#'if your employees are going to be working on our campus they need to be getting a 30 minute break. that's not optional.'

[beholdthemem]

Things heard on the job so far:

Teacher: So, did you guys like the icebreaker quiz?

Student 1: Yes, it was very sigma.

Student 2(Turning to look at first student from a full desk away): You don't have to say that.

[rooksamoris]

💞 — 𝐋𝐎𝐕𝐄 𝐁𝐔𝐒𝐓𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐔𝐍𝐈𝐎𝐍𝐒.

💞 — in which you try to unionize the mostro lounge, but the boss, azul, just happens to be your boyfriend.

💞 — azul ashengrotto x reader

💞 — warnings: just a little suggestive, not explicit.

💞 — 1.6k words.

“No, you guys—we need to fight for our rights. By any means necessary,” 

Jade and Floyd looked at you in amusement and annoyance, respectively. You could not be seriously trying to unionize the Mostro Lounge. Azul was probably the most pro-capitalist/anti-union guy on campus. He had justified roping you, his beloved, into working overtime with the excuse of “it's for the profit motive, sweetheart” and yet you still stupidly thought you could manage to unionize his establishment? It was cute.

The more sneaky of the twins laughed, politely hiding his grin behind his immaculately gloved hand, “And you plan to do this how?” he asked.

A blush of embarrassment trailed up your neck and to your ears. You had very little experience with grassroots organizing—which meant you were drawing a blank, “Uhm—I don’t know. We… uh… we should make demands and find a cool name for our union,”

“Unions schmunions—let's just not come to work,” whined Floyd.

You shook your head, “We need a union before we try going on strike… uhm, how about ‘Night Raven Labor Organization’? It rhymes and would look good on a flyer,” you suggested, placing your fist in your palm. You were embarrassingly desperate at this point. Your boyfriend was constantly tricking you into working sickeningly long hours for him, claiming it was fine since you guys were dating and he helped you pass alchemy—but still.

Jade was entertained, so he indulged in your theatrics, “Oh, that sounds wonderful. Do not worry yourself over the flyers, I… I will handle that,” he said, purposefully pausing just to watch the suspicion creep into your mind.

Before you could reject him, Floyd stood and lazily draped his arms over your shoulders, “You know, you’re gonna break Azul’s heart, being against him like this,” he said, a sudden toothy grin coming over his features at the thought of what chaos could come from your silly plan, “Standing against your ‘sweet Zuzu’ for the working class,” 

You frowned at him, “We–well, something needs to be done, even if it means his feelings are mildly hurt.”

The plan was in motion. You had already gone ahead and spoken with the other employees at the lounge, and while most were apprehensive—fear of Azul was pretty common—some still believed that you could convince your boyfriend to be kinder to his workers. Jade had told you he made flyers, and you were heading over to the lounge to go check them out, and then meet up with the others for the meeting. 

But the moment you walked in, Floyd shoved you towards the office with a giddy grin, “Shrimpy’s in trouble…” he whispered.

You stiffened, “Huh? What do you mean? Floyd—”

“Azul wants to talk to you,” he told you, knocking on the office door before scurrying off, leaving you to gulp and adjust your necktie.

Azul opened the door with a suave grin, gently wrapping his arm around you, his hand lingering at the small of your back, “Ah, sweetheart,” he said, affectionately kissing your temple. He pulled you inside, shutting the door with his foot before guiding you towards one of the sofas in his office, “You’re looking as gorgeous as ever,” he added, pouring you a glass of fruit cordial before taking his seat across from you, his hands folded on his cane and his legs crossed.

You always hated how smooth he was, “Ahaha…” he laughed awkwardly, “Uhm… you wanted to talk?”

One of his brows raised, “Do I need an excuse to see my beloved?”

“O–Oh, no, of course not—I just mean—”

His laugh cut you off. Sevens, how you loved that laugh, “You’re so nervous…” he trailed off, his bluish-purple eyes tracing over the ceiling before making their way towards your eyes, a single brow raised.

You were nervous. Hell, this was the most bizarre experience ever. You were unionizing your boyfriend’s establishment—you spent the night in his dorm room, just for you to wake up the next day and have secret meetings with his employees. You were ashamed, but not enough to quit the union. Azul had been abusing his power for too long now. Your lips had parted to speak, but you were cut off when he slammed two papers on the coffee table.

One was a flyer with a pig-like depiction of the bourgeoisie, dressed in a fancy suit and surrounded by money, and the second was the union demands which you were supposed to go over with the other employees today.

“Azul—I… I can explain—”

“How cute.” Azul gently tapped his foot as he watched your face fill with horror at being caught too early, “For a union organizer, you’re pretty disorganized. You trusted Jade with the flyers? The fact that you trusted Jade with anything is just hilarious,” he said, letting his cane lean against the sofa. He uncrossed his legs and leaned forward.

“Listen, Azul…” you started, before he cut you off, with a mere raise of the hand. That bastard Jade—

He cleared his throat before picking up the page of demands, “‘We members of the Night Raven Labor Organization…’ did you come up with the name, love? It’s nice. It rhymes, seems you do pay attention to my marketing rambles. Anyways, ‘We members of the Night Raven Labor Organization are proposing a chance of bargaining before any attempts of protest or striking,’ ooh, look at you, threatening me. How adorable,” he said, grinning at your embarrassed face. 

You hid your face behind your hands, groaning softly as your face started to feel extremely hot. You peeked at your boyfriend through your fingers, seeing that smug smile on his face, “Azul… this was a last resort,” you tried to explain, but he only set the page down and stood up again.

It was not like you did anything wrong. He was overworking his employees—he’s lucky you did not go Karl Marx on the guy and encourage the workers to arm themselves against him. When you met his eyes again, he was standing in front of you, gazing down at your seated form with a neutral expression. 

He was thinking of how to proceed. On one hand, you were the love of his life, and on the other hand, you were working against him. When he first heard of it, he was hurt, but after some reflection, he knew he could make you give up on this.

With a gloved hand, Azul traced over your face, enjoying the way you looked when you sat in front of him, gazing up as he stood. His hand cupped your jaw, thumb lazily tracing over your bottom lip. His pale skin was covered with a little blush over how your breath hitched, “You wouldn’t want to hurt me, would you?” he asked, leaning closer.

You shook your head as much as you could while in his grasp, “No, Azul… it's just—well, uhm, you know,” he stammered.

He played up a soft frown on his lips, and he felt your eyes trail to the beauty mark beneath his lip, “But, angel… when I saw that you were unionizing behind my back,” he paused, and sighed, brows furrowing slightly. He played you like a fiddle, “I was just so hurt,” he confessed. In reality, Azul did not care enough to be brokenhearted over your union attempts.

“I’m sorry, Azul,” you told him, and you were about to protest again, but he shook his head.

“If you had concerns, you could have just told me,” You bit your tongue, despite how you wanted to tell him that you had tried to complain to him and he put the profit motive above everything else. Instead, you just pouted and nodded to his words. You couldn’t help it. All you wanted to do now was kiss him since he got so close.

Azul’s hand remained on your face as he glanced back at the flyer, “And a fat rich man, angel? Really?”

“I didn’t make the flyers,” you blurted.

His gaze softened. He had you right where he wanted you, nodding to your words to make you relax before he leaned down and kissed your head. And then he bent down a bit to meet your lips, kissing you like you wanted. Azul’s hand slipped from your jaw to your shoulder, while his other hand rested at the backrest of the sofa so that he could lean down. 

Your hands immediately darted to grab him closer, tugging on his uniform blazer as your lips parted for breath, “Azul….”

He was blushing too, lips parted as he panted to catch his breath, “I thought I was an evil capitalist—what happened to your union?” he asked, teasing you.

Your brows furrowed softly and just pulled him in again, capturing his lips once again and groaning against his lips as you took the chance to take control, pulling him down on the sofa with you.

Azul’s eyes widened in surprise, his hat slipping off and his glasses nearly joining if he hadn’t held them up in time.

You showed up to the union meeting late, with your clothes all disheveled and your hair a mess.

“My, my,” chuckled Jade, as he took in your appearance with his piercing eyes. He knew that this would all end up like this, with you being too quick to bend to the will of his boss, and his boss being manipulative enough to get you to forget about your ambitious goals.

Floyd frowned, “Does this mean we’re not getting guns to threaten the capitalist class??”

Sevens, what a major fail.

©rooksamoris 2024. do not steal or translate my work!

[bjhlvr]

iced coffee

synopsis! being a regular customer means that you know every single employee at the campus’s coffee shop. but what if one day you walks in to get your usual iced latte and met the new employee.. oh! and he's cute too..

BARISTA! leehan x COLLEGE STUDENT! reader GENRE! fluff, university au, non!idol au, stranges to lovers(?) TW! reader is obsessed with iced latte, she/her used, reader being called a girl, leehan is a bit flirty NOW IS PLAYING! . . iced coffee by red velvet

you were obsessed to say at least. you needed it. it felt like your life was depending on it. you couldn’t survive a day without iced latte. doesn’t matter if it was freezing cold ans snowing outside or it was extremely hot, you needed that iced latte.

you knew every employee at the campus's coffee shop. you knew the ones that already quit the job, even the owners. a cute old couple who always asks your opinion about new menu, the shop design and even worker's uniform. you were the best regular customer. you could get the same order twice or three times a day, you knew everyone and sometimes was ready to help the barista's.

your classes ended at 12am so it was finally a time to get your iced latte. you walked to the coffee shop, opened the door and get inside.

“you're late today.. classes?” sungho, the guy that was working at this place since the day it opened, looked at you and smiled slightly. he was always so kind and polite, when you first saw him you thought at least ten customers were asking for his number per day. but you was suddenly wrong.

“yeah, i had to take this sociology class i was telling you about the last time..” you walked towards the counter and leaned on it with your hands. you sighed tiredly and watched as sungho was already about to do your regular well-known order but stopped. you raised an eyebrow, who was he waiting for?

“hey donghyun! go make an order for our regular customer” sungho yelled for the dong-whatever-his-name-is so he could hear him from the employees room.

you watched as the door opened and the guy coming out.. oh! he was.. cute? damn no he was attractive as hell.

“the iced latte girl?” the guy asked and you blinked twice before you could look away right when he looked at you. you tried to avoid his gaze in her. “it’s nice to finally meet you” he said and walked right to the coffee machine to make her order.

“so you heard about me?” you asked with a slight smile on your face. it was nice knowing that the employees and owners of the shop talked about you in a good way. “feeling like a celebrity now”

“yeah sungho and miss han talked about you. a lot actually.” the guy chuckled when he was already finishing your drink. sungho then punched his shoulder to shut him up and stop talking before he could say anything he shouldn’t. “im donghyun by the way. or you can call me leehan” he said and handed you your iced latte. “one iced latte for our best customer” leehan smiled. his smile was so pretty.. his smiley eyes.. so cute. wait.

“thanks.. im y/n” you smiled back and walked to the table right infront of the window. the shop was empty so it was basically you, leehan and sungho. the place was quiet and you suddenly felt awkward, which is strange because you never felt like that there. not even when the place is empty. not even when you spilled your drink on yourself. not even when you did it for the second time.

“so, y/n.. you have a boyfriend?” leehan asked. you almost choked with your own saliva when you heard this question leaving his lips. why would he even ask that? was he interested in you? or he was just flirty?

“can you stop making our customers feel uncomfortable, go find something more worthy to do..” sungho rolled his eyes at leehan when he chuckled and looked at you. your eyes widened, mouth slightly open. “let her drink her coffee in peace”

“okay okay, whatever” leehan said and before he could walk away to the employees room you finally had found a strength in yourself to talk.

“no, i don’t. wanna go out or something?” you asked. you wasn’t expecting the second sentence leaving your mouth but those words slipped out of your tongue so easily, so you couldn’t help it.

“sure” leehan smirked and quickly wrote his number on the napkin and walked towards her table to give it to her. “then call me” that was the last words he said before he disappeared in the employees room.

“that’s it..? he just gave me his number and told me to call him?” you were amused by leehan’s behavior. you never thought he would act like that and you never met someone like him. that was… interesting. maybe exiting?

“yeah he’s a bit weird.. good luck” sungho patted your shoulder gently to cheer you up or whatever he meant by that and sat down on the chair next to you. “so.. what are you gonna wear?” he asked.

author note: lol that’s my first work in english & my first fic in like 7 years? so i hope yall enjoyed and i did great bc idk how i feel about this one BUT im kinda proud of myself that i wrote this ૮꒰◞ ˕ ◟ ྀི꒱ა also pls let me know if i did some grammar mistakes / or tips how can i improve!!

[ash5monster01]

I would love prompt #1 with Steve Harrington! Pretty please 🫶🏻

Wrong Address

Valentines Celebration Prompt

Pairing: Steve Harrington x FemReader

Warnings: fluff, language, miscommunication, instant connection

1. Three dozen roses have just been delivered to your door on accident, in attempts to find the sender and correct the mistake, you discover you might have just found your match.

word count: 1.5k

Masterlist

While running late for work, the last thing you expect to do is nearly trip over three dozen roses sat outside your apartment door. Shock is what hits you first considering you couldn’t think of a single person who would be sending these to you. Especially today. Being late is no longer on your mind as you bend to grab the note sat perfectly in the center of the most gorgeous bouquet you have ever seen.

Robin,

I’ll always be your Valentine if you need one xoxo

Steve Harrington

Professor - University of Chicago

Realizing the flowers aren’t for you, sadness washes through you. Sighing you accept being late is just what’s going to happen today. Collecting all the flowers you walk to the phone on your wall and dial your work number. Lisa your boss is understanding when you say you won’t be in for a few hours and to take the day if you need. So with damaged pride and defeat, you hail a cab with enough roses to make you look crazy, and find yourself on the way to University of Chicago.

It takes twelve wrong turns and three employees to finally point you in the direction of Steve Harrington’s office. You prepare yourself for a balding middle aged man when you knock on the door but instead a young boy with dough eyes and fluffy hair surprises you. Confusion covers his face first as you give him a sheepish smile, a little bewildered because he was cute and you were holding three dozen roses outside his workspace.

“Sadly I’m not Robin, but I do appreciate the gesture” you say with a shrug that lifts the three bouquets in your arm. Realization finally paints his face as his looks at you.

“Shit, she is always yelling at me about not writing down her apartment number. I should have listened” he says, sultry voice wrapping around your heart and squeezing.

“It’ll be our secret, I promise I won’t tell” you say, lifting the flowers his way which he immediately moves to grab. The electric shock that vibrates through you due to his touch is surprising.

“A trustworthy stranger, my favorite kind” he says with a grin, red petals now tickling the bottom of his chin.

“I couldn’t just leave them, it’s Valentines Day after all. She’s a lucky girl” you offer and the boy is instantly shaking his head at your sentence.

“Oh, it’s not like that. She’s my best friend and she just got her ass dumped. I was just doing my part” he says quickly and the blush that covers your face surprises you both.

“I don’t know if that makes me like you more or intimidates me” you finally say, a rush of confidence spiking your heart rate.

“Maybe you’d like to decide over a cup of coffee?” he suggests and the smile that covers your face answers the question for you.

“I’d like that” you say and he nods, turning to dump the roses on top of his desk and quickly step out into the hallway with you as he shuts and locks his door.

“Thank you by the way. Not many people would’ve taken the time to find the correct owner” Steve says after a beat, wringing his hands together as you exit the building and step out onto campus.

“You’re welcome, kinda helped you signed it with your job title as well” you say with a chuckle and the realization that you know his name and he doesn’t know yours comes quickly.

“Shit I’m sorry, I should properly introduce myself. I’m Steve and you are?” his big eyes glance over into your own and you can’t stop the blush that covers your cheeks as you repeat your name back to him.

“What do you teach?” you ask after a moment and Steve smiles, his hand reaching up and running through his messy locks.

“Sports History” he says with a soft chuckle like he can’t even believe it himself. “Not really the most noble profession but it pays the bills I suppose” he says, a bit embarrassed. After all the chaos in Hawkins he found himself at community college doing a degree that didn’t bore him and somehow he ended up here.

“I wouldn’t say that. I mean you’re a professor. You’re teaching people no matter the subject” you offer and the soft smile that covers his face shows his appreciation towards you.

“I hope you don’t mind campus coffee” he finally says, nodding towards a small building that you’re happy to go in.

“Coffee is coffee” you agree as he holds open the door. After giving him your order you find a small table for you both, being careful not to glance up at him too much.

“What made you get into teaching?” you ask when he returns, warm cup of coffee now placed in your hand.

“The kids. Back home I was friends with this group of kids and as much as I pretended I didn’t, I adored them. When I planned to move away there was something comforting about the idea of spending time with people their age” he says and somehow this perfect stranger becomes even more perfect.

“Where is home?” you find yourself asking and he smiles, reminiscing on a place he hadn’t been in a very long time.

“Small town Hawkins, Indiana. Me and Robin moved out here a few years back and I landed the job at the University” he explains, taking a sip of his own coffee and glancing up at you.

“That’s sweet, you two have been friends that long?” the suggestion in your voice isn’t masked well, it’s just surprising to hear of opposite gender friends and not assume there are some sort of feelings there.

“Since I was eighteen. We never go anywhere without each other, especially when we moved here. She only recently moved out to live with her girlfriend, the one who thought it’d be cool to dump her right before Valentine’s day” and suddenly it all makes sense. The kind gesture, three dozen roses, saying he would always be her Valentine, how there was no shared feelings between the two.

“That sucks. You’re a good friend for trying to cheer her up” you say, now smiling at the idea of there being a man out there caring enough to send three dozen roses to his friend who had her heart broken.

“Yeah, which I guess now that my office hours for the day are over I better hand deliver the flowers” he says, laughing to himself for writing down the wrong address. Then again it would’ve never led you to him.

“I probably should be heading home anyway” you mutter, a bit disappointed that he was already thinking of leaving you behind. You must’ve not left the same impression that he did on you.

“I can drive you, if you like. After all you live in her building” and the offer has you perking up like an excited puppy dog.

“Yeah, if you don’t mind?” you grin and he smiles right back, taking another sip of his coffee.

“I don’t mind at all” so you find yourself in his old maroon BMW, still in pristine condition, with the flowers collected from his office now on your lap. You laugh when he tells you it’s his same car from high school and the more you find out about him the more charming he becomes.

“What floor?” you ask him in the elevator, giggling at his rose filled arms.

“4th” he mutters out, shifting and then sneezing from the flowers in his face.

“Well Romeo, try not to send them to the 3rd next time” you say, referring to your own floor and he chuckles as the doors close and lift you up. When the doors open on you floor you go to step forward before noticing he is following you.

“Oh, sorry. This is my stop, one more floor for you” you say and a sad look crosses his face quickly.

“Oh, I guess I just figured you’d deliver them with me” he says with a soft chuckle and you look at the sweet boy who had managed to crawl his way into your heart within the last hour.

“This feels like something you should do alone but hey, I’m not going anywhere all day and it’s Valentine’s after all. So if Robin is willing to share, you know where to find me” you say with a grin, stepping towards him and planting a soft kiss on his cheek.

“Does seven work?” he asks with red cheeks as you step into the hall and you flash him a quick smile.

“It’s a date” and the elevator doors shut close, lifting him away and leaving you with a dopey grin.

Who would have thought three dozen roses not meant for you would still turn out to be the best Valentines gift you ever got.

[summer-nights19]

Omertá part 3

Romeo Scorpius Lucci x fem reader Part 2

As you were eating breakfast in the cafeteria the morning after your deal with Romeo, your phone buzzed from a message notification. Trying not to sigh, you opened it. Who could be bothering you this early in the morning

Unknown number: This is Romeo. Come to my office immediately after finishing breakfast so we can discuss your work for the next week.

You: Ok. How did you get my number ?

Romeo: I'll explain later. Stop wasting time and hurry up.

You put your phone back in your pocket, growing increasingly exasperated. The day had barely started and you already had a feeling it wasn't going to be an easy one. Unfortunately, it couldn't be helped, so after finishing up your coffee, you headed back to Sinostra and straight for Romeo's office.

Once you reached the door, the usual guy standing on guard waved you in dismissively. You assumed Romeo had informed him you'd be coming ahead of time.

"You're late, Y/N. In the future, if I call you to my office, I expect you to be there within five minutes of me sending the message,"

You tried to keep the irritation out of your voice. After all, this was still the man who could technically decide to kill you at any point.

"Mr Lucci, this campus is enormous. Unless I somehow develop the ability to teleport, how am I meant to go from one place to the next in five minutes,"

Romeo glared at you. Looks like you weren't the only one who was irritable in the mornings.

"That's not my problem. Also, it's Fico. I despise being addressed as Mr Lucci- it was my father's title, and I share nothing in common with that WTWUT,"

"WT what ?" What was it with this man and abbreviations ?

"Wall to wall useless trash, obviously," Romeo rolled his eyes at you as if it was the most obvious thing in the world, and you sent a sharp glare in his direction.

"From my experience, Mr Lucci, all men of your ilk are the same. If you want to be called by a different title, you'll have to prove that you're different,"

Gritting his teeth, Romeo scowled. Out of the corner of your eye, you could see him clenching his fist around his expensive fountain pen.

"You'd do well to remember that I can still do whatever I want with your life, Y/N. Keep talking back and you'll see what happens,"

Glowering at him, you took a seat at his desk and decided to leave it at that.

"Why did you call me here ?" You tried to keep your tone as calm as possible, which was no easy task. Apparently, the Sinostra vice captain could get under your skin just as much as you could his.

"I'm here to discuss your work for today. If our agreement is to amount to anything, you should try to become familiar with how the Casino works. We still have an hour before we open officially, so read this,"

Romeo reached under his desk and took out a thick, leather bound notebook, which he thrusted in your direction. As you skimmed through it, you frowned.

"What is this ?"

"The full record of business activities, investments, costs and profits for the last six months. I'd recommend you read it before you start working,"

"Before ?? You mean I'll be doing something other than studying this tome all day ?"

Romeo sighed, and he glared at you as if you'd just asked the world’s stupidest question.

"Obviously ! You will experience all the positions in our casino. In the morning, you'll do all the front of the house work - that includes card dealers, cleaning, and waitressing. Then, in the afternoon, you'll experience some of the less ... public positions with a few of my underlings. You'll just be picking up cargo and dropping something off to a customer, so even you could manage that,"

You looked at him, trying to work out if he was joking or not, but when you met his gaze, his face was completely deadpan.

"You're trying to say that I need to do all that work today ? That would take like eight employees !"

Romeo slammed his hand down on his desk, causing piles of documents to collapse and flutter to the ground.

"Be silent ! If you want to live, you'll follow my orders,"

Taking a deep breath in, you looked down at the notebook and started to study it. There was no point in delaying the inevitable. You saw Romeo smirk to himself out of the corner of your eye as you started skimming the notebook, but you decided a reaction wasn't worth the effort.

After about half an hour of silent study of the records, you cleared your throat.

"Mr Lucci, I think I've located a potential issue. A lot of your slot machines have people winning too frequently, so you're not really making much of anything from them. If I had to make a rough estimate, I'd say halving the odds would maximise your profits. Also, with the roulette table-" you completely lost your train of thought as you noticed how Romeo was looking at you. His face was almost the same unreadable mask he'd worn last night, but now, he looked kind of interested, maybe even a little impressed. You could see a smirk forming on the corners of his lips.

"Keep going, BB. For once you're saying something of value,"

Deciding to ignore the jab, you resumed your explanation of how he could tweak the casino games to maximise his profits,trying to give him rough estimates where possible. By the end, he was fully smirking, and his face almost seemed to have lost some of that coldness.

"I knew you could be useful if you tried hard enough. Good girl,"

You felt your face heating up as he praised you, so you decided to avert your gaze. Maybe you were coming down with a fever after the stress of the last few days.

"Also, Y/N, you should take this. I can't stand seeing your hands in such horrible shape," This time, Romeo took out a jar from one of his desk drawers and placed it next to you.

You looked down. It was luxury hand cream, imported directly from Italy. Trying not to laugh, you thanked Romeo and put it on your bag. He did seem like the kind of person who would want to get everything from back home, no matter how expensive and impractical.

"Maybe I do have a last bit of advice, Mr Lucci. You should stop spending so much of your earnings on fancy trinkets and reinvest some in your casino," this time, you were the one smirking, your eyes glinting with silent laughter as you finally looked up at Romeo.

"I also have advice, BB. Keep such useless and ridiculous insights to yourself. Now leave, they're expecting you at the roulette table in five minutes,"

Rolling your eyes, you slung your bag over your shoulders and walked out of the office, mentally preparing yourself for the start of what was sure to be a very long day.

Masterlist

[lizardonatoadstool]

Oakie the Acorn is the Best Mascot Ever

I don’t even go to this school I just love them. Here’s an interview they did for SUNY Mascot Madness.

Oakie - SUNY ESF

Who are you, where are you originally from, and where do you do your mascot thing? I'm Oakie Acorn (they/them), proud representative of ESF and its Mighty Oaks athletic teams! I was “born” when I fell out of ESF's Robin Hood Oak which means my roots go back to the Major Oak in England's Sherwood Forest. Maybe that's why I'm so merry! While most of my mascot duties have me in Syracuse, I also pop in at our Ranger School in Wanakena and our satellite campuses in the Adirondacks and Thousand Islands.

What's a unique new thing (building, club, activity, employee, etc.) on your campus that you treasure? The newly renovated Marshall Hall is wonderful! Open since 1933, Marshall underwent a major two-year reno re-opening in 2023. We kept the classic features, such as the spiral staircase and auditorium, while updating the building to a state-of-the-art learning center with spaces tailored to the needs of today's students. The building is home to our Landscape Architecture, Environmental Studies, and mathematics programs. Along with great classroom and studio space, there are plenty of study nooks for students to tuck in and do work between classes or meet with friends.

If you could start your own club or major on campus, what would it be? Wow! Difficult question because ESF has so many unique clubs, activities, and majors already! That said, I'd love to start an a capella group – Oak-apella! I don't speak, but I have a song in my heart and would love to hear ESF students sing. Maybe I could do some interpretive dance while they sing.

What's your hidden talent that you haven't told anyone about yet? Anyone on campus at night might have seen me skateboarding. The other day I landed a kickflip over the gap and was pretty stoked. Sadly, no one was around to see it. Flicks or it didn't happen, right? We do have some talented campus artists who have drawn me and my board though.

What campus cheer gets you pumped up and why? (with great enthusiasm)  O-A-K-I-E!  They're our acorn can't you see?  Sprouting strong through day and night  We've got bark and we've got bite!    ESF Orientation Leaders chant this while they lead our newest acorns to convocation. I love hearing it echo off the campus buildings!

What sport would you play if you were a student-athlete? I would join the Bass Fishing team in a heartbeat! I know when you think “acorn,” you think “land-based,” but I'd love to get out on the water and drop a line or two. There's so much more to me than most people know.    I would look awesome in one of the Bass Fishing team jerseys – provided they could get me an XXXXXL.

Read any good books lately? The Climate Optimists Handbook by environmental activist Anne Therese Gennari is a great read. Her book is about empowering people to get excited about changing the narrative on climate change so we act from courage and excitement to co-create a better world. She totally gets the ESF vibe! She was our commencement speaker last May and inspired our graduates and their guests to Improve Our World!    And of course, Braiding Sweetgrass by our own Dr. Robin Wall Kimmerer is always close at hand to read again and again!

Favorite pizza topping? Mushrooms. I love to top my pie with things I've foraged in the woods. Remember, you have to be very careful with mushrooms. I always take along a friend who has taken Dr. Alex Weir's mycology course to ensure I don't eat anything that could make me sick or worse!

If you were SUNY Chancellor for a day, what would you do? I would declare every day Earth Day in SUNY and plant pollinator gardens on every campus. I would also help other campuses set and reach their own Zero-Waste goals. Sustainability is a key component to helping the environment. I would then ask to be Chancellor for a couple more days to visit as many campuses as possible and see all the great things SUNY students are doing.  I don't know how Chancellor King does it all! Does he ever sleep?

How would you celebrate being named SUNY Mascot Madness Champion in 2024? The same way I celebrated in 2017 when I won the title – surrounded by the best students, faculty, and staff ever! We had a party that the whole campus attended. My friend, Victor E. Knight from SUNY Geneseo, was gracious enough to come and present me with the trophy and join the festivities. I think it would be great to host Wolfie on campus this year. 

[zalrb]

Could u tell us about ur time in college? Where’d and what did u study. What did do while studying (work , parties). Did u go abroad? Do u think it was useful for ur career present day?

Yeah, I've spoken about it before. I even posted grad photos because I was graduating when I first got on tumblr lmao. So I always knew I was going to do something with writing or something with film so I curated my studies, I did English and Cinema Studies in undergrad plus a creative writing certificate at the school of continuing studies, which was in Toronto and then I did my MFA in New York. I did one summer semester in Italy in undergrad. In undergrad, I volunteered at the Toronto International Film Festival for three years and worked all four years, mostly retail, sometimes at amusement parks. In grad school, because I was an international student, getting a job was a little bit harder, I did one summer job on campus and then I interned at a literary agency where it was basically my job to read the slush pile, which was a really interesting experience. Because it was difficult to get a job in New York, I would come back home during holiday break and do seasonal work. But I was extremely, extremely broke during those years. Literally the best part of the summer job I had was that I worked for a summer program and employees got to eat lunch with the students so that was one less meal I had to worry about but we were all struggling because they also weren't paying us on time so my friend/colleague was nearly evicted from his apartment because he just did not have the money, I had to cuss everyone out to get our first two pay cheques, lmao.

Undergrad I didn't party that much because I was living at home, I had a strict mom, I also had to commute about two hours to get home, and I was working, and my friends also had very strict parents so like there wasn't really much of an opportunity for a busy social life, although Italy was like a crash course in undergrad partying because I went there the summer between first and second year while mostly everyone else was in third or fourth year so I was actually the youngest in the program and when I explained I'd never really gone to an undergrad party back in Toronto or had that much of a social life, it kind of became a collective goal for the other students to take me clubbing, take me drinking, and give me the sort of dorm experience. And then in third year for various reasons, I did more drinking and clubbing, it was also the year I had the heaviest course load so I think I just needed a lot of stress relief and I always tell people to never pack your schedule with courses, it's not worth it, haha.

My MFA was a loooooooooot of drinking but it was also just the culture of the writing program because, like, authors were teaching us, not profs, and authors do like to drink so we could literally be having classes in a bar or if an instructor didn't mark our stories because they had their own deadlines or their own issues, they would apologize by getting us a couple of rounds at the bar, sometimes we drank in class, haha, and then our program just had a lot of readings or a lot of parties so grad school was basically writing and drinking for two years. That was just fiction though. The nonfiction students and the poetry students had different experiences. Because I was New York, I got to see/meet a lot of different authors who would come through for lectures or book tours, I even got to introduce an author at one of her lectures, so that was also really cool.

[chiimeramanticore]

Part of the Band - Chapter 3 - In The Back of The Music Store

Chapter summary: Dook meets the gang. An important decision is made.

Chapter word count: 1,103

<- Chapter 2 - Chapter 4 ->

Read it on AO3!

"Beach Bear, I thought you said you were takin' me to band practice?" Dook says as they enter the doors of a music store.

"I am," Beach Bear replies. "I work here. Not on the weekends, of course, but I'm the assistant manager, so I'm allowed to do whatever I want with the back room. You said you needed something to play on, right?"

"Yeah," Dook murmurs. The amount of different instruments here, the amount of variety within just one type of instrument... It's staggering, in a nice way. He has to resist the urge to touch anything.

"Well, you know your drums better than me," Beach says. He points to an area filled with drums and sticks. "Go pick out whatever you need. I'll be in the back–" he gestures toward a white door marked 'employees only'– "The door'll be unlocked. Just come join us whenever you're ready."

"Wait, I can't–" Beach Bear is already gone. "I can't move an entire drum set on my own," Dook finishes, defeated.

Regardless, he moves toward the drums section. There's several sets laid out for show, with other types of percussion behind them. Dook gravitates toward the wall, passing by bongos and a marimba and unable to resist tapping on them both once. The wall is filled with accessories, mallets, hammers, drum keys... but most importantly, drum sticks. Dook takes down pair after pair, running a finger along the wood of each one. Soon, he comes across an unassuming, light-colored pair, but they're silky smooth. These are the one.

He heads toward the back room now, sparing one more glance at the sets in the front of the percussion section as he does.

"Beach Bear, I–" Dook pokes his head into the door of the back room, and falls silent as the several inhabitants all go quiet to look at him.

Beach Bear is there, of course, accompanied by four other characters. Another bear, sat on a couch strumming a guitar. A bird, unlike any that Dook's ever seen, sitting next to him. A mouse, sitting arms crossed on a chair perpendicular to the two. And another, smaller mouse, standing near the corner– she couldn't be older than maybe eleven years.

"Hi," Dook says.

"Everyone, this is Dook," Beach Bear says. "He's going to be joining us as our drummer."

"Where'd you find this one, off the street?" The seated mouse says.

"Yeah, how'd you know?" Beach replies. She scoffs.

"I thought you wanted us to be taken seriously," she says.

"Well, I for one think he belongs here just as good as any of us!" The bear says. He puts down his guitar and approaches Dook to shake his hand, the bird following closely behind.

"It's a pleasure to meet ya, Dook," he says. "I'm Billy Bob, and this here's my buddy Looney Bird!"

"How do you do," the bird says, and offers a wing to shake. Dook takes it.

"The cranky one over there is Mini," Beach Bear chimes in.

"Queenie," she says.

"We were in a band together before this," Beach Bear explains. "Queenie was her stage name." He gestures to Billy Bob and Looney Bird, who have returned to their seat. "Billy Bob and I met at college, and him and Looney Bird have been best friends since, like..."

"Second grade," Billy Bob says proudly.

"Second grade," Beach Bear finishes.

"You went to college?" Dook asks.

"For a semester," Beach says. "Then I got bored and left."

"And Billy Bob left with you?"

"Oh– No, no. He was a street performer near my campus." He laughs. "We hung out a lot during those days, and when I moved here, they followed."

"It's like you can't get rid of us," Looney Bird says, curling up on the couch.

"And who's the... little one back there?" Dook asks.

"Mitzi," Queenie says. "I'm babysitting. Don't pay attention to her."

Dook looks over to Mitzi, giving her a small wave. She waves back.

"Hey, I thought you were going to bring drums back here," Beach Bear says.

"I came in to tell you," Dook tells him. "I can't bring back a whole drum set myself. And you'd probably have to dismantle it somewhat to get it through the door, anyway."

"Oh! Well, then, we'll help you," Beach Bear says. "Guys, c'mon– we're gonna move a drum set in here."

Everyone stands to help out. "Stay here," Queenie tells Mitzi.

"I wanna help," Mitzi responds.

"I said, stay here."

"Hey, let her help if she wants," Beach Bear says. "She can, uhh..." He looks to Dook for help.

"You can help carry the, uh, um... th- the drum stands! They're real important. Otherwise I'd just have all the drums on the floor. Not very good for conducting sound, you know." Mitzi giggles.

"Okay," she says, joining them.

·–—–·

"Well? Which one do you like?" Beach Bear asks. The store has three sets put out for display, laid out in front of the group. "Whichever one you choose, it's yours to own."

"Wait– own?" Dook asks, looking at him.

"Sure," Beach says. "Sure, we can't bring it home with us, but if we wanna keep it in the back room full-time, that isn't exactly 'borrowing' it. We'll have to buy it."

"Beach Bear, I can't afford a whole drum set," Dook says, hushed. "I couldn't even afford a place to stay last night."

"Huh? Oh, no worries, man," Beach Bear replies, lowering his voice as well. "I totally got you."

"Got... me?"

"Yeah! I'll pay for it, dude."

"I... Beach Bear, I can't let you do that," Dook says.

"Hey, hey, I've got the money. Don't worry about it," he says. "Besides, what are you gonna do? Pay for it instead?"

Dook shuts his mouth.

"Now c'mon. Which one's calling to you?" Beach Bear returns to

normal volume and gestures back toward the three drum sets.

Dook returns his attention to them. His eyes pass between a red set, a blue one, and... off to the right, a silver one. It's not even a full set. So then, why does this one catch his eye? He lingers on it a little longer, waiting to see how it'll make him feel to imagine playing it. Then he turns back to the red one. This is the sensible choice. It's big, elegant, sleek...

...Dook turns back to the silver one. Something about it is almost pitiable, like he would feel bad for it if he didn't choose it. Like if he didn't choose it, no one else would.

He points to it. "That one," he says. "The silver one."

[siltyriver]

Justice is Swift (Vengeance is Sweet) — a DPxDC Dead on Main Fic

chapter three has arrived!

master post || <- ch.2 || ch.3 shitposts

CHAPTER THREE — ANGEL IN DISGUISE

Summary —

Danny has a (literal) run-in with someone at a coffee shop, an interesting conversation with some friends, a near-miss with another mugger, and has some more home invaders. Jason and Tim start putting some more pieces together.

chapter word count — 7,646

full chapter under the cut, but for the best experience read on ao3 and consider leaving kudos/comments as they fuel me :)

𓆩⟡𓆪

Danny let himself splurge on decent coffee once a week, a little treat to help with the general chaos of juggling a full load of intense college classes. He had discovered a lovely little coffee shop nearby campus with a caring staff who fulfilled Danny’s truly exorbitant espresso wishes without even batting an eye.

He loved Gotham, truly.

What he did not love, was getting said heavenly coffee splashed over his chest and spilled on the floor, a truly devastating (and expensive) brown puddle that reflected his blank face as he stared down into it with a resigned sigh.

“Oh fuck, I’m sorry!” A deep voice broke him out of his mourning and he glanced up at the douche that had bumped into him and caused the tragedy seeping below his sneakers as they stood there. Well, the douche at least had the decency to be the hottest guy Danny had ever seen. He would take the spilled holy nectar any day to have the chance to see the face staring at him in panicked apology. (Danny was maybe a tad bit sleep deprived and loopy at the moment. Fruit loop loopy. Ha.)

“Uh, you okay?” Danny scrubbed a hand down his face to clear his head and bit down a hysterical bark of laughter and instead shot a rueful smile at the literal Angel looking at him with what was now concern, gorgeous blue eyes wide and large hand hovering as if to steady Danny but not sure if the touch would be welcomed. (It most certainly would be.)

“Yeah, you’re good, man,” Danny tried for nonchalance despite kind of wanting to cry in the corner at the loss of his much needed caffeine. He did not have time to go back to his apartment to make a shitty cup of the instant coffee he made do with every other day of the week. “Don’t worry about it.”

The guy looked worried regardless. An employee came over with a mop and paper towels which the guy took with a grateful smile that brought a flush to the barista’s cheeks. Danny felt a sense of kinship towards her, because at least he wasn’t the only one clearly affected by the Angel’s charm.

Danny stepped away from the puddle to let the clearly underpaid employee get the spill mopped up, glad that his shoes only left a slight trail of the liquid, and made grabby motions for the paper towels. Angel Boy passed him the stack and Danny started patting his shirt down. Of course he chose to wear a mostly white one today too, no jacket in sight because Danny was an idiot who didn’t want to carry it around when he inevitably got too warm. Having an ice core that made him near immune to the cold had it’s downsides after all.

“Let me buy you another?” Danny stared at Angel Boy who was now giving him a truly devastatingly pretty smile that made Danny’s gut twist a bit. (He should really have Frostbite run some tests with the amount of swirling his gut had been doing lately. Maybe something was wrong with him.)

“Uh, you don’t have to,” Danny said after a moment and Angel Boy shook his head.

“No, I insist,” Angel said and Danny had a pang of déjà vu but waved it off. “It’s the least I can do after giving yours away to the floor,” Angel glanced at Danny’s shirt and winced, “And for ruining your shirt. Just, wait here?”

Danny could only nod as Angel walked to the counter and turned his charming smile to the cashier who nodded and waved off his card, much to Danny’s chagrin. He was positive he wouldn’t manage to get a free coffee. He had the charm of a particularly slow slug at the moment and his eye bags were probably enough to scare off even Skulker. He watched in swooning amusement as Angel snuck in a few bills (probably much more than the drink itself cost, from the look of it) to the tip jar when the barista’s back was turned and then frowned in confusion as the guy then ran out the door, bell left swinging behind him.

Well, that was that, then. He sighed in disappointment and gave up on dabbing at his shirt after another moment and made sure his shoes were wiped before throwing the soiled napkins in the garbage. He turned around to see if he would actually have a drink waiting at the counter or if it had all been some sort of joke, and startled when he came face to face with Angel Boy a foot away, holding out a large fresh cup of what Danny hoped to be at least as strong as his original order and what looked like a black shirt draped over his arm. Was this guy a speedster or something? How the fuck did he get back so fast? Danny ignored his confusion and took the offered cup gratefully, eyes widening after a careful sip.

Angel laughed, “Like it?”

Danny nodded, taking another sip, “What the hell is in this?”

Angel shrugged, “Same thing my overworked and chronically sleep deprived brother usually gets to try and ‘fight the demons’ or something. You struck me as the type to appreciate it. I had her put the recipe on the side for you.”

Sure enough, Danny found the order written on the side, and at the bottom was a string of numbers. Danny nearly rolled his eyes. Figured.

“I think she left you a little something,” Danny turned the cup and tapped the numbers for Angel to see. The guy just flushed slightly and rubbed the back of his neck.

“Uh, actually that’s for you.”

Danny blinked and then cocked his head to look around Angel’s shoulder to get a look at the girl. She was cute, sure, but after seeing Angel, Danny wasn’t sure he’d be able to find anyone else attractive ever again. (He was definitely being melodramatic. Val would be proud. Sam would smack him upside the head. Tucker would be laughing his ass off. He’s never telling them anything about this.)

He was brought back by a breathy laugh and a more red-faced Angel Boy. “Mine, not hers.”

And, oh.

Oh.

Danny short-circuited.

“My name’s Jason,” Angel Boy, Jason, smiled and stuck his hand out. Danny smiled back and grabbed it, reveling in how warm and nice it felt in his own.

“Danny,” he managed to say without even a crack or stutter. (Tucker would be so fucking proud of him. He’s so telling them about this.)

Angel, no, Jason, grinned a bit wider and squeezed his hand once more before letting go and Danny immediately missed the warmth, cradling his coffee to try and bring it back (it wasn’t the same).

“Well, I’m sorry again, Danny. If you ever want a do-over I’d love to not douse you in coffee next time.”

Danny laughed, “Yeah, I definitely wouldn’t mind that.”

They grinned at each other before Jason startled out of it with a soft, “Oh!” He held out what was definitely a black shirt and Danny stared. “I thought you might like a shirt that I didn’t spill coffee on. I keep an extra in my bike bag just in case. It’s clean, I promise.”

Danny glanced outside and sure enough there was a gleaming black motorcycle parked in front of the doors. Of course the guy rode a motorcycle. Danny was going to fucking swoon.

He did not swoon, and instead composed himself enough to take the offered shirt with a grateful smile. “Thanks, I appreciate it.”

Jason smiled, “No problem, least I could do.”

Danny begged to differ but kept the sentiment to himself. Jason was clearly a gentleman.

His phone beeped in warning and he swore, “I’m gonna be late for class. Thank you for the coffee and the shirt, I really appreciate it.”

“Like I said, least I could do,” Jason waved him off, walking with him towards the door where Danny turned to duck into the bathroom and change. Just before he turned Jason stopped him with a warm hand on his wrist and sparkling eyes.

“Text me?”

Danny grinned and promised, “Yeah, I will.”

Jason left with a gentle squeeze and Danny had to force his feet to start working again and not stare as Jason straddled his bike.

Holy shit.

As he ran to class he shot off a simple ‘Hey, it’s Danny’ with a cheeky coffee cup emoji to the number on the cup and had to force down a giddy, disbelieving laugh.

His life rocked.

—

He managed to keep his good spirits up the rest of the week and was still riding the high when he met Bernard and Tim for their now weekly café hangout.

“You’re in a good mood,” Bernard commented as Danny took the seat across from the couple. He shrugged but kept smiling, taking the offered coffee cup with a quick thanks.

“Yeah, I guess I am,” the week had been good after his run in with Jason. He managed to catch up on the sleep he lost from pulling a couple all-nighters for homework and the chaos of coordinating with Jazz to get Ellie’s paperwork and trying to find the best school for her to enroll at. Classes were going smooth, Ellie was settling in, he hadn’t heard anything from Red Robin or Red Hood, and, oh yeah, he and Jason had been texting a lot. A lot, a lot. And they had plans to meet up Saturday morning for another try at a coffee shop. Danny had to remind himself that it wasn’t technically a date, but it was hard when every time his phone buzzed his heart did a flip.

He was being completely normal about this.

“This have anything to do with Angel Boy?” Danny blushed and regretted ever telling Bernard anything. He groaned into his hands.

“Can you just forget that entire conversation?”

Bernard shook his head, “Nope! It was hilarious and I now must hold it over your head forever more. Friend duties and all that.”

Tim looked between the two in amusement and Danny glared at Bernard in warning. “Don’t you dare,” he hissed but Bernard, the traitor, did indeed dare.

Danny sighed and pillowed his head in his folded arms as Bernard retold the story to Tim, but thankfully left out some of Danny’s more embarrassing tangents about the guy’s killer thighs and various muscle toning. Tim looked very amused at the tale and Danny sighed pitifully.

“Tim, your boyfriend is fucking rude. I told him that in three-day sleep-deprived confidence and therefore cannot be held responsible for my gushing.”

Tim nodded in sage agreement and Bernard scoffed at both of them. “That is so not a thing.”

Tim shook his head, “Is too a thing.”

Danny held out a hand and Tim high-fived it, “See! Thank fuck one of you is sane!”

“Whatever, maybe you guys should get more sleep,” Benny, rolled his eyes, “Have you set up a date yet?”

Danny couldn’t stop the smile, “Yeah, we’re going for coffee on Saturday. Hopefully sans the embarrassing spillage and gawking.”

Bernard laughed and Tim smiled and then said, “You want me to run a background check on the guy? Make sure he’s not some crazy weirdo?”

Danny cocked his head, “You can do that?” He knew Tucker had his ways of getting information on people but he wasn’t used to other people having the same type of paranoia and resources.

Tim shrugged, “Perks of being semi-famous and very wealthy. Bruce makes us run background checks on pretty much anyone we speak to more than once.”

Danny narrowed his eyes, “Have you run one on me?”

Tim fidgeted a little and Bernard laughed, throwing his arm over Tim’s shoulder easily. “Of course he did. We had to make sure you weren’t an aforementioned crazy weirdo.”

Danny raised his eyebrows in amusement, “Find anything interesting?” He was sure that the name change would at least pop up but he didn’t truly know if anything about his parents or the GIW would show, depending on how deep the Wayne’s resources could dig. He knew he was on the GIW’s agency watch list in high school but since they were disbanded he had no idea what records would still be active or available. Then again, Red Robin clearly hadn’t seen anything of the sort if his surprise at the topic was any indication, and surely the Bat Posse had more intense resources than nearly anyone with Batman’s ‘World Greatest Detective’ title and association with the Justice League.

Tim shrugged, “A bit, but Berny always tells me it’s rude to pry.”

“That’s because it is, Timmy,” Benny said cheekily and patted his arm, making Tim sigh. “However, now that we’re friends and you’ve been confirmed to, in fact, not be a crazy weirdo, that rule no longer applies to you. Were your parents really ghost hunters?”

Danny huffed a laugh at Bernard’s bluntness and curiosity. He could see that Tim was also curious and he actually found himself comfortable speaking about his life in Amity with them. Well, some of his life in Amity. The basics. “Yeah, pretty much.”

Bernard let out a, “Huh,” and then, “did they ever find anything?”

Danny smirked. “Maybe,” he said mysteriously.

Bernard guffawed, “You can’t just leave it at that!”

Danny laughed, “Okay, okay! Let’s just say that everyone who lives in Amity are definite believers of the supernatural and for good reason.”

Tim leaned forward in curiosity, “What do you mean by that?”

Danny shrugged, “We’ve all had an encounter or two,” or hundreds, “with a ghost or two,” or an entire realm full. “It’s almost impossible not to in that town. I swear it should be considered the most haunted place in America with how often sightings happen.”

“What type of ghosts?” Tim asked and Danny found that particular question a bit odd and the entire situation somewhat familiar for some reason but brushed it off and shrugged.

“All types, really. There was a lunch lady at the high school, Casper High, by the way, I swear they were just asking for it, and a little boy that’s like, obsessed with pirates, and a puppy named Cujo that runs around and sleeps in peoples gardens, but then there’s the real town legend of course.” Maybe he was having a little too much fun with this.

“What’s the legend?” Bernard asked emphatically.

Danny smirked with a wicked gleam, “Phantom.”

—

He left the Physics lecture nearly dead on his feet, having spent the entire time juggling taking notes and fending off Bernard’s incessant questions about Amity and all things ghosts. The conversation had really taken off with Tim and Benny both taking turns asking rapid fire questions that Danny had to be careful how he answered and by the end they were nearly late to their class and Bernard still hadn’t had enough of it.

It amused Danny, a bit, having people so curious about Amity and the ghosts when everyone in Amity were so desensitized to it all that hardly anyone even spoke about the ghosts anymore, accepting their presence as if they were ordinary run of the mill citizens, especially after their fights stopped creating so much damage and people started being able to catch onto what each ghost wanted to accomplish. At worst they were slight annoyances (Boxy rearranging the shelves at the container store to better suit his whims, Ember crashing some festivals and taking over the opening acts stage time, and Cujo digging up some flower beds and scaring the neighborhood cats) and the Amity Parkers were content to leave them be and let Phantom deal with them when they got too rambunctious. (Besides his parents, of course, and the occasional tourist ghost hunter who often caused more damage than the ghosts that they claimed were so dangerous).

He managed to abate his friends curiosity by promising an eventual visit to Amity (despite his reservations of visiting his home town again and all the memories it held) and further stories another time. Danny was almost certain Tim had been taking notes on everything with the way he had his phone under the table and kept glancing down, typing away as they talked. Danny wondered if the guy had a secret interest in the paranormal and if he liked the exaggerated TV shows with the spirit boxes and creepy basements they locked themselves in for no good reason, undoubtedly bothering whatever shades or spirits were lingering around.

He startled out of his thoughts by a flash of blue on a rooftop across the street. Well, at least Danny wouldn’t have to be stopping any muggings tonight, thank the Ancients. He hadn’t had a run-in with any of the other vigilantes and he wanted to keep it that way as long as possible. He hoped that Red and Hood were keeping things on the down low and would be the only ones ambushing him anytime soon.

Of course, nothing ever went the way Danny wanted it to.

He saw the hooded figure as he entered the alley and had half a mind to back out and take the long way, but something pressed to his lower back ensured that that wasn’t an option. “Keep walking, pretty boy,” the guttural voice demanded and Danny complied easily, biding his time until he could escape.

The hooded figure started walking towards them, meeting them halfway. “Empty your pockets,” Hoodie Guy said, flashing a gun at Danny, causing him to sigh internally. But before he could get do anything, a flash of Blue landed behind Hoodie and took him out at the knees, gun sliding far across the alley. Danny took his opening and twirled away from the guy behind him as he staggered back a step with a shocked curse. He used his momentum to land a solid kick to his side, knocking him against the wall and followed up with a punch to the temple, knocking him out.

He turned to face Nightwing who was staring in shock at Danny and the thug he’d taken down.

“Nice kick,” he said and Danny had to laugh, getting a flashback to Red Hood complimenting his punch.

“Thanks,” Danny said, “And thanks for the help,” he gestured to the two crumpled forms on the ground and Nightwing shrugged.

“Kinda what I’m around for,” he said and then gestured to the thug behind Danny, “but I think you would’ve been just fine without me.”

Danny shrugged, “Maybe, but guns are a bit much for my limited self defense skills.”

“Yeah, that’s fair,” Nightwing nodded, crouching to swipe the gun and unload it with practiced ease before turning to the thugs with zip-tie cuffs and speaking a quick, “Hey, O, send the GPD to my pin, would ya? Two armed thugs, zip-tied and out for now. Thanks,” into his comms before turning back to Danny with a small grin, “Do you live close by?”

“Just another few minutes past the next dark alleyway,” Danny gestured in the direction.

Nightwing laughed, “Any chance you take the long way instead?”

Danny smirked, “Nope.”

“Want company?”

Danny nodded with a small shrug and started walking, “Well, you’re definitely more polite about it than Red Hood was.”

Nightwing made a noise of surprise, matching his stride, “Oh, you’ve met Hood?”

Danny laughed, “Oh yeah, we’ve met. Red Robin too, though considering he actually broke into my apartment to get information I’d say you have him beat too.”

Nightwing sputtered, “What the hell? Why?”

Danny shrugged, “Thought I was someone else apparently, but didn’t like being told he was wrong, funnily enough.”

Nightwing sighed, “I’d apologize for him but I think we both know that he isn’t sorry about it.”

Danny shrugged, “Yeah, probably not. It’s chill though, we have an agreement that next time he’ll at least knock.”

“Well if he doesn’t, let me know and I’ll kick his butt a bit for you, ‘kay?”

Danny cackled. He liked Nightwing a lot more than the partners of his he’d met. Well, besides Red Hood, maybe. He had invited him to dinner after all, and the guy had left him food. He won out for sure. But Nightwing was definitely an easier first impression.

“So, you go to Gotham U?” Nightwing asked, eyeing his backpack.

“Yeah, I’m a freshman. Got a full ride for Aerospace Engineering,” Danny offered, because why the hell not? At this rate the Bat Posse would have his entire life story complete with baby pictures by the end of the semester.

Nightwing whistled, “Wow, I know their scholarship programs are super competitive so you must have really impressed them.”

Danny had gone for their Inventor’s Scholarship and entered a modified version of one of his parents old, non-patented, ray guns, but specifically designed by Danny to shoot non-lethal energy bursts powered completely by ectoplasm (or as his official spec sheet had listed: an ‘alternate form of clean energy’). He was incredibly proud of it and had plans to modify a lot of his parents’ other inventions they had given up on. He had all of the blueprints and a few boxes in his closet held the devices that he stole from their lab throughout the years.

They chatted idly for the few minutes that it took to reach his building and he waved goodbye with another thanks and a grin, watching the vigilante swing away on his grapple. So much for not interacting with any other vigilantes. Though, at least it seemed that Red and Hood had kept their little investigation to themselves. Nightwing truly didn’t seem to recognize him and Danny was glad for the semblance of privacy, even though he had a sneaking suspicion it wouldn’t last forever, depending on what the two were able to scrounge up. Furthermore, Nightwing reminded Danny a bit of Jazz — something about the guy just screamed ‘older sibling’ energy and Danny couldn’t help but feel more at ease with him around (not to mention the few puns that they had shot back and forth — the Bats were quickly growing on him, which was mildly concerning considering, well, everything about his own past vigilante situation).

He made the trek up the stairs and decided to use his front door rather than phasing through. He was still a bit paranoid that Red Robin may have put up extra surveillance around his apartment to try and catch him off guard. He and Ellie had thoroughly checked the apartment last time they had left and fortunately found nothing (if they had, he would have tracked the vigilante down and shoved whatever camera or microphone down his throat).

He froze as he entered his apartment, letting the scene he was looking at process.

“Close the door, don’t let them out!” Ellie snapped and Danny did as he was told, closing and locking the door as a tiny black fur ball toddled up to him curiously, winding itself around his feet.

“Ellie,” he said carefully, “what did you do?”

Ellie had another fur ball, this one pure white, cradled in her arms, and she looked up at him with her too-wide, ‘I’m so innocent’ eyes. He sighed, knowing already that he would be caving.

She grinned, as if knowing what his sigh meant. “They were abandoned! I found them in a taped up box in an alleyway and couldn’t just leave them!”

Danny sighed again, toeing off his shoes carefully as to not kick the little creature and then scooped it up, staring at it face to face. It was stupidly adorable and gave him a little ‘mew’ in hello. He melted.

“Okay, fair enough. But you could have taken them to a shelter or vet?”

“I don’t trust shelters! They’re already so full and they might kill them or some older ones to make room!” Ellie said in distress and Danny quickly sat next to her and pressed his shoulder to her own.

“Okay, okay! I get it and agree,” he assured her and looked down at the kittens in their arms. “Have you named them yet?”

She shook her head, “Not yet, I wanted to wait for you. Buuut,” she held up the white kitten. “I was thinking Casper for this one?”

Danny groaned, “Who told you about Casper the Ghost?”

Ellie rolled her eyes, “Casper is a classic, of course I know him.”

“Great, and you know that my high school was literally Casper High? You want to torture me with the memory of high school every time I look at the thing?”

“Well, ghosts are supposed to be haunting, right?”

He shoved Ellie over and laughed as she held the kitten, Casper, up so it wouldn’t be crushed. “Hey! You could have hurt Casper!”

Danny shook his head, “Nah, you got him.”

She put Casper down and let him wander a bit, finding his way to Danny’s lap. Danny put down his own kitten so they could play. “Now you gotta name the black one.”

Danny looked at Ellie and sighed when he realized she was serious. He looked down and scratched the little things head. “Batman,” he deadpanned and earned a shove back. He cackled.

“No way! That would be so embarrassing if your vigilante friends came back!”

“Yeah, yeah,” not even bothering to argue about the ‘friend’ title, he kept looking at the kitten. “Reaper,” he settled on. Ellie thought it over.

“Casper and Reaper. I like it.”

Danny smiled at her and then frowned, sighing.

“I guess this means we need to go on a supply run then, huh?”

She just shot him a toothy grin in response.

—

Danny let out a steadying breath as his phone rang for their impromptu group call that Danny had asked the gang, including Jazz, to have earlier than their usual weekly recap sessions. Ellie rolled her eyes and pressed the answer button for him, crowding in close to him so her face could be seen along with his own. They had agreed that it was time to let everyone in on the little vigilante snooping problem they were having now that the heroes had made it clear they weren’t going to be leaving the issue alone, and Danny was not looking forward to it.

“Alright, Danny, what shitshow did you get yourself into this time?” Sam’s despondent voice asked and Danny gasped in offense.

“Hey, what makes you think I got myself into trouble? Can’t a guy just want to talk with his best friends?”

Four unimpressed glares stared back at him and he cringed a bit as Ellie cackled.

“Yeah, dude, what’s going on?” Tucker asked, worry clear in his voice and Danny felt a bit bad for not giving them any details past the need for a call.

He rubbed the back of his neck. “Okay, so you know how Gotham has it’s hoard of vigilantes?”

Valerie narrowed her eyes, “The group of bat furries? Yeah, D, we helped with the research before you moved there, we know all about them.”

Danny huffed a laugh, “Yeah, well,” he drew out the word and Ellie elbowed him with an eye roll.

“Danny got himself a couple of vigilante stalkers who are now very interested in Amity and all things ghosts.”

Danny sighed and glared at Ellie who just shrugged, “What? It’s true and you were taking forever to say it.”

“Yeah, but I was trying to find a way that wouldn’t do that,” he gestured to the four sets of incredulous eyes blinking back at them. Ellie shrugged again.

“What the fuck, Danny?” Sam exclaimed at the same time as Jazz groaned his name, while Val buried her face in her hands and Tucker started tapping furiously on his PDA.

“Okay, so apparently cutting through some sketchy alleyways and stopping a few muggings while invisible is a pretty good way to get on the city’s protector’s radar, who’d have thunk?”

Sam and Jazz’s eyes widened a bit more, “Danny, please do not tell us that you’ve been using Phantom to stop petty crime in a city that we specifically all agreed that you’d not moonlight in because of the risk of the fucking Batman finding you out.”

Jazz swearing was never a good sign. Danny held his hands up. “Hey! I’m not that dumb!”

Ellie tilted her head with a unconvinced, “Eh,” and Danny pushed her away with a bit of his ghostly strength as she just cackled and didn’t budge much. Stupid ghost clone sisters.

“Seriously, I’m not moonlighting as Phantom, I promise!” Danny turned his attention back to the phone.

“Yeah,” Ellie chimed in, “he’s just gaslighting Red Robin and Red Hood into thinking that he’s being haunted by Phantom.”

Danny groaned again, “Seriously, El, you are not helping.”

“Oh, I think she’s being very enlightening,” Val disagreed, finally lifting her head from her hands to glare at Danny who shrunk back a bit against the force of it. “Now, elaborate.”

“Okay, so it started with Red Hood who kinda saw me let a thug’s fist phase through me when I was getting lightly mugged and he assumed I was a meta, which, honestly was rude and discriminatory if I’m being honest, and I called him out on it too but then he showed up in my apartment a few days later with Red Robin who called me by my old name and had a bunch of creepy stalker-photos of me and the crime scenes and also accused me of being involved with them, so I may have bullshitted and dropped some hints about Amity and ghosts, so,” he sucked in a gulping breath at the end and shrugged, feigning nonchalance “that’s that.”

The silence was damning as they all stared at him and let the rambling words sink in. Tucker was the first to break it.

“So, let me get this straight. You decided it was a good idea to turn yourself invisible to stop some crime, despite the city being under heavy surveillance by the Bats, which I definitely remember warning you about, by the way,” Danny flinched a bit at the reminder, but Tucker continued on, “and then got yourself caught and on the radar of at least two of the city’s vigilantes who confronted you about it and clearly did a background check if they were able to find your parents’ last name and you decided that it was a good idea to tell them to look deeper into Amity and your parents so they would hopefully assume that not only ghosts are in fact real, something we’re apparently assuming they did not know before, but that you brought one with you into Batman’s city and it’s running around stopping criminals? Did I get everything?”

“Oh, and he invited Red Hood to have dinner with him!” Ellie grinned and Danny dropped his head to the desk, whining pitifully at the resounding chaos that her words brought. The portal should have killed him all the way when it had the chance. His life would have been so much simpler.

When the brutal ribbing finally died down, Danny was able to, unsuccessfully, explain and got even more teasing and accusations of having some serious lapses in judgment thrown at him. Eventually, they got back to the serious topics and Danny was more flustered and exhausted than he’d ever remembered being since his disastrous crush on Paulina in freshman year.

“Okay, but seriously, how do we want to handle this situation?” Jazz asked and they all sobered up. “I mean, we’re facing a serious risk of exposure here. Not only with just the existence of ghosts, but dredging up every incident in Amity Park and possibly the existence of the Realms as well. If the Justice League gets involved, this could get real bad real quick, Danny.”

Danny sighed, “I know. I need to talk with the Council and see exactly how they want to handle this as well, but,” he hesitated, not sure why he was apprehensive about sharing the information but he knew they all had their grievances with the League and some unflattering opinions born by their silence and lack of response over the years. “But I have a feeling that the League may not even know anything about Amity or ghosts,” he heard some scoffing and twisted his mouth a bit, “I know. I know what we’ve thought over the years but I mean, Red Robin looked into Amity and didn’t find anything about distress calls or our ghost problems? That doesn’t sit right with me. If they knew about us and were purposefully not helping, then surely they would at least recognize the name, right? They’d have information and files, but both Hood and Red seemed so genuinely confused and shocked by the little information I gave and then I asked about if the League had call logs and Hood said they’d look into them. At the very least, I don’t think the Bats have any clue about any of it.”

Tucker didn’t look very convinced, but his voice was careful when he said, “Or it means that they’re operating with more secrecy and have the files protected. I mean, I know Batman is a full member of the League, but none of the other Gotham vigilantes are, right?” Danny wracked his brain to try and remember if that was true, while the rest of them nodded in agreement.

“Even if your vigilantes don’t know, that doesn’t mean that Batman and the rest of the League aren’t still involved and possibly against us,” Val said soft but firm and Danny chewed at his lip. He knew they were right, but he really, really wanted to believe that the heroes were better than that. That if they truly knew what was going on, they would try to help, as they had with the meta rights protection Acts. That they would at least want to hear the ghosts out and not blindly go off of the GIW and Drs. Fenton’s biased words alone.

“Listen,” Jazz’s voice was soft as well and her eyes were full of concern through the screen, “like you said, your vigilantes seem to be keeping this information to themselves for now, right?” Danny nodded, slightly amused that they kept referring to Red and Hood as his vigilantes, and she continued, “So let’s see what they come up with. Let’s see if they’re willing to listen and help, or if they have any information on what the League may or may not know before we panic. Danny, talk with the council and see what they have to say about it all and we’ll go from there.”

He appreciated her trying to stay positive and not going into doomsday prep. He knew the worst case scenario would result in him having to leave Gotham. He knew that would crush him. He really, really hoped that his vigilantes would try to help, that they would hear him out. If not, then Danny didn’t know if he could handle giving up his and Ellie’s chance at a (relatively) normal life with (relatively) normal friends.

The thought settled like a stone in his stomach, heavy and painful. He hoped for the better outcome, for both his own sake and the sake of his little sister’s.

𓆩⟡𓆪

Jason’s run in with Danny at the coffee shop was certainly a happy surprise. Well, it was an embarrassing and awkward shitshow but after Jason got over the initial mortification of literally dousing the poor guy in his own coffee he could admit that the interaction ended about as good as it could have. He had successfully gotten Danny’s number and Tim’s awful concoction of almost pure espresso shots seemed to be a hit, which didn’t surprise Jason at all with how much Danny looked like a particularly handsome zombie, his eye bags nearly as dark as B’s stupid black eye paint he insisted on smearing beneath the cowl to further the ‘mystery’ or whatever the old man insisted on (Jason just thought it made him look like one of the soggy emo teenagers that sulked around the music shops, but Bruce never seemed to care much about Jason’s opinions so if the old man wanted to look like a poor imitation of a raccoon, then so be it).

If Jason didn’t have a skewed perspective on what healthy sleeping habits were he might have been more worried for Danny, but he knew that the sleep deprivation would undoubtedly be chalked up to college stress and projects and his eyes had been more lively after a few sips of the coffee so he figured Danny would be fine. Plus, the knowledge that he could now check up on the guy via text to make sure he wasn’t actually at risk of passing out while walking helped. A lot.

The interaction was nearly enough to distract Jason from what he had even been at that coffee shop for in the first place. Nearly.

He had agreed to meet with Tim to discuss what the detective had been able to pull from the call log search, and the results were more harrowing than either of them anticipated. Amity Park had made hundreds of distress calls, starting from six years ago all of varying intensities and importance and spanning nearly two years until they abruptly stopped. All of them had been marked ‘RESOLVED’ nearly as fast as they had come in, without a corresponding incident report or an ID stamp to show who had responded to the messages, which shouldn’t have even been possible with how the system was set up to prevent exactly that from happening. It was very clear that whoever had done it went through drastic measures to make sure no one else knew about it or checked into Amity Park.

Worst and most worrying of all were the last distress messages sent, spanning four days:

AMITY HAS BEEN TAKEN. PLEASE HELP.

48 HOURS STRANDED IN THE ZONE. NO END IN SIGHT. WE NEED HELP.

PARIAH IS ATTACKING. AMITY WILL BE LOST. HELP. US.

PLEASE. ANYONE.

Tim hadn’t been able to find any record of what might have possibly happened to Amity Park to warrant that message (or who or what ‘Pariah’ might be), but it was the last one ever sent, nearly four years ago. Tim had verified that Amity was indeed still around and from what he found, everything seemed fine. But it was clear that something had happened and that the League hadn’t stepped in to help. It was worrying, to say the least, and Jason couldn’t stop replaying the way Danny had sounded and the tense resignation in his face when he asked Jason to look into it.

They had mentioned bringing Bruce into the loop to see if he knew anything about it, but they had both ultimately decided to talk to Danny once more to see if he’d offer any information before dragging the League into it (especially when it was clear that Danny didn’t trust the League to help at this point).

Tim hadn’t been able to scrounge much up about the mysterious GIW, though he had managed to find more of the Drs. Fenton’s research along with seemingly endless designs and patents of various weapons and machines all intended for working on ghosts, or ecto-entities as they put it. Their research on ectoplasm was apparently highly interesting according to Tim and had sent him into a deep rabbit hole, but Jason was more focused on finding the GIW and trying to figure out how exactly Danny fit into this whole thing.

Tim had left in a rush after realizing the time but Jason lingered a while after, mind still racing. Which is how he ended up disgracing himself by stumbling into Danny and leaving with a racing heart as those bright blue eyes followed him, making him itch with the urge to turn back around and ask every question that was burning to be answered.

The roar of his engine and wind whipping through his jacket was a decent distraction, and donning the suit and helmet was even better. He didn’t usually patrol when the sun was still out, but he needed something to curb the restless energy that made his limbs buzz and he had nothing else to do that day.

His mind wandered back to Danny at every spare moment, trying to parse together the connection between him and the supposed ghost that had tagged along to Gotham. It didn’t make sense to Jason, why a ghost would attach itself to someone who’s parents were so extremely dedicated to the forceful research of said ecto-entities. He would assume something like that would stay as far away from the Drs. Fenton’s as possible if they didn’t want to be caught and experimented on. (Which, from their research sounded like a possibility, though Jason also didn’t understand how one could experiment on a ghost. He was getting tired of all the things he didn’t understand.)

He struck unexpected gold while talking to one of the street kids he watched out for in exchange for information (at least, that’s what the kids thought the agreement was — the information was just a bonus to Jason who’d look out for the kids regardless, but he remembered being a street rat himself and how any act of kindness could feel like a trap, the need to be square and even to avoid owing someone more than you could give).

The mention of some weird guys in white suits normally wouldn’t give him more than a second’s pause, but now it set alarm bells off and when asked for more specifics he found himself talking with a few of his other contacts and getting confirmation that there seemed to be quite a few of these mysterious ‘guys in white’ roaming around Gotham, close enough to Crime Alley to be noticed by some of the residents but never doing anything to warrant further scrutiny.

No one seemed to know how many there were or where they operated out of (or what their goals were, if any), but he had a gut feeling that they were the same group that Danny had described and asked a few people to keep a closer eye on any of the men that they could, hoping to be able to solve at least part of the mystery Danny had presented them.

𓆩⟡𓆪

Every conversation with Danny was both enlightening and completely frustrating.

Tim had a long list of subjects to research but finding any information on Amity or these ‘Guys In White’ was like pulling teeth. He scoured the internet for articles or statements and came away with frustratingly little to show for it.

He had found a few promising blogs from various Amity Park residents that mentioned ghosts and the name Phantom in particular, and had most of his luck with a niche high school newspaper archive he finally tracked down that provided grainy pictures of said resident ‘ghost boy’ and various tales of attacks that Tim knew better than to think were exaggerated based on the quantity and subjects of the distress calls the League had received and had marked as ‘resolved’, but what the hell. He didn’t understand how rogues as powerful as these had flown under the League’s radar all this time, and he was still in the process of figuring out who, exactly, had fucked with the calls and left Amity to the mercy of a truly staggering amount of rogues with no back up.

Tim was nearly ready to make a trip to Amity himself to see what the fuck was going on. Hell, he was about ready to go to Batman with everything and let him flush out the incompetent asshole and put the fear of Vengeance into whoever fucked up this badly. But, that would have to wait. Tim needed more concrete proof, needed a complete report before he went to Bruce with the subject of ghosts and despite his logic, he also wanted to keep working with Danny before bringing others into this mess. He wanted to trust the guy, and he wanted Danny to trust them to be able to help. He’d clearly already been failed by the League, Tim didn’t want to burn him twice.

Surprisingly, it was Jason who found the most valuable information regarding the GIW.

“Apparently they were officially disbanded several years ago, but there’s a rogue group of ex-operatives that are trying to keep things going. And guess where they’re based out of?”

Tim sighed. “Is B going to like this?”

“Absolutely not,” Jason said grimly.

“Well, fuck. Do you have any information on exactly where?”

Jason sighed, “No. Getting the little information I got was a fucking pain in my ass, but I have eyes out and hopefully I’ll get a location soon.”

Tim decided he didn’t want to know how Jason got the intel and sighed, looking down at their spread of information. It was depressing him. “Yeah, same here. It’s like everything that I’m searching for specifically has been fucking scrubbed from the internet. It’s infuriating.”

Jason grunted in agreement and leaned back in his seat, staring at the files and news article copies and still-fuzzy despite being enhanced photos. Tim was snapped out of his own musings when Jason suddenly sat upright with a, “Fuck me.”

“What?” Tim asked in fervor.

“Get me a notepad and pen,” Tim did as asked without complaint, a true testament to how badly he wanted to figure this shit out.

He watched over Jason’s shoulder as he started to make a list and what — oh.

Oh.

“Holy shit.”

[kyufessions]

boy on the bus

synopsis: you’re writing a letter that won’t reach him

pairing: non-idol! changmin x g.n. reader

genre: fluff turned angst (??)

word count: 1.2k

general taglist: @jwnghyuns @eaudenana @soobin-chois

tbz taglist: @ilovechanhee

i was told life is supposed to be boring. everyday we wake up and attend our normal jobs that we either love or despise. i did what was told of me, got my degree, and got that boring job. i also never missed a singular day of work, not daring to be looked down upon by my supervisors but rather being looked at as the employee that goes above and beyond, whether the company deserves someone like me or not. but i did what momma told me, and lived that boring life that i only dreamt of as a child. “life won’t be that boring, will it?” id promise myself i wouldn’t make it boring, but rather have it be fun and exciting. but still do exactly as momma said. and that i did- except, i felt little fulfillment and joy. until i met you.

it was just a normal wednesday afternoon after work, sitting in the back corner of the bus for the next ten minutes until i arrived at my destination. headphones played day6’s discography on a loop as i stared ahead out of the window, admiring the same view of the busy streets and occasional trees and bushes that i notice everyday through the changing seasons. but this day was different, because of you.

i noticed you coming in from the bus stop in front of the local college campus, you were wearing nothing but just grey sweatpants and a random graphic tee with a pullover flannel with frames glasses that accompanied your face perfectly. the way small strands of hair stuck to your forehead was something i couldn’t help but notice, my mind fluttering with curiosity. i watched as you looked around for a seat- your eyes finally meeting mine. once they did? i felt my heart do a kick that it hadn’t for several years up to that point. no one had caught my eye quite like you did, not a single soul. but yet here was a random stranger on the bus making my cheeks heat up at the shyest smile that’s thrown at me.

one afternoon, all the seats had been occupied- all except the one next to me. this was when my life changed for the better. instead of choosing a seat farther from me, you’d sit next to me instead. we’d catch up on life (mainly yours, mine was too repetitive for any curiosity to arise) until i got off at my spot, saying our goodbye’s until the very next day we’d do the same thing. one day, we ended up getting off at the same spot due to me having to do grocery shopping. and, funnily enough, you accompanied me. then it became a friday afternoon tradition for us to go grocery shopping until one of us had to leave- each friday becoming a little longer than the previous. it was sweet, it was slow.

one day, you didn’t show up. i said “hey, i’ll see him tomorrow. it’s okay.” but that day never came until three days later. playfully, i scolded you- jokes like that became our thing. instead of getting off at your spot, you got off on mine. that night, we just walked around my neighborhood and shared a bowl of tteokbokki and kimchi at the restaurant down the street from my apartment. you told me everything from your stressful college days, to overworking yourself i. both work and classes, to friend drama- everything. it made us closer, and it made my heart warm to know how close you considered me to be to gush your feelings out to me on a random thursday night.

that very next day, i didn’t need to go grocery shopping. after telling you that, you said words i thought i had only dreamt of: “let me take you on an official date then!” the excitement in your voice, that smile.. how could one say no? you took me to your favorite cafe, remember? i do. we had banana pancakes and coffee at 6PM, then we stayed at the arcade until they kicked us out. when your hand slipped in mine, butterflies erupted. everything suddenly started feeling okay. everything felt okay.

the weekends were our date nights. do you remember when you asked me to be yours? in the sunflower field? it had been my first day off of work in a while and you had promised to make it special. and that you did. you made all my days worth living again. you made them fun, more exciting. the light was no longer dull but rather blinding with endless possibilities. it was like that for an entire year until everything suddenly stopped.

no more bus rides. no more dates. no more gushy facetime time calls as we do our skincare routines as we complain about not living together yet. it had been one day where you didn’t show up on the bus. “sorry, got busy.” was all you said. silence filled my phone for the remainder of the night until the next day. you didn’t show up again, so i asked if you were okay. “sorry. meet you for dinner?” but you never did. you never met me at that same restaurant near my home, so i walked thirty minutes to your favorite cafe. but it was closed. during the thirty minute walk back i called you, but to no avail. by the third call, i gave up. assuming you fell asleep or became busy with your finals for graduation.

the next day you didn’t show up on the bus either. i texted. no response. i texted your friend. no response. “maybe he’s busy.” id say, making up every excuse in the book. instead, i got off at your stop and walked to your apartment to find it empty. no furniture, unlocked doors, an empty fridge. i asked your neighbors, and quickly called you once they said you had moved out almost a week ago. but once again, no answer.

it’s been months, and i’m still stuck on the boy from the bus; i’m still stuck on you, ji changmin. i should be mad whenever i think of our lazy mornings with our feet tangled together as you hum a soft tune into my hair, your fingers playing with the messy strands. but i don’t. i instead get butterflies, just like when i first saw you on that autumn day. you were my first love. you taught me how it felt to feel genuinely loved for who i was, you taught me how it felt to be loved back. whether that love was true or faux, i still thank you.

should i? should i really be thanking the man who has me sitting outside of our your favorite cafe with tears streaming down my face at 3AM? probably not. but i fell pathetically for you. and i fear i might still be doing so until i snap back into reality.

why did you leave suddenly? with no warning? are you okay, wherever you are? did you finally create your own dance studio? or did you debut? do you ever miss me, too?

you made my life worth living for a while, ji changmin. maybe i can find the excitement on my own this time? maybe you were a lesson sent by the universe. and for that i thank you. it was a very cruel lesson, but thank you.

sincerely,

[yesyourstalker]

Neta: [kisskisskisskiss] I'm going to miss you inkky... Are you sure you have to go?

Ikkan: I have to go back home. My next classes are going to be on campus. I'm sorry baby

Neta: But I'm so used to you being here. It kinda felt like we're already married [kiss] hehehehehe

Ikkan: you're such a romantic. Hehehehehe....It'll happen eventually [kiss]

Neta:mmmmm... ok......

Cirrina: bye ikkan

Ikkan: bye sweetheart

_______________________________________________

Neta: *sigh*....... Alone...... again.

Cirrina: you still have me Dad

Neta: of course I still have my crab cakes! [Kiss].... You want to come to work with me? Maybe bully some my employees?

Cirrina: really! Can I get something for the store? Do I get a discount?

Neta: you can get whatever you want for free. Considering You got an A on your exam!! I'm so proud of you!! My little girl.

_______________________________________________

Neta: sup losers.....and Baja. Today is the weekend and we all know around 3 to 4 our turf war map is going to be open and you know what that means more customers.... Yay........

Mahi: yeah yeah. We know the drill

Mizole: Who's that?

Cirrina: wouldn't you like to know.

Mahi: ouch

Neta: okay okay..... Everyone...... This my darling daughter cirrina..... Say hi sweetie!

Cirrina: Hi........ You're all dressed like you belong to a crappy failed emo band..... Some of you were making it work though.... [Smile]

Candi: aw she means me [smile]

Neta: All right. I'm going to be in my office, make some phone calls and plan out some meetings. Cirrina I need you to behave, don't interrupt them while they're working. okay?... And everyone else......... If anything happens to her. You're either going to be fired or I kill you so uhhhhhhh Don't do that.

Warabi: You know some of us are part of really successful bands like me and uhhh........ hmm looks like it's just me who's successful.

Mizole: fuck you.........watch your tone little brat.

Cirrina: and what are you going to do about it? One hit blunder.... Why don't you worry less about me and worry more about buying a new hat. that thing on your head looks atrocious.

Baja: hehehehe

Mizole:................ Those are my tentacles

Cirrina: and you go out of the house like that?

Mizole: you know what-

Cirrina: I know more than you. Thanks. I'm well aware. Tell me how does it feel to be in your 20s and still shop in the kids section.....

Warabi: HA! Hahahahahaha

Mizole: shut up........ My clothes are more expensive than your Dad's rent

Cirrina: and yet you still look ugly. How unfortunate

Baja: danm

Mizole:............

Cirrina: hehehe I mean I'm towering over you... Aren't you embarrassed?...............Old man.

Mizole:............ I'm not old

Cirrina: Yeah you are

Mizole: your dad is older than me!!!

Cirrina: and somehow he looks a lot better than you...... Tell me do you cover your eyes with your tentacles because you think it looks good or are you just hiding those forehead lines.

Mizole: Hey! [Swat] ........ Babe?

Mahi: I'm not helping you fight a 14-year-old girl.... I also don't want to be fired.

Mizole: but she's being a bitch!

Cirrina: daddy!... This ugly short little troll with the fashion sense of a blind man just called me a bitch!

Mahi: hehehe...I'm sorry. That's not funny.... I'm sorry babe.....

Candi: and he hit you.

Cirrina: and hit me!!

Neta: mizole...

Mizole: I'm leaving!...... ........Can I stay in your apartment?

Mahi: Yeah that's fine babe.

_______________________________________________

Candi: so cirrina... Your dad told me you play the cello. Is it fun?

Cirrina: Yeah it's pretty fun. Everyone was choosing violin and I kind of wanted to be different, you know?

Candi: ohhhh love that for you.

Cirrina: hehehe thanks. I like your tentacles the blue is really pretty, especially with the pink tips.... And the matching fingers so cute

Candi: aw thank you! The color is actually blue#12 and pink#13.... I like the side cut. I wanted to get something like that but I don't think I ever pull it off.

Cirrina: you know what would be cuter if you got an undercut? You can dye the underneath pink!

Candi: *ugh* do not give me ideas hahahhaha.

Cirrina: No, I'm serious. You would look really cute!.............. You're professional piercer right?

Candi: yeah? What? you want another piercing? You want another ear piercing, I can do that. Just get your dad's permission.

Cirrina: daddy can I get a tongue piercing?!

Neta: absolutely not!

Candi: nevermind.

Cirrina: hahahahaa You're so much like me when I was young. Hahahaha.. You're like a mini me!... How about this on my next day off tell your dad to bring you to work and I can take you shopping

Candi: *gasp* We're best friends now!

_______________________________________________

Cirrina: I like your fins

Mahi: oh thank you

Cirrina: you kind of look like this old man my dad has a picture of at our place.

Mahi: really?

Cirrina: Yeah It's a picture of him and my dad when he was a kid. I think he died because he has his war tag and his medals I think his name was Behi or something... I don't know.....

Mahi:........... What was his name?

Cirrina: Behi....... I think that's his name. Dad tries not to talk about him that much. He gets emotional. He was kind of like his grandfather... He was a tetra like you.... Cool right?

Mahi: and he recently died?

Cirrina: Yeah he's still trying to contact his family.... trying to find them.

Mahi:....... .... Cool ...... I'm going to head to the bathroom for a second.

_______________________________________________

Neta: did you pick up what you wanted honey?

Cirrina: yea

Neta: All right. What is it? I saw you looking at that ink fast T-shirt. You can have it, it's free!

Cirrina: No, I want that.

Neta: you want an instrument? Uhhh I was expecting something less expensive

Cirrina: you said I can get whatever I want...... Also, I think it'd be a perfect instrument..... I already have two amazing teachers.... I mean you always say that the world needs more bass players.

Neta: awwww Cici!! I know exactly what you're doing right now!!.....*sniff* and it's working!! Take the bass crab cakes! You deserve it!

Mahi: he is wrapped around her little fingers

Mahi was arrested for petty crimes by @fish-at-fish-fish-resort

[chimeramanticore-art]

Part of the Band – Chapter 3

Chapter 3 of my RAE longfic! Dook meets the gang. An important decision is made.

< Chapter 2 - Chapter 4 (TBA) >

Read it on AO3!

———

"Beach Bear, I thought you said you were takin' me to band practice?" Dook says as they enter the doors of a music store.

"I am," Beach Bear replies. "I work here. Not on the weekends, of course, but I'm the assistant manager, so I'm allowed to do whatever I want with the back room. You said you needed something to play on, right?"

"Yeah," Dook murmurs. The amount of different instruments here, the amount of variety within just one type of instrument... It's staggering, in a nice way. He has to resist the urge to touch anything.

"Well, you know your drums better than me," Beach says. He points to an area filled with drums and sticks. "Go pick out whatever you need. I'll be in the back–" he gestures toward a white door marked 'employees only'– "The door'll be unlocked. Just come join us whenever you're ready."

"Wait, I can't–" Beach Bear is already gone. "I can't move an entire drum set on my own," Dook finishes, defeated.

Regardless, he moves toward the drums section. There's several sets laid out for show, with other types of percussion behind them. Dook gravitates toward the wall, passing by bongos and a marimba and unable to resist tapping on them both once. The wall is filled with accessories, mallets, hammers, drum keys... but most importantly, drum sticks. Dook takes down pair after pair, running a finger along the wood of each one. Soon, he comes across an unassuming, light-colored pair, but they're silky smooth. These are the one.

He heads toward the back room now, sparing one more glance at the sets in the front of the percussion section as he does.

"Beach Bear, I–" Dook pokes his head into the door of the back room, and falls silent as the several inhabitants all go quiet to look at him.

Beach Bear is there, of course, accompanied by four other characters. Another bear, sat on a couch strumming a guitar. A bird, unlike any that Dook's ever seen, sitting next to him. A mouse, sitting arms crossed on a chair perpendicular to the two. And another, smaller mouse, standing near the corner– she couldn't be older than maybe eleven years.

"Hi," Dook says.

"Everyone, this is Dook," Beach Bear says. "He's going to be joining us as our drummer."

"Where'd you find this one, off the street?" The seated mouse says.

"Yeah, how'd you know?" Beach replies. She scoffs.

"I thought you wanted us to be taken seriously," she says.

"Well, I for one think he belongs here just as good as any of us!" The bear says. He puts down his guitar and approaches Dook to shake his hand, the bird following closely behind.

"It's a pleasure to meet ya, Dook," he says. "I'm Billy Bob, and this here's my buddy Looney Bird!"

"How do you do," the bird says, and offers a wing to shake. Dook takes it.

"The cranky one over there is Mini," Beach Bear chimes in.

"Queenie," she says.

"We were in a band together before this," Beach Bear explains. "Queenie was her stage name." He gestures to Billy Bob and Looney Bird, who have returned to their seat. "Billy Bob and I met at college, and him and Looney Bird have been best friends since, like..."

"Second grade," Billy Bob says proudly.

"Second grade," Beach Bear finishes.

"You went to college?" Dook asks.

"For a semester," Beach says. "Then I got bored and left."

"And Billy Bob left with you?"

"Oh– No, no. He was a street performer near my campus." He laughs. "We hung out a lot during those days, and when I moved here, they followed."

"It's like you can't get rid of us," Looney Bird says, curling up on the couch.

"And who's the... little one back there?" Dook asks.

"Mitzi," Queenie says. "I'm babysitting. Don't pay attention to her."

Dook looks over to Mitzi, giving her a small wave. She waves back.

"Hey, I thought you were going to bring drums back here," Beach Bear says.

"I came in to tell you," Dook tells him. "I can't bring back a whole drum set myself. And you'd probably have to dismantle it somewhat to get it through the door, anyway."

"Oh! Well, then, we'll help you," Beach Bear says. "Guys, c'mon– we're gonna move a drum set in here."

Everyone stands to help out. "Stay here," Queenie tells Mitzi.

"I wanna help," Mitzi responds.

"I said, stay here."

"Hey, let her help if she wants," Beach Bear says. "She can, uhh..." He looks to Dook for help.

"You can help carry the, uh, um... th- the drum stands! They're real important. Otherwise I'd just have all the drums on the floor. Not very good for conducting sound, you know." Mitzi giggles.

"Okay," she says, joining them.

·–—–·

"Well? Which one do you like?" Beach Bear asks. The store has three sets put out for display, laid out in front of the group. "Whichever one you choose, it's yours to own."

"Wait– own?" Dook asks, looking at him.

"Sure," Beach says. "Sure, we can't bring it home with us, but if we wanna keep it in the back room full-time, that isn't exactly 'borrowing' it. We'll have to buy it."

"Beach Bear, I can't afford a whole drum set," Dook says. "I couldn't even afford a place to stay last night."

"Huh? Oh, no worries, man," Beach Bear replies. "I totally got you."

"Got... me?"

"Yeah! I'll pay for it, dude."

"I... Beach Bear, I can't let you do that," Dook says.

"Hey, hey, I've got the money. Don't worry about it," he says. "Besides, what are you gonna do? Pay for it instead?"

Dook shuts his mouth.

"Now c'mon. Which one's calling to you?" Beach Bear gestures back toward the three drum sets.

Dook returns his attention to them. His eyes pass between a red set, a blue one, and... off to the right, a silver one. It's not even a full set. So then, why does this one catch his eye? He lingers on it a little longer, waiting to see how it'll make him feel to imagine playing it. Then he turns back to the red one. This is the sensible choice. It's big, elegant, sleek...

...Dook turns back to the silver one. Something about it is almost pitiable, like he would feel bad for it if he didn't choose it. Like if he didn't choose it, no one else would.

He points to it. "That one," he says. "The silver one."

[junglekarmapippa]

As a Venezuelan, let me tell you clearly: SOCIALISM ISN'T GOING TO GIVE YOU ANY OF THOSE THINGS. NOTHING. Your "hard earned", however much the government decides it is, will disappear in parades and feasts for the leaders of the party. The concept that socialism will give you a free house and free car is also wrong. The government will allow you to use one of their houses or cars, that will still belong to them, not you, as long as you behave and vote for them and support them. The moment you stop, they will kick you out or take the car away.

We don't have electricity, water, gas, or internet services in Venezuela. The government is supposed to pay for them from the taxes, but they steal absolutely every single penny, so lack of maintenance has rendered our infrastructure for these services useless.

Health? You want a HEALTH SYSTEM?! Socialism is going to make all hospitals and clinics public, and then won't send them a single cent to buy supplies or pay doctors, nurses, and other employees. The Valencia (Venezuela) maternity hospital saw 32 dead new Borns in a month, that's one baby dying daily. No milk, no diapers, no cribs, they delivered the babies in cardboard boxes. Did you get shot? Your family better start running from pharmacy to pharmacy trying to find everything needed to patch you up, because the hospital sure as hell doesn't have it. And it's likely the pharmacies won't either.

Education? Your university professors will be paid the same as the university janitors, the campus itself will start shutting down and failing from lack of maintenance, they will steal your car from the parking lot, lock you in the classroom for a group gun-point mugging, the bathrooms won't work, the cafeteria will be shut, and the air conditioner won't work either. Hope you're ready for some extreme learning, and to be stuck in university for a while because your grades will keep getting lost in the outdated systems making you repeat classes you already passed.

The least we say about elementary, middle, and high school the better, because sometimes the school buildings don't have roofs.

Justice? If you get arrested at a protest, and you can't prove affiliation to The Party, your family will never see you again. Or if they do, you are going to have to tell them how you were locked in a literal dungeon, and raped repeatedly, man or woman.

Protection? The Party will only offer protection to those who are on their side. In Venezuela the infamous case of the Yaguno Bridge in Caracas had people who supported The Party open fire with live rounds against a peaceful protest. The government will send the National Guard to shoot you and run you over if you dare stand against them. Also, Chavismo in particular have a long list of paramilitary and terrorist organization they arm and train themselves to keep the population, especially the poorest people, under control with fear and violence.

Food? Medication? All gone. Just gone. The supermarkets and pharmacies are empty, they have the most basic of stuff, if anything.

No. Socialism will not give you education, health, justice, protection or absolutely anything else. It will only steal what you already have and destroy your country beyond repair.

I don't care what issues you have with capitalism but know this: WHATEVER IT IS, SOCIALISM IS NOT THE ANSWER.

[foodture]

Solve Snack Time Struggles with Foodture’s Easy Pizza and Drink Vending Machines

In today’s fast-paced world, finding time to sit down for a meal can feel like a luxury. Whether you're a busy professional racing through your day, a student juggling classes and activities, or a traveler rushing between flights, the need for quick, convenient food solutions has never been greater. Enter Foodture’s quick pizza and drink machines—your new go-to for solving on-the-go eating challenges with ease and style.

The Need for On-the-Go Food Solutions

Busy Lives Demand Convenience

Life in the United States is bustling. Long work hours, demanding school schedules, and constant travel leave little room for traditional dining. When hunger strikes, it’s not always possible to stop for a sit-down meal. This is where food vending machines step in. They provide a quick, hassle-free solution, offering hot meals and refreshing drinks without the wait.

Traditional Options Fall Short

Many traditional food services can't keep up with the speed and convenience required by modern life. Fast food chains, while quick, often fall short in terms of quality and variety. Cafeterias and snack bars may have long lines or limited hours, leaving you searching for alternatives. Foodture’s vending machines offer a solution that combines speed with quality, catering to today’s on-the-go lifestyle.

Foodture’s Quick Pizza and Drink Machines: A Game-Changer

Revolutionizing Vending

At Foodture, we’re all about revolutionizing how you experience on-the-go food. Our quick pizza and drink machines are designed with one thing in mind: providing high-quality, delicious food and drinks quickly and conveniently.

Quick Pizza Vending Machines

Imagine grabbing a hot, fresh pizza slice from a vending machine—no waiting, no hassle. That’s what Foodture’s quick pizza machines offer. Here’s what makes them stand out:

Features: Our machines offer a variety of pizza options, all prepared with top-notch ingredients. The cooking process ensures each slice is as fresh and tasty as if it were made in a pizzeria. With intuitive touchscreens and easy-to-navigate menus, getting your pizza is as simple as pressing a button.

Benefits: Speed is key here. Our machines deliver hot pizza in minutes, making it perfect for lunch breaks, quick dinners, or even late-night cravings. Plus, our commitment to quality means you’re not sacrificing taste for convenience.

Quick Drink Vending Machines

When it comes to drinks, Foodture’s machines have got you covered with an impressive selection:

Features: From refreshing sodas to energy drinks and bottled water, our machines offer a wide variety to suit every taste. The machines are user-friendly and stocked with your favorite beverages.

Benefits: Just like with our pizza machines, speed is a major advantage. Whether you need a quick coffee pick-me-up or a hydrating beverage, our machines deliver with efficiency and reliability.

Benefits of Foodture’s Machines for Various Settings

Office Environments

Boosting Employee Satisfaction

Imagine having a quick pizza or a cold drink available in your office lobby or break room. It’s not just a convenience; it’s a morale booster. Employees can enjoy quality food without leaving the office, enhancing productivity and satisfaction.

Case Studies

Many businesses have already seen the benefits. Companies that have installed our machines report higher employee satisfaction and a reduction in lunchtime traffic to nearby eateries.

Educational Institutions

Convenience for Students and Staff

Students and staff at educational institutions can benefit greatly from having quick access to meals and drinks. Our machines offer a reliable option for busy students between classes or staff who need a quick lunch without the hassle of waiting in long lines.

Campus Integration

Foodture vending machines are a perfect fit for campus dining facilities, providing a convenient option that complements existing food services.

Public Transportation Hubs

Ease for Travelers

Airports, bus stations, and train stations are prime locations for vending machines. Travelers often have limited time and need quick solutions. Our machines provide just that, offering a range of food and drink options that cater to busy travelers.

Success Stories

We’ve had great success placing our machines in major transportation hubs, where they help alleviate the rush and provide a valuable service to commuters and travelers.

Healthcare Facilities

Quick Options for Patients and Visitors

Hospitals and clinics often have a need for quick and easy food and drink solutions. Our machines can offer a range of options to patients, visitors, and staff, making it easier for everyone to grab a bite or a drink without the wait.

Pilot Programs

Several healthcare facilities have already piloted our machines with positive results, finding them to be a convenient and effective addition to their services.

Advantages Over Traditional Food Services

Cost-Effectiveness

Operational Costs

Vending machines often have lower operational costs compared to traditional food services. There’s no need for a full-time staff, and maintenance is straightforward. This can translate to cost savings for businesses and institutions.

Operational Efficiency

Maintenance and Restocking

Foodture machines are designed for easy maintenance and restocking. This efficiency ensures that machines are always stocked and operational with minimal downtime.

24/7 Availability

Unlike traditional food services with set hours, our vending machines are available 24/7, ensuring you have access to food and drinks whenever you need them.

Customer Experience

Speed and Satisfaction

The speed at which our machines deliver food and drinks enhances the customer experience. With quick service and high-quality products, customers leave satisfied, knowing they can get what they need in moments.

Customization

Our machines offer a variety of options, allowing users to choose exactly what they want. This level of customization ensures that everyone finds something they enjoy.

Getting Started with Foodture’s Vending Solutions

Easy Implementation

Steps to Get Started

Getting Foodture’s vending machines into your location is a straightforward process. Reach out to us for a consultation, and we’ll guide you through the installation and setup process.

Contact Information

Ready to upgrade your food service with Foodture’s quick pizza and drink machines? Contact us today for quotes, consultations, or to schedule a demo. We’re here to help you provide top-notch convenience and quality to your customers.

Conclusion

Foodture’s quick pizza and drink machines are more than just vending machines—they’re a solution to the modern need for fast, convenient, and high-quality food options. Whether you're in an office, a school, a transportation hub, or a healthcare facility, our machines offer an efficient way to meet on-the-go eating challenges.

Don't let the fast pace of life leave you or your customers hungry. Reach out to Foodture and discover how our vending solutions can transform your food service experience. Let’s make quick, delicious meals and drinks accessible to everyone, anytime, anywhere.

Feel free to contact us to learn more or to get started today. We’re excited to help you bring the best in on-the-go dining to your location!

[ledenews]

Bridgeport School Officials Working on District Expansion

Plans are coming together for a much-anticipated multipurpose facility at the Bridgeport Exempted Village School District campus, and there is a plethora of possibilities to choose from. District leaders have hit the ground running since the announcement in June of $13.8 million in state dollars approved for a 28,500 square-foot addition to be constructed in front of Bridgeport Elementary School. The expansion will have space for education and training, health care and community activities for Bridgeport and the surrounding areas. On Aug. 28, Superintendent Brent Ripley, Treasurer Eric Meininger, board members Kori Rosnick and Patrick McConnaughy, grant writer Angela Sommer, Technology Director Lisa Clark and Curriculum Director Leslie Kosanovic met with the project architects in a work session to discuss how a wide variety of activities might best be realized in the expansion. Kyle Miller, associate principal and partner with SHP disciplinary design group and Ivan Vukcevich, project manager and designer, reviewed goals to be kept in mind during the planning stages. Flexibility was a priority, with district leaders agreeing that no space should be wasted and that rooms should have multiple uses if possible. Kosanovic said ideally the expansion would always be active in a variety of functions. She also said the district’s YouScience program would be valuable in gathering data to create curriculum. YouScience is designed to measure students’ aptitudes and Kosanovic said this data could be aligned with the district’s existing pre-apprenticeships for a pathway of continuing education and training for students. “Just having that march forward through upper elementary through middle school through high school for those pre-apprenticeships to a program. You graduate, you have credentials,” she said. “To have that and make sure that the space accommodates that march forward.” Clark agreed, adding that the expansion offers some versatile opportunities. “Your younger students can create, but your older students can actually be programming,” she said. Clark said another important use of space would be childcare facilities for staff. This feature could also attract new employees. Ripley said they also had the opportunity to invite accomplished people from the surrounding communities and to celebrate area history. “With this expansion we want to connect students and adults with experts in fields, to expose them to those success stories that have rose from Bridgeport and from the Ohio Valley. Simply, we want our students and adults to dream, to help them make plans, and then to provide them with the beginning building blocks to achieve.”  Miller and Vukcevich and the school officials also said plans should anticipate future needs to make the most efficient use of space. In terms of layout, Miller and Vukcevich suggested those rooms solely used by the school would be accessible by an entrance from the main building, with a separate entrance for the public. Clark brought up the need for a fiber connection to the main building. Some of the proposed plans included 2,000-square-foot spaces with high bays. They discussed placement of the receptionist’s office and where gym space might be located. Also, up for consideration is security, and what rooms would be available to students during the day and to the community during the day. Ripley commented afterward about security and recreation. “Security is one of our main points of focus. We want to ensure parents that we are taking time to focus heavily on this area. This building and our students will be safe. That is a non-negotiable for our planning team and the Board of Education. Another area that we will achieve is ensuring students have access to an exterior playground area that is more secure than it is presently. We are only in the beginning planning stages and will go through many drafts and revisions. In short, playground access will be provided.” Talk turned to whether the expansion should have one or two stories and where facilities could be located in each story. The plans remain fluid as more ideas are incorporated. There will be eight to nine months of planning before ground is broken, likely in May of this year. The 2025-2026 school year is expected to see considerable construction. The project must be completed by Dec. 31, 2026. More information will be released on the district app. Anyone with questions may call the district office at 740-635-1713 or brent.ripley@bridgeportschools.net. Read the full article

[treeremovalpensacola]

Davey Tree expands brand family with new acquisitions

If you live in Pensacola, it's just a matter of time that you have to do the inevitable and remove a tree. Tree Services Pensacola is a tree removal company that specializes in stump grinding, tree removal, and arborist services. They have been in business for over 10 years and have the experience and expertise to get the job done right. Fully licensed and insured, so you can rest assured that your property is in good hands. Pensacola tree service is a company that specializes in removing trees. They have been doing this for over 10 years and they are really good at it. They also do stump grinding, which means they get rid of the stump left behind after the tree is removed. They are fully licensed and insured, so you can be sure that your property is in good hands. Davey Tree Expert Co., No. 2 on the 2024 LM150 list, added VanCuren Services and Midwest Land Clearing of Newbury, Ohio to its brand family. “VanCuren and Midwest are excited to join Davey because of its strong reputation in the industry and countless support systems,” said David VanCuren, owner of VanCuren and Midwest. “One of those support systems being the Davey Institute, Davey’s industry-leading research and diagnostic laboratory, which will help us make science-based decisions for our people and advance our commitment to quality, integrity, safety and exceptional service.” VanCuren has serviced residential, commercial and utility tree care needs for Northeast Ohio and surrounding states since 1986. Midwest Land Clearing provides land surveying, underbrush mulching, tree removal, debris removal, hauling services and total lot clearing for Northeast Ohio. “Now that we are with Davey, we are looking forward to seeing how our employees can get involved with employee ownership at Davey and how they can advance in their careers through trainings and promotions,” VanCuren said. “Our employees are central to our business, and their dedication does not go unnoticed,” said Harold Pierce, co-owner of Midwest. The companies’ nearly 60 employees will continue to work as a part of Davey’s residential/commercial (R/C) service line. “We are excited that VanCuren and Midwest employees are joining the Davey family because they share Davey’s same values. We are excited that with our SEED (Science, Employee Education and Development) Campus opening next year, employees from both companies will be able to receive top-notch training and educational resources right here in Northeast Ohio,” said Scott Heim, vice president, Northeast operating group, R/C services at Davey. The post Davey Tree expands brand family with new acquisitions first appeared on Landscape Management.