Something something bow down to nature

i honestly think some of y'all are just going "oh, strong personality + lesbian + doesn't put up with men = masculine butch!" which, like. just isn't always true. gender expression isn't determined by your other traits.

i mean, i get it, look at her in her work uniform:

the tattoo, the bandana?

but look at her in her casual clothes, aka the outfit she interviewed in and again wore during her "date" with penelope:

first of all, holy shit it's gorgeous. absolutely gorgina.

have a few panels here.

fucking gorgeous. might change my pfp for a panel from this story, and i'm very attached to my yamabiki pfp. that's how gorgeous it is. (i honestly might retheme my entire profile lolol but that's a post for another time)

second, the clear show of riddle and ace's dynamic is very.... i don't know how to word it! ace can very clearly tell that riddle is stressed about, well, not stressing, and calls them out on it. he intentionally riles riddle up and makes him nearly go "off with your head!" just to make his point. he reinforces trey telling riddle to take it one step at a time. it's very sweet. very acerido, if you will. there's a lot of good ship material in the anthology lol, i need to get/read the second volume.

that leads me to my third point: riddle's internal monologue. it's just straight up compulsions. come on, look at this.

specifically the "i'm worried it might be ingrained in me for good..." (official translation: "but it's a difficult habit to break..." which i don't think is as touching).

i think the official translation of this panel is even more poignant though.

"AaaaAaaah, I almost did it again!" "Why am I always losing my temper?" "How could I let him provoke me like that?" "He hasn't actually broken any rules yet." "...I tried to take off his head." "I need to be calmer." "...As Housewarden, I cannot allow..."

as well as several "But"s

the shaking is also translated to a heartbeat ("b-dmp"), which compounds the stress riddle is obviously feeling.