Pairing: Peacekeeper!Coriolanus snow x female!reader
Warnings: cursing, mentions of blood, injuries, fighting but nothing too descriptive, alcohol consumption. use of she/her pronouns.
WC: 2.2K
Summary: An injured Coriolanus arrives at your door in the middle of the night.
AN: Here it finally is. Sorry for not posting sooner. This is my last ever semester of college and I’ve been quite busy. Hope you enjoy! <3 Let’s pretend the events of part 3 of tbsosas don’t happen. Sejanus is still alive, Lucy Gray is not a mystery. Coryo actually likes his life in District 12.
Masterlist
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Moving to District 12 was not as bad as Coriolanus had expected it. Sure, he asked to be sent to twelve to be closer to Lucy Gray. But he did not expect to encounter you instead. You were a pure soul, the sunshine on a cloudy day. The first time he saw you, it was like love at first sight. You were only helping an older lady in the market, but he was captivated by you. Since that moment, Lucy Gray had left his mind, only being occupied by you.
Sejanus had noticed Coryo's gaze. He knew his friend was infatuated. And it certainly took a lot of convincing and courage for Coryo to talk to you.
"You should go and talk to her. I can see that lovestruck gaze from a mile away."
"I don't know Sejanus. What if I make a fool of myself in front of her?"
"Coriolanus Snow, you are the smartest guy I know. I assure you, everything will go smoothly. Now go."
And he did. He walked over towards you without an idea of what to say. Nor even how to talk to you. But he did, and he was glad Sejanus made him go. Meeting you was the start of something that would become more.
His visits to the market became frequent. He would buy stuff, but the main reason was to see you. Eventually, both of you started a small friendship, oblivious to the lingering feelings both had for each other.
“Hi Sir, what brings you in today?”
“You know I don’t like it when you call me Sir. Coryo is just fine.”
A chuckle left your lips. “I know. I am just trying to be professional. I take it you are here for those apples from last time.”
“They are delicious, what can I say?” He took a bite from an apple, giving you a wink. The blush creeping on your cheeks made him smile. “Are you free tonight? I heard The Covey are performing.”
"Why? Are you going to ask me on a date?"
"Actually, yes. I have been finding the courage to do it recently." He confessed. And it was true. You made him nervous, something he never really felt before.
“Coriolanus Snow, a peacekeeper, needing to find courage? I don’t believe you.”
“Well, when you have the most beautiful woman in front of you, it’s easy to get nervous.”
“That was smooth.” A giggle escaped you. Compliments towards you were a rare thing. But you could not lie. It made you feel something. You have been waiting for him to ask you out for a while. “I would love to go with you…” You hesitated.
“But?”
“But not tonight. I am sorry Coryo.”
You moved to help a client with their products, leaving Coriolanus there. He was confused as to why you had said no. He waited until the client left and walked to you again.
“Can I have a reason why? You seemed happy about it.”
“Believe me Coryo, I am happy. I have been waiting for you to ask me. But not tonight. My grandma has been ill for the last few days. And I need to take care of her.” You explained.
And it was true. It had been a hard few days. You had been working because you made a deal with your cousin. He agreed to take care of her only if you give him a percentage of the earnings you gained at the market. Earnings that he would get drunk on, no less. But it was something, at least.
“But you should go still! Enjoy a nice evening with Sejanus and the rest of the boys. We will have our date at another time. I promise.”
He delicately placed his hand under your chin, gently lifting your face. His gaze lingered on you, admiring your beauty. "I will hold on to that promise." His lips met your cheek, placing a soft kiss before he walked away, leaving you there, a blushing mess.
***
The Hob was crowded. It was mostly district men and Peacekeepers everywhere. They were there to get drunk, dance, or find a woman for the night. And Coryo was glad you were not there with him. For some reason, the place felt tense tonight, as if something were to happen.
Coryo and Sejanus sat down just as Maude Ivory came to the mic to introduce Lucy Gray. Everyone erupted in cheers the moment she came on stage. It was clear everyone loved her. It made Coriolanus proud. Cheating on the games might have gotten him to be a Peacekeeper but he did not regret it. Lucy Gray was back where she belonged.
"Good Night, everybody! I hope everyone is having a good time. We are The Covey! Now grab a drink, grab your partner, dance, and enjoy."
The music started. Everyone started dancing. The Covey brought a joy that made people forget about their problems; life in District 12 was good, and nothing else mattered. Coryo and Sejanus were drinking and enjoying the music until they didn't.
Billy Taupe, Lucy Gray ex-boyfriend, walked in. He was drunk, ignoring Mayfair, the Majors daughter, who was trailing behind him. They were arguing. She was questioning him, while he just ignored her. And it continued until Billy Taupe reached the stage where Lucy Gray was. He tried to touch Lucy Gray when Mayfair stopped him. This action made Billy push Mayfair away, causing chaos to erupt.
Men started picking fights while others started circling Billy, clearly mad at what he did. Instead, he ignored them, going back for Lucy Gray. And then, a sudden punch landed on his face. It was Coriolanus. He had been watching the scene unfold carefully. His feet took him there without processing what was happening. He wanted to protect Lucy Gray. Billy's fist landed on Coryo's nose, making him stumble. He had surprisingly hit back even in his drunken state. Coryo felt a rush of blood fall from his nostrils. The faint taste of blood on his lip let him know he also had a cut. This just made Coryo's fists land back on Billy's face. Three consecutive punches landed on his face until someone pulled back Coryo. It was Sejanus.
"Let's go Coriolanus. We cannot get in trouble." And so they ran, leaving the place. Once they were far enough from The Hob, they stopped running. Finally catching their breath, a laugh escaped both of them.
“Who would have thought I had to save your ass this time? Billy got you pretty badly.”
"Fuck off." A chuckle left Coryo, reminiscing back how he was the one to save Sejanus during the games. “I guess we are even now.”
The blood had started to dry. His face was hurting. He could not go back to the barracks in that state. They would question what had happened, and Coryo didn’t want anyone to know. He also didn't want to create more chaos. He had hoped that if other peacekeepers saw him, they would cover-up. Or that maybe they were too drunk to remember what had happened.
“I cannot go back like this, Sejanus. I don’t want them asking questions.”
“And where are you going to go? We can come up with something and lie. Tell them you stumbled over something and fell.”
Sejanus was right. They could make up a lie and get over with it. But something in Coriolanus did not want to do that. “I don’t want to lie this time. Cover for me. Tell them I'm not feeling well, that I went to sleep early. I don’t know.”
“And where are you going?”
“I think you have a clear idea.”
***
It was probably past midnight. Your grandma was fast asleep in her room. You, on the other hand, tried to sleep. Something did not feel right, as if something had gone wrong. Your cousin was somewhere doing who knows what, and you hoped he was not in trouble.
A sudden knock on the front door startled you. Confusion took over you, wondering who might be at this time of the night. You put on your nightrobe and took careful steps to the front door. While preparing for the worst, your mind drifted to your cousin. There was the possibility of him getting taken by a peacekeeper for causing trouble. However, when you opened the door, you were surprised by what you saw.
Coryo stood in front of your door. Blood dried up on both his nose and lips. His nose already had a bruise forming. His bottom lip had a cut on it.
“Coryo? Oh god, what happened?! Get inside.”
Doing as told, he entered. Your home was lovely for what it was. He had seen you outside a few times and even greeted you once, so he knew by now where you lived. He followed you carefully towards your bedroom, mindful of your sleeping grandma.
Your mind was going through every possible scenario. Something had gone down at The Hob. Part of you also wondered if your cousin was behind it. Coryo sat in your bed after you told him to. He waited until you came back with some medical supplies. It was limited. You would only use them if they were necessary. Not that Coryo needed a lot of it, to be honest.
“This is not a lot but is going to make you look better. Now, tell me what happened.”
And so he did. He told you everything from the beginning. What Billy Taupe did to Mayfair, what he tried to do with Lucy Gray, and how Coryo got there before Billy tried something.
“I am happy you defended Lucy Gray. That guy is an ass. I hate that my cousin is friends with him. And I bet that is why my cousin is the way he is. Though I am not thrilled he got his fists on your gorgeous face.”
A hiss left Coryo's lips at the sudden contact with the alcohol.
“Sorry. I should’ve mentioned it was going to sting a bit.”
“Don’t worry, angel.”
Coryo was entranced with you. The candle illuminating the room made you look so angelic. He could not believe that such beauty stood in front of him. He had no doubts. He was falling in love with you. You noticed his gaze on you. Those blue eyes of his filled with love and admiration for you. Your heart was racing just by being so close to him. It felt intimate. And it did not help the growing feelings for him. You were also falling in love.
“And done. You are all better now. ”
You were about to leave and put the medical supplies back when Coryo's hand grabbed yours, stopping you.
"Coryo, what are you-" Your breath hitched as Coryo placed a small kiss in the palm of your hand. Your heart started racing at the action, so sweet and so delicate.
"Thank you, angel."
"Anytime. I'll take care of you whenever you need me to."
Coryo got on his feet and stood in front of you. He pulled you closer to him, leaving little to no space between the both of you. It was as if time stopped. There, in your small room, your eyes never left each other. Slowly, his hand took hold of your cheek, softly caressing it with his thumb. His gaze lingered on your lips. He needed to kiss you.
"Can I kiss you, love?"
Too entranced by him to utter a word, you just nodded yes. Warmth blossomed in your chest, and butterflies fluttered in your stomach. You could feel your heart pumping as he closed his eyes and leaned in. His other hand went to your cheek while yours rested on his shoulders. Coryo's lips caught yours in a soft kiss at first, and it did not take long before you kissed back. You felt giddy. You had wanted to kiss him for so long, and it was finally happening. His lips were soft against yours. It was electrifying. Your lips parted slightly, allowing him to slip his tongue. The soft kiss soon turned hungry. Coryo could not get enough of you. Your lips were too addictive. Needing a moment to catch their breath, they ended the kiss in a delicate one. He leaned his forehead against yours, a big grin on his face.
"I wanted to kiss you for so long. I really like you." He confessed, and it was true. He felt things for you he hadn't felt before. And it was scary yet exciting.
"Want to know a secret? I am happy you did. I wanted to kiss you too, Coryo." You took his hand still on your cheek and pressed your lips against it. " I really like you too. I have for a while."
And there you were, smiling at each other, happy that feelings were mutual. Coryo leaned in again until his lips brushed yours in a soft kiss. He wanted to kiss you all night long and even stay the night, but he couldn’t. At least not yet.
"I need to go now, and sneak in but about that date... you still own me one."
A giggle escaped from you. "I know I do. I did not forget. How about you and me, tomorrow at the lake at four o'clock?"
You and your tribe are patsies. For promotion he puts a hands are her. They both are doing what they are paid to do, to sell a show the fans are angry with, canceling subscriptions and you eat it up. Meanwhile he's going to clean up the van accounts from you lonely women who believe make believe is real. He started out at 18 as a hustler and con, it's his artistry and talent. She's a good friend for helping him, but it helps promote her career too and support her family.
Dear 'Van Account' Anon,
Why are you so nervous? Are you miserable? Bored? 🎵 Lonesome tonight 🎵?
Drunk? Seriously: 'van account'? It's bank account, you dumbass, and you know my tolerance for illiterates borders 0 and you still come here with the same bullshit, every single time These Two somehow manage to prove your shitty narrative wrong.
Not that I ever post Anons in your silly corner of this fandom, but I don't think going to someone's parlor, putting your feet on the person's coffee table and start yelling at them is a very clever move.
FYI, I have not spent a dime on OL /*** subscriptions: we have it on our European Netflix bundle. I never went to cons, never bought the dolls and only bought all those ebooks, which does not strike me as extravagant, at all.
He started at 18 as a theatre usher and a cyber cafe employee. He was raised with great dignity by a single mother, in a rather difficult financial situation. You twisting these FACTS shows me how petty and sad you are as a person, Anon.
too many of you guys think nico is the loser and not lewis for letting the divorce go on for so long. like they're both losers about each other. emotionally constipated idiots who can't talk about their toxic homoerotic friendship that imploded on itself like 8 years ago and are now making it everyone else's problem. yeah nico's on television or in beer gardens talking about lewis all the time but like every other month some reporter is like "lewis, what's your favorite moment in your career?" and lewis no hesitation is like "oh man, karting, y'know? everything was simpler then" and then spends another six months skirting around nico's name. like this whole thing they're doing in the media isn't some kinda extended foreplay for them. they're both still pressing on the bruise to make sure it's still there!!! every few months, they're literally just asking on public television, does it still hurt for you like it does for me? and like clockwork, someone will release new information about them or one of them will say something about each other (in my heart, he's still my best friend/yes... and teammate) and the answer will remain the same, yes, of course, always.
so, kyotag, your super honest opinion about bsd characters please (aka, who is your fave and who is your least fave. i promise, i am not trying to get you 'cancelled', i am just curious!) 🎤
Ever since I've gotten this ask I've been trembling, I don't think I can ever give bsd honest opinions for the sake of my own future mental sanity LMAO. The upside is, I can talk plenty of the characters I like!!
My favourite character is Kenji! For real, ahah. I'm just always drawn to characters that are just... Good. little guys only trying to do their best and be kind. I suppose there's also a factor of “that's who I want to be” that makes me like them in particular. I don't like the direction they went for Kenji's character in chapter 100.5, but really? I wasn't particularly let down by it either, like it's so fundamentally coherent with the worldview bsd expresses, if anything it was chapter 13 that was out of the scheme. I'm a professional canon ignorer at this point and I'll keep doing just that ahah.
↑ Saw this scene for the first time in the anime, went “Slay! Communist king!”, and he's been my favourite ever since lol.
Although, if we count in Beast, then my favourite character overall must be Beast Atsushi. I mean, have you seen him... Most fucked up guy ever. He went through unimaginable trauma and he still kept being so soft at his core. He just wants to live but everyone is making it so hard for him. He cares for Kyouka so much and he cares for Dazai so much and (to me) he cares for Akutagawa so much like little traumatized boy how did you manage to save all that love in you despite the Horrors. I can't put in words how much I love him but really he's the only character I can say I really sympathize with, like, I want good things to happen to him. I want him to spend the rest of his life coddled and adored.
I love all the female characters <3 I ADORE Kyouka, I think among the other female characters she's the most multilayered and complex character with a structured and compelling story arc. I think she's seriously nice, I really love this stark contrast between her sharp, cynical side and her side that is so sweet and kind and so utterly 14 y/o, and I love how these two sides aren't really in conflict but just come to be together and make her so authentically Kyouka. She's so dear to me. Also, she's the only female character who can compete with the s.kk / ss.kk four for the role of main character, so like, I'm rooting for her ahah.
I adore Yosano for self-explanatory reasons lmao. The chapters of her backstory may not be my absolute favourites for a mere matter of personal taste but I definitely think they make for the best written chapters in the whole manga. I really like how sensitive she is of others' suffering, I think she's amazing– I think her compassion is truly amazing. I want to read more stories of unapologetically compassionate characters. I also generally really really love “older sister” kind of characters!!
I love Kouyou with all I've got. I'm sorry, I genuinely think her story was this good on mistake, but still. I think her backstory makes her genuinely intriguing, I think she's extremely cool and powerful and a joy to see in action, I think toxic mother / daughter relationships are super fun to explore, I think she deserves so much more spotlight and should be back as soon as possible.
I love Mitchell lmao. Like I know it may not look like it but I truly think about her 24/7. I just love women that are kinda silly and over the top. She's got like four lines and every single one is a gem and I adore all of them. She's got those big evident flaws and they make her so human and likeable!!! She's my best friend. Not to mention how loyal she is and how much she cares about her family, I really like those traits of her. Oh, and gowns! I love love love gowns.
Okay but seriously I love all female characters. I didn't like Lucy in particular at the start but she's really grown on me and now I adore her with everything. Wells is spectacular and I need her back as soon as possible. Every woman I didn't mention, from Higuchi to Egawa, believe me I love with all my heart.
I went off a tangent I'm so sorry </3 I know you asked for one character, but how can I not mention the others??? It's just been so long for me in the fandom now and I just can't but grow attached. And I've got so much untapped love for women I never get to talk about on my silly blog that focuses on two men. Following up the list, would be Akutagawa. And I don't want to talk about him because I suppose there's no need to after having made one trillion posts about him but also can I just say? I like him for the same exact reasons I like Kenji. She's just a guy trying to be good. The difference is that he sucks so bad at it, and it makes him SO fun to explore as a character. I really have so much fun playing with him. Then would be Tachihara, Jouno...
... ........................ For the characters I like least, I suppose, R/anpo. I'm so sorry peoples. In R/anpo's case, it's just... Why do you have to be so mean and disrespectful all the time. Seriously, dude. Why is he always treating others as less than he is. I'm sorry, I really am, but I just can't help but find it displeasant? Like it takes zero energy to treat other people with common human decency, c'mon dude. At least Akutagawa is trying to do better, but everyone treats R/anpo like he's entitled to be a jerk? Idk man.
K/unikida. In his case, I Do Get why he's the way that he is (and genuinely can relate to him to an extent), it's just... For the way I am, I consider to try and forcibly impose your own ideals on other people to be about the most insulting thing you can do. And he does that a lot, with Atsushi and Dazai and everyone else. He also has this whole forced lack of empathy thing going on like... I get why he does that, and I get what he went through that made him like he is, but that doesn't change the fact you're kinda being a dick to everyone all the time dude. Please get some therapy.
That doesn't mean there aren't moments when I've genuinely liked them both and found them seriously cool!!!! I still think K/unikida is an interesting character and I genuinely get why people like him. I love the helicopter scene, I remember when I was reading the manga for the first time, when he said “no one ruins my schedule”, I was like, whaa, I was completely in awe. For R/anpo too, the Untold Origins arc from what I could see from the anime was really nice, and I also highly enjoy that one scene of his in chapter 81, the “To tell the truth, I had absolutely no assurance they'd believe me”.
Thank you for the ask Nyusa!! I hope you could find this at least a little bit interesting (?). If anything, now you know a little more about me, ahah. Also not talking about Dazai this time because really I can't be here the whole day.
how in the WORLD did you get your blog to post once every ten minutes that's incredible
:0 the petrichorvoices aka radiomogai in the flesh!? sending an ask on my hoarding blog!? /pos
anyways, it's because of the queue 2.0 which you can enable in tumblr labs. then you can control the queue a bit more. this is what mine looks like! :D
you can't do it on the app though, so you'd have to do this on desktop, or in the browser of your phone.
eeuuaghh i would like everyone to know that i apologise if i have not responded to your reblogs/mentions/posts on tumblr, i have really terrible social anxiety and for some reason people talking to me makes my nervous system think i'm being hunted for sport by a resident evil boss. sorry if i havent responded i'm not being rude i'm just having a panic attack :P
additionally: social anxiety is actually the reason why a lot of my old posts from late 2022 had weird spacing and spelling mistakes. i was too anxious to type properly
Guess what!? Today went as bad as I feared, albeit in slightly different ways. Marie specifically, the bus driver was accidentally condescending when I didn't choose to sit up in front with him. Also he asked what my mom does since he doesn't know my mom's dead. So I pretended she was alive just to get out of the conversation. Also, he wouldn't help me with the seatbelt until I asked him to, and then he was super condescending to me. I can't tell if it was accidental or intentional the way he acted, but I'm assuming it was accidental. Still, now I'm super nervous for tomorrow. I don't want to have to go through this mess again tomorrow. Also, there's a new teacher in one of my classes who doesn't seem to fully know what he's doing, but at least he's nice. Not like the driver.
btw here's your reminder that i'm always willing to explore a ship even if our muses haven't interacted yet! if you can see it working, then i wanna hear about it and discuss it! i'm never gonna judge anyone who enjoys shipping when i myself am a big ol' romantic. so long as nothing's forced and everyone's on board and happy, i don't see an issue with wanting to see if two muses end up smooching
who would you say you’re confident in writing femslash wise? wouldn’t want to be causing you any bother, there’s just so little femslash in this community
see I should've seen this question coming lmfao but I'm not actually sure! Definitely Victoria, I feel pretty confident with. Other comedians I'm familiar with - Sara Pascoe, Katherine Ryan, Rose Matafeo, maybe Roisin Conaty, Aisling Bea -- SOPHIE DUKER how'd i forget my wifey I mean let's go with "anyone who's been on Taskmaster" and also like. Claudia Winkleman, I know she's not reallllyyyy a comedian but yanno.
And if you've got recommendations for people I should get into, well 👀 I'm all ears. I totally agree, I wanna see more femslash and I wanna try writing it!!
Twisted Wonderland - 2024 Player Birthday Login Greetings
The player birthday login greetings have just updated today on the JP server for the fourth anniversary, and I've translated them below.
These are sorted in order of dorm, and then alphabetically by character name.
Heartslabyul
Ace Trappola
❤️: 'Sup, Yuu! Happy bday. 'Kay, time for the party. I'm gonna swing by this one restaurant in town and pick us up some grub, so you wait here and- Hey, hey, I'm not trying to trick you! I do know how to celebrate birthdays, thank you very much.
Cater Diamond
♦️: Happy bday, Yuu-chan ☆ Didja post anything bday related yet on Magicam today? No? No problem, just leave it to me! I'm basically a Magicam pro at this point. I'll take the perfect pic, come up with the perfect hash tag… Just think of it as, like, the Caycay bday special~
Deuce Spade
♠️: Happy birthday, Yuu! I'm going to go buy your present now, so- …Huh? You're saying since I fixed up that light for you in Ramshackle the other day, I don't need to get you anything? Come on, don't say that. You're my friend, so let me do this for you. It'd make me a lot more happier than if I didn't get you anything, to be honest.
Riddle Rosehearts
🌹: Happy birthday, Yuu. Thank you so much for always looking after my students. Truth is, we'll be holding a salon at Heartslabyul this weekend, and as part of my well wishes to you, I'm going to have you join us. Ah, my apologies. I can see you're quite nervous, but you needn't worry - I'll be right there with you, and will instruct you in etiquette every step of the way.
Trey Clover
🍀: Happy birthday. Now about your gift… I did get you something, but it's, erm… When I was talking with the other students about your gift, one person would say to get you this, and then another'd say, no, get that, and after a lot of hemming and hawing I chose… this t-shirt. I don't even know anymore why I picked out this design, honestly… Ugh, if you could just go ahead and start laughing now, I'd appreciate it.
Savanaclaw
Jack Howl
🐺: Today's your birthday, right? You make any new goals for the year? What, you're gonna smoke me in class? Ha! That's the best joke I've heard in a while. But alright, I'll take you on. If you get a better grade than me on our next exam, I'll buy you something.
Leona Kingscholar
🦁: Yeah, yeah, happy birthday. …Why are you settin' up that chessboard? What, you've been takin' lessons just to beat me? An' lemme guess, now you're challengin' me to a match. You got guts - for a herbivore, at least. So whaddya gonna wager, then? Just "playin' to see who wins" ain't gonna cut it.
Ruggie Bucchi
🍩: Happy birthday! Yer dear ol' Ruggie Senpai whipped up just the perfect thing for ya. Ta-da! Yer very own fishin' pole! Handmade by yours truly. …Ooh, I know that look. I bet yer thinking', "ain't that just a piece a crap?" I'm tellin' ya, fish'll be linin' up to throw themselves at this bad boy soon as it hits the water! Listen, I know how much starvin' sucks, an' I can tell you know that, too. Next time yer stomach starts howlin' at ya, now you can just catch yerself somethin' to eat!
Octavinelle
Azul Ashengrotto
🐙: I wish you a very happy birthday. Have you already decided what you'd like for a gift? I'd be glad to arrange-… My, what excellent taste! That would be quite the challenge for the average collector to acquire… but not for me, of course! I guarantee you'll have it in your hands before you even realize it.
Floyd Leech
🦈: Heya, Little Shrimpy. Today's your birthday, right? Here, I got something for ya. Let's see, we got some gummies that taste kinda funny, and some cookies…. they're hard as rocks, though. Oh, and some mushy jerky, too. Super cool, huh? Oh yeah, and all this stuff expires today, by the way. You better not let any of it go to waste, since it's a gift an' all. Kay?
Jade Leech
🐬: My warmest wishes to you on your birthday. May this be another fruitful year for you. By the way, Yuu-san, have you already had lunch today? You haven't? Excellent, for I was hoping to prepare something for you. Worry not, I can assure you I have only the utmost best of intentions in mind. Heh heh.
Scarabia
Jamil Viper
🐍: Yuu, happy birthday. I know it's not much, but I got you this. Ramshackle's been around for so long I can't even begin to imagine how many insects have made it their home over the years. But if you use that product, you can wipe them all out in a blink of an eye. I can personally vouch for how well it works, so do go ahead and give it try. Sooner rather than later, please.
Kalim Al Asim
☀️: Yuu, happy birthday! Here's your gift… Ah ha ha! Were you surprised? I made you that pop-up card. There's these flowers we give to people on their birthdays back home in Scalding Sands, so I tried making a bunch of them with paper. Turned out pretty good, right? Nice and flashy.
Pomefiore
Epel Felmier
🍎: Happy birthday! I thought long and hard about what to get you, and ended up going with a pair of fingerless gloves! The design on em's just great, don't you think? I thought they'd be a good choice since you can still use your phone and stuff without them getting in the way. They already look super cool, and once you break them in, then they'll really start to shine. Wear them as much as you can, okay?
Rook Hunt
🏹: I've been waiting for you, Trickster, so that I might give you my birthday well wishes. A wonderful day calls for making wonderful memories, and to that end, I've constructed the perfect itinerary for us. We'll start off with two theater performances, followed by a live poetry recital, and then we'll wrap things up with a movie this evening. There shan't be a dull moment today. Now come! The theater awaits!
Vil Schoenheit
👑: Happy birthday, Yuu. …Hm? You'd like me to come to your party? And you you even went and made sure there'll be healthy food options available for me? …Hah, that's quite thoughtful of you. Very well, then. I'll stop by. Just don't forget - you should consider it an honor to receive my well wishes.
Ignihyde
Idia Shroud
💀: Okay, time to pretend we're all chummy with each other and spout the usual "HaPpY BiRtHdAy" garbage… Eep! D-did you hear all that? U-Umm… Happy birthday... Sorry, but I didn't get you anything. I didn't even know it was your bday, so… What, you're happy just 'cause I wished you happy birthday? Are you serious? *sigh* Okay, I'll order something online later and have it sent to Ramshackle. It's just gonna be something small, tho.
Ortho Shroud
🤖: Happy birthday! Here's your gift. Go ahead, open it! Heh heh, did you notice what's on it? I used my lasers to engrave "Happy Birthday!" and some other well wishes on that glass tumbler. It was difficult controlling the output when doing the finer details, but I think it came out pretty nice. I hope you like it!
Diasomnia
Lilia Vanrouge
🦇: Ah, that's right. Today's your birthday, isn't it? Goodness, kids really do grow up so fast… Kufufu. Oh, don't be so sour. I was just doing my grandpa bit, the boys at the dorm never indulge me. Now then, here's your present: a CD I made just for you! It's jam-packed with my most heartfelt screamo performances, and I hope you enjoy every second of it.
Malleus Draconia
🐲: It's your birthday today, isn't it, Child of Man? …? What's the matter? Your face looks awfully stern… Ah, now I understand. You're having trouble carrying around all those presents. Here, allow me to send them to Ramshackle for you using my magic. You needn't worry, it's but a trivial spell for me. Now then, I hope you enjoy today to the fullest.
Sebek Zigvolt
⚡: Today is your birthday, if I do recall… What? You wish for me to attend your party? What a boorish joke. I've no time to take part in such a… What? THE YOUNG LORD SHALL BE ATTENDING!? YOU SHOULD'VE MENTIONED THAT TO BEGIN WITH! Good grief… You truly are an unpleasant little human, you know that? Now then, tell me at once where the party shall be held, and at what time!
Silver
⚔️: Happy birthday. Hm? You want to know what this cord is? It's actually your present. I heard about this from Lilia Senpai, but… apparently, they say that if you wrap some string around your wrist or ankle, and it breaks over time, then your wish will come true. I wove this for you, so that your wish can come true some day. I know it's pretty crude looking, but please go ahead and take it, if you'd like.
Ramshackle
😺: Today's your birthday? Happy birthday! …Huh? Where's your present? Oh, come oooon. You're my number one henchman! Ain't that a present enough? Okay, fine. Your lap's always super hard when I sit on it, so I'll give ya a good ol' fashioned paw pad massage!
there is an excellent post (that I've blimming lost) about how Neil is very familiar with magic tricks but read this wonderful compilation of metas and you'll get the idea - NEW Crackpotting Theory Tracker
Magic plays a big part in Good Omens - and Neil is up to his own magic trick. Sendarya talked about how the kiss is a misdirection to the audience from what is actually happening
so let's get rid of the kiss (because I definitely find it distracting!) and let's look at what happens between Metatron and Aziraphale in 2x06
This is not an angel that wants to return to Heaven. He looks bored, like he doesn't even know why Metatron is there or why he's talking to HIM about who the next Supreme Archangel should be.
"Michael?" it's like he couldn't give less of a toss if he tried
he's just like hmm? yeah ok, super interesting, can i leave now
When Metatron suggests Azi should take over as Supreme Archangel, he looks horrified. this is not good news, at all.
Metatron tries to sweet talk him. You're so honest, such a good leader~
Azi isn't convinced.
"I've been looking back over a number of your... previous exploits, and I see that in quite a few of them you formed a-"
THAT EYE TWITCH
"-de facto partnership with the demon Crowley."
LOOK AT THIS REACTION. fear. worry. panic. guilt(?). we see that fight or flight response kick in - the eye movements, the swallow.
Can I point out, WE NEVER SEE AZI'S IMMEDIATE REACTION TO THIS OFFER. But I think we know that it's not a positive reaction - he knows what Crowley thinks of Heaven.
What we do see is the end of that conversation, and Azi is nervous and faking smiles. He is now agreeing to go along with Metatron's plan, even though the last time we saw him, he was completely resisting it. Something happened to cause this change.
It's very possible that Aziraphale has now made his own plan, but he has to make it seem like he's going along with Metatron's plan. The Metatron is very direct to Aziraphale that he knows about his relationship with Crowley, and as we know, Aziraphale is terrified of Crowley being destroyed. This was perceived as a threat to Crowley and possibly humanity, and Metatron's bombshell "the Second Coming" definitely extended that threat to humanity, which Azi is a fierce protector of.
"But what am I?"
"You're just an angel who goes along with Heaven as far as you can."
This angel did not want to return to Heaven. This angel is essentially being held hostage and is trying to save the two things he loves most from complete and utter destruction.
Fell the Marvellous has saved Crowley before, in 1941, with a perfectly timed sleight of hand. Now this time he must save everything, with his own death-defying 'bullet catch'.
What Neil is up to, well. I don't think we'll know until we see it. A good magician never tells.
Edit: 'Trust Me' - Aziraphale's Season 3 'Bullet Catch'