#Kimberly studies

[deepseasecret]

Got into Street Fighter in the last few months (and old woman yuri)

[starrysharks]

In one post you mention that you needed to make designs for wrath and gluttony (if I read it correctly I think they’re supposed to be parts of the assassins) and I was wondering who are the other deadly sins? (If the answer doesn’t contain spoilers that is, if it does then ig I’ll ask who’s your favorite assassin to draw so this ask isn’t mostly useless)

so there are 7 deadly sins in total, all ranked from least to most formidable/powerful/prolific/etc -

7. vivica de la crux aka envy

6. needles of the church (+ pins) aka sloth

5. dice demonné aka greed

4. lunette strikewhite aka pride

3. V.A. angel aka lust

2. gluttony

1. wrath

you'll notice that dice demonné hasn't been mentioned yet until this point! he's not a spoiler unlike the last two assassins (who are between designs, i've even been considering rebooting their concepts entirely or swapping around their ranking). he's one of the more lighthearted assassins so his sin is expressed pretty literally through a casino, where he's the high roller who makes and wins crazy bets and puts people into bankruptcy!

but, by day, he acts as a priest for the church, who has the same people he cheated the night before come to him confessing their sins and asking for forgiveness. he basically says "pay a tithe and god will forgive you" - when they can't pay any longer, he has them killed. usually it's enemies of the organisation who get put in this trap. (or sometimes in the middle of a game, he'll get pissed and have people killed regardless. witnesses are just given hush money.)

he has a cane to defend himself, but doesn't really fight on his own - he has his two sidekicks to fight for him, just like how needles has pins. (ignore how i forgot to draw kimberly's gun.....) they're nuns by day and casino girls at night!

(and my fav assassin to draw is probably vivica, though i have fun with all of them equally!)

[elijones94]

😈 Luna 🎶🎵

[master-jarrus]

I forget I'm conventionally attractive until I try to talk to people about my hobbies and my idea of fun to which then they get confused because it is weird as shit and I'm like this real life barbie doll

Like I get it I'm blonde, tall and skinny with a good rack. Why does this mean I can't like collecting bones?

I can still be hot and unhinged

It's called having depth

[j1ack7e3]

teenagers wit attitude

[highflyartist]

Teresa's Family (1993)

Context: It's our main protagonist & main antagonist's family!

[xxrougefangxx]

Jason Todd x Reader fic recs

This is originally made for @marinas-trench , but anybody can use this. Will update as I find more

Added little notes in pink to specify some stuff, includes BOTH platonic and romantic works.

Anybody who does use these recs please try to reblog works- that's the Tumblr algorithm likes don't do anything- to help the authors out <3 (no pressure tho)

-----

Authors because I can't pick a favorite work:

DC Masterlist by @sanguineterrain - The works speak for themselves.

@jasmines-library - Includes lots of platonic batfamily x reader and the hurt/comfort is just *chefs kiss*

@morverenmaybewrites Ao3 link- Her works are just godsend. She portrays Jason in such a beautiful way and acknowledges his trauma as well.

@minnieearsposts Ao3 Link - Jason works are 10/10, but she also has many other fics that connect with each other. Definitely recommend

@xxgoblin-dumplingxx - All of the au's are just magnificent! There's no master list but you can check the works out using tags.

Batfam masterlist by @book-place - All works are platonic

@writersfailure - Honestly a gold mine, check out their dc master list and other fics as well!

@wh1sp3rr - The jackpot at the end of the rainbow. That's all I'm going to say

@dccomicsimagines - Amazing pieces of work that I can't believe I didn't find before.

Series :

love is not designed for the cynical by @thenyoumightaswellwrestleangels - The thoughts and emotions are portrayed SO BEAUTIFULLY!!! And while Jason is just spectacular, I also recommend the other series as well.

What we want by @sophiethewitch1 - It's with all the batboys

Crimson Red by @ravenna-reid - Has multiple parts all located on the master list.

Guard Dog by @mostly-imagines

Your secrets are ours, kid by@jaythes1mp - Platonic and yandere

again &. again masterlist by @acid-ixx - Platonic and yandere

Bye, Bye, Miss American Pie by @urmoonlightbebe - I can't believe I almost forgot to add this here

Batfam x neglected reader by @dickgraysonass - Platonic

Gilded Cage by @heavysighing-dreamyeyes

Headcannons/Drabbles:

Girl!DadJason by @in-som-niyah

Reaction to you letting go of their hand by @gay-dorito-dust - Its paired up with both Dick and Damian

Existentional Crisis by @millyhelp

College student!Jason by @orchidsangel

BabyDaddy! Jason fic idea by @kuromitos

Unnamed by @aldryrththerainbowheart

Saturdays by @zer0wzs

Unnamed by @misdeliria

Artist!Reader by @charliedakotariley - This is so wholesome I love it

Fics:

JasonTodd x Fem!Reader by @spidernuggets - reader gets stuck in a time loop to save Jason

sickly sweet romance of u & jay by @wh1sp3rr

Unnamed by @millyhelp

tired and touchstarved!Jason by @indulgentdaydream

A Spoonful of Honey by @stararch4ngelqueen

Golden by @orionremastered

Reader who likes Superman more than Batman by @spidernuggets

Reader who prefers Superman more than batman (different fic than above) by @gay-dorito-dust

Rescuer by @kimberly-spirits13

graceless by @udiudijaye - platonic batfam x batsis but love the fic and had to recommend

Take care by @batsycline69

Forensic Psychologist Reader by @ravenna-reid

What are you doing here? by @a-reader-and-a-writer-for-all

What a night by @batboysandgirls

call me your fool by @jasonsmirrorball

18+ Works MDNI

Til Death Do We Part Brings Us Together by @luvf4ngz - I love the au idea!

Jason distracting you from studying by @millyhelp

Slumber Party by @dollwritesarchive - Includes Dick

Thoughts on Jason being rough by @midnightorchids

jason 'don't run from this dick' todd by @killakalx

BabyDaddy!Jason by @hanasnx

Say Sorry by @dancewithdeath11

Jason fucking reader in the Batmobile by @martiniluvr

Series 18+

guns and roses masterlist by @jayswhorex

[leikeliscomet]

Asexual theory 101

Right I keep getting asked on most of my asexual posts 'What does this mean OP? Where's the sources?' so imma make a quick ace theory 101 post so if anyone says they don't get it I can say I tried. Let's go:

'What does being ace have to do with race/racism?/There's racism in the ace community???'

Pretty much everything as people of colour experience various forms of sexualisation and desexualisation at the same time, which is why POC are rarely included in asexual representation:

Asexuals of Color Still Seek to Validate Their Asexuality by Ebony Purks

Stereotypes & media about Black masculinity made it harder to come out as asexual by Tyger Songbird

Your Assumptions About Black Queer Masculinity Are Erasing My Asexual Identity by Timinepre Cole

It's Time To Start Celebrating Black Asexuality in Media By Tyger Songbird

Yasmin Benoit: ‘People had a hard time believing that I could be Black and asexual and at Pride’ by Alastair James

Brown and Gray: An Asexual People of Color Zine

'What do TERFS/transphobia have to do with asexuality?'

There's a growing TERF conspiracy theory that asexuality is the side-effect of transitioning. The LGB movement believes the community is exclusively for 'same-sex attracted persons' and so identities that don't involve attraction e.g. the TQIA should be removed. Most backlash towards Yasmin Benoit, aroace activist, is from white TERFs and conservatives:

Acephobic conspiracy theories have transphobic and fascist roots by Sherronda J Brown

'But how can conservatives hate asexuality if they hate sex?'

Because they don't and never did. If the term 'puritan' was used correctly in modern internet discourse, it would be known Christian puritans believe heterosexual sex for reproduction is a gift from god and mandatory so being asexual doesn't exactly fit with that worldview. Their beef is with any form of sex and sexuality that falls outside of cis heterosexual marriage, including asexuality. They're not anti sex but anti sexual autonomy:

"Anti-Sex" and the Real Sexual Politics of the Right by Lee Cicuta (ButchAnarchy)

The religious right is now targeting sexless marriages as “selfishness.” They Want to Ban Those Too by Tyger Songbird

Asexual people targetted by right-wing pundits following landmark report by Harriet Brewis

'What does being ace have to do with gender?'

It's commonly assumed that because patriarchy shames women's sexualities and considers all men's sexuality as biological and unavoidable, that ace women only and exclusively experience dsexualisation whilst ace men only and exclusively are pressured into being sexual beings. This can true as a broad overview but it can vary based on race, disability, class etc. This also becomes complex for asexuals that exist outside the gender binary. This is known as 'gender detachment'.

Impossible for Men, Unremarkable for Women by Canton Winer

My Work on Gender Detachment and Asexuality Strikes a Nerve by Canton Winer

'There's asexual studies now?'

Yup. On the general experiences of asexual people in the UK, including discrimination in education, the workplace and healthcare:

The National LGBT Survey (2018)

Ace in the UK Report (2023)

Specific names:

Asexual theorists: Ianna Hawkins, Michael Paramo, Julia Sondra Decker, Canton Winer (non-ace), Sherronda J Brown, Angela Chen

Asexual activists: Yasmin Benoit, Tyger Songbird, Marshall Blount (TheGentleAce), Kimberly Butler (TheAsexualGoddess)

And I'm gonna update this with more if they're worth adding. I don't wanna hear any excuses anymore or blame towards aces of colour, gay aces or trans aces for not being specific enough anymore. Read!

[mariacallous]

Some prominent conservative lawmakers and commentators are advocating for ending no-fault divorce, laws that exist in all 50 US states and allow a person to end a marriage without having to prove a spouse did something wrong, like commit adultery or domestic violence.

The socially conservative, and often religious, rightwing opponents of such divorce laws are arguing that the practice deprives people – mostly men – of due process and hurt families, and by extension, society. Republican lawmakers in Louisiana, Oklahoma, Nebraska and Texas have discussed eliminating or increasing restrictions on no-fault marriage laws.

Defenders of the laws, which states started passing a half-century ago, see legislation and arguments to repeal them as the latest effort to restrict women’s rights – following the overturning of Roe v Wade and passage of abortion bans around the country – and say that without such protections, the country would return to an earlier era when women were often trapped in abusive marriages.

“No-fault divorce is critical to the ability, particularly the ability of women, to be able to exercise autonomy in their own relationships, in their own lives,” said Denise Lieberman, an adjunct professor at the Washington University School of Law in St Louis, who has a specialty in policies concerning gender, sexuality and sexual violence.

Before 1969, when then California Republican governor Ronald Reagan, who had been divorced, approved the country’s first no-fault divorce law, women, who are more likely to experience violence from an intimate partner, were often forced to stay in marriages. If they could not prove that their husband had been abusive or persuade him to grant a divorce, they would not be able to take any assets from the marriage or remarry, according to a study in the Quarterly Journal of Economics.

States around America gradually followed suit and passed similar laws allowing unilateral divorce until 2010, when New York became the last state to approve the practice.

Between 1976 and 1985, states that passed the laws saw their domestic violence rates against men and women fall by about 30%; the number of women murdered by an intimate partner declined by 10%; and female suicide rates declined by 8 to 16%.

Without such laws, “it’s hard to prove anything in court relating to a family because you don’t have any witnesses”, said Kimberly Wehle, professor at the University of Baltimore School of Law. “It’s very difficult to get evidence to show abuse of children. How do you do it? Do you put your kids on the stand?”

Conservative commentators such as Matt Walsh, Steven Crowder and lawmakers such as the Republican senator JD Vance of Ohio have argued that the laws are unfair to men and hurt society because they lead to more divorces.

The divorce rate in the United States increased significantly from 1960, when it was 9.2 per 1,000 married women, to 22.6 in 1980. But by 2022, the rate had fallen to 14.5.

On the increase in divorces, Vance said in 2021: “One of the great tricks that I think the sexual revolution pulled on the American populace” is the idea that “these marriages were fundamentally, you know, they were maybe even violent, but certainly they were unhappy, and so getting rid of them and making it easier for people to shift spouses like they change their underwear, that’s going to make people happier in the long term”.

Beverly Willett, a writer and attorney, argues that unilateral no-fault divorce is also unconstitutional because it violates a person’s 14th amendment right to due process.

The defendant “has absolutely no recourse to say, ‘Wait a minute. I don’t want to be divorced, and I don’t think that there are grounds for divorce. I would like to be heard. I would like to call witnesses,’” said Willett, who experienced a divorce she didn’t want because she thought her marriage could be saved. “I believed in my vows” and “didn’t want to give up”.

But Willett’s argument relies on the idea that “women are either property or that somehow men’s liberty is restrained by not allowing them to stay in a marriage with someone who does not want to be married”, said Wehle, who also wrote about it in the Atlantic. “I disagree with the idea that women are somehow property interests of their husbands. That is an arcane relic of law that has no place in modern society.”

Willett responded to Wehle’s critique by writing that “nobody has suggested a return to antiquated laws of the 18th and 19th century. Considerable reform that protects women and ensures their equality in family court has been enacted since then.”

On the argument that no-fault divorce reduces domestic violence, Willett points to data that most domestic violence occurs between unmarried couples and says regardless, with “any contract, any lawsuit, you still have to follow the constitution”.

But without such laws, victims of domestic violence would then have to navigate a court system that can be time-consuming, “very adversarial and very costly” because the plaintiff often must then pay for child care and transportation, said Marium Durrani, vice-president of policy for the National Domestic Violence Hotline.

“Any sort of additional barrier that we add to the ease of legal proceeding is, frankly, a nightmare and an enormous burden for survivors,” said Durrani. “I’m not trying to be an alarmist, but it can increase death [if] a survivor of domestic violence has to prove that they are being abused in a divorce proceeding.”

Still, Lieberman does not think Republicans will succeed in their efforts to make it more difficult for people to get divorced.

“I do believe that that train has left the station. I mean, we have had no-fault divorce now for 50 years,” Lieberman said. But “I didn’t think the supreme court would overturn Roe v Wade, which we had for 50 years, so I suppose we will see.”

[justineportraits]

Kimberly Dow Nude Study with Feathers

[sgbabereview]

Welcome!

Thanks for visiting the page. We rate and review SG’s best and sluttiest girls and how well they get boys hard.

MOST DESIRED GIRL: Kellie 94 reblogs (Updated 8 March)

For the first time, a non-influencer tops our chart of the most reblogged girl. If you found someone else you like more, reblog her review and put her in contention for the top spot!

Girls:

Charlene - sgboobies Rachel Hailey XWP - small tits Beverly - small tits Jolin (IRL) Kellie (IRL) MOST DESIRED Az (content creator) - sgboobies Eunice (IRL) - small tits Laura (IRL) - small tits Jiahui - fitfucks, rising star, small tits Sherr (IRL) - sgboobies Tricia - sgboobies Jacelyn (IRL) Kimberly Zanna - small tits Queenie - fitfucks Leona (IRL) - rising star Chloe - sgboobies Yuki (IRL) - small tits Ellena - fitfucks Amanda (IRL) Esther - small tits

Series:

#30A is a series featuring the island’s tightest girls with cute tiny tits. Who ever said that small boobs aren’t beautiful!

#sgIRL is a community driven series featuring friends and girls you know. Share the love and help fellow men orgasm to your friends!

#sgboobies showcases the island’s best rates tits and the girls that flaunt them. Let’s encourage them to show their best assets and leave lesser and lesser room for imagination!

#fitfucks is a tribute to the disciplined girls in SG who dedicate themselves to looking tight and right. We join them on their fitness journey and inspire them with our cum.

[fursasaida]

turns out not only were a lot of remains misclassified due to gendered assumptions, but also a lot of data that did in fact report women as big game hunters (ethnographic and burial finds) was just...never evaluated as a whole picture, and so cases of women "unexpectedly" being hunters and not only gatherers were treated as outliers when they aren't. it's not even that all the data was hopelessly biased "in its time" - plenty of it was in fact recognizing and reporting that hunting was not a particularly gendered activity! but nobody looked at the whole picture across datasets at once because it was assumed there wasn't a question to answer. hilarious

in a brilliant comedic flourish, one of the critics of this study they found to quote for the article is saying that this is really too small a sample to generalize from. presumably that was also true before, but that is not going to stop this guy.

[reallytinylaura]

Things I'm headcanoning now that we'll never see Leighton and Alicia again

They move in together in Boston (was that even a question?)

When Alicia comes home, she says "honey, I'm home" and Leighton rolls her eyes and tells her to quit it. One day she comes home and doesn't say it, Leighton spins into a existential crisis, she makes Alicia leave and come back in and say it.

Leighton loves MIT and has a "what like it's hard?" moment when she aces her first exam.

Leighton studies in bed, usually on Alicia's side. Alicia thinks it's really cute until she's tired and Leighton won't move.

Alicia wakes up at 3am, which Leighton hates because her alarm wakes her up. When Alicia has a day off, Leighton wakes up at 4am in a panic because she forgot and thinks Alicia's going to be late.

Leighton has FaceTime calls with Bela, Kimberly and Whitney regularly and she watches as many of Whitney's games as she can.

[elijones94]

😈✨ Phylidia Flanders from the “Riva Ras Regas” episode of “What’s New, Scooby-Doo?” 🎩✨

[tomorrowusa]

The Republican war against women continues.

In addition to reproductive freedom, MAGA Republicans are now seeking to get rid of no-fault divorce.

Conservative US lawmakers are pushing for an end to no-fault divorce

Some prominent conservative lawmakers and commentators are advocating for ending no-fault divorce, laws that exist in all 50 US states and allow a person to end a marriage without having to prove a spouse did something wrong, like commit adultery or domestic violence. The socially conservative, and often religious, rightwing opponents of such divorce laws are arguing that the practice deprives people – mostly men – of due process and hurt families, and by extension, society. Republican lawmakers in Louisiana, Oklahoma, Nebraska and Texas have discussed eliminating or increasing restrictions on no-fault marriage laws.

Religious fundamentalist MAGA males want to be able to point the finger of blame at women in divorce cases. And by packing the courts with misogynist judges along the lines of Alito and Thomas, it will be women who will usually end up on the losing side.

Today's GOP superficially professes loyalty to the memory of Ronald Reagan. But in addition to their idolization of the Evil Empire, this is another way they are trying to nullify his legacy.

Before 1969, when the then California Republican governor, Ronald Reagan, who had been divorced, approved the country’s first no-fault divorce law, women, who are more likely to experience violence from an intimate partner, were often forced to stay in marriages. If they could not prove that their husband had been abusive or persuade him to grant a divorce, they would not be able to take any assets from the marriage or remarry, according to a study in the Quarterly Journal of Economics. States around America gradually followed suit and passed similar laws allowing unilateral divorce until 2010, when New York became the last state to approve the practice.

Getting rid of domestic violence laws could be next on the Republican fundamentalist agenda. Putin did this in Russia – another reason why the MAGA crowd loves Putin.

Between 1976 and 1985, states that passed the laws saw their domestic violence rates against men and women fall by about 30%; the number of women murdered by an intimate partner declined by 10%; and female suicide rates declined by 8 to 16%. Without such laws, “it’s hard to prove anything in court relating to a family because you don’t have any witnesses”, said Kimberly Wehle, professor at the University of Baltimore School of Law. “It’s very difficult to get evidence to show abuse of children. How do you do it? Do you put your kids on the stand?”

Republicans want to socially return the country to the 1950s when women were in the kitchen, gays were in the closet, and blacks were out of sight. They would ultimately want to turn the clock back to the 1650s when women were little better than chattel slaves.

[amberbeach]

'OLD SCARS'

gif belongs to me

Tommy met you in college. The first time he saw you, you were sitting on the grass as you made last-minute adjustments to an assignment that was due to be handed in within the hour. He was walking with Hayley who called out to you, and you lifted your head, a slight furrow in your brow which relaxed when you saw Hayley, smiling as you sent her a wave.

Hayley walked towards you, and Tommy trailed behind, holding the strap of his bag tighter when Hayley introduced him.

Your smile was warm as you cleared space on the blanket you were sitting on, allowing them to join you. "Beautiful day, isn't it?"

"Yeah, it is." Tommy placed his backpack beside him as he sat down. "What are you working on?"

"A five page essay that's ruining my life." You smiled softly, your gazes locked for a moment before you turned to Hayley. "Can you check it, please? I've read it four times, and I'm not absorbing anything at this point."

Hayley laughed lightly, nodding, "Sure."

You thanked her as she took the stapled papers, and when you turned to find your water bottle, she noticed how Tommy's eyes had yet to look away from you. With a slight smile, she began to read the essay, and you looked around for a water fountain.

"Hey, you guys didn't happen to find a water fountain on your travels, did you? I've been here for two months and still get lost." You smiled sheepishly.

"Yeah, I saw one. I'll walk with you." Tommy stood up, and Hayley lifted her head to watch you walk away.

Tommy immediately struck up a conversation about your studies, and you explained that you met Hayley in the library one afternoon and became fast friends.

"She's a lover of all things digital while I'm more fond of paper." You smiled, looking up at him. "I typed the essay on my laptop, and I could see how proud she was."

Tommy chuckled.

"Don't tell her I wrote it on paper first."

Tommy promised that he wouldn't.

He was so distracted by you that he almost walked by the water fountain.

You stepped forward to fill up your bottle and thanked the Red Ranger for accompanying you.

"I switched colleges to be closer to home." You explained as you both headed back towards Hayley. "I did consider coming here, but I wanted to go out of state. Change of scenery and all that."

"Why did you switch?"

"My grandfather died."

"I'm sorry." Tommy frowned.

You sent him a small smile, thanking him. Many people often gave condolences, but you knew he was sincere. "It's just me and my mom now, and I wanted to be closer to her. She said she was okay, but she's not the type to ask something like that."

"Do you miss it? Your old college?" He asked.

"Sometimes. I still talk to a few friends I made there. But I like the professors here. Except the one that gave me the essay."

Tommy chuckled as you walked on the grass, sending Hayley a smile as you placed your water bottle in your backpack.

"I'm impressed." She said, handing you the essay, "I'll make a digital goddess of you yet."

Tommy rolled his lips to hide his amused smile, meeting your gaze when you glanced at him.

You picked up your backpack and carried it on your shoulder. "I need to get this across campus. But I'll see you guys later?"

"Definitely." Hayley agreed, standing up to help fold the blanket. She turned to Tommy when you said goodbye and walked away, her smile growing when she saw he was unable to tear his eyes away from you. "So..."

His brow furrowed as he turned his head, meeting her gaze. "What?"

"You like her!" She grinned, holding his arm as she walked in the opposite direction of you, pulling him along.

"Yeah, she's great."

Hayley shook her head, "You think she's pretty..." She sang, trailing off with a giggle.

Tommy shook his head. "I'm not looking for anything right now."

He had confided in Hayley about his last relationship. He still kept Kimberly's letter, and after reading it, Hayley understood why he was hesitant to enter a new relationship. But she knew he needed a little nudge to put his heart back out there.

"You are too good of a man to be single forever."

Tommy was thankful when she dropped the subject.

The second time he saw you, he was searching the library for a book to reference in an assignment. You were sitting on the ground between bookcases with a pencil in your ponytail as you searched your backpack.

"Hey," He whispered, and your head snapped up, a smile forming on your lips that took his breath away. "Lost something?"

"My pencil. I had it a minute ago."

An amused smile formed on his lips as he pointed to his hair, and your brow furrowed as you reached above your head, smiling sheepishly when you took the pencil from your ponytail.

"Thank you."

"Anytime." He smiled, adjusting the strap of his backpack on his shoulder.

"What brings you to my little neck of the books?" You asked, exchanging 'woods' from the phrase causing him to chuckle.

Tommy told you about his latest assignment, and you thought for a moment before standing up, carrying the book and your backpack as you led him through the library. His eyes took in your features as you searched the bookcase before taking a book. He snapped out of his trance as you approached him with a smile.

"There you go."

"Thanks."

"I know. I spend too much time here." You walked away, and his feet immediately forced him to follow.

"There are worse places to spend your time."

You smiled softly, "Hayley says all the dust isn't good for my lungs. But she also says it's easy to find me if she wants to."

After checking out the books, you left the library together and learned about his past in Angel Grove. He told you about his friends from high school, and you realized that you had met one of them. Adam.

Tommy checked his watch, and seeing the time, he asked if you wanted to join him for lunch. You agreed with a smile, and he mirrored it, leading the way.

The first thing he noticed about you was your beauty. The second was your warmth. The third was how easy it was to talk to you about anything and everything.

When Hayley found out that he had eaten lunch with you, he knew from her grin that she had gotten the wrong idea.

"It wasn't a date."

"Uh-huh."

Tommy shook his head, "It wasn't."

"The two of you eating together, gazing across the bench...yeah, it wasn't a date."

He named Kimberly when he discussed his life in high school but didn't call her his ex-girlfriend. She was just a friend whom he lost touch with, but after learning the truth Hayley understood his hesitancy to enter a new relationship despite the many girls who asked him on a date.

"It wasn't!"

Hayley turned to him with a sigh. "I'm messing with you. Even if you did like her, she would be the last to know. She's oblivious to everything that doesn't happen in a book."

Tommy didn't see you for three days. He went to the library, telling himself he should read more, and shut down the excitement that came when he thought of seeing you again. But he couldn't deny he was disappointed not to see you around.

He saw you on the fourth day, carrying a stack of books in your arms that covered your vision and jogged over, leaving his friends to catch the tipping tower before it fell. He removed some of the books, and smiled when your eyes met. And the hammering of his heart was too loud to ignore.

"Thank you!" You sighed. "The librarian threatened to ban me from the library if I didn't return the books I checked out."

"You read all of these?" He raised an eyebrow.

You nodded, "Most of them are for classes. I've been trying to read for fun more."

Tommy looked over his shoulder when Adam called out to you, seeing his team approaching. You sent the raven haired boy a smile.

Tommy introduced you to Tanya, Katherine, and Rocky.

"It's nice to meet all of you." You smiled softly, glancing at Tommy.

"I'll help you carry these to the library."

It was less of an offer, and it was more like him stating that he would. There was no way you could make the trip yourself. You were surprised the tower hadn't fallen more on the walk through campus.

"You don't have to." You assured him.

"I want to." Tommy sent you a smile that made your cheeks warm, and you hoped the blush was not noticeable.

You said goodbye to his friends and fell into step beside Tommy as he led the way to the library. He took more books from your stack, and when you tried to take some back, he side stepped out of reach, chuckling when you attempted to appear stern.

"I haven't seen you around in a while." He commented.

A sad smile formed on your lips, and he frowned at the sight, feeling as if he had stolen the light you carried around.

"I went home for a few days." You explained. "I was talking to my mom one night, and I could tell she had been crying. She had taken time off work to finalise the sale of her parents' house. It brought up a lot of memories."

"How is she?" He asked.

"Better now." You sent him a small smile. "We looked through old pictures and family videos...ate a lot of ice cream."

Tommy smiled softly, "And how are you?"

You turned your head to meet his gaze, tilting in confusion. And he wondered if he was the first to ask how you were coping with the loss of your grandfather and balancing college with worrying about your mother, leaving little time for yourself.

"You lost someone too. And you moved back into the state, leaving friends behind." He said.

You sighed, "I'm okay."

Even you didn't believe it.

"Classes have been keeping me busy. And if I have my mind on a book, I can block out everything else."

Tommy nodded in understanding. Reading a book was your way of escaping the stresses of everyday life.

"If you ever want to talk," He cleared his throat, "I want you to know that you can talk to me. Anytime."

You sent him a smile, "Thanks, Tommy."

When you arrived at the library, you both placed the books down, and while the librarian checked each book off her list, you relieved your shoulders of your backpack, opening it to reveal more books inside.

Tommy shook his head, amused by the number of books you had read in one month, and wished he'd noticed your backpack that looked heavy.

"Thanks. I feel bad for taking you away from your friends."

You sent him a sheepish smile when he helped lift the backpack onto the desk.

Tommy shook his head, "I see them everyday. And besides, I missed you."

You smiled softly, "I missed you too."

The librarian set the books aside, "Well, everything appears to be here."

"So I can check out more, right?"

She nodded, "Until the next time."

You grinned as you walked away, and Tommy smiled as he followed, shaking his head, knowing there would definitely be a next time.

He matched your pace and tried to quieten the voice inside him telling him to muster up the courage to ask -

"Hey, wanna grab lunch together?"

Tommy exhaled, slowly nodding. "I'd love to."

"We need lots of protein after that workout."

Laughter jolted his shoulders, and you smiled at the Red Ranger when he nodded in agreement.

As you sat on a bench beside him a short while later, Tommy concluded that it wasn't so daunting or so inconceivable that he could start over. That Hayley was right.

He and Kimberly had drifted apart, but it seemed like the universe was doing everything in its power to draw you together. And Tommy knew he couldn't ignore it forever. Being with you, surrounded by the light you brought wherever you went, healed his old scars without even knowing it.