#jamemi

So, back in October I was putting together the Jamemi relationship timeline, and mentioned Emi getting a cozy cuddly mamasan chair for Ramshackle as part of the repairs after book 6.

And ever since then, I've had in my head this image of Emi and Jamil falling asleep on that chair all cuddled up.

So I commissioned @mellosdrawings to bring said image into reality, and

Just look at them! So cute! So cuddly! So cozy!

Hasdfsf y'all don't even know how much I've been dying just looking at the sketches.

Not to mention how the finished result is just taking me out.

Just

Really I can't even

So, uhh, anyway *clears throat, tries to hold it together*

In my head this is happening early on after they became official (at least to each other), so sometime near the end of Emi's first year at NRC.

Their plan was to just sit around and chill for a bit. But it's been a long day of all the nonsense that NRC likes to throw at people (and what Kalim likes to throw at Jamil), and at some point Emi got cozy enough, all snuggled up against Jamil, that she ended up drifting off. And turns out Jamil didn't really have the heart to move her around or wake her - and ended up falling asleep, too.

Cue the picture.

Goodness though my heart, it is just so lovely seeing this brought to life. 🥹

Tagging my Emi folks: @scint1llat3 @diodellet @moonyasnow @bibi-cha

If anyone else would like to be added to the Emi / jamemi taglist, just let me know!

Like, nothing that would undermine the very real attraction and relationship Emi & Jamil have, just something to highlight to herself as well why she was so willing to take the chance in such uncertain circumstances (not knowing for sure whether she'd be able to go back home at some point or not).

Plus, the power of turning a traumatic experience (Jamil's overblot and all the events around that) into something healing (he has hurt me but now he will not / he will keep me safe instead).

It's gonna be an interesting moment of soul searching for sure when that realization hits her.

Tagging the Emi peeps:

@scint1llat3 @diodellet @moonyasnow @bibi-cha

So far I've got:

saviour complex x hates being helped (ty again to Yi for pointing this out because too real)

neurotic4neurotic (and/or control freak x control freak)

idealistic x jaded

parent friend x parent friend

lost x trapped

soft-hearted x pragmatist (aka: Emi's too nice to hurt people if she can help it, Jamil sure has no such reservations if the situation calls for it)

yearns for stability x yearns for freedom

used to being overlooked x sees them

the one people rely on x never had to rely on anyone

resents needing anyone x scared of being a burden

(and these two also relate to this post which also just took me out)

and speaking of said post: forced caretaking might as well be its own thing on this list too

their business is their own

living their own lives (as opposed to being glued at the hip)

bottled up x cries their heart out

plots revenge x distances herself

slow and steady (as opposed to turbulent & volatile)

Y'all got any more ideas you'd like to add?

Tagging the Emi peeps:

@scint1llat3 @diodellet @moonyasnow @bibi-cha

Specifically, Malleus just kinda casually asking Jamil and Emi if they're interested in a third.

Cue Jamil and Emi both just, short-circuiting.

(Gym sprite mostly because I couldn't easily find other ones with the right pose / expression combo, oop. Emi there in spirit since I don't have sprites for her different moods alas.)

Like... it sure would be a process, for both of Emi & Jamil, to come to grips with that bombshell.

Especially when Malleus convinces them just how honest he's being about it, how interested and willing.

But also the effort it would take from all of them so that the arrangement doesn't end up just as Malleus Draconia the sugar daddy and the humans under his protection, but actually feels as equal as they all need it to be.

Tiny ass post but guess I'll tag the Emi peeps anyway (hello hi still alive even if I've been kinda mia here)

The vibes are just, impeccable 👌

(I swear Emi's not always on top, but oh what a place to be.)

@scint1llat3 @diodellet @moonyasnow @bibi-cha

You can find more information on my yuusona Emi and her relationship with Jamil here on the masterlist.

Once again thinking of Jamil & Emi dancing together.

Because if they're doing ballroom dances like waltz, Jamil is gonna quickly find out that while Emi is familiar with the basics of it, she is not good at being led.

🐍: You don't need to try to anticipate the steps before they happen. Just let me guide you through it.

🖤: I'm trying. Not really used to having a dance partner who actually knows how to lead, you know.

She'll ease into it, since Jamil actually does know what he's doing, but it'll take her a while.

Though if this were to happen when Scarabia joins ADeuce, Emi and Grim for their practices before the SDC tryouts, aka pretty much right after book 4... Yeah Emi would not be relaxing in that hold (because she would actually need to trust Jamil here and... well). She might honestly rather avoid dancing with Jamil altogether, even if part of her would be a little curious. (I'm sure Jamil will have a great time watching her rather go with Kalim or pretty much anyone else than him 🙃)

Once they've actually grown closer though, once she's actually trusting him (again)... Very different story.

And I imagine very satisfying for Jamil to see how she relaxes into it. How she trusts him.

However, while Emi doesn't really have prior experience of dancing with a proper lead, she does have some of being the one leading herself. So either thanks to Jamil's teasing ("you really don't like letting go of control, do you"), or just to prove a point (or just have some fun), she'd probably ask Jamil to let her lead in turn.

And turns out that she sure wasn't kidding about being more used to being on this side of the equation.

Like, while she's not super technically adept with the steps and all, she actually is pretty good at taking charge this way and communicating the steps and direction to Jamil and all that.

Plus she's plain having fun finding out how well they can do this together - not that she hated being the one being led either, but it's a different kind of thrill, figuring out how well she can lead the both of them and how well they can work together with this particular dynamic.

Time for Jamil to wrestle with some complex emotions in regards to trusting himself in someone else's hands and guidance and actually finding it pleasant.

(And also the leaping his heart does when he sees just how much fun she's having.)

Tagging the Emi peeps:

@scint1llat3 @diodellet @moonyasnow @bibi-cha

Because thinking of one scene led me to another and figured I might as well throw them together in one post.

You can find more information on my yuusona Emi and her relationship with Jamil here on the masterlist.

Emi very much dislikes crying in front of people, unless it’s someone she’s very comfortable with – it just leaves her feeling far too emotional and vulnerable to be seen like that. No thank you.

Alas, she very much is a crier. Getting yoinked into a different world and going through overblots is not exactly a cakewalk, either, and as such, her emotions sure like to get the better of her.

(There's definitely the possibility of the ghosts being all concerned at some point and being all "you're wailing more than most ghosts we know" while trying to comfort her. Cue Emi trying so hard to be all silent with her tears from then on. The lack of privacy at Ramshackle sure is appalling.)

End of book 4

When Ace & Deuce turn up after the deal at Scarabia, and Emi realizes they’re here because they actually care that much?

Combine that with the stress of basically being held captive and everything else, and the waterworks will be coming.

If she was a less reserved person she’d be giving them big hugs too, but unfortunately she’ll be too busy hiccuping and digging for tissues (and being embarrassed) to initiate.

Cue awkward ADeuce pats on her back or something, while Grim's trying so hard to cover up his own concern. Deuce will panic, Ace will try to wisecrack and lighten the mood, and suddenly Emi’s trying to both laugh and cry at once.

They’ll probably end up sprawled somewhere at the edges of the party, staring at the sky, talking away, a lil’ wistful wavering smile on Emi’s face.

(Alas, if I could draw this I totally would.)

Jamil catching Emi crying during book 5

If Emi wasn’t in the best mental state before book 4, things sure aren’t improved after she’s done with all that.

Like, she’s just at such a low point around that time (Jamil really gets to know her at her best, huh 🙃). Stuck in this limbo of can she go home or not, the Scarabia deal's left her shaken (on top of the earlier overblots, though this one kinda takes the cake), she's just... trying to hold on. (At least she’s a little more aware of how much she can rely on ADeuce now.)

So there’s definitely a chance of Jamil coming across a crying Emi at Ramshackle at some point while the SDC tribe is staying there.

And just… Oof the awkwardness of that moment.

They're like maybe uneasy acquaintances at that point – definitely not too comfortable with each other, even if Jamil’s working to fix that (the things he does for his reputation /hj).

So Jamil’s just there like 🧍‍♂️

Having immediate regrets of ending up in this position because what is he even supposed to do here?

While Emi's like, waving him off, apologizing, saying something about how she's "not used to it being so hard". (Totally just referring to the homework before her. Totally.)

Girl’s basically mortified and just wants to pull herself back together in peace – while apologizing to the guy who’s definitely a contributing factor to her current emotional frailty in the first place.

Even if Jamil’s offering to help, she’ll be ushering him off unless he’s being really forceful about it. After all, at this point, she’s definitely not close enough with him to feel comfortable being so vulnerable before him.

Great times all around.

(Dio suggested Jamil sending Kalim or ADeuce over to help and I kinda just love the idea of Jamil being all... yeah I'm not gonna be sorting this particular mess out, and it doesn't look like she wants me here either (which definitely does not sting even a little bit), let's bring in the hugbug or dump the problem on the first years. Besides, he'll get plenty of chances to be the comforting one later on.)

(As a sidenote – Rook’s gonna know every time Emi’s down while the gang’s at Ramshackle, isn’t he? Wonder what kinda stuff he’d be doing to cheer her up. ADeuce, too. I shall have to ponder (and am open for suggestions).

Vil’s probably like giving comments or tips for dealing with red puffy eyes 😔 Though Emi sure is grateful that her face usually doesn’t show the evidence too bad, unless it’s a real big cry.)

Emi tag list:

@scint1llat3 @diodellet @moonyasnow @bibi-cha

You can find more information on my yuusona Emi and her relationship with Jamil here on the masterlist.

Got thinking of Emi having her own dream in book 7 and what it might be like for her. Because like… she might just be lucid dreaming enough to know that she’s in a dream, but not awake enough to remember why she’s asleep.

So, here she is, having a good time, taking advantage of the situation with the idea that none of this is real and so she can do things without consequences - wanting to cling to the dream as long as she can, because too often she wakes up too early, not being able to enjoy the dream when she realizes she’s having fun. (Yeah, if only she knew how little that is a problem in this particular situation.)

So when the others stumble into her dream? They don’t need to convince her that it’s not real - she’s well aware. What they need to do is to make her believe that they are real, and that she actually should be trying to wake up, which is very much the opposite of what she’s doing right now.

She'll probably be flying around, maybe even attempting some sort of shapeshifting / growing wings on her back, and in general doing things she can't normally do.

And like, she’s shameless - walking about, loudly demanding that someone come love her. Because it is a dream, so she might as well indulge, right?

The absolute cringe she’s gonna feel once she realizes that there were some actual, real people around when she announced that particular demand…

Girl will be contemplating a swift escape from NRC and a life on the streets for sure - especially if the party visiting her dream has Jamil people she knows decently well in it.

And if she gets pulled in deeper, if she’s not aware that it’s a dream… Well, there still would be that affection element (perhaps with a certain Mr. Viper, but also friends and family). But it also would be a world where she always knows just the right thing to say to fix everyone’s problems, to soothe and console, and just have things turn out well for everyone - and where she’s no longer struggling with classes like she does at NRC, but gets to feel school smart again, like she used to before twst.

Emi tag list - let me know if you'd like to be added or removed!