#ththg3

I can recover with some clarity 😭😭😭

NO UH I-- UH--- DEFINITELY THOUGHT ABOUT THIS ASPECT OF THE PLOT???? UMMMMM

[frantically checks notes]

No but idk for real like as long as they weren't hooking up behind your back, I still freaking love it. Like he tried so hard to be snakey, and you better believe he better have had a DAMN GOOD REASON

but despite everything he fell in love with you!!??!?!??!?!?!??!?!

He wasn't supposed to. It was the only, single thing that could've ruined their plans and they clearly thought it was so unlikely that they didn't even bother discussing it but COME ONNNNNN

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Sorry I'm literally writing he fanfic in my head where he's trying so hard to play you. And early on he probably has a conversation with Carmen where it went like

Carmen: You're... oh fucking hell. You're having second thoughts. Jirayu: No, I'm not, I'm just... [sighs]. I just don't want it to be her. That's all. She's nice, Carmen. She's really nice. She doesn't deserve this. Carmen: Maybe not. But we deserve this. We promised each other. Jirayu: [unsure].

Like just imagine the fighting. Imagine the behind the scenes fighting that's been going on between them.

Jirayu: You told me to sell it! Carmen: Sell it? Sell it? Is that what you think you were doing? You were looking at her like she was the only thing you wanted in the entire world! Like she actually meant something to you-- Jirayu (quietly): Don't do that. Carmen: DOES SHE? Jirayu: What do you want from me? She's nice. We get on. That's all. Carmen: [furious] Jirayu: [mad] Jirayu (goes and finds MC in their bed. She rolls over and slips her hand onto his chest, and he places his hand over hers. She smiles. A wave of calmness washes over him. He pulls her closer and buries his face in her hair. Sleep takes a long time to come).

Listen. I know that IRL this would be problematic as hell but the fiction side of my brain is REELING. Like I am hyperventilating and chomping at the bit and I am living and dying for this route.

The predictable thing would've been to make it Taz. Have the stone-cold ice king be the one to be a betrayer but sweet, brilliant Jirayu???? Who thought he could outsmart the game but instead forgot to factor in the one thing that could outsmart him:

HIS FUCKING HEARRRRTTTTTTTTTTT

(Also if you're into this please go ahead and read King of the Castle by @i-boop-you because this is crack to me.)

but he's actually falling for her and there's the moral ambiguity of whether or not he even deserves to be forgiven??? There's the betrayal and the dishonesty and the does she even know who he is any more???