#Manny from the district

[rainindroughtatlast]

Been rewatching Abbott and upon rewatch, I love Gregory and Janine and how he fixes things and they mesh…

but I can’t help but wonder about a world where Janine and Gregory end game took a lil detour where..

Janine gets one more relationship or gets to play the field a little, she’s gotten a little time single and making more concrete friendships which is great, but has she had a chance to explore what kind of person she’s looking for in a partner? Does she need to or has she figured it out?

for example with Manny who gases her up and also has big dreams, positivity, and effusive personality

will next season bring more Manny? More Lana Condor? More details on what Janine and Gregory have been up to? More Ayo Edibiri??????

exited to come back to school guys 😁🍎

Ps: my crackship would be Emily from the district hitting on Janine lmao 🤣

also guys: Janine has grown so much over the past three seasons 😭😭😭😭😭 middle part Janine let’s go!!!!! 😭🙏🥹🥹🥹🥹🥹🥹

[jazziejax]

𝐌𝐢𝐬𝐬 𝐋𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐥𝐥 𝐅𝐢𝐧𝐝𝐬 𝐋𝐨𝐯𝐞

𝐏𝐚𝐢𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬 - Manny Rivera x Blakc!OC (can be read as reader though)

𝐒𝐮𝐦𝐦𝐚𝐫𝐲 - Manny and Naoya’s meet cute

𝐖𝐚𝐫𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬 - swearing, grammar errors,

𝐉𝐚𝐳𝐳𝐢𝐞’𝐬 𝐍𝐨𝐭𝐞𝐬! - It’s been a while…a long while. Sorry for any mistakes or errors, as if said, it’s been a long while and I sort of forgot where I was going with this storyline without having to watch season 2 over. Plus, I also just took what you guys were saying and started at the beginning of the season where Manny shows up. I wanted to get there quickly as well. Most of my fics for characters do follow the show/movie they come from because I’m not that creative, so spare me please. I also have to come up with ideas for just some one one one time between him and the reader, if you guys want to see anything in particular let me know. Also, this is just a little some to hold you guys over for the time being. I plan on editing t this afternoon little before the other chapters come out. I wrote this sleep deprived.

𝐖𝐨𝐫𝐝 𝐂𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐭! - 5,895

“Yurrr!! What it do Camera Crew?” Ava beamed as she opened the doors for the infamous camera crew. “Welcome back to the house that Ava built. It’s been a while.” She grinned.

“It’s not like they’ve missed anything,” Naoya said in a monotone as she came out of the office with papers in her hands. She then flashed them a small, but genuine, smile. “Nice seeing you though.” She said softly.

“Hey! Look who it is!” Melisa said as she got into step with them. “What’s it’s been? Like, five months? How you doin'?” She grinned.

Gregory then came out of his classroom, seeing his fellow coworkers and the new and improved camera crew. “Oh, what’s up? We still doing this?” He asked.

“Yeah.” Naoya and Ava answered, although their tones varied.

The cameraman then turned around at the sound of excited giggles from afar, catching Jacob beam at the sight of them. “Oh, my God! You guys! Hey!” He cheesed as he jogged up to them, bumping into the cameras. “Oh! Sorry.” He said as he straighter the camera up. “Um, wow. You got new equipment. Look, I don’t wanna say I told you so, but—.”

“I will!” Naoya said, pushing her friend so she could be in view. “You should’ve listened to me and Jacob when we said to make a right on 30th street instead of a left that night.” She said, squinting at them with a point before walking away. Ava nodded in agreement.

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“You want me to tell you what happened to you?” Ava asked the person behind the camera confused. “Oh, right. Tell the people.” She said before her usual grin spread across her face. “So, they got robbed.” She stated bluntly. “Because they thought it’d be cute to walk around West Philly at night with all this camera equipment. Hell, I’d have robbed you if I was there.” She told them. “Anyway, here we are, five months later because that’s how long it takes for three people with art degrees to save up for new cameras. Welcome back! It’s Career Day today.” She finished enthusiastically before it all dropped within a second. “Unfortunately.”

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“Why would you not listen to someone from Philly when they say don’t do stupid shit in the city?” Naoya asked, looking at the people behind the camera. “We tried to tell you and look what happened. You’re lucky you weren’t held at gunpoint.” She said as she crossed her arms. She paused, looking at the face of the camera crew. “You were held at gunpoint? Oh…” She cringed. “Why the hell did you come back? Are you getting cut a check? Because it must be good.” She stated. “And if you are I want in, I don’t care how much money you think I have.” She said.

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The camera crew then caught the teachers walking into the library as they all waited for some meeting by the district. Naoya took her seat in front of Ava, flashing a confused look at the other when she saw the glasses on the woman’s face.

“Ava!” Barbra yelled, spooking the woman awake. “Not planning on being conscious for Career Day?”

“This is a district initiative. They can handle it.” She frowned, relaxing back into her seat with those glasses still on. “Anyone else feels like the people from the district have been more annoying than usual?”

“They’re not all bad.” Barbra waved her off.

“I think they’re cool.” Jacob chimed in from the other table. Naoya looked back at him, squinting. “Stay at your own table.” She told him, causing Jacob to frown at her in confusion, even though he didn’t take it to heart.

“I actually like them this year.” Gregory chimed in.

“You too,” Naoya said again.

“Shocking,” Melissa said, giving the man a knowing look that he tried to avoid.

“I don’t know, I feel like they’ve been unequivocally and universally worse than they’ve ever been. From unhelpful to unbearable.” Evan complained.

“Wow, what big words for you Ava.” Naoya jutted with an evil smile, turning away before she could see the woman lift her glasses to give her a dirty look. Naoya just continued to smile, looking into the camera even though she could feel the hard gaze on her back.

“Good morning Abbott Elementary.” Janine grinned as she walked into the room with her district coworker behind her. Naoya smirked as she looked her up and down, slightly nodding her head at a chipper and well-dressed Janine. Her eyes then caught a familiar pair behind the short woman, the man smiling at the woman sitting before him. Noaya flashed him a quick smile, causing his to grow as they stared at one another. She tilted her head, looking up at him as he leaned against his weight against the table behind him.

“Hey.” He mouthed to her, not taking his eyes away from her.

“Hi.” Naoya cheesed, lighting biting her bottom lip as she looked into his warm gaze.

“Good morning Abbott Elementary.” Ava mocked from behind her, then received a tap from Barb. Janine smiled, seeing the camera crew was back.

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“So, yeah, I work for the school district now.” She beamed. “You guys missed a lot.”

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𝐅𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐌𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐡𝐬 𝐄𝐚𝐫𝐥𝐢𝐞𝐫…

Janine gave the camera a quick smile and wave as she walked into the auditorium, moving to find a spot in the chairs lined up. She chose to sit in one of the empty spots next to Gregory, who was behind Naoya, who was across from Jacob.

“Left for right?” The man asked.

“Uh, left.” She answered before taking the seat.

“Good choice.” Gregory grinned.

“Thank you,” Janine said. Naoya frowned, raising her eyes from the handbook in her lap and making eye contact with the cameras a few feet away. She didn’t move her head, not wanting to be obvious, but her face showed enough.

“Girl this development day has me developing a migraine.” Barbra groaned from her seat next to Melissa, who was popping a pill into her mouth before downing water in her cup. The pair sat in front of Jacob.

“Let me have one of those aspirins, please,” Barbra asked, holding out her hand.

“It’s a sleeping pill,” Melissa said. “Wake me if there’s a fire, a tornado, or a volcanic eruption.” She sighed. “I know that’s right,” Naoya mumbled to herself, not looking up from her papers.

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“What?” She asked with a shrug. “I told you guys I hear and know everything. I’m nosy, okay? That’s isn’t a crime.” It was silent for a moment before the woman gave the person a confused look. “Why are you looking at me like that? Is there something on my face?” She asked as she lifted her hands to her face.

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“Good day to the fine teachers of Abbott Elementary,” Ava said into the microphone. The majority of the teachers in the room then turned to look at Gregory and Naoya, who was shocked by the odd attention she’s been getting as of late. The pair sat there awkwardly, Naoya more so trying to convince herself that they couldn’t be staring at her.

“What?” Ava asked them.

“No comment about Gregory being “F I O N, fine?” Melissa asked.

“Or whatever’s different about Noaya that’s making her more attractive this year.” Jacob chimed in, causing everyone to look his way, but he was too busy staring at his friend across from him. Naoya gave the man a confused and slightly disturbed look. “Aren’t you gay?” She asked him

“I’m starting to question it.” He said, making her eyes widen and look away from him.

“No, Mr.Hill and Ms.Schemmenti.” Ava chimed back in a little aggressively. “I was speaking to everyone. But since all eyes are on them, uh, Mr.Eddie would you mind reading from the first paragraph of your immaculately assembled binder?” She said a polite smile on her face. If Naoya wasn’t so disturbed, she’d frown her the woman’s behavior, but she couldn’t help but spiral inwardly due to the way everyone was acting.

“Sexily?” Gregory asked unsurely.

“Excuse me?” Ava asked. “That’s is not only suggestive but highly inappropriate in front of our company,” Ava said before gesturing over to the trio that stood at the other end of the stage. Naoya’s eyes jumped to them, eyeing the tall man in the sweater for a brief moment, who just so happened to already be glancing her way. At the newfound attention, the man called his throat before speaking, looking away from the woman. “Uh, hi. Hi, everybody.” He said as she made his way into the center of the over to the podium for the microphone. “We’re from the school district. Principe Colman invited us to come, observe, and collaborate with you all on this Development Day.” He said.

Naoya slightly tilted her head as she analyzed the man, admiring his obvious strive appearance.

“Yes!” Ava said in the mic. “The importance of collaboration is one of the many things I learned while I was matriculating at Cambridge.” She boasted. Naoya gave the camera a deadpanned look.

“We’re super excited to be here.” The man spoke again. “On behalf of the new superintendent, John Reynolds. I’m Manny. That’s my dream team over there.” He gestured to the pair from his original position. “That’s Emily. That’s Simon. And we don’t come empty-handed. We’ve come with some iPads and SMART boards for your classrooms, loaded with learning apps.” He explained, causing the teachers to clap. Naoya just sat there though, her hands clasped over her crossed legs with a disinterested look on her face.

“New and improved model,” Melissa stated as she leaned closer to Barbra.

“Same old engines.” The other woman said. “These people aren’t going to change a blessed thing, except how many bodies are in the room.”

“Thank you. We’ll see you around.” Manny finished with a grin, his eyes trailing back to Naoya. She sat there, face blank as she looked the man up and down. Manny smirked at that, before looking away as he made his way back to his team.

“Gregory, we still need you to read from section ‘A’., there in your binder,” Ava stated.

Gregory stood from his seat, binder in hand. “ ‘Section A. Welcome back.’ That’s concluded section ‘A’.” He said before closing the booklet.

“Thank you, Mr.Eddie. You may be seated.” There was light applause after that, most uninterested or highly confused.

Softly, as if she wasn’t away she was in front of a mic, Ava began to read from her notes. “As the teacher, if they have any ideas from over the summer they’d like to implement. Try to make it fun.” She said to herself. She sighed before moving away from the podium. She struggled for a bit before doing a small dance, asking the question over again. “Does anyone have any ideas from over the summer that they’d like to implement?”

Janine raised her hands.

“Janine!” Ava said. “One of our most…teachers at Abbott.”

“So I was thinking over the summer while I was spending time with myself and just thinking about, like, what really led me to this point in my life.” She began.

Melissa yawned. “Get to the point.” She groaned with her head back.

“Get to the point, Janine,” Barbra said.

“Yeah, okay. So, a Career Day?” Janine suggested. “We should do career day at the school because I checked and we haven’t had one since the only jobs for women were typists, moms, and wet nurses.” She explained. “I think it’s a great way for the kids to see all of the amazing jobs they can have. And that’s it. That’s my idea. I’m done. Career Day.” She quickly finished before taking her seat. Naoya nodded, turning in her seat to look at the girl.

“That was an amazing idea, Neen.” She said, causing the shorter woman to smile. Naoya nodded as she looked at her friend for a while longer. “How much time did you spend alone, exactly?” She asked, causing Janine's smile to slightly drop. Before she could answer, Naoya waved her off. “It doesn’t matter, I was alone too.” She said, letting out an awkward chuckle. “I’m gonna say my idea now.” She said before Janine or Gregory, who was listening, could comment on anything.

She raised her hand, catching Ava’s attention, as well as the people on the stage. “Yes, Miss Lovell.” She said. Naoya jerked her head back at Ava’s use of her professional name before she just shook her head at it. “I was thinking of a librarian.” She said. “A better library program, actually. New books, more books, better books. Just an improvement of that old wretched system that keeps losing the books I put in there.” She said through a strained smile at the thought of all the books she’d donated, only for them to end up missing. Manny looked the woman up and down from his place on the stage, watching the way the sun seemed to shine through the room only for her, dressed in fun colors and her quirky glasses.

“I could name a plethora of reasons those Ideas won’t work.” Ava began, barely listening to their suggestions. “Scheduling, previous failed attempts, that’s the fact that it’s was your ideas.” She said, gesturing between the two. Naoya jerked her head back at the woman’s audacity while Janine tried to save herself.

“Right, but there is a way—.”

“But I’m just gonna go ahead and say no and save yourself the embarrassment.” Ava cut in. Janine leaned back in her seat while Naoya raised her middle finger at the woman on stage, not caring for the guests who were visiting the school.

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“I’m never suggesting anything again.” She hissed as she leaned against the lockers. “It’s one thing to try and embarrass me in front of my coworkers who already live pathetic lives and make less money than me. It’s another to do it in front of sexy company. She’s gonna pay one way or another.”

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Naoya was walking next to Janine, the shorter woman looking her friend up and down. “There is something different about you that I just can’t put my finger on.” She said skeptically, causing Naoya to slightly frown at her. “You are glowing though.” She shrugged.

Before Naoya could speak on the matter, they were intercepted by the voice. “Hey, Janine. Ms.Lovell.” They said, causing the girl to turn around. “I’m Manny, which I said up there.” He stumped as she held out his hand. Janie shook his first before he moved into Naoya. The man hiked as he looked her in the eye, Naoya’s face blank as she placed her hand into his, giving his large hand a firm shake.

“You can call me Naoya.” She said with a small smile. She couldn’t help it. She tried to stay stoic in front of the man but there was something about him that just made her all giddy and gooey inside, especially now that they were up close and she felt his skin on hers, even if it was a simple handshake.

“Naoya.” He tested the name on his tongue as he continued to look her in the eye, both parties loving the way it sounded. “I love that.” He said until he was aware of what he said. And also aware that his hand was still in hers. “Name. I love that name. It’s cool and different.” He said, before pulling his hand away. Noaya nodded, letting out a small huff of a laugh. “Thanks.” She said, placing her hand behind her back. Janine’s eyes snapped to the cameras near them, slightly shocked written onto her features.

“Uh, I just wanted to say, that, uh, Career Day and the Library Program sounded good.” He began. “They’re good ideas and I would love to hear more.”

“Thank you!” Janine said. “So you guys are new at the district?” She asked.

“Yep. Just started over the summer. Loving it so far.” He explained, looking between the two. “Feel like we’re going to make a lot of positive changes and do what the last administration didn’t. Nobody embezzling funds in my watch.” He joked, causing Naoya to giggle. Janie was taken aback, looking at her and the cameras at Naoya's unusual behavior. “Funny.” The taller woman simply stated before beginning to make her way out of the auditorium.

“Oh, hey.” Manny began again, stopping her while Janine stayed stationary. “Actually one of the things we wanted to do today was shadow some teachers. Are you two up for it?” He asked, looking between them. Naoya glanced at Janine, who shrugged, before looking back at Manny and doing the same. “Yeah, sure. I’m just gonna be setting up my classroom.” She said.

“Same,” Janine stated.

“Exciting!” Manny grinned.

Naoya nodded, a fond smile on her face. “It’s is exciting. I’m a pretty creative and free spirit.” She grinned. “Yeah? Well, I’m just gonna grab my coworkers.” He grinned. “They're talking to Principle Coleman over there. You guys are so lucky you have such a good principle.” He said. Janine awkwardly smiled while Naoya just pursed her lips.

“Yeah.” Janie agreed, nodding as the man walked away.

Noaya watched him with a small smirk before sighing and twirling around, her straightend hair flowing behind her. Janine squinted as she watched the woman practically skip away in glee, Manny not too far behind.

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“That’s what it is!” Janine grinned primal at the cameras. “She’s not wearing her contacts.” She grinned proudly. It didn’t last long though, slightly dropping as she looked at the camera, thinking it over more.

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“No,” Naoya said to the camera, an almost offended look on her face. “I wear my glasses almost all the time. Granted, these are new frames, but why the hell? These people know nothing about me.”

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“So, where’d you teach before picturing to the school district?” Noaya asked as She, Janine, Manny, and his crew walked to their classrooms.

“I didn’t, actually.” Manny averted sheepishly. Janine flashed a look to the camera while Naoya hummed in acknowledgment with a purse of her lips. “But I grew up here, though.” He quickly added. “My first-hand experience is more from when I was a student in the area.” He said as Janine led them into her room.

“Oh, alright.” The shorter woman nodded. “Well, you know, that’s one of the reasons I wanted to teach at Abbott.” She said. “Because I was a student in the area, as well, so…” She shrugged. “This is my room.” She said to them.

“What are you making here?” Emily asked, gesturing to the table where a tone of colored paper and glue was laid out.

“Oh, A ‘Welcome Back’ sign for the kids. Naoya was helping me paint.” She grinned, gesturing over to the woman next to her. “We’re gonna decorate it together so that everyone feels included. I try to implement a lot of color. I wanted to go with blue because that inspires focus.” She began to explain.

“And calm, which is so important for primary classes.” Manny chimed in. “I read about that in Chalkbeat.” He grinned. Naoya tilted her head at that, flashing the camera a Quick Look as she glanced between the two.

“You read Chalkbeat?” Janine asked, a smile starting to spread across her face.

“Mm-hmm.” Manny hummed.

“I basically live in the comment section, so…” She chortled.

“Oh, my God. Are you @JTeaguee215?” He asked as he stepped sideward a little, an excited grin on his face. “Yes!” Janine said enthusiastically. Naoya softly nodded her head, glancing at the camera when it tried to catch her tense facial expression at the exchange.

“And @JTeagues267 when I wanna spice up the discourse.” She continued.

“Ms.Teagues, I’m @MannyFromTheBlock. I’m always using this emoji.” He said before doing a salute. Janie gaped at him in shock. “That’s you!”

“That’s me.” He grinned.

“I love your comments,” Janine stated with a grin.

“I love your comments.” He smiled back.

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“Fuck!” She yelled in the hallway, turning away from the cameras as she her fist j to the lockers, making a loud sound.

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Janine continued onto fine before glancing at Naoya, who had taken several steps back and looked to be on her way out of the room. When the other woman saw her looking, she flashed a tight smile before looking away. Janine eyes subtly squinted in confusion before she continued. “Anyways.” She began, brushing the interaction off. “Naoya wanted to paint the walls blue last year, but you guys—the district—didn’t like the idea of pinging walls, so…” She shrugged, explaining for the other woman.

“What!? Why not? That’s is so good.” Manny responded, his eyes sifting to the distant figure of the other woman. “I think that’s exactly an idea that we could and should implement.” He said softly, examining her awkward grin. The woman just nodded, rubbing the back of her neck while Janine glanced at the cameras at the tension hiking within the room.

“It’s a low-stakes, high-reward improvement,” Emily stated, glancing Naoya’s way.

“Yes. Let’s revise that.” Simone grinned. Janine pursed her lips, making a funny face as she looked away from them. The trio looked at the woman funny. “Are you okay?” Simone asked.

“Yeah,” Janine asked. “Just a lot of positive reinforcement. I usually only get that from Ms.Love back here.” She awkwardly chuckled, pointing to the woman next—behind—her. That caused all of their eyes to drift to the woman, who seemed dither than she was before. She stood by the other door, her hands stuffed in her pockets now that eyes were on her while she was almost away from them.

“Are you okay?” Janine asked, looking at the woman confused, her mood a complete flip from earlier.

“No,” Naoya said simply before twirling around and skipping to her room. Janine paused, glancing back at the trio as they all watched the woman leave, Manny with a small smile on his face. “She’s a wonderful woman.” She began, stealing out of the door. “A soft chocolate chunk cookie with crispy edges. Her words not mind, they’re in her Twitter bio.” She said, trying to fill the air with something. The trio nodded at that. Janine lightly cleared her throat before making her way to Naoya’s room. “Let’s follow her, shall we.” She said softly, the others trailing behind her.

They made it to her door, looking into the classroom as Naoya rearranged the comfy furniture she had the way she wanted it.

“Wow.” Manny sighed from the door before making his way into the room. Naoya turned at the voice to see the group, said the man looking around as he trailed in.

“This is really nice.” He said softly before letting his eyes fall on her.

Naoya’s face held a small grin as she nodded. “Thank you. I try.” She shrugged.

“It’s cozy in here.” Emily grinned as she made her way around the different sections.

Noaya's eyes snapped over to her as she pushed a small couch over to the rug she had laid out in between the bookshelves. “Yeah, I try to keep it that way.” She said, pairing the seat. “I hate—The kids hate fluorescent lighting.” She chuckled nervously, shooting them a quick look. “But some do come on when it’s instruction time.” She added to save her ass.

Manny grinned at her as he nodded his head. Janie looked between them with a small smile before glancing at the watching cameras, her expression dropping.

“That’s actually really important.” He began. “Such lightening for long hours does nothing for brain stimulation.” He said. Noaya glanced at him, lightly nodding. “Yeah, it actually has the opposite effect. Weakens memory retention causes migraines” She said. Manny hummed, looking at her. “It’s why they have them in prisons.” She added, quickly turning away from them and then moving over to a box that sat on a table. Manny’s eyes tricker after her, not wasting time before stepping closer as he watched her.

“What’s this section for?” Simone asked, watching as the woman set a box on the ground in front of an empty shelf, flanked by small bookshelves on either side. “Oh, this is my relaxation saltation.” Naoya grinned as she lifted the clear top of the record player, and then reached down to pull out a vinyl from the box. “Well, that’s what it is now.” She said as she placed the Minnie Riperton record onto the player. “It used to be where I taught the kids music. As best I could though. We didn’t have a music teacher here for a while.” She said sheepishly, glancing at them. “Now it’s called the relaxation station. The kids like coming over and picking out their songs. It’s a reward for good behavior.” She shrugged before pressing the machine on, the classroom then being filled with the soft sound of Les Fleurs by Minne Riperton.

“Wow,” Manny said softly, not taking his eye off the woman. “That’s amazing.” He said, this team nodding as they looked around the comfy section. “Naoya glanced at him, a small smile creeping onto her face. “Thank you.” She said softly. They stayed each other in the eye for what felt like forever before the woman gulped and looked away from him, trying to find something to occupy herself. She looked down, her eyes going to the box of records she needed to put away. She squatted as she began unloading them into the section at the bottom of the shelf. She handled the old-school records with care, not wanting to damage the already torn covering and hurt the disc.

Manny couldn’t help but watch with a fond look in his eye, the colorful woman in her own world as she worked, her lips softly singing the song playing in the background.

“What’s this on the board?” Emily asked from the other side of the room, catching their attention. Naoya had just finished when she stood up, rubbing her hands against her jeans. She quickly glanced at Manny, who was already looking at her, before her eyes trailed to the questioning woman near the board, who pointed at the Kanji.

“Oh, those are just words I she a lot so I put Kanji next to them so the kids become familiar.” She said as she walked closer. “We also didn’t have a language teacher here for a while so…” She tried off with a shrug. “I was teaching them the Spanish I learned from the bodega guy growing up but he wasn’t saying anything children should be.” She grinned tensely at them. “Now I just inform them on Japanese when we have free time or if they’re curious, which they usually are.”

“Why Japanese?” Simon asked. Naoya glanced between all of them, a small smile on her face.

“I’m Japanese.” She said with a small smile. “It’s my first language. My mom was a nurse and an English teacher over there for a long time.” She sighed. The other hummed, surprised at the new revelation while Manny admired the woman.

“My mother was a teacher as well.” He said, causing the woman to look his way. “It’s part of the reason why I work at the district now.” He said softly. Noaya started at him, mother of the faces faltering from their soft expressions. She just nodded at what he said. Because she could speak, as if she was going to, Janine spoke up.

“What’s this one mean?” The woman asked, pointing at the unfamiliar Kanji on the board.

“Oh, it’s just love.” She shrugged. “I put it on the board at the beginning of each year because if I was a teacher in Japan, that would be my name.” She said. “Sensei Ai or Ai-aan.” She stated in Japanese, ignoring the impressed looks she gathered from the crew as she continued to explain. “Even though Ai is the general term of love and affection.” She shrugged.

“That is so amazing,” Simon said with a proud grin, looking at the woman. “There is such a diversity of cultures and learning in this classroom. What grade do you teach?” He asked. Naoya was slightly taken aback by his apparent enthusiasm, looking at the man with a small smile. “Fourth grade.” She said.

“Mhm, that’s when all the magic starts to happen.” He said, causing Naoya to nod. Manny glanced between the two, his smile slightly strained as he watched them interact.

“Yeah,” Naoya said. “There is a significant development in their cognitive abilities. The children become more logical and critical thinkers, alongside increased independence, stronger social connections with peers, and a growing awareness of social hierarchies, often navigating feelings like peer pressure and the desire to fit in. They also start thinking more about abstract ideas, and not just about things they can observe.” She explained. Everyone in the room looked at the woman in shock, taking in the information she just dumped on them.

“I majored in Psychology for Human Growth and Development. I was gonna be a children’s therapist but I realized my heart can’t really handle all that.” She said. Some hummed with the other nodded at the woman.

“Well, aren’t you the gift that just keeps on giving? Full of unexpected but pleasant surprises.” Simone said, grinning at the woman. Naoya laughed, waving him off before turning to find something else to do in her class. Manny’s eyes trailed after hard, glancing between her and his coworker.

▣▣▣▣▣▣▣▣▣▣▣▣▣▣▣▣▣▣▣▣▣▣▣▣

Noaya was walking down the hall, talking to Gregory when Janine came out of her classroom, spotting the two. “Oh, hey! Fancy seeing you here.” She joked, speaking to Gregory. “Whatcha got there?” She asked, gesturing to the boxes the pair held.

“Just bringing the books in.” The man said. “Oh, there is a ten-for-ten sale at Nichols Schola Supplies, by the way.” He said while Noaya nodded.

“Oh fuck yeah,” Janine said, catching the two off guard.

“What the hell?” Noaya stated in shock.

“Trying out cursing. Still getting the hang of it.” Janine sighed, seeing their confused and shocked faces. “No was Baltimore?” She quickly tried to change the subject. Noaya sighed, sensing where the conversation was going, and moved to carry the box she held in Gregory’s classroom.

“It was so flat!” Was the first thing she heard from Gregory when she exited the class after luring the box down. She cried in confusion, looking at the cameras before making her way over to the pair.

“What’s you do over the break?” Gregory asked her before glancing over when Naoya came closer, squinting at her. “You too, now that I’m thinking about it.” He said.

“I just spent a lot of time with myself,” Janine answered. “And it was good for me. I feel, sure, centered, good.” She listed with a content smile. “Oh, Jacob, Noaya, Erika and I started going out to brunch together. We’re calling ourselves the Brunch Bunch.” She joked.

“Why not just the Brunch Bunch?” Gregory asked.

“I thought it was just the Brunch Bunch? That’s why I named the group chat.” Naoya said, her brows furrowed.

“Fuck, that’s good,” Janine said. Naoya pursed her lips while Gregory let out a tense exhale, Janine, looked between the two.

“It’s just not working for me, is it?” Janine asked.

“Not quite there,” Gregory said.

“Fuck, no.” Noaya scoffed. Janine snapped her fingers, pointing at the woman. “See, that sounds so much better.” She said. Noaya cocky shrugged before her eyes caught a finger coming up behind Janine.

“Hey,” Manny said. “Teacher of the Year. Gregory Eddie.” He said in his odd accent that she couldn’t help but find endearing. “I heard about that garden you made out front. Really cool, man.” He said.

“Oh! Thanks.” Gregory said. “I like to do it and it makes the school and the street look nice.” He explained with a small shrug.

“Sure does,” Manny said before looking between the two women. “Uh, Ms.Lovell, Ms.Teauges, could I speak to you two for a quick second? Sorry to interrupt.” He said to Gregory. Janine nodded. “Oh, yeah. All good. And you can call me Janine.” She said as she led the man into her room. Gregory and Noaya shared a look before they glanced at the cameras. They then went their separate ways, her into Janine’s class while he went into his own.

“Well, uh, Janine.” Manny begun. “I was talking with the other from the school district. And you two seem to have a ton of great ideas.” Manny complimented, looking between the pair. Janine smiled proudly at him while Noaya shrugged softly.

“There’s this fellowship—.”He started again. “The Robeson Fellowship at the district. We want somebody with in-field experience to come to enhance what the district can do to make schools as efficient as possible.” He explained.

“That sounds like a great opportunity,” Janine said. “I'm pretty sure I can help you find somebody for that.” She stated, glancing at the woman next to her.

“Well, no, I had one of you in mind for it,” Manny said, glancing between the two. Noaya’s eyes widened, immediately shook her head. “Oh! That’s amazing but.” She chicken’s nervously and in shock. “I can’t.” She sighed, trying to come up with an excuse as to why she couldn’t.

“Yeah.” Janine echoed. “I’m flattered but, you know, the summer is when I get a little bit of a break away from school.” She said, causing Noaya to point over at her in agreement.

“This would be doing the school year,” Manny stated.

“But that’s when we’re doing the schooling,” Noaya stated, brows furrowed as she gestured to her class.

“Yes, well, a sub would take over your class. While you’re with us for your duration of the fellowship.” He said. Naoya’s brows raised as she nodded at his words, taking them in. Janine, on the other hand, scoffed out a chuckle. “Sorry, but no.” She said. “I can’t imagine being away from my students, so… I’m flattered but, no, thank you.” She said.

Manny grinned, letting out a small chuckle. “Okay, alright.” He said before he then turned to Naoya, who had her hand behind her back. Her eyes widened slightly, taking in what the man was saying. “Uh, I’ll think it over.” She said with a nervous smile. “I would have to plan so much and, you know, I only have so many ideas.” She shrugged.

“And I bet they’re all great,” Manny told her, his voice very sure of himself as he looked at the woman. Noaya nodded her head, offering him a small smile. “Okay.” She said. Manny nodded before moving his way out of the room. He was on his way out of the room before he turned around, looking between the two.

“Just give it some real thought, okay?” He said, his eyes mainly on Noaya. “You can help make some real change around here. Creative and culturally diverse ideas—.”His eye then trailed to Janine. “And painted walls are just the start.” He gave Noaya another smile, showing his there before making his way out of the room.

Once he was away Noaya sighed, throwing her head back. “I’m gonna go complain to Jacob.” She sighed before exiting the room to make her way upstairs.

[church-of-lilith]

spoilers for the back half of abbott elementary season 3 below so read at your own risk! but I need to discuss these last few episode titles with someone bc i’m losing my mind.

3x11 ‘Double Date’ - now this could easily be melissa & the fire captain + jacob & the paramedic but wouldn’t it be crazy if janine and manny got together in the next few episodes and then gregory got jealous and came up with a fake gf but then got trapped in a ‘let’s go on a double date’ situation??

3x12 ‘Mother’s Day’ - Vanetta Teagues making a return? Would love to see Taraji again or maybe Ayo? Or maybe we’ll finally see Taylor & Gina together on screen celebrating with Barbara? Either way I’m here for whatever this entails

3x13 ‘Smith Playground’ - Now the cast was seen filming here the other day so I knew that was coming eventually but I figured it would be the finale because historically all of the finales have been field trips? so the change up is interesting.

3x14 ‘Party’ - this could be a party for literally anything but I’m banking on it being a celebration for janine deciding to accept a full time position with the district after being extended the offer. I would love to see a dramatic last minute pivot from janine where she decides to come back to abbott as a teacher instead of stick with the district after seeing all of the people she loves gathered around, showing up for her, wanting what’s best for her. and then it turns into a ‘welcome home’ sort of party instead.

anyways I could theorize for hours but lmk your thoughts!!

[gregoryeddiesgoldchain]

um okay i saw someone else do this and i really enjoyed it so here's my thoughts from this week's episode of abbott. obviously spoilers ahead

the first five minutes of this epsiode are some of the funniest tv i've seen so far this year!! OMG the face barbara makes to the camera, tariq's line from shaq lmao this show is so fucking good man

"i'm afraid of all natural disasters, of which there will be scores in our lifetime" - janine teagues once again being the voice i need on tv lol. currently making a bug-out bag for my grandparents cause this shit is nawt a game.

just gonna say this here and now- manny is fine and sweet idc what y'all say!

gregory eddie with the reveal that both mortons work at abbott!! i hope we get to see more of them that's so cute.

"I got so good at ignoring Janine, I never noticed she was pregnant" ummm this is y'alls queen?? sorry she irks me so bad sometimes. she's the only one still doing this "we hate janine and she's so annoying" thing and it's getting tired.

oh i loovee ava popping in on janine at her district office and i'm so excited to see how they expand their relationship this season!! honestly probably going to make a separate post to talk about all the good ass avanine moments from this episode but i just love them.

"really helps fill the janine-sized hole in my heart" thank you jacob for always holding it down for my baby janine!! i love their friendship sm

as someone who eats my lunch in my car every day just to get some quiet alone time i understand gregory very much but also let them babies in your classroom beloved

"Gregory Eddie, is no woman safe from your incompetence with the opposite sex?" omgg this felt mean lol poor gregory but also she's right and she should say it! mr eddie is on a journey this season but idk where we going chile. like for a man who started out wanting to be principal of this school i think " i don't want the responsibility" is a weird take idk. we shall see honey.

"Your advice goes harder than that thang, Mrs Howard" lmaoo whoever wrote that line i'm giving you specifically a kiss on the cheek for making me cackle oh so hard

also someone pleaseee make a compilation of all the cute pins and brooches miss teagues is wearing with her lil work outfits like are you kidding me!! she's so cute pls.

[marble-hand]

[ manny jacinto, cis-man, he/him ] Look who just landed! VALERIO “VAL” DIZON, I sure hope you packed all you need. Perhaps you’re not worried as FORCE LEADER of THE OVERSEERS. The city has plenty of spots for a 34 year old HEXTECH USER like you. You’ll be known in the city soon enough as THE MARBLE HAND, being RIGHTEOUS and CREDULOUS.

OOC INFO

OOC: Jun, PT, any pronouns/siya

Muse’s Name(s): Valerio “Val” Dizon

Tagging System: Below

Interview: Here

STATISTICS

Full Name: Valerio Dizon

Nickname: Val

Date of Birth: October 4, 2371

Gender: Cis-man

Pronouns: He/him

Sexual Orientation: Pansexual

Romantic Orientation: Panromantic

Current Age: 34

Modification: Hextech User – White Titanium Gauntlets AKA The Marble Hands

Affiliation: The Overseers

Birthplace: Marwar District, New Jakarta

Current Neighbourhood: Sora, New Jakarta

Occupation: Force Leader of The Overseers

Known Languages: Tagalog (native), English (native), Mandarin (conversational), Bahasa Indonesian (conversational), Japanese (conversational)

APPEARANCE

Faceclaim: Manny Jacinto

Height: 5'11"

Eye Colour: Dark brown

Hair Colour: Black

Clothing Style: Usually in uniform, otherwise minimal, clean, and comfy a la Scandinavian Minimalist core 

Jewellery: Multiple rings to fidget with if he’s not wearing his gauntlets, but very deliberately keeps his ring finger free

Tattoos: N/A

Marks/Scars: A few burn scars from his time in the bakery, numerous scars from front-line duty, and a larger scar on this back that he got during “training” when he first got recruited into the Overseers

Modifications: Hextech user

Scent/Fragrance: Like freshly baked bread

FAVOURITES

Likes: Any sort of freshly baked bread or pastry, Filipino drink desserts, a good time in karaoke

Dislikes: Criminals with no remorse, disorderly conduct, people who leave less than 5 star reviews about his mom’s bakery 

Hobbies: Basketball, baking, recipe development

Habits: Fidgeting with rings or the crystals on his gauntlets, code-switching between more casual and formal talk off/on duty

One Cherished Item: A personalized apron and oven mitt set from Santi for their six month anniversary

BIOGRAPHY

Always "Val," and never "Valerio Dizon"—unless it was his mother scolding him for staying out too late. Val was the kind of guy who made people feel at ease. Popular, good-natured, the one who’d help walk an old lady across the street without a second thought or share his lunch with a classmate who’d forgotten theirs. Up until high school, he never aspired to be anything more than what he was, a regular kid with a decent life in New Jakarta’s Marwar District.

Born to a single mother who ran the family bakery, Valerio’s Bake Shop, Val’s life followed a comfortable, if predictable, routine. The bakery was a local favorite, known for its warm, flaky pastries and the kind smile his mother greeted everyone with. For Val, the future seemed simple: he’d take over the bakery, maybe work part-time during college, and continue the family tradition. Ambition wasn’t something that had crossed his mind. Why would it? Life was normal. It was fine.

But even in his laid-back existence, he held an unwavering belief in justice. Though he was one of the popular kids, Val always made sure everyone was included, that no one felt left out. He’d step in when the neighborhood kids got too rough, making them apologize if they bumped into someone. Laws and order kept life safe, and that’s how Val liked it. Stable. Secure.

Until it wasn’t.

The robbery was a shock. A bakery of all places. The desperation in New Jakarta was growing, people were hungry—not just for food, but for survival. Val remembers running home, heart pounding, fearing the worst. The storefront window was shattered, glass littering the sidewalk, but his mother, though shaken, was unharmed. Relief washed over him, but reality punched him straight in the face—their safety had been an illusion, a fragile thing easily broken as the bakery’s window.

At the scene, Val’s eyes were drawn to an Overseer, an imposing figure clad in sleek armor, weapons glowing with the eerie light of Hextech crystals. The Overseer moved with authority, surveying the damage with a calm, focused demeanor. Val had never seen anything like it. The man approached him, asked if he was the owner’s son. When Val nodded, the Overseer placed a heavy, gloved hand on his shoulder. “Be strong,” he said, his voice steady. “Protect your mother. We won’t always be here.”

Those words struck something deep within Val. The Overseer’s presence, the power he wielded, and the responsibility he bore—it all crystallized in Val’s mind. He wanted to be strong enough to protect those he loved, to uphold the laws that kept people safe. For the first time, Val felt a drive, a purpose that went beyond the bakery and the simple life he’d always imagined.

From that day on, Val’s path shifted. With less than a year before his high school graduation, he poured himself into his studies, especially anything that would help him understand the law, justice, and the workings of the city. He trained his body, pushing himself to physical limits he’d never considered before. His mother supported him, proud of his newfound determination, even if it meant a different, bigger, future than she’d envisioned.

Val joined the Overseers as soon as he was able, climbing the ranks with a mix of hard work, innate talent, and that fierce belief in justice that had always been a part of him. He specialized in Hextech weaponry, just like the man he admired all those years ago. His titanium white gauntlets becoming his signature, earning him the nickname “The Marble Hand.”

Despite his rise, Val never lost that good-natured, approachable side. He was known for his fairness, his refusal to bend the rules, but also for his empathy. He argued for mercy when he believed people were victims of circumstance, remembering his own past and the desperation he had seen in the eyes of those who had turned to crime.

Now, as the Force Leader of the Overseers, Val is in a position of power he never sought but fully embraced. He sees himself in the new recruits, those young, eager faces that remind him of the boy he once was—the one who had no real ambition until the day his world was shaken. Val takes it upon himself to mentor them, to instill in them the same belief in justice that drives him. He’s seen the darkness in the city, but he’s also seen the light, and he’s determined to guide the next generation of law enforcers, and anyone else he can bring along, towards that light.

RELATIONSHIPS AND CONNECTIONS (More TBA)

Mother - Marigold Santos Dizon

Val had always admired his mom. Growing up, he was a bit of a brat—he can admit that now—but looking back, he feels a little sorry for the way he acted. It wasn’t until he got older that he realized the situation they were in: a single mom running a bakery by herself, keeping everything together with sheer willpower and ungodly early mornings. Val remembers how she would wake up at 3 or 4 in the morning to get the day’s stock of baked goods going, a routine that seemed as natural to her as breathing.

By the time Val was in high school, he couldn’t just watch her do it all alone. He started getting up early too, helping her out before heading off to practice. It wasn’t much, but he wanted to do his part. Those early mornings taught him perseverance, a trait he knows he inherited from her.

Now, as he climbs the ranks in the Overseers and dreams of a better future for both himself and the city, he wishes he could do more for her. Val hopes to see her retire soon, but he wonders if she could really let go of the bakery. It’s been her life’s work, her pride. Would she find fulfillment in retirement, or would she miss the routine, the sense of purpose it gave her?

One thing Val does know, however, is that she keeps asking when he’s going to get married. She says it doesn’t matter who, as long as he’s happy. Val finds her persistence amusing and endearing, a reminder that no matter how much his life changes, some things—like his mom’s unconditional love and prized pandesal recipe—will always stay the same.

Boyfriend - Santi Amarin-Zhao

The words were already spilling out of his mouth before he could think. He had just finished a routine line of questioning, and before Val knew it, his next question had him asking out New Jakarta’s most eligible bachelor and X Academy’s CEO on a date. Val’s heart nearly stopped as he realized what he’d done—he’d never fumbled like that before when asking someone out. He was about to apologize, to take it back, but then Santi said, “Sure.” Just like that. 

They’ve gone on quite a few dates since then, and Val likes to think they’re going steady, exclusive even. But he can’t help noticing the walls Santi has put up. Their relationship isn’t public, Santi avoids any kind of PDA, and sometimes he feels just out of reach, even during late nights when it’s just the two of them in bed. It’s like Santi’s there, but not fully there.

Still, it doesn’t shake Val’s faith in him. He trusts Santi. They both want the same thing, right? For this city to be better, safer. Val tells himself that’s enough, even if getting closer to Santi feels like trying to touch something through glass.

[chibrary]

title: "my friend hervé leclerc, father of charles, the young and talented f1 driver" source: sylviebourgeois.com year: 2021

At the moment, in the evening, I fall asleep to a documentary on F1. It's quite poorly done with a montage of images cut very quickly and hysterical music in order to create sensationalism, while this world of speed is sensational enough in itself, there is no need to add more. But what I love are the interviews with these young drivers who, for some, like Charles Leclerc or Esteban Ocon, started in F1 when they were barely 20 years old, they are my two favorites. Esteban because he has a good state of mind, and Charles because I knew his dad, Hervé.

I met Hervé Leclerc in Cap-d'Ail when I was 18 years old. His stepfather Charles Manni was my mother's childhood friend. We met again in Paris, when I was coming up from Besançon, in a truck, with my brother, another Hervé, 7 years older than me, and his best friend, Serge, studying, like him, in architecture. [...]

[...] That year, [my brother and his friend] regularly went to Paris to see construction sites or girls, I don't know anymore. I often jumped into their home-office truck and went to see Hervé Leclerc who spoke to me about his passion for cars and his dream of being an F1 driver. He lived with his grandmother, an exceedingly elegant lady who helped him financially in his desire to become a future champion. I saw Hervé again, a year later, when I went to live alone in Cap-d'Ail in my mother's vacation home that she had inherited from her own mother, more precisely, the half-house, her older sister having inherited from the other party. I wanted to earn my living, to be independent, I worked as a hostess in Monaco and took evening classes to learn how to design clothes.

In the meantime, Hervé Leclerc had done a lot of racing in F3, he was very fast. The manager of the Châtre circuit believed in him and wanted to push him to succeed, but another racer who had more experience than him in karting, became their official racer. Hervé was terribly disappointed. He continued training and racing, but his pain at not being chosen turned into an obsession. He moved in with his mother, Monique, a very beautiful woman, who had started a new life near Monaco with Charles Manni, my mother's childhood friend. Charles was poor as a child, perhaps the only poor person in Monaco. He had made his fortune supplying mechanical parts to the automobile industry, and had built his factory in Fontvieille, a district of the Principality located under the zoo where an elephant cried night and day, and a stone's throw from the old port where my parents and Charles had their sailboats.

[...] About ten years later, Hervé Leclerc got married and projected his love of cars, his will, his talent, his F1 desires, his humor, his good humor and his kindness onto his sons whom he initiated very early in karting. The ghost of the former kart racer's victory, which cost him his destiny as champion, certainly had something to do with it. Very quickly, Hervé Leclerc was able to admire the victories of his sons who never stopped winning and climbing the ranks, but alas, he was not able to see the destiny of Charles, his second child, who made his dream come true. and that of his father to become an F1 driver.

[tani-b-art]

Since this season’s (3) opener, Gregory’s been real emotionally manipulative with Janine. And has been sprinkling a side of guilt tripping all throughout these episodes so far that led up to the ‘double date’ outburst.

Him trying to piece his own personal emotions is fine — we all don’t always have it together immediately and especially when other people we consider to be or become significant others are involved. That’s normal. BUT the way he deals with trying to sort through his emotions at Janine’s expense is where it is manipulative.

We saw and heard Janine be pretty settled in her decision or very close to it (80/20 as she mentioned) [at the bar] and then Gregory says, “When I think of Abbott, I think of you. And when I think of you, I think of Abbott.” Sweet comment, yes but still. Janine even clocked his facial expression and we then see her start to doubt and second guess herself and her decision. Making her feel guilty about possibly leaving and it was just at the fellowship level. Not even permanent.

His reaction to her announcing that she was offered a full time position with the district while at Alex’s grandmother’s house…I can somewhat give him the “okay” here. This was his first time hearing the news and of course he’d feel sad about her potentially leaving. And be shocked. Anyone would be and given their situationship, he would be both sad and shocked. Like everyone else was about her announcement. But all that came after in how he started to interact with her and the way he started wording things and how he’d say things was the guilt tripping.

He called her after Alex returned to school to say “We make a great team”. Of all the times to say this, why now Gregory? And no, it wasn’t just because of Alex. And yet again, we witnessed Janine self-doubt or get super self-conscious.

The district job was important to her and the indirect ways he said things to subtly persuade her away from it (although I don’t believe he has that much persuasion to make Janine change her mind but he’s influential)…gosh, the man is passive aggressive too. I mean we all knew she wouldn’t stay from the school on the simple fact that her heart is with the Abbott kids and for series purposes, she has to remain an Abbott teacher, however, that doesn’t negate his actions about it.

He couldn’t even directly tell her with the precise words “I’ll miss you”. He kept saying “I’ll miss this” (the little door knocks he does with her) or whatever he continued to say. He’s yet to say, “I missed you.”

Janine literally told him she only left because she really wanted to try working for the district— not of what he assumed. (Le sigh).

Is it with ill-intent that Gregory does this? I would say no because he truly has a strong liking for Janine and cares for her and doesn’t want to hurt her but he’s still doing it. His intention is not to hurt her but the impact of his actions are.

He certainly needs to grow and mature emotionally and at his own time but he doesn’t need to do this and keep Janine on an imaginary/invisible string while in the process. And at some point, I hope Janine calls him out on it. My bet (and guess) is her bff Erika will be the one to call Gregory out because she absolutely noticed it with his antics that nite.

He told Janine he moved on in the opener. She took that gut-wrenching rejection to the chin after being super vulnerable with him and kept it moving (without us really even knowing what her moving was. She still isn’t dating anyone because she hasn’t mentioned she is). Then he simply assumes she moved on with Manny and bizarrely went haywire. If I were Janine, we’d for sure need to have a talk about that nite. He needs to explain because it was unnecessary and uncalled for and she needs to know why his emotions came out that way in his assumptions and what was the response even for. When her being with Manny on a date wasn’t even the case. So is she supposed to expect this from him from now on anytime he starts assuming she’s with someone? If she’s out with someone and he possibly runs into her, should she brace herself for his antics? Janine doesn’t act that way with him when he freely dates. The man was on a whole date but had the audacity to confront Janine plus be rude about what he assumed she was doing.

He doesn’t get to tell her he’s moved, he put a period on it (not a colon or semicolon) and we should just be friends to not complicate things then take on a relationship status of acting like her confused boyfriend. He told her no. And he isn’t her boyfriend.

Barbara was right, he is (emotionally) incompetent with women. It was a tough lesson but it’s true. Either it’s a trait of his or there’s somethings he needs to work out from his upbringing (that we’ll perhaps see in coming episodes or seasons) or he deliberately aims to be inept with women on purpose. Idk.

(Is Gregory almost another version of Tariq but with less red flags?)

Step up and tell Janine you want to be with her or not and leave her be because this isn’t fair to her. Is you is or is you ain’t?

I promise, if I see any indication of the writing veering to what they did with Whitley and Dwayne on “A Different World”, Nikki Parker and Professor Oglevee on “The Parkers”, Steve Urkel and Laura Winslow on “Family Matters”, or Khadijah and Scooter on “Living Single”…throw the whole series away! If they follow this trope and make Gregory the disrupter of Janine’s love-life, I am going to pretend the series never existed.

…okay not literally but this type of love interests writing for characters is overrated and stale.

I typed all this as a response to a post I saw from a mutual ((hi)) who didn’t tag me but it seemed like one of their post was directed towards the Gregory is emotionally manipulative post I made. I don’t want to tag them or reply to their post because I wasn’t called in class to respond and I don’t want to embarrass anyone if they should maybe feel embarrassed or seem like I’m targeting them because I’m not. I want to have good Tumblr etiquette. Especially considering I wasn’t tagged. But I can appreciate a good, indirect open discussion on Tumblr when a fave series of mine is involved lol.

[marvels-baudelaire]

Confessions of the Heart

I finally posted!! The FIRST chapter of my story is now uploadeddd on both ao3 and wattpad.

Here is a preview, i hope you enjoy:

It was the first week back from Spring Break, a week after Janine ran into Gregory into the bar. Well... ran is a stretch. More like, minded her business then was heard a loud yell from Gregory who then asked several questions about his observations and then left.

Either way, it left Janine feeling confused.

And a little proud.

On the one hand, why was Gregory acting so weird? Even if she were on a date, Gregory didn't want a relationship with her. She spent a lot of the break alone contemplating this because she knew she wasn't crazy.

He didn't want her.

Or at least she thought he didn't. But why was it such a problem that she went out with Manny. And what was wrong with what she was wearing? And why did he have to look at her like that knowing she cannot have him. Why did have to be on a date with someone else? That quietly stung Janine's heart a little bit. Not because he was on a date, but because it wasn't with her. She would have loved to be there with Gregory instead of Manny and talk to him about how excited she is to be back teaching and how she has been taking care of the plant he gave her and how she has learned so much about herself and gotten closer with her mom. But alas, Gregory was on a date with another girl, talking about whatever. She wanted to be the one sitting next to Gregory gazing into his eyes and feeling the warmth of his presence that she normally gets whenever he was around. And it was the worst not speaking to Gregory for those months at the district. Everything was just a little harder, not being able to talk to him and hear his voice.

Janine was currently at a staff Easter Party where Barbara and Melissa were holding court about something, Jacob was putting in his input, Ava disputing everything being said, and Mr. Johnson was just... Mr. Johnson. Gregory was there but they hadn't spoken much. He hadn't been acting weird but different. Like he was standing in certainty. About what? She didn't know, though she was curious.

Gregory was sitting at a table by himself drinking a cup of water in his thoughts until he spotted Janine, and instantly smiled. Janine loved when he looked at her with that smile that reached his ears.

"Hey Janine" he said as she sat down, watching her very closely, giving Janine butterflies.

"Hi Gregory, I see you shaved your beard". Oh yes, the beard Gregory had made a point about Manny having that Janine didn't get and found... odd? Not even that, it was just random, what does a beard have to do with anything.

They sat there making light conversation about the flowers Janine had previously picked from his garden and how to take care of them as they grow, and Janine couldn't take it anymore. She wanted to know so badly, but this wasn't the time nor place, so she excused herself from the table. "I'm going to go for a walk" she said slowly beginning to get up.

As she reached the door, she realized she really needed clarity, because this was crazy. It was eating her up inside and she could just talk to him about it. So, she shortly pulled out her phone from the purse and searched for Gregory's contact.

"Can you follow me please?" She sent.

He instantly read the message and Janine watched as bubbles popped up onto her screen,

"Of Course."

[oscars-wifeyyy]

Dinner with Manny

(MASTERLIST FOR THIS STORY)

Lina was greeting all her students in her classroom, but she took her phone out when she felt her Apple watch vibrate. When she looked down, she saw a text from Manny telling her good morning and that he hoped that she had a good day today, then another text from Janine letting her know that her presentation for Jacob was coming for an ASL interpreter to come in and help the student out. She smiled and quickly responded to both texts before putting her phone away and focused on teaching. Her students were paying attention today, filling her with joy as she took in their faces.

It was recess, and Lina went to the gym/lunch area to oversee the students and see Barbara and Melissa together at the center. She approached them but stopped when she saw Tariq walk into the room.

“What is Tariq doing here?” Lina asked as she stared at her friend’s ex-boyfriend wave at Barbara.

“I forgot to mention that Tariq is now the father of one of the students in my class,” Barbara said.

“Janine was pregnant?” Lina asked.

“I got so good at ignoring Janine that I never noticed she was pregnant,” Melissa continued scrolling through her phone.

“That child does not have a child. Tariq is just dating the student’s mother,” Barbara looked at both of the women.

“He’s not a father. He’s just a male figure in that child’s life until he leaves,” Lina shrugged, “There is a difference between a father, male figure, and dad,”

“Amen to that, sister,” Melissa said.

“Hey, Mrs. Howard. Hey, mean Italian lady. Hey, Lina,” Tariq smiled as he approached the trio.

“Tariq, you cannot keep showing up here unannounced,” Barbara said.

“Ok, but it’s an emergency. I accidentally took TJ’s lunch and gave him mine, so I’mma just switch these out real quick,” Tariq placed the brown bag on the table in front of a student and grabbed the Lunchable out of the kid’s hands, “Thank you. And I’m out of your hair,” 

“That is a lunchable,” Barbara pointed out.

“And it is delicious,” Tariq said, “Alright, have a good day, Junior,”

“You’re not my dad!” The little boy said.

“That boy is hilarious, and he gets that from me. Bye, y’all,” Tariq ate the lunchable.

Lina rolled her eyes and stood around the gym until it was time for her to take her kids back to class. Then, she took her phone out to see Manny, who had texted her again, so she continued texting him with a smile on her face.

“Who’s got you all smitten there?” Melissa asked with a smirk.

“Nobody,” Lina pulled her face together with a stoic look again.

“Bull. I saw you smiling at your face and texting someone,” Melissa said.

“Ok, I’m texting Manny,” Lina caved.

“Manny as in the district, Manny?” Barbara asked.

Lina nodded.

“Traitor,” Melissa smirked.

“Whatever,” Lina softly smirked and chuckled.

It was the end of school, and Lina was high-fiving her class as they left to their parents, so she quickly cleaned up her class when Jacob popped into her class.

“Hey, wanna go to Ruben’s with Janine and me?” Jacob asked.

“I can’t. I got like two classes at school tonight,” Lina said.

Jacob nodded and bid his byes before walking out,, so Lina quickly grabbed her belongings and left the school. She jumped into her car and began her way to school. Manny called her as she parked in the parking lot.

“Hey, you,” Lina said as she gathered her school bag.

“Hey, you,” Manny’s voice rang through her phone, “how was your day?”

“It was good. My students were angels today, and I’m at school to go to my two classes tonight, so it’s an overall good but busy day,”

“That’s good. What time does your classes end?” Manny asked.

“It ends around 8ish,” Lina responded as she stopped at the door of her class.

“Ok. Would you be interested in grabbing some dinner with me? Nothing too fancy or anything,” Manny’s nervous voice rang.

“Yeah, sure. What are you thinking?” Lina asked, “Because. I’m not gonna lie. I got some food at home that I can cook up for both of us,”

“That doesn’t sound fair. I’m the one that invited you out,” Manny protested.

“It’s ok. I love cooking,”

“That's okay if you insist. Text me your address, and I’ll see you at 8:30, " Manny said.

“Yeah, see you,” Lina grinned before hanging up and skipping into her class.

Hours seemed to be passing slowly as she looked at the clock, anticipating it would be over so she could head home and look presentable for her guests. Time had finally caught up, and she went to her place at 8:15. She rushed inside and into the shower. When she got out, her phone read 8:25, so she ran to her closet, grabbed a lounge dress that hugged her figure in the right places, and put on her slippers.

When she was fully ready, she heard a knock on the door. She rushed to the door and opened it to see Manny in a nice short-sleeve button-up shirt, dark pants, and Jordan 1ss.

“Hey! I was just about to grab all the ingredients from the fridge,” Lina smiled, letting him in.

“Great! What are we making?” Manny asked.

“We?” Lina asked.

“Yeah. I figured we could cook together, seeing as though I'm the one who asked you to dinner again,” Manny stated.

“Ok. We are doing something different. We’re gonna be eating some Korean barbecue,” Lina smiled, “I already had the meat marinating as well as prepped the side dishes and everything,”

“I never had Korean barbecue,” Manny said, “Also, I never said it, but you look absolutely stunning tonight,”

“It’s only a lounge dress,” Lina blushed.

Their night was deemed successful, and Lina blushed furiously at the end. However, nothing more had happened, and Manny was out the door by 10:30. This left Lina confused about whether it was a date or not, so she deemed it just a dinner with a friend.

The next day, the school day came and went, and Lina was grateful that it was over because it had been stressful for her. It had looked up when she saw a text from Manny informing her that Janine, him, and Simon were going out for drinks later. She asked if she wanted to go. She responded with a yes and packed her bag to head home and get ready to leave again. When she was done, Manny texted her that they were on their way, so she smiled and ran out the door.

“Manny, who are we waiting for?” Janine asked when she noticed Manny kept looking at the door.

“Oh, we’re waiting for Lina,” Manny said.

“Oh! Are you guys like a thing?” Janine asked.

“Maybe. At least I want it to be,” Manny blushed.

At that moment, Lina walked in and caught Manny’s eye, putting him in a trance. She wore flare jeans, a crop top with a black blazer, and some booties. When she got to the table, Manny stood up.

“Want to get a drink?” Manny asked.

“Yeah, sure,” Lina grinned.

The two started walking to the bar, with Manny’s hand on the small of her back, which made her blush. When they got to the bar, the bartender immediately approached them.

“Can I get a tequila pineapple?” Lina asked. The bartender nodded and looked toward Manny. He shook his head and gave him his card. “Why’d you do that? I could’ve got it,”

“What? And let a beautiful girl get her own drink with her own money? Nah, my mom raised me better than that,” Manny grinned.

“Well, your mom sounds like a great woman. I remember you telling me that she was a teacher and all the struggles she went through, especially with being a single mom,” Lina said, “I hope I get to meet her some day,”

“Yeah?” Manny smiled, “Maybe that will happen. I was wondering, would you maybe wanna go on an actual date with me?”

Lina looked at him with a dumbfounded look, “Really? Me?”

“Yeah, who else,” Manny looked around jokingly.

“Yeah, of course,” Lina grinned as the bartender set her drink down, and the two joined Simon and Janine at the table.

When they slid into the same side of the booth, Manny casually threw an arm to rest on the headboard behind her and secretly played with her hair. The table cheered to celebrate Janine’s win in getting Jacob an ASL translator, and they all had a fun time afterward. 

[simslegacy5083]

NSB (Straud Legacy) Gen 9 Ep 50: Catching Up

Remembering his promise to keep up a good “school/life balance”, once Luigi felt he was fully prepped for the new semester he checked in on his family.

First up was a trek back to the old homestead in Brindleton. He brought a newly elder Chubbs along to celebrate Valentina’s own transition to elderhood. He enjoyed seeing everyone again, catching up with Kelsey and Scott. Scott was still working at the Art Gallery and had recently been promoted, while Kelsie had brought her husband and some well loved grandkids to her mother’s birthday.

---------------------------------------------

Peachy and Valentina had yet to set a wedding date, due to some lingering family drama on her side. In their youth Valentina’s twin sister Kassandra had cheated on her unsavory husband Leroy with Peachy, until the two men became aware of each other. Relations were still tense between them.

Luigi told his dad not to worry about it, he’d put the old reprobate in his place if Leroy started anything. Peachy just shook his head, promising his son that wouldn’t be necessary. They’d send out invites as soon as they decided on a venue for the ceremony.

---------------------------------------------

Next up Luigi headed out to Moonwood to check in on Hunter and Tess. He was glad to find them settling in nicely, as their primary skill sets were an excellent fit for the bustling farm community and the pack had been just as warm and welcoming as promised.

Luigi was saddened to hear of the passing of his old art Club friend, the ancient werewolf Wolfgang. He wasn’t able to pretend to similar sadness when he heard that his aunt Toni had left Hunter’s short-fused father Manny and returned to The Collective single shortly after Denton’s wedding.

---------------------------------------------

Toni took the opportunity to thank her nephew for his unwavering support of his cousin. Her partner’s “my way or the highway” attitude had driven many of their friends away, and when he had at last alienated their child as well, she had been forced to dissolve their relationship.

She had come to the mill to reconnect with Hunter and Tess. Once there the community had rekindled fond memories of her youth and begun to restore her faith in relationships. Her old friends welcomed her back with open arms and she loved being able to watch her son bloom here with them.

---------------------------------------------

Finally, Luigi got a chance to check in with Denton and Cullen when the newlywed invited them to the flea market downtown.

He and Bridget had just moved to a new apartment in the Spice District, and when he heard of an innovative young musician playing amongst a large collection of secondhand furnishings, he knew they could all could catch up while catching a show and hunting for deals.

Cullen found a chair while Denton picked up a comfy couch and Luigi snagged a cocktail themed floor lamp.

---------------------------------------------

After they all found decorations that appealed to them and took in a performance that did not disappoint, the cousins headed to a local gaming café.

The change of venue was definitely Luigi’s idea, but Denton and Cullen had a good time too. Despite their different upbringings and careers all three boys were digital professionals and quite at home in front of a screen. They chatted as they played, giving the game only half their attention.

Denton told them married life with Bridget was going well so far, although they were nowhere near ready to bring kids into the mix.

---------------------------------------------

As for Cullen, he’d recovered nicely from surgery, but what he was most excited about was the results of his HRT therapy.

He looked very different than the last time his cousins had seen him, and he felt a thrill of excitement every time he glimpsed the person staring back at him in the mirror. Cataloging his exploration of the city for his followers on Sinstagram was going well, and his parents had helped him find his own small apartment in the Spice District not far from Denton and Bridget.

The cousins had a great night together, and they told Luigi they couldn’t wait to cheer him on at his next e-sports event. They parted ways looking forward to seeing each other again soon.

---------------------------------------------

View The Full Story of My Not So Berry Challenge Here

[tmisherewrites]

Percy is Nihilism Personified

Percy, Percy, Percy, oh how I love you so. He is from District 13 and I imagined him as always having been a bit of an outsider even before the war. He 100% got fired from Crassus' factories because he just walked up to him during a site inspection and asked for a raise. I could see him absolutely thriving in the chaos of District 13, before, during, and after the First Rebellion.

Also, was that Percy's barn? Probably not. What happened to the informant who was supposed to live there that Teller was looking for? Who knows.

Like I said with Jodie Turner-Smith, I was watching the Acolyte when I was thinking of the characters for this fic and Manny Jacinto was 100% the highlight of that show. If like me, you first came across Manny in The Good Place, his performance in the Acolyte was a huge departure and he nailed it. Now for Percy, his character would probably be way more like Qimir than the Stranger, but knowing he could still have that little bit of danger is what makes him perfect for Percy.

If you've read Chapter 6, let me know what you think of my choice. If you haven't, you can find Chapter 6 of They Will Come For You In the Night right here or if you want to start from the beginning, I've linked Chapter 1 to the image above.

[cdyssey]

Abbott 3.03 Liveblog:

That kid shaking his head when Tariq calls him Tariq Jr. was so funny.

Janine's district fits are killing it. Those blazers look so good on her.

"... because I'm afraid of all natural disasters." [Slight laugh and then a deadly serious pause.] "Which there will be scores in our lifetime." dshfiooiafdj

"Hey, mean Italian lady." hsdioafhaoishfois

love how Janine's plot is highlighting the crazy bureaucratic hoops people have to hop through to get proper disability aids for students.

OOOUGH, that black-and-white fit on Ava.

I'm digging the avanine of it all. they have such a fun back-and-forth.

"Loiter? That feels racially charged." GOD HAIOJAOSKSJAJS.

Gregory reading Susan Cain's Quiet is a perfect prop touch.

I'm sorry, I just don't trust Manny yet for some reason. he's too nice or something.

Barbara and Tariq's plot is super fun, too. It's always great to watch her go up against someone she fundamentally disagrees with ISOJODS.

The subtitles on Jacob's ASL being "I can put dirt in the holes" HIOJAJS.

"And I must be experienced live!" adsiofhoaf, Ava is everything to me.

the work wives mutually comforting the crying student. :'')

"Gregory Eddie, is no woman safe from your incompetence with the opposite sex? Mm!" AIOJAOIOWHOIQOIJIOJAJISIHAIJA. the Emmy's should start engraving sir's name on another emmy already.

"Well, Gregory? Is no?" / "Is no what?" / "Exactly." HIOAJOIJSIOHDIOJSIJAOOS

incredible sequence of events

the women of abbott make the world go round

tangentially related, but Hulu is the worst streaming service ever. I just backed up and it sent me BACK to an ad block, even though I just finished watching some.

oh, god, I love how Melissa's the go-to teacher for pre-teen girls when they need advice. yeah, that feels right.

Lisa's hair looks sooooooooooo good.

AVA CALLING JANINE A FRIEND!!!! YEAH, BABY!

"I've risked everyone's lives and I'll do so again because that's what we do for our kids." HIOAJPAJOJSOAK.

"Tariq has a son in Barbara's class. Byeeeeee." Love that line. She just REALLY wanted Janine to know the tea hisddshf.

oughfjfdj, that rich blue on Barbara is so pretty. the costumers and stylists are killing it on abbott. just really fun choices for the characters all around. like, the fun pins Janine accentuates her blazers with?? pitch perfect.

enjoyed this episode. it was just a fun time at abbott all around.

[onenettvchannel]

FLASH REPORT: American YouTuber 'IShowSpeed' arrives in the Philippines, causes Fan Frenzy for meet-and-greet in BGC [#TeleRadyoSerbisyoEXCLUSIVE]

(Written by Rhayniel Saldasal Calimpong / Freelanced News Writer, Online Media Reporter and News Presenter of OneNETnews)

TAGUIG, NATIONAL CAPITAL REGION -- The American variety and veteran YouTube sensation 'Mr. Darren Jason Watkins Jr.', finally set foot in the country today, part of his highly anticipated Southeast Asia tour. This arrival of the 19 y/o Ohio state native, straight from the United States of America (U.S.A.), created frenzy among his Filipino fanbase, which led to huge masses of crowds and traffic jams across Metro Manila.

Indeed, his Philippine adventure started off with a bang. He played at a local basketball court in 'Brgy. 39, Zone 3, District 1' in 'Tondo, Metro Manila, National Capital Region'. The place was thronged with fans as the eagerness got the better of everyone to get a glimpse of the male YouTube star. It set the tone for a day that became truly frenzy-filled and filled with fervor.

Before going to the heart of the city, IShowSpeed made a quick detour to a local Chowking branch on Bustos Street, Sta. Cruz, this said city and province. The fast-food stop served as an emergency impromptu meet-and-greet location, where he was sat and hydrate himself in plain cold water, as eager fans were gathered outside to catch a glimpse of their online male YouTuber idol. He followed up his interest in Filipino culture by riding on top of a Kalesa, a horse-drawn transportation contraption, waving a Philippine flag to the delight of all that watched, helping spur his growing entourage on in excitement.

The joyride to BGC turned out to be a spectacle in its own right, as the male YouTube star replaced Kalesa with a motorbike, knowingly called as 'habal-habal'. The ride through busy Manila attracted even more attention; traffic came to a halt with fans trying to stay alongside their idol.

The chaotic night concluded before 7:30pm at 5th Avenue, BGC, in a Mercedes-Benz showroom, where IShowSpeed found refuge amidst a sea of people. Outside the unforgettable local dealership at Cats Motors Incorporated (CMI), chaos was at nothing less than pandemonium. If this day wasn't exciting enough, IShowSpeed teasingly posted to the internet media, including 'TeleRadyo Serbisyo: Dumaguete' and 'OneNETnews' that he would be meeting the Boxing legend and former senator "Manny Dapidran 'PacMan' Pacquiao", scheduled for tomorrow on Thursday (September 12th, 2024 -- Manila local time) when social media would once again go ablaze in the star-studded encounter.

In LIVE chats throughout the night, rumors are rife that the IShowSpeed Philippine Tour may well extend to the Visayas region on Day 2, including Cebu, Bacolod, Dumaguete and Siquijor. For now, unfortunately much however, Mindanao appears to be out of its itinerary.

IShowSpeed's arrival most certainly has left an indelible mark within the Philippines, and his livestream drew in more than 300,000 viewers from around the world, over half from the Philippines with 56% online audience share in this video sharing platform. And as this male YouTube star still goes on a rampage in this South East Asian adventure, one thing is for sure: IShowSpeed fever has finally swept the nation of the Philippines, and it isn't going away anytime soon.

This ongoing tour to South East Asia would be continued across the continent, first stopping in Thailand and later adding probably with the likes of Cambodia, Malaysia and Indonesia -- all for this month of September 2024.

SCREENGRAB COURTESY: IShowSpeed via YouTube LIVE VIDEO

SOURCE: *https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qWuJYrEZBkw [Referenced YT LIVE VIDEO via IShowSpeed] and *https://www.youtube.com/post/Ugkx685Idjol8tdYoSpnEhUNmxqKLfMVUOTW [Referenced YT Poster PHOTO via IShowSpeed]

-- OneNETnews Online Publication Team

[ignitedfms]

[ manny jacinto, cis-man, he/him ] Look who just landed! VALERIO “VAL” DIZON, I sure hope you packed all you need. Perhaps you’re not worried as FORCE LEADER of THE OVERSEERS. The city has plenty of spots for a 34 year old HEXTECH USER like you. You’ll be known in the city soon enough as THE MARBLE HAND, being RIGHTEOUS and CREDULOUS. ( jun, 30, PT, removed for discretion )

00000 - - INTERVIEW INCOMING - - - 001

001101 1- - ARE you A LOCAL OF MARS OR HAVE you LANDED HERE RECENTLY? WHAT IS your OPINION OF THE CITY OF NEW JAKARTA? - 00011011

Val settles into the chair in the interview chamber, hands folded, his white titanium gauntlets a stark contrast against the dark metal of the table. Across from him, the new recruit fidgets with the holographic console, her fingers slightly trembling. Val’s gaze softens with a touch of nostalgia. He remembers being in her very position, the first time he had to do these interviews. The young woman reminds him of himself at the beginning of his journey—full of potential but facing the daunting task of learning the ropes.

“Take your time,” Val says, hoping to calm the girl’s nerves. “This is your chance to get a feel for the process and learn. No need to rush. This is just practice.”

The recruit nods, taking a deep breath before starting. Her voice shakes a little as she asks, “Are you a local of Mars or have you just arrived? What’s your opinion of NEW JAKARTA?”

Val leans back in the chair, crossing his arms as a small, almost nostalgic smile plays on his lips at hearing the question. “Definitely a local. Haven’t you heard about me? It’s always ‘Val,’ never ‘Valerio Dizon’—unless it’s my mother calling me home for dinner… or I’m in major trouble,” he starts with a bit of a joke to hopefully lighten the mood. “Born and bred in the MAWAR DISTRICT. Can’t say I’ve ever thought of living anywhere else.”

He glances at the recruit, catching the slight tension still in her posture. It takes him back to his early days, back when he was the one trying to make a good impression, trying to prove he belonged.

“New Jakarta’s rough, sure. But it’s got a pulse, a kind of rhythm you can’t find anywhere else. It’s the kind of place that teaches you things, about survival, about people. And yeah, it can be brutal, but there’s beauty in it too. You just have to know where to look.”

He watches the recruit jot down notes, and for a moment, he sees himself in that youthful eagerness, the belief that they could change the world.

0101022 - - ARE you AWARE OF THE CRIMINAL CIRCUIT OF NEW JAKARTA? WOULD you BE WILLING TO INFORM THE OVERSEERS IF you SEE ANYTHING OUT OF THE ORDINARY? - 001200

Val’s expression hardens, just a fraction. “Aware? I grew up with it. You couldn’t throw a stone in Mawar without hitting someone with ties to the underworld.” There isn’t any bitterness in his voice, just a matter-of-fact clarity. “But here’s the thing—people aren’t inherently bad. I’ve seen good people make bad choices because they didn’t see any other way out.”

He leans forward slightly, meeting the recruit’s eyes. “That’s why we’re here, why we do what we do. To give people another option. And yes, if I see something off, I’ll report it. It’s our duty to keep this city from eating itself alive.”

The recruit nods, a little more confident now, and Val can’t help but feel a spark of hope. Maybe this one will make it. Maybe they’ll be the kind of Overseer who remembers why they joined in the first place.

000111311 - - HAVE you BEEN TESTED FOR ANY TRACES OF SIGHIR? HAVE your TESTS ON THE VIRUSES COME BACK CLEAN? - 0012133

She looks up, her voice laced with a hint of hesitancy as she asks the next question. Val doesn’t blame her. Just hearing the word “SIGHIR” ruffles people’s feathers these days. “Have you been tested for traces of SIGHIR? Are your tests clear of any viruses?”

Val laughs softly to try and break the tension again. He shakes his head with a knowing smile. “Tested more times than I can count. You’ll experience it soon enough. But yeah, nothing out of the ordinary. Clean, every time.”

He watches the recruit relax, just a bit, and makes it a point to add with a hint of seriousness, “But don’t let that make you complacent. The tests are important. This job will expose you to some crazy shit, and you need to be ready for that.”

0113114 - - DO your HAVE ANYTHING TO DECLARE? WEAPONS, AUGMENTATIONS, MECHANICAL PARTS OR AI-RELATED APERTURE? - 0012444

The recruit glances up, a look of relief on her face when she realizes she has reached the final question: “Do you have any weapons, augmentations, mechanical parts, or AI-related equipment that you need to declare?”

Val stretches out his arms, showing the gauntlets that have become almost a part of him over the years. “Just these—my Marble Hands. HEXTECH gauntlets, titanium white. They’ve been with me for years, and I trust them with my life.”

He pauses, letting the recruit get the details down before continuing, “No augments or AI. I believe in relying on whatever got you this far—your instincts, your training. That’s what keeps you grounded.”

As Val speaks, he reflects on how far he’s come from his early days in Marwar, wandering with no purpose, to becoming an Overseer, training the next generation and protecting this city’s people. His own path has been shaped by the lessons he’s learned along the way, and he hopes to pass on that knowledge to the new recruit.

There’s a quiet moment as the recruit finishes, and Val nods, a small gesture of approval. “You’re doing good work here,” he says, his voice steady and reassuring. “Keep at it, and remember why you started. That’ll carry you further than any tech ever could.”

[kwebtv]

Jonathan Aprea (March 4, 1941 – August 5, 2024) Film and television actor. He is known for playing the roles of Lt. Vince Novelli on Matt Houston (1982 to 1984), Sheriff Jack North on Falcon Crest (1987), Manny Vasquez on Knots Landing (1988), Lucas Castigliano on Another World (1989 to 1992), and Nick Katsopolis on Full House (1988 to 1991) and Fuller House (2017). 

He appeared in the television film Crazy Times (1981), co-starring with Ray Liotta. Aprea was cast in a regular role as Albert Anastasia in the NBC miniseries The Gangster Chronicles. He guest starred on The Powers of Matthew Star. Aprea was cast as Lt. Vince Novelli on the ABC action series Matt Houston, playing the role from 1982 until 1984. 

In 1984, Aprea guest starred on Three's a Crowd and Mickey Spillane's Mike Hammer. He appeared in the television film Getting Physical. In 1985, he guest starred on Hardcastle and McCormick, Simon & Simon, Street Hawk, and The A-Team. He played Peter Shefland in the television pilot for the series Stingray.

He guest starred on Alfred Hitchcock Presents and The Fall Guy. In 1987, Aprea played Frank in the television film Blood Vows: The Story of a Mafia Wife, co-starring with Melissa Gilbert. He had a recurring role as Sheriff Jack North on the CBS series Falcon Crest.

He guest starred on Tales from the Darkside. He had a recurring role as Manny Vasquez on the CBS series Knots Landing. Aprea received a Soap Opera Digest Award nomination for Outstanding Villain - Prime Time for his work on Knots Landing.

From 1988 to 1989, he played the recurring role of Nick Katsopolis, the father of Jesse (John Stamos), on the ABC sitcom Full House. He also appeared on the show in 1991.  He guest starred on Father Dowling Mysteries and Night Court. In 1989, Aprea was cast on the NBC soap opera Another World, playing Lucas Castigliano. The character of Lucas was paired with Felicia Gallant (Linda Dano). He had previously worked with Dano when they played siblings on The Montefuscos.

In 1992, he left Another World when his contract came to an end. The character of Lucas was killed off. In 1993, Aprea guest starred on The Hat Squad, Dark Justice, Melrose Place, Saved by the Bell: The New Class, and Silk Stalkings

From 1998 to 2000, he guest starred on Vengeance Unlimited, Pacific Blue, The Sopranos, and The District.

He guest starred on CSI: Crime Scene Investigation in 2013. In 2017, he guest starred as Nick Katsopolis on Fuller House, a revival of Full House. From 2020 to 2023, he had a recurring role on The Bay. (Wikipedia)

IMDb Listing

[snezfics-n-shit]

Sicktember Day 14:  "I shouldn't be worried about you, but for some reason I am"

Fandom: Ace Attorney Characters: Damon Gant, Manfred von Karma Notes: It is Old Man Hours™. I am Not Sorry™. It may or may not Happen Again™. Manfred does not need friends; they disappoint him. Do not concern yourself with the mere possibility he may have looked on in envy when overhearing a discussion between two friendly attorneys in the office lobby. Do not even think about the potential feeling he may have that something is off when entering his office doesn’t immediately spawn a visit from Damon Gant, who is not his friend. Set in 1999 for the very important reason of Franziska being born and also The Phantom Menace is in theaters. Yes, both are very important to this entry.  The elder von Karma sister is finally named because I couldn’t keep it a secret any longer: Adelaide. I was holding off until I finished a PWKM with her that’s been long on hiatus, but I grew impatient with myself.

@vonpharma, please enjoy the sillies.

     Damon Gant, Deputy Chief of the Los Angeles district police department, was a nuisance. This was obvious. Anyone who had shared a room’s oxygen with the man would most likely agree. At least, Manfred von Karma thought so.

If anything, a morning without being loudly greeted by the man ought to be considered a most welcome change. At least, Manfred von Karma used to think so. 

It wasn’t that Manfred was lonely. No, not at all. Even if his attempts at calling to check on the status of his wife and newborn second daughter were frequently shot down by the servants who answered the phone, he was not at all lonely! In fact, this morning, he listened to the conversation between a younger prosecutor and his bothersome defense attorney friend. It was beyond Manfred’s comprehension why such intermingling would even be desired in the first place, but he listened. 

He even bothered to remember the topic of the conversation, however dull it was, being the release of some ridiculous science fiction movie. The defense attorney had seen it already with his son and was inviting this prosecutor to see it with his family a second time. It was quite comical! Two grown men being so openly fond of their childish interests! Not to mention a father exposing his child to lowbrow, newfangled computer animation-aided drivel passed off as cinema these days, and twice at that! That was not at all anything Manfred would ever want to waste his valuable time doing.

Yes, his time was incredibly valuable. He already spent so much of it reviewing case files he had read and reread several times this morning, which was highly important; as was the time he set aside to enjoy a cup of tea served by his secretary, imagining the framed picture of his firstborn daughter on his desk was the girl’s actual presence savoring the moment with him. The lack of interruptions made the ongoing day perfect and not at all concerning once he considered the notable absence of a certain deputy police chief. 

He was especially not concerned once that absence was minimized into a mere tardiness, with a hacking cough from Gant replacing a typical, obnoxious greeting at Manfred’s office doorway.

“Manny!” Gant finally called out to him.

Somehow, this version of Gant calling out to him with a significant lack of familiar energy managed to bother Manfred even more than usual. 

“Damon Gant.” Manfred addressed him as he typically did, a subtle attempt at correcting Gant’s informality that never truly succeeded. Whether Gant continued using nicknames out of spite or simply because he could not get the hint was a mystery. “You’re late.” 

“Late?” Gant shook his head. “I’d say it’s more that you’re early!”

“It is nearly 2 o’clock in the afternoon.”  

“Early for a man I expected to have at the very least planned a trip back home!” Gant amended with a shrug.

“Why would I do that when there is still so much to be done here?” 

Gant perused through the collection of family pictures on the prosecutor’s desk, provoking a scowl from Manfred each time he left one out of its original place. 

“Because a little birdy told me you’ll be adding to this collection, soon enough!” 

Manfred furiously and meticulously placed each framed photo back into their original positions. Inconsiderate didn’t even begin to describe Gant’s carelessness, especially as he soon started coughing over Manfred’s head with what can hardly even be called an attempt to cover. 

“Yes, I am awaiting Adelaide’s school award ceremony pictures to be developed. She’s set a new record for her age group in how many accolades she’s won this year alone.”

“No, Manny! Your new family member!” Gant shot a disappointed look at Manfred. “For shame, not being present to see your own baby.” 

“Tell our family’s midwife who won’t let anyone besides a select few servants enter the entire east wing of the home.” Manfred responded glumly. “She’s far more overbearing than the one we had when Adelaide was born.”

“I see now!” Gant clapped his hands together. “You’re drowning those sorrows in your work, then! Typical Manny!” He let out his trademark jovial laughter, at least until that cough overtook him yet again.

“Would you please stop drowning me in whatever illness has you in its grasp? In fact, why not take leave for the day to avoid the risk of infecting everyone else?” 

“You worry too much, Manny! I’ve…” Gant stared into space mid-sentence. “I’ve taken a reasonable amount of medicine to lessen all those infectious symptoms.” Either he was lying, or neglected to realize that coughing all over another man’s desk was infectious in its own right. 

“Define ‘reasonable.’” 

“Of course!” The deputy police chief rummaged through his conveniently large suit pockets and pulled out a bottle of what Manfred recalled to be absolutely sickeningly syrupy blue-green liquid. Gant then went on rambling about how effective it was, before suddenly trailing off-topic into a tangent Manfred couldn’t bother to try understanding.

Manfred couldn’t help but notice the large letters advising how the medicine should be used: “TAKE BEFORE BED,” “DO NOT DRIVE OR OPERATE HEAVY MACHINERY,” and of course “FOR NIGHTTIME.”

Not only was Damon Gant a nuisance, but now Manfred was suspicious that Gant was unable to read. It was almost 2 o'clock in the afternoon and Gant had proudly announced what was either impatience or incompetence when it came to taking cold medicine.

Manfred was now presented with the choice of either taking matters into his own hand to prevent the disastrous results of allowing Gant to stay at the office and eventually drive himself home or allow said disastrous results to occur. 

“That’s it.” Manfred stood up and inhaled deeply. He may have just taken in thousands of germs in doing so, but his exasperation was too much to go without expressing. “I am escorting you home.” 

“Aw, you’re worried about me, Manny?” The way Gant cooed was all the confirmation Manfred needed that he was far too overmedicated to be either out and about or driving home.

“I shouldn’t be worried about you.” After all, Gant was merely another cog in the Los Angeles legal district machine. “But,” Manfred added quietly, “for some reason, I am.” 

Gant let himself fall over to be propped up by Manfred, who couldn’t tell if this was intentional or merely an effect of the nighttime medication. 

“You’re a good friend, Manny.” 

No, no. Manfred von Karma did not need friends. 

He did, however hard it was to admit, need Gant.