#and i do not want my first on-campus experience to be a really boring and anxiety-inducing experience i cannot escape

[mikumoroll]

a win for the agoraphobics... group orientation/advising sessions are only conducted in-person at my college now (they need to update their automated emails + forms to indicate virtual sessions are not operating anymore) so i was sent to contact the DEAN of advising on my campus and she forwarded my info to an advisor that will conduct a session over zoom with just me... aka, i WIN, because group orientations are the worst thing on earth.

[leejungchans]

svt as the types of people you meet in college? it can be totally up to your interpretation of them hehe and they don't have to fit into certain college stereotypes!!!

OH i love this!!!!!! (based on my own experiences mixed with some cliches/aus/imaginings 🫶🏻) sorry this took a while to get to btw 🥲

seungcheol: the senior who manned one of the booths at your freshman orientation. did you join his club bc he was ridiculously attractive and made small talk with you? no comment. you follow each other on instagram but that’s probably about it <//3 definitely a campus crush that feels very unattainable but it doesn’t stop you from imagining what he’d be like as your a boyfriend

jeonghan: you walked past him once, and pretended you heard someone behind you calling your name just so you had an excuse to do a double-take. people this pretty existed?? and at your college/uni?? you told all your friends about him and after some snooping you managed to find his instagram. please just send that follower request, you have nothing to lose <3

joshua: i can totally see him being a student advisor omg!! so so so sweet, actually checks in on you often and is genuinely interested in knowing how things are going for you :’) does his best to give good advice, but as you became closer friends you became more familiar with his sense of humour and his advice got increasingly……interesting 😭 “your prof said what? next time trip him in the hallway!” “joshua nO” don’t do that

jun: sat in front of you in one of your courses last year, fell asleep during the lecture almost every single week. his friends gave up on keeping him awake halfway through the semester. you became friends after being randomly assigned to the same group for project and now you’re the friend who has to keep him awake during classes. he’s so cool though, and very witty and funny <3

soonyoung: even if you don’t know him personally, you always run into him on campus. grabbing a coffee at the cafe, goofing off with his friends in the quad, dozing off in the library…he’s friendly with everyone, even the grumpiest professors. you want to be his friend so bad, he just seems so fun to be around. also the only person you know who wears tiger print but he pulls it off!!

wonwoo: you have a class with him and he always sits in the back. so quiet and shy, barely talks to anyone but he’s really cute so you noticed him regardless. you got paired up for a discussion and found out how smart and well-spoken he was, and you guess he vibed with you too bc since then he started saving you a seat :’)) occasionally plays games on his laptop when the lecture gets boring, and angles the screen more towards you so you can watch <3

jihoon: a friend of a friend. you’ve never met but jun tells you so much about him, so it almost feels like you know him too. you follow him on instagram and occasionally he’ll post covers of him singing while playing the guitar. you offhandedly mentioned to jun that his voice is so pretty and soothing and much to your embarrassment he tells jihoon 😭 but it’s okay bc he’s setting up a hangout to officially introduce you both to each other!!

seokmin: the friend we wish we all had. you met on your very first day of college/uni when you had the same class. he initiated convo with you and was so sweet and friendly even though you could tell he was extremely nervous himself, protect him omg 💔 one of your closest friends to this day even if you don’t have the same majors. you enrol in random electives together and those lectures are always your favourite bc you sit in the back and goof off, just try not to get shushed too much <33

mingyu: spilled coffee on your shoes at the starbucks on campus 🙁 it’s not his fault it was really crowded and someone bumped into him causing him to bump into you!! also, he looked very guilty about it so you couldn’t find it in you to be mad. he pays for your coffee as an apology. he recognises you when you stand behind him in line two weeks later and jokes that he won’t spill anything on you this time. you became friends and now you understand why his close friends (affectionately) bully him so much bc he’s just a puppy trapped in a 6ft man’s body 🤧

minghao: literally the main character. he doesn’t walk, he struts and it works for him. so effortlessly cool and attractive. a huge motivating factor for showing up to that class is getting to see what his outfit for that day is. one time you mustered up the courage to compliment his shirt, and your heart swelled at how his face lit up immediately :’)

seungkwan: if you hear the sound of ice being shaken around in a plastic cup mid-lecture, 9 times out of 10 that’s him. he’s an iced coffee girlie he’s just like me. you became friends after he sincerely complimented you on how well you did in your midterm presentation 🤧 the sweetest most caring person ever, but he shows his affection by (playfully) judging you while sipping his iced americanos <3

vernon: took the seat across from you in the library one day while you were cramming for a test. has the coolest stickers on his headphones. you aren’t sure if he actually got any work done bc he seemed really into the music he was listening to. you accidentally made eye contact and he gave you a dorky little smile <3 you exchanged contacts the second time you happened upon each other at that very same table and he showed you a pic of his cat hehe

chan: this is sooooo self-indulgent bc i’ve had these thoughts for the longest time……he’s such a loser (affectionate) omg………..he sat next to you for a quiz and realised he didn’t have a pen 😭 blushed so hard when you offered to lend him a spare one before profusely thanking you. forgets to return it………..you thought you lost that pen for good but when he walked into class the next week, his eyes desperately searched the room looking for you, and with an sheepish smile he returned your pen along with a candy bar as an apology for forgetting…….he’s so cute i hate him so much🧎🏻‍♀️

a/n: many feelings about college bf!wonwoo and chan…….

[ford-pines-lover]

Sweet Dreams

Here is my prologue to the story!!

the summary: Ford and Celeste meet in college. Friends since first meeting. They travel to Gravity Falls together to study the anomalies there. Ford and Bill get too serious about the portal, Ford gets sucked away forever. Celeste has to learn how to live with Stan and try to get her fiancé back. Is that even remotely possible? What would be the cost? Would it be as dangerous as Ford always said it would be?

Prologue

College. A new beginning. Well. Kind of. I am sitting in the auditorium of a small school on the east coast. There’s creaky floorboards every time the speaker walks, the microphone is screechy every few words, and there is some less-than-motivational signage up. “Not your first choice!” and “We’re number two!” are the ones that stand out. The smell in this room is almost comforting in a way. It smells like an old library, but mustier. Not bad. 

Backupsmore University. The only school that wanted me (and a full ride) after I tried to get a full ride scholarship to Harvard or Berkeley, but my sob story wasn’t enough, clearly. Now I am stuck with people that don’t have the same aspirations as I do, but hey, there is at least one in a crowd that has big dreams. Not everyone here is here just for “the experience.”

I notice a boy in the crowd looking bored and restless. He was just like me. The boy had nice brown hair and glasses that made him look like a nerd. Well, I can’t say much; I also have glasses. 

“We’re number two!” The speaker ends his speech, and the freshmen are released to their respective areas. I sigh and attempt to hurry out of the auditorium, but I bump into someone. I stumble and regain my posture.

“Oh, um, I’m so sorry,” I say to the boy—oh, wait, it’s the boy I noticed in the auditorium. He stopped and looked at me, examining all my features before saying anything.

“No, no, you’re alright.” He smiled and kept walking. He had an intriguing energy about him that I couldn’t quite place. I watched as he walked down the hall, towards the library on this side of campus. Ah, so he is a nerd. It was so obvious. I chuckle to myself as I stride back to my dorm. I decided to room by myself. Something was telling me that I shouldn’t share my space with another student. They would be subject to my horrible sleep schedule and nightly romance reading. No, being serious, I just have bad study habits that I wouldn’t want to subject another person to. 

***

“The DNA of one organism is being split apart by helicase…” I mutter as I am jotting down notes for my Biology I class. I decided to study in the library today due to my wanting to explore the library. The amount of books is remarkable due to this being a school on the smaller side. 

I notice someone sitting on the other side of the library with a stack of books on quantum physics. Huh. Wait. No, that was the guy that I bumped into earlier. He looked so calm and focused on his subject. I wonder why he is at this school and not at some fancy science school. Well, perhaps people are thinking the same about me. Probably not, honestly. 

I get up to get another book and “accidentally” bump into him again. 

"Oh, whoops, so sorry,” I nervously chuckle. 

“No worries. It seems like we are seeing a lot of each other today.” The boy put his hand on the back of his neck.

“Yeah, no, it seems so.” I look up at him curiously. “I’m Celeste, by the way.” 

“Ford, Stanford Pines,” he smiles. We share a smile before he begins to speak again. “What are you studying?”

“Paranormal biology, you?”

“No way! I am working towards my PhD in the study of the paranormal.”

“That’s so cool! Would you want to be study partners? I don’t really have anyone else here.” 

“I don’t really either. My roommate seems like an interesting specimen, though.” 

“I’m sure. Everyone here at BMU is odd to say the least.” I think back to when we were being greeted at the door and there was a giant “BMU” mascot greeting us with some less-than-motivational words. “Why have more when you can settle for less?” The mascot would shout as we were walking in. It was a constant reminder that I could have been destined for more. There was something pulling me to greater things. 

“Oh, yeah, for sure.” Ford sighs and moves his books over. I took that as my cue to ask:

“Well, can I sit with you?”

Ford smiles, and I sit down next to him. His body language is tense, and he seems a bit sweaty. His mannerisms were very hesitant. He seemed to be hiding his hands. He was wearing a nice light blue button-down and some khakis. Ford seems too proper for this school, too... smart. 

“So…” I start, deciding I don’t want the awkward silence, “Why are you going to BMU? Clearly you’re worthy of more.”

Ford’s pupils shrank, and he gulped. Did I strike a nerve? Did I say something wrong? I start playing with my hair, occasionally pulling a strand out. 

“I-” Ford sighs and looks to the window. “Yeah, no, I know, it just didn’t work out that way, unfortunately.”

“Oh, I’m so sorry.” I try to comfort him, but I’m unsure of what to do. “I didn’t realize it was a sore subject.” 

He lightly smiles and goes back to studying. His notebook was full of equations and drawings. So was his textbook. Let’s hope he didn’t borrow that from the school; otherwise, he will have a field day. I chuckle to myself, going back to my biology 1 assignment. All of this is a review from my senior year biology class. My teacher was a professor before deciding she wanted to teach high school. She went super in depth, and right then I knew I needed to study biology. Everything about life and cells and the expansion of “what is life exactly?” was something I needed to be answered. That’s where the “paranormal/anamolous” studies came in. Our thoughts on “life” are too Earth-centric. What if life forms out there aren’t carbon-based? What if life forms don’t need oxygen to survive?

“You seem lost in thought, Celeste.” Ford speaks again, giving me a warm smile. 

“Yeah, I’m just thinking about how weird it is that I am a freshman in college,” Lies, “but you know life keeps moving.” I play with my hair, not really wanting to expand on the monotonous reason why I was lost in thought. I don’t want to bore him too quickly.

He chuckles, “I think about that all the time. One day I was the “King of New Jersey," and the next I’m sitting in a college library studying like hell for my PhD. Where did the time go?” 

We both simultaneously go back to our studies in silence and peace. 

A year passes by. I grow closer with Ford while still maintaining my studies. This college isn’t so bad. Just a couple more years.

Another two years pass. 

Knock knock

I know that signature knock. Ford always does two short knocks before entering my dorm. 

“Ah Celeste! There you are. I have some very exciting news to share with you!” Ford walks into my dorm with a winning smile. The light in his eyes could light a thousand rooms. “I just got granted 100,000 dollars to research! Isn’t that awesome?” 

I gasp and smile. “No way, Ford! That’s incredible!” I raise my hand to give him a high-five. Now that I think of it, I’ve never given him one. He hesitantly raises his hand and high-fives me. Or high-six? Why not a high-eleven? “So, whats next?”

He gives me a warm smile while also showing some nerves. “Celeste, you mean a lot to me as a research partner and as a friend. I bargained with the grant money people, and" Ford pulls out another 100,000 dollar check. “This is for you.”

I am dumbfounded. A check? For what? “I– Ford, what are you trying to say?”

“Would you want to join me in research of the unknown?”

I beam. “I would love to! Where would we go?”

His face lights up with excitement. “Well, I have been researching where the most anomalous things happen in the United States.” Ford reaches into his pocket to reveal a map with dots on it. Oddly enough, one dot is in my hometown. Interesting. “It’s all centralized in this one town in Roadkill County, Oregon. Gravity Falls.”

Sweet Dreams

here it is in ao3 for the ones that like to read it there :)

[fanficwriters-posts]

Hiro hamada x spiderman! Reader

Nobody knew reader was spiderman until reader swoops in, in their spidersuit, and saves the main 6 from a villian they couldn't beat. But ends up getting super hurt and having to take their mask off.

That sounds interesting and inspiring! 😃

Hiro Hamada x Spiderman!reader

It was like any other day in a normal human life. I got out of bed, take a quick shower, brush my teeth, pick out my clothes, put on the clothes, grab my necessary items for school and my homework, go downstairs, eat my breakfast my mother prepared for me, kiss my parents' cheeks before i leave to go to Hiro's place.

I do it every single day, it's just the same routine. Until one day...

There was a school field trip to this campus in New York City and mostly it was because Professor Granville didn't want any of us to slack off while she's away so she decided to bring us with her and make us learn about Alchemax with Doctor Octavius being our tour guide.

I got a little bored and was sidetracked with this spider that has a 42 number on its back. I was sorta staring for a few seconds until Doctor Octavius caught my attention away from it and lead us into another room. I didn't even realize the spider escaped its closure. Not did i felt it crawling up my pants and to my hand.

When Doctor Octavius introduced us to one of their latest inventions, i was amazed and wanted to take a picture. That's when i saw the spider. It bit me and i nearly drop my phone from shock. I grab it from the back of my hand and i put it on a table so no one will notice.

Hiro came over to me, i think he saw me when the spider bit my hand. He checked to see what was wrong and I just told him that my hands were just shaking from excitement. He found that amusing and grab my good hand to bring me back to the rest of the group.

Thankfully, that was the end of the tour and we all got home. Me? I was sweating the whole way back so i went straight to my home. A lot of things happened.

I ran really fast like i don't usually do, I can jump really high, i can hear almost everything that's going on, I can even stick to anything. Walls, metal poles, etc. But what made me so shocked is that i can shoot spiderwebs from my wrists. I found that out when i put down my backpack and try to reach for the bathroom.

I decided to experiment on myself and turns out, i have super-strength. I've seen these in the Spider-Man comic books and i didn't think it would happen to me, too. I was so psyched about it but... i didn't tell any of my friends. I was scared that they might report this to professor Granville and have me change back to normal.

But, i wanted to be a hero. Like those Big Hero 6 guys. So, i trained myself in this old, abandoned factory that i can use as my training arena. Of course, i had to put everything together first before i can start.

I've been training myself for 3 months just so i can do everything perfect. Somehow, in the process, i didn't realize that i got myself sorta fit and tough. I even cut my hair a little shorter.

Once i know i'm ready, i started designing my suit while watching the news about the Big Hero 6. Sometimes, i write down the villains and their powers in my notebook that i keep to myself.

And if you're wondering, what about school? Yes, i still go to school and everything went on smoothly. Though, sometimes they ask during the first week about why i'm so happy but i just tell them that the Alchemax field trip made a whole new perspective in my life.

I did everything i could to keep my secret from everyone and it works so well. And now, i'm a new superhero of San Fransokyo. (Hero name)! Heck yeah! I saved a bunch of people, get interviewed by the press, even got my own superhero action figure. Everything went smoothly on my side but with all the homework that started piling up, i couldn't keep up and let everything to the Big Hero 6.

I wasn't aware of what the villains were up to behind my back.

Present time

I'm in Hiro's lab doing my homework per usual but this time he wasn't here or Baymax. I called him and he said he had to help around in the cafe with Baymax before he gets here. I just said, "Take your time." And "Love you." Before we hung up.

When i set down my pen, a notification appear on the screen of my phone while i was watching (Favorite Cartoon Series) and i press it.

"This just in, a group of robot has attacked downtown and with Big Hero 6 on the job- Wait, sorry." The news reporter spoke before he press the earpiece he has on. "Oh! It looks like the Big Hero 6 are down. Take it away, Carol." The screen switches to another news reporter and she's in a helicopter.

"Thank you, Bluff Dunder." Carol said to the microphone in her hand. "It seems like our heroes have been outnumbered by unknown robots and can't seem to find a way out of the corner. Our former lovable mascot, Noodle Burger Boy have gathered robot mascots from all around fast food restaurants into villainy. If only (Hero name) was here to aid them in their battle."

I couldn't believe my ears and immediately i texted Hiro that i needed to get home because my parents called me and change into my spider suit. I grab my things and my clothes into my backpack before i swing out of the campus and drop off my bag at my bedroom window.

I head straight to downtown and... Oh yeah! I can go camouflage mode but right now is not the best time to use it because these are robots we're fighting. They might have heat-signature visions, but it wouldn't hurt to try it out. I landed on the rooftop above the Big Hero 6 and i went camouflage mode as i slowly crawl down the building over the heroes and robots.

"There's no way of escaping, heroes! Give it up!" Noodle Burger Boy exclaims with this girl robot beside him and Hyper-Potamus on the other. There were a few other robots i've never seen before.

"What do you want with us, Noodle Burger Boy?" The guy in purple ask the robot, standing in front of his team.

"The whereabouts of the new superhero, (Hero name)." Noodle Burger Boy replied before the robot girl beside him speak up, "She can be of use as our ally."

"What? No way! She will never side with you! She doesn't even side with us! Because we never ask." Another hero spoke but he's wearing a blue monster suit.

"Then tell us where she is. 'Cause we'll make her." Noodle Burger Boy tells them before the rest of the robots got into stances, ready to attack.

"That's my cue." I muttered before i un-camouflaged myself and jump down between them.

"You wanted to see me, Noodle Burger Boy?" I ask him, my voice high and mighty.

"Oh! There she is!" Noodle Burger Boy tells his group of robots, clapping with joy.

"(Hero name), what are you doing here?" The guy in purple asks me, walking up to me. I look back to him and stop him.

"Stay back. This is gonna get a little ugly... For me." I tell him, my voice slightly deepen.

I turn back to the evil robots and i shot my web at one of them, swinging them to the others before i leap up and attack the rest. They fought back and of course, a hero such as myself cannot take on this many but i try to.

I took the fight elsewhere so that no one would get hurt, using my spiderwebs to swing me and let them chase after me. I landed on a dock and turn around to face them. Finally realizing how many there are.

"Oh, boy." I whisper in shock. They're made out of metal, i should've thought this through.

"No where left to run, (Hero name)!" The girl robot exclaim with a menacing grin before she shoots multiple rockets at my way.

I gasped and dodged it as my spider sense went off. I thought i was save for a couple of minutes until the robot, which i think is Crushroom, punched me so hard that it send me into a side of a boat.

I groaned and got myself out before i stick my feet and hand on the wall of a building. "Okay, this is a bit unfair, don't you think? I mean, there's literally some of you but you're made out of metal and i'm made out of flesh, myself."

I hear the Big Hero 6 coming from my right and i look up. When my eyes landed on the guy in purple, i feel a bit of familiarity to him. Like i knew him from somewhere. Obviously, behind that orange glass shield he has black hair but his face... Somehow...

And it's not right to be deep in thought when you're being chased by a bunch of robots is not highly recommended. My spider sense went off but i didn't have time to react before i was shot off of the wall and fall to the ground. I fell! A great 6 ft from the building and i think i got scratches on my suit because i was not full conscious.

I got up from the ground and i pant heavily from the great impact. I look up to the rest of the robots and i use this advantage to shoot my spiderwebs at their faces to blind their sights. The Big Hero 6 took care of them as soon as they arrived and i had to leave the scene but my limbs were aching with pain. And they're killing me!

Don't blame me. This is my first time getting actually hurt during a mission.

I hear the big red robot land behind me and help me stand up. "Are you alright, (Hero name)?" The robot asks, his voice calming.

"Yeah. I put my guard down for a second and they just shoot me." I replied, holding my side. I look up to the rest of the team and i think a quarter of my mask was torn.

"What were you thinking taking those crazy robots on your own?! You could've died!" The big guy in green exclaimed at me with worry.

"Not to mention putting your life at risk just to save ours." A girl in pink with long blond hair spoke softly.

"Super cool! But dangerous. But SUPER AWESOME!" The guy in blue yell with excitement.

"You could've asked us to help you." The guy in purple steps up, his height same as mine but i was sorta bend down from the pain.

"Yeah. I just... You guys were already in trouble. I just wanted to give you guys a break." I tell them.

I grunt in pain as my side aches even more and i nearly fall forward but the guy in purple caught me before i hit the ground.

"My boyfriend will not like this at all." I muttered under my breath as i let him support me.

"Your body cannot take anymore muscle use and you have a cut on your face. In order for me to heal you, you must take off your mask." The giant red robot said before he approaches me.

My eyes widen and i hold out my hand. "No, no, no! The hospital is fine! You don't have to heal me." I say quickly, holding the guy in purple's shoulder.

"Oh, come on. You can hardly stand up by yourself, let alone swing back to the hospital." Said the girl in yellow.

I groan in defeat and look up to them. "I know where you can heal me, but, you have to promise to keep it a secret." I tell them.

All six of them agreed and took me to my training arena because i have first aid kit and a bed there. Not plain. I decorated them so that it doesn't look so bland.

The red robot lay me down on the bed while the others look around at the training place i build.

"You built this place yourself?" The girl in yellow asks, standing in front of one of my deadly obstacles.

"I like to challenge myself and make it a whole lot more interesting." I replied to her as the robot place a pillow behind my head.

"Huh." She muttered. "Awesome."

"Alright. Let's take off this mask of yours." The robot said. I sigh heavily.

"It's a big no-no. But from one hero to another, i guess." I say to him before i take off my mask and set it aside.

"(Name)?!"

I was startled by the sound of my name and i look up to the guy in purple with wide eyes. "Y-you know me?" I ask him nervously.

He walk towards me and take off his helmet. My eyes widen even more and i stare at him in shock. "Hiro?!" I exclaim in surprise.

The two of us stare at each other for a solid 5 minutes while the red robot heal the wounds on my body.

The rest of the BH6 came and take off their helmets which made my heart nearly jump out of my chest. I look at each of them before i look up to Hiro again.

"Wait, wait! You lied to me about help Aunt Cass?" I tell him, going to sit up but he held my shoulder and keep me down.

"Y-you lied to me about hanging out with this whole new group of friends when it turns out you were here! Training yourself!" Hiro said back.

I frown a little and look down to my lap. "I..." I sighed heavily and lay down on the bed. "I didn't want to tell you because i was afraid that you guys might tell Professor Granville and that she might take me back to Alchemax and make my powers disappear."

Hiro sit down on the edge of the bed beside me and he hold my hand. "So, this whole time you lied just so you can be a hero?"

"In my defense," I quickly said. "You guys inspired me to become one. I thought that with this power, i might be able to help but i just didn't have the guts to say anything, yet."

Hiro frown at that and he brush my hair out of my face. "And yet, here you are, laying on your bed with Baymax healing your wounds."

"I'm sorry for not telling you. For not telling any of you." I apologized, looking up to them with sincerity. "I know i'm supposed to trust you with this but..."

"Hey, don't worry about it, (Name). I mean, we hid all this from you. We should be the ones to apologize for not telling you that we're heroes." Honey Lemon speak up, walking towards me with a warm smile.

"We could've told you but someone didn't want to because he didn't want to risk your life." Fred steps in, looking at me with a smile.

I look up to Hiro from him and he just look away sheepishly with a blush across his face. I chuckled and i hold his hand. "Aww, really? That's so thoughtful of you!"

He smiled back as he turn his head back to me and he lean down and peck my forehead. "If any of them knew that you were connected to us, i wouldn't know what i would do if something happens to you, (Name)."

"You're my boyfriend, Hiro. You have all the right to be worried but you have to trust me with protecting myself. I can handle anything." I tell him to reassure him, my smile never falter.

Hiro chuckled and nod his head. "You're right. I should've told you and i should've listened to my friends, too."

"I told you she'd be cool about it." Fred tells them which made us all chuckle.

And let's just say that from now own, we tell each other everything and we help each other. I'm not part of the BH6 but i still help around. Hiro and i's relationship became stronger also mine with our friends.

With great power, come great responsibility. And that responsibility is protecting everyone i love and this city.

[mortalityplays]

Only tangentially related to today's ask discourse but I was thinking about this- do you have advice on pushing more out of your comfort zone ie media? I feel like its really easy to say you like or want stuff thats making you uncomfortable or is less palatable to wide audiences etc etc but I have trouble going out of my way to actually experience things like that over more popcorn you know

a good way to start if you're intimidated is to look for curated recommendations close to your cultural comfort zone (I'm focusing on US/UK lists here but you can look for recommendations from museums, libraries, and national award bodies just about anywhere in the world). e.g. the BFI Sight & Sound list or the National Film Registry (for movies), Booker Prize or National Book Award winners for literature

Don't feel like you have to watch/read everything all at once, it's fine to skim for something that sounds particularly up your street and start there. It's also fine to jump right into something intimidating and find out what all the fuss is about! the absolute worst case scenario is that you're bored or underwhelmed and can pick something else next time.

a lot of my film knowledge comes from when I was at university. I discovered that there was an A/V library and viewing room on campus that I could use for free l, so I just looked through the catalogue and started picking out things I'd never seen that sounded interesting. every day between classes I'd go, pick a title, and spend a couple of hours giving it a try. I watched Blade Runner for the first time in a darkened basement booth with headphones on, and The Cabinet of Dr Caligari, and Wild Strawberries, and Persepolis, and countless other weird and wonderful things. sometimes I picked something incredibly boring or something that annoyed me, but I always came away feeling good that I'd expanded my knowledge of what was out there.

once you do start finding new things you like, a whole other path opens up to you. you can dig deeper into the work of one writer or director or actor, look up interviews and find out who inspired them. if you loved a specific book, see if the author mentioned any direct influences, or if critics compared it to something else you might enjoy. you get to start building these maps in your head and getting a sense for where different things fit, and it becomes easier and easier to hunt for hidden treasures.

finally! if you can find a group of friends (or even just one person) who is interested in taking this journey with you, start a club. take turns to pick something you want to explore, share the journey, and discuss it as you go along. keep sight of your purpose, whether that's to broaden your horizons beyond your home culture, take on more challenging works, or just be better informed. take it a step at a time, and learn to enjoy the experience of exploration even when you don't like something. figuring out why we hated Lady Chatterley's Lover is some of the most fun I've had with our book club yet. introducing friends to The Left Hand of Darkness and getting hype about it with them was just as good. love the process and you'll change your life.

[virtualgirlafterdark]

It's been eight months since the process began.

Hard to recognize you now. Does anyone detect the flesh that trembles and aches underneath that frame? Not that it matters anymore.

I remember those early days. Bright faced and full of ambition, proudly strutting around campus. The long winded conferences and discussions on transhumanism. That passion in your eyes, I thought you were committed to something greater- Until I glanced the way you crossed your legs, squirmed as they showed the new developments.

I remember how you stared at the videos, watching the procedures- The way the implants bore into the marrow, the way the skin wept as each pin and screw tore into bone. How somber you would seem when gentler methods were proposed. Don't think it went unnoticed.

Eight months ago, you and your friends. Small group of stoners, burnouts, the odd postdoc. Late night drinking after labwork, the way your leg bounced as they announced their discoveries, we mused on our own ideas. You weren't as drunk as you pretended to be when you volunteered to be our subject.

Do you remember the first time? They say you never forget. We didn't have any anesthetic on hand, but you were so brave. Tried to play your ache as bravado, but the way you thrashed as we splayed apart those fingers. The little pool forming between your legs. A few RFID chips, a few wire inlays over your tendons- An experiment in artificially produced muscle memory. I knew before you got off that table that you wanted more. And I craved to give it to you.

Wasn't long before you came to us. What seemed to the rest of us like some fleeting stunt became a vocation. A laundry list of modifications, dozens of academic papers, speculative technologies, little-known materials and decade-old experimental surgeries. You'd been compiling this for a while. Tell me, reading those papers, did you get off then? It's almost sick, really.

Of course, we obliged. Garage skinweaving, drinking beer and passing blunts as we worked our way up your arm. A new interface now. This time aimed at generalized gesture control and interface with the bots your RFID chips were paired with. The spinal implants came next. The way you thrashed in the stirrups, arching as we flayed you. The little spurts dripping with each shot of the airgun, pushing the electrodes deep into your vertebra.

Bit by bit, your little project continued to escalate. I remember when they first started getting reservations. The way our eyes met every time you were on my table, how it was always *me* that you tried to grab- High as we often were, eventually it was transparent. You're not a good actor, little bot. I tried to preserve some of that modesty you'd forgotten, cover your little messes when and where I could. Besides, in the swirl of blood and bile, it would have been hard to detect your little indulgences.

It was Kari that left first. Do you remember her? She was your best friend. You'd talk for hours, known each other since childhood. Chose the same college. She still comes to visit sometimes. Pleading for you to remember. She always leaves in tears, and I always taunt her, saying that perhaps if she'd stayed things wouldn't have gone this far. She wants to avenge you so, so desperately, but it's all there on paper. Your signature, clear as day, forfeiting yourself as medical surplus. No longer a person, just a collection of spare parts and playthings, to be molded and shaped by inquisitive minds like your own.

I remember, winter break. We were having drinks when you shoved the phone in my face. Some new bipedal bot, clunky and barely humanoid.

"That."

"What?"

"I want- I want to be that. I want to be... her."

The tone at the table shifted. They looked at me, nervously, waiting to see my answer. Sheepishly sipping drinks, awkward laughter. Just another drunken fit. Your little stunts actually got Nathan clean. If nothing else, you served as a model of what happens to the intoxicated and ambitious. The distant stare you began to develop, datastreams and wave feeds jacked directly into your occipital. Tasting and hearing the sounds of people's lives, dreams, questions. Overstimulating, wasn't it? Shopping lists, vent posts, horny lewds, murder, live death, news, letters to fucking Santa- It was so cute watching you bump into things at first. The way you'd dribble a bit, staring off into space as the unseen world filled your new sensors.

I remember when I had to revoke your driving privileges. Driving behind a few smart cars, the way you began to breathe. Tailgating, chasing them like a dog before landing us in a ditch. Everyone was so shaken, but all I could do was laugh. You were so upset, but I sat with you until the truck came. The last straw for Nora, unfortunately. But not for me.

Every month, something new. Our little heaven, our iron paradise, dingy dorm turned operating theater. The equipment you and I cobbled together, stitching new devices and instruments capable of keeping up with your ever changing body. A garden singing with the hum of machines and the rhythm of pumps. The scent of blood, whiskey, and sex perfumed the air.

The few that remained had become desensitized. Stopped seeing you as a friend and just another project to help get by. A few voyeuristic volunteers chipped in, eager to see the former prodigy wired in the dorms. Some didn't believe you could have ever been human. Just some elaborate puppet, dangling like a Shibari angel. Some thought it gruesome when they saw the entrails, but I could only ever see the beauty of a work in progress. They saw the now, but I shared your vision. I saw what you were becoming, what we were making. We even started charging admissions for some of the other students. Our little sideshow, showing off an unfinished art too bold for the public eye- Or perhaps a coveted sculpture, prized by mine hands and my hands alone.

I helped you drink and eat for a while. Tethered to life support, you couldn't move much. I set up a cot next to you, so you could always get me when you needed. Sometimes I laid underneath you, head resting gently against what soft tissue remained. I'd always pretend to sleep when you struggled in your bonds, trying to grind against me, loosen your wrists enough to touch me. You tried to be so quiet. But I had learned your new quirks, the particular hum of your fans, the little stutter when your auxiliary coolant pump started kicking in. Learning your new speech. The way you sang.

I remember the new legs. You weren't stable yet. We had to put you through your paces. Watching old Boston Dynamics videos, I came up with ideas. Proudly taking you to parks and bars, inviting strangers and passers by to kick you, beat you, try and break you. You disappointed a few times, but the fault wasn't yours really. I hadn't made you strong enough yet. The way you gagged in shock when your leg bent backwards, metal splitting and oozing an inky black. I ran you home, carried you in my arms to the car.

Soon you were able to take it. The people came, spitting, and beating, and breaking you. And every time, you got back up. You were even polite about it, thanked them for their contribution to improving your durability features. You felt slutty every time, and I loved seeing it on your face.

I was so proud.

Do you remember it? Somewhere in there. The way you invited me into your body, tasting me, feeling me one last time before you surrendered. It was a tearful afterglow, but I remember the warmth of those now-cold cheeks- The salt of your sweat and tears on my lips as I brushed what hair remained to the side. It was going to be okay.

You screamed as we began. My hand and it's tools whirring inside of you, peeling you apart, tearing out the organs you no longer needed. The blood spilling from your lips, choking on yourself as I kissed you. The way your eyes fluttered, slowly losing yourself. I felt you quiver around my arm, pulsing and contracting as you came. I couldn't help but taste it. Biting the soft of your stomach, the last pieces of you I would be forevermore deprived of once your vision reached it's fruition.

I cried when it was done. All the reservations, all the pain, all the shame I felt finally bubbled forth. I had given you what you wanted. Always. But could I take this next step? Could I honor your wishes? Could I bring myself further?

I couldn't disappoint you. Now now. You had trusted me, and time was running then. You weren't going to die on my table. I set to work, unaided, frantically tearing away that head and suspending it in the biogel. I preserved as much of the corpus collosum as I could, rigging up the pumps and neural adapters to keep you sentient, alive, well. Oxygenators, artificial spinal fluid, new filtration to remove waste pooling under the dura mater, needles to regulate myelin levels and neuron interactions, artificial stimuli to remind you, somewhere in that buried well of consciousness, I was still out here. Still working, toiling, for you. I hadn't broken your trust yet. I kept your skull.

New eyes. A unique biomechanical composite detector, largely proteins with a few living components nestled between wafers of biofilm, borrowing inspiration from the ogre-faced spider. New teeth, metallic and sharp, predatory and pure. A new voicebox, synthetic polymer tendons vibrating like a larynx- The voice you always wanted. I hope to hear it sing.

Its been nine days since you came online. I haven't heard much from you. You drool and drone, carrying on. I catch you exploring your new body sometimes. It's a sight to behold.

Maybe this is what you wanted. To be some little toy, a chirping little pet. A marvel of engineering and science, an erotic sculpture of silicon and synthetic divinity.

But sometimes, I miss her. The girl who spoke for hours, hands dancing over the keyboard writing code and huffing at smut. The walks we took, the long academic discussions. I look at her now, hardly recognizable, but I'm so proud. I stifle my own yearning and appreciate what she has become. What she was always destined to be. You wanted to be broken.

And so I did.

Maybe one day, soon, the extruders will finish wiring together your neural interface. You'll come awake again, and can appreciate this new form to it's fullest.

My hand awaits you there, my love~

You always know how to make this girl blush and cry wow. I'll never be able to stop thinking about this.

[seravphs]

(青春) —

ੈ♡˳·˖✶ — GOJO x FEM READER

There is before-Getou and after-Getou. In both spaces, Gojo exists.

wc — 3.1k

tags — the gradual but inexorable realization that your youth is lost to you, possessive Gojo, so hard to write Gojo and Getou together without making it a little ménage a trois, eldest daughter coded reader trying to pick up the pieces Getou left behind, missing your childhood innocence that can never return, blurry lines, unreliable adults, mild Getou x reader, title from The Belladonna of Sadness by Sally Wen Mao 

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The road to Jujutsu High is littered with the fallen cherry blossoms. Gojo kicks at the large snow banks of pink flowers, letting them land in drifts marking your progression across campus. He complains incessantly of the pollen, the bees, and whatever else he finds it in his heart to complain about. Petals rain from the sky over your head. 

Spring arrives with the new students on campus. You’re the first, because Gojo insisted on arriving early. He wants to assert his superiority over his classmates by knowing the layout of the land before they can, though you’re sure possessing the Six Eyes would’ve worked just as well in that capacity. Lady Gojo, as always, does not challenge her son. He leaves the day he says he will. 

Before you go, she takes you aside. There is an almost saintly quality to her beauty, as if something about her is not of this world. Her white hair sweeps over her shoulder, tracing the delicate curve of her neck. 

Her son is undeniably of her blood. They share the same pale coloring, as if a photograph had been bleached to a true negative. Only a woman like her could have given birth to a son like him. 

When she places her hands over yours, it’s hard not to pull back, feeling unworthy. Even having known Lady Gojo for most of your life, it’s often difficult to shake the overwhelming feeling of respect you have for her. She asks you to look after him in her stead. 

There’s only one answer you can give. 

“Good girl,” she says, pressing her lips to your brow like a blessing. This close, you can smell the camellia oil in her silky hair. Loose strands brush against your face, and then she pulls back. 

In the end, it doesn’t matter. Another student is there when you arrive. 

“What the fuck,” Gojo says. “It’s a week before the semester starts. Why is he here?”

“You’re here,” you pointedly remind him. 

He blows you off. “That’s different.” 

Getou Suguru got special permission from Principal Yaga to join Jujutsu High two weeks early. As the only student from a non-sorcerer family, Yaga wanted to help him get acclimated before class started. Gojo seethes in rage, especially when Getou tries to help you move your things into your new dorm in the other building. 

“Hands off,” he slaps Getou’s hands away from your suitcase. “She’s mine.” 

“You can’t own a person,” Getou says, mildly annoyed. 

He’s trying to play nice, feeling out the intricacies of completely new faces in a new setting. You wish you could tell him he doesn’t need to bother. Gojo will always be Gojo, no matter where he is. 

He’s only mildly more bearable the next day, as the final student arrives just on the cusp of being late. 

“A reverse cursed technique user?” Gojo’s practically shivering with excitement. “Cool! I wanna do that!” 

Yaga smacks his desk with his ruler for attention. “And you will, if you can manage to pay attention during class.” 

You’re surprised you’re even using the classrooms at all. They might be useful for theory, but in truth, everyone knew Jujutsu was best learned through experience. It really wasn’t learned at all, but earned through being on the field. 

Yaga doesn’t seem to think so. 

“Boring,” Gojo interrupts halfway through his lecture. “I learned all of this already with my tutors when I was eight! When do we get to the good stuff?” 

Getou scoffs. “Not all of us have tutors, asshole.” 

“Yeah?” Gojo says. He pushes his sunglasses up so they rest on his head. 

Yaga takes a quick survey of the classroom. You already know what he’s going to do before he does it. 

“Getou, move to the seat next to you. And you,” he points at you. “Sit in his seat, please.” 

“We don’t need-“ Getou starts. 

“I don’t care,” he says. “Do it. Now.” 

You’re almost impressed as you take your new seat. Part of dealing with Gojo is knowing when to pick your battles. It seems Yaga has already picked up on that. 

“Hey,” Gojo says, grinning at you. “Knew you couldn’t resist me.” 

Shoko, who has been quiet up until now, makes a soft gagging noise from the other side of Getou. On the very first day of class, the relationships between the four of you have already been solidified. 

Despite their rocky start, Getou and Gojo seek each other out like they’ve been magnetized to each other. They play terribly off each other, goading the other on. 

“Bet you I can take out more cursed users-“

“Bet you I can take down the curse faster-“

Gojo has never had a challenge like him in all of his fifteen years of life. For all their bickering, they take to each other quickly. A little too quickly. They’re attached at the hip before long, which means Getou’s also attached to you. 

“Psst,” Gojo hisses. His breath is fogging up the window you just cleaned. “Open up! Hurry!” 

You check the clock. It’s past curfew, and the sun has long since set. His hair glows radiantly against the backdrop of the dark sky. Weak to him as always, you push the window open. 

“What are you doing?” 

He’s already clambering in without an invitation, knowing you won’t refuse him. The consequences of growing up together means you can speak a language that doesn’t need words, a poetic way of saying Gojo is used to being spoiled by you. 

“What are you waiting for?” He throws over his shoulder, his leg straddling the windowsill and his torso halfway inside your room. For a second, you’re worried he’ll be stuck. He hit a growth spurt last year and hasn’t stopped since. “Are you coming or not?” 

“You didn’t say we were going to her room,” Getou attempts to and fails at hiding the blush on his face. “We can’t be in a girl’s room!” 

“Don’t be a prude,” Gojo shoots back.

Getou hesitates, looking at you. You extend your hand to pull him through. He takes it. 

Gojo makes himself comfortable as always, ransacking the little box of snacks you keep above the mini fridge. Getou smacks his hands away, trying to discipline him. It’s no use. Gojo’s manners are something his mother despairs at. 

Finally satisfied with his pick, Gojo sprawls out on the floor, every single inch taking up as much space as possible. With no room left for Getou, you pat the bed to offer him a seat next to you. 

“Where’s Shoko?” You frown. “You invited her, didn’t you?”

“Yeah, yeah.” Gojo waves you off. “I knew you’d be pissed if I didn’t. She said she doesn’t want to hang out. Probably asleep by now.” 

He looks up at the two of you through his eyelashes, his eyes half shut. There’s something charmingly open about his expression right now, sweet and boyish. The lamplight casts dancing shadows across his face, making the moment feel ephemeral, though it’s just another night that Gojo has snuck into your room. 

He has a way of making all time spent with him feel significant, seared into your memory like it’ll be taken out of its treasure chest and lovingly pored over later. Perhaps it will. He’s an important man - these moments may be like family heirlooms in the future, the good old days when grandma was best friends with the Legendary Gojo Satoru. Maybe your grandchildren will beg you for stories of him. You’ll tell them about how he was talented, brave, and above all, reckless. 

He’s beholden to no authority, and beyond willing to prove it. It’s a thorn in the elders’ sides. 

“The elders are pressuring Yaga to ask me to take a special grade mission,” he says. 

Getou jolts. “That’s confidential.” 

Gojo rolls his eyes at him. “Come on, everyone knew I was going to tell her. Do you want me to?” 

The last part is directed at you. Carefully, you turn the question over in your head. Gojo is offering you the choice, letting you balance and discard lives. Right now, the elders only have one special grade, Tsukumo Yuki, and she’s fond of going rogue after missions. Maybe it’s just a special grade thing, to be a loose cannon. It would be helpful to have another special grade willing to step up, but- 

“Tell him no. You’re just a first-year,” you say. 

“I want to go. I’m good enough.” 

“Please don’t.” 

“Will you give me a reward if I don’t?” 

Getou interrupts the beginning of your answer. “It’s fine, I’ll go with him. It’ll be okay if it’s the both of us.” 

“You’re a first-year, too. Don’t go, Gojo. I’ll give you anything you want. I’ll talk to Yaga for you.” 

As if his name summons him, there’s a loud thump on the door. 

“Hey!” Yaga has a bad habit of knocking so hard it startles you. “Are those men’s voices I hear? No boys in the girls’ dorms!”

You freeze. You hate lying because you’re horrible at it. Gojo mouths at you furiously, ‘Just lie! Make something up!’ 

“No,” you say, too shakily. It’s so obvious. “Just watching TV!” 

“Hmph,” Yaga grumbles, but his footsteps fade away. 

Years later, you’ll realize that Yaga could’ve checked the boys’ rooms if he was really suspicious and wanted to separate you three. Your heart squeezes, as it always does in the future, thinking of these quieter times. It was nice to be so young and untouchable. 

Yaga’s visit kills all future conversation, and Gojo is yawning, anyway. You know you can convince him to listen to you, so you let it go. Getou wakes both of you up the next morning. It’s a particularly brutal day to practice - Tsukumo’s back, which means she wants to have a personal hand in training the “baby special grades,” as she calls them. 

You’re waiting for Gojo to finish his private training session on the porch when Getou joins you. He’s drinking green tea out of a reusable bottle. In his other hand, he has a can of soda for you. It’s so cold it sweats condensation even in the barely there warmth of spring. 

“Thanks,” you take it gratefully. 

“Done already?”

“Waiting for Gojo.” 

“Why are you so obsessed with him anyways?” He regrets his words immediately after he says it. “Is that rude? I’m sorry, I don’t mean to be.” 

You take another gulp of the drink so you can think about his question. It’s so cold your teeth hurt. “I promised his mother I would take care of him.” 

“But you’re the same age as him. And not as- You’re-“ 

“Not as strong as he is,” you supply, without anger. 

“I didn’t want to say it.” 

“There are different types of strength,” you say, brushing off your clothes as you stand up. Both Gojo and Getou are growing like bean sprouts. The shoulder of his jacket stretches dangerously taut, one of the threads fraying. You reach out and snap it off for him. 

“Besides, this is just how it’s always been. Gojo needs a little extra spoiling, and I’ve always been happy to provide it.” 

“And if I need spoiling too?” He says, half-joking. 

You reach up to pat his head, causing him to freeze. “Sure. I can spare you some.” 

“What are you two doing?” Gojo’s voice is like a whip as he strides towards you. 

You pull your hand back instantly and hide it behind your back. For some reason, you feel like you’ve been caught doing something wrong. 

“There was something in my hair,” Getou says smoothly. 

Gojo pulls him towards him by the cuffs of his sleeves. He pats Getou’s hair down himself, as if for confirmation. “Huh. Guess she got all of it. You guys hungry? I’m starved! Let’s get dinner.” 

“Wait for Shoko,” you reprimand him. “She’s still in training.” 

“But I’m so hungry!” 

“It’s just 5 minutes. Come sit by me,” you say. 

He whines and moans about it, but he does come to you, laying his head on your lap. The weight of him is soothing and familiar, the heat of him felt through the thin fabric of your skirt. You press a teasing finger to his cheek and feel the whistle of air as he snaps his teeth at you playfully. 

“You too, Getou,” you say. “We can all wait together.” 

“She’s taking so long,” Gojo complains. You pat him absentmindedly on the head to shush him. 

“You’ll be grateful when she’s healing your dumb ass,” Getou tells him. 

“Me?” Gojo scoffs. “As if I’m ever going to need healing.” 

Your first year passes uneventfully, as slow and syrupy as the jam Gojo eats by the spoonful for breakfast. Gojo still sneaks over occasionally for sleepovers, bringing Getou or Shoko or both. Sometimes you all sneak out together to town. 

You continue learning theory and refining your technique. Shoko lies about her age and receives a deferred medical school offer. Gojo and Getou are strong enough to go on missions already, taking everything up to grade 1. 

Even during these halcyon days, as if you know what’s coming, your heart is filled with longing. You miss the moment even as you’re living in it, wishing that your first year at Jujutsu Tech would never end. It’s nice to be so peaceful. Though you’re all training to become sorcerers, it doesn’t feel real yet. You cling to each day as summer starts to approach, robbing you of what little is left of your first year. 

Spring comes and goes, leaving you with nothing but wistfulness. You can’t help feeling that these are the days you will miss when you graduate, these moments you can never experience again. 

It’s bittersweet, the joy of having something for the first time. If you could, you would give yourself temporary amnesia so you could meet every moment anew. 

 Instead, the uncompromising march of time remains indifferent to your silent prayers. The second day of your second year, Getou asks you to meet him behind the main campus. 

“Let’s take a walk through the woods,” he says. 

“That’s how good girls get murdered,” you joke, though you follow him anyway. 

“You think I would hurt you?” 

You gasp, tripping over a root you didn’t expect. He turns around and lunges for you just as you trip backwards, trying to catch you before you can fall. He grabs your shoulders right when you grin and reveal that you were just fine the whole time. 

“No,” you say, only cheered on by his exasperation. “I don’t think you would.” 

He makes an annoyed sound, and you realize for the first time exactly how close he is to you. He notices simultaneously. Suddenly the awareness that the two of you are just inches apart dawns on both of you. His breath hitches. His kiss tastes like the green tea he drinks to get rid of the aftertaste of curses. 

You touch your fingertips to your lips wonderingly as he pulls back. His face is dark with an emotion you can’t identify, something that you don’t think you can call love. He shivers when you press those same fingertips to his lips, your touch burning him through. 

You draw back instantly, aware you’ve crossed a line. 

“Oh, Getou.” 

“You don’t have to say anything.” For this boy from the villages, the strongest but still not Gojo, pity is unbearable. He doles it out to others like a benevolent saint. To receive it feels wrong. 

“I’m sorry.” 

“You don’t have to be. I know. It’s Gojo, isn’t it?” 

“Not like that,” you try, though you know you’ll never be able to explain the complicated relationship between you and Gojo. Some day he’ll get married. Perhaps he’ll leave you behind, or perhaps you’ll have to explain to some poor girl why there’s an automatic third in her relationship. You just come with the territory, a package deal. 2-for-1 is always just a way to sell a sucker something they don’t want. 

“I know,” Getou says. “Do you ever think of doing anything for yourself?” 

That’s an interesting question. You thought about it all the time when you were younger and resentful of babysitting, but you’ve long since grown used to your role, like a tree pruned into the right shape. 

“Not really.” 

Getou’s words are said thoughtlessly, just the musings of a boy who wants to understand why. They take root in your heart and become something else. The leash slackens, little by little. 

Spring of second-year is much like first-year. For all you worried, little has changed. 

There’s only one major difference. 

Gojo and Getou take their first special-grade mission. 

“Why didn’t you say anything?” 

You’re annoyed, and surprised by exactly how annoyed you really are. For everyone else’s bad temper with Gojo, you have the patience of a saint when it comes to him. It helps that he gives you more than he gives anyone else, too, except times like these. 

He looks askance. “This is why I didn’t want to tell you.” 

Gojo goes. You can’t stop him. You don’t have the right to when he’s more than capable of it. He’s the strongest, after all. Technically, he should’ve been doing field work long before. He’s the most valuable asset the sorcerers have. 

Once you’ve uncaged him, Gojo rampages. He comes back within a day, predictably victorious, brutally so. This only solidifies his understanding of himself as the god of this cursed world. He can’t help but push himself even more, trying to find the seemingly limitless boundary of his power. 

When he’s given the Star Plasma Vessel mission, he doesn’t turn it down. Getou follows him. 

Everyone seems to be walking their own paths. As Gojo and Getou keep exploring the limits of their own strength on missions, Shoko spends her days in the morgue. Eventually, you too find something to pass your time. 

Yaga recruits you as an assistant. Most days, this means paperwork and making tea, though occasionally it gives you glimpses into the bureaucracy of the Jujutsu world. Shoko thinks it’s boring, banning you from talking about it on your lunch dates. You don’t mind - you’d hate being idle more. 

Though it’s normally unexciting in Yaga’s office, you notice the mood immediately when you walk in. Yaga’s leaning back in his chair, pinching the bridge of his nose, almost like he’s trying to stop a nosebleed. He looks like he’s about to cry. You’ve never seen your principal like this, and it alarms you. 

“What’s wrong?” 

“Nothing’s wrong,” Gojo says. “I fixed it.” 

Turning around, you see his hair first. Gojo’s bone white hair, so like his mother’s, is matted with dark red blood. It drips into his eye and leaves rust colored stains across his cheek, the collar of his shirt, and his jacket. His eyes are manic. 

You should’ve gone with them.

(夏) — 

[fishys-still-writing-smut]

PJ’s Kaede AND Miu… with Kokichi walking in on the fat assed gyaru’s 🤭

Warning: lewd content below

“My my my, what do we have here?”

“W-what the hell are you doing twerp?!?” Miu was shocked at Kokichi's sudden entrance. Both her and Kaede were completely bottomless, the pianist even bent over at the time he barged in.

“I was bored, so I decided to go lock picking. And aren't I lucky. You both need my help after all.” He used both of his hands to slap both blonde’s asses before gripping them with a surprising amount of force. “How about I help you both put those pajamas on?”

—------

“This isn't helping, this is anal sex!”

“Whoops, my bad! Silly me.” Kokichi said with an evil smirk as he continued to ram Miu's asshole with his cock. The inventor was bent over with her face against her mattress as she lifted her ass up in the air for Kokichi's personal use. Meanwhile, Kaede layed down under the pair, using her mouth to service Kokichi's nuts. She sucked in his ball sack while massaging her breasts, patiently waiting her turn.

“Fuck. You're so fucking big. Fuck me harder!” Miu begged as she received a pounding like never before. She screamed into the bed while gripping the sheets tight.

“Huh? Close already slut? I barely even started.” While teasing her Kokichi began rubbing her pussy. He increased his pace and fucked her faster while at the same time using his skilled fingers to massage Miu's pussy. It all overwhelmed the poor girl until-

“Fuuuuuuuuck!” Miu screamed as she came all over Kokichi's fingers. Kokichi slowly pulled out, allowing the bitch to slump down on the bed as she panted heavily.

“That just leaves you.” Kokichi licked his lips as he turned to his left. Kaede, who had previously been pleasuring him, was on all fours, twerking her fat ass like a prooer porn star. She gave herself a nice hard spank before winking, openly inviting herself to be dominated.

—---------

“Oh my god you're amazing!” Kaede cried as she rode Kokichi's cock. She didn't bother with the illusion that he would help her put on clothes, so she simply threw them on to a sleeping Miu’s body. Now she could ride him with reckless abandon, while also giving him a pretty nice view of her ass.

“Wow, even thought I'm fucking your pussy your still waaaaay tighter than the cum dumpster sleeping over there.” Kokichi snickered as he laid back and watched as the bimbo broke herself on his thick dick.

“R-really? T-thank you. Please, praise me more.” Kaede bashfully requested, feeling a new sick fetish unlock within her.

“What's the magic word?”

“F-faster!”

“Good girl.” Kokichi smirked as Kaede increased her pace for him, panting like a dog. “Let's see, you got the thickest ass on campus. And also the biggest boobs that look ever larger in that slutty vest of yours. Plus, I now know for sure that your pussy is waaay better than that other slut. No wonder every guy wants to fuck you!”

“E-every guy?”

“Oh yeah. If you're really a slut for praise just ask. I bet you could even convince them to share if it means a chance to use your sexy body. Although…” Kokichi suddenly began rapidly thrusting inside of Kaede. “I'm claiming you first!”

“Yes! Fuck me! I'm in love with your big dick!”

“You're going to love what comes out of it more~.”

“Yes. Oh my god. Fuck I'm so close. Please cum in me. Cuminmecuminmecuminmecuminme!”

Splurt!

Kaede's constant begging was rewarded as she felt Kokichi's warm cum shoot inside of her. She fell off his dick and laid on her back, still high off the experience. She was still orgasming from the sensation of having his load inside of her. Kokichi took a good look at the gyarus before laughing maniacally. He had the best idea.

—--------

“I-I can't believe we're doing this.” Miu blushed as the three walked to class together. Kokichi's genius idea was for them to walk to school together wearing matching pajamas. And just pajamas. Miu blushed at people staring at her more pronounced rack, her hard nipples visible through the cheap fabric.

“I-I don't completely hate it.” Kaede muttered. She'd already received 9 cat calls, 6 whistles, 5 “damn”’s, 2 surprise spanks and chest gropes, and someone even pantsed her! As a newly realized attention whore, she was loving Kokichi's idea way more than she was willing to admit.

“C'mon, it's not that bad.” Kokichi smirked. The main reason the girls agreed was because Kokichi also went without underwear today, his meaty cock bulge clearly visible and only guarded by a single thing button. “Besides, I can even show off the new symbols of friendship we got.” With one fell swoop, Kokichi pulled down both of their pants, to reveal their new ass tattoos. One word on each cheek that read:

“Kokichi's property.”

Despite Kokichi's reputation, you had to give it to him here; he definitely wasn't lying about that!

[vargskelegore]

HI OMG!! i just read ur shuri x reader transfer student fic and i absolutely love it so much!! what ab reader taking shuri to one of the football games and just seeing how the hbcu culture is?? like the band, the majorette team, the cheerleaders, the sororities and fraternities??? like shuri would fall in love with the environment i feel like.

THANK YOU FOR SENDING IN SOMETHING!!! i actually LOVE this idea so much bc I WAS THINKING THE SAME THINGGGGG. we see each otha!! (i switch between using 3rd and 2nd person pov when i do headcanons so i apologize if its confusing!!)

so, a lil backstory

when reader was in high school, they HATEDDD football games and pep rallies

they were so boring.

like you know the song called the horse by cliff nobles?? the song like every damn high school band played??

even readers school couldn't play that shit right. just bland.

so when reader began attending an hbcu as a freshman, and they did football games RIGHT???? oh my god reader was on cloud nine.

they've liked these football games ever since

and they wanted to make sure that shuri had the same experience as them when they first started going to school

so the first game rolls around on friday

and you're taking a walk with shuri (yall started taking these daily campus walks together.. a lil gay if you ask me 👀)

and so you finally break the news about the football game

i would assume wakanda is more knowing of soccer than football games, but they certainly dont live under rocks, i think they know what "football" is

nonetheless, shuri was mad confused when you told her that people dance and play songs of the black american culture at these games

but she's also very intrigued

you explain more thoroughly, and that was all it took for her to be onboard

i mean, she was hella excited for it.

so when the day finally comes, you were planning to pick up shuri, but lo and behold

that girl came to pick YOU up!

she's knocking on your dorm door, and your roommate is raising an eyebrow at you while shes doing her makeup.

"girl i told michael to pick me up at 5.. what is he doing here so early?"

and you too thought it was her date.

but you go and open the door, and see shuri standing there, wearing a hoodie of y'alls school and some jeans

and you already KNOW she got that short hair 😩

shes looking down at you with a smile, leaning on the side of your door.

"uh-- hey. i know you said you were coming to get me but i felt kinda bad because i let you get me all of the time since you know the campus better, but i thought me coming here was the least i could do to save you some trouble."

she's just smiling.

and your roommates mouth is wide open

you're literally so shocked, and kinda embarrassed because you weren't ready whatsoever.

guess wakandans really dont be playing about being on time, chile.

"uh, um-- give me one second hahahah." you have the most awkward laugh its hilarious

and shuri is so sweet about it she just nods at you and lets you close the door.

the moment you close that door??? omfg, your roommate is on your ASS

"OH? SO YOU GOT A GIRLFRIEND AND DIDN'T FEEL LIKE TELLING ME? AND SHE'S LITERALLY THE PRIN--"

the way you hush her almost immediately, hoping and praying to god shuri didn't hear that.

she did.

"shut up! shes literally just my friend! i told her about the game tonight." your cheeks are on FIRE i mean you're so embarrassed.

your roommate doesnt believe that one bit LMFAO

"yeah okay... you better get out this dorm before i go and ask her how long y'all been dating."

you never walked faster out of there.

coming face to face with shuri again was.. awkward.

for you

but shuri seemed so unfazed by it

"hi! are you ready to go?" she's just grinning. when i tell yall she is EXCITED

"yeah! of course.. sorry about all of that."

"no worries. i understand it was a bit sudden."

god she was always SO understanding, it made you melt.

and of course, you two are off to the football field.

fast forward to when y'all are at the game

shuri is having a blast! somehow she managed to pick up how the game of football even works very quickly!

and then we get to half time...

oh my god, shuri is in a TRANCE.

them majorettes are making her ass FOLD

she was having a gay panic attack chile

all them pretty women out there in those outfits, doing dance moves that oozes pure grace and sexiness???

yeah shes done for

she also REALLY enjoys the band. they're playing songs she's never heard of before, but she's definitely asking you when y'all are walking home what exactly the band was playing LMFAOO

i like to think that during the football game she's getting attention she didn't realize she'd get

probably bc shes.. i dont know, THE PRINCESS OF WAKANDA???

but nonetheless, she's happily greeting people and carrying on like normal

and shes just having a blast with you

she's pretty sad when its all over 😭

time really flew by

and ofc, y'alls team won the football game.

some people were having parties after the game

but shuri wanted to take yet another walk instead

so y'all did

and this is where she shared all her thoughts

"that was so much fun!! i really think i'm gonna like it here. it kinda reminded me of wakanda a little bit." you could tell she was a tad bit home sick after mentioning her home country, but she brushed it off.

in order to distract her, y'all kept talking about the marching band and the music they played.

this is quite literally how she formed an entire taste of american music because she found out what songs were being played 😭

(btw, i think she has an obsession with michael jacksons music)

ugh if this was one of her fav experiences, just imagine homecoming for her!!!

this got to be a bit long, my bad 😭

requests are still open!! come n chat with me about shuri amen lights and walls 😌

[sansaorgana]

Heyyy, I keep seeing all these modern!au hotd headcanons on my feed and I've been directed to you. I love them all so much and was wondering if I could ask for one? If you don't want to, you can delete this. But if you do, I was wondering what going on a date with Aegon and Aemond (separately) would entail? How they would ask you, what they would do, any big gestures, give you a gift??? That sort of thing...

hello, sweetie! I really liked your idea, so I'm going to gladly expand it. 💞

it got quite long, therefore it's under the cut! ✂️

Aemond:

• as I've mentioned before, you'd meet him in Viserys' library, lurking around. when you spot Aemond standing behind you, you get scared. you know him from uni – he's a "freak" and nobody talks to him. idk how this style is called but I imagine him wearing all black, leather jacket, silver cross, chains and all that jazz. and an eye patch. he could have some fake eye or something but he chooses to wear an eye patch, embracing his "weirdness". and he's (probably) taller than you. so, having him towering over you when you're lurking inside his father's library would be uncofmy.

• however, he only gently smiles and asks you are you his sister's friend and you nod. you start apologizing for being in the library but he interrupts you with asking you about your interests. he sounds genuine and very kind. he's soft-spoken and courteous. something you wouldn't expect from him at all.

• you talk about books, music, movies, pets, uni, whatever, really. turns out you have more in common than you'd ever think and conversation goes smoothly. you catch yourself batting your eyelashes and biting your lower lip, hoping he wouldn't notice.

• but Aemond doesn't have much experience with girls, so he doesn't realize you're interested.

• since that day, you two start talking more often every time you visit Helaena and she starts to be jealous haha.

• you also start talking on the campus and people look at you the wrong way for that but you don't care.

• Aemond has the fattest crush on you now. I mean, you're a girl who likes him and doesn't care about what other people think? and you're so soft with him? and honestly whether your style is similar to his or you're a total opposite – good girl aesthetics, ribbons in your hair and shit – he is obsessed with you. he makes Spotify playlists about you and sends them to you shyly.

• it would take a lot of courage for him to ask you out but he eventually would. maybe Aegon would notice and he'd be sick of you two acting so shy while clearly being into each other.

• "ask her out or I will"

• that's what Aemond calls motivation!!!

• you agree and you look so cute when you get flustered and his heart beats so fast, oh god, he could kiss you! but his mama taught him better. he knows he has to take his time.

• he would take you somewhere safe like the cinema. maybe it's boring but you can talk about the movie later. he wouldn't take you in the evening, though. more like late afternoon so after the movie you can take a walk around the park and go for a coffee or something. you'd also stop by a small bookstore and he'd insist on buying you a book that you'd choose. as a memory of your first date. he'd also leave a sweet note on the first page.

• he looks scary and he doesn't talk much but he's got the softest and the biggest heart for you.

Aegon:

• first time he saw you, it was something embarrassing for you both. he just woke up despite it being like 7 p.m. and he went to the bathroom without knocking. you were there, wrapped in nothing but a towel and making wide eyes at him. you were supposed to stay over for the night with Helaena and you've just finished taking a shower.

• he mumbled an apology and started to avoid you since then. however, he would also watch you carefully whenever you were around and ask Helaena all sorts of questions about you.

• "I won't let you fuck my friend, Aegon! she's a nice girl and not one of your play-things!"

• forbidden fruit is the most tasty so he starts stalking your social media. he rarely does that but girls usually want to sleep with him since he's rich. you, however, don't seem to be interested.

• the more he finds out about you, the more he's starting to like you in other ways than just sexual. he catches himself on daydreaming that your laugh would be at his jokes, that your smiles would be at him, that your hands would caress his face, that your lips would crush with his.

• Aegon is confused with those thoughts. poor fuckboy starts to think maybe he's getting sick or insane.

• Aemond notices first that something is not right with his brother lately. Aegon refuses to open up but Aemond insists, so his older brother eventually starts his whining sessions about you. how "weird" you are for making him feel this "odd" way. how he's starting to hate you for that.

• Aemond laughs at him and tells Aegon that he's an idiot. and, what's even better – an idiot in love.

• Aegon is petrified. his brother's words make sense but he hasn't expected that to happen to him like... ever. now he's even more scared.

• he might even go to Alicent and she would hug her boy tight and tell him that you're a very good choice and she would love him to ask you out somewhere nice.

• next time you're at Helaena's house, Aegon is surprisingly around and he acts all jumpy and awkward. when – by an odd coincidence – you're alone with him in the same room, he asks you out. just like that.

• you stare at him with wide eyes for a moment but to be honest, despite him being a trainwreck, you have always found him attractive. so, you agreed.

• before going out with him, you ask Helaena about his intentions but she assures you that her brother has never been this way around any girl. you know that she wouldn't lie to you.

• Aegon takes you to some fancy club for rich kids and you're super uncomfortable there, which he notices and he's starting to get anxious that he's fucked up.

• you propose to take his car and go for a ride. he agrees and you end up in a remote area, on the hill. you listen to the music from the radio and you start talking.

• your conversation goes so smooth and you laugh so much that you don't even notice how much time passes. it's very late when he finally drives you home.

• before giving you a goodbye kiss, he gives you one of the rings he's wearing on his fingers.

• "because you're my girl now, eh?"

• like... he might be a rich fuckboy and a college dropout weed addict but when he falls in love... it's really fucking hard.

[webslingingslasher]

i’m gonna admit something, i’ve never dated anyone fr i had a situation ship that wasn’t great at all. but i’m scared to date. i’m not the normal 20 year old, i had to take 2 gap years and i’ve been through more than the average 20 year old. and people just don’t wanna date people who have never done anything.

like i live next to the university campus so it’s not hard for dates and stuff but i just feel so disconnected you know. no one wants to hear about a 20 year old girl who only works and does boring shit with her friends bc i also don’t party (none of my friends do). and i’m shit at talking to people

when you see people around you more experianced or having sex you think EVERYONE is doing it and you're the odd one out. you're not.

twenty is a very normal age to have no experiance and it's a lot more common than you think. you're twenty, you're still so young. if you count 18 as being an adult well... you have two whole years of experiance. you're a two year old!

i'm only a few years older than you but i can offer this one piece of advice, stop putting an age on things. everyone, and i mean everyone is on their own timeline. there are things you will accomplish your friends won't for years, there are things your friends have accomplished that you haven't yet and that's okay!

i had someone come in the other day at work and i was helping her with some colors and we got to chatting about her husband and how lovely he was. she was his second marriage, he was her first.

they didn't get married until she was fourty and she didn't feel like she wasted a day before then.

when you dictate your life around what you should be doing or what you should have figured out by a certain age, and you reach that age, and you don't have things figured out you feel cheated by yourself and it's unfair.

the real honest thing about being an adult is that everyone looks like they have things more figured out than you but the reality is that none of us know what the fuck is going on we just look really good at pretending we do.

sure, maybe you're not charli demelio and a millionaire at fifteen, but haven't we all learned there is beauty and peace in simplicity?

ie. the time will pass anyways, find ways to enjoy it by yourself until everything else catches up to you.

[lottiestudying]

hey lottie, i found your blog about 10 mins ago searching 'australian national university' ... imagine my surprise when i saw you're doing political science, which is exactly what i want to study at ANU!! i live in sydney and am currently in yr 12 and am gonna go to open day on the 16th. i was wondering if you had any advice (no matter how small, id love to hear it) to someone who's currently at my stage or just any info about things i should be prepared for. or any xtra info about accomodation!

hey hey!!!

i have loved my degree, i gained so much knowledge and insight. the quality of teaching is really high, and the profs do genuinely care for their field. the department has some of the best political scientists in Australia

Study wise, get ready for lots of content, first year is pretty much the basics but probably the hardest in terms of volume of content. I actually prefer later years courses because you get more specific information about a topic, whereas first year courses are introductory level. It may seem boring, but these courses will teach you how to study and write essays at a uni level.

My other advice would be to try and get in the APS as soon as you can, either in an entry level role/internship (if you intend on going the public service route. Either way, it’s quite easy for polisci undergads to find APS work, and much better than being in hospo). You can look around on LinkedIn or the APS Gazette website for jobs. Look around for internships and stuff too. If you’re interested in academia/honours, I would suggest asking profs from second year if they need any research assistance, that’s really great experience. Definitely make an effort to show up to class and do the readings, profs love eager students. If you do honours, getting to know profs will be useful in picking a supervisor later, and they’re good contacts to have for job references. Profs will always be happy to give you references if you get like over 70 in their course. Networking and connections are important, so get on that linkedin game and have good relations with profs. It’s very different from high school, but they do care if you reach out.

Accom wise, I’ve been at UniLodge (I don’t want to say which one for obvious reasons) for all of my degree (I’m South Australian originally), and have generally liked it. Very good atmosphere if you get involved, we put on a great o week. Definitely stop by lodge on open day, you can see some of the buildings etc. lodge is still the cheapest accomodation on campus I believe. ANU is great if you’re from Sydney, they are loads of buses and train connections. I’ve been to Sydney several times for concerts and stuff, it’s pretty easy to pop back for a long weekend (way harder for me to go home to Adelaide frequently. I’m jealous of my Sydney sider friends aha).

I hope this is helpful. Let me know if you have any more specific questions after open day!

[system-of-a-feather]

I hate this system. I'm signing a petition to system hop (joking) to a system that doesn't have a screaming violent man with such a strong survival instinct it became a broken sense of survival instincts

Today I, Lucille the pacifist by choice, was enjoying my day doing Lucille things like drinking tea, listening to 1950's easy listening and classical music, writing up a post on this blog with self care tips and making sure our system's needs were met in the rare moment I took the front as of late and overall I was enjoying my nerdy, introverted, zen before I inevitably decided to pass the front up to Riku or XIV to have their needs met.

And minding my own business, our old Wing Chun Discord for the club we were in during college sends out an announcement that there was a "Third Fatal Stabbing on Campus" which obviously, for those that know this system, had XIV running up to the front and basically internally grasping onto my shoulder and hovering over me (invading all my personal mental space) to read and began loudly venting and going off

"WHAT THE FUCK IS GOING ON WHAT DUDE THEIRS A SERIAL STABBER IN OUR OLD UNIVERSITY WHAT THE FUCK NOW THAT IM GONE WHAT THE FUCK" "COME ON MAN I WANNA BE THERE I WANNA FUCK WITH THE SERIAL STABBER MURDERER" "GOD THIS SUCKS ALL THE FUN STUFF HAPPENS WHEN IM NOT HERE" (continued XIV rambling)

Then I briefly, after vent laughing about it to a friend, humored it a bit and did admit I was also a bit curious what was going on with their being a serial stabber with three fatal stabbings on our old campus - which was a mistake to humor by the way because it once again ignited him

"RIGHT I WANT TO KNOW I WANT TO MEET THE GUY MAN" "MAD MAN" "OUR CITY IS SO BORING FUCK MAN ALWAYS WHEN I LEAVE"

I'm literally here listening to my relaxing nice music, enjoying my nerdy pacifism in a school library, doing self care and being Zen, enjoying my peace and quiet

And this asshole runs to the front wanting to fight a serial stabber and being genuinely upset he isnt in the town with the serial stabber

I can't have one day of peace in this system.

This is why I really would like to file for a refugee system hopping request. I can fill out a pass port and application. I'm very good at academia and hard sciences and I'm also pretty good at first aid care. I have previous experience being a primary protector for probably at least 6 years. Please accept this application this is a dire need. (joking)

[gillianthecat]

Walking up and down the stairs is exhausting right now.

Fahlanruk – episode 8

Ok, we're getting philosophical now. Whose voice is this?

I appreciate that Fah experiences all of his feelings in the shower. The actor did well on the body sculpting.

My favorite disaster child. You don't need to start this out by lying about Fah's game. Oh baby. Someone else stepped in to take care of him while you were gone pretending to be cool. Oh baby. You silly lying liar.

Is this the girl Tap went on one date with and then failed to hook up with before? If so, bold of him to call her to take care of him after that. Also she must really like him if she's willing to come help. Honey, I like you, but go focus your attention on someone more available please.

These goodbyes are cute. (So was Fah's and Sher's from the last episode). I love it when people don't want to leave each other, but things are too new for them to say it exactly, so they're just sweet and fumbling and reluctant.

Stalker BLs have got me trained: I fully expected that to be a box of photos of Gear. Instead it's just a product placement 😂 And barely a placement, more like they just interrupted the show for an ad that happens to star one of the actors.

The Significance of the Two Toothbrushes strikes again!

Is she going to check the closet too? Yes, she's checking the closet too.

All these BL boys are the neatest college students ever. I can guarantee you that my beloved disaster child's room would not be anywhere near that organized if he didn't have a set designer doing it for him. Perhaps the Ping & Tap labels; my boy does have a crush after all. But there would also be clothes strewn everywhere.

Oh shit 😂 She caught you sleeping in the café, disaster child. And she caught you lying about the tennis game 😂 The question is, what is she going to do with all this information? Is she going to look at this mess of codependency and decide it's not worth her time and go off and find some other cute boys to kiss? Or is she going to double down and become an interfering, manipulative faen fatale? Given the track record of this show I suspect the latter, but I can always hope.

Wait. Is this Mark's apartment from Love Mechanics (the second one)? The furniture is different, but the kitchen area and the shelf by the door look familiar. @callipigio, do you recognize it (visible around 10:35)? Should it get added to the list? Or maybe it's just a standard look for cheap modern apartments in Thailand. I'd have to look at Love Mechanics to check.

$25 Ping is drinking morosely alone.

Oh look. I owe myself $25 💳

Is that Rabitat shirt also from First's brand?

My babies 🥺

Also, I haven't said this yet, but I really like Ping's grey plaid pants.

My babies. Trying so hard to take care of each other and not get in each other's way 🥺

Was there always a voiceover? I don't remember it from previous episodes. Anyways, it's unnecessary, the actors and script are already conveying everything.

Ping. Oh my baby. Oh Ping.

Tap's pajama game is excellent.

Ooh, finally the tables turn and Fah is giving someone else relationship advice.

I think that every time Fah claims to be committed I'm just waiting for the inevitable moment that he grows bored or cheats or something. So I'm like Sher, apparently. I mean, presumably they end up together eventually but we do see Sher sobbing in the title montage every week, so clearly Fah's going to do something to break his heart at some point. All that is to say, it's hard for me to get excited about his expressions of devotion.

Also, I want to be happy for Pai to be shooting his shot with the campus hottie, but he's being such a creep about the whole thing that I can't 😕

Oh my god this fake ass injury and this fight 🙄😂 But who is this other tall super protective dude? Lol, for once Pink and I are on the same wavelength. Who is he? Not the mysterious Apo?

Ah, no. A "Charles" who knows Sher's twin. Lol, it's their half-brother. Thank goodness. It was either a relative or a whole new melodramatic plotline, and we don't need any new melodrama.

Speaking of which, where is Tam's amnesiac stalker ex? We haven't seen him in a while.

Sher, don't be so mean to poor Gear. Do make Fah jealous though, it's good for him.

Yay Prince! Set your boundaries. Don't start something with Gear if he's going to be jealous of your friendships. Also I like your blue shirt.

I would also say that Sher needs to set boundaries with a jealous possessive Fah, for the same reason. Except I like seeing Fah unhappy. Something about him just kinda makes me want to torture him. But also Fah, not cool, not cool at all.

Oh yeah Fah you fully deserved that slap.

And don't push Sher! He's got a injured ankle! I've returned from my brief vacation to Tolerating-Fah-land and am back in Loathing-Fah-ville. Get a grip dude. And wipe that pathetic look off your face, this is all on you.

Gossip about Fah that's actually relevant to their work and not just invasive nosiness? I'm honestly shocked.

Wait. Why is Charles there?

Oh Ping. My baby. You make me sad when you cry. At least you have a beautiful setting in which to be sad. It's probably good for them to have this rupture to move them to something beyond this pining stuckness, but it's so hard for both my boys. 50 missed calls 😢

Oh Tap. You are sad and confused both.

Oh god, everyone's heartbroken. We're having a cry-off. Prince, your tears make me sad too.

Fah. What the fuck. Are you doing. Is this an intentional thing to "get back at" Sher and try and make him jealous? Are you just living in your own head, oblivious to the people around you. I continue to not understand your brain.

Oh Sher. How I wish Fah was worthy of you risking your heart.

Wait. So no answer to the who is Apo question? It seemed like such a dramatic cliffhanger last episode I was sure they were going somewhere with that. Will we ever find out? Will the amnesiac stalker ex reappear? Only four more episodes to fit it all in.

Oh wait, looks like Apo at least will show up next week. And Fah is going to the creepy over invested girl for relationship advice? Eh 🤷🏻‍♀️

[guinevere--bach]

Summer Wine

Light slipper-clad steps down the stairs, across the foyer, through the dining room. A brief clinking by the bar in the sitting room. Guinevere set aside all those dusty old opera records that her stepdaughter liked so much, and chose one of her own. She poured herself some cider and swiftly turned the volume of the sound system as loud as it could give.

“Strawberries, cherries and an angel's kiss in spring... My summer wine is really made from all these things...” Guinevere hummed along, eyes closed, lost in the dreamy strings, as she swayed to the music.

Autumn was settling in Redwood Hollow. Even without the shifting colors of the leaves surrounding the house to make evidence of it, the temperature was already dropping fast and the remnants of the honey-thick July heat had left for good. Apple harvest season was upon them, so she could expect the usual uptick in tourism of the Red Orchard. Soon it would be time for scarves, and gloves, and for her to take her white shearling-lined black leather coat, her favorite, out of her closet. Though, she had to remember, those would also be days of catching colds and having flakey skin, chapped lips, and windswept hair. Days of Sofia getting sick, too, as she knew quite well by now, and of her being even slower and clumsier with her chores. Her lips twitched into a grimace. She was so useless, so frail. And on the Orchard’s busiest season, too, as it couldn’t be any other way. Sometimes Guinevere wondered if it wouldn’t have been better for Sofia to stay away at campus, away from her and from the house, where the only thing she did was waste her stepmother’s time and demand attention, like the spoiled brat she was. Insisting on conversation at the dinner table, asking questions, prodding and touching what she was forbidden to. The girl felt lonely, Guinevere was forced to realize.

It disgusted her to also realize they had that in common.

She had another sip of cider. Back in the city, during her last business trip away from the town, she had found a sweet companion for herself, a welcome distraction that treated her with the adoration she had been desiring so much, even if it was so brief. A part of her wanted to find the number written down in her contact list, make the phone call and reach out, but that would be the mark of a desperate person. It didn’t seem as if she would be receiving any calls, anyways. How quickly she had been forgotten, Guinevere thought with a frown and a sour expression. How short-lived bliss ever proved to be.

She closed her eyes again, gently moving to and fro, trying to keep her mind from those depressing thoughts. Focusing, instead, on the bitter aftertaste of the cider at the back of her throat, and on the comforting texture of the carpet under her feet, and of her silky robe brushing against her legs. She twirled her fingers, following the beat of the music, dangling her glass precariously on one hand. Guinevere briefly caught her reflection in the mirror of the sitting room, a red blur with raven-black hair. She looked dressed down, but glamorous. She looked like she belonged in that big house.

“Take off your silver spurs and help me pass the time... And I will give to you summer wine...”

But she couldn’t keep her mind away from it entirely. Against her better judgment, Guinevere recalled the way she danced during her first date with David, so many years ago. How close they had been to each other. How charming he had seemed, all smiles and attentive eyes. How he gazed at her as if he never wished to lay eyes on anything else. That early, earnest fascination. Everything had seemed new and exciting back then. It took no effort at all to conclude it had been love.

And afterwards, how the experience was repeated, slightly staler as it went on. So more often than not the new suitors had been found somewhat lacking, somehow wanting; but they would do, and it was better than growing bored and alone. They had been her ticket to a better life, after all. Doors were opened to her, so many more than if she had simply stayed put in her own small town. In some regard, Guinevere had to admit, she also grew to have some true affection for them, the men who promised her the world. She remembered the warm hands stroking her arms, the hard lips pressed against her cheek. The devotion they had had for her. You don’t find that easily, and she wouldn’t find it any easier as time went on and the marks of age settled in.

But, for the time being, Guinevere kept dancing, and had another sip, almost finishing her glass.

[rosehrt]

“Come feel this magic I've been feeling since I met you..” Pt. 1

You slowly woke up from your slumber, awaken by a strange creature. You find yourself inside a coffin. The ‘strange’ creature had blue flames on both its ears, with the shape of a cat..? You were confused. This place was unknown to you. There was no memories of you being in a place like this. Floating coffins, a strange creature, just what is this place? Dream or not, you wanted to get out of this place. Instantly.

“Now to grab the goods...What?! You ain't supposed to be awake!” The ‘strange’ creature can talk?! You really must be in a dream.. “A talking.. weasel!?!” the ‘strange’ creature sure was offended by your words. “How... How DARE YOU! I am no WEASEL! I'm Grim, sorcerer extraordinaire! Tch. Whatever. You...human! Just gimme your uniform, and be quick about it!” Uniform? Is this ‘strange’ creature–Grim, even aware that you aren't from this place? Out of fear, you decided to run away, desperately trying to find someone to ask–and even help you know where you are.

You end up in the library as you bumped into a person wearing a crow mask. “Foolish human! Did you really think you could slip away from ME?

Now, unless you wanna get burned to a crisp, take off that—

Me-YEOW! That hurt! What gives?” A sigh of relief came out of your mouth, trying to catch your breath after the long run. Atleast now you can ask someone for help–“Consider it tough love.

Ah, I've found you at last. Splendid. I trust you're one of this year's new students?

My, were you ever eager to make your debut. And bringing a poorly trained familiar with you? That is a clear violation of the school's rules.” This year's student? This creature being your pet? Since when were you enrolled into a school like this? Questions were running on your thoughts in repeat, while Grim is still struggling to escape from the grip of this ‘strange’ person. “Dear me. Of all the students I've dealt with, you're the first with temerity enough to open their own gate and step out of it. Does the very notion of patience elude you? No matter. Your orientation has already begun. Let us return to the Mirror Chamber.” ...Gate? Mirror? What is this place? You swallowed hard, not knowing if you should even trust this person, but.. Its not like you have a choice. While this ‘strange’ person was giving you a tour to this place who you soon found out is called, “Night Raven College”. The man soon introduced himself as Crowley, the Headmaster of this school. As the tour went on, questions were still stuck onto your head. At the end of the tour, the Headmaster told you to come and follow him to the orientation, you had no choice but to do so. You were soon met by so many people surrounding the place. It was expected, was it not? This is an orientation after all, its expected to be crowded..

“We're done with orientation and dorm assignments? All right, new students—let me be clear. At Heartslabyul House, I am the law. Break the rules, and it's off with your head!” stated by A Red Headed Boy.

“Yawn* Well, that ceremony was as boring as ever. I'm going back to the dorm. If you're in Savanaclaw House, follow me.” lazily stated by a Boy with Lion ears.

“New students! Allow me to be the first to congratulate you on your achievement.

As dorm leader of Octavinelle House, I am honored to have the opportunity to support you in what I hope will be a fulfilling campus experience.” stated by the Boy with glasses. ...As you look around, they look unordinary. Especially those in the.. Savanaclaw–was it? What's with the animal ears? For props? Design? Or are they really real? They're moving, though. It could be a machine that works mechanically? But, who would just own and wear one of those? All of them seems to have it. “Hey, does anyone know where the headmage went? He disappeared midway through the ceremony...” asked the Good-looking boy. “Some headmage he is.” was that a Voice coming from the Tablet? That's quite weird yet cool... “Maybe he had a tummy ache?” said by the Boy with Red Eyes. The headmage appeared, “I most certainly did not!” You looked around the place, it was something you've never seen before. You were amazed yet horrified. How did you end up in here? Perhaps you really just are dreaming? ...How are you gonna get out of here? “If you must know, I was searching for the new student who'd failed to show for orientation. You are the only one who has yet to be assigned a dorm. Step up to the Dark Mirror, and be quick about it. I'll watch your weasel.” You stepped infront of the Dark Mirror, shivers went down your spine, what if you don't have a dorm? You really aren't here from this place.. How is it possible for you to get into the dorms? “State your name.” Said the Mirror. “I'm [Y/N]..” ..“[Y/N], the nature of your soul is....” ... “Unclear to me.” The headmage was surprised, thinking it was a mistake.. “What did you say?” ..“ I sense no magical power from this one. Soundless. Colorless. Shapeless. Utterly vacant.

Therefore, no dorm would be appropriate“ The Headmage was left dumb-founded. “Are you suggesting that the black carriage went to receive a person who cannot even use magic? But that is absurd! The student selection process has not erred once in its century of existence! How could this have happened?” Grim then broke free from the Headmage's grip, convincing the others and the headmage, himself, to let him in the school. “Unlike that human, I can actually use magic! So let me be a student here! Look, I'll show you! My spells're the cat's meow!” You were left there dumb-founded, not knowing what to do. Soon, chaos started to run around the place. The Boy with Red hair and The Boy with Glasses started chasing Grim as the two both ran around trying to capture Grim. You didn't know if you should just pinch yourself and wake up from this dream or you should wait for what the Headmage is gonna say. Then again, if this was a dream, shouldn't you have woken up by now? Surely the amount of chaos that has happened is enough to wake you up from your slumber, right? Standing there with a confused look, you soon met eye-to-eye with this.. Guy who has quite a soft feature, and quite a small height for his age, staring at you as his magenta-colored eyes fits well with his aura. You soon stopped looking, trying to avoid in talking to others here in this place. You soon put your focus back onto Grim and the two boys. You soon then found out the Boy with Red Hair is named Riddle and the Boy with Glasses is named Azul. “Off with your Head!” Riddle stated. It surprised you after you saw a collar appeared right after he said that. What does it do? “MYAH?! What are you doing?!” Riddle then continued, “The Queen of Heart's Rule 23: "One must never bring a cat to a formal affair." Your very presence here is a violation of order. You will vacate these premises immediately.“ Grim spoke, “But I ain't a cat either! Don't try to collar me! I'll burn it right off! Huh...? Wh-what gives? My fire ain't workin'!” Impressive. It seems like that collar takes off ones power once its casted onto someone. “Until I deign to remove that collar, you won't be using any magic. You're naught but a pet cat now.” Grim was then thrown out of the ceremony after they the Headmage soon found out it wasn't yours to begin with. For some reason, you felt pity and sorrow for Grim. “Well, that was quite the unexpected fracas. I hereby declare that orientation has concluded. Housewardens, please escort your students back to the dorms.

...Hm? Come to think of it, I don't see Housewarden Draconia of House Diasomnia anywhere.” Said the Headmage. The Boy with Lion Ears then said “And that surprises you? Dude's a total recluse.“ You found yourself hearing the others gossiping about this Draconia Guy, who even is he? “Ah. Just as I'd expected. I figured I'd come down and see for myself whether Malleus had made an appearance. But once again, he was evidently not informed that his presence was required at an official ceremony.“ stated the boy who you made eye contact with. You were in for a surprise after you heard his voice. You certainly did not expect someone like him to have such a deep voice. “You have my sincerest apologies. I assure you, this oversight was in no way intended as a snub.“ Azul said in an apologizing manner. The Boy with a Deep Voice sighed saying “No matter. All who were assigned to House Diasomnia, follow me. I just hope he doesn't sulk about this.” “Well, [Y/N]. This is a most unfortunate turn of events. I'm afraid that you will not be attending Night Raven Collage after all. Surely you realize that I cannot very well admit a student with no magical ability to my academy. But worry not. The Dark Mirror will see you safely home. Now, step into the gate, and visualize the place you whence you came.” You sighed in relief. “Phew, what a long dream this was.” “O Dark Mirror! Return this soul to where it belongs!” ....... “Ahem* L-let us, er...try this again. O Dark Mirror! Return this soul—” “There is no such place.” stated the Dark Mirror. You were met with such disappointment. How could this be? “Pardon?” The Headmage said in shock. “There is no place in this world where this soul belongs. None.” ...You looked around in fear, do you really have to stay in such a place? You met eye contact with the boy once again. You observed him carefully, seeing that he was surprised yet amused about what happened. “This has never happended throughout my long tenure. I must confess that I am at something of a loss. Tell me: From what land do you hail?” Asked the Headmage. “I'm from....” ........ The students started gossiping, you can hear whispers everywhere, only for your fear to rise up even more. You really aren't gonna stay in this place are you? Especially how others are already gossiping about you. This will definitely not be a good start...