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#he will give credit where credit is due and it doesnt make him feel any less for doling out praise when it is deserved.

sscrubberhose · 27 days

Note

Ya got any dialtown headcanons? :3

hooo boy. ive been chewing on this all day and I think i have a decent amount to say!

Spoilers for Dialtown!

Tw for mentions of suicidal ideation and religious guilt

Phone/Typegingi:

-Is aware of everything that happens in my fics but forgets

-is more aware of how people perceive them than people give them credit for, wants to make everyone happy

-has a strong fear of being alone, which is why they bother people so relentlessly. if they were to be fully ignored for an extended period of time they would have a breakdown

-Has both the phone and the typewriter head and can change them out at will, dont ask where they keep them.

-has bitten theoroar many, many times and will do so again. is even more fearful and hateful of him after the zoo explosion

-has a lot of love to give and genuinely prefers being around their friends

-has a level of intelligence that is genuinely sort of surprising sometimes. this intelligence is used at random

-is surprisingly easy and hard to kill at the same time

-the narrator is actually a separate entity to them who cares about them very much

-seems to be passively suicidal but no one can tell if theyre joking or not

-roger rabbit rules, whatever biology is funniest is what they have

-perceived height changes based off of this rule as well. no one notices.

-breaks into town hall once a month for funsies

-enjoys sweet things quite a bit

-autistic beast

Randy:

-is actually a decent cartoonist, but rarely draws due to hand pain. likes drawing gingi and oliver the most

-has a lot of religious guilt due to growing up catholic with a very very strict, religious father, left home as soon as he could. also why he is afraid to talk to God.(hobo)

-father harped on him his entire childhood about being a burden, now feels that he owes the world for existing. this is slowly healing.

-due to his upbringing hes still learning how to function as an adult, i.e cleaning, cooking for himself, things like that. hes working on it!

-has sensory issues, has ASD

-fear of cgi animals comes from having to watch weird religious propaganda films for kids when he was young. he is getting over it thanks to oliver.

-extremely observant and notices things a lot of people don't, but usually doesnt say anything for fear of being annoying

-knows shooty and stabby on a first name basis(not that he knows whos who)

-sees Norm as a father figure but would never admit that

-has a long list of phobias that hes working on recovering from, but is too nervous to go to therapy for

-has a LOT of plushies in the ticket booth that Oliver and Gingi have given him, refuses to get rid of any of them

-taking the bandage off wont instantly kill him, he doesn't know this.

-can skateboard, does not do this often

-gets sick very easily, has to be forced to rest as he tries to insist hes not sick

-is roommates with Oliver, they have a bunk bed

-got his number changed so the hotline wasnt tied to him anymore

-is actually a good singer, never sings due to thinking he sucks. Will hum to himself while working at the ticket booth

Karen;

-Has actually gotten fairly close to the other datables since the conclusion of the game, doesnt know how to express this

-Visits Dialtown for a few months out of the year to catch up and spend time with her friends

-part of her contract with helping rebuild was better wages for those who worked at the bank. It took a lot of arguing but she felt that no one should suffer like she did.

-expresses her love for her friends by making them ponysonas. Is a huge pegasister. will infodump about it for hours to anyone who will listen

-enjoys botanical illustrations the best, next to drawing horses

-draws horses with normal horse heads as a form of abstraction

-puts capsaicin oil in her paints so Gingi will stop drinking them. This did not work.

-enjoys vintage movies and game shows and talks at length with Oliver about them when they go out for coffee or dinner together.

-she and randy doodle together sometimes

-also has severe sensory issues and has safe outfits she wears. will cry if she has to touch certain fabrics. (LOOKING AT YOU CRUSHED VELVET)

-safe foods are microwave dinners and pasta, but she keeps her diet balanced.

-her and Norm get along now and will sometimes go for hikes and chat about life(and ways to wrangle gingi)

-allergic to shrimps

-can play piano

Oliver:

-Got a new therapist who doesnt think hes weird or annoying(it didnt phase him but thats not groovy to say to someone)

-has POTS, often needs to sit down at work so he doesnt faint.

-is a HUGE horror fan, could tell you everything about the behind the scenes of every major and minor horror movie to come out in the last decade.

-works as a haunt actor for the Dialtown Haunted House every single Halloween, wants to run it someday

-has a log of every new thing he notices about Gingis biology, the log is three books long now.

-Really wants to run a youtube channel where he does amateur ghost hunting with randy, has yet to convince randy that this is a good idea

-is very physically affectionate, though he does ask permission first before touching anyone!

-Has had top and bottom surgery and is comfortable where his transition is, thankfully his insurance under Mr. Dickens covered it! (Mingus isnt a TOTAL monster)

-has a digital scrap book of all his favorite memories with his friends

-makes rage comics unironically.

-favorite color is actually black, red just seems to be his thing!

-has been legally adopted by Mr. Dickens but decided to keep his last name as Swift because "it was rad."

-is actually friends with most of the ghosts and poltergeists that live in the cinema/scareshack

-kept the popcorn and soda dispensers, but got the soda dispensers to dispense SODA and not...whatever the fuck it was doing before.

-helped renovate the basement of the cinema into a haunted maze that he helped design, the theme changes once a year!

-got those unicycle lessons and knows how to juggle as well!

-likes rollerskating, has Heelys on all the time

-allergic to peanuts

-can play guitar

Norm:

-Is aware that Gingi sees the face on the sticky note change and thinks its sort of funny

-Is actually good friends with God and the two go out to lunch once or twice a month

-enjoys fishing and will take Randy and Oliver on fishing trips, Gingi usually follows regardless of invite.

-Sees himself as a father figure to most of the dateables, and is willing to fill in that role.

-apologized to Karen for his behavior by baking her fresh bread. is actually an extremely good cook

-irises and pupils are both void black due to exposure to the wormhole. He has not noticed this. Eyes used to be honey brown.

-Has to stop Mingus from doing a new evil scheme once a month, has a spray bottle for this purpose.

-does actually have other outfits for when the space suit needs to be washed, is never seen outside the house when this happens

-Oliver, Karen, and Randy have seen his real face, they were like "cool" as Gingi is just...far weirder.

-i imagine him as strawberry blonde. Short hair, either buzz cut or just short. maybe some stubble. I dont have a good image of what his face looks like, it is just bag to me

-not great at public speaking but REALLY good at pretending to be

-is actually very good at using technology but will sometimes pretend not to be just to tease Oliver.(it works every time)

-can also play guitar

Bigfoot:

-...no.

-okay okay i have one. You could use his fur to make yarn IF you washed it. You will never be able to get close enough to brush him though.

Misc headcanons:

-heads can be repurposed after death, like cadaver bones!

-the more popular headtype for modern business men and women is a laptop

-after what happened to Callum Crown, the answering machines function was completely separated from memory storage

-Snakes have syringes for heads

-peter and his wife are poly and want roger to be their third, but roger is as dense as a brick and peters too formal to just say it out loud.

-Harry and Jack are a couple in this universe, Jack is just a very odd boss to work for regardless

-Billy is Abel's kid. The mother is unknown. probably a one night stand.

-the swans miss randy :(

-there are a few headtypes that are banned for various reasons, one of which is having a megaphone AS your head.

-Roger is autistic and has a stutter, and sometimes has to use ASL to communicate. Peter knows ASL for this reason

-The Narrator could talk to the others, but only if it was an emergency

-all Dialtown OCs are canon. theyre in town somewhere, having fun and living their lives!

-Dialtown is bigger than shown in game, including the town square which has a fountain and a park surrounding it, as well as a skate park, rec center, arcade, a pizza place, etc.

-all the dateables have met satan at least once, they just didnt know thats who that was

-shooty and stabby are dating, theyre just very bromance about it. good for them...

-rotery phone heads are coming back in fashion as a sort of 'retro' vibe.

-getting prosthetics/emergency plastic surgery and medical care is actually quite accessible.

-jerry and his wife come visit dialtown every christmas soley so that gingi doesnt run all the way out there to visit them and get hopelessly lost. theyre doing quite well!

-there are competent members of the dialtown mob but they dont really do much other than hang out at the bar

if i think of anymore Ill let you know!! thanks for askin!

#dialtown #answered #text post #headcanon #sorry this was so bloody long

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make-your-own-evil · 1 year

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could I request hcs for norman bates with a shy s/o?

yes you could 👀

note: feel free to reblog my work! just please give credit where credit is due :)

Norman Bates x Shy!S/O

welp, youre going to have to confess first because he's not doing it

even if your werent shy, becoming norman's s/o is quite the accomplishment with all of the hurdles you would have to jump through

ya know with the whole "all women are whores except for mother" thing

if his s/o doesnt actually identify as a woman that would create a rather interesting loophole for his *ahem* urges

regardless of gender or sexual identity, any possible s/o would need the approval of mother or rather "norma"

a shy and timid thing like yourself for her shy and timid son? hmm.. this could work... maybe

theres a video of introverted dogs going to a dog park where theyre all standing completely still not doing anything and thats kind of how i imagine this would go

he actually did pretty well at first asking marion to eat with him so i would assume that he wouldnt have too much of an issue initiating things

the two of you are blushing, stuttering and mumbling messes. theres an awful lot of socially awkward tension between you too

but it almost feels comfortable?

whats something that you two could do that doesnt involve talking to or looking at each other?

a movie!

he's not taking you OUT to the movies, youre watching a movie on the tv with him. on the couch. a good two feet apart. not moving.

he would ask you if there was anything he could get you every 15 minutes

oh god is that a kissing scene? god dammit now his face is red... and yours is too

out of the corner of your eye you can see him making quick glances, shifting his weight and flexing his fingers while youre sitting with him

tries to eventually scoot closer to you

movies over! that was fun! goodnight!

being norman's shy s/o would require a lot of patience. in a way its probably for the better since he wouldnt feel as intimidated as he would with someone who wasnt as shy as he is

if you dont mind that he's as shy as you are or that his mother wants you dead then go right ahead! he can be a big sweetheart 💕

#norman bates #norma bates #psycho #alfred hitchcock #psycho 1960 #alfred hitchcock psycho #norman bates x reader #norman bates 1960 #anthony perkins #norman bates headcanons #norman bates x s/o #norman bates imagines #slasher x s/o #slasher x reader #norman bates x shy reader

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beelspillowpet · 10 months

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Also hate how Lilith is just pretty much a plot device. I don't know what the game is doing now but I hate that she's pretty much there to speedrun a relationship between MC and the brothers.

And that's when MC is already developing a genuine bond with some of them.

But if there are any other instances of her being a plot device, I'd love to hear it.

i do wanna make it clear that this contrived plot point that is lilith does not drive forward the relationship on ALL of the characters. just the most difficult two to really complete the list. i refuse to believe that mammon, satan, leviathan, asmo AND beel didnt care about MC before this turd-bomb of a plot point happened, but i absolutely do believe that is the case for lucifer and belphie for different reasons.

i believe it is a method to sort of "punish" belphie by the games weird rule of telling but not showing. it was the first sign of cowardice on the writing team back then for pulling their punches and taking judgement out of our hands; something they honestly do not often enough and too much at the same time with more mundane things, but with it being a multiple choice type game, options were never really ours to make. just the illusion of it.

by making us the very distant relative of lilith we are punishing belphie for his rash action to anger and and giving us a contrived reason to feel bad for him afterwards. which doesnt work when hes still got the blood on his hands, diavolo hot on his trail, and lucifer coming to his defense.

its a plot point for lucifer because until you earn the trust of all his brothers, he could pretend to care, hell he might even care a teensy bit, but no matter how he feels about you, if there is a shadow of a reason as to how you could betray him and his brothers and use them against their will, there is a shadow of a reason for lucifer to not hesitate to kill you.

picture a scenario where all of the boys save for belphie (and consequently lucifer himself) are forced via their pacts to attack belphie as revenge for him attacking you. with belphie out numbers and his own brothers losing control of themselves to potentially kill him, lucifer would be his last defense against those odds. lucifer is nothing if not cautious and powerful, so he could hopefully subdue his brothers in due time. it also helps that in comparison to lucifer, each of his brothers as you go further down the line have a unique type of fear of him that could in theory ensnare them from continuing their assault on belphie at your command. ie. mammon is really afraid of lucifers wrath and more than anything wasnt to avoid having his credit card taken and being strung up from the ceiling for hours. aside from everyone else in the house, mammon is more powerful than THEM compared to lucifer. then next comes levi, a sort of spineless coward-like person i feel (when it comes to a fight anyway, you basically NEVER see him stand up for himself) and wouldnt want to face lucifer and deal with the punishment of that. and then you go further and further down the list and they get weaker and weaker as we go. satan cant combat lucifers spells, he himself far too busy learning how to cast them rather than protect himself from them. asmo is much like levi in that he would rather not lift a finger, if not for fear of broken nail than broken bone. despite this, he could fold beel like laundry (which still doesnt make sense to me but whatever i guess?) and speaking of beel the guy is built like a truck. hes also the only other one lucifer has physically struck with intention to subdue that was tied to a serious event. and i believe it was more than once at that.

my point being they were very specific and careful about who came in the pecking order, and it was for precaution that lucifer be the one able to straighten them all out in the end.

if there is an MC out there hellbent on destroying belphie, that is a person lucifer will never trust. and so its rather coincidental that in the heat of the moment we choose to forgive belphie, or at the very least put it off, until "months later" since the game jumps ahead in time a LOT since the killing in c.16 and the end of the years program in c. 20.

lilith being our distant relative was for belphie to feel shame, then quickly feel attachment, only for lucifer to see that if we all get along (or perhaps fall in love with belphie in that short period of time for the belphifuckers out there) hes allowed to feel something finally too. or at least let it show more.

so it was a speedrun not for all of the brothers. lucifer, while he wouldnt hesitate in killing you in an instant before belphie got close with you, i wont say didnt feel anything beforehand. he just puts his brothers before anything and everything; something he makes clear time and time again. it was a speedrun ONLY for belphie. lucifer and MC have a sort of slowburn going on, but to say that their relationship is speedran from c.16 onwards is disregarding the little moments beforehand that were special to his character.

as for if and when shes used as a plot point again later, that requires i redownload OG and look around for it there and honestly playing in a pit of spikes sounds more fun than that. playing nightbringer is already such a painful chore....

edit: im also trapped in the early episodes of season 2 bc i flopped so hard at that boring ass gameplay in the first one lol

#jinx thoughts #obey me #om!#obey me mc #obey me beelzebub #diet vent #obey me shall we date #obey me swd #jinx asks #nonna #obey me lucifer #obey me leviathan #obey me belphegor #obey me nb #obey me nightbringer #obey me mammon #obey me asmodeus #obey me satan

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circus4apsycho8 · 2 years

Note

Hi! I really like your ninjago stories :) I don't know if you still take requests but if you do can you write cole x reader story, where cole breaks up with the reader in order to protect her but he doesn't tell her that. Later he regrets what he done and try to reconcile with her but she doesnt trust him, she starts to date her colleague from work just to spite him. One day he decides enough is enough and that is time to "teach her a lesson" if you know what I mean :) Thanks in advance :)

𝚊/𝚗: 𝚑𝚎𝚕𝚕𝚘! 𝚝𝚑𝚊𝚗𝚔 𝚢𝚘𝚞 𝚜𝚘 𝚖𝚞𝚌𝚑 <𝟹𝟹 𝚜𝚘, 𝚏𝚘𝚛 𝚝𝚑𝚒𝚜 𝚘𝚗𝚎, 𝚒𝚝 𝚝𝚘𝚘𝚔 𝚊 𝚜𝚕𝚒𝚐𝚑𝚝𝚕𝚢 𝚍𝚒𝚏𝚏𝚎𝚛𝚎𝚗𝚝 𝚍𝚒𝚛𝚎𝚌𝚝𝚒𝚘𝚗 - 𝚛𝚎𝚊𝚍𝚎𝚛 𝚒𝚜𝚗'𝚝 𝚍𝚊𝚝𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚊 𝚌𝚘𝚠𝚘𝚛𝚔𝚎𝚛, 𝚋𝚞𝚝 𝚝𝚑𝚎𝚢'𝚛𝚎 𝚌𝚕𝚘𝚜𝚎 𝚎𝚗𝚘𝚞𝚐𝚑 𝚝𝚘 𝚠𝚑𝚎𝚛𝚎 𝚝𝚑𝚎𝚢 𝚌𝚘𝚞𝚕𝚍 𝚋𝚎 𝚖𝚒𝚜𝚝𝚊𝚔𝚎𝚗 𝚏𝚘𝚛 𝚊 𝚌𝚘𝚞𝚙𝚕𝚎. 𝚊𝚕𝚜𝚘, 𝚝𝚑𝚒𝚜 𝚋𝚒𝚝𝚌𝚑 𝚒𝚜 𝟷𝟻𝚔 𝚠𝚘𝚛𝚍𝚜 𝚜𝚘 𝚒'𝚖 𝚜𝚙𝚕𝚒𝚝𝚝𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚒𝚝 𝚒𝚗𝚝𝚘 𝚝𝚠𝚘 𝚌𝚑𝚊𝚙𝚝𝚎𝚛𝚜. 𝚗𝚘𝚝 𝚜𝚞𝚛𝚎 𝚠𝚑𝚎𝚗 𝚙𝚊𝚛𝚝 𝟸 (𝚜𝚎𝚡𝚢 𝚌𝚑𝚊𝚙𝚝𝚎𝚛) 𝚠𝚒𝚕𝚕 𝚋𝚎 𝚙𝚘𝚜𝚝𝚎𝚍. 𝚎𝚗𝚓𝚘𝚢!

𝚏𝚒𝚗𝚍 𝚙𝚊𝚛𝚝 𝚒𝚒 𝚑𝚎𝚛𝚎.

maybe. | cole x reader | chapter i

It's amazing how much one person can change you.

You never thought you would let heartbreak affect you. Life goes on, and so must you. But you’ll give yourself credit where it’s due – you held yourself together, even with the seams of your broken heart pulled too taut to stretch any farther. Armed with a blank expression and a determination not to let him steal any more time from you, you dragged yourself to work.

You convinced yourself that you were healing. More money was pouring into your bank account. More respect was gained among your coworkers. More people were being helped. Your mind was wandering less. And that’s what you wanted – to keep yourself too busy to think of him. To address what you really were feeling.

Time off from work suddenly seemed like a waste to you. You didn’t need a break. You were fine. Less time off the clock meant more money. More hours. More. More.

Your thoughts and feelings ceased to matter. Like they ever did in the first place.

Even if your coworkers noticed something was off, you couldn’t bring yourself to care. You refused to – there was simply too much to do. You waved off their concerns, stating you were fine and shoving any thought of him away even further.

It worked for a while, but you should have known better. Pushing it away only delays the inevitable. And damn, did it screw you over.

…

[ present day ]

The weeks pass in a haze as you find yourself wearily driving to work at an obnoxiously early hour, eyes drooping as you study the road ahead. You’d become so familiar with this route. Same road. Same trees. Same early wildlife visitors that momentarily bring a smile to your face. Same music.

A soft sigh escapes you as your mind wanders back to the memory that induced this monotony-driven lifestyle, doing your best to shake the thoughts away. No sense in focusing on him anymore; you’re doing well. You’re fine.

Listening to a quiet song the rest of the way to work, your thoughts become drowned away by that all-too-familiar fog. Perhaps that’s for the best.

You’ve grown acquainted with the numbness, in a way; through the monotony it allows you to become numb. To drift away while your body goes through the motions. Oh, how you sought its comfort, cherishing the way it mimicked his embrace – almost mirroring the way a malevolent entity would entice its prey.

The police station comes into view soon enough, allowing you to pull into your usual parking spot. After gathering your belongings together, you exit your car. On your way inside, you notice a few of your coworkers gathered in small groups, murmuring amongst themselves. Not caring for the typical workplace gossip, you make your way inside.

You mumble hushed greetings to the few people already here, spotting your boss – the commissioner – huddled over the beverage bar.

“Morning, boss man,” you say, snatching a plastic to-go cup from the stack.

“Good morning,” he replies, straightening his posture and taking a sip of his coffee. “How are you this morning?”

“Doing well, and yourself?” you question, preparing your preferred drink.

“Just fine, thank you.”

“Good to hear. By the way, check your email when you can. I finalized the plans for our meeting with the Royal Family next week,” you note.

“Ah, good to hear. I’ll take a look later. Also, we’re having an impromptu meeting later today concerning crime prevention. Will you be able to prepare a segment on that? I was hoping to have you present.”

You nod. “Of course. I think I have an old presentation I can spice up beforehand. When is it?”

“It’s schedule for around noon, but it’s dependent on when our guests of the day are able to come. Just be in the conference room by noon.”

“You got it,” you say, finishing up your drink. “Anything else?”

“Not on my end. We appreciate your hard work, but make sure you’re not overdoing yourself.”

“I won’t.”

“You put in a lot of hours last week. More than anyone else. Just be careful not to overwork yourself, okay?”

“All right, thanks,” you respond, smiling smally before heading into your office.

A deep sigh escapes you as you sit down, turning your computer on as you get settled. Once that’s done, you get to work for the day, never once thinking to ask just who those special guests would be.

…

The fifteen minutes preceding noon kicks off with a bang.

Quite literally, too, considering the way Simon and Tommy barge through your door, both with excitement-riddled expressions.

You sigh, glancing up from your computer. “What’s going on, guys?”

“Dude, you’re gonna be late for the meeting!” Tommy answers, eyes wide. Poor guy must have had too much caffeine again.

“Why are you all excited? Besides, I still have fifteen minutes,” you note with a frown, patting your bag of needed belongings that had already been packed.

“Because, we apparently have some really important guests today,” Simon adds.

“Oh,” you mumble, unamused as you stuff your laptop into its storage bag. “I see.”

“You’re not excited?” Tommy wonders.

You shrug. “Not really. They’re just people.”

“You’re no fun,” he mumbles. “Anyways, need help carrying anything? You always have to bring a lot of stuff.”

“I’d appreciate that,” you say. “I guess we should head on up then, huh?”

…

After tossing your stuff into the empty conference room, the three of you decided to grab some snacks and drinks before the meeting. Having about five minutes until the meeting starts, you resort to nibbling on a snack while half-listening in on their conversation. Soon enough, the sound of hushed chattering begins to emanate from the people filtering into the conference room.

“Sounds like whoever our guest is just got inside. They went through the other door,” Tommy notes, reading the information off of a text message. He puts his phone away, looking up to the entrance closest to the three of you. “Shall we?”

“I guess so,” Simon replies. You merely shrug, just ready to get your presentation over with so you can continue working on your plans for next week.

With that, you follow the two to the conference room door, the murmuring of the crowd growing louder as you enter. At first, you can’t quite see into the room considering the amount of people crowded in front of you trying to snag a glance. Realizing you’ll have to get to your stand, you squeeze your way through with a few mumbled apologies.

Upon reaching the very front of the crowd, you sigh in relief upon gaining a little bit of space. You glance around, trying to find the commissioner so you can double check that you’re good to continue with your presentation when –

Your heart stops.

Seconds after your eyes land on the figure clothed in a black gi, anxiety begins to creep through your veins as your eyes widen. He’s standing right across from you, causing you to avert your eyes quickly. With hitched breath, you stumble backwards, accidentally bumping into Tommy.

Distantly, you hear your co-worker call your name. You turn, ignoring him as you hope to the First Spinjitzu Master that he hadn’t seen you. Your labored breathing begins as you push Tommy aside, shoving your way back through the crowd. Tears prick your eyes as you desperately try to maintain your composure, lips tautly pressed together as you furiously paw at your eyes to get rid of the tears.

why is he here why did he come why did i have to see him did he see me why am i so upset why why why why wh-

Your panicked thought ramblings screech to a halt as heavy footsteps bound down the hallway behind you, eventually ceasing. It’s then your name echoes through the hallways, the voice horrifically familiar as you stop, slowly turning.

There...there he is. In the flesh. After all these months, Cole stands before you, unmasked. For a second, you can’t speak, too afraid that the tears will escape. And you’ll be damned if you’re going to let him see you cry.

Cole frowns, saying your name again. He takes a step towards you, gaze softening. For some reason, that instantly sets a fuse off in you as you fully turn towards him.

“Stay the fuck back,” you warn, a tear rolling down your cheek against your will.

Once more, he calls your name, his tone completely severing the strings that had been holding you together.

“Shut the fuck up!” you yell, keeping your distance. “Stay away!”

At this point, your outburst has earned more than a few stares as you turn, making a break towards the exit.

…

The drive back was a complete haze. Not that you care – you're just glad you’re home now. Away from the public. Away from the paparazzi. Away from him.

Here you are, a complete mess. Again. But at least you’re a complete mess in your room. Your phone lights up yet again – signaling another message or call. You can’t bear to check just yet. Another sob escapes you as you sink down to the floor, curling your knees to your chest.

Why now? Why him? Why you? You press your eyes into the skin of your knees, hoping the pressure would stop the stream of tears. It doesn’t.

The anger boiling in your veins is unlike anything you’ve ever felt before. How dare he? After the bullshit he had put you through? How dare he enter the building he knew you worked at? How dare he try to talk to you after the things he said to you? How dare he reinitiate the war that had been raging within your heart after he had been the one to shatter it? After you were just starting to move on?

You stand, unable to stay still anymore as you place your hands atop your head. Your career’s probably shot considering you just up and ditched what had to have been an important presentation. Not to mention your reputation – there's no way people didn’t notice you shouting at one of the esteemed ninja.

“There’s no fucking way they could do any harm, right?” you mumble to yourself in a mocking tone, suddenly wishing you could punch something. “No way. They’re our saviors. We should be the ones kissing their asses!”

Clenching your fists, you exit your room and make your way to your garage. Upon pushing the door open, you slam it closed.

Half of the area houses your car while the other half houses your therapy area – also known as your punching bag. There are more types of fighting equipment available, but all you can think about it just...hitting.

A livid screech escapes you as you slam your dominant elbow into the bag, picturing it as Cole’s face.

The image spurs you to send a flurry of punches to the bag, each hit picturing him. You were doing just fine. You were healing. And then he came along and screwed everything up.

Your mind relapses into the memories of the day he’d torn your heart apart.

“I don’t think I can do this anymore.”

Punch.

“I realized that I’ve lost feelings.”

Headbutt.

“I can’t continue on with this. It’s time we go our own separate ways.”

Elbow. Hammer fist. Palm strike. More elbows. Punch. Roundhouse kick. A flurry of combos. A single isolated strike garnished with your scream of frustration.

You throw one last punch, suddenly winded as you set your hands on your knees. It’s then you notice a faint stinging sensation coming from your knuckles. You glance down, splotches of red covering the backs of your hands. Portions of the blood become slightly diluted as your tears splash on top.

“Dammit...” you mumble, not particularly caring that you’re bleeding. “Why now?”

You sigh, stumbling backwards until your back hits the wall. You slide down slowly, bending your knees so that you can rest your arms on them.

The worst part is that you know he was lying about the reason he left you. Nothing had felt off until the morning he broke things off. You tried to ask him what was going on, but he refused to budge. He just left without another word.

At the time you still had feelings for him. Fuck...now you realize you still do. Even after everything. You miss him more than anything, but you know you have to stay true to yourself first and foremost.

And only now are you realizing this. You never really were healing. Just functioning, ignoring your feelings rather than understanding and accepting them. Is that why you’re such a wreck now?

A sigh escapes you as you stand, deciding you should probably tend to your knuckles first. Damn, looks like they weren’t as calloused as you thought. You’re losing your edge.

“I’ve been pouring so much time into work...” you mumble, stepping over to your first aid kit. “I haven’t been conditioning as much as I should.”

You pull out the appropriate materials, quietly sterilizing and bandaging the wound. After cleaning up, you make your way back into your room, grabbing your phone and checking the damage as you sit on the floor again.

Lots of missed calls and texts from your co-workers and the commissioner. No surprise there. What catches your eyes is the unknown number. You frown, unlocking your phone so that you can read it…

…and immediately regret it.

Hey…it’s Cole. I know you have my number blocked so I’m texting from my old phone. Please…just hear me out.

You set your phone down, heart beginning to race as you rub your temples. What could he possibly want to talk about?

“No,” you mumble, hand swiping across the screen. The ‘delete conversation’ button appears with your thumb haphazardly lingering over it. Why are you hesitating? Why does a small part of you want to hear him out?

…Well. It can’t hurt more than it already does, right?

Shaking your head, you select ‘cancel’ and continue reading:

I know I wasn’t fair to you that day. I know my reason for leaving was shitty and half-assed, and it wasn’t even true. Judging from how today went, I think you now know my true reason.

I never wanted to leave you. I was just prioritizing your safety over our relationship. Please, call me, text back…I don’t care if you don’t want me back, because I get it. But I need to tell you everything. I need to hear your voice and I need you to understand the real reason. Please. I’m sorry. I’m so sorry. It was the worst decision I’ve made and seeing you today just…brought it back. Please?

And for whatever it may be worth…I miss you. I’ve missed you every day. Not a day has gone by where I haven’t cursed myself for leaving you. In retrospect I now see that there was a better solution. I didn’t see it at the time.

Please. Let’s talk. But, if you’re dead set on not wanting to...then at least reach out to Kai. We’ve all been worried.

I miss you.

“Fucking hell,” you mumble with a small sob, leaning your head against the wall.

You sit there for a few seconds, a headache beginning to form as you silently cry. It feels like all the tears you’ve been refusing to shed over him over the past few months have finally become victorious. After wiping some of them away, you decide to view the most recent texts:

Tommy

that’s it we’re coming over

Simon

?????????

Joseph

I’m covering your shift tomorrow. Don’t worry about a thing.

Boss Man (Missed Call)

Tommy & 2 others

You sigh, about to respond when you hear a brisk knock emanating from your front door. Not in the mood to socialize, you quickly debate on whether or not to answer. Your answer comes to you when you realize you left your lights on, so either way they’d know you’re home.

You make sure you look as you decent as you can (even with puffy, red eyes. Maybe it’d be more convincing?) before heading to the front door.

You peek through the peephole, seeing your favorite three co-workers standing there. You shake your head but can’t help but smile.

“What are you guys doing here? It’s late,” you say, keeping your gaze down.

“Well, it’s slightly off-putting when one of the toughest detectives in the department runs to her car in tears,” Simon says sarcastically, folding his arms and raising an eyebrow. “Not to mention you haven’t responded to any of our texts.”

“We just want to see what’s going on. Not much ever gets to you like that. What happened?” Tommy adds.

“And, just to clarify, you don’t have to tell us,” adds Joseph Oda, a fellow detective. The two of you are partners and have become close friends over the course of your grueling missions together. “We’re just worried and want you to know that we’re here if you need anything.”

You sigh but smile smally. “Okay. Come in.”

The three pile in, all kicking their shoes off next to the door.

“Sorry that I’m a fucking mess,” you mumble, sitting down and waving your hands to your kitchen.

“It’s fine. Happens to the best of us,” Tommy replies, as the four of you settle down in your living room.

“You understand that you’re human, right? And it’s okay for us to show emotion? And feel?” Simon jokes, nudging you with his elbow. You chuckle lightly at his teasing.

Upon remembering the earlier events, you sigh and rub your eyes before glancing up. “So…what happened with the presentation?”

“I presented,” Joseph replies.

“You did? How?”

“You forget that we share a work drive account,” he answers with a sly grin. “The notes you typed were enough for me to improvise with.”

“Oh…yeah. Well, thanks,” you mumble, smiling gratefully. “I…didn’t plan on just ditching everyone like that, but…I…”

“Something happened,” Tommy finishes.

You nod. “Yeah. I think I’ve told you all already, but remember my ex?”

“Uh-oh,” Tommy mumbles, leaning in closer. “Was he there?”

You nod.

“I see,” Simon mumbles.

The three of you have been working together and hanging out outside of work for about two years now. Your friendship was beyond that of normal coworkers.

“And…it just brought everything I’ve been ignoring back up. He texted me this paragraph, and I just…I don’t know what to do.”

“Damn…” Tommy replies. “That’s tough.”

“Well, if it helps, commissioner is at least making you take tomorrow off. He said he’s not cutting your pay, though, considering the amount of hours you’ve put in lately. He doesn’t care if you take the rest of the week off, either.”

“Wait…he’s not mad?”

“Of course, no one’s mad,” Simon intercepts. “We’re just worried. This isn’t like you. And we all know you suck at asking for help even though there’s nothing wrong with it.”

“I don’t need help,” you mumble.

“Everyone needs help,” Tommy replies, lightly bonking you on the head with a pillow. “You’re just super independent.”

“Who is this guy, anyway? Maybe it would help if we can look out for him?” Simon asks. “That way we can warn you if we see him hanging around.”

You nod. “Yeah. That’d be nice. It’s Cole.”

A brief silence hovers in the air before Tommy pipes up. “Wait…you don’t mean…?”

“Yes, I do. Ninja, Elemental Master of Earth Cole,” you mumble, the mention of his name eliciting an ache throughout your heart.

“Holy shit,” Tommy mumbles. “Okay. Well, yeah, we can at least let you know if he’s around.”

“And he…he dumped you?” Simon clarifies, frowning as he studies you.

“Yeah,” you mumble, pulling up the text Cole had sent you. “And look at this!”

You hand your phone to Simon, causing the three to pile around it, absorbing every word.

“Was the breakup before you knew he was going to be a ninja?” Simon questions as he hands you your phone back.

“Yeah,” you reply, staring at the text. “And now, he’s saying that…he was prioritizing my safety?”

“Like, he wanted to protect you?” Tommy wonders. “But he told you that he just wasn’t interested anymore?”

“Basically. I knew he was lying about his reason, but this…?”

“You have mixed feelings about it,” Joseph finishes.

“…Yeah,” you agree, folding your arms.

“That makes sense. You’re tough enough to take care of yourself, and part of you is thinking that he didn’t believe you were strong. But the other – probably smaller – part of yourself is happy he was taking you into consideration.”

“I think so,” you murmur.

“And now he wants to talk,” Simon surmises as he bites his lip.

“Yeah…that’s where I’m…a mess,” you answer. “Part of me wants to hear him out, but…”

“You also want to move on,” Joseph adds. “Rightfully so. He left you on your own with a poor reason as to why, completely cut off contact…and now he wants to talk?”

“I don’t know, sounds weird,” Tommy concludes.

“But that’s the thing,” you note. “He’s…not like that.”

“What do you mean?”

“He’s honest,” you recall. “He was always transparent with me. That day was the only time I ever felt like he was lying. And now, he’s saying he…wanted to protect me?”

“So, he might really want to clear things up, then,” Simon says.

“But why should he? He just up and left with some wack excuse! He completely broke her heart! She shouldn’t let him come back, because who’s to say he’s not going to do it again?” Tommy replies. “He’s not good for her. She’s way out of his league.”

“I’m not saying that she has to go talk to him. I’m just saying there’s a pretty decent chance he might want to fix things for real. But, you have a point.”

“Let’s leave to her to that decision, shall we?” Joseph replies, effectively cutting off the two.

“Thanks,” you mutter. “I have no idea what I’m going to do, though.”

“And that’s okay,” Joseph assures. “Just know that you have plenty of time to contemplate.”

“And we’ll be here, too,” Simon adds.

“How do you generally feel, though?” Tommy replies.

“I…I mean…I’m not going to lie. I really miss him. I’ve been trying to convince myself I don’t, but I do. But I’m mad at him, and a big part of me just wants to forget this shit ever happened so I can just move on and stop hurting. But then again…can I do that without closure? And can I receive that closure without him?”

The three nod in agreement. “Yeah, we understand. And that’s up to you to decide. No matter what you choose to do, we’ll support your decision.”

“Thanks, guys,” you mumble, sinking further into the couch. “I just hope I choose the right decision.”

“You will,” Joseph assures, offering you a small smile.

“Just take however long you need to think things through,” Simon adds.

“Agreed. I’ll cover for you until you’re ready to come back,” Joseph notes.

“Joseph, no,” you say, frowning. “You can’t-”

He raises a hand with a sly smirk, effectively silencing your protests. “Don’t you think this all sounds awfully familiar?”

“Yeah,” Tommy jumps in, also smirking. “Remember when Joseph’s mom got really sick, so you took all of his shifts until she was back on her feet?”

Joseph nods. “Consider this payback. And before you ask, yes, I will take on the planning for next week tomorrow.”

You sigh, throwing your arms up in defeat. “Fine.”

…

That was how you ended up taking a day away from work.

You decided to get your mind off of Cole for the time being, his message still echoing within your head from time-to-time. After your discussion with your friends, though, you feel slightly better about it all.

Instead of worrying about it, you decide to pour your focus into regaining your energy and clearing your mind. You wake up earlier than normal, get a workout in, take a cold shower, then dress before you tidy up your house. It’d been too long since you’d cleaned it as well as you should have.

Someone once told you that having a clear environment is the key to gaining a clear mind – and that is exactly what you’ll need in order to confront your dilemma.

After a day of hard work, you swipe your forearm across your forehead, appreciative of the results but also grateful to be done.

Your efforts are complimented by a growling stomach. Wow, you’d been so focused on cleaning up that you’d forgotten about dinner. And lunch, for that manner. Whoopsie.

Maybe you’d just take yourself out to dinner tonight. There’s no way you’re cooking after all that intense cleaning you just did.

Nodding to yourself, you decide to head to your go-to restaurant, deciding takeout will suffice for tonight.

…

You’re glad you decided to walk.

The breeze brushes against your skin as you stare off absentmindedly into the sunset, thoughts drifting back to the matter at hand. Now that you’ve calmed down, you can look at things slightly more rationally.

You do want closure. But will that involve talking to him? Standing before him once more? What would come of that?

A soft groan escapes you as you abandon the thought, electing to just enjoy the moment instead. It feels like this is the most you’ve been engaged in a long time.

With that thought in mind, you quietly finish the remainder of your walk, making sure to commit the sunset’s warmth to memory. It’s then you approach the restaurant, mentally sighing in relief.

You’re hit with a wave of mixed emotions as you enter, the familiar jingling of the bell beckoning a nostalgic wave of memories from the back of your mind.

This restaurant...you haven’t been here ever since Cole left.

Chen’s Noodle House had always been a staple for the two of you – its status of open twenty-four hours a day and seven days a week made it a favorite for you both, being simultaneous night owls and early birds. The countless late nights and early mornings you’d spent here with him...

Your thoughts are cut off when you hear your name coming from behind the counter, spotting none other than Skylor there.

“Skylor,” you say softly, smiling at the redhead.

She returns your grin, hopping over her counter with ease so that she can envelope you into a tight hug. You can’t help but giggle as you return the embrace, grateful to see her again.

“About damn time you visited,” she mumbles, pulling away but leaving a hand on your shoulder. “How’ve you been?”

You chuckle, shaking your head. “Well...I’m here.”

“I hear that,” she replies, patting your shoulder lightly. “Come on, have a seat.”

You nod, your initial plans slipping as you excitedly have a seat. You almost forgot how much you missed her.

She places your order, disappearing through the doors as you sip on your drink, suddenly feeling much lighter.

Minutes after she leaves, she returns. “Okay. Come on, let’s catch up. First things first...how’s the job?”

“It’s been...well, going great, actually,” you admit. “I got promoted to detective, and also I got appointed to be the leader of the crime prevention unit. I got partnered with another detective, so I still help with cases, but my main focus is now in that unit.”

“That’s great!” she cheers. “I’m so happy for you!”

“Thank you,” you reply. “How about you? How’s all this going?”

“Honestly, about the same. Aside from needing a little more exposure, I can’t really complain. I have to say...I enjoy the quiet nights like this. It’s a good break from all the chaos, you know?”

“I get that,” you reply. “I’m glad it’s been all right, then.”

She nods, the conversation trailing off momentarily.

“How’s everything been since...?” she doesn’t finish her sentence, keeping her tone low.

You sigh, rubbing your forehead. “Honestly, I’ve been a wreck. I just tried not to show it, and then it all caught up to me, and it just...”

“I’m so sorry,” she murmurs, inching her hand across the table so that it envelops yours. You smile gratefully as she gives it a squeeze. “I know it’s been hard.”

You nod. “Yeah. I only just came to terms with how I was coping just last night.”

“I figured out what happened,” she admits.

“You did?”

“Well...only because I know what I know. On the news, I saw the ninja there, at the station, and then they said something about you having to leave before another detective took over your presentation. It didn’t take much for me to piece together what happened.”

“Yeah. I just...couldn’t bear to face him yet. He tried to talk to me, but I just burst into tears and ran to my car.”

“I don’t blame you,” she replies with a soft sigh. “You know...I don’t know whether this helps or not, but he still comes in. He still talks about you.”

“He does?”

“Yeah. Not one visit of his do I go without hearing your name. He asks if you’ve stopped by.”

You feel tears pricking your eyes, but you’re able to blink them away. “That’s the other thing. He texted me that night, and it just tore the rest of the wound open, you know?”

“Oh, babe...” she mumbles.

“And I just don’t know what to do,” you admit. “I really don’t. I miss him to pieces, but at the same time...I’m absolutely livid with him. Everything was fine until that morning. He lied to me about why he left. He didn’t wait to hear me out. Just left without another word. And now, here he is...trying to pry his way back into my life. Now I can’t decide if I just want to shove him out completely and move or if I want to talk to him first.”

She sighs, rubbing your knuckles comfortingly. “I know it’s hard. And I know, you’ve probably heard this in the time since it happened, but...you’re the only person who’s going to know what’s right for you. I can give you my opinion all I want, but that’s not going to affect its effect on you,” she replies.

“Yeah...I just feel like I’m completely torn. I don’t want to think about him anymore. But...part of me thinks that it’ll just...help if I can talk to him? I don’t know.”

“It’s completely fine to feel that way. Just take your time and don’t rush into a decision.”

You nod. “I guess that’s all I can do. But anyways, enough about me. How have you and Kai been?”

She shrugs with a sly smirk, noticing that your food is arriving on the conveyor belt. “Well enough, I suppose.”

You chuckle, snagging your plate greedily. “That’s good. How’s he been?”

“He’s been just fine. Hasn’t changed a bit. You haven’t talked to him?”

You shake your head as a surge of guilt courses through your stomach. “I kind of just...ghosted him.”

“Really?”

“Yeah. I’m glad he’s doing okay, though. I might try reaching out to him soon.”

“He’s been wondering about you,” she notes. “Even if you don’t reconcile with Cole, I think you should at least talk to Kai.”

“I think I will. I miss that bastard,” you mumble, recalling your fiery childhood friend of many, many years with a fond smile. Oh, how you’d missed his hotheadedness. “Damn. I owe him an apology. I shouldn’t have ignored him just because I was upset over Cole.”

“He’ll understand,” she assures. “Anyways. Let’s eat, yeah?”

…

From there, your conversation moves to more lighthearted topics. You eat your fill and end up sharing a dessert with her, eternally grateful you decided to dine in.

Soon enough, the two of you finish.

“Oh my stars, I’m stuffed,” you mumble, taking a second to stretch. “I forgot how amazing your food was.”

She laughs lightly. “I’m glad to hear it.”

“How much do I owe you?”

“Don’t worry about it. It’s on the house tonight. I’m glad you came back.”

“Skylor...”

“Seriously, don’t worry about it,” she replies with a knowing wink.

“Thank you,” you say, smiling gratefully.

It’s then you hear the bells jingling once more, signifying a new customer. You and Skylor not-so-subtly sneak a peek.

“Oh, hey!” you call, waving to Joseph.

Your partner speaks your name, returning your wave. “Oh! Fancy seeing you here!”

“That’s my partner,” you note to Skylor.

“Oh, got it,” she replies, the two of you standing up.

“I see we both had the same idea for tonight,” Joseph starts, grinning softly as you and Skylor go to stand next to him.

“Oh, I didn’t realize your partner would be one of my many regulars,” Skylor notes as she leans over the counter to yell at her employees: “Call-in for Joseph, yes utensils!”

“Heard!” you hear someone yelling as the sound of rustling bags emanates from the back.

“Anyways. It was fantastic catching up with you,” Skylor notes, bringing you in for a hug that you eagerly return. “Text me when you get home, okay?”

“I will. Thank you,” you mumble.

She nods as the two of you separate. “Of course.”

You watch as Joseph pays and receives his food, bidding Skylor goodnight as the two of you exit the restaurant together.

“Now, I realize your car isn’t here,” he initiates, turning to face you.

“Yeah,” you reply. “I just walked here because I needed some fresh air.”

“I understand that. May I walk you home? It’s dark out, now. Not that you won’t be okay, but, well...you know.”

“Right,” you say, chuckling slightly. “It’s fine, I’m down. I need to give you the case files anyways, so you’re welcome to eat at my place if you want.”

“Sounds like a plan,” he replies, grinning slightly. “Shall we?”

With that, you fall in step beside your partner, unaware of the figure lurking atop the roofs and aiming a pointed glare at your partner.

…

The next day, you finally feel well enough to get back to work – even when your friends encouraged you to take a short break.

But you can’t. Next week houses one of the biggest events this department has ever hosted before – and of course, you’re in charge of it all. You don’t have time to mope around because there’s just too much to do!

Besides, your day off seems to have helped immensely. Your mind is finally clear for the first time in...however long it’s been, with the fog lifted for the time being.

“And here, we have this emptied warehouse that would be, in terms of size, perfect for the event you want. Sitting on roughly sixteen-thousand square feet, it would be large enough to host your gathering,” states your realtor, Patty Keys.

“Oh, nice,” you mumble, stepping into the warehouse. You glance around, marking off your mental list of minimum requirements.

Lots of space? Check.

High ceiling? Check.

Second-story pathways that are open to the first floor? Check.

All right. So far, so good.

“This looks great so far,” you note. “How many separate rooms are in here?”

“There are six different rooms,” she answers.

“Perfect. And what would the damage be to rent this for four days?”

“It is slightly pricey, but we may be able to negotiate the owner's price to suit your budget,” she states.

You stray away from her slightly, looking around to see if you can get onto the overpass. You glance around, eventually finding a set of stairs in one of the back rooms.

“This is great. This way, the Royal Family can stay here without getting bombarded by the press,” you note, ascending the staircase. Your loud footsteps echo within the empty warehouse as you clamber up, finally hitting the top.

You study the metal walkway for a second, testing it out by stepping a foot onto it. It’s solid metal with no openings, thankfully. That was one of your fears considering this is going to be a formal event that’s bound to attract lots of heeled shoes and such.

You continue walking along. It’s sturdy, has and handrail, and seems perfect for announcing things to a large crowd.

“I think this is the one,” you call down to Patty. “How do I get a contract in?”

…

Once the contract is approved, you find yourself back at the police station packing one of the patrol trucks with a few foldable tables and chairs, a cooler filled to the brim with ice and water bottles, and a bag of miscellaneous items you know you’ll need.

“All right, everyone ready?” you call back to the community outreach squad – also known as the team you’ll be working with to pull this absolute beast of an event off. Oh, and Joseph too.

They respond in the affirmative.

“Great. We need to wait for the Commissioner to send us off. For now though, get in the truck but leave the windows open.”

A chorus of agreement sounds from the group before they pile into the truck. There’s not going to be enough room to fit all of you, so you designate a driver before hopping into the bed of the truck. Thankfully, the warehouse isn’t horribly far away.

“Mind if I join you?” Joseph calls, also climbing into the back.

“Of course not!” you reply, resting your side against the foldable tables. They’ve been secured by a fuck ton of bungee cords so you won’t get crushed. But hell, maybe that wouldn’t be so bad, huh? Getting crushed, not having to deal with life. Not a bad trade.

“Thank you. I don’t feel like being smooshed in there,” he jokes, smiling lightly as he sits against the tables on the other side of the bed.

You nod in agreement. “Yeah. Also, it’s just fun to ride in the bed of a truck, you know?”

“I’ve never actually done it before,” he admits.

“Oh, well you’re gonna love it. There’s just something about it that’s really liberating,” you note.

“I’m excited to try it. Though, there was something I’ve been meaning to ask you,” he responds.

“What’s up?”

“So, for this event...I heard that the ninja are coming the family,” he notes.

“Yeah. I was the one who invited them. It’s just the nature of the event, so I had to invite them. Even underneath the guise of the department’s email address,” you mumble, frowning lightly. “I can’t let my personal shit get in the way of other things.”

“I understand,” Joseph says.

You shrug, spotting the Commissioner coming out from the building. “I mean, if they’re bodyguarding the family, maybe that means I’ll be able to avoid him.”

At this rate, though, you’re not even sure if you want to avoid him.

“But yeah,” you finish. “At this point, I’m just going to keep doing what I do. Whatever happens is going to happen. He’s not going to take any more time away from me, though.”

“I’m glad to see you back to your old self,” Joseph states, smiling softly.

You return the smile before shifting your attention to the Commissioner. “Hey, Boss Man.”

“Good morning, everyone. Good to see you back and well,” he notes, offering a small smile. “I see you all are ready to get going.”

You nod. “Yeah. Just waiting on your statement.”

“Well, here it is. This event is going to be crucial for us – we're going to be meeting with Royal Family and the ninja in order to sign into law the first ever official partnership between our department, the Royal Family, and the ninja. This law is going to allow us all to communicate easier so we can share intelligence and resources to keep our city safe. That’s why I’m making this your top priority for this week. Everyone back here will handle the calls while you all get this set up. I’m counting on all of you.”

“You got it!” you say, grinning wickedly as the driver starts the truck, its engine blaring to life.

“Good! Now go make our department proud!”

…

“Epic, right?” you note to Joseph with wind-kissed skin as you hop out of the truck.

He nods in response, his hair – normally neat and professional – now slightly tousled. You giggle at the sight. “Yeah, it was fun!”

The rest of your team piles out, all glancing at the warehouse you’d selected for the event.

“So this is what we’re working with,” Joseph notes as he pulls the front doors open. They slide open creakily, but stay open much to your delight.

“Yeah. Believe it or not, it was the best find I could get,” you reply, walking to the back of the bed and pulling the gate down. From there, you climb into the truck. “All right, everyone, let’s get this unloaded. Just drop the tables anywhere.”

With that, you set about handing off the chairs to your team. Once that’s done, you unhook all of the bungee cords before handing the tables down to your teammates one-by-one. They carry them inside in pairs, propping them against the inner wall.

You push the cooler to the edge, watching as a squad member lifts it and carries it away. Whew, that should about do it. You snag your bag, making sure you got everything.

“That it?” Joseph questions, stepping towards the back of the truck.

You nod, gripping the bag in your non-dominant hand. “Yep.”

Joseph holds his hand out to you, which you take as you hop down from the truck. “Thanks.”

“Of course,” he replies, lifting the gate back up and locking it. “Ready?”

“Yeah.”

The two of you follow the crew inside, all thankful to have some shelter from the grueling sun.

“Seeing this just makes me realize just how much we have to do. And you’re telling me we only have three days?”

“Really, we have two full days and until the evening of the event,” you correct. “Last day is for cleanup.”

“Damn,” you hear the guy mutter.

“Anyways, let’s get a table set up. If you want to sit, grab a folding chair.”

With that, you start unloading your bag as Joseph gets the table set up. You pull out your laptop, its charger, a stack of blank paper, some pens, a large Bluetooth speaker, and a pack of multi-colored markers.

Once Joseph has the table done, you set your belongings on top, taking a moment to thank him.

“Okay. So, let’s get started,” you announce, watching as everyone crowds around you before beginning your spiel:

“I’m not going to lie, guys – we have a lot to do and not a whole lot of time to do it. This whole meeting was kind of on short notice, which means we’re going to have to make do with what we have.

“Today our priority lies in getting food, drinks, music, and that kind of thing scheduled for the big day. Additionally, we need to clean this place up so we can start decorating. Commissioner said we’re free to use whatever we can find in the storage units, so let’s try to use what we can from there considering our budget is a little tight.

“I’m going to take a divide-and-conquer approach to this. Me, Joseph, and Jamie are all going to focus on finding services for the day of later today. Everyone else needs to get this joint more presentable. That means you’ll have to find the cleaning supplies that are in the storage unit. So, I’m going to let you guys borrow the key for that,” you note, flicking the key over to a member. “For now, we’re all going to pitch in for cleaning.”

“Okay, got it,” replies one of the members.

“Right now, I'm sending four people – I don’t care who – to the storage unit to grab whatever supplies you might find helpful. Take the truck and take note of everything that’s in there that you don’t bring back. The rest of us are going to set up the rest of the tables. I’m going to develop a rough station layout for the night of so we can plan our space accordingly. Sound like a plan?”

“Yes ma’am!”

“Excellent. Another note – we also have a lot of citizens academy participants who volunteered to help out the night of. That means we’ll be slightly more staffed when that time comes, so don’t get your panties into a twist just yet. We aren’t completely screwed.”

“Sounds good!”

“Excellent. I’ll be around if anyone has questions. For now though, the person who wins a quick rock-paper-clamp tournament gets to connect their phone to the speaker. You have five minutes to do that, then it’s go time.”

With that, you leave them to begin, Joseph following you.

“So, a question – are there going to be any citizens here?”

“A select few, I believe. Mostly reporters, you know. Like I said, some citizens from the academy are coming in to help too. For the most part, though, it’s going to be us, the Royal Family, the ninja, part of the department, and the press.”

“I see. So, a relatively small party, hm?”

“I’m not completely sure. I think some of the ninja’s allies are coming too, but I haven’t heard back from everyone just yet,” you reply. “Probably?”

“Interesting. I’m curious to see who all attends. And what will the dress code be?”

“Really formal. Like, black tie.”

“Oh, wow,” he notes. “So, we’re all going to have to get dressed up.”

“Yep.”

“Anyways, where do we start with the layout?”

…

After surveying the different rooms and debating on what should go where, you and Joseph finally manage to develop a rough layout.

“Whew,” you mumble, looking around. “I’m glad that’s done. Hopefully that’ll help us figure out what we’ll need and where for the time being.”

“I agree. Ah, looks like they’ve arrived with the cleaning supplies,” Joseph notes, causing you to turn your head towards the entrance. Sure enough, your co-workers are bringing in lots of brooms, mops, buckets, things like that.

“Now, it’s cleaning time. Yay.”

…

About two hours of vigorous cleaning passes. By the time you all have finished, though, the place looks so much better!

“Good job, everyone. Let’s take a break. Joseph and I are going to grab lunch for everyone, courtesy of the Commissioner. We’re going to Chen’s Noodle House to see if the owner’s willing to cater while we’re at it, so write down what you guys want.” You wave a blank sheet of paper and pen in the air before setting it on the table.

An excited chorus of agreement flurries from the team as they immediately go to write their orders down.

“Skylor mentioned the other night that she could use more exposure, so I hope this will be what she needs,” you note quietly to Joseph.

“I hope so too. She works hard.”

“All right, they’re all on here,” one of your co-workers notes, handing you the order.

“Awesome. In the meantime, make sure you guys are hydrating. You can discuss which station’s you’d like to work. We have the rough draft right on the table, there. Feel free to write on it. We’ll be back soon.”

…

The day passes by in a flurry of activity. Skylor agrees to provide the catering for your event, you and your team get the building prepared for what’s to come tomorrow.

You deem today a success as you watch your co-workers prepare to leave for the night. Joseph stands next to you, arms crossed.

“We did well today,” you note, opening your phone so that you can send a quick text to the Commissioner saying that you’re all done.

“We did,” he replies, grinning softly.

You sigh. Looks like tomorrow’s going to be pretty busy, but even so...well, it’ll be doable. You just have to stay focused and keep your team on track.

“Damn, I just realized I’m hungry,” you mumble. “We were so busy today that I didn’t notice until now!”

“How about we stop somewhere for dinner?” Joseph suggests. “I could eat too.”

“Sure thing!” you chirp, following him out.

The two of you drive back to the police station to drop the truck off. You brief the Commissioner on today’s events before outlining your plan for tomorrow. Upon getting his approval, you two bid him goodnight before heading to a local restaurant.

…

“Good evening. How are you guys doing?” greets the hostess as the two of you enter.

“We’re doing well, how about yourself?” Joseph responds.

“Doing just fine, thank you. Just two tonight?”

“Yep,” you answer. She nods, grabbing two menus before twirling around briskly. “If you’ll just follow me, please.”

The restaurant you two had agreed upon was a more casual upscale type of restaurant. Cozy decorations line the interior, the walls painted a soft yellow color. Eventually, you’re led to a table situated in a more secluded section. You’re still able to view other tables, but it provides a good bit of privacy for speaking.

“Here you are. Someone will be with you guys in just a moment,” the hostess states, setting your menus down. “I hope y’all enjoy.”

You both thank her as she walks away, both going to study the menu intently.

“This menu is kind of crazy,” you note, slightly surprised at all the options available. “They do anything from basic breakfast items to really fancy dishes.”

“I suppose that means there’s something for everyone?” your partner suggests.

After debating on what to get – and finally deciding – you place your orders and enjoy your beverage for the time being.

“My feet are killing me,” you note, leaning back in your chair as you stretch them slightly. “That was a long day.”

“I know. Tomorrow’s going to be even worse,” Joseph notes.

“At least it’s only a day,” you muse. “Then we can crash. Maybe.”

“I hope so,” your partner agrees. “By the way, I’ve been meaning to ask. How are you doing?”

You smile softly, averting your gaze down to your fingers. “Better.”

“And you’re not just saying that to make me feel better?”

“Nope. I really am feeling better since I talked with you guys. Skylor, too.”

“I see. In that case, I’m glad to hear it,” he says, smiling softly. “Regardless of what you decide to do, I hope it grants you healing.”

“Thank you, Joseph,” you mumble gratefully.

From there, the subject drifts to varying topics – anything from work to personal life aspects come up. At some point, you hear the hostess entering the section to seat another table – this one seemingly a little rambunctious judging by the amount of chatter and laughter – but don’t make a note of it until you feel a gaze lingering on your figure.

“Don’t look now,” Joseph begins, catching your attention. “But the ninja are here.”

“Are you shitting me.”

“I’m afraid not.”

You release a heavy sigh, leaning back for a second before shaking your head once. “You know what? I don’t care.”

Thankfully, your food arrives just in time. You thank the waiter, eagerly digging in as you push the others towards the back of your mind.

Even so, you can’t help but notice that feeling creeping back up on you. Like you can’t avoid him forever.

Thankfully, you can just pretend like you haven’t seen them considering you’re not even facing towards the group anyways.

As the minutes pass, you gradually begin to relax as you and Joseph strike up conversation once more. Joseph seems to take note of your slightly sunken mood, because he tosses a few jokes into the conversation, some of which get you laughing.

Eventually, the two of you deem it time to call it a day as you get ready to leave. You’re in the middle of double-checking that all of your belongings are somehow on your person when you make the mistake of looking up...

...and consequently locking eyes with none other than Cole!

You freeze, unable to look away for some reason. Unconsciously, you’re trying to decipher what he’s trying to tell you.

His green eyes are gazing into yours quizzically – his expression seems...hurt? Upset? That alone is enough to make you frown. Oh, he’s hurt? He’s upset?

Your scowl makes his stare almost...melt, in a way. Like he’s trying to apologize. Like he’s begging you to give him a chance to talk things out.

And damn, you forgot just how convincing his puppy-dog stare could be. You forgot how readable his expressions are. Even with your will whittling down the slightest bit, you harden your gaze before feeling Joseph’s arm slipping around your shoulders.

“Let’s get you home,” you hear him mumble, guiding you out of the restaurant. You oblige with no rejection, electing to ignore Cole’s stare once more.

…

After finally getting home for the night, you bid your partner goodbyes before going about your nightly routine.

A soft sigh escapes you as you step into your room, now in your jammies as you jump onto your bed, grateful to be home. You make yourself comfortable before pulling your phone out.

Ah. You should’ve seen this coming.

Awaiting you on your home screen resides a notification from Kai:

Swallowing nervously, you swipe the chat open.

Don’t act like you didn’t see us there tonight.

And don’t you dare ghost me again, either. It’s been long enough. We need to talk.

A shaky sigh escapes you. The fact he’s texting with decent grammar for once is enough to tell you he’s serious. And also, well...right.

You: Okay. You’re right.

Kai: Ofc I am.

Kai: Why haven’t you responded?

You: Idk...scared. I haven’t been okay ever since you know.

Kai: I get that. But you didn’t have to stop talking to me.

You: I’m sorry

Kai: u always do this

Kai: whenever u start feeling vulnerable u push people out of ur life

Okay. Grammar is back to bad. You’re getting somewhere.

You: I know

Kai: and im not gonna tell him anything

Kai: u know that right

Kai: i feel like u think im gonna tell him what you say in our convos but i wouldnt do that

Kai: i still value ur friendship. wouldn't sacrifice ur privacy for his benefit.

You: I think that’s what I was afraid of

You: I’m sorry. I wasn’t thinking rationally and just stopped talking altogether bc I was too scared to address it

Kai: its fine but just know im here for u whenever

Kai: pls just dont ddo that again

Kai: i was getting worried but i saw u on the news not long after

Kai: kinda realized you were using ur typical coping mechanism. throwing urself into work and shit until u cant feel anymore. i decided to just give u time

You: Yep. Pretty much

Kai: he tried textng again right

You: Yeah. He sent me a long ass paragraph and now I have no idea how to respond. Or if I should even respond

You: Did he tell you what happened

Kai: yes

Kai: im sorry

Kai: hes smart but also dumb af sometimes

That gets you giggling slightly as you start texting your reply.

You: Yeah

Kai: how are u feeling about it all

Kai: i noticed u were with some guy tonight

Kai: coworker? new bf?

You: He’s my partner

You: And idk. Pretty mixed for the most part. I kind of want to talk to him, I kind of don’t.

Kai: yea i get that

Kai: i think hes jealous lol

You: fr??

Kai: def

Kai: he was pissed all night when we got back

Kai: went to the punching bag and all

You: wow

Kai: ikr

Kai: do u miss him?

You: I do, honestly. I miss him a lot. I’m just really pissed bc he never really told me why he left. Until he sent me that paragraph and now I just...

You: from what he said recently it seems like he didnt think i could protect myself and that really hurt me considering how much we both trained together

You: idk

You: I’ve kind of been a mess lately

You: I’m also scared that I might impulsively go back to him just bc I miss him and ignore what he did without addressing it properly

Kai: i understand all of that

Kai: well heres my opinion

Kai: i think u should talk to him. in person

Kai: itll help u both

Kai: but if u dont, then thats not my place to judge

Kai: if ur scared about the impulsive aspect then give it like a few days to clear ur head before u do it

Kai: but just from seeing his reaction paired w what u just told me makes me think that might be best for both of u

You: Okay

You: I’ll think about it

You: Thank you

Kai: ofc

You smile, continuing to chat with him about other things until late into the night. The chat ends with the two of you agreeing to meet up sometime.

Before you go to bed, though, you notice a new message from Cole:

Please?

That’s all. Not another long paragraph. Just that one message that manages to tug at your heartstrings.

Your fingers hover over the keyboard, wondering if you should respond. After a few minutes of debate, you settle on a simple response:

Maybe.

Despite not receiving a message back, you go to sleep with a slightly lighter heart.

…

The next day approaches faster than you like. You find your alarm blaring after what only feels like seconds of closing your eyes.

A half-asleep groan escapes you as you angrily fumble for your phone, wanting the alarm off. Once you manage to turn it off, you sigh heavily and rub your eyes.

Ugh. The worst part.

Why does waking up suck? Early mornings are your favorite shift to work, but why must it be so hard to drag yourself out of bed?

You manage to do it a few minutes later, reluctantly going about your morning routine. At one point, you check your phone, noticing no new notifications.

Hmmm. Okay.

Once you’re finished getting ready, you gather all your belongings before heading out, ready to brave whatever the day holds for you.

…

“All right, keep it moving! We’ve got lots to do!” you call, your voice echoing throughout the warehouse as your team rushes to make preparations.

Explicit music blares throughout the warehouse as you all set up the tables, decorations, and miscellaneous items. A faux floor of sorts had been installed to give the place a fancier look – rather than just plain concrete – and peel-away wallpaper now lines the walls, with red curtains draping down the sides from place to place. Those two improvements alone have made the place feel more elegant.

Now, tables are being set up along the perimeter. Some are for the vendors, some are for the media, and others are for lounging.

This isn’t just going to be historic signing of a law – this is also going to be a celebration. It’s going to be an event commemorating the cooperation of Ninjago’s most influential figures in order to provide the citizens a better future. It must go well. You can’t mess this up.

Now, you’re helping set up a large, wooden backdrop that contains a pretty, realistic painting of a surreal Ninjago. You grit your teeth as you help push up a rather heavy backdrop – for photos – against one of the corners. Your muscles strain to hold it while one of your teammates locks the base down, effectively securing it up. You release it with a sigh of relief, backing away.

“Whew,” you mumble, taking a second to wipe the sweat off of your forehead. “Okay. That looks better.”

“That marks the last of the furniture that we have to set up. Well, aside from chairs, but we’re doing that tomorrow, right?”

You nod. “Yeah. Looks like we’re about done with that part. Okay, let’s shift our attention to the decorations now. I don’t care how you do it, just make this place look prettier!”

“You got it!” they respond, heading over to the (rather large) mound of boxes that have been stashed into the corner for the time being.

You take a moment to stretch your shoulders, knowing you’re going to be sore as hell tomorrow. You’ve never really done this much heavy lifting before.

You’re wiping off the sweat on your forehead with a damp towel when you spot Joseph entering with a brisk pace, face taut. You frown, wondering what’s wrong.

“What is it?” you ask as he approaches you.

“We have a slight problem,” he notes as the two of you turn towards the back of the warehouse. “So...the Commissioner called me like...five minutes ago because he couldn’t get ahold of you. And, to make a long story short, the Royal Family and ninja are both coming to get a look at the place and maybe rehearse their speech.”

Your jaw drops. You can’t meet with the Royal Family right now! Not only are you out-of-uniform and wearing casual clothes, but you’re also sweaty, gross, and exhausted. “Are you fucking kidding me? I’m in no state to be meeting them! I have to-”

Joseph raises his hands in alarm, trying to quiet you down. You do so, wondering why he’s shushing you.

Your answer comes to you when you turn around.

Before you are none other than the Royal Family themselves, paired with the ninja surrounding them. Your jaw drops slightly as you realize that the explicit music is still playing, and that they definitely heard you cuss just now.

“Oh,” you mumble, grateful when Joseph subtly takes your phone out of your pocket to pause the music. “Uh...hi?”

The Princess is the first to step up, a gentle smile gracing her face as she giggles slightly. “Hello.”

“Uh...hey, everyone. Sorry that all of this is still a mess, and that I’m a mess-”

“Please don’t worry about it,” she replies. “We do not mind.”

You sigh, rubbing your forehead as you try to avoid catching Cole’s gaze. “I apologize. Normally I’m more...composed, I guess. We’ve just been busy trying to get everything set up.”

“Like I said, you’re completely fine. I understand this has been a stressful project – especially under such short notice – but we greatly appreciate the time you’ve dedicated to bringing our vision to light.”

“Oh, well...thanks,” you say, smiling as you relax slightly. “I promise you, though – it'll be way more civilized tomorrow.”

“Perhaps I could show them around?” Joseph offers. “That way we can get them acquainted with the layout.”

You nod. “Go ahead.”

With that, you back away silently as the group follows Joseph, eyes widening when Kai lingers back with a small grin.

“Hey,” he starts, mask pulled down for the time being.

You smile softly. “Hey.”

“Dammit, give me a hug!” he states, immediately coming in to embrace you. You giggle against his shoulder, returning the embrace. It’s been forever since you’ve inhaled that oddly smoky yet soothing scent of his.

“I’m sorry,” you mumble, voice muffled as you relax against him.

“It’s in the past,” he notes. With your ear pressed against his chest, you can hear his heart beating. “I’m just glad we’re talking again.”

You nod, gaze becoming glassy as your throat tightens. How could you have just stopped talking to him so suddenly?

Kai pulls away slightly, still looking at you. “I know we’re both working right now, but we should catch up soon.”

Another nod racks your head. “Yeah, I agree.”

“Do you have an outfit planned for the ball yet?” he questions.

“Not yet. I’ve been so busy doing all of this that it completely slipped my mind,” you admit.

“Let’s go shopping for one, then. I’ll help you pick one out.”

Oh, thank the stars. Kai has superior taste in fashion. You’re saved.

“Thank you,” you mumble.

He nods, patting your shoulder a few times. “Of course. Text me later. I guess we’ll have to do it tonight considering the event’s tomorrow.”

“Sounds like a plan.”

…

Thankfully, the rest of the shift goes by without much else of note occurring. Joseph keeps the visitors busy while you finish up the day’s preparations by guiding your team. You catch Cole’s eye every now and then, but...yeah. Nothing really happens.

Now, you’re about to leave the warehouse, taking a moment to run through your mental checklist of everything that you had to get done today. After verifying it’s all good to go, you pack all of your belongings before heading out.

Not to your surprise, you spot Kai leaning against the exterior wall, arms folded. Upon hearing you exit, he turns to you.

You chuckle as you approach him. “So, no text then?”

“Nah. Your partner mentioned that you’d be here until this time, so I just thought I’d cut to the chase and meet you here if that’s okay. Besides, we only have like two hours before the shop closes.”

“Good. That means you won’t have time for your bullshit,” you note as the two of you approach your car.

“What bullshit?”

“You just take so much longer than necessary when it comes to shopping,” you recall with a teasing smile. “Especially for other people who need your advice.”

“That’s not bullshit. That’s just the process!” he retorts, sliding into the passenger seat.

“If you say so.”

…

This is kind of a nightmare.

You groan, stepping out of the dressing room for what must be the thousandth time, in yet another dress. Kai frowns, staring at you in scrutiny.

“No.”

“Wow. What a surprise. Dude, we’re not gonna find anything!” you say, feeling awkward in the poofy dress that’s beginning to itch. “I’m just gonna go in my uniform!”

“No, you’re not! Come on, I have another one in mind that we can try,” he says.

“Kai...”

He holds a hand up, expression telling you that he won’t take no for an answer. “Again!”

You release a groan equivalent to that of a frustrated young child, marching back into the changing room. “How the fuck do I even take this thing off?”

You’re met with silence. A sigh escapes you as you tug the gown off, changing back into your undershirt and pants before you open the door.

Somehow, Kai has returned with three additional dresses, all vastly different. You shake your head in disbelief. He’s not human when it comes to this stuff!

He snatches the discarded gown and hands you a new one. “I think one of these three is going to be it!”

“I hope so. The store’s gonna close soon!”

“Try it!” he demands, closing the door on you.

With that, you strip (again) and hesitantly pull the dress on.

Okay, you know what? This one isn’t as bad. Unlike the previous dresses, this one checks two boxes – it compliments both your figure and your personality. The others had either only checked one or neither areas. It’s not itchy, not too tight or too loose...

You observe your reflection for a moment before turning to open the door. Kai immediately studies your figure.

“That one...” he mumbles, finally smiling in approval. “That one is it.”

“You think so?”

“If you like it, then yeah. It’s perfect,” he elaborates.

“I’ll take it,” you note exasperatedly. “Finally!”

“See, that wasn’t so bad!” Kai says.

“It was.”

“Oh, shut the hell up,” he scolds, smacking your arm lightly as you snicker. “Now, get changed so we can check out.”

You oblige, especially when an announcement plays over the speaker stating that there are fifteen minutes left until closing.

The checkout goes smoothly, and soon enough you find yourself driving back home with Kai.

“Thanks. I know I gave you a lot of shit, but I enjoyed that and appreciate your help.”

“Of course. I missed hanging out with you like that.”

“So did I.”

“By the way, do you want a ride? I just realized-”

“Nah, I can summon a dragon at will now, remember?”

“Oh, right. Sorry, I’m still not quite used to you being...well, a ninja. With powers.”

He chuckles lightly. “Yeah, I get that.”

A sudden silence falls between the two of you. Kai stares out of the window, studying the dark sky intently as you merge onto the road that will lead you home.

“It’s been so long,” he muses, voice soft as he doesn’t move. “I just...I feel like I haven’t really proceessed how much has changed, you know? Last time I saw you, we were both back in Ignacia together. Nya wasn’t kidnapped. I didn’t even realize that I was the Master of Fire...”

“I know,” you mumble. “And now...you’re a ninja. I’m a detective.”

“Yeah,” he muses, chuckling. “If you don’t mind me asking, how’d you meet Cole anyway?”

A dreamy smile crosses your face as you recall the memory. “Well, I was interning with the commissioner at the time. I was accompanying him on an investigation at the theatre where he and his dad would always perform in. One night, there was a case of grand larceny there. We were interviewing all of the members there...and he was one of the witnesses. Because, you know-”

“His sleep schedule’s fucked?”

You chuckle, nodding. “Yeah. He was there at like two-thirty in the morning when the robbers arrived and ended up getting out so he could contact the police. So, he told us all of that. And his testimony is what actually enabled us to recognize the culprits. And when the perpetrators were arrested, and everything blew over...well, we kept talking. And eventually we started dating.”

“Aw,” Kai mumbles. “That’s sweet.”

“Yeah. I wish it hadn’t ended like it did.”

“You miss him?”

“More than anything,” you reply quietly, turning into your driveway. “The first few weeks of the breakup was just...it was horrible.”

The two of you exit the car, Kai grabbing your dress – now covered in plastic – before you lock your car.

“He was really happy that you texted back,” he states as he follows you inside.

“But I just said ‘maybe’.”

“He didn’t seem to care. He was just happy you responded.”

You take your new dress from him, deciding to lay it flat out on the table for the time being. “I guess I’ll try to talk to him soon, then. But what the hell am I supposed to say?”

“Just let it happen. It’ll come naturally,” Kai advises as the two of you sit down on the couch together.

“I hope so,” you mumble. “I know he’s going to be there tomorrow...”

“Then you should do it sometime after the event,” Kai says. “The sooner, the better.”

You nod. “I feel like the reason I’ve been pushing it all away is because I’m just...scared. Really scared.”

Kai leans forward, setting his elbows on his knees. “You know it’s okay to be scared, right? He’s going to be equally as nervous as you are. Maybe even more.”

You shrug. “It feels like I shouldn’t be scared. Like I should be angrier than I actually feel.”

“Well, don’t force yourself to feel one way or another. Just embrace what you think about the situation, discuss what you’re upset about, and see what happens,” Kai replies.

“Hm...okay. I’m just overthinking this. All right. Thanks, Kai. But enough about that, how’ve you been? How’s Nya? How do you like being a ninja?”

“I’ve been pretty great, honestly. She’s good too, been inventing a lot more stuff now that we don’t have to worry about the shop and all that. And being a ninja is pretty epic – I don’t have to think too hard. Just fight. Take down the bad guys, you know.”

You chuckle in response. “That’s fair.”

“Oh damn, you need to meet the rest of my team sometime!” he adds, perking up slightly.

“What are they like?”

“Well, Cole’s our leader. Jay’s an inventor. Dude will not shut up, but he’s great for lightening up the mood. Zane is the brains of the group. Really quiet but super smart. Nya also helps out too – she builds a lot of mechs and stuff.”

“Good for her. I’m glad she finally got to explore her interests more,” you note with a small smile.

The two of you talk some more, the time eventually ticking late into the night.

…

“I feel awkward,” you mumble.

“We all do, trust me,” Joseph replies, chuckling as the two of you duck into the room where your team is waiting, the civilian volunteers welcoming all of tonight’s guests.

You sigh, taking a moment to adjust your dress. Hopefully this thing won’t be too great of an inconvenience tonight.

“Okay!” you announce once you’re settled. “So! The plan for tonight is as follows: the Royal Family is being escorted by the ninja, and they’re supposed to be here in about fifteen minutes. Until then, we just need to make sure everything is in order. From there, I have to give a speech with the commissioner, then they have to do the signing, all that stuff. There’s gonna be more speeches. Yay. Just make sure the place doesn’t burn down while I’m off doing all that. I’m only scheduled for one speech so I’m gonna try to slip away while I can to help out.”

“Sounds like a plan!” a teammate yells, with the others speaking their agreements.

“Epic. If there are no questions, then let’s get this started.”

With that, the group disperses. You exit the room, deciding to check out the miscellaneous stands that are scattered about the perimeter.

Of course, the first place you have to check out is Skylor’s stand.

Thankfully, it’s not horribly crowded yet. You glance around, proud of all the hard work you and your team did in order to make this a reality. It’s crazy how much you can get done in so little time.

You make your way across the warehouse, eventually spotting Skylor – jaw nearly dropping as you stop to take in her dress – a floor-length one that’s a vibrant shade of orange. Its back is open with crisscrossed straps, and it features a little bit of sparklies on it too.

“Skylor!” you yell, coming over to her. “You look absolutely stunning!”

“There you are,” she notes, smiling as you step over. “Thanks, you do too.”

“Kai picked mine out,” you reply, practically drooling as you spot the amount of food she brought. “Oh, this all smells fantastic...”

“You’re welcome to have some anytime,” she notes, offering a smile as she gestures to the mounds of catering pans. “And, Kai?”

You nod. “Yeah. We met up last night, and he picked this dress out for me.”

“Good! I’m happy that you guys were able to catch up.”

“Yeah,” you mumble. “I’ll try to tell you about that later, though. For now, I have to check on everyone, though. I just thought I’d check in with you first.”

“And why’s that?”

“Because you’re my favorite.”

She chuckles. “Well, I’m flattered.”

“I’m glad. I gotta check on the others, but I’ll talk to you later!”

With that, she waves you goodbye as you step over to where the media’s stand is. You notice Gayle Gossip sitting down, scribbling away at a piece of paper and dressed in a lovely dusty pink dress that compliments her normal style.

“Hi, Gayle,” you greet, approaching slowly. “How is everything? Did your setup go okay?”

“Hello,” she replies, not glancing up from what’s likely her script. “It was fine, thank you.”

“Glad to hear it,” you note, stepping away when you get the feeling she wants to be left to her writing. You nod in greeting towards her camera crew, who smile in return.

The other vendors in the area seemed to have a relatively smooth setup, as you learn. More people are beginning to trickle in now. When you glance at the time on your phone, you notice that it’s just about time for the Royal Family to arrive.

That thought in mind, you rush to the side door, where they’re supposed to arrive. The stifled sound of engines shutting off catches your attention.

You take a deep breath, reminding yourself to remain professional as you open the door to glance out.

Sure enough, all of them have arrived as scheduled. Doing your best to keep a blank expression, you watch in silence as the Royal Family steps out of their disguised vehicle, the ninja in suit. And quite literally, at that.

All of them have been decked out in fancy, customized tuxedos that match their respective colors. You avert your gaze from Cole, doing your best to ignore how handsome he looks.

“Right this way, everyone,” you announce, stepping back inside so that they can follow you towards their designated waiting room.

“I’m so excited to see how everything turned out!” the Jade Princess notes as you close the door behind the last person.

“I hope it’s all to your liking,” you reply, smiling smally as you stand in front of everyone. “In any case, the commissioner is about to open with his speech in the next ten minutes or so.”

“What will the layout for tonight’s event look like?” the Emperor questions.

“So, commissioner’s going to give a speech, I’m going to give a speech, and at the end of that you guys will come up and make your speech. And then the signing will happen, then the actual ceremony.”

“That sounds like a plan for us.”

“Fantastic. One of my teammates will show you all to the staircase when it’s about time for you guys to make your appearance. Until then, just hang out in here. I’ve got to join the commissioner for the first bit, but I’ll try to hunt you all down later. If you have any questions, my partner will probably be floating around at some point.”

…

You swallow nervously, feeling eyes boring into you as you stand next to the commissioner as he gives his speech. Hopefully your discomfort isn’t horribly blatant.

“Tonight marks a historic date that will forever solidify our abilities to cooperate with each other in order to make Ninjago a safer place,” the commissioner says into the microphone. “But none of this would have been possible without my second-in-command and leader of our crime prevention department...” his name leaves your mouth, and for a moment your mind gets stuck on the fact that he just said “second-in-command".

You have no time to be surprised though, so instead you just plaster on that smile of yours before stepping up towards the microphone. You pull out your speech outline from the pocket of your dress, earning an obligatory “it-has-pockets!” from a random woman in the crowd.

“I know, right?” you reply into the microphone with a snicker, causing the audience to chuckle as well. You take a second to introduce yourself before beginning your speech:

“So, I pretty much planned this whole thing within the span of three days with a little bit of preliminary planning beforehand. I hope it turned out to be okay?”

A round of cheering answers your question. “I’ll take that as a yes! But, though, in all seriousness, I just wanted to thank the Royal Family for coming out here on such short notice, and for dealing with my shenanigans. Because, let me tell you, I’ve been running on like eight energy drinks, maybe two hours of sleep, and a dream-”

Another chuckle.

“-And their patience has been much appreciated. I’ve been leading this department for almost a year now, and of all the challenges I’ve tackled, this one is probably the most pressing. You ever hear the phrase ‘communication is key’? Well, as it turns out, it’s not just true for that wack couple’s failing marriage-”

More chuckles!

“-But it also holds a lot of truth within both our department and between the other two agencies here tonight. We all serve vastly different purposes, but ultimately our goal is the same: to protect you. Ninjago has proven itself to be a high-risk target, and in some circumstances, we just cannot afford to lose time to rules that limit what intelligence we share. So, I’ve decided that our best solution is to simply get rid of the ones that inhibit our communication during emergencies. You’d be surprised at how critical the little details are.

“This legislation will not only enable us to share information, but it also protects the citizens’ privacy. We have, at last, struck a balance between the two.”

A round of applause emanates from the crowd, causing you to smile as you patiently wait for it to subside. “Thank you. Lastly, I just would like to take a second to thank the community outreach department and the CPA for helping out. These people were out here helping me set everything up from dawn until dusk. Please take a moment to thank them if you see them, because I would have burned the place down by now had it not been for them.”

The audience laughs again, this time following with a round of applause. “And without further ado, I introduce to you none other than the Royal Family. Get on up here!”

…

The signing goes flawlessly, much to your relief. You’re finally able to step away soon after, walking around as the orchestra restarts the music and initiates a dance.

You spy the Princess and her parents walking about the area, talking to various people. It’s good to see them be a little involved with the community for once. It seems as if the ninja are taking turns accompanying the three, going in pairs. The rest are scattered about, doing their own thing for the time being.

The commissioner is doing the same thing – just floating around and talking to people. You exhale sharply, glad that tonight hasn’t been a disaster. You’re starting to relax slightly.

“May I have this dance?”

You turn to face the source of the voice, finding Joseph standing across from you as he offers you his hand.

A giggle escapes you as you take his hand, allowing him to pull you onto the dance floor.

“You did such a great job putting all of this together,” he notes as the two of you begin to sway together.

“Thank you,” you reply. “I’m really glad it turned out all right.”

“I knew it would with you in charge. Oh, and didn’t you hear the commissioner? He called you his second-in-command!”

Your heart begins to race as you smile, nodding eagerly. “Yeah! I need to ask him about that.”

He’s about to reply when your eyes shift over his shoulder, suddenly freezing when you lock eyes with Cole, who’s leaning against the wall with folded arms as he studies the two of you.

“What is it?” Joseph questions, stopping for a moment.

“Uh...” you trail off, averting your gaze. “It’s just Cole...”

“Ah,” he notes, twirling you so that your back faces Cole. “I see.”

You don’t reply, instead focusing on keeping up with the dance. Joseph follows suit in your silence, instead continuing the dance.

You do your best to ignore Cole, tuning into the rhythm of the music. Kind of ironic – he was the one who taught you how to dance like this. Your heart sinks slightly at that thought.

Eventually, you’re able to tune your thoughts out better. You enjoy your dance with Joseph, smiling and closing your eyes when he begins to twirl you around. His hands leave yours as you spin.

You elect to engage your mind in the present, enjoying the spinning sensation that accompanies your closed eyes. It stumbles to a halt when your hands return to his.

But...something’s different.

The hands are larger. Calloused. Familiar. Heart skipping a beat, you open your eyes.

The first thing your gaze lands on are those spearmint green eyes that you’ve come to miss.

Cole pulls you to his chest, the grip on your hands gentle but firm enough so that you can’t slip away so easily.

Your eyes widen as he not-so-subtly pulls you away from Joseph.

“You can’t avoid me forever.”

𝚊/𝚗: 𝚑𝚘𝚙𝚎𝚏𝚞𝚕𝚕𝚢 𝚠𝚛𝚒𝚝𝚎𝚛'𝚜 𝚋𝚕𝚘𝚌𝚔 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚕𝚒𝚏𝚎 𝚠𝚘𝚗'𝚝 𝚔𝚒𝚌𝚔 𝚖𝚢 𝚊𝚜𝚜 𝚜𝚘 𝚒 𝚌𝚊𝚗 𝚛𝚎𝚕𝚎𝚊𝚜𝚎 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚗𝚎𝚡𝚝 𝚌𝚑𝚊𝚙𝚝𝚎𝚛 𝚜𝚘𝚘𝚗. 𝚒 𝚑𝚘𝚙𝚎 𝚎𝚟𝚎𝚛𝚢𝚘𝚗𝚎 𝚎𝚗𝚓𝚘𝚢𝚎𝚍. 𝚝𝚑𝚒𝚜 𝚝𝚘𝚘𝚔 𝚖𝚎 𝚊 𝚠𝚑𝚒𝚕𝚎 𝚝𝚘 𝚠𝚛𝚒𝚝𝚎 𝚜𝚘 𝚒'𝚍 𝚛𝚎𝚊𝚕𝚕𝚢 𝚊𝚙𝚙𝚛𝚎𝚌𝚒𝚊𝚝𝚎 𝚊𝚗𝚢 𝚛𝚎𝚋𝚕𝚘𝚐𝚜, 𝚌𝚘𝚖𝚖𝚎𝚗𝚝𝚜, 𝚎𝚝𝚌…𝚊𝚕𝚜𝚘, 𝚗𝚒𝚗𝚓𝚊𝚐𝚘 𝚡 𝚛𝚎𝚊𝚍𝚎𝚛 𝚛𝚎𝚚𝚞𝚎𝚜𝚝𝚜 𝚊𝚛𝚎 𝚊𝚕𝚠𝚊𝚢𝚜 𝚘𝚙𝚎𝚗; 𝚜𝚎𝚎 𝚖𝚢 𝚙𝚒𝚗𝚗𝚎𝚍 𝚙𝚘𝚜𝚝 𝚏𝚘𝚛 𝚖𝚘𝚛𝚎 𝚒𝚗𝚏𝚘.

#ninjago #ninjagoxreader #reader insert #cole x reader #cole brookstone x reader #cole brookestone x reader #colexreader #fanfiction

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gale-gentlepenguin · 2 years

Note

Speaking of salt: Was it you who actually said something like "Salt is a condiment, not a main course"? That sentence stuck with me and when I ever get around to write down my thoughts on salt and general character-hate (all my fandoms q_q), I want to give credit where it is due.

I dont think I was the first one to say it, but I have said it, And I do think its true.

I think it is perfectly fine to have problems with something you enjoy, think about it critically.

Soulmate survey has a bit of critique of the show (its more toned down as it went on but it is there.)

I think its important to know when one is critiquing and when one is bashing.

Are we being critical, or are we letting personal feelings take over.

Take for example my feelings on Fu.

Originally, I HATED Fu. He was at one point my least favorite character and I totally felt all salt directed at him was warranted. It was emotional and I twisted it hard. But, I had a shift in perspective (thanks to some people pointing things out and especially after learning how the order of guardians worked. I still have critiques on Fu, but I come to respect him.

Salt as a condiment can have some emotion, but it needs logic to help support it. It needs concrete reasoning to help make it more reasonable.

Salt as the main course, or Pure salt, is mainly just emotional. Any logic involved has been twisted to insane degrees that it doesnt make sense. And I think people sometimes dont realize it.

In the end, Salt is not as simple as we make it out to be. Salt can be a reasonable critique. But salt could also be making a character comparable to scum of humanity. Its hard to sort through because its used so differently.

But this is just my take on it, so take this with...

A grain of salt.

#gale talks #discussion on salt #critiques vs bashing

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harrysweasleys · 3 years

Text

to find each other // g.w

summary: Hi love I was wondering if I could request a george x reader. I like the whole like when you're angry or anything write to the person but never send it but one day George finds the love letter. And reader is all embarased and runs away before he can tell her he like her so he writes her a love letter. (Also I'm aware this is a george ask but in my mind fred didnt die. I'm also imagining this before the battle but fred still doesnt die). If this doesnt spark anything that totally fine. Thanks

warnings: mentions of war, blood and death (relax, it aint fredward)

word count: 4.4k

a/n: this request was so cute and i enjoyed writing this so much! also i hope you don’t mind that i changed up the time that it takes place just a tad. also i want a love letter from george, thanks.

[i do not give permission for my work to be reposted to any other platform.]

———————————————————————

No amount of window shopping could hide the anxious bubbling in your stomach. Diagon Alley, though usually one of your favourite places, was currently the cause of your shaky fingers and heavy breathing. It was the last day of summer holidays, and for the countless students returning to Hogwarts, it meant a place to get away from home, a place that they could escape to to get away from the chaos of the real world.

However, for you, it meant that things would get messy. That the raging war that was brewing in the evil corners of the Wizarding World was bound to strike. And strike hard.

Dangers lurked around every corner and even the comforting atmosphere of Diagon Alley was no longer a place you wanted to be. Countless shops were boarded shut, their windows shattered to pieces as if an attack had taken place. Which was most likely the case, if you were being honest.

The only store that seemed to be alive also happened to be the one that you wanted to avoid at all costs. The large purple and orange shop stood practically glowing in the middle of the gloomy alley, music and laughter echoing from the inside. You had to give credit where credit was due; the shop owners were brilliant.

Students piled in and out in dozens — you couldn’t blame them. Fred and George had a knack for making people laugh. And right now, people needed laughs more than ever. You couldn’t blame these young students for stocking up on joke products to keep themselves entertained for the year. Especially since everyone was well aware this may be the last year of ‘normalcy’ that they get.

However, the shop seemed to be doing marvellously. You’d go in to say hi if it wouldn’t crush your entire existence to do so. Slightly dramatic, but true. You hadn’t left things off on a good foot with George, and the last thing you wanted to do was go in there and make things awkward. After all, maybe he had moved on.

The last time you saw him, he held your crumpled note in his hand, his broom in the other, and a proud smile on his face as he waved goodbye to the school behind him. The school in which you two shared some of your best moments, the inside jokes and the late nights giggling into pillows in the dark of the common room.

Until the note.

The one you had written him the night you found out he was leaving. The one with tear drop stains and smudged ink — the one that confessed your long-rooted love for the ginger boy that had stolen your heart the first day you met him.

He had found it himself, actually. It wasn’t “given to him,” per say. He had snuck into the girl’s dorm — how, you still have no clue — and found you crying on your lumpy four-poster, your hair a disheveled mess and your cheeks bright red from sobbing. You had been furious at him. Not because you were mad, but because you’d miss him. Miss his smile, the way he brought light to every boring class, and you’d miss the way he made you feel like home, even though your home home was miles and miles away.

He’d found the messy parchment scrunched up on your dresser and picked it up at the sight of his name. He didn’t let you take it away from him, so you made him promise he’d read it after he was long gone from school. So that you could be saved from the embarrassment of him not feeling the same. The last thing you wanted was to have to sit through the last few months of school with your best friend hating your guts for the unfortunate feelings you had developed.

You thought you were way over him by now, but looking up into the glorious glass windows of his store, you were hit with a wave of nausea. Not because you didn’t want to see him, but because you wanted to see him so badly it was sickening. To be fair, it had only really been two years, but still. Had he missed you? Had he sat there every night, clutching your wrinkled love letter and thinking back to the moments you two shared?

You shook your head and walked past the shop, trying your best not to peer in through the windows and catch sight of the familiar grinning man. He somehow always had a smile on his face and that was something you could really appreciate, especially right now. Nothing ever seemed to bring him down and that was one of the things you appreciated most.

———————————————————————

“What’re you grinning at, Weasley?” you asked, a smile on your own lips as you gave George a teasing look, your hands running through his hair as he sat on the ground between your legs, eyes focused on the common room fire that was slowly burning down to embers.

“Nothing,” he replied, “Just… taking it all in.”

Gryffindor had won the House Cup just that evening, along with the Quidditch Cup just a few days before. You supposed George did actually have quite a bit to smile about, but as he sat there, his eyes slightly dazed and a lazy grin on his lips, something told you it actually had to do with something else.

“Right,” you replied, taking your hands out of his soft hair and leaning back on the couch, “Because I totally believe you.”

He turned around, his smile never faltering, “What? You’re gonna give me a hard time for being in a good mood? C’mon, let me live, woman.”

You tossed your head back, cheeks flushed, “Fine. The day you don’t have a smile on your face is the day I’ll know something’s wrong, yeah?”

Sitting up and crashing next to you on the couch, he gave you quite the exaggerated nod before dropping it and gazing softly into your eyes, “Around you, how can anything ever be wrong?”

———————————————————————

Popping in and out of stores seemed to be the best distraction — Quidditch Supplies, Pets, Quills, the best Parchment in town — all stores that you remember running in and out of while you were just a wee child, hoping to buy the top quality items for another long year at school.

You’d been so distracted by the sound of children laughing and charging by you that you barely registered the fact that you had walked into a tall body. Luckily, your balance hadn’t been knocked over, but you had been walking at such a quick pace that you’re surprised the other person didn’t go falling backwards.

“Sorry,” you mumbled, looking up and catching your step, nearly losing it completely as your eyes caught sight of the person in front of you.

Eyes still golden like the sun, George Weasley hadn’t changed. His hair was slightly longer and he wore nicer clothing — perks of running your own business — but he hadn’t changed a day. His lips were still a deep pink, and the freckles on his cheek seemed to be more prominent than you remember.

“Y/N?” the corners of his lips turned up into a smile, “Bloody hell, what are you doing here?”

You stared up, mind completely blank, “Oh — It’s — I’ve gotta go.”

His hand shot out to grab your wrist, his fingers leaving a touch of sparks in their wake. You snapped it away, rubbing over the skin to soothe the electrifying touch that George left behind. Even years later, he still had that effect on you, and you wished more than anything that you could curse him out for it.

“Y/N, blimey, wait, let’s catch up,” he shrugged, eyes pleading, “What’re you running from? We were best friends. I’ve missed you. It’s been two bloody years, woman.”

“You know damn well why that changed,” you grumbled, trying your best to look anywhere but his inviting eyes. You knew that if you made eye contact, you’d be sucked right back into whatever hold he had on you while you were in school. You weren’t sure you could deal with that right about now.

He sighed, running a hand through his hair, “Look, Y/N, please. Just stay for a few minutes. Come see the shop, yeah? Reckon Fred’ll be thrilled to see you.”

You gave in and looked up at him, already knowing you wouldn’t be able to say no. He was right, you guys were best friends. You were inseparable. They always say catching feelings for your best friend is a beautiful thing, but in your case it felt like the worst thing to happen. You fell head over heels for George and he had no clue. He continued living his life, continued doing the things he loved, and then he left.

You only hoped the letter kept him up at night. As petty as that was.

“Fine,” you let out a deep breath, “Just a few minutes.”

You nearly missed the wide grin that spread across his face, showcasing the beautiful smile that still managed to leave your chest in a fluttery mess. You internally scolded yourself — you weren’t over your feelings and chances are this was going to make things worse.

The shop was magnificent. Shelves lined the walls as far as the eye could see. And even though Diagon Alley was nearly deserted, the shop seemed to be thriving — not that you were surprised. Kids and young adults huddled in groups to gawk and stare at the latest products, eyeing everything with keen interest as George’s twin, Fred, explained to them how things worked.

“You did good,” you smiled up at George, all hostility towards him fading as the bubbly atmosphere of the shop engulfed you, making you feel as if you were transported back to your childhood, “I’m proud of you guys.”

“Blimey,” George grinned, placing his hand on your shoulder, “Didn’t think I’d ever hear you say that.”

Your smile faded and you turned away from him, cheeks burning at his comment.

“I didn’t mean it like that,” he spun you back around to face him, “I just meant because it’s been so long since I’ve seen you. Wasn’t sure I’d ever see you again, to be honest.”

You bit your lip, nodding slowly, “I know. I’m sorry. It was just so hard to work up the courage to see you.”

You weren’t exactly lying. After what happened, you couldn’t find it in yourself to face him. But that wasn’t the whole truth, really. Your courage and confidence had left with him, there was no way you’d be able to come here and see him happy with someone else. Someone that wasn’t you.

“I actually have something for you,” he held his finger up and rushed out of sight, up the stairs and through a door. You stood awkwardly, debating whether you should just turn around and walk out of the store and into the city. He’d never be able to track you down. But, somehow, you couldn’t bring yourself to move your feet. You were grounded in the moment, still gazing at all the trinkets and items around you.

Some made noise, some were brightly coloured — some of them even looked like that evil witch Headmistress Umbridge. You stifled a laugh, remembering the times you and the twins had narrowly escaped her wicked grasp. She was not one for fun, that was certain.

———————————————————————

“Down here!” you called, grabbing George’s hand and running down another dark corridor, Filch’s footsteps still echoing behind the two of you.

“When I catch ya, you’ll be expelled!” his grimy voice reached your ears, sending you into another fit of giggles as you linked your fingers with George’s, the two of you barreling down the stairs and continuing your run up to the Gryffindor tower. You had to admit, it was quite far, but if you kept up this speed, Filch and his limp wouldn’t be able to catch up.

“Wait, there’s a prefect,” George whispered through his heavy breathing, giving your hand a heavy tug and pulling you behind a pillar.

Your body fell against his, the two of you squished in a tiny space as you heard the distant voice of the Ravenclaw prefect approaching your hiding spot. George’s breathing was heavy, his chest rubbing against yours with each inhale he took. Your breathing would be heavy if you weren’t having heart palpitations, his body so close to yours you couldn’t think straight.

“Reckon that’s another narrow escape,” he chuckled, breath fanning your face. You couldn’t bring yourself to make eye contact, way too caught off guard to properly process his words.

Did he realize what this did to you? This closeness, this intimacy?

It was undoubtedly true — you were falling for your best friend.

———————————————————————

“Well, if it isn’t Y/N Y/L/N,” Fred sauntered over, hands in his pockets and a bright grin on his face, “What brings you to our little corner of the wizarding world?”

He brought his arms out for an embrace; one that you gladly accepted. He was warm and familiar, and you felt a grin spread across your face.

“It’s nice to see you, Freddie,” you pulled away, “You guys have really blown me away with all of this.”

“Well, what can I say?” he shrugged, tips of his ears turning slightly pink, “We’ve clearly got a knack for entrepreneurship.”

You shook your head, laughter bubbling in your chest. You always knew they’d be successful — hell, you told them a million times — but seeing it in person after all these years of shutting yourself away, it sort of felt like a dream. As if you’d missed quite possibly the biggest event of their lives.

And you felt like a horrible friend.

“Sorry I wasn’t more supportive,” you said softly, “I really am impressed.”

He lifted his hand and ruffled your hair, “Don’t be so hard on yourself. We knew you always had your full support.”

Before you could respond, George came rushing back down the stairs. You were rather thankful for it, as your conversation with Fred was causing your emotions to come through. You could feel your throat closing in and the familiar sting of tears in your eyes, but George’s presence caused your feelings to shift.

He nudged his brother away and stood in front of you, an envelope in hand. On the front of it, your name was scribbled in swirly handwriting — George’s, you recognized — and you could see the faint outline of parchment inside it.

“What’s this?” you asked, taking the envelope from his hands as he shoved it in your direction, his cheeks a tad pinker than before.

He let out a deep breath, “You’ll see when you open it.”

You nodded, placing the envelope gently into your purse, “I’ll open it when I’m home.”

“Okay,” he responded instantly, shoving his hands into his pockets. You knew it was a nervous habit of his, and it raised a question as to what could possibly be in that envelope that had him so on edge.

“I’ve, uh, I’ve gotta get going,” you said, your voice barely audible. But by the way George’s shoulders slouched, you knew he heard you. He took his hands out of his pockets and pulled you in for a hug.

Without thinking, you wrapped your arms tightly around him, resting your head on his shoulder and taking in a deep breath. He smelled the same as he did all those years ago, and although he was the same height, he also definitely felt a lot stronger.

Lifting boxes on a daily basis has taken its toll.

You couldn’t count how many hugs you’d shared with George during your time at Hogwarts, but something about this hug felt different. It felt final, conclusive. As if you both knew that this would be the final time you’d get to see each other.

“I’ve missed you,” he said, mouth mere inches from your ear.

“I’ve missed you too,” you replied right away, pulling your body away from his to look into his eyes. You tried your best to force a smile, but it most likely only came off as a grimace. After all, you couldn’t find anything to feel enthusiastic about in the moment.

You leaned up and pressed a kiss to his warm cheek, letting your hand linger on his arm for a second longer than intended, before pulling away and leaving the store without another word.

It was safe, and very unfortunate, to say your feelings were still very much present.

———————————————————————

You stared down at the paper, stunned. It was possibly your seventh time reading it and you still couldn’t believe it.

After all these years, he felt the same.

George Weasley felt the same.

You lifted the letter, once again preparing yourself to read it, wiping your eyes with an already soaked tissue.

Y/N,

I don’t know much about writing letters with a romantic goal, but I do know that I couldn’t leave yours unanswered. There were too many things left in the air, and I might never even get to give this to you, but it’s worth writing anyways.

I remember the first day we met. Do you remember? We were in second year and you fell down the stairs onto Freddie. You were so cute, and so flustered. It was nearly immediately after that that we became friends, if I remember correctly. (Which I always do.)

Skip forward a few years and you practically owned my heart and soul. I barely went a moment without thinking of you. Of your smile, of your laugh, of your hair and your face. You know, I did it on purpose. All the jokes, they were for you. To make you laugh. Bloody cliche, I know. But that’s the truth, love.

When I left school, it was hard. Not because I’d have to start a whole new life, but because I’d have to start that life without you. Without your constant positivity and your radiance. It was nearly impossible, but you were so proud. So proud of Freddie and me that I knew I couldn’t let you down.

But I did. I left you there, in that horrid place with that toad woman. And I regret that to this day. I read your note every day. I still do. It’s the only thing of yours that I have in my life and I cherish it more than you know.

So, this note kind of has no purpose, but it does have a point. The point is that I love you too. That I’ve loved you for a long time, and chances are that I always will. You’re the best part of me and that’ll never change.

Please take care. And I hope we get to find each other.

Yours forever,

George.

You read it again, and again, and again, and could barely process the words on the tattered parchment. It was a pretty neat piece, which indicated that there was no way he wrote two years ago. It had to be recent — within the last year. And the fact that he decided to give it to you now meant that he might even still feel this way.

With the amount of times you envisioned George professing his undying love to you, not once did you think it would be in these circumstances. With the two of you living different lives.

You went to bed that night, the note tucked under your pillow. You couldn’t part with it. Even though you had no clue what to do about said note, you didn’t want to let go of it. It was true, and all these years later you finally realized it. All the shared touches, the laughs, the smiles across classrooms; it all made sense. Not only were you falling hopelessly in love with your best friend, but he was doing the exact same thing.

And I hope we get to find each other.

If that meant what you thought — what you hoped — it meant, then maybe there was a chance for you. But for that chance to happen, you had a lot that you needed to sort out. What would this mean? Would you two start from scratch?

You hadn’t exactly had any sort of relationship over the past two years, how would you just jump into something like this? Maybe him giving you the letter was his form of closure, his way of telling you that maybe it could have happened, but now there’s no chance.

You didn’t want to dwell, but there was no way you couldn’t. How does one let something like this go? You can’t. You can’t go back to living a normal life with this knowledge hanging over your head.

He loved you.

If only there was a way you could talk to him, clear the air. Maybe he did still feel the same.

———————————————————————

Hogwarts was, to put it kindly, in the middle of chaos. Spells of bright green and red shot out from every which direction, hitting columns and occasionally, other bodies. You passed lifeless bodies on the ground and couldn’t bring yourself to look down. Some of them you might even recognize, and that wasn’t something you could bring yourself to feel right about now. Your emotions were running wild enough as it is; the last thing you needed was to find the body of someone you loved.

Your wand was tightly gripped in your hand, your mouth repeating the same spells over and over as Death Eaters continued to swarm the homely school grounds. You had called this place ‘home’ for seven years and yet now, it was the last possible place you wanted to be. You wanted to turn around and run, never to look over your shoulder again.

But you couldn’t.

There was no way you could bring yourself to leave. Not now.

“Well, what ‘ave we got ‘ere?”

You spun on the spot, coming face to face with the sunken eyes of a Death Eater. His voice sounded awfully familiar, but that was really the least of your problems right about now. His wand was raised in your direction, his lips already beginning to move.

You raised your own wand, ready to fire out the first spell you could think of. But the man went flying back into the wall before you could even open your mouth. You gaped down at your wand, trying to figure out how the hell you managed to do that without even thinking of the spell.

“Reckon that’s about the fourth time I’ve saved you.”

You turned to the sound of the voice, recognizing it immediately. George’s hair was tousled like crazy, and he had a bandage tightly wound around his head. You could see faint blood where his ear should be, and your heart did a quick flip in your chest. You had heard about his accident — you had run into Ginny in the Great Hall, but seeing his wound and his face in person brought an unsettling feeling to your chest.

“George,” you sighed, running over to him without a second doubt. You jumped up, wrapping your arms around his neck tightly, squeezing harder than you thought. But he didn’t seem to mind, his arms finding their way around your waist and holding you up, his head finding its spot in the crook of your neck as he let out a low chuckle. You could feel the warmth of his skin, and in that moment, he felt so real. As if two years apart had never happened. As if everything said between you two in your letters was unspoken, but acknowledged.

You pulled your head away from his shoulder and looked into his eyes. The eyes that had been a comfort source in your life for so many years. As if looking into them brought out all of your confidence, you gave him a shy smile before leaning down and pressing your lips against his.

You immediately pulled away from him before either of you could register the action, letting yourself fall back down to your feet as you looked up into his eyes. He didn’t blink, his mouth hanging open.

Maybe you made a terrible mistake.

“Oh, I’m sorry—”

You were cut off by his hands on each side of your face, pulling you in for a second kiss. One that lasted much longer.

His lips were incredibly soft against yours, moulding as if this was the place they were meant to be. Your hands went up into his hair, giving a small tug as he pulled your body closer to his. It was as if all the war and death around you two didn’t exist — the only thing you could focus on was George’s warmth and the eruption of butterflies that went off in your body.

After what felt like hours, you pulled away and looked up at him. His lips were swollen and red, his breathing slightly uneven, but he looked happy.

“That was long overdue,” he sighed, running a hand through his hair.

You let out a breathy laugh, “Definitely.”

———————————————————————

taglist

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#george weasley #george weasley imagine #george weasley imagines #george weasley one shot #george weasley one shots #george weasley x reader #george weasley reader insert

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cicaklah · 3 years

Text

Who knew that hitman fandom was big enough for wank? But it turns out it is. It's Sunday morning and the birds are chirping and yeah vague blog at me, I will vague blog back.

Agent 47 is not real. He is a character in a video game who is a hyperviolent, ruthless killer. He frequently, canonically, kills people who are just in the way. People who have done bad things, sure, but we all do bad things.

47 is not asexual representation. He isn't representation of any kind. He is much more of a nuanced character than most of hitman fandom (the parts outside of Tumblr mostly) gives him credit for. He isn't a robot, he isn't emotionless. He is a bit of a trope inversion in many ways by not being James Bond. He has conflicts and crises that lead to him exploring salvation through the church (H2SA), through revenge (absolution), through outsourcing his choice of contract to someone who he believes has a strong moral code (Diana, implied all games but explicit as of H3). He doesn't trust himself to make the right decisions. He also is designed to be dichotomous. He's both devastatingly handsome and an everyman who can pass for anyone. He's a savant at every job who can blend in easily in any scenario and so stiff and robotic that even when lying down he looks like he's vibrating with rage. He's a charming conversationalist and yet everything he says is a clumsy dad joke about murder. Part of the character design is that to everyone he is this charming, handsome chameleon who can turn his hand to anything flawlessly, while to the player he's barely more than a stiff limbed ken doll we're marching around our bedrooms assassinating the other toys.

Agent 47 is not asexual representation not because you can't personally believe he is asexual. Most of the fandom does believe he is asexual. Go to hitman forum, go to Reddit, go to twitter, look at the ao3 back before 2015. But fanfic writing fandom is a place where people write romantic and sexual fanfiction about their faves, and here on tumblr is the part of fandom where we do that. You coming here and not just disagreeing with us, but telling us we are wrong to do so, and then vague blogging that we're just big meanies who don't understand how wrong, how morally wrong it is to write fic about a serial killer and his line manager because it violates YOUR sacred cow? Fuck off. Sincerely.

Because even if he was asexual representation, it still wouldn't be wrong to write fic about him being a world champion pussy eater. That's not how fandom works. That's not how the world works. Agent 47 isn't real. He isn't. I can write him fucking anyone I want. There is no law to stop me. I can do. What. I. Want. No one pays me to do this. The only reward I get is attention. If I didn't get attention, maybe I would stop doing it, but lbr I wrote steak back when the fandom was so tiny it took a week to get one comment on it, and I'm a fairly known writer in my circles. Writing the fic is its own reward if you care enough. In this case, it absolutely was. For two years every time it got a kudo I smiled to myself because it was something I was so proud of. I got a comment on it in September 2020 that was so nice it ranks as one of the best things that happened to me that year. Then H3 happened, and the fandom exploded with other people who see what I saw, and 2021 has been this glory period of camaraderie and fun with other women who believe agent 47 is a champion pussy eater and romantic lead for the ages.

Fandom has a lot of unofficial rules and one of the main ones that stops fandoms deteriorating into moralising morasses is this policy called don't like don't read. This kind of thing isnt new. Look up the ray wars from due south in the 90s...and know that there was a troll in that fandom in 2015 harassing people on Tumblr and the ao3 for shipping wrong in a fandom that by that point was so dead it was even smaller than the thirsty thirteen. When creators fought back and said fanfic was immoral, and rich and famous people like Anne rice sued fans for writing stories, we kept going. When moralists said that porn on LJ was child abuse, we made the ao3 so we owned the fucking servers. No one gets to tell fan writers what to do. This isn't our first rodeo.

I get that it feels awful that people are being wrong on the internet. How dare those uppity sex obsessed bitches write the fics that defile my poor woobie 47. But kid, he's not real. The fandom is real. Your headcanon is not gospel. There is nowhere in the holy book that says 47 doesnt fuck, but crucially, even if it did, I'm still going to write him as someone who fucks. I recommend you find a way to deal with it.

#hitman #fandom wank #fandom discourse #fandom history #agent 47

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volfoss · 3 years

Note

how about ranking bucciarati's team?

regret to inform you that ur gonna get a very long answer bc i have passionate feelings about them all! also trish is in this bc she is part of the team and no one will tell me otherwise and will also include some rambling bc it is me and i have so many feelings towards these characters and none of them r cohesive

under the cut just in case (post writing yes it was long)

Giorno Giovanna:

way way more complex than ppl normally give him credit for (i will not go into feelings on how a majority of the fandom treats him unless ppl want me to then i will in fact make a very long ranty post and will not be stopped)

mildly op (esp at the beginning with how hes kind of able to just use his stand really well w no problems altho i think thats true of most of the jojos that we have seen animated?)

i am emotionally attached to him and want to give him a big hug

hes just a kinda goofy kid and is maybe a bit not good with figuring out hey this is a semi dangerous situation maybe i shouldnt be taunting him (leaky eye luca for example)

has the actual best theme

i love how he works off the rest of the team so well (even w members who do not like him)

is in my top 3 jojos i love this kid sm i would adopt him if he was real

7/10

Bruno Bucciarati:

the fucking way his character develops from licky man to best dad material is my favorite thing

his outfit is so so so good i would die to wear it

in general this man is one of my fave jojos characters and i get a lot of comfort from him

hes just really neat and has a good taste in music

he did his fucking best and i will always love him for that

imo the way that his death was drawn out was genuinely one of the most heartbreaking deaths in the entire series and fucks me up each time i think of it

i feel like he really is the one to hold the team together in a way that everyone feels cared for and saved

def has a savior complex tho for sure

dilf but im ace

also manga superiority bc he either makes the stupidest faces or looks very nice (anime has a lot of weird animation in regards to his face) and also because its lingerie there instead of a tattoo that changes thickness and placement every second

10/10

Leone Abbacchio:

guilty pleasure liking man

i am obsessed with his vibes and wish to become him

i cannot physically express just how much i love him but hes one of my faves of all time (not obvious by my theme at all wdym)

i miss his manga palette but also the colored manga isnt my beloved but also black lipstick abba

hot take maybe but anime abba looks better than manga minus the lipstick debacle

hes so so tall and i will steal his height in a nice way

his past man his past it fucks me up

his death fucks me up normally but when i was rewatching recently, i saw he gave this tiny lil smile after helping the kids get their ball and i could not take it anymore

him and brunos relationship (canonically and out of canon too) is one of my favorites in the series

also fandom hot take as i guess i am doing those for everyone- but ppl either have him as cosntantly trying to murder giorno or being like good son and v out of character, and it is really weird? not sayign that ill do better when i write them but also like im convinced some ppl havent seen the show or smth

i will steal both him and bruno and marry them both <3

this man is beloved i love him to death

10/10

Pannacotta Fugo:

i cannot spell his first name to save my life

also fandom take- ppl make him constantly only angry boy all the time and it really irks me. ik araki did not give him 2 much to work w in terms of canon personality but its frustrating

the light novel purple haze feedback is so so so good and adds sm to his character and i really like it for that!

fugo is one of those that imo deserves a lot and didnt get that

genuinely the vibes between how he treats narancia is v interesting to me, like its clear he cares about nara but nara not doing great w math really frustrates him

i love their interactions and how he is genuinely a kind person at times

the manga colors r superior here, my strawberry boy <3

i just really love and appreciate him a lot and wish that ppl gave him more love

i keep getting assigned him on kin quizzes

very smart good boy

ALSO ok fugo did not do any wrong by leaving

unsure if thats a hot take but i genuinely dont blame the character one bit for leaving and again purple haze feedback really delves into that and why he did it

if ur a fugo fan go read it

his past is really upsetting esp in the anime i will cry over it

his stand is adorable and i wanna hug it

his vibes r fun and i wanna gift him strawberry dangly earrings

8/10

Narancia Ghirga:

this boy i am also adopting (i am adopting most of them sorry)

i really hate how ppl act as if hes stupid bc bad math skills do not equal stupid like did ppl not see the fight w formaggio??

the way he just fucking dove into the water after the boat and how brunos face went all soft and happy it will never not make me cry

he is constnatnly making me wanna cry if i think too much about him for 2 seconds i love him sm

how can anyone not adore him when he set an entire street on fire yk

hes just happy despite his past and it makes me sad i love nara sm

torture dance is one of my favorite memes from the show

ALSO ok the way he died so suddenly absolutely broke me bc the remaining team members r really just seeing everyone die in front of them so quickly

his goofy and laid back moments r my fave

i love just how loyal and caring he is to his friends

his stand is really cool and again the fight w formaggio was so fun to watch

8/10

Guido Mista:

probably my least favorite member of the team for a semi good reason:

the jokes towards trish are really really uncomfy and how fugo doesnt wanna be involved but he is pushing him to do something that makes him uncomfortable did not make me like him a lot

hes goofy but not goofy enough for me to be ok with the repeated jokes about that esp in the body swap episode (ik it was supposed to be funny but it just felt off)

his vibes r good but i wish we got to see his hair

the fandom interpretation is normally pretty good of him overall?

despite not loving him a lot, i really enjoying writing for him (one day might open up headcanon requests or smth but unsure)

hes someone id wanna watch movies w but his taste in movies and mine r very different

love how he and his stand get along

honestly has very very good comedic potential

i really like how he and giorno interact as the series goes on (in a platonic way i need to clarify that i love their friendship)

again him in purple haze feedback was really interesting

probably a 5/10?

Trish Una:

beloved and deserved better

her first outfit in the manga > outfit in the anime

actually in general i believe in manga trish superiority like her hair in the manga looks so cool

her stand her stand her stand i love sm

if u dont include trish in the group i am murdering u <3

HER CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT!!!! IS SO GOOD!!!!!!

fandom gripe is how people either pretend she does not exist or has the trish first introduction thing where shes using her defense mechanisms and acting a bit spoiled

OK but her in purple haze feedback!!! mild spoilers but how bruno was taking care of her post the ending of vento aureo makes me so happy each time i think of it

very mad that she canonically didnt really get an ending and yet again PHF my beloved actually gave her that

how spice girl starts out as a stand thats helping her thru a very stressful situation is so cool and i love it

DAD BRUNO DAD BRUNO DAD BRUNO *frothes at the mouth*

but more seriously how she leans on bruno and begins 2 trust him and nearly point blank is referring to him as a father figure always fucks me up

esp because of the resulting fight afterwards

and the very ending of the arc that ends w bruno being like bye gonna go in the clouds and look ethereal now, oh man it makes me so sad

bc giorno is the only one that knew what happened and people that were closer to bruno due to knowing him longer didnt

i wanna see how trish coped w that personally

despite being introduced not at the beginning i think her arc and character in general were as well paced as it could be!

9/10

finally done! sorry that took so long but oh man i have so many feelings towards these guys its not even funny

#asks #wholesome mutuals #vento aureo spoilers #to add that bruno is one of my faves of all time is probably obvious by me putting him at 10/10 #fiance bullies me lovingly for liking leone so that is explanation 4 first bullet #he has not even met him but just calls him piss man #the fandoms treatment of most of these characters makes me really mad tbh

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blondebooklion · 3 years

Text

why it drives me crazy when people say c!ranboo has no morals but think c!wilbur and c!ranboo could still have potential to be narrative foils

morals:

loyalty to family/friends: in both his normal functioning and his enderwalk stage ranboo is incredibly defensive of his loved ones. this is 100% the center of his moral compass. he doesn't do certain things he fears will upset others (thus succumbing to peer pressure yes) but i deeply disagree with people argument that that is proof he has no moral backbone. particularly due to a couple of instances:

ranboo visiting tommy in exile: while not directly breaking the rules there was a general expectation, especially the people ranboo spent his time with, of not really visiting tommy. it wasnt really a set rule or anything but ranboo was definitely putting himself at risk by doing so.

protectiveness over michael: when sam and puffy showed up to prank ranboo, he was incredibly defensive over his son. he was ready to kill to protect his son if it came down to it.

rescuing tommy+tubbo: while we have it confirmed this instance was in their enderwalk stage, ranboo going both proves ranboos values in the enderwalk are the same (or i'd argue strengthened even) ranboo moved protectedly in front of tubbo when he and tommy had separated

forgiveness: he is willing to give people more than one chance, he is incredibly quick to judgements but for the most part he does not rely on other peoples opinions of each other to dictate the way he feels about them, he does take it into account in his overall image of them, but like with revivebur, he is willing to offer him a chance.

reciporcity to kindness: when people are kind to him, he is kind back. y'all let this slide as a moral with techno. it counts here. no im not counting it as necessarily loyalty because he is polite and kind even to those he isn't close to.

self-reliance: for better or worse ranboo does not think he needs other people to survive, in many instances he has displayed thinking he and everyone else would be better off if he were isolated. he does not want to depend too much in anyone, which can especially be seen in his desire for wealth. i think it has always been more about i dont have to rely on others, if things go south i can still survive (obviously part or it is needed something to do on stream, im applying other characteristics of ranboo to infer) but we can also see this in him retreating to himself (panic room, not telling anyone about his book being missing) when he is threatened because he believes the best way to handle it is himself

security: ranboo is incredibly driven bu his desire for safety and stability for both himself and for his loved ones. he thrives on consistency. he struggles the most when things begin to change.

difference between foil and antagonist (just for clarity cause some people have been switching up the definitions)

"an antagonist is a character who is in direct opposition to the protagonist. their actions deliberately hinder the protagonist from achieving her goal. this relationship helps build conflict and propels a story forward."

"a foil exists simply to shine the spotlight on certain traits of another character, without necessarily creating opposition or conflict."

credit: masterclass

the opposing traits/beliefs that i think will cause the most conflict between the two (ranboos will be written like this and wilburs like this to differentiate)

leader vs follower

probably the most obvious contention point, pointed out on 5/05 stream by wilbur pressing ranboo on what he stands for. wilbur wants to be in charge. but i think ranboo is how wilbur wanted people to value him. wilbur wanted to be the guy that everyone liked because he believed being liked comes with power. ranboo does not necessarily want to be well liked by everyone, but he wants to at least be neutral so he does do things in order to keep them on his side

conflict driven vs conflict averse

wilbur thrives on chaos and conflict, much like dream he is willing to manipulate situations. rqnboo does everything he possibly can to avoid it

cockiness vs insecurity

wilbur is obviously bold and arrogant. he thinks extremely highly of himself and the postions he does and could potentially hold. he is ruled by this factor and often does not think about the consquences of his rashly made decisions(thats not to say he isn't calculated or intelligent, he is, he just focuses on how things affect him rather than others)

means to an end vs no ulterior motives

all of ranboos bonds are strong because when he cares about people he does what he needs to to take care of them, they usually initiate out of instances of kindness, but he does not seem to expect anything in return. he cares about people because he loves them, nothing more nothing less. wilbur however while some of his relationships were initially based on care the motives became corrupted and its hard to say whether there are any relationships he has at this point that aren't ruled by some kind of benefit for him (my only guess for that would be phil)

similaries: paranoia, trust issues, secretiveness

ranboo and wilbur really are two sides of the same coin, yes they are opposites in a lot of aspects but despite the differences in their values orginate from the same place they jutted of in two completely different directions, they tried to solve the same issue in vastly different ways. ranboos paranoia was attempted to be solved by isolationism, while wilburs mainly tried to solve it through manipulation. ranboo pushed people away and wil tried to force them to be around. both backfired for them and caused them to retreat further into the paranoid states demonstrated by wilbur blowing up l'manburg and ranboo catastrophizing with hearing dreams voice.

I think wilbur's main contenion with ranboo resides in wilbur thinking ranboo glazes through life easily, and that they disagree on what morals means. being more confrontational does not mean you are more or less moral than another person. wilbur does not understand that differing morals does not equal none at all.

I don't think their relationship is going to act as an antagonist because while ranboo is actively keeping an eye on wilbur it wouldn't really make sense for ranboo to suddenly be more confrontational. I know a lot of people are citing the Burr vs Hamilton relationship as parallels in their dynamicI want to remind you that narrative foils are not conflicting in nature. conflict can happen. but the point of them is to highlight the differences in character traits.

likening to burr vs hamilton

burr wanted power but he wanted it to come to him vs hamilton wanting power and actively chasing it

yes this makes sense for wilbur, but it doesnt for ranboo. ranboo doesn't want power. he never has. the reason burr waits on the sidelinesnis cause he is waiting for the chance to act, but ranboo is not waiting for something to happen, in fact he would rather have the exact opposite, for things to be as uneventful as possible.

"Hamilton’s success at the expense of his personal life is countered by Burr’s relative lack of success and his happy family life. Both of these are directly due to the two’s differing goals and approaches to life. Burr and Hamilton are two side of the same coin, opposite results with the same starting conditions."

source

this is exactly what I referenced earlier between the two. ranboo cares about family, wilbur about career. while a lot of their behavior originated from a similar place, their paths rapidly diverged.

hamilton's downfall at burr's hand

i'm gonna be honest i find it extremely hard to believe that a situation will exist where wilbur waits and ranboo acts. however, if one does i still firmly believe it will be revolving around (likely in defense of) the people ranboo loves and cares about, specifically michael, tommy, tubbo. it would be where he is cementing his views of choosing people. but wilbur being hesitant is still difficult for me to think of a scenario on which he would that hesitant? for it to be his downfall?

important to note: ghostbur did also akin ranboo to burr so it is definitely possible that this dynamic is going to countinue to playout in the future

I will shut up now thank you for reading. reminder that this is just my interpretation and analysis, obviously looking at different details could lead to different conclusions. i'm super willing to discuss as long as we are both going to be respectful of each others opinions and courteous <3

#ranboo #wilbur soot #revivebur #long post #also let me know if i need to tw anything else #tw paranoia #tw anxiety #tw death mention

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hishoukoku · 3 years

Note

Heyyyy. I wanted to know how if u know how cql differs from the original story. Which is better? I'm kinda lazy to read and the donghua seemed super rushed to me? The manhua i heard is similar but it doesnt give me the same vibe idk.... maybe it's just me. like even a few pointers about big story changes would help. tyyyyyyy

Heyy,

I wanna start by saying that I do love all adaptations, so I will do my best just to point out the differences without being partial (too much) for certain plot elements.

It's true that the drama is a neat way to experience the story at a slower pace, but it's so because in a TV series scenario it makes perfect sense for everything to be slower and laid out or fed to the viewer. It makes sense to overextend tender and dramatic moments or to take the time and add a bunch of funny hilarious bits.

The donghua however is absolutely amazing and 100% worth watching. The plot advancing quicker than in the drama or the novel actually makes a lot of sense given, well first this is animation. It focuses on what's really important and the way the action scenes are intertwined with the main story elements is absolutely astounding. In an animated medium they did the absolute best to bring this long story to life. Plus the art is absolutely GORGEOUS, down to every frame. I strongly recommend it.

The manhua does follow the novel almost to the letter which is so refreshing to see and it's so rad to read too, plus I like the art style and also no censorship xD

I love them all because they each work in their own way. Bringing the drama slow pace into the donghua wouldn't work at all as well as making CQL shorter and more action packed would look ridiculous.

Personally I think it's rad to watch them all and gain even more knowledge on an amazing story, by consuming the same story in multiple forms of media.I just think it's great to explore all the angles from which the story can be observed.

Onto a few major differences. I believe this list is far from complete, but I tried to jolt down what I could from memory:

-> Basically the main difference would be Wei Wuxian and Lan Wangji uncovering the mystery of Nie Mingjue's death:

In CQL, this was changed from the novel plotline: dismembered arm(+ putting back the dismembered body) of his spirit, to a spirit sword. It ultimately leads to the same epic conclusion as it does in the novel. The culprit is unchanged, just the means to get there and the characters motivations along the way are altered.

-> Another major divergence would be the entire Yi Iron arc and the hunt for Yi Iron pieces, which takes a vast majority of the CQL flashbacks. This isn't present in the novel. The Yi Iron is only important because it practically explains the already existent and yet unpracticed demonic cultivation, which brings me to my next point.

-> In CQL Wei Wuxian is not the actual founder of demonic cultivation. Wei Wuxian still uses demonic cultivation and all his inventions are there, including of course the Stygian Tiger Amulet. The reasoning behind this is the Yi Iron plot I mentioned above, which was something that was uncovered and worshipped in the past and it's a tremendous source of dark energy and power. This leads to the fact that demonic cultivation already exists, despite no one actually using it except for Wei Wuxian (after finding the first piece in the Xuanwu shell).

-> To emphasize more on this, a big part of WWX's morality is altered in CQL. The necromancy part is also heavily downplayed in CQL. We see the same choices being made which inadvertently lead to the same conclusions, but he is always shown as more of a victim of circumstance or there's always a bigger plot at stake, pointing all the blame towards him.

Without going into a character analysis in this arc (because I absolutely adore WWX and I would talk about him for hours) I wanted to point out a few more things on this:

- In CQL he's shown to be in wrong place at the wrong time type of situations, which is sort of downgrading what the original intent behind his character was about.

- I feel like the novel has built WWX to be very self-aware and more realistic and human. He knows exactly where his stands and what his moral compass is the entire time. He blames himself even for stuff out of his control and every decision he ever made no mater how it was perceived as, was all rooted in and filtered through his absolute sense of justice and selflessness. He's aware of his mistakes and assumes responsibility. He's very absolute about the decisions he sticks to and he's extremely intelligent and calculated.

Then again, I'm not blaming CQL per say for altering this, I know every divergence to his character was solely due to censorship (as morality usually is in cdramas), I just wish he'd been given a lot more credit where credit is due, like in the novel. Because he deserves a lot more validation and recognition. Absolving him of everything he ever did is actually a disservice to all the pain he endured and all the work he put into the cause he believes in and simply striving to survive and in the unfair, judgemental cultivation world.

-> The structure of the story is different. The novel, donghua and manhua jump from flashbacks to present time back and forth, while in CQL, episode 3 to episode 33(halfway) are all flashbacks presenting the entire past story arc to you, before returning to the present fully. Again, to have everything laid out in order, works well in a TV series environment.

-> The relationship between WangXian evolves differently. The novel has Wei Wuxian mistakenly concluding that Lan Wangji doesn’t like him, driving a wedge between them after the Nightless City events. This of course, has a beautiful natural progression into romantic relationship, later on after he resurrects.

CQL on the other hand shows Wei Wuxian and Lan Wangji having a very close relationship from the moment they reunite as Wei Wuxian died knowing Lan Wangji cares deeply about him. I believe this to be a bit utopic as, technically without previous explicit romantic affection - censorship -, Wei Wuxian's actions wouldn't normally lead to such an easy transition into them being extremely close, especially for someone as stoic as Lan Wangji. True, Lan Wangji has always believed in Wei Wuxian's sense of integrity and justice and this was prepared beforehand, however it would make even more sense if this was backed, like in the novel, by love as a powerful incentive.

-> Wei Wuxian's reincarnation in Mo Xuanyu's body doesn't cause him to alter his appearance in CQL. This isn't really explained except for subtle hints that Mo Xuanyu took precautions to ensure Wei Wuxian looked like his original self, but ofc we can tell it was done so due to convenience.

In the novel it's clearly stated how Wei Wuxian takes Mo Xuanyu's appearance which makes complete sense to happen after he used the Sacrifice Summon.

This would be about it as main pointers, if you'd like me to go into details for any of them please let me know. Otherwise I feel like this post is already long enough, heheh.

#anon #ishidareplies #god i ramble a lot in every ask #cql #mdzs #the untamed #wangxian #wei wuxian #lan wangji #canon divergence #mdzs meta #?

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kaleidoscopek9 · 3 years

Text

ALRIGHT-

I've had this list of headcannons just sitting in my notes app of my phone and I wanna put it somewhere so 👀

(These are heavily inspired by what I could gather from the skele boys in @bonelyheartsclub! I just threw in a few of my own.)

-----------*

Sans

- Does a LOT of stargazing and has quite a few space-themed knicknacks and clothes in his room. He's got a telescope too!

- Dad jokes. Any time is prime dad joke time. He's never let an opportunity slip past him.

- He's an absolute prank master. You're considered lucky if you happen to avoid the ones he's planted around the house like bombs waiting to go off.

- He's cryptic as fuck. Always giving half-true answers to every question. Occasionally he may slip up and give you a brutally honest response, but that's only with the people he trusts most, and he finds being open to be very difficult.

- He's constantly referencing memes and vine quotes from days of yore. He practically has a database of every meme ever in his head, and he doesnt let it go to waste.

- Cuddling with him is basically a one way ticket to nap-town, and you constantly find yourself waking up to him smooshed against you on the couch after dozing off. For being a skeleton, he is a surprisingly comfortable snuggler.

-----------*

Papyrus

-So much baking and cooking. It's his favorite past time, and the kitchen never smells the same when he's done making whatever he's making in there (it's 12 times out of 10 pasta) And while his cooking may be sub-par, you never say no when he asks you to try his latest dish.

- He's always up to go shopping with you. It never matters where. Malls are his favorite, especially the big grand ones with fountains and huge windows. He makes it a point to bring spare cash because you KNOW he's going to ride the mini marry-go-round even if he can barely fit in the seats.

- You two love to binge watch cooking channels. Always discussing which foods would be the most fun to make, writing down recipies, and having a hell of a time trying to pause the show at the right points to get all the information down.

- Papyrus is notorious for game nights. He's always pulling out boards and cards that you've never heard of before and never starts a game until he's absolutely certain you know the rules. Winning of course, is always his prime goal when it comes to games, but if he senses you're on a particularly rough losing streak, he MAY slip up. Occasionally. Just enough so you can win a game or two. Or five.

-----------*

Blue

- Hyper as all hell. You give him a reasonable dose of sugar or caffeine and he could power an entire city for a few hours without breaking a sweat.

- If he had been in high school, Blue would have been a theater kid. He's always humming a tune from a Broadway show or Disney movie, and he's got a pretty good collection of songs on his brother's Spotify playlist.

- This guy will blast Steven Universe music at full volume he has no shame.

- If you are ever driving somewhere with him, an aux cord is a MUST. Singing in the car is a very frequent thing with you two, and you'll only get out after the song is over.

- He likes cryptids! Mothman is his favorite and he firmly believes he exists somewhere.

- He's your workout buddy. If he manages to drag you to the gym with him, that is.

- Blue hates seeing you down in the dumps, and is always trying to cheer you up with his quirky puns and jokes to get you smiling again.

- He'd be the best motivational poster ever. Whenever he picks up that you're going through a rough spot and falling behind on self-care, he knows just what to say to put the spark back in you again.

-----------*

Stretch

- Radiates goblin energy.

- A goddamn meme lord.

- He's made two or three widely known viral videos and nobody knows it was him.

- You need someone to go to an anime convention with? Stretch is your guy. He's god awful at planning stuff out, but he'll make sure you both have a good time, no matter what happens.

- He's really big into nerd culture, and he DMs for a dungeons and dragons game every week.

- He'll occasionally smoke, but he doesnt have lungs, so he does it more for shits and giggles than anything else.

- As lazy as he seems, he is very reliable. If he knows it's something important to you, he'll get it done. Chores though, he's a lot more iffy with.

- He really likes bees.

-----------*

Red

- Talks big talk, but he's actually a huge softie.

- He's basically a big pillow with sharp teeth that can curse.

- A nervous wreck.

- His brother shops at Hot Topic. He shops at Spencer's. Very convenient.

- He's a pretty big flirt and throws out little compliments and things to butter you up from time to time.

- If you take Red into a Dave and Busters he will win the most expensive prize at the booth in about 2 hours. (He knows how to cheat at every single game)

- He's a competitive gamer, and has a pretty impressive following on Twitch.

- He can go from loud and brash to quiet and insecure in a matter of moments, depending on the situation.

- He loves to bake, although it's something he will never be caught dead doing.

- Comfort is not his strong suit, but he will defend you without a second thought.

- He can be a little clingy and will text you now and again to ask what you're up to, just to ease his mind.

-----------*

Boss

- Professionalism is his game.

- The walking embodiment of Hot Topic.

- He loves to listen to rock and screamo music. He's also got a thing for Disney villain songs.

- You need some punk biker or vampiric goth fashion advice? Boss got ya.

- Skellator Man.

- Out of all the skeletons, Boss has the biggest ego.

- He hates admitting he's wrong. He would rather DIE than admit he's fucked up something.

- "I am not nice-"

- He could kill a man with his high heels.

- If it's got spikes he'll probably wear it.

- Tsundere. Tsundere. Tsundere. Tsundere. Tsu

- Did I mention he's a cold blooded tsundere.

-----------*

Nox

- Small angery man.

- He listens to a lot of classic and instrumental music. He finds it very sophisticated.

- Wakes up obscenely early in the morning. Always followed by a cup of the most bitter coffee on the planet.

- Comes up with the best insults. He could roast someone so hard that they'd dissolve into a pile of soot. He could glare at you and you'd cease to exist. He's that good.

- WILL step on you without remorse.

- Threatens to kill someone on a daily basis.

- Very rarely has spare time for himself. He's always keeping busy doing something.

- Loves dark, dry humor. A child falling off a swing will have him laughing for a good five minutes.

- Has a stone cold poker face.

- He might have a softer side to him. You may never know because of the walls he's built up around him.

-----------*

Rus

- He absolutely adores animals. He volunteers at the local animal shelter and plans on adopting every single dog there.

- Rus has a massive sweet tooth. Donuts are his favorite, and you can easily bribe him with anything sugar coated.

- A road trip master. You put him in a camper and he knows exactly where he's going and what he's doing.

- "Going off grid, fuck yeah- I pull out my credit cards and shred 'em."

- Hiking, camping and geocaching are some of his favorite things to do. He loves to explore the wilderness and it's like he has a built-in compass for finding his way.

- His ideal date is going to a Wal-Mart and causing absolute chaos by riding bikes around and tossing all of the inflatable balls from their displays.

- Cryptidcore energy.

- Rus loves watching Buzzfeed Unsolved and ghost huntings. He's a big fan of Supernatural and Stranger Things, too.

- Stutters and slurs his words a lot. He's got some speech impediments from the gold canines in his mouth.

- A bit lacking when it comes to social skills, but he can be extremely caring and sweet.

-----------*

Ash

- Very soft-spoken and awkward. He doesn't get much social interaction and is still figuring some things out.

- He's very self-aware of the wound in his head. Whenever he has to leave the house he wears some sort of hat to cover it up.

- Practically lives in his garden. He understands plants more than he does human beings, and he spends time daily tending to whatever he's growing.

- Him and his brother are both vegetarians, and the smell or sight of meat makes them both feel sick to themselves.

- Has trouble sleeping due to his reoccurring nightmares. He will often sit in his garden late at night to help calm himself.

- Radiates soft energy. He would absolutely give the best hugs out of all the skeletons.

- Very touch-starved. Physical affection is something he rarely recieves, and he probably lingers with touches a lot longer than he should.

- Unintentionally makes God-teir jokes without realizing it.

----------*

Poplar

- Very well-educated in a lot of things. He really likes stocking up on useless factoids and making up his own just to mess with people.

- He answers Jeopardy questions with concerning accuracy.

- He enjoys going out to eat, and he's always up to try fancy foods.

- He likes photography and reading. He is well into the Harry Potter series.

- Poplar is prepared for anything at any time. A lot of stuff doesnt phase him at all, and it's difficult to catch him off-guard.

- He's willing to try anything new, once.

- Always willing to help out with schoolwork if he thinks you're seriously struggling with it.

- He's always carrying around small planners and notebooks to write in so he can keep track of things.

#long post #headcannons #hc #bhc #bhc headcannons #bonely hearts club #like i said #most of these are from the game #i just have a very specific image of these guys in my head and i wanted to put it down somewhere

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harry-hook-me · 4 years

Note

I love your writing so much so could you do #18 “How long has it been since you’ve slept” from prompt list 2? harry hook x reader where harry is in auradon and is struggling with classes and is staying up late for studying cuz if he fails he'll have to go back to isle and he doesnt want to be separated from (y/n), the nothing like Audrey, daughter of sleeping beauty. and he's constantly drinking coffee and energy drinks and (y/n) notices, and he just blacks out in front of her from stress/tired?

The sleepless pirate

Writer - @harry-hook-me (myself)

Request – @descendantofthesparrow

Prompt - #18 “How long has it been since you’ve slept” List 2

Summary – Harry has been struggling with classes and has been losing on a lot of sleep to try and study, y/n, daughter of sleeping beauty, helps Harry with his studying and makes sure he gets some sleep.

Disclaimer - I do not own any of the Descendants characters or scenes from the movies, all credits goes to the creators and producers of Disneys descendants.

Warnings – Some swearing and sleep deprivation

AN- second post in a week, look at me go! I, going to try and write all requested I have at the moment during lock down. Requests will only open again once their all done so please don’t send in requests at the moment! – Lou xo

Word count – 1722

I'm y/n, the second daughter of Aurora, also known as sleeping beauty. Unlike my sister Audrey, I’m a lot less ‘princessey’. I don’t consider myself selfish, unlike her, I’d care more for others happiness and health than my own.

Harry has been in Auradon now for six month, since he’s been here, him and I have become extremely close. The son of the infamous Captain Hook came to Auradon with his two crew mates, Uma, daughter of Ursula the sea witch and Gil the son of Gaston. The first time I met the pirate, I was in my English literature class, he sat next to me and from that day we became a lot closer and very quickly after meeting became friends.

“So have you ever told him how you feel?” Jaydan asks, the son of princess Jasmin. “I’ve not, and I don’t plan on it” I reply standing up from my seat and rolling my eyes at my best friends question. “Why not! Y/n I’m sure he feels the same way, he act so different around you, he looks at you different to everyone else. I honestly thinks he like you y/n” Esmay adds, daughter of Esméralda. I chuckle and shake my head at her statement, “you my friend are obsessed with the idea of love” I reply to her. “What can I say, I’m a hopeless romantic” she says back, holing her hand out and leaning back I her seat. I sigh and place my hands onto my hips.

I stroll down the hallways of Auradon prep, cradling a stack of books in my arms and heading too my English Literature class. Upon my arrival into the classroom, I take my usual seat and get my books ready. Harry enters the room shortly after myself, he takes his seat next to me; he looks awful, dark circles around his eyes, messy hair, like he’d not slept for weeks. “Harry? Are you okay?” I asked concerned for the pirate. He looks up at me and smiles lightly, “mhum” he replies, looking half asleep. I place a hand on his forearm, “how long has it been since you’ve slept?” I asked, worry probably clear on my face. “Two days ago” harry replies with a yawn. I look at him wide eyed. Class began and I turned to face the front. What was happening with harry, I kept going over it in my head, not giving my full attention to what the teacher was talking about.

As the lessons ended, I gathered my books and tossed my bag over my shoulder and headed out the door. I jogged up to harry and grabbed his arm, “hey, why haven’t you been sleeping? Do you want to go for a chat?” I asked him, the dark haired boy nodded in response, I nodded back and began making my way outside to the courtyard.

I take a seat on a picnic bench near a tall willow tree in the courtyard, harry sits in front of me. “Right, why haven’t you been sleeping, is there something on you mind?” I ask him, looking deeply into his beautiful blue eyes, he’s so intriguing, and I feel like I just want to know everything about him. The pirate sighs deeply, shaking his head slightly and placing a ring covered hand on top of mine which is placed on the table. “I’m failing” he begins, “I’m failing every single fucking one of my classed” he adds clearly frustrated and exhausted. “Y/n, they’ve told me that if I don’t pick up my grades soon their going to send me back to the isle” he continues, his voice slightly braking as he reaches the end of the sentence. “That’s why I’m not sleeping, I’ve been studying nonstop, but I just don’t get it. I don’t understand any of it! And I’m fucking scared y/n” he looks up at me, his eyes glazing over, “I-I can’t go back there” he looks down into his lap again shaking his head. I’m shocked, I place my other hand on top of the hand he has placed on mine. “hey, hey, look at me” I start, he looks up, eyes red, sweet boy, he looks exhausted, drained, the usual cheekiness and life to him is nowhere to be seen. “I’m going to help you okay, I’m going to help you study, help you to understand. I won’t let you go back okay, I won’t let you.” I began feeling emotional myself. “I’m going to come over to your dorm tonight at six, I’ll bring all my books and notes and we can study, and I’m going to make sure you sleep. And I’m dam well going to make sure that your staying here.” He nods in return. “Thank you” he whispers, smiling at me.

I arrive at Harry’s dorm at bang on six, carrying a large stack of books in my arms and notes filled my backpack. I gently kicked the door rather than nocking as I had no hands free to do so. The door opens to reveal a still tired looking harry. “Hey” he said to me, “let me help you with these” he added taking the large stack of books off of be effortlessly. “Thank you” I replied and walked into the dorm as harry stepped out of the way of the door, closing it behind me. I look around the room, empty cans of energy drinks and empty coffee cups littered the place, I gasped lightly at the sight, my poor harry. “Gil’s staying with Carlos and Jay tonight so we’ve got the room to ourselves” he snapped me out of my thoughts, I nodded in return. “So where shall we start?” he asked, taking a seat by the window, “physics?” I suggested, harry responded with a nod, I pulled out all my physics notes and joined harry at his seat by the window.

I was awoken by the bright light of the sun shining through the window, but I wasn’t in my usual bed in my room, instead I was lay on the same seat me and harry had been studying last night. The pair of us must have fallen asleep together, the still peacefully sleeping pirate was underneath me, my head lay on his chest, one of his arms wrapped around my body, I hear is heart beat and his steady breathing. I smile, breathing in and taking in his scent. The boy stirs, one eye and then the other opens, squinting due to the light. Harry looks down at me and smiles, the boy chuckles slightly and I feel his chest move up and down, I smile in return. “Well, good morning” harry says. I sit up and giggle, “sorry, I-I didn’t mean to, stay over” I chuckle. Standing up and stretching. “It’s okay, to be honest, that was the best night sleep I’ve had in a long time.” Harry admits, blushing slightly. I smile and look to the ground. Harry stands and walks towards me “thank you” he adds.

I’d been helping harry with studying for two weeks now, and he’s been getting on very well. It’s the week of exams and Harry was starting to stress. “but-but, y/n, what if I get it all wrong, what of I go in there and my mind goes blank, w-what if…” harry panics as we stand outside of out English literature class before the test “hey, harry, it okay, it’s okay” I cut off harry and place my hands on his panicked cheeks. “You’ve worked so hard, we’ve gone over everything. You’ve been sleeping so much better. I promise you, you’re going to be absolutely fine” I look the pirate right in his ocean eyes and smile, trying to calm his nerves. He places and hand on one of my arms, closes his eyes and sighed, I stroked his cheek with my thumb and the pirate smiles the most precious smile. He pulls me into a warm, tight hug. “You’ll be okay” I whispered to him.

The day had come to find out what grades we’d got in our tests. I was sat on my bed reading when a loud and continues knock came from my door and pulled me from my concentration, I walked over to the door and opened it, a very smiley and very fidgety Harry Hook. “Hi!” I giggle with a smile. He waves an envelope around, and hops into my room. Harry hands me the white, half ripped open envelope and I take out letter inside, reading it. “You’ve passed every single class!” I cheer jumping in excitement and pride. I practically jump into Harrys arms and he picks me up and spins me “Harry! I’m proud of you, I knew you’d do it! I knew it!” I cheer. He puts me down and I smile brightly at him. “I couldn’t have done any of this without you, y/n” he returned the bright smile back to me, placing a soft hand gently on my cheek. “If I didn’t have you, I’d be back on the isle by now!” he adds, “thank you!”. I hold on to the arm connected to the hand he has places on my cheek. “You had it all in you harry, you don’t realise how smart you are! It was all you” I looked up at the handsome pirate, eyes locking in a deep gaze.

Harry slowly brings himself closer towards me, I feel his breath on my face, taking in all his facial features; his crystal blue eyes, chiselled cheek bones and jaw line, his lips. Before I knew it, harry pressed his lips against mine, I swiftly wrapped my arms around his neck as he wrapped his around my waist, slightly pulling me up to stand on my tip toes. His lips feel warm, comforting. He pulls away, resting his forehead on mine, looking deep into my eyes once again. “I-I like you, a lot, y/n” he stuttered. I smile “I like you too harry, a lot” I giggle in return. The widest smile appears on his face, two deep dimples emerging on his cheeks. He closes his eyes and sighs what seems to be a sigh of relief. “Be mine?” he asks, so calmly. “I already was” I giggle in return before he connects out lips, once again.

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make-your-own-evil · 1 year

Note

hello could I request some yandere capullo riddler headcanons?

anon, im going to kiss you on the mouth for requesting my very first riddler ask. YES of course you can have some headcanons

note: feel free to reblog my work! just give credit where credit is due :)

70s dad riddler yandere headcanons coming right up!

TW: kidnapping, general violence, light misogyny though reader is gn

Yandere!Capullo!Riddler Headcanons

have you ever watched Labyrinth?

i make the connection because you will be kidnapped by a narcissistic freak who will put you through numerous 'tests' and 'challenges'

i feel like the typical standard for any riddler to have an obsession is that the object of their desires is also highly intelligent, though i also feel like with capullo riddler you would also have to be as physically attractive as him, in his opinion. think of gaston, but skinnier, socially awkward and highly intelligent

youre probably someone in a position of power. maybe youre an official, a detective, in forensics, etc. his initial goal is to embarrass you. he is back to his old tricks setting up some elaborate challenges. see? youre not as smart as you thought you - wait, you solved it?

the great riddler will not be bested by some lowly city imbecile!

his need to be better than everyone, including you, starts this game. he presents you will increasingly harder and more demanding challenges. at one point you probably have a bomb strapped to you.

the more puzzles and riddles you solve, the more he looks forward to these encounters. he eventually thinks that it may be because he's a loner and humans are naturally very social creatures, but this is dismissed quickly

he's not just a human! he's not like anyone else! he is the great edward nygma! the riddler!

then he finds himself making careless mistakes in everything he does. this should make him furious! it should...

suddenly, being captured isnt as bad anymore, he gets to see his 'game partner' as he's being booked in! you! he thinks nothing of this. just a little banter with someone who is almost as intelligent as himself

"ah, detective L/N! looking as sharp as ever! what did you think of our last game? ha, that hardly matters. its our next game that you should look forward to! imagine this..."

he is delusional in thinking that you enjoy his trials. you SOLVE them, because your life kind of depends on it. but this only spurs him on to make more! oh how you exhaust him. he slows down his intellectual assault on gotham and shifts more towards proving that you cannot possibly compare to him.

he's more so trying to reassure himself that he's the greatest

eventually one of the other rogues points this 'obsession' out to him as he's babbling about his next challenge for you (probably selina since she sees every opportunity to tease him)

"you know, ed, if i didnt know any better i would think that the 'great riddler' has a bit of a crush" followed by snickers and "woos!"

his face turns hot and red. this only spurs on the others more! for the first time, he doesnt know what to say. his mind is racing with explanations and excuses, but no words come out

he has been embarrassed before and it crushes him. he? the riddler? have feelings for you?

the more he sulks and ponders, the more he fears that it may be true. the sleepless nights wondering how you've solved everything. his giddiness when he sees his favorite player. the way his heart races when he speaks to you... the anger he feels when you speak to someone who isnt him. the jealousy of seeing you interact with the other rogues. the dejectedness of your disinterested attitude towards him

theres only one rational solution in his mind... to kidnap you!

you enjoy your time with him dont you? dont you hate sharing a city with knuckle-dragging baboons? dont you hate being surrounded by millions of people who dont see you for what you truly are?? a genius... just like him

his end goal is to convince you that you two really arent that dissimilar, that you are alike in more ways that you can comprehend. that you need him with you! like he needs you with him

his darling Y/N just needs a strong, intelligent man such as he to SHOW them that they would be best suited together.... no matter how long it takes, how many puzzles they go through and how many people will be exterminated if they get in the way

"my dearest, surely someone as intellectually gifted as you can understand? we are two of the same. you need me ~"

#greg capullo #capullo riddler #greg capullo riddler #zero year riddler #zero year riddler x reader #capullo riddler x reader #capullo riddler headcanons #zero year riddler headcanons #yandere riddler #yandere riddler x reader #yandere capullo riddler #riddler headcanon #riddler headcanons #edward nygma #the riddler #tw kidnap mention

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dyketectivecomics · 3 years

Note

is War Games (specifically steph being fired/stealing bruce's plans and Dying) gonna exist in ur RR au?

This is very much a ‘Yes and No’ kinda answer! I’m mix and matching a LOT of events/motivations for each of the robins. So yes, some form of War Games is going to exist, but no, it’s not quite going to effect Steph specifically? Lemme explain:

(Under a Cut for Spoilers to my RR au, and also bc Long and Rambly lmao)

Mostly I’m aiming to do some event swapping bc I like the idea of some of these events being given to their respective ‘reversed’ robins? So like, Dick n Duke’s relationships with the fam & esp with Bruce are going to be flipped bc it feels like the logical progression for someone who’s been with Bruce for the longest vs someone who’s relatively new (which is also why im considering doing a “We Are The Flock” type thing for Dick to parallel the “We Are Robin” movement. but thats neither here nor there).

So we’ve got Babs n Harper as logical swaps ofc, and so are Damian and Jason (altho for them, their backstories are so different that it doesnt allow for as much swapping in quite the same way). And you might be thinking “But randy, you’re not swapping Tim and Steph/whoever in the same way? what gives?” and yeah, youre right, im not. But that’s bc Jason and Steph... have always felt like much clearer parallels to me *shrug*

They’re the ones who get some more arc sharing. thems the breaks. my version of the AU, my rules.

The War Games arc (specifically with stealing a contingency plan into motion in an Effort to Prove™ oneself) is gonna mostly be shuffled over to Jason now. I’ve decided to commit to making Jason take up the Rook mantle regardless of what Tim chooses (or maybe even in spite of him haha) and the more I was thinking abt especially Cass and Jason’s new dynamic, and the idea of her underestimating him/goading him (as siblings do)... the more I liked the idea of Jason having a BIG chip on his shoulder and putting War Games into affect to Prove himself to the rest of the fam. That he Is just as Smart and Cunning and Capable as the rest of them. (& it having the disastrous results we all very well expect)

And from there, that’s where Im gonna do a slight merging of the Under the Hood arc alongside War Games (altho Steph isnt going to be donning a Red Hood costume. she’s gettin :) something else)

As far as steph’s death tho, I want it to moreso be a parallel to Damian’s death. A sacrifice in an effort to protect others. Bc ultimately that WAS what damian was doing. he was capable of holding his own in a fight. I do think he could have held Heretic off... but there were people there he needed to protect. And that was what made his death so tragic, and had such an impact. That Growth™ he had before it. So imagine some of that tragedy for steph, but this time, its in the direction of “she had been doing so well and Bruce was giving her credit where it was rightfully due, despite his protestations when she had first started”... only for her to realize in a moments notice, that the Only Way to save the day, is through that ultimate sacrifice.

I want to be clear that I dont blame any of the Robins for their own deaths, its a decision of the authors/editorial. But I do like a Good death much more than a shocking one. I ultimately accept a death in fiction much more easily if the characters have some form of choice in the matter. Esp when that choice is a sacrificial one. (which is why I think Jason and Damian’s deaths hit so hard, where Jason was doing all he could to save his mom, and Dami was protecting civilians in the area, whereas Steph’s (who had no choice in being tortured and unable to save herself in time) is called into question much more often, even tho, the same as Jason and Damian, she was intended to stay dead. that and her not dying “in costume”, which bothers the HELL outta me. like... her LAST CONVERSATION WITH BRUCE was him AFFIRMING that she was Robin! ppl who dont count her as a Dead Robin bother the FUCK outta me. i cant fdsajkl;)

Anyways, that’s kinda OFF topic. Back On: I do still want her to die more or less at Black Mask’s hands tho. We gotta keep SOME consistency. And esp bc I’ve got Plans™ for how its all gonna come back around full circle for when Steph comes back to Gotham. Her being killed in a gang war, and then being a Dramatic Bitch™ and coming back in the middle of another one... just really hits me in all the right ways too lmao

(oh also side note, i know i said jason wasnt gonna die in his search for his mom and same here. jason gets ONE universe where he DOESNT DIE thanks fjkdasl)

#stephanie brown #jason todd #reverse robins au #asked and answered #anonymous asks #alright. gonna go to work before the rain sets in YALL WISH ME LUCK

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leafy-wings · 3 years

Note

How about Moonwatcher for the ask meme?

for this ask meme!

Sexuality Headcanon: i really want lesbian moonwatcher. bi moonwatcher would be fine also i suppose Gender Headcanon: trans gend A ship I have with said character: IDK i like moonwatcher x kinkajou just out of obligation to like gay people i think... i wish kinkajous nightwing based trauma was dealt with more, as ive said before i dont really think that relationships born of trauma are good so in that case i dont think that they should be together? but i just like. when they are happy and peppy and worried over each other but kinkajou gets moon out of her shell without judging her, and moons giddy enough she rides kinkajous energy. if anyone has any other wlw moon ships id love to hear them A BROTP I have with said character: i think.. moonwatcher and peril shouldve been friends more. like if peril got mind reading protection and they could bond over people thinking that theyre inherently evil due to their powers, but like. peril has more reason to be seen as dangerous idk. actually maybe they wouldnt mesh well i feel like peril would be like “(envious) theres no reason why people should be so afraid of you about equal as people are afraid of me, ms Fire Claws when all you can do is be anxious”. or like turtle more. i like that theyre anxious in the way that being around each other calms them down A NOTP I have with said character: i really dont like winter and moonwatcher. tui herself said that she was writing him as the bad boy cliche and yeah just like tui i dont think that the nice traumatized girl should stoop down and coddle someone who has never been nice to her. and like i know winter FEELS bad about what hes done but.. just.. moonwatcher is manipulated by darkstalker, basically gaslit by him, lied to constantly about what hes done and what hes doing. she DOESNT know what hes caused the plague and defends him because shes so desperate, shes been lonely her entire life until meeting darkstalker and with everyone being so mean to her still obviously shes terrified of losing the only true friend whos understood her and not been afraid of her powers. but winter screams at her and just never.. never apologizes. like winterwatcher supporters are like “moon shouldve coddled him while he was physically attacking his friend who was trying to help him! but no winter shouldnt have helped her even a bit while being horrifically manipulated by an older stronger and more powerful dragon. just let her deal with that herself.” i really think that wof gives too much credit to people who hate getting better and i am terrified of it influencing children into thinking that those around them should cater to them 24/7 and to extreme extents without offering anything in return because yes mental illness and trauma can ruin your attempts to get better but man. winter really doesnt try and moon tries FOR him. and winter doesnt really apologize to moon as far as i can tell, he goes to the war and then goes straight to sanctuary and they only meet again in tdg where they dont apologize IIRC. not like i hate winter, i wish he got better and got the help he deserved FROM THE RIGHT DRAGON, and the right dragon was not a heavily traumatized and isolated 4 year old who really doesnt know winter A random headcanon: i like imagining moon with cute simple jewelry! like string and beads kinda jewelry made by her friends, strung on her horns or little impromptu earrings and stuff. you can kinda tell who made what, like turtle gets her more expensive but simple jewelry (like a single silver band with one shining gemstone on it), kinkajou hand makes kitschy bead jewelry (like plur rave kinda shit <3), qibli likes making little decos like clay strawberry earrings, winter insists upon expensive jewelry but after moon refuses a bunch of time he starts making fake shiny things like glass beads jewelry. General Opinion over said character: i like moon! i know some people say shes annoying but, man.. i just like her, i sympathize w her as someone with psychosis, i love characters who think theyre in danger 24/7. she deserves way better, she got the usual “out of pov” treatment all main characters get where they become their one character trait as soon as the pov is off of them, and becomes boring and yes a bit annoying out of her perspective. i hate how thoroughly shes beat down throughout the books, she seriously just becomes a sponge for people to scream at and she never calls them out on it, just cringes. i think she has a lot of potential that was used well in book 6 but squandered.. and yeah i think its weird that such a powerful pov was given to the first book of the second arc, everythings way too revealing w moon and i hate how integral her stupid love triangle is to her character. i wish more people focused on her trauma, she was ENTIRELY alone until she was 4! imagine how awful she must be in social situations (tui just acts like she Gets it after four years all alone except for her mom? id love imagining her a bit too clingy, like shes used to physical attention from her mother and doesnt get that friends usually keep their distant, or only ever understanding nightwing terminology and NEVER having heard of other tribes idioms, imagine how absolutely different she must feel.. i know her book is about it but she gets over it REALLY easily as shes under pressure from darkstalker and scarlet). overall i think shed be better if she was given any breathing room but confined to the plot her character falls flat a bit.. i love her still! shes cute and sweet and i feel bad for her

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