just imagining how you can accommodate him into that small little cavern or having your private parts near his face, your taste on his tongue is enough to have Trey's pulse speed up and he makes a tactical retreat to his own room, to "take care of some business". Oral fixation is strong here. Even in a very pure setting, like brushing your teeth or feeding you something by hand, his mind starts to race with very erotic thoughts. Trey will never pass a chance for a make-out session, he definitely prefers kissing over any other form of affection display.

• What can be better than combining both your taste and the sweets he loves so much? This man's tarts actually have way more spice than vanilla in them. Indulging himself in eating out of you and biting both strawberries your trembling hand holds out for him and your soft flesh is not the weirdest thing you've probably done. Covering your body in whipped cream and "accidentally" licking your weak spots, your privates too, was novel and amusing at most. It's a "sticky" situation you would want to repeat again though. When experimenting with Trey you always know that however it goes, you will be in loving hands.

Cater Diamond ♦

SFW

• A playboy and a social butterfly, Cater is not somebody you would pin as a good boyfriend at a first sight, but don't be fooled by his acting: he's one of the most loyal individuals out there, while also extremely affectionate and supportive of you. Soon you will find yourself to be a center of his attention, a bright star that Cater's planet orbits. As carefree and lighthearted as your boyfriend is, there's more to him that an eye can see and than he's willing to show.

• Flirting is in Cater's nature and of course a few pick-up lines and flirty remarks fly your way, but the thing is, he doesn't usually attach much meaning to them, except for letting you know he thinks you're cute, and nobody bats an eye most of the time. So when you actually take him seriously or flirt back, Cater is lost. He's not really used to a two-way coquet conversation, he probably should answer to your advances? He must, after all, he did try to pin after you and to interact with you more. He's screaming on the inside, he doesn't want to screw this up by being too upfront or cringy, there's something about you that makes butterflies flutter in his stomach. You giving him the attention and compliments back really is the green light for him to pursue you further, something he probably wouldn't dare to do otherwise.

Your interactions are pretty lighthearted, albeit flirtatious and not-so-ambiguous, everyone can get that there's something going on between you two. People don't usually see Cater as a "boyfriend material", sadly, but it doesn't mean he is not longing for being loved and having a significant other, no, he craves it. He's ready to dive head-first into relationships to experience it all, he's in love with the idea of love. Still, he doesn't miss how comfortable he feels around you, that you've become his best friend almost instantly and when he wants to confide in somebody you're now the first person he thinks about. It's a long way ahead before Cater will start to appreciate you and not the "idea of you" that his mind created, but you'll eventually get to it, no one said it would be easy.

• Until then, it's mostly fun and giggles as you parade through college grounds together. The moment Cater is officially no longer single, everyone will know about it. His MagiCam is flooded by your couple photos, hashtags are long strings of compliments for you. You're basically everywhere: on his lock and home screen, his avatars in apps, posts in social media, he even creates memes or reaction pics with you and uses them in group chats. If you're not much of a public person all the incoming attention from everywhere will be overwhelming, but Cater is there to reassure you that you're just too cute to not be seen, all his subscribers already love you. Of course not as much as he does though~♡ Negative comments? No, don't exist, anybody stupid enough to say foul things about you is reported and banned swiftly.

He will recruit you to help him create an image collage on his wall in his room, or, really, a separate board because Riddle didn't give him the permission to touch the wall itself. There are so many pictures he wants to put up, he can't choose! When it's all ready, adorned in fairy lights in best traditions of MagiCam aesthetic posts, you can count photos that don't have you in them on the fingers of one hand: two with Trey, one for Riddle, one for Adeuce duo and another one with everyone in it. Everything else is just you and Cater.

"I can see everyone I love like this, isn't it cute?"

"That's mostly me though, Cay."

"Well, fair enough, I love you the most, my sunshine! I should post it, time for photoshoot~"

One unfortunate evening, the rare one when he feels horribly down and you're not there to cheer him up, Cater realizes that if you two had to walk separate paths he would have to rip a big piece of his heart away; little and enormous reminders of your presence in his life are everywhere. He takes his phone, the keychain on it is your gift, unlocks it and your picture is there, goes to his contacts and you're the first on the list, the melody for your call is different from others, but right now he's the one calling you, desperate to hear that whatever grim world his brain showed him it is not a reality.

• Cater is quite intelligent and knows how to read the room, you're never under the pressure with him. Of course, he tries to be affectionate as much as possible, but it's always within your boundaries. PDA is always present, whether it's swinging your hands, or giving kisses to your cheeks and forehead. You're adorable, soft and all his to relive all of his fantasies about snuggling his significant other and doing all the "couple" stuff.

You can notice, however, that in some instances Cater is not really "there", less tender and doting. Truth is, he's not always fired up and needs to be physical with you, but doesn't want to be left out or decline you some lovey-dovey times. When you notice it, even if it's so hard because when is this boy honest about his feelings, tell him to relax, you know he's not in the mood right now. You apparently hit close, because his demeanor changes right away.

"I can't hide anything from you, can I?"

Cater is all about quietly sitting beside each other, doing own thing but being comfortable with the silence, just enjoying the presence of the other. He didn't think you would find it an ideal way to spend your time, he's both surprised and glad he doesn't have to go out of his way and act all cheery and peppy. Each day he's more grateful that it's you who he's dating.

• Cater always thought he fared just fine, but with you coming into his life, he notices how many changes you've brought with you. "Cay-kun" doesn't always have to be positive when he's around you, and when he is happy it's because he genuinely feels this way, but it’s always the case when he’s around you. Less scrolling MagiCam feed and more chatting with you, he finds that stopping everywhere just to take photos while you're out for a date actually takes away a lot of time that could be spent on enjoying it with you. He doesn't have to rely on the camera to catch every moment with you if he can create even more exciting ones as long as you're with him.

First, second, several months anniversaries come unexpectedly. Cater can remember the date you started going our even if he was wakes up in the middle of the night, but to think that you're still dating by this time? He's both relieved and anxious, how much more time will it take for you to grow completely bored of him, it can't all be permanent, such things simply don't exist. And still, he hopes, he hopes, because he doesn't think he will be able to let you go.

When all is too much and he doesn't think he can take it anymore it's your touch that he doesn't shy away from, your eyes that can look at him in such state, you who he knows won't judge him for being unable to smile at the moment, who doesn't expect him to always be the Cay he shows to the world. Your love doesn't waver, gentle palm still cups his cheek, lips place loving kisses into the crown of his head. He wished it never came to this, but he needs you to be his support, at times his lifeline, when he feels like he can't speak to anybody else.

• While initially Cater placed a lot of trust into you simply because of your status as his "significant other" he learned to think of you both as his loved one and his best friend, he didn't have to play a role of "perfect boyfriend" for you to love and support him, a true revelation about how relationships actually work. Cater's threshold for weirdness it too high, you can discuss whatever you want with him and he will never judge, he'll even try to learn about it more or give you his own insight. Many strange inside jokes were born that way, no one, not even Riddle or Trey, have any understanding of what you two are howling with laughter about, and at this point they're too afraid to ask. With Cater you don't have to be afraid that nobody will support you or listen to what you have to say, even if he doesn't know what you're talking about at all he's always eager to listen since he knows you too will always be there for him.

• But when you are not willing to listen to each other, that's when your relationships are put to the test. It's pretty difficult to discuss unpleasant topics with Cater, like his flirting habits or social media obsession, because he doesn't even acknowledge you two have a problem, dismissing your concerns in a carefree manner which is frustrating at best. Infuriating at worst. If this conversation leads to addressing some other hang-ups that you have about him or will uncover more sensitive topics, he doesn't want to hold it at all. He twists and turns, tries to sway you to talk about something else, takes away your mind by flirting and being very affectionate with you. But he sees how his behavior hurts you and doesn't bring the results he counted on; Cater will then turn serious. You're afraid of the same thing, aren't you?...

I'd you didn't blow up and start a real fight before the realization hits Cater, you might as well gain something from this quarrel, otherwise, he will leave saying that he can't speak with you in this state. Because Cater doesn't share his "less positive" emotions freely it's hard to understand when you're having a problem or if he's angry and upset about something, but he also let's go offenses pretty quickly, so as long as you spend enough time with him, look out for him and help him through some difficulties, even indirectly, the man will feel secure in your relationships, he can overlook minor inconveniences.

• Kisses on the cheek, kisses on the forehead, hand kisses, flying kisses, embarrassing-you-in-the-middle-of-the-cafeteria kisses. They never end and always reach their target like Cupid's arrows, Cater makes sure of it. When you're not getting smooched by your dear boyfriend honestly? Even at night he spams you with heartfelt massages, including anything from beating hearts 💓 to kiss marks and kissy emoji 💋😘, all to send his love across to you in any form. Clingy much, but you will never suffer from the lack of attention with Cater. Everybody just tries to get a separate room themselves, no point in telling Diamond to stop, his lips will near you soon enough after he seemingly ended his onslaught. Queen of Hearts forbid you're in the same class as him, Crewel is so close whip the hell out of you two. "If you know what's good for you, prefect [Y/n], you better discipline that unruly, overly affectionate puppy of yours!" Looking at those sparkling green orbs, unmoving and fixated on you, awaiting what you will say, how can you refuse them? And even if you do, will you forgive yourself, when he lowers his head, heart-wrenching whine shudders from his lips. "You don't love me anymore?" reads in his eyes, trying to gaze at you sideways. You may lament for your fate as much as you like, this man will try everything, just you get your attention back to him.

• Aren't you tired? Don't you just feel like cuddling up to somebody, so he would wrap his hands around you, cradle you while he whispers sweet nothings into your ears? Cater does it, and frequently so. Skinship is something you never have a shortage of.

Cater is the ultimate cuddler; spoon, fork, whatever, as long as he has skin contact with you and you both feel comfortable. When you're having down-time during the day, or it's still early into the evening, Cater will choose a position that allows him to both hold his phone up and caress you with the other hand, so go ahead and cozy up into his chest while on top of him or in between his legs. Cater can stay in one position for a long time, shifting here and there, but he ain't leaving, that's for sure. It's important bonding moment between you, he needs his daily dose of hugs, what's better than to dedicate a few hours to doing just that. If he knows he won't be able to sneak away with you for some quality snuggle time, then he will sure as hell take every chance he gets during the day to hug you, when he runs into in the hallway, searches for you during the lunch break, finds you after the classes before either Riddle or Trey drags him away, but Cater can not spend a day without thinking whether he gave you enough love and if you didn't feel like he forgot about you.

• Are you prepared for a rowdy café tour? Because Cater wants you to visit each and every one of his favorite! You can go out with him, and make lots of cute selfies and taste all the different food Twisted Wonderland has to offer. Well after considering it carefully Diamond does come to the conclusion that you won't be able to appreciate and savor what those places have to offer you fully in only one day, so he plans for several dates ahead, each time something new! And they're just perfect! The weather is always pleasant, you have time to take in the beauty of this world, chat and have a nice time with Cater and he always knows when there's some event going on nearby. But because he can get distracted by shooting and uploading photos to MagiCam, try to stay near him and wander around too much, he's looking at you, or at least in the general direction where he saw you the last time as soon as he's finished with his business. One time when he lost you, whether it was intentional on your part or not, he got a huge scare, by the time he found you he was teary-eyed, pleading for you not to go without him. He feels responsible for keeping you safe and sound while you're on a date with him and he will sigh with relief only when he escorts you right to your doorstep that evening, no other way around it.

NSFW

• Your first time is very interesting, to say the least. It's not like Cater doesn't know what he's doing, but his heart just can't calm down. He has set up a romantic atmosphere beforehand, takes you out for a dinner, you find yourself being completely swooned by his suave act, how absolutely handsome he looks and how much you would like to dishevel those orange locks and place his lips on your neck to feel him place his mark on you while his hand takes off your underwear and... The romance of lit candles and rose petals thrown around is lost on you, when you have a chance to get your hands on Cater in the privacy of his room and finally see all your wet dreams come true. He doesn't resist any of your wishes or commands. Even though his hands shake and the brain is already a complete mush, Cater will make feel so good you will hook up on having sex with him, arranging for more evenings with him ere long.

• Sex is sex, but Cater feels like it becomes more interesting tenfold when someone is placed under the care of the other, simply put being submissive, and he performs well on both sides. Cater is open-minded and willing to experiment with many kinks and fetishes, into both giving and receiving them. You want to be absolutely demolished by him, tied up and overstimulated until your mind goes blank? Or maybe lavished in praise and pampered to infinity, called every cutesy name he can come up with, while he treats you a mouthful of his dick, only to take it away from you when you've wet it enough and listen to your begging for some time before he buries it deep inside of you, ultimately granting your most sacred wish and just spend the rest of the night with you bouncing on it until he pumps you full of his cum, enough to soil the covers irreparably? Okay, no problem, if he sets his mind to it, Cater can be the most excruciating, authoritative Master for you or gentle, fair Cay-kun, whose touch makes your heart arch and long for more.

• But say he's your slave tonight and the next thing he has to do is to kneel obediently and open that pretty mouth of his, and he's already there, looking up to you from his spot on the floor, tongue lolled out of his mouth, already panting, hungry for more. As soon as you set boundaries, Cater will submit to you dutifully, he's kind of bad at being a brat, he takes his role very seriously. Baby boy Cater loved to nuzzle into you, comment how much he adores you and everything you to him, laugh and giggle happily when you fondle and kiss him. Even if it's so painful, he won't cum until you grant him permission, tears stream down his face, movements uneven. Earns him a smack, because you told him not to break the pace, while he thrusts from his position on top. But all the control is in your hands, it's unimaginable for him to disobey you right now. He begs and begs for you to let him go faster, release his semen into you, voice breaking midsentence. Coo at him and either allow him to cum or ask to hold just a little longer, he's your prettiest, best baby boy, he can do it.

Or maybe restrict him, hands behind and legs open for you to see all of him, and place him on his stomach, blindfolded and gagged, able to only whine pathetically when you flog his perky ass or trace the rim and shove lubed fingers inside. By the time you're done with him, poor Cater is exhausted, tear marks obvious on the blindfold you take off. Once he can see you before him, he will reach out for you, shuddering when you embrace him, he can finally let out his breath and relax into you, having barely enough strength to follow simplest commands as you begin your aftercare.

w: selfcest(?) • Try and object that his unique magic doesn't see any use at the bedroom. There's no way he can't touch, lick, and kiss every part of you, you deserve to have only five-star service. One star for each Cater at most, but even with another pair of hands, hungry mouth and hard dick he can make it an experience you won't forget soon. He and his other self will suck on your nipples, their hands working on your core in tandem, preparing you, before they lift you up and fill you with their cocks.

• How about one of the Caters films you getting ganged up on by those handsome redheads, playful whispers mixed in with your moans and wet sounds of skin slapping. He will choose the best angle to catch your beauty, so when you or he watches the video way later, they could see how your body shivers from the pleasure pairs of hand give you, your muscles shifting and limbs twisting as you eagerly impale yourself on what one of Caters offers you. The camera would catch how he laps at the tears that escaped your eyes, and how another him has made himself comfortable in your hand, thrusting into it unrelentingly, just like the fourth Cater that's rocking your world, abusing your poor hole. His magic will eventually come to an end, but sure enough, he would be able to support it long enough to completely fuck your brain out, you won't even notice there's your one and only Diamond slowly wiping your body and kissing any marks that he had left.

If such footage makes you want to set both it and yourself on fire, mind to consider sexting with Cater? This guy had no shame sending you obscene messages even during the lessons, getting you all hot and bothered by the descriptions of what be would do to you if you two were together right now. During the break, you're bound to receive a picture of his hard dick, taken somewhere in the restroom. Cater will be ecstatic if you send one in return, so much that he might just as well need to relieve himself right in the same cabin, because he can't possibly go out in such state, his manhood making an obvious tent in his pants. And if you can sneak to the place where he's pleasuring himself at the moment, bonus points and either a possibility to bring sex in public places to a new level or extract your punishment on your horny brat of a boyfriend, choose your pick.

• Ah, the chaos and embarrassment that Cater goes through when after those rowdy 20 or so minutes in public bathroom, he goes out completely disheveled with hickeys littering his neck. You two found out pretty soon, to Cater's mortification, that his skin is impossibly thin, any and every mark becomes a nasty bruise a few seconds after and doesn't heal for days on end. Nobody questions what he does at night, his neck probably tells the whole story. Not like he's going to hide them anyway, he couldn't be more proud and smug about the whole situation. Yes, he gets some, from no one other than you, and every time is just fantastic. Along his neck, he practically begs you to suck some marks into his inner thighs and chest. He gets so many kicks out of seeing purple and red hues fading away from his skin, but not fast enough so he could marvel at them for some time. Maybe if he traces them he could feel your teeth scrapping at him, you urging him to not withhold and cum in your hand that gets faster with every stroke. He really needs right now, are you going to answer your phone at such hour, only to be met with his breathy moans and groans resounding in your ear?

• When you can be beside him Cater prefers to have your hand fisting him dick instead, his own hand goes to your legs, you masturbating each other. Cater considers it's a nice to fool around like this once in a while, especially when you can't make much noise or don't have the energy for more physically tasking activities. It's still intimate and hot, and he will always choose you in favor of anything else, your sheer presence makes his nerves tinge, his own hand nowhere near as good, movements never bring him to edge as fast as yours do. He might spend all his day in bed with you, do you have any tasks more important than him?

• Choosing favorite position for penetrative sex would be awfully hard for Cater, each one has its own upsides. He loves seeing your face just as much as your backside, and while he feels very sexy on his four, being above you allows him a better angle and just another way to show off. Somehow he rocks any pose, always looking absolutely ravishing, his facial expressions are to die for. Man can even do an ahegao for you, but note that it should be requested beforehand~

But one pose has a special place in his heart. When you feel Cater grinding up at you from behind, but not doing any attempts to climb on top of you, on the contrary, holding you close to him as much as possible, he may be initiating some comfort cuddle sex. He doesn't want you to see him at the moment and he can't possibly let you go out of his embrace: he needs your warmth in his arms, surrounding him, tight wall squeezing down on him, milking every droplet of cum, all the while he leisurely thrusts up into you, but hard enough that you would have to concentrate on the grip of his arms around you, just so you wouldn't cum on spot. He wants you to, though, cooing and encouraging you to let go, sighing happily when he feels your clamp around him, but not stopping. He wants to prolong this moment as much as possible.

• Offer this guy a blowjob and you will see pants flying across the room faster then you can say "overblot". He's like a kid on the Christmas morning, excited to find his present, but Cater finds you in between his legs and he swears it's the best gift he's ever received. With bated breath he observes you unbuckling his belt, a surprisingly pronounced bulge there. His fully erect state is not be underestimated too, Cater can boast about having bigger than average length, alas he's not that big in girth. To fit it in your throat is quite a task however, you may need some time to adjust, maybe even a few tries to master it. Of course your boyfriend doesn't mind, he wholeheartedly supports it. Well, it would be less embarrassing for him if he didn't cum in the first few minutes, but he actually did well, considering that he definitely got a visual orgasm early on. But you looked so sinfully beautiful and erotic, how could he ignore it?! No living man would be able to stay apathetic when his loved one is working magic on him, while being an absolute sex deity! If you let him cum on your face he will vow to bent over himself just to grant you anything you can wish for. And if he can also snap a photo of your semen-stained face?! He's a goner, just a slave to your celestial self, you can play Cater however you wish.

Might as well remind him about your own needs, but chances are he's already down there, burring his face in your thighs, placing kisses everywhere, swiftly nearing the place you want to feel him the most on. In his determination to repay you back, he will temporarily forget that he even needs to breath, his mouth doesn't leave your core, he can only see, smell, and taste you. It's a messy ordeal, Cater's spit mixed in with your own fluids, dripping down his chin. Lot's of paper towels will be needed afterward, but right now he's almost high, like a man possessed, tongue swirling in ways unimaginable to you before, tiny supernovas keep exploding behind your eyes. It's a battle of stamina, who will collapse weakened and wasted faster, but at the end Cater's tongue is numb and your knees won't stop shaking, deeming it a win-win situation.

#twisted wonderland #twisted wonderland x reader #twst #twst imagines #twst x reader #heartslabyul #riddle rosehearts #twst riddle #riddle rosehearts x reader #ace trappola #ace trappola x reader #deuce spade #deuce spade x reader #trey clover #trey clover x reader #cater diamond #cater diamond x reader #lemonade #mel writes

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britishassistant · 3 years

Text

The Villainous Paranoiac Just Wants An Uneventful Holiday (Part 2)

You need a break from your break at this rate.

You are exhausted.

You and Grim arrived back at the dorm with maybe ten minutes to spare before the other students came back from the parade and immediately set about working on completing your escape route as quickly as possible.

Only for the guy you’ve mentally dubbed “Scarabia Student A” to come to your door and tell the pair of you apologetically that because of Grim’s threats, Asim-senpai had decreed that neither of you would be allowed lunch and needed to remain locked in your room until defensive magic practice that afternoon.

On the plus side, your impromptu imprisonment let you and Grim work on the escape route undisturbed for the next hour. On the down side, it meant you both were starving after the exertion of the parade march and the digging.

The only reason you two didn’t collapse during defensive magic practice was because Viper-senpai snuck you both some bread and dried meats when he came to let you out. He also took the trouble to invite you two to a secret meeting on Asim-senpai’s behavior after dinner tonight.

You have to grudgingly admit, he is good at what he’s doing.

He has Asim-senpai do something cruel, then appears to the victims of said cruelty as a “savior”, doing what he can to soothe their pain “in spite of” his subordinate position to Asim-senpai, cultivating feelings of gratitude and empathy towards himself and resentment towards his puppet.

Even if you know what he’s doing, it’s difficult to resist that instinctual response.

Grim’s subvocal grumbling of “It doesn’t look like that white-haired jerk’s being controlled, fgnah.” is proof enough of that.

This way, once Viper-senpai drives Asim-senpai to overblot, no one will question him fighting against the dorm head he claims to be so loyal to, and his behavior before and during the overblot will make him appear to be the ideal replacement for the “mentally unstable” dorm head.

He’s definitely aiming for the dorm head position. The little performance this morning where he blatantly usurped Asim-senpai’s role of water-provider is proof enough of that.

Still, you muse while shouting out directions to Grim during magic training. Viper-senpai’s either very confident in his magic abilities or very ignorant about overblot to think that inducing it in Asim-senpai is in any way a good idea.

Especially if he’s under the delusion that his Unique Magic could somehow control an overblotted Asim-senpai.

It’d be better to just frame Asim-senpai for the actions he’s already committed under the influence, maybe show him shirking some dorm head duties if that was insufficent. You just don’t understand why Viper-senpai’s going through all this trouble and making a move now instead of closer to whenever elections for dorm heads are held, to make his win seem more legitimate.

Hopefully, you’ll be able to gain more information once you and Grim go along to this evening’s meeting with your plan in mind.

The after-dinner meeting starts pretty much how you expect it to.

Viper-senpai plays on the feelings of the other Scarabia students masterfully, painting himself as a concerned friend who only wants what’s best for his dorm head, but is at a loss due to Asim-senpai’s refusal to listen to reason. You and Grim give the input he clearly wants when he subtly cues you to.

However, when Grim tells him to just challenge Kalim for the position, Viper-san crosses his arms and coldly states, “No. There’s no way I can do that.”

Wait.

What?

“Gak! Y-you were the one who asked for advice, yanno...” Grim mutters, clearly as off-kilter as you feel.

From there Viper-senpai subtly divulges the sordid details of his slavery to the Asim family due to the circumstances of his birth, and how that conglomorate has been interfering on Asim-senpai’s behalf and at Viper-senpai’s expense for the entirety of their time at Night Raven College.

And all the while you’re sitting here, head feeling like it’s spinning a million miles a minute, trying to stop yourself from over-empathizing with the vice dorm head and figure out what this all means.

You don’t doubt for a single second that what he’s saying about the Asim and Viper families is true. However, his actions thus far have shown he is gunning for the dorm head position, even using this show of vulnerability to manipulate the other students into following him.

But why put himself and his family in such jeopardy for a simple school title?

“Asim-senpai doesn’t embody ‘the spirit of Scarabia?’ What does that mean?” You ask, latching onto a thread of the conversation in hopes of getting some clarity.

“There are different requirements for the position of dorm head in each of the seven dorms that a candidate must meet, which are taken from the virtues of the Great Seven.” Viper-senpai explains. “Duels are just an easy way to determine if the current dorm head meets that criteria or not. For example, in Pomefiore, the dorm head must have the greatest expertise in poisons, like the Beautiful Queen before them.”

One of the other students says something about Viper-senpai’s prudence and tactical thinking is much more like the Sorcerer of the Sands than Asim-senpai, but it sounds distant and far away to your ears.

Your brain is too busy buzzing over this new piece of information.

The dorm heads are supposed to be those who best embody the Great Seven.

The same Great Seven who’ve been appearing in your dreams practically every night before the overblots in their corresponding dorms happen.

What if— what if the reason that all the overblots this far have been dorm heads isn’t because the position of dorm head itself and the stresses it causes?

What if it’s because the criteria for the position of dorm head corresponds to the member of the Great Seven that dorm represents, which might contribute to who goes over the edge somehow?

After all, if you’re going by magic use and stress alone, then Buchie-senpai would’ve been the most likely candidate for overblot during the Magift incident. He did Laugh With Me an entire horde of civilians to stampede the coliseum after all.

But it was Leona-senpai, who best embodied the positive and negative qualities of the King of the Savannah, who ultimately overblotted. You even said it to him yourself when you asked him for help in investigating potential overblots outside of Night Raven College before the break. You thought at the time that his overblot was just because of the level of mental stress he was under, but if his status as a personification played a major role somehow...

But, then that means—

That means Asim-senpai isn’t automatically guaranteed to overblot because he’s a dorm head.

But Viper-senpai’s plan just plays off the common denominator of past overblots to make him seem in enough danger of doing so that the authorities are forced to recognize the signs and remove him from the position that’s “stressing” him so much.

Even the Asim family can’t object if the school is acting in the interests of their son’s mental health. They likely as not would decide to remove him from the “toxic environment” of Night Raven College altogether, either by transferring him to Royal Sword Academy or by paying for Asim-senpai to graduate early.

Though wouldn’t that mean Viper-senpai, as Asim-senpai’s servant, would be forced to leave with him? Or does he think that he’ll be able to convince the Asims to let him stay somehow?

In any case, that’s why you and Grim are still trapped here—because Viper-senpai’s under the impression that you both have some direct line to that useless birdbrain of a headmaster and can report the situation back to him.

But the amount of magic needed to keep up the charade until the headmaster actually notices, combined with the fact that everyone is saying that Viper-senpai is the rightful embodiment of the Sorcerer of the Sands means—

“Viper-senpai, you’ve got to run!”

You seize onto him, desperation evident in your face.

Viper-senpai retreats a step or two, blinking in alarm as you follow him to not lose your grip on his hand or his clothes. “Prefect, what—?”

“You said it yourself!” You can barely keep your voice from edging into hysteria. “You’re closest to Asim-senpai, and the way things are going, he’s going to overblot just like Rosehearts-senpai did. A-and overblots are illogical, they’re practically insane with hatred! They go after the people closest to them— you remember how badly Buchie-senpai was hurt when Leona-senpai overblotted, right?!”

Viper-senpai’s eyes are fixed on you as you shake your head, reliving those awful memories. “The only reason Trey-senpai didn’t die when Rosehearts-senpai overblotted was because Ace and Deuce got in his way and pissed him off more. If you stay in Scarabia...Viper-senpai, you’re in more danger than anyone else here! You need to get out of here, please, just run!!”

Please, you mentally beg as you stare at him. Please take the out I’m giving you. Call it off here, get out, get away, change your name, do whatever you have to to escape. Just, please, please don’t overblot on me too.

Viper-senpai’s brow furrows.

He slowly shakes his head. “I’m sorry, Prefect. Even if I wanted to, I’m bound to Kalim. I must follow him to the end.”

“But you could die.” You make no effort to hide your dismay, hands clenching around what they hold. “I-I can’t...pl-please don’t make me...”

His free hand begins moving towards your uninjured cheek—

CRASH!!

The sudden commotion makes the two of you leap apart, staring wildly at the source of the noise.

Grim sits dazed in the center of several overturned metal dishes and a golden lion-shaped tureen.

“Ow, ow, ow, that huuuurt!” He complains loudly, rubbing his little head. “What the heck, why’s this dumb thing empty if it smells good?! Aah, I’m so hun—”

“SSSHH!!” Practically everyone in the room hushes.

“Could you be any louder?!” Scarabia Student B hisses, looking around.

“Do you wanna just begin screaming for the Dorm Head, you stupid cat?!!” Scarabia Student A whispers furiously. “Seriously, if he wakes up and sees us here like this, we’re dead tomorrow, don’t you get that?!”

“Sheesh, I’m sorry.” Grim harrumphs, wandering back to his cushion. “It was just an accident, what’s gotten you all so worked up, fgnah?”

“Oh gee, I wonder why.” A third student somewhere near the back mutters.

“They were having a moment.” You think you hear a fourth student hiss, but you’re pretty sure you’ve misheard that one.

Viper-senpai clears his throat and goes to peer out into the hall. “...There’s no sign of movement. I think we’re safe, for the moment.”

You fiddle with your tie and collar, trying to straighten them as much as you can. “I-I apologize for my outburst. My behavior was inappropriate and not conducive to the matter at hand.”

Viper-senpai huffs a little laugh. “Don’t be. You’re only looking out for others’ wellbeing, that’s nothing to be ashamed of. You know better than anyone how dangerous these kinds of things are, after all. You’ve survived three of them.”

“Four.” Grim corrects from his cushion, tail flicking back and forth. “There was that creepy one in the Dwarf Mines that broke Yuu’s ribs at the start of the year, right Yuu?”

Your tie feels a little tight as you finish adjusting it, fidgeting under everyone’s scrutiny. “...yes. It’s a long story.”

“Will the dorm-head really overblot though?” The kid you’ve mentally dubbed “Scarabia Student B” pipes up. “I just can’t see it...”

“Well, he has exhibited a lot of the symptoms shown by other dorm heads before their overblots.” You say carefully. “An obsession with achieving a certain goal is something Rosehearts-senpai, Leona-senpai, and Ashengrotto-senpai all had in common, and Asim-senpai’s desire to improve Scarabia does fit this pattern.”

“Is there nothing that can be done for him Prefect?” Viper-senpai urges, gripping your shoulders. “Kalim may be unreliable at times, but I grew up with him. He calls me his friend. Are you saying there’s no way we can stop him from overblotting?”

You shrug gently, trying not to dislodge him. You don’t want his hackles raised now. “I’ve yet to see an overblot prevented, but that doesn’t mean it’s impossible. Keeping him from using too much magic would be a big plus, because the blot would have less of a chance to build up. Other than that, it might be best to prepare for the worst? Just in case.”

“Maybe call the family doctor on the sly!” Grim chips in. “See if he can come here to take Kalim home rather than the other way round!”

Viper-senpai nods slowly, like someone accepting news of an imminent loss. “I’ll certainly take your advice into consideration. However, I will not leave. I can’t abandon the dorm—can’t abandon Kalim— during this crisis. I won’t run and leave everyone to face the danger alone.”

“Vice dorm head!” One of the younger students chokes out.

It feels like something hard and unforgiving is lodged against your breastbone.

“I-I won’t let it.” You stammer, feeling yourself flush a deep red in embarrassment at your verbal blunder. “I won’t let it come to that, Viper-senpai. I’ll stop this overblot. No matter what it takes. I swear to you, on my life, I’ll stop it!”

Viper-senpai gives you a not unkind chuckle, meeting your gaze head-on. “Well then, Prefect. I’ll be in your care.”

You can’t hold it for more than a few moments, your breath hitching as you look away. It feels like there’s so much blood in your cheeks that the one Asim-senpai slapped earlier is beginning to hurt again.

“We-we’ll help out too, Jamil!” Scarabia Student A claims, standing up as well.

“Y-yeah! You’re much more fit to be dorm head than Kalim-senpai!” Two more students in the back push towards the front.

“Our dorm head should be someone who embodies the virtues of the Sorcerer of the Sands, not someone who paid their way in and is overblotting because they can’t take the heat.” A tall third year proclaims.

“Yeah!”

“You said it!”

“We’re all equal here!”

“You guys...” Viper-senpai looks genuinely touched, staring out at his sea of carefully handled supporters.

“What are you all doing here at this time of night?”

Asim-senpai stands in the doorway, glaring angrily at all of you.

You can’t quite help the two shaky steps back you take.

“Geh, he found us!” Grim mutters, hiding behind your leg.

“Ka-Kalim.” Viper-senpai says, hands held up placatingly. “We were just—”

“It seems I went to easy on you today, if you all are still overflowing with energy this late at night.” Asim-senpai says coldly. “You should go outside to the courtyard to practice magic until you hit your limits.”

A chill goes down your spine. “Asim-senpai, that’s really not a good idea, we were just—”

“You. Shut up.” The dorm head stalks towards you. “Do you think you can presume to order me around? Was one meal enough to make you think that lying tongue of yours could do whatever it wanted? Maybe we should switch to practice using offensive magic this time—you’d make a fine moving target.”

It’s suddenly much harder to breathe.

“D-dorm head!”

“Why you—!” Grim snarls.

“Kalim.” Viper-senpai steps in front of you, blocking you from Asim-senpai’s view. “The Prefect was only referring to your idea of starting the march two hours earlier tomorrow. Everyone needed to be notified of that, so we’ll be turning in now.”

“T-two hours?!” Scarabia Student B gasps, only to be quickly hushed by everyone around him.

“...” Asim-senpai seems to contemplate this for a moment, before closing his eyes. “Very well. But no one will be eating until dinner tomorrow for this failure to listen to directions the first time, understood?”

Viper-senpai opens his mouth to protest again, but then slumps. “...Yes, Kalim.”

Asim-senpai waves a hand. “Well? What are you all waiting for? You’re dismissed.”

The students of the dorm begin to slowly, sullenly file out into the hallway, many of them grumbling and muttering under their breath.

You take the opportunity to escape, scooping up Grim and clapping a cautious hand over your friend’s big mouth so he can’t say anything else as you edge past Asim-senpai.

“Thank you.” You mouth at Viper-senpai as you speed walk out of the room.

He shoots you a small smile in response.

The journey back to your shared room is quick and uneventful, though you feel constantly on edge the entire way there.

You aren’t able to relax until you’ve nodded a “goodnight” to Scarabia students A and B and shut the door firmly behind you, sagging against it.

You really should learn their names at some point.

“Well?” Grim asks after you hear the lock on your door click into place and the guards wander off for their patrol. “Did you get it?!”

The hard and unforgiving feeling against your breastbone hasn’t faded at all.

You turn your back and unbutton your shirt, removing the source of said feeling from its hiding place.

“Your timing with knocking that stuff over was perfect.” You turn back around and flash Viper-senpai’s magic pen. “But we need to get our escape route finished quick, he could notice it’s gone missing any second now.”

You’re sort of amazed that he hasn’t already. You kept expecting to hear someone begin chasing after you and Grim as you left, angrily screaming about the theft. If he hadn’t stepped in for you when you protested magic practice...

Thank Ace and Buchie-senpai that you somehow got away with this.

“Yes!! That’s my minion for ya!!” Grim cackles softly, grin sharp and savage as he leaps back into the hole in the floor. “I still wish I coulda bonked him over the head, but imagine his face once the idiot’s realized he’s been duped!”

“Just so long as that experience stays imaginary.” You mutter, bringing the pen over to the locked window and looking at it under the moonlight that seeps in through the slats.

There’s blot staining over half of the crimson gem.

You wince just looking at it. How much magic has Viper-senpai been using for this much for accumulate?

Still, he’s probably not so stupid that he’ll risk casting magic without it, so ar least he’ll be on magic-using probation for the duration of time that you have it.

All you have to do is keep it away from him until the blot’s dissipated and you can report his plan and living situation to Crowley and other teachers. The other teachers will force the dumb bird to actually do something about Viper-senpai’s slavery. He won’t have a reason to overblot anymore. Everyone wins.

Though unfortunately, you can’t do much about stress-induced blotting, and you have no idea if he can still overblot while separated from his magic pen. Maybe you should investigate whether or not you could just...smash it and get him a new, non-blotted magic pen as a replacement? They do those, right?

“It’s done!” Grim hisses, prompting you to stash the magic pen away again and button up your shirt. “It’ll be a kinda tight squeeze though.”

You purse your lips at the small hole. “...It’ll have to do. We don’t have any time to waste, c’mon.”

To say it’s cramped would be an understatement. You’re more covered in scrapes and dust than you’ve ever been by the time you drop onto the ground of the floor below, panting and wheezing for breath. Your bruised cheek is throbbing again.

“Now I know what it feels like when spaghetti gets made at least.” You whisper.

Grim nods. “You can say that again. Now, we’re in between guard patrols, but we’ve still gotta be extra quiet so they don’t hea—”

GRRRRRARGGHH

You stare at your monster cat’s stomach as its complaining rumble dies away.

“Hey! What’s that noise?!” Comes the patrolling student’s cry.

You close your eyes. “Grim.”

“What?!” He whispers back, ears flicking in embarrassment. “I didn’t get any lunch! I can’t help being super hungry!!”

“Grim.”

“Oi! The Prefect and the cat have broken out again!” A Scarabia guard yells as he rounds the corner. “But how?! I could’ve sworn Achmed said he locked their door!”

“Ah!!” His compatriot cries, pointing up at the hole in the ceiling. “Look!! They’ve totally destroyed the floor of their room! Is that how you pay us back for our hospitality?!”

“How dare you?!” The first guard gasps. “That stuff’s really expensive to fix! Everyone, get over here! We’ve got another escape attempt!!”

“Fgnah! Yuu, let’s go, before their buddies get here!” Grim yelps, taking off down the hallway with you hot on his heels.

You hear the door to your prison slam open behind you, accompanied by Viper-senpai’s infuriated roar of “PREFECT!!”

You bundle Grim under one arm and run faster.

You seriously need a break from your break at this rate.

Hopefully you’ll get one, if you can figure out how to make it out of this dorm alive.

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hearthandhomemagick · 3 years

Text

Cottage Witch Journal Entry - New Beginnings in Imbolc

It’s all an internal process.

Imagine a tiny version of yourself, sitting in an empty, maybe even run-down room. You are surrounded by four blank walls and no décor. You have supplies and tools and options for how you fabricate this room, it is ultimately your choice on how you shape it. You can change it, you can adjust and repaint it, and you can even tear down certain walls, or build new ones with doors. All in all, this room is your choice and responsibility to maintain.

The catch, though, is that this room is your responsibility and yours alone for the rest of your life on Earth. So, you can literally do whatever the fuck you want with this room, including private parties, public parties, etc. But you own it.

Now, imagine, if you could, inviting someone into your room. This is risky, but some are more comfortable with company in their room than others. A person comes and goes, leaving a sticker on your wall. Another person takes some flowers from your garden. Someone shows you a new section of your home you’ve never thought could exist. And another takes you to a place you wish you never knew existed. And then there will always be that one. The destructive, hard hitting and absolutely draining person who comes and takes everything you have before trashing the place and leaving you in shambles and surrounded by fire.

Addendum, imagine you isolate in your room, and are surrounded by so much beauty and art that you have curated. The room has always been one shape, but you’re comfortable and choose not to let others in. You have a bunch of internal thoughts and personality included in this room, but you are also haunted by the thoughts that never grow past their negative connotations. And when you look in the mirror, that shadow seems to hover around you as if it were an old friend. You make your own choices and own independence, but at the cost of lack of growth and understanding of others experiences. You eventually get used to the frozen feeling suffocating you in this room.

I bring this all up for it applies to the conversation at hand.

Your entire life is completely shaped by your experiences, how open you are to influence, and how you process your experiences. I notice a lot of people, more recently, allowing a massive amount of people to influence the way their internal room is shaped and decorated. Example, when I was going home one night from karaoke, after having a rough night and not having a lot of fun, I decided to sing as loud as possible in my car so I could start feeling better. I get to a stop light and immediately feel this gut feeling of “you’re being watched.” I look over and the driver next to me had been laughing and recording me the entire time. I gave him the “wtf” look and sped off. That one person hurt me so bad in that moment that for well over a year I didn’t sing in my car or anyone else’s car. I had convinced myself that everyone was watching me from that point onward, and got sketched out doing something that provided me a sense of release and therapy. I allowed someone else to alter and change my room. From then on I started just trying to “blend in” and get by in society without people noticing or pointing me out to make fun of me and my flaws. But that’s not a way to live.

I shouldn’t live under the influence of other peoples realities. Of course, I am responsible when my actions affect someone’s reality, but to act is if we know what’s right for a person is ridiculous. This is where people start living for other people, including myself. There’s always a healthy amount of interaction to have with people, though, so as to be completely aware that they are living a life just as detailed and intricate as our own. Seeing others perspectives could lead us to something wonderfully amazing, so long as those perspective don’t dictate our own.

Ultimately, everyone is on their own spiritual journey so unique to their situation that it’s hard to figure out what is truly the right way to “live”. It’s easy for any of us to say, “This works! You should do this!” and it comes from a good place. We want to share our experiences with people so they may not have to endure the same thing.

Here’s the deal, it may have worked for you, but it may not work for someone else. Your way of living is your own. Your wisdoms come from a place of history in your own life, and it is your responsibility to navigate your morals from a personal stand point, an understanding of others perspectives, and a logical stand point. It is NOT your responsibility to form another persons life, opinion, choices or spiritual journey. That’s all personal, Darling.

Now think of this, when you offer advice to someone that worked out for you and they get excited to use it, only to find out it didn’t work at all for their own situation. At that point, it is just as much your fault the situation failed as much as it is the person who took your advice in the first place. Sometimes, it’s better to wait to give advice until it is asked, and then ask yourself whether your input is necessary or would offer a sustainable difference in the other persons life.

Ultimately, everyone’s choice is their own, and when you pressure someone to choose what you would typically choose, you take away their freedom and power. This is where the balance of your life and it’s experiences come in. Learning to balance external and internal experiences and how they affect you/how you are receptive to them can be extremely complicated. This is especially so for people who simply don’t wish to reflect on themselves, because they feel as though the world has wronged them in some way or that the rose colored glasses are more favorable than the reality they must face.

That’s not my Spiritual Journey, though. In the end, their eyes look back at them in the mirror and reflect reality. And, in time, they will understand lessons they didn’t before, but it’s not my responsibility to teach them those lessons. Again, it’s their journey, not my own. They have to want to know, want to learn and want to grow.

I say all of this to simply throw out there some food for thought. Are you truly responsible for yourself, or are you pushing blame on others? Now, that’s not me saying, “It’s your fault this happened.” but rather me asking if you are being responsible for yourself after what you experience? You have every right to feel whatever you feel, especially if you are hurt. But you will only ever feel that feeling if you are not willing to heal and move forward. Ultimately, it is your choice, and it’s okay to take that route if you feel it is justified. But you are responsible for your feelings, no one else has power over that unless you give them that power.

I guess what I’m trying to say here is that no one can be responsible for your bedroom except for you. And you have to be gentle with yourself in the process, otherwise you put more pressure and damage on your room.

Balance is key, even when we have extreme moments in life. If we give ourselves margin to grow, space to breathe, capacity to listen, and time to slow down, life becomes easier to manage. When you get caught in the current of a river, they say to relax so you don’t lose energy. When you flow with the current, rather than against it, you prevent yourself from drowning and have an easier chance at grabbing something to stop you and slow you down. It’s a survival tactic, and a great one for your mental health. Then again, is it even my place to tell the fighters to stop fighting? Who knows, truly. Complicated Concepts.

I simply wanted to open these thoughts and elucidations, and hope someone can read this and offer conversation or dialogue so we can talk about these concepts. I appreciate all of you and hope you have a wonderful day!

Happy Imbolc!!!

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chasseurdeloup-retired · 4 years

Text

Mime Your Manners || Frank and Kaden

TIMING: Current LOCATION: The Perfect Pint PARTIES: @frankmulloy and @chasseurdeloup SUMMARY: Kaden runs into Frank on a smoke break and they have a mime of a time.

There were less and less evenings that Kaden was out late enough at a bar, but he couldn’t miss the Lyon matches when he could catch them. And the only place to watch those was The Perfect Pint. That said, half time was as good a time as any to catch a quick hit of nicotine. Outside. The authenticity of the pub apparently only went so far. Kaden slipped into the alley way and pulled out his lighter, flipped it open, and… Nothing. He tried again. “Putain de merde,” he grumbled to himself, still struggling to try and make the fucking lighter work. He sighed, clean breath puffing out around the unlit cigarette pressed between his lips. Looked like he was shit out of luck. Out of the corner of his eye, Kaden spotted someone else in the alley, a tall man with a pretty distinct leather jacket. And a cloud of smoke coming off their lips. “Hey,” he asked as he approached. “Mind if I borrow your lighter? Mine seems to have bit the dust in my time of need and I don’t want to miss the second half.”

Frank lazed against one of the dumpsters that lined the back alley of the pub. Hungrily feeding off the heat of the little cigarette stick between his fingers, and the solitude; a temporary respite from a room full of drunk, happy, people. He didn’t ask for much of his work, just the occasional smoke break, which increased in frequency the longer he went without feeding. Shane MacAuley did not share this same practice, but was sympathetic and relented with relatively little input. The same could not always be said of his coworkers who could not resist a lecture about the dangers of smoking before every break. He braced himself for another one of said lectures, when the door of the alley opened. Thank christ. He took another long drag of his smoke, content to share the space silently though that didn’t last very long. Without a word, Frank reached into the pocket of his jeans and pulled out a little red lighter, and tossed it across the distance between them. A silent gesture to indicate that the 6 feet between them was close enough. Frank wasn’t an avid follower of any of the particular sports the pub broadcasted, but working there meant he knew about them whether he liked it or not. “Which team?”

“Thanks,” Kaden said as he caught the lighter without any trouble, his brow furrowing at the gesture to stay away. Alright. Odd, but certainly not the oddest thing in this town. Still, he held up a hand and obliged. “I’m not sick or anything, for the record,” he said as he lit the cigarette. “Just French. Hard to tell the difference, surely.” He pulled out a long drag, inhaling every pit of nicotine as he could in a single breath before tossing the lighter back. He should really quit. It wasn’t like he didn’t know that. And if he didn’t, Regan sure would tell him herself. And he had cut down a lot lately, at least when he wasn’t stressed, but something about him just liked having a vice to lean on. Giving it up entirely felt like an admission of defeat, a shift from who he saw himself distinctly as just a year ago. Plus, he was fairly certain hunter healing delayed the negative effects, right? Whatever, he was probably going to die young anyway. Might as well enjoy what he could when he could. “Lyon,” he replied as he exhaled a cloud of smoke. “You follow football at all?” His mouth pulled into a thin line as he remembered where he was. “I mean soccer. You know, if you prefer using the wrong word for it,” he added in a joking manner. Even if he did thoroughly believe that was the wrong word.

Frank felt a strange bit of guilt and the temptation to apologise, and invite the man closer, was at the tip of his tongue. Alas, he did neither, “it’s me.” He said instead, “I’ve been working out the back in the kitchen most of the day, I probably reek. I thought I’d spare you the smell, and me the embarrassment.” The smile was an easy one, and well practiced, with just enough good natured humour laced behind the words to make the excuse (and himself) seem agreeable. He was working out the back for most of his shift today. He probably smelled. Nothing about what he said was a lie. He pocketed the lighter, taking another long drag from his smoke, in time to his new company. “Ahh,” the sound came accompanied by a puff of smoke, the corner of his mouth adopting an upward lean, “I should have guessed the Frenchman would support the French team. I don’t follow football,” he made a point to say, for his new company’s sake, “or any sport really. We were never a big sports household growing up. But when you work at a place like this and that’s all that ever plays on the TV you’re forced to know what’s going on whether you want to or not. Plus it helps us relate to our patrons...or at least according to Shane.”

Kaden huffed out a laugh. “I work in Animal Control. It’s impossible for you to be the worst thing I’ve smelled today.” Add to that he was dating the medical examiner and it was a wonder he could smell anything at all anymore. Either way, he wasn’t going to push it. Far be it from him to tell anyone to be closer to anyone. “True, but it was a question of which French team. You had a 50/50 shot either way,” he said with a small smile, taking another puff of his light. “But yeah, I grew up following Olympique Lyonnais with my dad. My parents weren’t big on the whole tv or movies thing so watching a match was pretty exciting, you know.” It was one of the few normalities he got growing up and he clung to it pretty fiercely, had to admit. He got the impression when he talked to most people, they couldn’t imagine growing up without the things he’d passed over, missed out on as a kid. Was this what it felt like? Strange. He was rarely on this side of the coin. “So how’d you end up working at a sports bar with no love of sports?” Just as he asked, a chill ran down his spine. His forehead creased as he looked around cautiously to find the source, any source. Was this guy a werewolf? Would he know if he was a little closer? No, that wasn’t how it worked, not really. Sure, his hunter senses might intensify if he got a little closer but if he concentrated, and he was, a few feet wouldn’t make a huge difference. There was a rattling in the back by the dumpsters. Kaden craned his neck to look down the alleyway before catching a glance back to his current companion as if to ask a question. Should they investigate it? He was pretty sure he would either way.

“I’ll take your word for it.” Had Frank been speaking plainly he would have said something along the lines of he could not think of anything more tiresome, although the solemn tinge to the words was a pretense designed to coax his comfort and amicability, it wasn’t as if he has any particular prejudice about people who watched sport, or followed it. Okay...maybe some prejudice, although the man in front of him did not seem the type to engage in a one sided shouting contest with the TV, which was always a good sign. “My ma’s Irish. I grew up in Boston,” the owner of the bar was a gancanagh, “I feel like it’s almost inevitable.” His reply was an odd sort of stare that made Frank ill at ease, he wasn’t looking at him anyone but rather past him to something behind. That seemed to be happening a lot lately and frankly, Frank was fucking over it. Frank followed his gaze behind him to the back of the dumpsters, just beyond the ring of light graciously provided by the alleylamp. An ominous scene to witness, made worse by the rattling of metal on metal as the lid of the furthest dumpster was shaken by some unseen force. Maybe it was just some rodent. He put out the last of his cigarette on the lid of the dumpster he had been leaning on, and was more than eager to step away from it, and its trembling twin. “It’s probably just a rat or a raccoon or something,” a really big, really jacked-up, fucking raccoon. Either way, Frank wasn’t particularly interested in finding out. “Let’s just head back inside, the game should be coming back on any minute.”

As Kaden approached the dumpster, he could feel the chills spread along his back. If he wasn’t so used to it, he’d shiver, try to shake it off. Instead, he steeled himself for what was ahead, pausing only to get a glance of the other man nearby, see if he was-- Well look at that, he wasn’t following. That-- Alright, that actually made sense. This guy had some self preservation skills. Good for him. He was doing better than half this fucking town, to be honest. “I mentioned I’m animal control, right?” he said in response. “If it’s a raccoon I can handle it, don’t worry.” He could probably handle it if it was something else, too. But that wasn’t so much because of being animal control as much as being a hunter. Logic stood that Kaden should leave it be, walk away, go inside and watch the came as his current companion suggested. But he wasn’t one to back down. So he got closer still to the rattling, reaching back for the knife in his pocket and flipping it open, opposite hand reaching out for the lid, carefully. His fingers brushed against it, he was preparing to throw it open when it flung open on its own, a small, crumbly creature leaping out. It was black and white, alright, but it was no fucking raccoon.”Putain de merde!” he shouted as he lunged for it, waving the knife in front of him, trying to get a piece of the mime monster. He couldn’t manage before it threw itself, stomach leaned back to reveal its teeth, at the second smoker. “Watch out!” he yelled, trying to pull the beast away and not hurt himself in the process. Or turn striped again.

Frank, with some combination of adrenaline and fighting instinct, threw himself out of the line of fire of the set of angry gnashing teeth. Eager and hungry: a deadly combination. “What the fuck?!” His fear was palpable; weighing down his gaze as it skirted across his surroundings, tinging his cheeks with paleness as his eyes finally settled on the monster, a frown tugged at his brows, growing harsher and digging deeper the longer he tried to make sense of the beast, to put some sort of identification to the stripped abomination. Logic dictated that if he knew what it was, he would also know how to beat it. Logic was made a shadow by the fear and adrenaline that had made temporary home of his mind, and thinking was infinitely more difficult when those set of teeth turned on him again. Maybe it had preference for fae flesh? He wasn’t sure, and at this point was too afraid to ask. (Who the fuck was he even asking?) In any case, he couldn’t very well stand around waiting to get chomped on. That, at least, was clear enough to prompt action as Frank’s hand grappled for the nearest thing he could use as a weapon: a long metal pipe, that Frank himself had discarded after he fixed the pub’s sink not too long ago. Perhaps someone somewhere liked him after all. Frank’s arm rose, the metal pipe in hand, in a poor imitation of a baseball player (he was bad at sports, but boy did he have a mean swing)—and brought the improvised bat down onto the little beast’s head. Was it its head? He wasn’t sure what to make of it. Point was; he hit it where its teeth were, and he hit it hard.

Before Kaden could reach out and grab the monster by the scruff (did it have that? Putain, guess he didn’t get a chance to find out), the other man had whacked it with a pipe. The creature let out a squeal that was like nothing he’d ever heard before. Fucking hell, that was satisfying to watch. “Good job you g--” Kaden’s words caught in his throat as he saw the pipe rise away from the mime monster. It was curved. It hadn’t been curved before. “Bordel de merde!” This was cursed. So fucking cursed. The creature turned back towards the guy and leaned backwards, revealing its teeth lined stomach once more. Only this time, a long black and white striped tongue rolled out. Kaden didn’t know what the fuck it planned to do with that, but he sure didn’t like it. He leapt over and grabbed the tongue to pull it taught before slicing down through it with his knife. It severed easily enough, but there was another ungodly screech as the creature flew back, rolling away from them both. The tongue was still in his hands and it burned, like it was covered with some sort of acid. Kaden let go with a scream and it fell to the ground. Only it was still moving, slithering like a snake. “Putain de merde,” he said again, this time more horrified than annoyed. Before he could do anything else, there was another striped tongue splaying out towards them from the monster across the alleyway. His hand was throbbing, but he kept his grip on his knife and tried to slash out at the-- “You’ve got to be fucking kidding me.” The blade on his knife was eroding. And to make matters worse, the severed-tongue turned snake was about to curl its way around his companion. Kaden tried to slam it to keep it from moving, but the monster sent its new tongue out to lash him and he ducked out of the way.

For a moment, fear was replaced by horrible fascination as they both realised the pipe was now curved to the shape of the impact. Only a moment. Fear returned just in time to propel Frank into action, prompting his legs to fling him aside just as the Frenchman wrestled with the monster’s…tongue? An already gruesome sight made only worse as his knife detached the tongue from its throat (can it even be called a throat?) and tossed it aside. The scream was loud, and within it Frank recognised a more human one. His companion had learned of his misstep too late, and now the striped tongue seemed a lot more threatening than it was as it writhed toward him. “Fuck me!” Frank half gagged, half groaned; horrified and sickened both. He didn’t know how to kill it, that much was clear. He didn’t know if it could be killed, but he didn’t have to kill it, he just needed to stop it. Now how to stop a supernatural thing? How to stop him? Iron worked well. Although the odds of finding iron in a pub owned and operated by a fae was next to none. So what next? “Jesus H!” Taking advantage of his relapse in thought, the snake—tongue—thing lurched forward. Frank had no time to think so he didn’t, but batted at it as hard as he could with his curved bat. The tongue hit the lid of an open dumpster with a wet slap and fell inside, the lid falling closed behind it. That’ll work.

The pub’s dumpsters were not yet emptied. They were big and heavy to boot. He didn’t need to kill it, he just had to stop it. Frank’s supernatural inheritance did not lend him any great advantage when it came to strength, but even on his own Frank was strong. Certainly strong enough to push a dumpster. You didn’t need to be very strong to knock someone out if you had the speed behind the punch. Without much thought (at all), Frank heaved the dumpster away from the wall and positioned it into a straight path down the length of the alleyway that ended at the brick wall. Apparently he was also dumb enough to follow on a plan that was more mad than sound, and with probably very little odds of success. “Please work, please work, please work—move!” With his legs (and a sweep of his wings), and a healthy dose of fear and adrenaline, as leverage, Frank put his entire weight onto the side of the dumpster. It obeyed with surprising ease, barreling toward the set of teeth and, the attached, striped tongue. His stomach churned at the initial impact but he wouldn’t slow, and did not slow until he felt the final lurch of the dumpster as metal hit flesh, hit brick wall. It was as if a thunder had echoed across the narrow alleyway, and the sheer force of the impact kicked back against Frank with enough ferocity to send him onto his back and knocked the wind out of him.

“Nice hit!” Kaden shouted as he watched the other man take a swing at the flying mime tongue with a curved pipe. His brow furrowed as he tried to follow whatever it was that he was doing next. “Shit!” He ducked to the side as the dumpster swung out towards him. The guy was strong. Was he a hunter? Kaden didn’t know but it didn’t fucking matter right now. He saw what was happening and ran to help, trying to throw some of his strength in to help trap the mime monster but it seemed like he didn’t have to. The other guy had it. The sound of it crunching against the wall should have been satisfying. Only Kaden knew how resilient these fuckers were. That sound didn’t mean shit. And it looked like he had put his whole force into it, too. “Shit, are you okay?” Kaden didn’t get a chance to get an answer, the dumpster was pummeling right back towards them both. “Fucking hell!” he shouted and threw himself at the dumpster, stopping it before it barreled into them both. He thought about pushing it back away from them again, but he remembered the tongue snake thing was inside. He reached for the lid, scrambled for the lock and made sure the dumpster was going to stay shut. Just in time, too, the strange four-legged creature was peeling itself from the wall and wandering back towards them both. It was like the crumbs that had formed it in the first place were pulling themselves back together, congealing. He really hated the sight of it, but it transfixed him for a moment.

Fuck, right. He had to act. Mime monster. Made of crumbs. This was probably insane and moronic. But it just might work. Kaden frantically looked around and dug a bit through the trash. The monster was making its way back towards them, its tongue ready to unleash, he could tell. Fuck, fuck, fuck, there had to be one of these in the trash. Just one. He dug some more and found it! A water bottle. Still full of water. Thank god. He ran over, ripped it open, and poured it on the creature. It squealed and screeched, but it was melting, breaking up into smaller pieces, the crumbs once again separating. He was about to turn on his heel and run when he realized it was probably a shitty idea to leave the monster out in the open like that for someone else to run into. Fuck. His eyes darted around and spotted a plastic bag. It’d have to do. He scooped up the pieces of monster like it was dog droppings, tied the bag up and threw it in the dumpster. “Come on, let’s go!” he said, running over to grab the other man’s arm and get them back safely inside. “Uh, I guess be careful when taking out that trash later.”

It was a sound that would haunt his nightmares. The screeching, the hissing, the gurgling as its own acid was choked out of it, the very body of the beast crumbling apart like wet sand. Frank had never seen any creature crumble the way that it did. It was as if the beast brought its ghostly hand (or claw, or whatever it was) and dragged it down his spine, causing a chill to rise in its place. It was a horrific scene but he could not bring himself to look away, until he felt a warm grip on his arm and he felt his entire body seize up. Were it not for the realisation that he still had his jacket on, that the other man’s hand was on the leather and not his skin, he would have jerked it out of his grasp. Thankfully after what they had just gone through, Frank didn’t need much persuading at all to leave.

Inside, the pub was peaceful…well, as peaceful as far as pubs went; some heads turned in the direction of the door as Frank and his companion burst in, but otherwise they were completely oblivious to the events that occurred not five feet away from some of them. From one of the television screens someone scored a goal, and a table erupted into a celebratory chorus. Enviably ignorant. Frank startled back to himself at the Frenchman's voice. He detected a thin note of humour laced through his words, but could not quite replicate the same enthusiasm in his own voice when he said, “yeah…right. I’ll keep that in mind.” The image of the writhing acidic tongue, and the set of razor teeth that guarded it, was one that would be not easily forgotten anytime soon. “What the fuck was that?” He said finally, strangely calm though he could feel his own heart beating a mile a minute. “You knew to grab the water bottle. I mean when that…thing attacks you, and you go dumpster diving for something you could use to defend yourself with, I mean call me crazy but I don’t think a water bottle is very high on the list of weapons you could use. Not unless you know it would stop it.” He said again in the same measured tone even when he felt anything but calm, but when the alternative was to freak out in the middle of his place of work in front of all his colleagues and customers, it wasn’t as if Frank had much of a choice. “So what the fuck kind of animal control are you?”

Kaden leaned over and braced his hands against his thighs, trying to bring his pulse back down after the fight outside. The pub was the same as before, lively and completely oblivious to anything that had happened outside just now. They had no idea how close they were to dealing with a monster had they taken one singular step outside. “I have no idea,” he said, shaking his head as he straightened himself up to look back at his companion. “I mean yeah I saw it in my apartment complex a while back. It was-- Okay, so I was being sent cookies. By the mimes. It’s always the fucking mimes. And they kept sending them and they were black and white and cursed. Fucking cursed. Some were stuck in my door. Not on. In. And then the thirteenth day. Thirteenth because it was fucking cursed, they-- the cookies-- They exploded. And the walls: striped. The hallway: striped. I was--” He stopped. On second thought maybe leave that out. No need to explain his momentary stripes. Or the mime face paint. “And the crumbs. The crumbs, they-- They built up a thing.” He gestured, his hands trying to make a vaguely monster-y shaped thing. “That thing. A monster thing. Like the ones in the alleyway by those mime places, you know?” The look on his face said he didn’t know. Putain. If only he could stop talking, but no, his mouth wouldn’t stop moving. “But I don’t know, I figured crumbs. Water. Might work. Because I can’t figure out how to kill it because you saw-- you saw what happened when you hit it. The pipe. It bent. That thing. It’s fucking indestructible. The mimes. They always fucking come back.” It was then he realized how absolutely fucking insane he sounded. And that this guy might be onto what he really was. Putain. “What do you mean what kind of animal control am I? The kind that works for the fucking police, that kind.” Sure. That made it better. Great.

“Cursed mime cookies…right.” A pause, and then a resigned, “excellent.” Frank angled his head a small fraction to the left, the gesture one of grudging acceptance. Experience had counseled (begrudgingly) him that to deny the explanation or to demand logic to the madness would somehow always succeed in making him more insane. After all, he had already seen ghost girls crawling out of leaky TVs, and was very nearly impaled by a rampant moose were it not for the intervention of his friend, the werewolf, and he’d had seen through a storm of dog-toys, why not add mime monsters to the fucking list? Or perhaps he ought to curate a new one: A series of things White Crest will try to kill him with. Mime monsters existed somewhere near the top, right next to killer moose.

“Animal control that works for the police. Of course,” Frank acquiesced, a weary bite to his voice. He didn’t expect to laugh but he did, a short sharp exhalation followed that gave birth to a lingering smile that looked more tired than mirthful. In the security of the pub and the ignorance of its patrons, the adrenaline from their fight was beginning to drain out of him, giving way to the fatigue that perpetually weighed his bones, and Frank didn’t have the energy to demand the truth out of the man. He didn’t particularly want to. Perhaps his shift would have gone more peacefully had he not gone out for his smoke break when he did, had he remained oblivious to the remains of the monster that now occupied the dumpster that lined up the wall of the bar, point was, perhaps it was better if he didn’t know anymore than he did. In any case, it wasn’t as if the Frenchman was the only one with secrets to guard. “Look, I don’t care what the fuck you are, you saved our asses back there so thanks. But you have got to get better at your own bullshit man...and maybe don’t talk so much.” Frank peeled himself off the door, and started toward the bar, picking up a towel and throwing it over his shoulder; he was still technically on the clock. He turned back to his companion, his voice softened by the smile that had a little more good-humour in it than the last, “come on French guy, I’ll pour you a beer.”

#wickedswriting #writing #chatzy #frankmulloy #frank #mime your manners

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elyvorg · 4 years

Note

Consider the following scenario: Around chapter 3, Tenko comes to Kaito to ask him to help Himiko. How do you think things would turn out? -As in, do you think the two could become the motivational buddies of Shuichi, Maki and Himiko?- (Also you're literally the only person I can ask this to, and thank you for providing such detailed Kaito content)

Aww, you're welcome! I'm thrilled to be considered the go-to source for Good Kaito Thoughts. (Though this is going to be at least half Tenko and Himiko thoughts, of course, and I don't profess to be as much of an expert at that, but I'll do my best.)

(also whoops, this got long, probably should go under a cut)

First, this'd need a couple of prerequisites: that Kaito's phobia doesn't exist so he isn't non-functionally mentally ill for most of chapter 3, and that Tenko's degenerate males thing is toned down a touch such that she's willing to acknowledge that Kaito is a good person and ask for his help with relatively little hesitation.

(This is sort of like what happens canonically when Tenko gets desperate enough to stop Angie's ritual that she asks Maki and Shuichi for help, and would have included Kaito if he'd been feeling well. But in that case, it was definitely more about "Angie is dangerous and might cause a murder if we don't stop this", rather than being specifically about helping Himiko. And I also get the sense that if there hadn't been at least one girl involved then Tenko maybe still wouldn't have asked them.)

Would This Work?

So, if we assume that, A, Tenko was even more focused specifically on helping Himiko than she already was in canon, and, B, was willing to ignore her prejudices and swallow her pride enough to ask Kaito for help, (and C, Kaito wasn't mentally ill and was able to help), would Kaito's input have been enough?

The thing is, Tenko was pretty much already doing all the right things to try and help Himiko in the first place. She'd recognised that the problem was Himiko struggling to express her emotions and had been trying to encourage her to do so, including suggesting physical training. This is a lot like Kaito's type of approach! There isn't that much that Kaito would have done differently to how Tenko did it. Him lending his input to this would mostly just have resulted in doubling the amount of enthusiastic persistence directed at Himiko, which... since Tenko being such an overwhelming personality was probably part of why Himiko didn't respond to her for so long, that might actually make things slightly worse on its own.

That said, Tenko was also not helping things by having a lot of her interactions with Himiko be unnecessarily overzealous romantic come-ons, which just made Himiko less inclined to want to listen to her in general and meant Tenko had given herself more of an uphill battle when it came to her genuine selfless attempts to help. I'd think the best thing to do about this would be for Tenko to apologise for having sometimes made things about her and make it clear that the most important thing to her right now is helping Himiko and this isn't about Tenko at all. However, I'm not sure if this is an issue that Kaito would actually properly pick up on in order to suggest that Tenko do this.

See, when it comes to understanding what a potential sidekick's struggles are and the best ways to help them overcome them, Kaito is great at it and seems to put a lot of conscious thought into it - but that's the part Tenko was already perfectly good at, too. When it comes to the process of reaching out and offering that help in the first place to encourage someone to begin to change, however, Kaito appears to pretty much just instinctively wing it, with no particular game plan other than "be persistent" and, maybe a little more specifically, "invite them to training". So I don't know if he'd necessarily have any better ideas than Tenko herself had of how to go about this - except, of course, for inviting Himiko to training.

Kaito's whole training thing really is a very effective way of getting through to someone in the first place. While the exercise itself is only tangentially connected to the actual point of self-reflection and emotional growth (especially in Maki's case), it's the directness of Kaito's approach that makes all the difference, because it prevents the potential sidekick from failing to notice or pretending not to notice that he's trying to help them. Just the fact that Kaito makes it a whole Big Thing where he very directly says, "I want to help you, this is how I'm doing it, if you want to get stronger then all you gotta do to take the first step is do some push-ups with me" presents the potential sidekick with a very obvious choice to make over whether they want to face their issues and try to change. In that position, anyone who really does want to change deep down is almost certainly going to take him up on that, whether or not they've been brushing off his other, less "official" attempts to reach out and help.

So maybe Kaito inviting Himiko to training, with Tenko alongside him backing up what he's saying - or leading the speech, even - about how this is all to help her, would indeed have got through to her. There are hints that, towards the end of chapter 3's daily life, Tenko has begun to make Himiko quietly wish she was more willing and able to listen to Tenko's advice. So it appears that the initial desire to change was already there in Himiko - it just sadly took Tenko's death in canon for her to actually acknowledge it.

However, there's also the massive spanner of Angie in the works here. With Himiko being brainwashed into clinging to Angie's escapism as an unhealthy coping mechanism, she was getting a free ticket to take the easy way out of her problems and run away from feeling like she needed to really change. If there had been no Angie in canon, Tenko would probably have been able to get through to Himiko while she was alive without even needing to ask anyone for help. But with Angie being a factor, even if Tenko and Kaito combined forces and invited Himiko to training to very directly present her with the option to change, I really kind of think Himiko would have just refused. She'd have been able to tell herself she doesn't need to change when she's already got Angie and Atua.

Tenko would be dismayed, but I think Kaito would get it. His sidekick thing can only work on people who want to change. Kaito can nudge and persuade, but he can't force people to make that choice; they have to ultimately do it of their own volition. If Himiko really isn't ready for this, there's nothing else Kaito can do. So he'd probably end up advising Tenko to just be patient and keep an eye on Himiko, letting her know that she's still there for her and the offer's still open if she ever changes her mind.

...And then case 3 would happen and Angie and Tenko would die and Himiko's arc would proceed roughly as it did in canon anyway, bleagh. Except for the fact that Kaito would have a lot more personal investment in this, because even if she never quite became his sidekick before, the fact that he extended that offer would still be important to him. I doubt he'd want to just leave her now that she has made the choice to change, even if she doesn't specifically need his help for it any more, and so he'd probably invite her to training in chapter 4 after all, despite the painful lack of Tenko.

(While we're here, let's talk a little about why Kaito never actively tried to make Himiko his sidekick in canon. Presumably, during the first three chapters, it was mostly out of seeing that Tenko was already kind of trying to work on that herself, and then that plus the whole Angie thing meant that Kaito didn't think it would be a good idea to butt in when he'd only get in the way. Then the reason he never invited Himiko to training in chapter 4 when she'd lost Tenko was perhaps because Himiko didn't actually need any extra nudges like Shuichi and Maki did at the beginnings of chapters 2 and 3; she was already going full-throttle and had firmly begun to make her efforts to change. ...That and, by that point, Kaito must have been mentally exhausted just looking out for two sidekicks while also suffering from and hiding his own problems, so he probably didn't really want to increase his burdens even more. Not that he'd have ever admitted that.)

If This Worked

But hey, never mind the fact that my conclusion to the question of whether this'd work is "probably not, thanks a bunch Angie", let's also think about what would happen if this had somehow worked anyway. A five-person team of training buddies sounds pretty adorable, after all!

(...Well, for this to last for any appreciable amount of time, we'd need Kiyo to not up and murder Tenko like an asshole, please. I guess it's possible that if they'd already got through to Himiko before Angie's death, she wouldn't have felt the need to talk to Angie with the seance and Tenko wouldn't have died? I dunno; that might be something Himiko would still want to do for closure even if she was already expressing her emotions more healthily. Ugggh Kiyo sucks. The only meaningful purpose he serves in the story is because someone had to kill Angie and Tenko for the sake of Himiko's character development, so if Himiko's development was going to happen anyway without those deaths, can Kiyo just not be here at all, please? Please? Or be someone slightly less shitty who murders just to escape and therefore stops at Angie.)

But anyway, yes, this five-person training team is fun to think about, because Kaito and Tenko really have a lot in common and it's a shame Tenko's prejudices mean they never get to interact much in canon to show this off. They're both so very Good in terms of their general overzealous enthusiasm and determination and desire to protect people. Tenko is also surprisingly like Kaito in that, though she seemingly needs to literally Aikido throw someone to do it, she can be pretty good at reading people and picking up on their struggles (even - gasp! - if they're male).

That said, Tenko doesn't make a point of going out of her way to help anyone who needs it like Kaito does, not even just among the girls (she sees Maki as a threat at first), and it's only because of her massive crush on Himiko that she also gained a selfless desire to help her. Still, maybe her collaborating with Kaito on this could help her learn that she's actually really good at motivating people in this way and it feels rewarding even when the target isn't her crush, making her want to use her skills for this more in future!

(Imagine if, in an effort to understand her better and see why Kaito believes in her so much, Tenko politely asks if she can Aikido throw Maki to get a read on her. She'd be kind of wary about what Maki would do if she did it without warning, after all.)

Plus, Tenko is also a big advocate of the idea that physical training can help someone with mental problems, just like Kaito! She might even have a slightly better idea of an actual systematic approach to training than Kaito... but then again, maybe not, because her Neo-Aikido does seem pretty haphazard. So we'd probably end up with these two ridiculous dorks who have no idea how to run a targeted exercise regime just throwing their enthusiasm all over the place and probably bickering and being competitive while they were at it, and poor Shuichi, Maki and Himiko would just have to try and keep up with them somehow. That'd be... quite the spectacle. (Maki would wryly comment that it's like having two Kaitos when one was more than enough... but she wouldn't actually mind.)

Naturally, I also find it interesting to think about how Kaito would be affected by this, especially since, while Shuichi, Maki and Himiko would all be considered his sidekicks, Tenko would be something more like a "co-hero" alongside Kaito in this arrangement. There's a lot of potential inherent in the idea of Kaito forging an important relationship with someone who's not a sidekick to him. If a friend of Kaito’s who was in the position to properly view him as an equal was also emotionally mature enough to see what he's doing wrong and point out that he really needs to talk about his own problems too, that would Change Some Things. However, as much as she'd be doing her best to help, and even if we assume her gender prejudices just didn't get in the way here at all, I... don't think Tenko's that person.

(Can you tell this is something I've thought about quite a bit, albeit never with Tenko. Imagine if Kaede had lived and she and Kaito had teamed up in their mutual desire to support everyone - they'd also have been great influences on each other, stopping the other from getting too self-destructively selfless.)

(Though, hey, what if Tenko Aikido threw Kaito at some point, probably more out of boisterous competitiveness than trying to get a read on him, except then she suddenly realises, "wait a minute, you're sick, what are you doing training them when you should be looking after yourself?" And his sidekicks kind of can't help but agree with her despite his attempts to deny it, because Kaito definitely looks to be in more pain than he should be from that. And then they escape and save his life, like they always would have if they'd known. Man, if only.)

Also, even though Tenko is nominally someone else in the "hero" role here, I can't quite see Kaito's unreasonable standards for heroes kicking in towards her. This is just an instinctive sense I get that I'm not completely sure of the reason for - perhaps because of the way Tenko initiated this by asking him for help? So she kind of is like a sidekick to him, too - just a sidekick in the specific art of being an inspiring and encouraging hero. Man that'd be so confusingly not-black-and-white to Kaito, a lot like Shuichi is to him in this regard as well. What do you mean she's both at the same time??? That’s not how this works!!!

There's also the fact that Himiko would be a sidekick alongside Maki and Shuichi (whether or not Tenko died), which might change things a little for people other than Himiko herself. Maki would be watching Himiko work on trying to express her emotions in a context that's being paralleled with the struggles Maki's trying to overcome. So maybe this could have got Maki to more consciously think about expressing her own emotions, which is something she has difficulty with too after having repressed them for so long, but that she doesn't precisely ever make quite such a conscious effort about in canon like Himiko does.

Also, if we assume that Kaito's issues are relatively unchanged and trial 4 still goes basically the same as it does in canon, Himiko being his sidekick could make a difference for early chapter 5. In canon, when she's not even his sidekick, Himiko still indicates that she's thought a little about Kaito's feelings and what he might be going through, as well as just how his behaviour is making Shuichi feel. But if she'd been actively a part of that sidekick group and had seen first-hand how Kaito's sidekicks - namely Shuichi - look up to him and learn from him, Himiko in particular would have had the capacity to potentially piece things together and figure out the real reason Kaito was avoiding Shuichi. After all, she's been in exactly the same position as Shuichi is here. (This is about my hot take on Himiko's FTEs that I discussed in one of my commentary posts, which I still enjoy thinking about. Kaito has parallels and connections to so many characters in this story and it’s great.)

#danganronpa v3 #danganronpa v3 spoilers #tenko chabashira #kaito momota #himiko yumeno #maki harukawa #shuichi saihara #training trio #kaito's hero issues #thanks for the ask! this was fun to think about #i love thinking about aus with the training trio #but i don't usually involve other characters without a specific reason to #so i'd never considered this one before!#v3 aus #Anonymous

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villanevest · 5 years

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You’re Mine [pt.1] - villanelle’s perspective in 2x08

okay so i've seen a lot of freaking out post-finale and i want to say: it's all alright. yes, it was a pretty shocking ending, but honestly, i think it was really good for the characters, and for the show. before anybody yells at me for saying that, i'm going to be explaining myself in three posts. in this post, we're going to be looking at villanelle’s perspective on the events of the episode, and next post, we’ll look at eve's, and this will hopefully make their actions a little clearer, and villaneve's future seem less uncertain. in another post, i'll explain why these kinds of tough, dramatic choices are important for the overall health of the show.

let the deep dive begin. VILLANELLE’s thoughts and feelings in the finale villanelle's first really significant scene this episode is the aaron-villanelle-eve showdown at breakfast. remember that last night was villanelle and aaron's conversation about being voids (2x07), and now that she's seen the murder tape, villanelle really feels like she's got a clean read on aaron -- enough to predict and manipulate him, as she would anyone else. seeing raymond's picture tells her it's time to get out, so she essentially invites eve in to supervise the end of the operation. villanelle has the power -- she's seen aaron's kill technique and clearly decided she can beat him, if it comes to a struggle -- and she's comfortable with the confrontation.

and then aaron offers for her to come work for him. crucially, he frames it as, "you'll never be bored again [with me]". we know for villanelle, boredom is her great vice -- she falls into it easily, it controls her, and she's trying desperately to escape it. aaron's offer in undeniably tempting -- we've seen all through 2x07 the luxury on offer -- but it's when he says "all of it" that villanelle makes up her mind.

because eve would hate her if she went with aaron, and it can't be "all of it" if "everything" doesn't include eve. here, she decides that eve, on her own, makes villanelle feel more alive/less bored than any material object or orchestrated murder aaron can provide. that's why she turns to eve -- she's saying, look what i'll give up for you.

i dont think she'd necessarily have killed aaron if he hadn't asked her to hurt eve. he might've been a good option to keep on the backburner in case eve ever gave her the green light. but he's a threat, so she gets rid of him. eve freaks out, and villanelle tries to comfort her, as best as she knows how.

"it's okay", "i'll take care of it", reassuring physical contact. she's probably a bit smug too because now she's killed two people in front of eve, and eve's only upset because of their operation, not because of the murder; for villanelle, this is another indication that violence is not a problem to eve.

i think after this, though, villanelle becomes a bit worried that eve feels like she doesn't have control, which she knows is something eve needs (see: 2x06, when eve was micromanaging the mission). we’ll get back to this. villanelle tries to keep the keel level -- she skirts around the picture of raymond, not wanting to pile on, and slaps eve to start her out of her tailspin. from villanelle's perspective, the morning has probably not been ideal, but it's running fairly smoothly. so villanelle makes her first overture, both because it's what she's wanted this whole time (since konstantin said, "if anything happens, you and eve are on your own"), and because she thinks it'll stop eve from running in to danger.

once she realises eve is serious about it mattering, she stops protesting, and starts helping. and then she runs into konstantin, the second most important person in the world to her, and in her mind, he betrays her. she tells him that she and eve are the same. this is particularly notable at this juncture, because he has just picked his family over villanelle; this comment is partly a bite-back -- villanelle believes she will be eve's first choice, even if she wasn’t his.

then we have the hotel fight with raymond, which again, only really begins once he threatens eve.

unrelated, but i believe raymond's claim "i'm a real somebody" may prove vital in season 3. is he perhaps a high-ranking member of the twelve who likes to indulge in a little recreational axe murder? if yes, then eve may have real problems on that front later.

when raymond is strangling her, villanelle is definitely in a bad way. i dont think, at that point, she has the strength or cognizance to reach for the gun. then eve hits raymond with an axe, and villanelle gets a second to breathe. this is where we get a callback to her saying, "you wanted to save me. and you did." if villanelle is concerned eve feels a lack of control, then this is a chance to return it to her. her encouraging eve to kill raymond is motivated by more than just practicality. firstly, villanelle needs to prove herself right to konstantin -- after he's shaken her faith, she needs absolute unwavering certainty that she and eve are the same. secondly, it binds them, just like the stabbing did in season one. thirdly, villanelle finds a liberation and excitement and power in killing, and she wants to give eve a chance to feel that. finally, and least significantly, i think villanelle probably just found the idea of eve killing someone hot and wanted to watch.

eve starts going into shock again, so villanelle gets her away from the sensory input -- takes off her bloodied shirt and directs her quickly from the scene. she's very gentle and physical in this moment, both because she wants to take care of eve and make sure she feels safe, and because she feels closer to eve than ever before. "like us".

villanelle holds onto eve as they move through rome. she has already turned down one chance (with konstantin's car) to run away without eve, and she's definitely not losing her, especially now. in the tunnels, she lets eve smash through the wall alone, because she can tell she needs a way to get out her excess energy and deal with the overload of sensation.

but the gravity of eve's response is more than villanelle expected. she thought eve would probably panic a little, and then right herself. even though they're both on the psychopathy spectrum, villanelle (in addition to being further along that spectrum) was raised with very little moral framework, whereas eve has spent the last forty years assimilated to society and ideas of good/bad, and these are integral to her sense of self.

but eve says "yeah", she is okay, and villanelle kind of assumes that things are alright, after this beat of catharsis. eve is taking a bit longer to process, but that's fine. maybe villanelle can take her mind off it, right? so she starts with talking about dinner, and then pitches her big idea: alaska.

villanelle has probably been entertaining the abstract idea of "alaska" for a while. she has either watched or help eve lose tethers to her old life (e.g. niko), and villanelle wants a way to make their new connection permanent. she doesn't want eve to vanish like anna did. she picks alaska itself because of the snow globe, which as i said in another post, makes her think that eve's been there before, and liked it enough to buy a souvenir. also, it's in america, so eve would feel like she was on home turf. villanelle clearly prefers europe, but i think alaska has a faraway allure, and she's prepared to compromise.

she reminds eve that they could be normal as another way of allaying her worries post-murder. she's saying, not everything has to change, don't stress, you don't have to kill all the time. we can have half my life and half yours.

and then eve sees the gun. villanelle knows that not shooting raymond was manipulative, otherwise she wouldn't try and distract eve from the fact she had a weapon all along. then she defends, "you had it under control" -- like i mentioned before, she’s trying to return power to eve, remind her of her agency, assure that she's not spiralling.

in this situation, villanelle sees herself like the babysitter who has lied to the child about holding on to the back of the bike to get them to ride without training wheels -- it's for their own good, to teach them their own capabilities. it made me think this:

and then:

this really cemented for me that villanelle saw raymond's death as almost a gift to eve, a way to give her something she'd been missing, that villanelle was SURE she'd, if not necessarily immediately enjoy, then find valuable and help her understand herself. which is why she says she's proud -- she thinks eve has had a personal growth moment. she tells eve, "you made us safe", which mirrors, "you wanted to save me and you did". the "we can look after ourselves now" not only affirms their similarities, but is villanelle's way of saying, you can hold your own, you're in control, which she thinks eve needs to hear. but eve replies that she's going home, leaving. the exact thing villanelle wanted NOT to happen. it's a rejection of what villanelle sees as a big shared experience for them (raymond's death), and of "alaska", which translates to a rejection of villanelle herself. then we have this:

which i think shows a lot of villanelle's character development this season. she's clearly feeling a lot here, but primarily hurt (eve doesn't want her) and fear (eve will leave; she's not enough). konstantin just abandoned her too, by her measure, so villanelle's already more emotionally unstable than she's been. BUT. she takes a breath, and she tries to reopen lines of communication.

when eve says villanelle wants her to be a mess, i think that upsets villanelle quite a bit, because we've been shown that eve is most exciting and attractive to her when she has agency and power, and also because from villanelle's perspective, she's spent half the time trying to STOP eve from becoming a mess. she's held her and reassured her. villanelle wants to steady her again. villanelle does believe that eve wanted this: wanted to kill raymond, maybe wanted alaska, certainly wanted villanelle. part of what makes villanelle so fun for us to watch is her short-sightedness and impatience, but here all that means is that she hasn't got the long-term empathy to see how this might be utterly rearranging eve's worldview. as we'll talk about in eve's post, eve has actually recovered remarkably well (villanelle's efforts to return her sense of control have worked, and she begins to dominate this exchange, and feel confident again), but she's experiencing A LOT of cognitive dissonance (she's a killer / doesn't think of herself as a killer), and she turns that into anger, and projects that anger onto villanelle. a perfectly justified trauma response. villanelle genuinely doesn't understand why eve is having such a strong reaction to this. it'd be like if you thought your friend would really like chocolate, so you left some on the table for them, and then they got mad at you for making them break their diet, which you'd thought they were never actually serious about. no, that's not at all what it's like in actuality, but it's essentially how villanelle is reading this. "you love me." "no." again, villanelle tries one last way of reaching out, and putting herself on the line to prove to eve how serious she is -- "i love you."

but eve tells her she doesn't, that she doesn't know what love is. and that really angers villanelle, because after so long doubting herself, knowing she's a psychopath and wondering how authentic her emotional experience is, she FINALLY got closure last night, with aaron. as we discussed in my post about that, she now believes what she feels is real, and so it's especially crushing to have it questioned by eve. but in this heated, stressful exchange, when she feels rejected after everything (especially considering how attached she probably was to "alaska"), she retreats to the relatively emotionless security of the "i / it".

villanelle's sense of entitlement comes screaming through here. from her point of view, she's done so much for eve. just hours earlier at breakfast, she chose eve over aaron's offer of everything else money can buy. she had the alaska plan. she supported eve when she wanted to go back into the death-trap hotel and get the recordings. villanelle is SURE she's done EVERYTHING right. she's played the game perfectly and is somehow still losing. she's not used to losing, to failing, to not having what she wants. villanelle is addicted to instant gratification (she wants something, she gets it asap), and eve has been the only exception. she worked for her. but the extra time and effort is suddenly for nothing.

and so villanelle does the only thing she can think of, and she moves eve from the category of "special"/"wanted"/"important" to "not special"/"not wanted"/"not important". it's literally emotional triage. yes, villanelle feels things more than aaron, more than most psychopaths, but what she still does have is an ability to mute those feelings, if not entirely, then by quite a lot. so she shoots eve. the logic probably is that if eve isn't around, then villanelle can reconstruct the narrative -- there's nobody else eve's with instead of her, because eve's gone; eve would probably have come back by now if she could, etc. but she doesn't commit entirely, because she doesn't aim to kill. instead, she chooses to replicate how eve stabbed her, because it's something eve "think[s] about all the time". this becomes a don't forget me. it's a think about this, too. is it also an expression of anger? absolutely. villanelle's default is destruction. eve hurt her. she wants to hurt eve. it's a childish tit-for-tat equation. villanelle externalises her feelings, because she can't reckon with them when they're all inside. if she's hungry or annoyed or bored then someone's going to know about it. and here, there is her instinct, and the gun is already in her hand.

she fires.

will villanelle regret this? will she rationalise it? will she stay angry at eve or reconsider? i'll get into that in my write-up about narrative choices for the show. i've also posted another one of these about eve, and how eve's thinking and feeling (check #villanevest writes). i'm a fan of both eve and villanelle, and i think they were acting in ways that made sense to them. i get that we want them to be happy, but i think it's ignoring a lot of context to blame one or the other of them. remember, killing eve is a show about dangerous and irrational people doing dangerous and irrational things.

#ke #killing eve #killing eve spoilers #ke spoilers #killing eve finale #killing eve 2x08 #ke 2x08 #ke finale #villanelle #eve polastri #villaneve #villanevest #villanevest writes #villainever writes #villanelle x eve #eve x villanelle

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the-compassion-project · 4 years

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We can do it with the resources we have

Ultimately we need more money for mental health. But we could change the culture of mental health with the money we have.

I speak from my own personal experience as someone who had childhood depression and a hidden anxiety disorder, and as someone who has experienced psychosis since 2012.

The greater your need the more you recognise the lack of resources in the mental health system in the UK. We know that will be different for future generations. But what could we change now?

The problem is that the government rolls out policies for the NHS and these policies all treat service users as though they are the same. Psychosis is probably one of the least understood and most stigmatised areas of mental health care. I also know trauma is too and completely disagree with the diagnosis of BPD. The problem is that the government want evidence to support decisions as to where they spend the money. This is completely understandable. But what we get is a very inflexible approach to treatment. What we need is something that is reflexive to the needs of the individual.

So we need a different kind of research and we need to hear from every one of you reading this blog who has experience of the mental health system in the UK or your own country. It is only with your insights and your wisdom that we can build a first rate mental health system around the world. You are not alone. If you are thinking it someone else will be too or if not, you saying it will make a lightbulb go on in someone else’s head. We just need lots of lightbulbs to go off in lots of peoples heads.

Could we build a grassroots campaign to better mental health care? Sounds crazy? The idea of grassroots activism in mental health care. I thought so. No you have to enter the system, you have to get a PhD, you have to work in research. Where are the think tanks for mental health care? But if we empowered people who are waiting too long for change, whose voices are never heard, then activism in this area could be powerful. I don’t know if that time is now or in the future. But change for marginalised people is often achieved when those people become empowered and start asking for it. We are educated by the insights of those people.

What could we as a society achieve with the resources we have? Well we could change the way we train psychiatrists. We could make empathy very important. We could ask them to go to hearing voices groups to listen to the perspectives of people who hear voices. That could be a requirement. We could inform psychiatrists about how individuals feel about coercive drug treatment, that many people legitimately find they do not respond to drugs. I know psychiatrists have responsibility and feel worried that without drug treatment there is a suicide risk but I have encountered psychiatrists who talked to me like I was a badly behaved child and showed me a lack of empathy. It’s always easier to relate to someone who understands how you’re feeling and shows you kindness. I think we could go further than that though. We could find out who really is helped by medication and who really isn’t. Then we could stop that pressure. So we could use biomarkers to inform us as to whether drug medication is really working or not. That is something that is on the way.

If people with psychosis do not want to be treated with medication then we should provide a robust alternative. There are hospital wards in Scandinavia that treat patients without medication and with therapy alone. Could we adopt that approach in the UK? It is upsetting that you cannot go into hospital without being sectioned. It would be great if you could. We need more money for this. What we could do with the money we have is train the nurses and the mental health staff to treat people with psychosis differently. There is currently a perception that people with psychosis are “little ones” or “vulnerables.” This might be because professionals see people at their worst, because they want to care for them, and because they often see us very frightened. But it is also a way of “otherising” people who experience psychosis. I cannot stress it enough that everyone you ever meet with psychosis is normal but having difficult experiences. So we must listen first and foremost to everyone with psychosis. Be wary of imposing your reality upon people with psychosis i.e. this isn’t happening and I believe this is due to an imbalance in your brain. For the person experiencing psychosis it absolutely is happening because they are clearly experiencing it. They might not know why it is happening. They might think it is real. Be wary of being prescriptive in general. Sometimes what you tell someone with psychosis hurts in ways everyone would find difficult to predict. For example, I know this is slight but I was told in quite an instructional way not to have too many duvet days. Now, I realise that sometimes you have as many duvet days as you need because you are suffering so badly. The advice was well meant and there is something to be said for behavioural activation and finding coping mechanisms but somehow the tone in which it was said was wrong. It’s easy for other people to tell themselves I’ll only have one duvet day. I don’t want anyone to misread what I’m saying and think I or anyone else would take offence easily but we need careful listening more than we need modelling, and I say that very gently. I think that is something that the mental health system should incorporate into its training. Then we do things together. It feels better that way. What do we need? Fantastic listeners who are perceptive and relay our feedback to a team of people who are providing us with mental health care. They have to trust us as precious resources in our own recovery. They have to see us as normal people.

Individuals will have different feedback to give and different bug-bears. It’s therefore important that their support network hears from them and the people involved in their mental health care listen to them.

I hope you don’t feel alienated from my criticisms of the mental health system. It really is about changing the culture with the money we already have. If you trained psychiatrists to be more empathic, created an acceptance that not everyone is helped by medication although some are, and had more equal conversations with people with psychosis then people would be more soothed by the mental health system which would feel more of an ally than an authoritative body. I cannot even interact with the NHS as it currently is because of these systemic problems. A final point I would like to add is that there is a problem with psychiatrists being the ultimate authority. I think psychologists are better trained to empathise with people who suffer from psychosis and we would benefit from their input. When I was in hospital psychologists were never invited to the weekly meetings. These meetings were very intimidating!! They involved like ten individuals around a table looking at me. I know this can be different because when I was in a private hospital aged 14 and 18 it was just a meeting with myself and my parents and perhaps a nurse very occasionally. But in the NHS you have these big meetings that I think are a bit abusive to the patient. Anyway, at none of these weekly meetings was there ever a psychologist. This could be changed!

Ultimately we need more money. We need an individual plan with the psychology team for everyone who enters hospital with psychosis. We need 1:1s. We need tailored therapy. We need psychologists’ input in all aspects of treatment.

I was offered psychological treatment by the NHS. I had group therapy which I found demeaning. We all had to run across the room in our “valued direction” and I felt silly. It got the point across (that you don’t let your voices hijack your day) but it felt silly and I know that was not what was intended. I was also given 1:1 therapy but as with everything on the NHS it is for a limited time only. It was targeted at my psychosis. Sometimes not everything is about psychosis. Sometimes those techniques just don’t work. I really hope no one misunderstands me and thinks I’m a difficult patient! But it’s just we need therapy that is reflexive to our needs as individuals and that really is the bottom line.

There, those are my brief thoughts on what we could do with the money we already have. Patient feedback. Patient feedback. Patient feedback. Listening. Empathy. No drug treatment alternatives accepted and implemented.

Ok one very last thing. Not your fault if you didn’t know but many people with psychosis really don’t like being called “ill”. They may have suffered sexual abuse. They may have a brain that works differently. They may have any number of personal explanations for why they experience psychosis. They may think their experiences are real. But for many people it just doesn’t fit with their personal identity and their own experiences to be called ‘ill’. I also would hate to be called ‘ill’ or ‘well’. I’m having an experience that is really difficult. It doesn’t make me “less than” and it just doesn’t seem to be “illness”. <3

#we already have the money #we need more money #mental health culture #people with psychosis are normal #but having difficult experiences #every explanation is valid #drugs are not always the answer #empathy #listen #precious insights

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neednothavehappenedtobetrue · 6 years

Text

got some positive response so I’m doing Fic Amnesty and posting all the things in my drafts that won’t get properly finished probably ever.

this was my attempt at a one-shot. content warnings for ghosts and violence. it’s a little long.

Cassie was sketching idly when the man in the hospital gown walked into her office. When the living walk into Cassie's office, they wince or cough, assaulted by the smells of sandalwood, anise, wormwood, and lavender. For ghosts, who can't ask directions in the maze of the police station, the smell is a signpost. Also, he's wandering around barefoot in a hospital gown, which would have gotten him flagged on the way in here if anyone else could see him.

"Hey, mister sir, how are you doing today?" Cassie asks. The man gives her a despairing look and makes a weak gesture with one of his arms.

"Not so great. Okay, well, why don't you have a seat, I'll fix you up something warm to drink, and we can talk when you're ready to talk."

The ghost slumps into one of Cassie's chairs. Cassie pours him a saucer of milk, heats it on the hot plate, and stabs herself in the finger with her pocket knife. She lets a generous few drops of blood land on the milk and sets it on the little table beside Mr. Ghost's chair. He lets his hand fall into the dish and a little color starts to come back to his skin.

"You just say hey when you're ready to talk," Cassie says. The ghost nods a fraction. He must be really and properly tired out, Cassie thinks. At least a few days dead.

"We got one for you, Lieutenant," says Charlie, standing awkwardly in the door of her office, handkerchief over his face. The rest of Tau Ceti's police department treats the resident ghost talker with unnerved respect to her face and it doesn't matter what behind her back.

"He beat you here," Cassie says.

"He? No, we found a woman's body, still warm. Red dress, dark hair. Strangled. Pretty sure it was the boyfriend. Captain said to call you in, just in case."

"All right," Cassie says. "Mister sir, you stay right where you are please, and I'll come back and get you as soon as I can. I can't help you if you wander off." She squeezes a little more blood into the saucer and Charlie looks away.

The ghost shrugs minutely, holds one palm slightly up. Where else would he go? She leaves him, follows Charlie back to the crime scene.

The ghost of Lena Pavel is vibrant and kicking. "Hey! Those are my computers, don't you touch them. I didn't give nobody permission to cart off all my stuff. What is this?"

"Hi there, lady ma'am. My name is Cassie and I'm a witness liaison. Can you tell me what's happening here?" Cassie asks. The trick is not to let them know they're dead until you've got as much as you can out of them.

"I woke up on the ground with cops crawling all over my apartment. Cops who don't listen!"

"They're astonishingly bad listeners," Cassie agrees, ignoring the snorts in response. "My job is to listen. Can you tell me what happened before you wound up on the floor?"

"Some guy was mad as hell. I know him. I know his face, but I can't remember his name. Must have clocked my head. Maybe I ought to go to the hospital.I knew exactly who he was. I said, hey, it's not your business what I do for a living."

Names are the first thing ghosts lose, their own, other's. Faces last longer. "Could you sit with me and help me get a sketch of the man's face?" Cassie asks.

"I can do you better. The webcam was on, three-sixty degrees. He'll be on there. If you can get that sweaty cop away from my expensive camera set, I can show you;"

"What's your password?" Cassie asks, a second before Lena Pavel reaches for her laptop and her hand moves through the screen.

She stares."I'm not... " she says.

"You're very recently deceased, which means you're going to have some trouble with your motor skills for a little while until we can get that taken care of." Cassie says. "I can input your password for you, you just have to give it to me." The trick is to talk faster than your ghost can think, when they're teetering on the edge of realization. Don't lie, just keep it moving.

"M0xie?719?" says Lena. She spells it out. Cassie types it in. The camera has been running all this time. By the time the tech has rewound the video, done facial recognition and announced that, in fact, the murderer was not the boyfriend, but the victim's uncle, irate to have found his niece on a camming site, Cassie is sitting with Lena and a cup of bloody tea, because there's no milk in the apartment. Lena bends down to sip thirstily from the edge of the glass as Cassie walks her through Sorry You're Deceased 101. No, there's no coming back. No, Cassie doesn't know what happens once you pass. Yes, Cassie can call someone of Lena's choice to handle the funeral arrangements. Yes, Cassie will attend Lena's funeral. Cassie attends a lot of funerals.

Lena winks into nothing as soon as Cassie helps her write a letter to her mom. Some cases are simple like that. Get the nice lady to solve her own murder and that pretty much takes care of unfinished business.

Cassie heads back to her office to deal with Mister Ghost.He's still there. The milk has turned a kind of greyish color and she dumps it down the drain, refills it, pricks her finger again. She does not bother asking the ghost his name, or how long he's been dead. It just upsets them when they can't remember.

"Did you come from City Hospital?" she asks. The hospital has its own ghost-talker who should have caught him then, but stranger things have happened. He shakes his head.

"Do you feel up to talking?"He opens and closes his mouth mutely."All right then. I'm gonna do some paperwork and make some calls.".

She watches him out of the corner of her eye while she files the Lena Pavel paperwork and logs his arrival, a form mostly full of question marks underneath a drawing of him. Bare feet, thin face, underweight, hospital gown with a pattern of blue stripes. He glances around occasionally, but doesn’t move much. She calls Mina on her personal phone.

“Hey, babe, I’m going to have to sleep here tonight, I’ve got a guest. No, not that girl who got murdered on the news, she passed on. We’ve got to do a night interview.”

Mina sighs. She doesn’t rehash the old argument, but she lets the sigh do it for her. “If you’ve got to,” she says. Mina runs an apothecary and keeps strict nine-to-fives. Sure, there’s work for the civic-minded witch that doesn’t require regular overnights, but Cassie’s always been good with ghosts.

“All my love,” Cassie says.

“Love,” Mina says, and hangs up.

All right. Cassie tugs her cot out of her closet and puts do-not-disturb on her door. She makes herself a little dinner on the hot plate and watches a grainy holoprogram until she feels sleepy. She pops a pill to make sleep stick and then conks out on the cot.

She wakes up in her dreamscape, an eclectic museum. A few standard exhibits, some dinosaur bones and old tech. Paintings of everyone she’s invited here. Miscellaneous scenes behind glass. She finds Mr. Ghost staring at the lake in its exhibit case.

“Hey there,” she says. No need for the fast talk. This is a man who knows he’s dead.

He gestures at the lake. “How does this work?” he asks. “It doesn’t look like a scale model. The perspective’s wrong.”

It’s a small lake, a muddy pathway around it, two rickety docks, an adrift canoe. Grampa left it here when he came to say goodbye. Cassie has never actually seen a lake. She’s never been out of Pollux, Tau Ceti’s big, hot, dry city.

‘We’re in a dream, sir. Things don’t have to work quite right.”

“I don’t like magic. Bunch of egos swanning around taking shortcuts,” he says.

For a living normal, Cassie would have a rebuttal to that. Cassie does not bother with the dead.

“Well, here you are, sir,” she says instead. “Now what can I do for you?”

“I came to report a crime. I came to the police station to report a crime,” he says.

“What crime, sir?”

“Unlawful working conditions leading to my death.” He says.

“Where do you work?”

“I was a driver. I drove a... big bus. But that’s not how I died. I came to report a crime.”

“All right, sir. Let’s see if we can establish some identity. Were you married, or did you have kiddos?” She does not ask him his name.

“I had a daughter. She had leukemia. Her name was. Fuck.”

“It’s normal, sir.”

“She had brown hair. She had leukemia. She was... she loved pickles. She loved lemon pickles. Her mother named her after her grandmother. I don’t. She could read early for her age. Why can’t I remember her name?”

“It’s very normal sir, you’re doing great. Look at the clothes you’re wearing, please.”

He looks down. “I wasn’t in the hospital. They had a private hospital under the complex. I was there. They treated my burns there but I must have died. There was a bad lab accident. A chemical spill. There are regulations. We didn’t have protective gear. I thought if I lived I was going to report it. And then I was up and moving around again, so I thought I’d report it. I figured out I was dead when I had to deal with the elevators, but I couldn’t think of anything else to do so I came to report it. It’s against the law not to provide employees with adequate protective gear, isn’t it?”

Damn. “It usually is, sir. I’ll look into it, all right? Do I have permission to contact your family?”

“Sure. Yes.”

She walks him down to the museum cafe, sets him up with a chicken sandwich and some pickle chips. He looks just like a man here, underweight, barely dressed, but as solid as she is.

“Any questions?” she asks.

“When do I go somewhere else?”

“I don’t know, sir. You did a very good thing, reporting the crime. You did all you can do for now. If there’s anything else, I’ll let you know, but you did plenty. It’s commendable what you did, sir.”

“Do some of them leave when you tell them that?”

“More than a few. Look, sir, I can transfer you to a postmortem therapist if you want, or you can stay here while I pursue your case.”

“Here,” he says, and eats a pickle chip. Damn. She doesn’t mind when they stay, but Mina does. She’s starting to mind that Mina minds so much. It’s not like they bother, or snoop, or peep. They stay inside Cassie’s dreams when she’s not in the station.

She wakes up. The candle tree has gone out. She walks over, lights them, washes up in a just-cleaned public restroom, swallows a plate of canteen scrambled eggs, and goes back to her office. There’s a note on her door about a body in the morgue making paper clips twitch, so she meanders down there and finds the ghost of a teenage boy loitering by his own corpse, trying to flick scraps of paper at the coroner. As Cassie approaches the boy manages a slightly more robust throw and a shred of yellow paper hits Dr. Lai square in the nose.

“Ugh. I told them we had a lively one down here. What took you so long?”

“Witness interview. You got a name for our friend here?”

“You were sleeping.” Dr Lai hands over a file.

“Yeah, witness interview. Hey, Harry. How’s it going tonight?”

“I’m fucking dead,” the kid grumbles.

“That’s right. Did you see the car that hit you?”

”I don’t want to talk to the fucking police. Do I get a lawyer?”

“You’re not in any trouble with us, Harry.”

“I ought to get a lawyer. I’ve still got rights.”

“You were hit by a car, Harry. You’re not being accused of anything. I can help take a message to your mom or your girlfriend if you need.”

Harry tells her to fuck herself so she leaves him down there. He’ll come up when he wants to talk. He’ll follow the smell. Meanwhile, she has an interview to document and log.

She searches the last week’s obits for men with young daughters, searches the daughters for current and former cancer patients, finds John Snyder, survived by his daughter Emily, age eleven, who beat leukemia last year, with a little help from, damn, a NemoCorps employment-collateral loan.

Four years ago, NemoCorps moved their headquarters to Tau Ceti, chased out of New York by the lawsuits. They’re a pharmaceutical company and most of their employees are also their debtors. If you owe them enough money they’ll hire you on the spot and take it out of your wages every month. Snyder died nonspecifically of “an illness.” She combs through the past month and finds four more people in their thirties and forties who died of “an illness” with outstanding medical debt. Everyone knows about the fierce pneumonias that sweep through the Nemo employee dorms every few months. People who get out come home with skin conditions and wracking coughs, chronic fatigue, vision and hearing loss, cancer. John Snyder came to her to report a familiar crime. But Nemo is a multi-trillion dollar company, providing jobs out here in the boondocks, Nemo is a generous pillar of the community. Nemo is a machine guarded by its own vast output.

“I’ve got to talk to your family. You coming?” she asks. Snyder shakes his head. She doesn’t understand that, ghosts who don’t say goodbye. Still, she goes out without him to visit Mrs. Snyder, who is polite but terse. No, she doesn’t think a crime was committed here. His body was donated to science, with her permission, so no autopsy can be performed. She is transparently afraid and Cassie cannot bring herself to press the issue.

“Give him our love,” she says. People are like that with ghosts sometimes, distant, like the ghost isn’t family. Once they’ve been buried or cremated or donated or “donated,” whatever’s left is maybe an acquaintance, if that. People who can’t speak directly to ghosts are sometimes desperately keen to talk to a ghost-talker and sometimes... not.

Cassie goes back to the precinct. She calls up Nemo. A ghost’s testimony, legally, is supplemental, not enough on its own to warrant an investigation. People say ghosts get confused, and that’s true, but misleading. Cassie has never known a ghost to lie. They’re too disoriented to make anything up. What they bring to you is true as rocks. She gets a copy of his medical records, from the on-site medical bay where he was treated and died. Pneumonia. Yeah. The debts will be transferred back onto Mrs. Snyder, who has six weeks to demonstrate ability to pay or show up at NemoCorps for her brand new job.

Cassie comes home at the end of the day and Mina makes her sleep in the guest room because the ghost occupying the inside of her head is a man. In dreamtime, she sits in the grim little museum cafe and explains to Snyder that there’s not a whole lot she can do, at this point.

“You expect me to go now?” he asks.

“You’ve done all you can do. If there’s anything else I can do, let me know.”

“I came to report a crime!”

“And I logged it, sir, and if a living survivor ever comes by and sues, they’ll be able to use it as supplemental evidence, but there’s not a whole lot you can do on your own. I recommend you let me refer you to a postmortem counselor.”

“No. There’s someone else I want to talk to. Bobby Stokes. You said a living survivor. Well I’ve got one.”

It rarely ends well when the dead crusade, but she has an obligation to try.

The next morning, Harry has gotten bored of the morgue and saunters up to her office to describe an orange Ford Gravity, license plate number he didn’t fucking see it, he was too busy dying and all. She passes this tidbit onto Traffic and carts two ghosts with her out to see Bobby Stokes, a wheezing man who wears heavy gloves.

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yugkyumie · 6 years

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Courtroom Courage (pt. 1)

BTS Jin x reader x Jimin

Summary: At age 30, the two of you agreed that you would get married if neither of you had found your soulmate. Now, fast forward to the day that you and Jin are supposed to get married in court with Jin’s friend Jimin as witness. You may or may not have just fallen in love with your groom’s “best man.” Soulmate!AU

Word Count: ~1.2k

Leaning over your work desk, you sighed in frustration and disappointment. It was Friday, you had half an hour until work was over, three files were still needing to be completed, and you were getting married tomorrow. From an outsider's perspective, you were just upset over your work load. In reality, you were upset because tomorrow was your wedding day, and yet there was no ring on your finger. And you weren’t even marrying the right person.

You had always dreamed of finding that 'one true love' and then living 'happily ever after' with your soulmate. But life did you dirty, and you had never gotten to that point, as there was always something in the way. In high school it was your grades, in college it was trying to finish 4 years worth of material in 2, and as an adult it was your looks. At least, that's what you believed it was, as you had nothing holding you back now. You had had flings and relationships, but none of them had the spark you were wanting, and so you found it easier to just pass them by. Your friends had offered to set you up with people, but all of them were just missing the spark associated with a soulmate.

So, in all desperation, you and your friend Jin had made a pact; if by the age of 30, if neither of you were happily married or in a strong and stable relationship, you would marry each other. Seeing as Jin was older than you and you had just turned 30 the month prior, it was time for your wedding plans to begin. In other words, the two of you had to decide who to invite, which courtroom was available, the legal witness, etc. Jin decided to bring his friend Jimin to be his witness, but you were still skeptical, as you had never met him before. You released another sigh. This wasn't the type of marriage your Pinterest board reflected.

"Hey, you okay over here?" Your desk partner and friend, Erin, asked playfully. "Do you want to go out for coffee or get our nails done? I'm free tonight, and it looks like you could use a little pick-me-up."

You lifted your head and looked at her gratefully. "Really?" your eyes shone with relief. Maybe this would get your mind off the wedding, and your nails would look good while signing the marriage papers. "I actually would love to. I know a nail salon near here, would that be okay?"

Erin grinned, and replied, "Of course! What time do you want to leave?"

Glancing at the time on your watch, you looked up and said, "Would now work?"

"It's like you read my mind.”

***

Walking with Erin was comfortable. She offered a nice break from life, and knew how to hold a fun conversation while never prying too deep. "So how was your day?" she started.

You mildly laughed and subconsciously played with your empty ring finger. "I'm surprised you're asking, given the fact that you sit across from me." You grin dropped, yet you continued, "But, to answer your question, it's been long. How was your day? Do you have any plans for the weekend?"

It was Erin's turn to smile now. She tucked her hair behind her ear and replied, "Actually, Eric and I have weekend plans. He just finished a big project at work, so in celebration, we're going to a lake retreat with some of his work friends."

Erin was friends with you, but the two of you weren't best friends. Friends don't envy the each other, they accept them for who they are. But, it was always difficult for you to not envy her, she made it hard to do otherwise. To you, her life was perfect.

Erin bounded ahead and opened the door for you, while you murmured your thanks. If you tried really hard, you could imagine that your boyfriend was opening the door and walking with you, giving you the attention you so dearly desired.

***

You flopped on the couch and groaned. Your roommate, Namjoon sat next to you and grabbed the remote to change the channel from the Kardashians. Leaning over, you rested your head on his lap while continuing your argument with Jin, who just so happened to be your other roommate.

"No!" Your voice startled Namjoon, so you lowered it a bit and continued, "I have no idea who this man is! Let me at least have some input, or a second witness."

"Look, I understand where you're coming from, but Jimin is a lawyer! He'll make it legal and will be able to speed up the process. If you want, we can make a contract for him to sign or something. I don't know, but it seems a little late to tell him no. We're getting married tomorrow!"

"Look, Jin, I get it, but-" you grunted and got cut off as Namjoon shifted forward to interject into the argument.

"Maybe I can be the second witness. It's not too late as I don't have plans tomorrow, and you guys trust me." Namjoon leaned back, satisfied now that his point was made.

The room filled with silence as everyone mulled over the words, and Jin looked to you and spoke, "That's not an awful idea. He can do that."

You started playing with your fingers, a nervous habit that formed within the first week of you realizing that you were marrying Jin. You hated it, but it provided you some comfort that your family members wouldn't keep prying about when you were getting married, who your boyfriend was, and the most inane things about your love life. Jin was financial support and friendship, but there was no connection between the two of you.

Yet, as you were fidgeting with your head in Namjoon's lap, you missed the loving look in Jin's eyes.

When you had started griping about your love life 5 years ago, Jin took the opportunity and provided an offer that you couldn't resist. However, his ulterior motives couldn't help but peek out, and he selfishly proposed that you'd get married soon after your 30th birthday. He knew that he wouldn’t be in love with anyone else but you until then, so he just had to make sure that no one else struck your fancy.

For years, Jin had been souring the pot. Setting you up with bad people, kicking out your one night stands, slowly guiding your precious boyfriends to hookers and then showing their compromising situations to you was just the beginning of all the things he had done. Slowly, you trusted him more and more, and other guys less and less, and soon he knew that you'd be more than willing to marry him and spend the rest of your life with him.

He wasn't expecting his loyal witness, Park Jimin, to screw everything up.

masterlist

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galaxys-child · 6 years

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Does Sherlock really trust Molly? Are they friends?

Yes, right. Contrary to the opinion of the majority (maybe all) of the Sherlock fans I really do ask myself that question. And I will explain it in detail (be warned, it’s a long text):

I have my issues with the whole “Sherlock trusts Molly.”-thing. It’s true that Sherlock appreciates Molly’s intelligence and expertise and that he doesn’t seem to trust anyone else at Bart’s to support him with HIS WORK - but this is something he seems to do since the first two seasons:

Season One

In ASIP, Sherlock goes to the morgue to do experiments on a corpse (you can interpret that he does trust Molly’s competence to provide him with a suitable test object)

In TBB, Sherlock asks Molly if he can have a look at the corpses of Eddy van Coon and Brian Lukis and manipulates her into doing it (it is implied that Molly has a higher position at Bart’s and that she is in charge of everything in the morgue (”I already sent away the reports”) so Sherlock has to go to her to get things done; but maybe he also goes to her because she is “less irritating and less stupid” than the rest of the people he has to work with - it’s true that Sherlock never insults Molly’s intelligence!)

In TGG, Sherlock uses the equipment in the lab to do a pollen analysis for his investigation. He seems to be familiar with everything and it is implied he’s often there (again, because he trusts Molly to provide him with everything he needs and because he trusts Molly’s expertise)

Also: it is clear that Sherlock gets body parts from Molly to do experiments (either

he manipulates her / fakeflirts with her into doing it

he steals them from her

he just asks her and explains her why he needs the body parts and what experiments he intends to do)

- for me, it’s the first scenario (the last scenario would be the right one, imo)

Season Two

In ASIB, It is stated by Mycroft that the morgue is “Sherlock’s home away from home” implying that he’s often there to do work and of course there is Molly always happy to help him and to provide him with everything he needs (again it is implied that Sherlock trusts her expertise)

In the same episode, we see Sherlock x-raying Irene’s phone (again: Sherlock goes to Bart’s - where Molly is - to investigate, he trusts her!)

In TRF, Molly’s about to go on a lunch date, then Sherlock comes: “No, Molly, cancel it, I need your help.” then he pushes her body around and guides her back to the lab - although he acts very rude in that scene it is evident that he doesn’t want to work with anyone else at Bart’s (He could, but he’s so eager to work with Molly that he wants her to cancel her date because he trusts her? Appreciates her scientific inputs? Likes her?)

And of course, we have THE SCENE where Sherlock comes to Molly and asks her to fake his death (implied). He is at his lowest, vulnerable, scared, Moriarty is about to destroy him completely and he needs to do something about it. He goes to Molly, tells her that he needs her help and tells her that she “does count” and that he’s “always trusted” her. A beautiful, heartfelt scene.

BUT: at the same it is heavily implied that he doesn’t really trust her because he doesn’t let her in in anything 90% of the time.

Season One

In ASIP, Sherlock doesn’t tell her why exactly he has to smash a riding crop on a corpse; he only says: “A man’s alibi depends on it” but he doesn’t go into details

In TBB, Sherlock doesn’t tell her why he needs to see the corpses of Eddy van Coon and Brian Lukis. Why does he manipulate her anyway? (“Your hair looks nice! Can you wheel the corpses out for me?”) It is my personal belief that if he had been honest with her from the start (“I have a theory. Eddy van Coon and Brian Lukis were perhaps members of the Black Lotus - a criminal organization in Asia - I need to check if they have lotus tattoos on their feet”) Molly would have let him take a look at the corpses anyway. But he doesn’t. Why is that?

You can interpret these two scenes as follows:

Sherlock’s a jerk (and sexist?), just uses Molly and doesn’t think of her as an equal (”Why should I involve you in my investigations? You wouldn’t understand it anyway. Don’t ask questions, Molly, just give me bodyparts and provide the equipment for my experiments!”)

He secretly likes her and needed an excuse to flirt with her (this is something I’ve read in fanfictions)

He tells her the details of his investigations offscreen.

The last point is implied by a scene in TGG where

Molly comes into the lab asking Sherlock if he’s got anything new and he answers enthusiastically “Yes!” (Molly wouldn’t ask him if he did find something if she doesn’t know something - at least, a little bit - about his current case; maybe, this time, Sherlock did involve her in his investigations)

Season Two

In ASIB, Sherlock doesn’t tell her anything about the Adler case (that may be because it’s classfified as “top secret”), Sherlock monosyllabically answers Molly’s questions (”Is that a phone?” “Yes.” “And you’re x-raying it?” “Yes.” “Who’s is it?” “A woman’s.” “Your girlfriend’s?”) but he doesn’t go into details. He can easily say “It’s for a case. Sorry, I cannot tell you. It’s top secret. And no, the woman this phone belongs to is not my girlfriend.” - But he doesn’t. Worse: He does leave her completely in the dark and ignores her. (That’s pretty strange because earlier he did apologize for his rude behavior towards her at the christmas party and seemed genuinely sorry. Okay, to be fair: Sherlock’s portrayed as oblivious to his rudeness and only realizes that he’s rude when he’s called out on it; Molly doesn’t call him out in that scene, so Sherlock just continues to be...well, Sherlock)

The scene with the fake Adler corpse is similar, only now it’s Mycroft who doesn’t tell Molly anything. She asks: “How could Sherlock recognize her from not her face?” and Mycroft just gives her an apologetic look and a smile Molly can interpret for herself

So, what can we interpret from these scenes?

Sherlock continues to be a jerk, doesn’t feel the need to involve Molly in anything he does (I repeat: He can just say “Sorry, I cannot tell you. I currently work on a case for the government. It’s top secret.” and leave it at that. Molly would understand) But nope, she’s just to be ignored.

He tells her offscreen (I doubt that.)

The only scenes in Season Two where Sherlock seems to let Molly in is in TRF except he doesn’t, not really:

When doing chemical analyses he talks to John, not to Molly (”Oil, John, the oil in the kidnapper’s footprint. It’ll lead us to Moriarty.”) Molly’s right right there carrying some books and Sherlock doesn’t look at her, doesn’t include her in his explanations. (He doesn’t say: “John! Molly! It’s the oil!”) Nope, he acts as if she isn’t there, only focuses on his investigation and talks to John about his results. Molly only gets to know something because she’s just lucky to be there with them in this scene.

Interpretation:

Sherlock’s a jerk (more likely, he even calls her “John” in that scene)

Sherlock did already tell Molly that “It’s the oil!” offscreen when John was at the toilet. Now, John’s back and Sherlock tells him what Molly already knows.

Then we have THE SCENE where Sherlock asks Molly to help him fake his death. Finally, he lets her in! But: Not really:

It is just implied - and happens offscreen (of course it’s done for drama, if Moffat and Gatiss would have written a scene where Sherlock tells Molly everything about his plan it’ll be too simple and would take away the tension, so, yes, that’s absolutely understandable) BUT: It is implied! At least! And I, as the viewer, like it that Molly finally gets the attention she deserves!

So that’s it. Molly helped Sherlock fake his death? Two years did pass until I would get answers to the questions:

What was her exact role in faking his death?

In what way does such an act change their relationship?

So, let’s take a look at Season Three:

The question “How did he do it?” is not really answered in TEH. But hey, we get to know that Molly did play an essential part and she kept quiet about it for two years! Oh, man, what a woman! She must be very strong, a good actress and is definitely very smart! She can compete with Irene Adler! (I do not mean that sarcastically.)

And how does Sherlock thank her?

He invites her over to solve crimes with him for one day because

Interpretation One: Sherlock’s a jerk.

John is currently out of the picture (Sherlock even says it to Lestrade. They talk about it in the presence of Molly! Loud enough to hear each other, but quiet enough that Molly can’t hear it! Then Sherlock accidentally calls her ”John”!)

Later he tells her he invited her to thank her - poor Molly Hooper doesn’t know it’s a lie and Sherlock just wanted to try her as a John substitute

he tells her that she’s “the one person that mattered the most.” - implying that he meant her role in faking his death (he used the past tense!) but she “can’t do it anymore” (because he will find a way to make John forgive him and then he can solve crimes with him again!)

“You did help me fake my death. I show may gratitude by inviting you to solve crimes with me - and because I have no partner at the moment and I am used to have a partner!. That way I can kill two birds with one stone! Isn’t that cool? So, thank you for your help! But you cannot be my partner anymore, can you? So, it has to be a one-time-thing. You have outlived your usefulness and I can go back to the life with John I had two years ago. Unfortuneately, John doesn’t live with me anymore and has a girlfriend...”

Interpretation Two: Sherlock’s a good guy to her.

Sherlock wants Molly as a partner for a change because he does like her and figures she would like that (he knows she’s intelligent, resourceful, trustworthy etc., all in all a great woman!)

Also he wants to make it up to her. Since she helped him fake his death he sees true value in her and regrets how he treated her in the past. He wants to enjoy a day with her while doing his favourite thing: solving crimes! (And he does enjoy her company! Look at their faces while being in the train guy’s house! The smiles they give each other while cracking jokes.)

Sherlock is thankful for everything she did for him and tells her that. But at the same time he realizes that Molly cannot solve crimes with him anymore

because she has her own life, a full-time job at the morgue and a boyfriend! Sherlock did see the ring on her finger but decided not to say anything; he decided to ignore it and did just focus on their day together. (Strangely, John has a full-time Job and a girlfriend, too, but that doesn’t prevent Sherlock from wanting to solve crimes with him.) Okay, with Molly, it’s a bit different because she has a crush on him and Sherlock figures it’s better to be as far away from her as possible (because it’s not good for a woman who has a crush on him to spent time with him when she’s with someone else, except: he’s aware that they will run into each other at Bart’s but this is different because this is work and what they did that day wasn’t...oh, wait...). He tells her that she deserves to be happy. And they both part.

Or maybe he is secretly in love with her (implied by the sad smile he gave her before he kisses her on the cheek) and cannot bear to be around her while knowing she is with someone else (except: he doesn’t really love her because he doesn’t make an attempt to be with her after her break-up with Tom....)

Or maybe he does love her but knows that he isn’t good for her. He wants her to be happy and believes that she wouldn’t be happy with him.

Or Sherlock says to Molly “you cannot do this anymore” because of John. Solving crimes was always a thing between him and John. They were partners for years! John wouldn’t like it if Sherlock has a new partner (except: John did make it clear earlier that he doesn’t want to do the work with Sherlock anymore and it’s not clear for Sherlock whether John will ever forgive him for what he did) Still: Sherlock doesn’t want to “betray” John (except: he does with Mary four episodes later. Sherlock even states that Mary’s better than John!)

Anyway, Sherlock tells Molly that she’s “the one person that mattered the most” (and somehow the majority of the fans ignore that he did use the past tense and just use the present tense “matters” when quoting Sherlock and take it as evidence that Molly is, indeed, the most important person to him!)

Okay, I, personally, tend to the first interpretation. Altough I do believe that Sherlock wanted to make it up to her and that saying “thank you” was, at least in part, genuine.

Let’s take a look at the other episodes:

In TSOT, Sherlock goes to Molly and asks her to do some calculations for the stag night. He trusts her to do that! He knows she’s intelligent and competent (Nothing new because we’ve seen it multiple times in the first two seasons.)

But (what I really like about that scene): Sherlock involves her! He tells her what he’s up to! Into her face! This is something new! Although he did try to manipulate her again like in TBB (”You look...well.”)

Unfortunately, it’s the only time where we see Sherlock involving Molly in things ONSCREEN:

In HLV, Sherlock tells everyone he did drugs because it was “for a case!” - as always. But he doesn’t go into details. We do not see him telling Molly anything. To be fair: the room is full of people (also a boy, he doesn’t really know) and he doesn’t want to lay out his plans in front of them all. That’s why he just says “It’s for a case” and leaves. (I remind you: He could have said: “I cannot tell you about the case. My client explicitly said I should keep it a secret.”- but he doesn’t.) Later, he tells John. Whether he did tell Molly about Magnussen or not is open for interpretation.

Later it is stated that Sherlock uses Molly’s spare room as a bolthole because

this spare room is really inspiring and sometimes he can think there even better than at home

this spare room has a big bare wall and he needs to put all his notes there (when he fakes a relationship with Janine the wall in his living room which is usually littered with notes is completely empty, maybe that’s why he doesn’t want Janine to know that he’s after her boss, Magnussen - I’ve read about that theory somewhere on tumblr)

he just needs to escape from the world and considering how rude he treated Molly in the previous seasons no one would expect them to be close, her spare room would be the last place they’d expect him to be

Sherlock and Molly have a secret relationship (she does talk about a spare BEDROOM afterall)

I personally believe it’s the second point.

So, yeah. Sherlock uses Molly’s house as a bolthole. But does he tell her about his fake relationship with Janine?

Later, Molly only appears in Sherlock’s mind palace and it is shown - once again - that he relies on her expertise and greatly appreciates her knowledge (nothing new)

So, Sherlock trusts Molly’s judgement (that’s perfectly clear) but does he trust her with secrets?

I know that Sherlock did trust Molly with faking his death. She is a pathologist! She works with corpses. So, if I want to fake my death I would want to have a trustworthy pathologist, too, who would sign my death certificate (Lestrade says that Molly did sign Sherlock’s death certificate in the beginning of TEH). But the whole faking-death-thing was all part of a plan. Molly was part of the plan. Of course, Sherlock did trust her with this matter!

BUT: does Sherlock trusts Molly with things which have nothing to do with her?

It is not shown (not even implied) that Sherlock

tells Molly about the Magnussen case

tells her that he faked a relationship with Mary’s bridesmaid

tells her about Mary’s secret

tells her that Mary’s shot him

tells her that he shot a man to protect John and Mary

tells her good-bye when he is about to leave for a suicide mission (as a punishment for shooting someone)

tells her that he did do drugs on the plane - again etc. etc.

Interpretation:

He tells her all that offscreen (That’s open for interpretain for it’s neither implied nor denied in the show). And, personally, I hope that Sherlock did tell her something.

He doesn’t tell her. If I were Molly and if I would ever find out I would be pissed - and sad. I would question the friendship and maybe move away (temporarily) to get some distance.

Season Four

Sherlock’s back. He did kill someone but now he’s off the hook. There is a short scene in the beginning where the Magnussen story line continues. But after that? Nothing! Magnussen isn’t even mentioned again! BAM! Let’s go “back to the roots” as if the whole Magnussen business never happened and solve crimes again!

In TST, we see Molly-and-Sherlock-interactions during the christening scene and in the end when she gives him John’s letter. it is not clear if she does know about the whole Magnussen thing. To be fair: it’s not clear if Mrs. Hudson knows, either. Only Lestrade seems to know something (John outright says to Lestrade in the TLD that Sherlock “shot a man in his face”) And what about the other secrets? Mary’s an assassin. She shot Sherlock. Sherlock was about to leave England forever etc. Does Lestrade know something about that, too? And if Lestrade knows do Molly and Mrs. Hudson know? And if they do how did they react? Nope, doesn’t matter. The show’s about John and Sherlock (and Mary because she’s John’s wife) Really I would have preferred a scene with Lestrade’s, Mrs. Hudson’s and Molly’s reactions to all the things which happened during the previous episodes instead of endless filler scenes where Mary travels through the world and rolls dices.

So okay, this episode didn’t answer these questions...

John and Mary make Molly and Mrs. Hudson the godparents of their baby. There’re two

Interpretations:

Not only Sherlock but also Mary and John are jerks. They didn’t tell Mrs. Hudson and Molly about all their secrets and everything what happened during last december. Mrs. Hudson and Molly are good enough to be godparents for their child (or more on-demand-babysitters who don’t need to be paid and they can ring them in the middle of the night so that they’re free to go on cases together with Sherlock) But they’re not good enough to be trusted with secrets! There is zero interaction between Mrs. Hudson and Mary or Molly and Mary or Molly and John or Mrs. Hudson and John prior which would lead to the implication that they’re close enough to be friends!

Mrs. Hudson and Molly DO know about the multiple secrets and they’re very close to Mary and John but all the interactions do happen offscreen like Mary’s interactions with Molly’s cat Mary happily took care of when Molly went to a conference in Edinburgh or like John’s interactions with Mrs. Hudson’s rubber tree John happily watered when Mrs. Hudson was in Malta with her sister. They’re friends! And that’s why John and Mary did ask them to be godparents.

Personally, I hope it’s the second interpretation. But, sadly, it could be the first because

Your husband should be the closest person to you, right? But Mary didn’t even trust her OWN HUSBAND with her former job. John and Sherlock only did find out by accident. Do you really believe she wants Molly and Mrs. Hudson to know that she’s an assassin? And that she shot Sherlock? John refused to talk to her for months! Imagine Molly’s reaction!

John isn’t even close enough to Mrs. Hudson to know when she’s on holiday!

And do you know what? What does Sherlock do after Moriarty��s face was shown on every TV Screen of the country?

There’re three answers you can choose from (but only one is correct):

Sherlock immediately calls Molly because he knows that she might be scared. He reassures her that Moriarty’s dead and that everything will be okay. (It is implied in Sherlock’s dream sequence in TAB that Moriarty wasn’t on Molly’s dissecting table, hey, if he had been Sherlock would know for sure that Moriarty’d been dead and TAB would have never happened, but: Moriarty somehow never was in Molly’s morgue)

Sherlock still arranges for Molly to be supervised by Mycroft (because - if not Moriarty - someone else could threaten her life just because she’s close to Sherlock, that did happen before with Mrs. Hudson, Lestrade and John. Molly was never threaten yet but if I were Sherlock I would play safe)

Sherlock goes to Baker Street to solve minor cases and doesn’t waste a single thought on her.

Yes, you’re right. The third option is shown.

That could mean:

Sherlock’s a jerk. So are John and Mary. Not only to Molly but also to Mrs. Hudson whom they never talk to either after the whole Magnussen business.

Everything happened offscreen because it is not important enough to show even one single 1-minute-scene where Sherlock, John and Mary do reassure Molly and Mrs. Hudson (and Lestrade): “Everything’s okay. Moriarty’s really dead. You can be certain of that. And you’re all supervised by Mycroft anyway.” Only John and Sherlock are important (and to an extent Mary). Fuck the the other characters! Why do you even write scenes with them, Moftiss? Why don’t you just make a show where only John and Sherlock appear if it’s only about them?

Okay, let’s go on:

In TLD, we have the ambulance scene: We learn that Sherlock instructed Molly weeks ago: “Come to this address with an ambulance - and bring my coat!” And Molly? She does it. She’s surprised to see John there, too. And she has no idea why she’s there. She says Sherlock’s just asked her to come two weeks ago.

Interpretation:

Sherlock’s a jerk. He didn’t tell her anything (it’s the same like in the first two seasons) He uses her. She’s a pawn in his game! Worst thing: Molly lets him do it.

Sherlock actually did tell her something and Molly’s just acting in front of John.

We do not know what happened IN the ambulance. Maybe Sherlock did tell her about his plans. It’s neither implied nor denied. You can interpret that they had a conversation by the exchange of looks:

But it’s not clear whether Sherlock gave that look to her. He can also look at John. We see John’s face in the previous shot:

And do you know what? Molly’s ignored - again:

John’s got out of the car, talks to Sherlock and Sherlock responds to him. That’s it: they talk, Molly’s standing there and both of the men act as if she isn’t there. Culverton Smith shows up and Sherlock’s like “Come on, John. We have a case!” and they both leave without looking back (okay, maybe Sherlock does look at Molly at the end but that’s open to interpretation)

Then we have THE SCENE:

I mean the scene where Molly was forced to say “I love you” to Sherlock.

So, what can we interpret from their relationship. I do not mean “Is he really in love with her? Are they a couple now?” I only focus on their “friendship” (Yes, I put “friendship” in quotes on purpose) Right before they said “I love you” to each other?

Sherlock calls Molly and tells her “I want you to do something very easy for me.” - Look at the word choice. It’s not a question (”Molly, can you help me? I need you. Would you...?”); No, he says “I want you to do...” like a boss would treat his employees (”Do this! Do that! Sort the documents in the archive! The tax return shall be on my desk at noon!”) - the worst thing? It seems to be a completely normal thing between them (same in TLD, btw: “Just tell me when to cough! I hope you brought my coat!” etc.)

“Do not ask why.” - maybe Sherlock does tell her that because Molly did question his strange requests recently and doesn’t want to be left in the dark anymore like in the first two seasons - especially when it’s not always about a case but more about Sherlock’s antics. And rightfully so.

“Is this one of your stupid games?” she asks annoyed. After Sherlock reassures her "No, it’s not.” she’s quick in saying: “Okay. What do you want?”

Okay, I have to pause here. Just let it sink in: Sherlock is a man who

drugs people against their wills

lies multiple times

does things behind his friends’ back - things they won’t be happy about (taking drugs, for example)

And then he tells Molly: “Oh, no. It’s not a game.” and Molly’s like “Okay. I trust you. What do you want?”

Okay, you can interpret that Molly’s smart and can see through Sherlock’s bullshit (this is implied by some scenes and stated by Moffat and Gatiss). Hm...maybe

“Why are you doing this to me? Why are you making fun of me?”

Molly doesn’t even consider the idea that Sherlock might have a serious reason for his request. No, she jumps right to the conclusion that Sherlock must be making fun of her.

“I am not an experiment, Sherlock.”

She even thinks Sherlock would be cruel enough to use her as a test object in one of his his experiments (Well, I cannot blame Molly: He did drug John for experimental purposes. And he might have used her as a pawn in TLD.)

God, Sherlock. What did you do to Molly that she has such a low opinion of you?

“No, you’re not an experiment. You’re my friend. We’re friends.”

Hm, yeah. Whatever you think, Sherlock.

I just put that question here: Do you think Molly would’ve reacted that way in the ILY-Scene if Sherlock

did tell her about Magnussen, about his exile, about Mary, about EVERYTHING

did tell her “thank you for bringing the ambulance. I do not know what to do without you”

did genuinely support her as a friend

did tell her that she will be supervised by Mycroft and that he will protect her at all cost

I doubt it.

I believe she would have said “I love you” right away if he did do all the things I mentioned above (because she would have known for sure that Sherlock had a good reason and would never play with her) instead of being fed up with him.

So, yeah. Does Molly know all the things that happened between John, Mary, Sherlock and Magnussen? Did Sherlock trust her with such secrets?

Does he support Molly? Does he treat her as a friend (like he did treat Mary)? Would he ever say about Molly “She’s my friend. She’s under my protection” and then go and do everything he can to protect her?

If Molly would have a case for him - maybe something below a 3 - would he help her with it or would he dissmiss it as boring? Would he treat her any different from his usual clients?

So, yeah? Are they really friends?

I wanted an answer to these questions - more than the answer to the question: “Will they be romantically together in the end?”

Okay, the question “Would he protect her?” is answered. Sherlock definitely and under no circumstances wants Molly to be dead. So, this is something. Sherlock also seems to be really shocked that Molly’s the target as if he never considered it that she could be in danger.

But the other questions? What do you think? I’ll be happy if you tell me your thoughts. Thank you for reading this long text (it did become longer and longer but I had fun writing it) XD! And, please, ignore my errors. XD!

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