#Sept2022

[skepticalarrie]

hi! last year i'm not really updating on the fandom and i can't seem to find this on your blog. what's with the louis and harry and italy? they seem to be spotted there a lot and i think harry also have a house there or smth? is there something special about italy? sorry if you already explained it before.

Hi, dear. Yeah, it seems like they love Italy and don't like to waste any opportunities to be there together. I think this may have started in May 2019 when Harry went to Rome for Gucci and on the same day Louis showed up with Eleanor in Portofino for a pap walk and literally no other reason to be there.

It was so out of nowhere and such a big coincidence that even tabloids picked up and made crazy rumours about a 1D reunion. Pretty sure there is also a receipt from this time.

Harry went to Italy a lot of times, even during the pandemic, he they definitely has a house there. In June 2021 , when Harry finished shooting My Policeman in Venice (IIRC their last scenes were there) he stayed a few more weeks, precisely when Louis was MIA, which lead people to believe Louis also joined him and they spent a little time there together. Louis, of course, showed up with a beautiful tan and an Italian hat a few days later:

In September 2022, Harry went to Venice for the premiere of DWD the very same week Louis was there doing promo for the release of FITF. They were both incredibly busy at the time, so desperate times call for desperate measures, I guess. All the blue and green is just a plus. The following week they were both also in NYC (twice in the same week, yes), they had shows on the same night. So they obviously planned things around this and went from Italy to NYC together. The timeline is great

And lastly, Harry will be done with LOT 2023 in July, in Italy. Louis will bring AFHF to Italy just a few weeks after that and he's not back on tour within a couple more weeks. Since they're both on tour they're probably going to spend a while away from each other and already planned their little annual Italian vacation. So I will not be surprised if one of them is completely MIA during this time while the other is in Italy.

[ikoarts]

September 2022 Art

vvv dates + info under the cut vvv

1, 2, 3, 4 - 05/09/2022 : drawing Ru in various styles, somewhat x laika puppet style, cosgrove hall (esque) puppet style, ace attorney, then invader zim. I still have such a soft spot for the laika Ru, shes so cute... when will they make a film about her life...

5, 6 - 09/09/2022 : toni is a spectre ghost who taunts u. how spooky of her. also toni n ru but little shop hehe.. alhamdulillah toni will be eaten by a plant soon

7, 8, 9, 10 - 10/09/2022 : rip to queen liz. happy for u or soz that happened idc. caspian is my resident anglophobe (im litrally english). also moar rurus, ofc, i never stop drawing her, my autistic muse...

11, 12, 13 - 13/09/2022 : i held a OC tournament thing around this time which was good fun, so i did a couple doodles for that, Phoebe was sweeping the competition which was funny like yall got beaten by a fucking baby,, also wren being wren, he beat noah in the vote. also i drew a lemmy

14 - 15/09/2022 : my deltarune MTT AU!!!! one of my aus i get funny about coz i love it a lot and ive had it for ages like since the ch3 teasers dropped but theres way more popular and newer versions of the same concept....... forever stuck between not wanting to be a big artist at all but at the same time getting stuck on my ideas being overshadowed by similar ones by more popular artists.......... (no hate to them im just mental)

ANYWAY he rocks, i liked the idea of him goin crazy sicko mode and being the antagonist, or, secondary to a greater power, hehe.... only coz hes in a form way more affirming in the dark world, so REFUSES to give it up, u will pry his trans joy from his cold dead ghost hands

15 - 16/09/2022 : horse. she is horse

16 - 23/09/2022 : was thinkin of my koopa ocs again so did a super quick doodle of Vermillia (lemmy & iggy's mam x)

17, 18 - 30/09/2022 : first one i cant believe i never uploaded since its a polished digital piece?? anyway i saw a cool shirt and wanted to draw Ru in it, also a doodle of Alice bc i was redesigning her, way happier with this hairstyle on her

[stenoodie]

#throwback to that concerning day when my friend and I were rear-ended by another vehicle while stopped on a left-turn light 🚦. We were third or fourth in line. The light had just turned from red to green and the vehicles in front of us hadn't even started moving yet when the vehicle behind us slammed into us. The bumper sustained some damage but everyone was fine. Fortunately we were 10-15 minutes away from the birth hospital. Stayed to be monitored for 4 hours and had bloodwork done to make sure the fetus was okay. #pleasestayalertwhendriving #thankgoodnessfordashcams #26weekspregnant #sept2022 (at Vaughan, Ontario) https://www.instagram.com/p/CmzWH0KOqni/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[yourartmatters-itswhatgotmehere]

and the saga continues !! "JUST GIRLS?!" (I hope Jack Wolfe NEVER stops re-acting Wylan's 'JUST GIRLS?' line because it means EVERYTHING to me as this line/scene/conversation changed my life in so many such profound ways <3)

first vid in the mixed above is 'Jack sharing what would be Wylan’s cheesiest pick-up line at Magiccon' "He's got a very good one with 'JUST GIRLS?' I think it's pretty good." :https://www.instagram.com/p/DCv80M-IrFP/ (October 2024)

second is of course a clip from 'Shadow and Bone's Crows Answer Their Characters' Most Searched Questions | Netflix' interview when Jack decided that he and Kit should act THE SCENE for us. :https://youtu.be/iwCYQ8rEtnk (March3rd, 2023)

DON'T YOU JUST LOVE JACK WOLFE GOING 'JUST GIRLS?' as WYLAN??

i hope it's a NEVER ENDING SAGA!!

BELOW some WESPER / JACK/ KIT/ SAB important posts/links!! (LOTS OF CONTENT. FEEL FREE TO SAVE/SEE <3)

-he fell first, he fell harder :https://yourartmatters-itswhatgotmehere.tumblr.com/post/711788484640260096/yourartmatters-itswhatgotmehere-yes

-WESPER INVENTED ROMANCE :https://yourartmatters-itswhatgotmehere.tumblr.com/post/698065920612024320/this-247-daily-reminder-that-wylans-first

-the HOTTEST couple in Ketterdam :https://yourartmatters-itswhatgotmehere.tumblr.com/post/712874353105223680/the-hottest-couple-in-ketterdam

-Kit & Jack supporting each other:https://yourartmatters-itswhatgotmehere.tumblr.com/post/711689404693037056/our-wesper

-Kit and Jack talking abt what they would say to Jesper and Wylan:https://yourartmatters-itswhatgotmehere.tumblr.com/post/694089389183303680/kit-and-jack-talking-abt-what-they-would-say-to

-'Into the Fold' gets me every time :https://yourartmatters-itswhatgotmehere.tumblr.com/post/694088959368757248/into-the-fold-gets-me-every-time

-Netflix Geeked was so real for THIS back in Sept2022:https://yourartmatters-itswhatgotmehere.tumblr.com/post/696703126195077120/netflixgeeked-youre-so-real-for-this

-so IMPORTANT to have Jack as Wylan :https://yourartmatters-itswhatgotmehere.tumblr.com/post/711682705248632832/hes-the-only-one-for-wylan-forever-jackwolfe &https://yourartmatters-itswhatgotmehere.tumblr.com/post/711573475348922368/httpstwittercomthisisgsage23status1634830806

-FAV 2023 TV character in one gif only and no need to explain:https://yourartmatters-itswhatgotmehere.tumblr.com/post/705676416907411456/this-is-my-favorite-tv-2023-character-wylan

-Jack doing his 54 Below debut (3 shows) long post (so freaking proud of Them!) :https://yourartmatters-itswhatgotmehere.tumblr.com/post/766406564479451136/jack-wolfe-54-below-november-3rd-2024-so

-Jack singing 'I'M ALIVE' saves lives :https://yourartmatters-itswhatgotmehere.tumblr.com/post/725173229102202880/jack-wolfe-singing-im-alive-over-and-over-and

-Jack supporting Gaza :https://yourartmatters-itswhatgotmehere.tumblr.com/post/747367229560160256/more-of-why-having-jack-is-so-special-in-this

-Jack Wolfe as JACK FROST when? :https://yourartmatters-itswhatgotmehere.tumblr.com/post/697105686494085120/jack-wolfe-as-jack-frost-when

-WESPER and their most iconic tropes :https://yourartmatters-itswhatgotmehere.tumblr.com/post/703327362810511360

-THAT WESPER 2x08 deleted scene :https://yourartmatters-itswhatgotmehere.tumblr.com/post/713967118556807168/wesper-deleted-scene-from-2x08-that-pic-that &https://yourartmatters-itswhatgotmehere.tumblr.com/post/713058629692129280/so-netflix-brasil-on-twt-really-just-posted-it-and

-THIS 2x03 WESPER scene :https://yourartmatters-itswhatgotmehere.tumblr.com/post/734506144224198656/no-other-scene-in-any-freaking-tv-show-or-movie-or

-STILL can't believe Wylan and Jesper's names were on a Billboard :https://yourartmatters-itswhatgotmehere.tumblr.com/post/712576634080935936/this-is-real

-my FAVORITE cast S2 press interviewS :https://yourartmatters-itswhatgotmehere.tumblr.com/post/713786700952961024/yourartmatters-itswhatgotmehere-shadow-and &https://yourartmatters-itswhatgotmehere.tumblr.com/post/712746929769136129/the-crows-from-shadow-and-bone-read-thirst &https://yourartmatters-itswhatgotmehere.tumblr.com/post/712329101440155648/oh-my-this-is-my-favorite-vid-ever-i-love-them &https://yourartmatters-itswhatgotmehere.tumblr.com/post/712229553824727040/i-love-these-people-and-this-amazing-interview & (convention bts THAT Cal, Jessie, Jack vid :https://yourartmatters-itswhatgotmehere.tumblr.com/post/693989683373408256/one-of-the-many-many-many-reasons-why-i-love-this

-Kit & Jack doing 'JUST GIRLS?' scene :https://yourartmatters-itswhatgotmehere.tumblr.com/post/710789647961341952/im-never-moving-on-from-this-wesper-soc (+edit) :https://yourartmatters-itswhatgotmehere.tumblr.com/post/710950364533407744/this-wesper-edit-does-things-to-meeeee-11-days

-FAVORITE bi Jesper/ Kit posts :https://yourartmatters-itswhatgotmehere.tumblr.com/post/712321758880038912 &https://yourartmatters-itswhatgotmehere.tumblr.com/post/703327250886606848/yes-jes-our-bisexual-icon-post-here &https://yourartmatters-itswhatgotmehere.tumblr.com/post/714234769037246464/my-favorite-bisexual-icon-some-info &https://yourartmatters-itswhatgotmehere.tumblr.com/post/717358988522602496/this-photo

-GRISHAVERSE SHIPS EDITS long post :https://yourartmatters-itswhatgotmehere.tumblr.com/post/712406622424776704/grishaverse-ships-edits-tumblr-post-ill-keep

-THE CROWS- RASPUTIN edit :https://yourartmatters-itswhatgotmehere.tumblr.com/post/712326087475101696/a-fucking-masterpiece-the-crows-rasputin

-SAB- Shadow And Bone-This Is The Greatest Show EDIT :https://yourartmatters-itswhatgotmehere.tumblr.com/post/734406122811899904/23

-i love this cast so much :https://yourartmatters-itswhatgotmehere.tumblr.com/post/712222719254691840/i-love-them-all-so-much

-Six Of Crows when it happens (GIFS) :https://yourartmatters-itswhatgotmehere.tumblr.com/post/737042937389662208

-SOC Spinoff SCRIPT :https://yourartmatters-itswhatgotmehere.tumblr.com/post/735349444702355456/thoughts-after-nov-162023-click-on-the-pics

-5/6 crows pictures-wearing THE iconic crows' names t-shirt (yes, we're still waiting for Amita you all) :https://yourartmatters-itswhatgotmehere.tumblr.com/post/687376537779044352/update-waiting-for-only-one-more-now

+

.

[jumpneoshoots]

Austria - somewhere above Stans

Sept2022

[foxsoulcourt]

Women Talking

For a VaRiEtY of reasons last week I went down some rabbit holes around this movie + the principals involved.

Navigating this experience illuminated how I want to stretch + grow in terms of exercising leadership, no matter my role within a group or community. I stand in wonder learning a bit about how DeDe Gardner, Sarah Polley + Frances McDormand collaborate. Their vision of how movies can create conversations to help shift important social dynamics INSPIRES ME.

If you are similarly interested, here's some links you might enjoy.

update 3/12/23 8:00pm SARAH POLLEY JUST WON THE ACADEMY AWARD FOR BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY!!! Watch her JoYfuLLy run up to give her iNsiGhTfuL acceptance speech here.

Back in Sept2022 at TIFF2022 (25 min) this L o V e L y small group convo happened. Among other bits, LOVED moderator Sonia Lawrence's summary statement that what she takes from the film into her life is not the community's lack of judgment, but their presence of care.

Here's Frances at MVFF (54 min) - where she read some bits from Sarah Polley's brave book Run Towards The Danger; spoke about the magnificient collaboration between Polley (screenwriter + director), producer Dede Gardner + herself; and described the impact of Polley's way of exercising leadership on others. Watching this video is the first time I've seriously considered using the descriptor 'matriarchal leadership style.' Loved this bit (which is mostly a direct quote), "Movies are not answers, but they are propaganda + conversation starters... we're actively screening at colleges + universities... using the moving to talk about the future, not about the horrible present, but the future + try to radicalise the conversation more. "

Claire Foy in a convo moderated by Kate Erbland (28 min) - about how Foy landed as Salome, what it was like to work with Polley as a director, and more. At 14:05 min there's a sweet bit about the experience of acting with Ben Whishaw + his role in the movie.

NYFF60 (19 min) - Eugene Hernandez does an admirable job getting each person to reflect on the movie within this relatively short panel conversation.

In February Polley + Ben, and then Buckley + Foy were on London Live (9:25 min). L O V E D how about 3/4 of the way through Buckley gently pushes back on interviewer's assumption that the women character's lives were foreign to the actors playing them. They're not, she said, not at all. What WAS foreign + welcome was the ability for a group of women to have an extended conversation about a complex issue and then to make a decision which will have an impact on the rest of their lives. D A M N, if that isn't sobering!

I didn't know August Winter before watching these interviews, so found this Autostraddle interview w/cast member August Winter about the movie + navigating the industry as a non-binary actor + this video. I appreciate hearing from them directly about their character Melvin who is a trans man + learning why silence is such a significant part of their character's behaviour.

Lastly, reading some of Polley's IG posts reminds me that the people I admire most know their worth, yet a l w a y s shine a light on those around them. After listening + watching Polley today, I am even.more.encouraged to do the same. Currently the latter is easier than the former. #work in progress

[marilldraws]

IkeRanulf doodles from sept2022 and Jan2023 respectively

[nopoodles]

WIP Files Game

How To? Post the names of all the files in your work in progress folder, regardless of how non-descript or ridiculous. Let people send you an ask with the title that most intrigues them, and then post a little snippet or tell them something about it. And tag as many people as you have WIPs

Tagged by the super cool @acertainmoshke

So, i don't technically have a WIPs folder. Each project gets its own folder titled with either the MC's name or the actual book title so I'll just grab an assortment (and put their respective folder in brackets).

wth 09032023 (Wth)

genderqueer and Half Dragon (dragons)

UTSO (ipa)

merry reharshed again! Autosaved (Merry)

MAFTH d3 (Merry 2)

mafth sept2022 b + b edits input (Merry 2)

ntk1 ([Title redacted])

I do have a bunch of others in my scrivener files but, I'll be honest, they're all just the proper titles

Oh shoot, now I have to tag 7 people, and find a way to send an ask without outing my personal blog name (I'm not hiding it, I've just put a little wall there). @mariahwritesstuff @nikk-named-writer @avrablake @oh-no-another-idea @koiwrites I am out of blogs that have tagged me in the last 2 months. I'll leave the tag open too

[darkmaga-returns]

Following a detailed analysis of the study, the McCullough Foundation confirms that those who received two doses of the shots have lost 37% of their life expectancy.

Allan MacRae

Oct 21, 2024

As I previously posted on 25Sept2024: https://allanmacrae.substack.com/p/on-8jan2021-i-wrote-all-alberta-mlas

The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has made the shocking admission that Covid mRNA vaccines reduce every vaccinated person’s lifespan by a staggering 24 years.

I have advocated voluntary treatment of the Covid-19-vaxxed since Sept2022. - Allan MacRae

Study Exposes Massive Life Expectancy Plunge for Covid-Vaxxed

Frank Bergman October 20, 2024

A major peer-reviewed study has revealed that people who received Covid mRNA “vaccines” have significantly reduced their life expectancy.

The explosive study was conducted by a team of leading Italian researchers led by Professor Marco Alessandria of the University of Turin.

The bombshell findings of Prof. Alessandria and his team were published in the renowned Swiss medical journal MDPI.

The study has sent shockwaves through the scientific community and further confirmed warnings from leading experts about the long-term impact of the Covid mRNA injections.

The researchers found that the Covid-vaxxed suffered a “statistically significant” loss of life expectancy after two or more doses.

Following a detailed analysis of the study, the McCullough Foundation confirms that those who received two doses of the shots have lost 37% of their life expectancy.

[gggoldfinch]

sometimes I wonder how much better off I’d be if Sept2022-Jan2024 just. hadn’t happened lmfao

[health-care-everything]

Healthcare Everything’s latest edition “10 Most Trusted Healthcare Consulting Firms” have shortlisted a few healthcare consulting firms that are pivotal in driving positive change and innovation within the healthcare industry.

[marichulambino]

For class members, Law on Mass Media 1st Sem AY2022-23, Sept2022-Jan2023, Urgent NOTICE emailed twice

For class members, Law on Mass Media 1st Sem AY2022-23, Sept2022-Jan2023, Urgent NOTICE emailed twice

For class members, Law on Mass Media 1st Sem AY2022-23, Sept2022-Jan2023, Urgent NOTICE emailed twice… in case you never open your emails po : Everyone made a presentation, and let me congratulate everyone for this. HOWEVER, there must have been an oversight somewhere because the following class members with the following pseudonyms have no record of submission of the SECOND WRITTEN CASE…

[boxspring]

sept2022

[stenoodie]

#throwback to the best server and service at Markham Station (Richmond Hill location). We were also impressed with the portion sizes and food taste 🥪🍳🧀🍦. It's much better than the Scarborough location. The birthday song from all the staff and candle on the ice cream for the toddler was so appreciated as well 🍨🕯🎉! #clubsandwich #chickenquesadilla #alldaybreakfastclassic #macandcheesewedges #sept2022 (at Markham Station 24 Hours Restauranr) https://www.instagram.com/p/Cmy6w1VLg8n/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[multimilfs]

Melissa Schemmenti x Fem!Reader: Melissa's No Good, Very Bad Cover-Up

Summary: 5 times Melissa Schemmenti tries to pretend she doesn't feel anything +1 time she stops pretending.

AO3

A/N: So I watched Abbott Elementary and fell in love with (1) South Philly redhead. She is everything. I was very surprised at the lack of x reader fics for her and well, I had to fix it myself.

If this is not your cup of tea, please don't read! Thank you!

Tag List: @ghostsunderstoodmysoul @multifandomfix @escapetodreamworld

Warning(s): None

If someone asks Melissa Schemmenti how she feels about the new teacher, she’ll tell them she doesn’t feel anything about her. 

Mistake number one? Never ask Melissa Schemmenti about feelings. Mistake number two? She looks at the new girl a little too much and too fondly to ‘feel nothing.’ That’s a problem with Melissa, her stories are always a little off; any cover-up is. 

And this cover-up, well… Melissa had done better covering for her Aunt at 15 years old. 

1

“I have a problem.” Janine announces, walking into the Teacher’s Lounge with the camera crew at her heels. 

Without looking up from the papers, Melissa nods, “Your self awareness is improving.” 

Janine makes a point to ignore the comment, as well as the grins both you and Barbara try to hide. Dropping unceremoniously into a chair–one of the wobbly ones, the imbalance almost sending her to the floor–she sighs. She doesn’t wait for Melissa to look before starting on her point. Though true to fashion, Melissa pays attention anyway. 

“Sayed’s parents still haven’t paid the overdue balance on his lunch account. I’ve tried calling, sending notes home, nothing! And I’m running low on cash.” 

Barbara offers up a sad smile, “His Grandmother was in the early stages of memory loss when I had him in my class. I can’t imagine she’s improved much, and his Mother is entirely out of the picture.” 

“How did you handle it?” 

“It was the first year we had extra funds. I kept some snacks in my desk; it wasn’t much, but he wasn’t going hungry.” 

Nodding, Janine still looks distraught, and you know all too well where that leads. You dig through your bag and pull out a foil-wrapped sandwich. You hold it out. 

“Make sure he’s not allergic and offer him half of this,” You smile, “keep the other half for yourself. I know you didn’t bring anything.” 

You ignore all of the questioning looks from the group–namely Melissa’s stare burning holes in your head–and keep smiling. It was rare you said much during lunch, preferring the company of some big over-the-ear headphones and a choice playlist. 

“What about you?” 

“It was an extra I was saving for dinner, I’ll just cook instead.” 

She looks between you and the foil package. Eventually she nods. Her eyes are a little glassy as she looks back at you and for an instant, you wonder if you’ve done something wrong. The smile on her lips is enough to set your fears to rest. 

“Thank you.” Janine says genuinely. 

Waving off the thanks, you pull out a familiar case from your bag and unfold your big headphones, sliding them over your ears. Relief washes over you as the rest of the room is blocked out by the playlist of your choosing. Your chest feels full with the knowledge that you did something nice–something good–even as you know you won’t have the energy to cook tonight. 

The room misses the way Melissa’s mouth turns up in a fond smile as they go back to their own meals. The camera’s don’t, though. 

— 

2

It’s a Tuesday when Melissa ventures past your classroom with her own kids in tow. The silence makes her glance in and stop, eyebrows raising. The room is full. With a quick glance to her watch and a hand up to make her class wait, she tiptoes in. 

Your students look up and you follow suit after a few moments. The surprise on your face must show as the redhead grins. Whispers start breaking through the room and you put a finger to your lips, squashing it just as quickly as it started. 

Melissa crouches next to your desk and you make eye contact briefly, “How do you get them so quiet? I can never keep mine quiet before lunch.” 

“We always have quiet time, so they’re used to it,” You whisper back, “It lets them color or read without having to meet some kind of requirement.” 

“And you?” 

“It’s… nice to be free of the noise for a few minutes.” 

She wears a knowing smile on her lips and you wonder how she seems to read you so easily. It must be a South Philly trait, you decide. That’s what Barbara and Janine always tell you; Melissa is so different, so resourceful, because of her upbringing. You don’t think they’d lie to you. 

“Might have to try this quiet time thing myself.” 

You think you sense some approval there. Looking at her, you’re shocked to see how she’s staring back; you’ve only ever seen her look at Barbara so… sweetly. It drops away pretty fast though and she nods, standing back up and stalking out of the room without a word. 

Attempting to savor the last few minutes to read your book, you try, and fail, to ignore the feeling of doing something wrong. Melissa smiling at you felt so nice, like she approved, like she liked you. But you weren’t Janine, Barbara, or even Jacob. 

Maybe… you could be. 

—

3 

Parent-Teacher conferences, you decide, are awful. 

Not because you’re expected to interact with strangers outside of your scheduled work hours—though that puts a wrinkle in your demeanor—but because all it turned out to be was several hours of waiting, for nothing. Energy drains from you the longer you sit, glancing up at every bump hoping for a little change; if you’re going to use your reserves, you’d rather it prove productive.

Your stomach growls and you’re made acutely aware of the last time you had something. Lunch was a cheesesteak from the corner store and a bag of chips, both of which you scarfed down without a thought of saving any for later. You could kick yourself for it now. The corner store is closed and your energy is gone, which means sleep for dinner. 

Mood soured, you still force a smile everytime you think footsteps come near your door. Just because you’re feeling down doesn’t mean you can’t do your job. It’s a relief that years of practicing a toothy, winning smile haven’t let you down yet. 

Time passes and you flip through pages of your book unbothered. Out of habit, you glance to the doorway and jump when you find it occupied. A familiar redhead is leaning against the door and watching with a blank expression. Your heart drops as you throw your book down, perfect smile forgotten as you fumble for composure. 

“Melissa,” You say, withering internally at how your voice wavers, “How long have you been standing there?” 

She says nothing and the few moments feel like an eternity. Her green-eyed stare feels like it's cutting through you, breaking you down to small little pieces—can she see how frazzled you feel? The way she leans, arms crossed over her chest reveals nothing. 

“Have you eaten?” Melissa asks, your question ignored. 

You want to lie and end this conversation as quickly as possible, but dishonesty makes your skin crawl, “Not since lunch.” 

Melissa lets out a noise that you can’t interpret. She cranes her neck to glance at the clock on your wall, red hair shielding part of her face. Your sudden realization of how beautiful she is only adds to your overwhelm. 

When she turns back to you, all you can think about is how her hair frames her face, and it infuriates you; you’re at work and she is your colleague, why on earth should it matter? Why are you so distracted all of a sudden? You’re all too glad to blame it on hunger. 

“Come on, I’ve got some Lasagna from home you can have.”  

“But, conferences don’t end until–” 

“I know when conferences end. Are you coming or not?”

You hesitate and stand. The action earns you an approving nod and she walks out of the room, expecting you to follow behind, which you do; feeling a little too much like one of her students trailing at her heels. 

“Did you have any parents show up?” You ask somewhere between your room and her’s. 

“One or two,” She nods, “They came early, so it’s been me and my thoughts for a while.” 

“I haven’t had any parents show tonight.” 

“That’s usually a good thing. Some parents don’t have time for these things, but the ones who do only come if there’s a problem. Consider it a compliment.” 

“A compliment that I sat around for hours doing nothing?” You raise an eyebrow. 

“If that’s how you want to see it, sure.” 

You look around her room and smile at the art on the walls, scribbled pictures that she clearly values. If you were being honest with yourself, you hadn’t expected Melissa to care about her job like she does; she had too similar a demeanor to your teachers back in school when they’d grown to despise their jobs. There had been a few pointers to her caring more than she let on, but they hadn’t fully hit you until now. 

Pointedly ignoring the camera crew in the corner, you sit down across from her. She’s rifling through her bag and pulling out a worn, stained tupperware container. The smell when she lifts the lid off is amazing, but the visual turns your stomach a little. You forgot how much went into lasagna. 

“Don’t tell me you came over here and you don’t like lasagna?” Melissa asks, squinting at you, “You got something against Italians?” 

“What? No,” Shaking your head, “Lasagna just has a lot in it. It can be overwhelming sometimes.” 

Melissa looks at you like she understands, like she sees you, and you freeze. Have you let on a little too much? Some teachers can be outdated in their views. It squeezes your heart that she might be one of them, but she says nothing. 

She holds out the tupperware and you can only stare at it. You aren’t sure you feel hungry anymore. Rolling her eyes and huffing, Melissa digs a forkful out of the container and holds it out. 

“Open up.” She commands, “This is your chance to prove you’re not anti-Italian.” 

Silence. 

Another sigh. 

“Come on, hon.” 

You lean forward and wrap your lips around the fork, eyes slipping closed. The taste and texture are perfect. You’d always wondered about Melissa’s cooking, but never had an occasion to try it, or the bravery to ask. 

“That’s… amazing.” You sigh out, smiling. 

The corner of her mouth turns up in the beginnings of a smile, “Good. Then take the rest, ‘cause I’m not feedin’ ya.” 

Obedience is a strong suit of yours when Melissa is involved, it seems; you take the meal from her eagerly. The two of you settle into silence as you eat and she grades and for once you don’t mind letting the quiet stretch between you. It’s… nice, you decide, but only with Melissa. And probably only this once. 

You try not to think too hard about why that bothers you. 

—

4

“You’re getting awfully close to the new teacher.” Barbara notes, watching the students all line up outside. 

“I’m not sure what you mean.” 

The look Barbara offers is one that says ‘oh really?’ and Melissa does her best to brush it off. She’s being nice to you, that’s all, you aren’t growing close—she doesn’t do close, not since her divorce. 

Her story will be the same as long as she can manage it; she isn’t fond of you, you aren’t growing close, and she definitely doesn’t search for you in a room. You can’t pry the information from her lips.

But Barbara only grins slyly and shakes her head when you appear around the corner and Melissa lights up. Her eyes brighten, a soft smile forming, and she walks to meet you instead of making you come to her. 

Your smile is shy when you see Melissa, but you can’t help but light up yourself. The South Philly woman has a way of making that happen. She walks to your side and strikes up a conversation like it's nothing, her shoulder bumping yours as you walk side by side towards the door. 

Barbara laughs under her breath, looking knowingly into the camera. 

—

5 

Your chair being empty when Melissa enters the teacher’s lounge sets off warning bells in her head. She can count how many times you’ve walked in after her on one hand. Ignoring the knowing glances from her colleagues, she can’t help but keep staring at your empty chair. Another five minutes and she’s up; following any sign of you like a bloodhound. 

Curious stares follow after her, but she’s too preoccupied to care. The hallways are empty with the kids at lunch and she makes a beeline for your classroom. Darkness covers your room in a blanket and she wonders where else you could have gone off to, only to find her attention caught by a flicker of light somewhere inside. 

Slipping the door open loud enough to be heard, Melissa hears noise coming from behind your desk. Her chest deflates as she lets out the breath she’d been holding. 

“Knock, knock,” The redhead says softly, drawing your eyes to her. 

As much as you’d like to, you can’t force your voice to work, only offering a smile. It surprises you when she crouches down and settles at your side. It surprises you even more when Melissa pushes a piece of hair behind your ear to see your face. 

Hiding the puffiness around your eyes is impossible despite the low light. It’s why you’d confined yourself to your classroom, you wouldn’t have to draw attention to it. You hadn’t expected anyone to come looking. 

“What’s going on, Hon?” 

You want to shake your head, push away the worry etched into her face, but you can’t; not when she decided to miss lunch and seek you out, not when she’s looking at you like she is. It takes a few tries before you can speak around the lump in your throat. 

“Today has just been… a lot.” You say lamely. 

“I’ve never seen you like this. You need me to handle someone?” 

Seriousness is plain on her face and you know she would given the chance. You wonder what lengths Melissa would go to, has gone to; and though it may be awful, you don’t care. It touches you to feel included. 

When you shake your head, her hand settles on top of yours. Your face feels warm. 

“There was a combination of little things but this,” You pull your headphones from your bag, clearly broken in half, “Took the cake.” 

“How the hell did that happen?” 

“I let Bria borrow them since she seemed overstimulated, but the other kids wanted a turn. I looked up and they were in two pieces.” 

It shouldn’t upset you the way it does; it’s just a pair of headphones, you know that, but really it’s so much more. Working at Abbott was your passion and yet, the conditions of the school often left you without any control over your situation, and everything could be so much sometimes. The headphones were a small way to establish control… or had been. 

Melissa is up and jogging out of the room before you can blink, throwing a ‘wait here!’ behind her. So you do, watching the doorway for her shadow. She returns a few minutes later with something held behind her back and a small smile on her lips. 

“Close your eyes.” She says. 

“Melissa–” 

“I’m not going to wait forever, just close ‘em.” 

You make a show of sighing, but do as she says. Footsteps shuffle to your side and then the sound is muffled as something is placed over your ears. Reaching up and touching the headphones, you open your eyes, offering a watery smile. 

“They’re nothing special, just a set from the days we had a computer lab, but they’ll do until we can get something better.” Melissa says, fixing your hair around the headphones, “They feel okay?” 

“Yeah, they’re perfect.” You’re perfect, you want to say, the warm light from the hall surrounding her in a halo. Her grin is cast in shadow, but still the most radiant thing you’ve ever seen. 

Melissa’s hands settle on your face, fingers running over the apples of your cheeks. The action only serves to make you smile wider. One hand moves back to a strand of your hair while a thumb rubs circles over your skin. She’s much closer than you realized and you wonder how inappropriate it’d be to kiss her right now. 

The bell cuts through the possibility. 

She doesn’t pull back or let her hand drop away, but her smile drops and she’s back to no-nonsense Ms. Schemmenti. You miss her smile already. With one last stroke on your cheek, she releases you, leaving you feeling cold. 

“Take good care of those.” 

—

+1

You never expected late nights as a first grade teacher. Had you taught high school, maybe then you’d have prepared; what you failed to plan for was how in-depth lessons had to be for a first grade class. 

Sometimes the kids just didn’t understand what they were being taught and that you prepared for. It didn’t bother you to take some extra time from a lesson to further explain, that was your job, and you were happy to do it. It didn’t account for the way you’d have to slice out different lessons or cut into your grading time, leading you to late nights like this one. 

The clock hit six and a knock on your door drew your attention away. Melissa was leaning in, red hair pulled back in a messy ponytail, offering you a tired smile. Your chest filled with warmth at seeing her. 

“Late night for you too?” You ask. 

She nods and crosses to stand in front of your desk, “What are you doing here so late?” 

“The lessons went long today, so it cut into a few things. I’m reworking it all for tomorrow’s lesson.” 

Melissa’s hands come to rest on the edge of your desk as she leans against it. You make a concentrated effort to keep your eyes on her face. Her hand is reaching out to rub at something on your face and you offer up a questioning glance, but find yourself distracted. 

Her lips are parted in concentration as she continues to rub at something you don’t know about. It gives you a minute to just admire her. Everything about her melts you. She’s strong and tough on the outside, but with a soft heart inside, and you wonder how many people really see her as she is; how many people got caught on the no-nonsense demeanor without looking beyond it. 

At some point during your musings, she stopped moving. Her hand stays holding your chin, thumb running back and forth near your lips. You meet her eyes and find them locked on you. 

“Kiss me,” You blurt without thinking. Her eyes go wide and yours do too, mortification going through you, “I’m so sorry, I just–I meant–” 

You’re cut off when her hand slides to the back of your neck and she pulls your lips to her’s. For a brief moment you freeze, shocked that it’s really happening. How many times had you thought about kissing her like this? How many times had the two of you leaned so close, only to pull away at the last second? 

When you sink into the kiss, it fills your chest to the brim. Melissa is a soft kisser to your surprise. You’d always imagined she’d be more demanding; she was a woman who knew what she wanted, after all. But she’s careful–slow–like she’s savoring it. 

“You’re—wow.” You breathe out when she pulls back. She laughs then, lipstick smudged attractively around her mouth.

“Let me buy you dinner.” Melissa says, near-whispering with how close the two of you still are. 

“Are you asking me on a date, Ms. Schemmenti?” 

“Get your things,” She ignores your teasing, “I’ll wait outside.” 

When she turns away from you, Melissa can’t help the soft, giddy smile on her lips. 

So much for not feeling anything. 

[l1ng]

initial D!