#and the teacher would still deliberately SINGLE ME OUT

[cheeseanonioncrisps]

Okay, genuine question, can neurotypical people seriously just choose not to forget things via the magical power of "really caring about it", or was that just a myth invented by school teachers?

[otomes-world]

Interviewing witnesses

In the end, I'm still not sure about the outcome, but I don't want to delete or keep this post in drafts. If the characters don't look like themselves, I apologize. I haven't written dialogue for a long time. Just let me know and I'll add the OOC tag Prologue

Chasing two birds is not your style. Of course, you could have limited yourself to general information, briefly write about everything that was happening. However, your internal professionalism and the desire to do everything right, since you had already get half of payment, did their job. You decided to focus on one rumor and process it as well as you could. After all, the client did not specify what exactly and about whom they wanted to know.

Voluntarily getting involved in matters concerning royal families was like trying on the role of a beast tamer. The same one who stuck head into the open mouth of a lion or a tiger. In this case, a lion or a dragon. Not a very attractive prospect.

So you took the path that promised all the juiciest details, regardless of where the investigation led you. Whose rumor sounded the most interesting of all? Of course, about the head of Octavinelle, a young student from a decent family, consistently ranking high in grades and owning a thriving business on the college campus.

Whose deputy and his twin brother did different jobs.

The Coral Sea had long attracted with its mystery, a culture completely different from others. To contribute and become the discoverer of its secrets sounded too attractive to refuse.

Following the target directly was the last and most reckless thing to do. Of course, this way you could collect more reliable information from the first person, but the risks also increased many times over. There was no point in burning extra candles.

In addition, no one was stopping you from changing direction in case of failure and trying to find out about another rumor. For example, Ashengrotto himself. The secret that lay behind the promise to fulfill any desires was a sure-fire lottery ticket for any journalist. It's a pity that you didn't have your own publishing house. How exactly the customer was going to dispose of the received material was entirely their right. Your work ended exactly at the moment of handing over the treasured envelope.

The investigation began surprisingly standardly. Classic phrases thrown here and there to get a random student to talk didn't give you anything you hadn't heard.

A model student

Polite with teachers and others

Always with a friendly smile on face

However, keeping in mind the ingrained phrase 'the quietest ones turn out to be maniacs', you refused to give in. There was definitely more to this than met the eye. Of course, it was too early to talk about criminal inclinations, but there was a grain of truth in every rumor. To single it out from a ton of lies was the true reward.

"Huh? Leech?" Ace, whom you decided to pester during your joint punishment, reacted very characteristically. "If twins deliver what is left of you to Riddle, I will not grieve. What were you thinking-.. No, you weren't thinking at all"

"You sounds like I'm about to get into something dangerous," casually waving your brush so that excess paint flew to the sides, you gave Trappola an eloquent look.

"Don't do that here, I'm just curious," the boy parodied your voice, deliberately batting his eyelashes. "Save that crap for the head. The very last time you asked about Kingscholar-senpai, you returned to Heartslabyul flying by having received a kick in the ass"

Another swing, this time more directed, made Ace jump back, dodging the flying drops.

"Said the one who walked around the college with an anemone on his head."

"That's in the past--!"

"So what happened?"

The first year let out a sigh full of irritation, putting his hands on his hips and looking at you as if you were the embodiment of the word "problem". He could make any face he wanted if it meant he would open his mouth and tell you the details.

"There were so many students involved in this situation, but no one talked about it. Yuu is silent as well. What's the reason?" Each question was accompanied by a step forward, forcing Ace to take one step back. "Was it the principal's decision? Or is the content so embarrassing that you and Deuce agreed to never talk about it again?"

"How this--" Trappola tripped over a stone and fell with a loud thud. You tried your best to suppress a caustic grin, continuing to act like an eccentric student. "Ugh! If you're so interested, go pester Leech yourself. I refuse to participate in this, no-no-no. Get up and go find trouble yourself."

Blowing a strand of hair that fell into your eyes, you straightened up, looking at the almost painted roses. So the role of a exentric student didn't work. Well, it wasn't a great loss. You just need to choose a different type. One that won't arouse suspicion and won't contradict the current one.

Throwing the brush into the bucket of paint, you walked steadily to change, ignoring Ace's indignant cries.

Jade Leech's image was a perfect cover for your next step in gathering more personal information. Of course, who could blame you for "suddenly realizing you're in love"? Many people. Especially the trio of first years, looking at you as if you've finally lost your mind. As if Riddle's punishments had knocked out the last functioning brain cells from your head.

Now the other students, looking at you added new labels "Idiot in Love" and "Love is Really Blind". Even though at first you wanted to quietly and peacefully collect material and disappear, a new wave of rumors about you untied your hands. Reputation was a small price to pay for freedom of action.

To be honest, you didn't doubt for a second that Leech knew about everything. As an experienced detective, you noticed things that others usually turned a blind eye to. How his polite smile never left his face, but his eyes narrowed into knowing slits, forcing you to re-check the mask on your face. Perhaps he was amused by your performance, or perhaps he simply did not consider you worthy of attention. A hindrance that could exist exactly until it began to interfere into his deals.

However, as long as he did not come personally, you could let him think whatever he wanted.

"Who else," you allowed a smile to bloom on your face. "You probably know about my… feelings. How embarrassing," you continued to play the student in love, touching your cheeks with your hands and looking away. "I want to prepare a gift for your vice-leader. Could you answer me a few questions? If you don't mind, of course!"

"I'm sorry, please wait!" You were pursuing another goal. This time it was Octavinelle A student. He looked like an easy target and was unlikely to blab too much.

"Y-yes?" The boy looked around nervously, but fortunately stopped. "Are you talking to me?"

"Me? Y-you mean me?" The boy glanced down the empty corridor once more, and then his eyes widened in fear. "S-sorry, I'll go!"

You let the mask fall from your face for a moment, watching the student run away, as if he was afraid for his life. Feeling movement behind you, you turned around abruptly. There stood Jade himself with a grin. He smiled like that only when talking to Azul or Floyd, planning something what you were trying so hard to find out.

"Good afternoon," you tried to smooth over the previous reaction. "Can I help you with something?"

"Aren't you the one who needs my help, Name-san?" The tone of his voice was soft and calm, but the sparkle in his eyes gave away something completely different. "You wanted to talk about me or should I say about us. Please, correct me if I'm wrong."

"Oh, but you're absolutely right!" It was too late to retreat, if you had to play the role, then until the very end. "Speaking so directly is beyond my strength, forgive me for having such a weak heart. I swear, I was planning anything bad! Really!"

"By searching for and collecting information about me?" He took a step forward while you forced yourself to stand still. "Interviewing your classmates and other students?"

"I just wanted to get to know you better," it wasn't really a lie. "I didn't think it was right to bother you with such trifles. I apologize if I caused you any inconvenience with my actions."

You looked down guiltily at the floor, secretly hoping that your acting was good enough. You mentally ran through the possible outcomes of events in your head. If he convincingly asked you to stop, even better. You would have to revise your role and add a few details, but nothing complicated.

What? For a second, you lost control of your facial expression again, allowing genuine surprise to show.

"I admit honestly, you really added troubles to my plate," you allowed yourself to glance at the young man who continued to tower over you. Contrary to popular belief, this was the first time you were standing so close, and therefore his height made you feel very small. "If you were so interested in me, instead of being content with information from others, you could have approached me personally."

"What do you mean?"

The phrase was said more for the sake of it, to buy some time and come up with a solution.

"Oh, it's so sudden," you touched your cheeks with your hands again, hiding your darting gaze. "This is a joke, right? You're not going to play with a fragile heart in love, are you?"

"Fufufu," Jade only chuckled, touching his chin with hand and baring sharp teeth in a smile, while everything inside you went cold. "You, let me remind, mentioned to others your little crush, am I right?" You nodded mechanically. "What if I express my desire, just like yours, to get to know you better?"

A gloved hand took one of your palms away from your face, forcing you to straighten up and look forward. It was a miracle you didn't snatch it away that second, allowing him to hold your hand and even brush his lips against it in a light kiss.

"Is that enough to dispel all your fears, Name-san?"

There was an unspoken, 'you add another one,' hanging in the air, but you forced yourself to smile as if he had said the sweetest thing in the world. You glanced back furtively, horrified at how long his shadow was, and how it had completely swallowed up yours.

The question of whether you should continue farce for the sake of work remained open.

[billlydear]

hi! can i request some hcs for billy dating a cheerleader? welcome btw!!

HC - BILLY HARGROVE DATING A CHEERLEADER

W.C 797 - INBOX (please request) - MINORS DNI WITH SMUT - CREDIT TO GIF OWNER

Awww thanks!

He definitely thinks you're gorgeous at first, but he might not be all too serious about it in the beginning. Sure, he came up to you and flirted it up, but it was probably for a hookup at first, let's be honest.

you do hookup with him that night, and you end up doing something that he's never tried before. You let him tie you up, you reapplied lipstick before sucking him off so that your kiss marks are on his cock, you scratched up his back, whatever it is, he wants more.

either way, he's hooked on you. he suffers through school the next day until he has a class he shares with you, and then he's plopping down beside you, kicking your normal seat partner to his spot in the back of the class.

you give him a cautious glance, a sort of 'what are you doing here?', and all he does is grin at you in reply.

throughout the class he's relentless. he's offering you gum, then chewing his really loud by your ear. he'll ask to borrow a pen from you, then use it to doodle on your paper. he knocks his foot into yours under the desk then pats your thigh to apologize. his hand stays there for way longer than it needs to, though, he just rests it there and leans back in his chair, zoning out while the teacher rambles. he probably smokes out the window, and makes a point of blowing the smoke away from you. he offers you a drag, though, and you shake your head vehemently. he just chuckles, mumbling that he 'thought so'

when the class is finally over you jump up and gather your things, because you're so certain that now that you've slept with him he's just going to keep making fun of you. you're worried you're his new target, so when he follows after you, his messenger bag clutched in his hand, you rush away as fast as you can

'Y/N,' He shouts, 'Y/N, stop!'

and unfortunately, you have to stop by your locker, which gives him ample time to catch up to you. you try burying yourself in the locker but he leans against the door, blocking your path to the exit doors of the hallway

"What's your deal?" He's still chewing gum, and he looks infuriatingly attractive as he gazes down at you with a furrowed brow and a smirk

"Billy," You sign, gathering your books, "I really didn't mean to start anything. I thought it was just- I dunno, a hookup."

"I mean it was," He nods, his blonde curls bouncing against the smooth metal of your locker, "But I figured we could have, like, a thing."

"A thing?" You echo, clutching your books tight to your chest.

"Yeah, a thing," He agrees, reaching for the stack and taking them into his own hands. He tucks them under his arm, and slings the other one around your shoulder, "Do you want a thing with me?"

"Do you want a thing with me?"

"Of course I do," He scoffs, kicking your locker door shut as he leads you out towards the doors, "That's why I'm asking."

You deliberate for a minute, trying to figure out if he was being genuine or not. But as he leads you away from the bus stop that you usually sit at and towards his own car, you nod carefully, "Yeah. I want a thing with you, Billy."

okay but dating him would be sooo nice as a cheerleader, bc you're both like a power couple together

you cheer at allll his games, and he always makes a point to run over and kiss you on time outs

when he's benched he sits you on his lap, and he holds his hands over your thighs in the tiny little skirt, seeing how high up he can go before you stop him because of the crowd watching

he drives you home every single day, and stops for milkshakes along the way

he makes you get strawberry so that he can get chocolate and then you kiss and it's chocolate strawberry

he definitely wants you to wear the skirt as often as possible

when he's absolutely certain you're alone he'll mimic your cheering, grabbing your pom poms and shouting made up cheers in a high-pitched voice to make you laugh

he enjoys how flexible you are as a result of your hobby ;)

he always always always takes your cheer bag for you ! he slings it over his shoulder and walks you to his car after practice

which he sits and watches, by the way

he'll help you stretch sometimes too, but it's really just so that he can grab your thighs and spread your legs ;)

[bookreviewcoffee]

The Secret History Novel by Donna Tartt

From the very prologue, the author plunges us into a key event that served as a turning point in the main character's life. This very well sets the mood of the whole book, and as you read, the summary is already in your mind, so we gradually see how everything actually comes to him.

Very cleverly the author intertwines all acute social themes: alcohol and drug addiction, parental indifference or violence, rich people who are simply ashamed to go to work - the difference in the financial situation of estates; the theme of same-sex love, incest, psychological deviations, suicidal moments and the standard of love, betrayal, friendship, etc.

I still can't decide for myself exactly what was the point of no return for the guys, what exactly had such an impact, why things turned out this way. There is no one to blame: Henry or Julian - I have only two options. However, if you start reasoning, all their actions can be assessed and justified. A child of wealthy parents and an arrogant teacher (has ancient Greek driven everyone crazy?!). But all the events, the characters' choices, and their relationships add up to a final picture, which, it seems, cannot be put together in any other way.

I definitely enjoyed it, I can't take that away. Despite the sheer number of pages, there wasn't a single one that was boring or didn't bring any reader satisfaction. That said, I was a little disappointed. It's understandable that when a story is told by only one of the characters, one shouldn't dream of revealing the others as much as one would like, but still. There was just a little bit missing for me, except that even that drop felt a thousand times more meaningful than it should have. What was going on in the twins' lives, what Francis was missing, what Henry was really like. These questions kept swarming in my head and kept me from fully savoring what I had written.

It turned out to be a kind of "confession of a murderer". Although the protagonist did not forgive himself for deliberately taking the life of his comrade.

@arcanewraith @ancientsstudies @abernathyvalois @silverystardustt

[idontwanttospoiltheparty]

An (incredibly long) "I want"-style song dedicated to the most unruly of trios: John Lennon, Paul McCartney, and George Harrison.

The setting is the late 50's – it's deliberately a bit of a mish-mash :-)

Lyrics below the cut!

John: Green

Paul: Blue

George: Purple

P&G: Pink

J&P: Red

JP&G: Neutral

Liverpool gave up on me the first day of preschool

Teachers called me unruly cause I don't suffer fools

And my aunt who says she can't believe I’d throw it all away

Quarrybank, that school for cranks suspended me the other day

All those lads who quit this band to learn a proper trade

Think that I don't understand the facts of getting paid

But you both see,

It's them not me, it's us and this here prophecy

Do you see us five years on – well

Maybe three, that's sort of long

As they're writhing for our songs

And “Your group's on now, John "

Earning some preposterous wage

Free of this less-town-more-cage

As we enter center-stage

In our gold disk age

And the birds will have to queue

For a single peck at you

Then, emboldened by the view

Watch them molt on cue

And all we need is not to quit,

They'll call us Great Britain's

Newest stars, brand new guitars, guaranteed not to split

Picture us: the favourite band

With a record deal in hand

Going deaf from screaming fans

As per my new masterplan

Where we going, fellas? Where we going?

Where we going, fellas? Where we going?

(To the topper-most of popper-most of popper, to the topper)

To the toppermost of the poppermost!

I hear music in my head

Wherever I go

It's like it's bursting out my soul

It's something I cannot control

Meanwhile I can't drop this tune

Every night When I get home

I watch dad roll his eyes

"Heard of this thing called a comb? "

I sigh as he implies

That mum would be

So unhappy and so disappointed in me

However inopportune

There's a decade dawning soon

Shooting for the moon

And John may seem unreasonable

But his dream is feasible

Sometimes yes, guess he's a gull

I'll appease him though

And then I see how for we're come

Joined, we're greater than our sum

See, the rhythm's in the strum

Of the guitars and then some

Playing my part in your vision, I'll

Grab a pen, so much to discover

Let's produce another

Lennon-McCartney original

See the day John and me met

And Yes George, I didn't forget!

We become a matching set

Writing tete-a-tete

Where we going, Johnny? Where we going?

Where we going, Johnny? Where we going?

(To the topper-most of popper-most of popper, to the toppermost)

And where do I fit in?

And when do I come in?

Is there a spot for me at the

To the toppermost of the poppermost!

I'm the youngest, there's no day when they let me forget

But the part Paul will not say: I'm their safest bet

See the fact is they don’t practice systematically like me

I know my chord charts, strings, fretboard, parts of my soul, sorted by key.

Still the world is their playground

And I am watching from the fence

I can't yet jump with confidence

But mum taught me about patience

I still feel Julia's arms around me every time I play

What would my mum say? (She tells me)

Anything I set my mind to  (She taught me everything)

The heights I'll climb to (She wanted everything)

My time soon

Anything to prove I'm worth it (Wouldn’t approve)

Move the earth, they'll learn…

I had to learn to be the only one believing in me

And ever since she's gone, I can hardly stand it (Mum says I can stand it)

No one understanding (Don’t quite understand it)

The thing she saw in me

And dad, he just wants me to be practical

She’d call me her rebel without applause and tell me

Just keep making noise, always play in your own key

I will wait patiently

He may believe in me but not my choice

They will have no choice but to love me

Where we going fellas? Where we going?

To the toppermost of the poppermost!

Insert band name here.

Liverpool has no idea what’s coming

Liverpool will never be the same

They’ll put up posters of us

Like on this truck

John, that’s a bus!

Put your glasses on, Jesus!

And dad will be non-plussed when

Walking down the street he’ll see John (John), Paul, George (George) of the…

Johnny and the Moondogs… What! Definitely not. The Shoes!

The Quarrymen… Nononononono, JaPaGe3!

Liverpool has no idea what’s coming

Liverpool will never be the same

When they all see us one as three the blasphemous song trinity.

Everybody’s bitching

Where’s that old ambition

That got you essay prizes and into the institute?

I’m not a delinquent

I’ve just been rethinking

No one realizes I’m still just as resolute

Just keep making noise

Always play in your own key

They will have no choice

But to love me

Anything I set my mind to

The heights I’ll climb to

My time soon

Anything to prove I’m worth it

Move the earth

They’ll learn from me.

Where we going, fellas? Where we going?

Where we going, Johnny?

Where we going, fellas? Where we going?

(To the topper-most of popper-most of popper, to the topper)

And where do I fit in and when do I come in?

Toppermost of the poppermost.

[queeenpersephone]

hii stopping by to say I absolutely adore every single one of your x files fics <3 in this metallic silence in particular has a special place in my heart

omg hii!!! this is what i get for never checking my inbox lol i totally missed this, thank you so much!! <3 here's a little piece of something i'm working on, if you're interested. it's an au based on a movie called 'never been kissed'

warning: a 26 year old character berates themselves for thinking an 18 year old character is beautiful - but they're not actually 18, they're undercover ;) if that squicks you though, you won't like this <3

Fox Mulder’s life is good, albeit boring. His job is one he likes, but not loves. He knows where he stands with his students, his girlfriend, and his bimonthly calls to his mother. It’s enough. 

It’s a Tuesday, a cold, snowy day in February, second period AP Psychology, when everything changes. 

It’s rare that anyone knocks on the door to his classroom. He’s known as a pretty chill guy; his students slip in and out as long as they keep up their grades, and several students who are working on personal projects with his guidance come in at will during their free periods. He even has a cozy nook set up for them in the back of his classroom. 

Still, he calls for the unknown knocker to enter, and when he looks over to see who it is, his world goes a little blurry. It’s a young redheaded woman, perhaps a year or two younger than him, so mid-to-late twenties, an oversized, tan jacket thrown casually over her arm with wet patches where snow has melted. Her hair is a little tousled, and he spots the culprit easily: a beanie lying on top of the coat. Her posture is straight, her expression serious, and he immediately pegs her as some sort of black suit, government employee type. Only, she has a tote bag thrown over her shoulder, not a briefcase, with her car keys twined in her fingers. Mulder’s first thought is that she’s astonishingly beautiful. His second is that the abstinence motivational speaker is not due for another week. 

“Fox Mulder,” he greets as he strides over, reaching out his hand to shake hers. She returns the gesture with a firm, but warm, handshake. Her palms are shockingly soft. 

“Hello,” she murmurs, her voice low and deliberate. 

“You must be Pam. I didn’t think you were coming until next week, but I suppose I can let you do your thing a little early,” he rambles, not letting go of her hand. His class looks on with amusement. 

“Mr. Mulder-”

“Just Mulder, please. I can just head over to the teacher’s lounge -” 

“Mr. Mulder,” she interrupts firmly, and he can just feel his chances slipping away. He already feels like a bastard; Diana had asked him just last night to be exclusive, and yet he’s willing to risk it all for this beautiful motivational speaker who’s about to preach abstinence to his class of students who would never practice it.  

Her hand slips from his. 

“I think you have me confused with someone else,” she says quietly, fixing him with a small smile. “My name is Dana Scully. I’m a transfer student, and AP Psychology is my second period.” 

Oh no. He’s not a bastard. He’s just an absolute idiot and lecher that’s been eying his eighteen year old student. He feels a faint wave of nausea, swallowing hard.

Just then, her composure fades for a moment, and her eyes begin to twinkle. “But fair’s fair. You should call me Scully.”  

“Nice to meet you, Scully,” he manages to pull together in the wake of his blunder. She does look young, but not that young. He takes a brief moment to lock any thoughts of beauty away. Instead, he redirects: she looks sweet. A new student with a self-possession and a good sense of humor. “Welcome to AP Psychology,” he adds firmly. “I think I have an extra textbook if you haven’t been by the library-” He watches as she pulls the textbook out of her bag, sticky notes already protruding from the chapter they’re on, along with a recommended text that he’s sure no other student has even considered buying. She smirks at him, and he stops talking. “When’s the apocalypse?” He says dryly. 

“Depends on which culture you ask,” she responds, crisp and clear, and he swallows hard. His faint hope that she had been held back, and perhaps is closer to twenty at least to make him feel better about this own mind, fades away. She’s witty, quick on her feet, with an unusual spark of confidence and intelligence in her eye. There’s no way this girl would allow herself to fail a grade.

Pushing aside his thoughts, he directs her to an empty desk and rebegins his lecture for her benefit. “Okay, so as you all know, criminal psychology is not on the AP exam.” Groans circle the room again, but Scully just raises her eyebrow. “However, it’s what I studied in college, so we’ll do a fun unit to warm you guys up after Winter Break.” He pauses, scanning the room. “Any questions?” 

No one raises a hand, so he leans back on his desk, beginning the lecture. “Can anyone tell me what a serial killer is?” 

Monica raises a hand, and he calls on her. “Someone with a high body count,” she offers. 

Mulder chuckles. “Fair enough. And why do they do it? Any guesses?” 

“They’re clearly just evil,” Jeffery throws out without raising a hand. 

“Okay, Jeff,” he says, laughing internally at Spender’s face at his hated nickname. That’s what he gets by speaking out of turn, “that’s one theory: nature.” 

“Because they were hurt as kids?” Katie offers after Mulder nods at her to proceed. “Like they had a bad upbringing?” 

“Yes, also a possibility. It could also be a combination. How so?” 

Everyone avoids eye contact. “It’s okay,” Mulder smiles, turning to flip his projector on. “This is a little advanced-” 

“Neuroscience,” Scully says, and he stops short. Turning back to face the class, he gives his new student his full attention despite her speaking out of turn. 

“Go on,” he urges her, curious. 

Scully takes a deep breath. “From a neuroscientific perspective, it is hypothesized that the neural networks that encode for deviant fantasies follow a certain, unique pattern of activation. One hypothesis that has been posited is the pathological neural watermark hypothesis, which suggests that once a fantasy has been enacted, it becomes an autobiographical memory, which requires a specific pattern of activation, usually through exposure to a related item. This elicits an emotional response.”

Mulder just stares at her. 

“That's the reason why investigators, during interviews, hold with them items that they know will elicit the fantasy in the suspect, hence make it more likely for him to show deviant behavior.”

“Him?” John Doggett asks from beside her, clearly as awestruck as Mulder himself is. 

Scully treats his question seriously, turning to her classmate and speaking with a lecturelike, knowledgeable tone that Mulder has only heard from his college professors. “Current cases show that women account for between five to seven percent of serial killers,” she says. “In profiling, you might make an educated guess.” 

Mulder sits back on his desk but leans in, narrowing in on this new apparent serial killer expert. He tilts his head, and the rest of the room seems to fade away. “Well, Scully, when might you not rule out the possibility of a female serial killer?” He asks.

“When money or power are clear motivators,” she responds without skipping a beat. “Gratification and pleasure are likely to be much farther down on the motivation list for female serial killers than men,” she pauses here, the corner of her mouth twitching up as she pretends to ignore the awe of the boys around her for finding a way to bring up what's always on their minds in a high school classroom. “We females tend to take a more pragmatic approach to killing people off,” she adds, smoothing her face out until it is expressionless, though her words certainly suggest some fire. 

Mulder ignores the teenage twittering and laughter from the edges of his vision. “Are you saying women can’t be interested in... gratification or pleasure enough to kill for it?” He argues.

Scully scoffs. “I am not saying any such thing. I’m making a generalization. In reality, when time is of the essence to prevent an UNSUB from committing another crime, generalizations are appropriate. There are, of course, those who do not fit the pattern.” 

Mulder wants to push this new, fascinating student harder. He’s glad she’s brilliant and stubborn, because it makes all thoughts of how pretty she is fade for good. His thoughts from when she first stepped into his presence feel distant now, and he feels nothing but excitement to have someone who is willing to argue with him, to push back against him. He opens his mouth to continue, but he flinches at the sound of Principal Blevins coming over the intercom. 

“Will Coach Colton please report to the main office. I repeat, will Coach Colton please report to the main office.”

“It’s probably about that harassment charge,” Monica murmurs under her breath, and Mulder tells her to hush despite agreeing with her. 

“For those of you that are unaware,” he adds, carefully, “UNSUB stands for unknown subject. It’s a term used by the FBI to refer to an unknown perpetrator of a crime. How’d you come across it, Dana?”

“Scully,” she repeats, those for the first time, she looks discombobulated. There’s a color to her cheeks, and she avoids his direct gaze. “It’s a topic I’m interested in, I suppose,” she adds, and Mulder’s brows furrow at the small tell-tales of misdirection. But why would she lie about something so innocent? 

“Fair enough,” he offers, letting her off the hook, before turning to start the projector for the second time. This time, he’s successful.

“Okay, let’s talk about the nature versus nurture idea…”

[fantasyinvader]

I think something that clicked for me is the whole teacher angle, as well as how the game handles giving out information. The game asks you to guide your students, and in turn is trying (in spite of the translation) to guide the player as well. That the game itself is a lesson in how to be moral, but rather than spell that out it instead wants the player to figure this out for themselves. We know from the devs interviews they deliberately designed the game and story so that the player would not find out everything in a single playthrough,

The game wants players to piece everything together by working together. Hell, in essence even understanding Houses requires the player to rely on others in defiance of Edelgard's philosophy rather than playing the game over and over again. The game doesn't want to tell us it's moral, it wants us to figure it out by thinking.

Let's look at it with the fact that the devs said they only expected players to finish 1-2 routes of the game. They expected most players to pick the Black Eagles house, either because Edelgard initially was supposed to come off like the obvious hero or because she's a cute girl. However, they said that siding with her is about having different beliefs than the rest of the game and ultimately lead to oppression because, surprise, she's the one playing the part of the villain. How does this work then?

Well, for starters her own route makes it clear that she's a very manipulative person, keeping her allies in the dark while telling them lies to make herself look good. Silver Snow backs this up in Japan, with her actually saying she was attempting to sway the player to her side. This would also explain the inconsistencies between her character arc in Safflower and the route's endings, she effectively faked character growth for PR purposes and even her supports are about her managing to bring people around to supporting her and her ideals. However, what she does in the endings is more in line with the ideals she spouts in Azure Moon during the parley. Those ideals, however, were informed by her understanding of Fodlan's history as well as her experiences with the experiments, which is contradicted by Verdant Wind giving the players and alternate account as well as outright saying Edelgard was manipulated into going to war. This is backed up by Flower, as we learn Edelgard's version of history was passed down to her from her father after Hubert had already revealed that he was an Agarthan puppet and directly contradicted Edelgard's claims about who was behind the experiments and how she should have told you this, which brings us back to her being manipulative and trying to sway the player to her side. On top of that, it shows she misunderstands Fodlan much like Claude, but Claude was able to see that his views were based on first impressions and how wrong it was to hate people without getting to know them.

Rather than saying all that, the game expects us to figure this all out ourselves. That we are supposed to fight Edelgard as the game was written around Silver Snow and it's story. It's why it frames the choices that lead to joining Edelgard, to have different beliefs that the rest of the game, as “changing the story.” Silver Snow is the natural progression of events, on the same level as Moon and Wind. It's the moral path in light of the reveal of what Edelgard has been up to.

You are a freaking teacher. You're meant to guide your students, help them become fine upstanding adults, not let them guide you.

I mean, it still leads to a frustrating game. The reveal happens and then the game pretty much puts Edelgard's real mask back on. Characters will explain things that directly contradict her, or even have legit reasons why joining her would go against their character or backstories. People learn revelations but seemingly forget about them. All because the game wants us to figure it all out ourselves. That it doesn't want to tell us what to think, but rather tell us how to think as pretentious as that sounds. And hell, that's probably the reason why the translators got things so wrong because the game was telling them X but when we were supposed to pick up Y which contradicts it and use it to figure out Z. Convoluted to say the least.

[emry-stars-art]

This royal au is making me insane. If you wouldn’t mind I’m wondering how Abram got the scars in this au?

Of course! Please come join my club of being totally rational and normal about royal aus

Since he was only “on the run” for about what. Two minutes between taking out his partner and Day bringing him in, all of the scars and injury Abram starts this storyline with are from 1) the other knights/fighters/trainees at Evermore or 2) from Grand Prince Riko and Nathan themselves. I’ll get into some vague but nasty details below, please take care.

The system at Evermore Castle I think was a lot less organized than the canon Nest, mostly by necessity - it takes a lot more people to run a kingdom than an exy team - and so while the Wesnisnkis are a favored family they aren’t always given special treatment. Abram received special training and Nathan assured his son wouldn’t fall behind a single one of the competition. After and between that, Abram/Nathaniel was set out to practice and train against the rest, and the rest were allowed and even encouraged to try and take Abram out and take his place as favored by the Moriyama family. Most of Abram’s knowledge of how to take a life quickly and quietly (because we all know that wasn’t the way he was taught formally) I think came from when any of his superiors made him kill a failed attacker, one that Abram had caught or incapacitated before they got to him. This was when he’d ‘learn from his own mistakes’ the quickest.

The ones from Riko were, of course, mostly for amusement. He probably thought it was incredibly entertaining to be able to hold one of the single most dangerous men in the kingdom still with just a few words. He liked that Nathaniel couldn’t touch him, physically or metaphorically, no matter what he did. Nathaniel never met Kevin Day because Day had no desire to even see the things the Wesninskis did, much less torment one of them. But I think he had Riko’s face memorized.

Nathan’s were “to teach”, he said. The second best way to make sure Nathaniel didn’t repeat a mistake twice. If he didn’t perform well enough, or if he refused to do something demanded of him, or if Nathan needed to make sure Nathaniel would remember a technique or a lesson. He subscribed to the idea that experience is the best teacher; and yes, Abram knows now exactly how much force you can use before a finger breaks.

So I guess at the beginning there could be technically less scars in number and variety, because Abram had less genuine accidents at Evermore than Neil would have on the run in canon. It’s just that all the ones he has here are deliberate and essentially inescapable.

I still haven’t decided what might happen exactly if/when the Moriyamas catch up to him. But if they can get Abram back to Evermore, they’re going to be pretty determined to break him until he’s subdued and obedient, as intended, by any means possible.

[tamelee]

hi tamelee :) i’ve been thinking a lot recently about how fucked up konoha really is (i won’t go as far as saying everyone there is a bad person) but aspects of the shinobi system is so fucked up. even everything with the uchiha clan. like konoha was literally made to bring peace between the senju and the uchiha. and when the first hokage was chosen to be a senju, the uchiha said and did nothing in opposition. but despite everything, the senju still commanded more trust and respect than the uchiha. and the second hokage (who i strongly believe should’ve been an uchiha but alas was just another senju. like how have there been eight hokages with not a single one of them have been an uchiha. which have literally been said to be one of two strongest clans there) passed on the konoha military police onto the uchiha. which only made it so that the uchiha would have less of an impact on the konoha government. the uchiha were said to be rightfully pissed but they did nothing. as in nothing bad. and then the real kicker was the nine tailed demon fox’s attack. their sharingan would have helped much better on the demon fox but where were they forced off to out of unevidenced suspicions? to patrol the borders. and so many people see naruto’s dad’s sacrifice as this big sacrifice (which it was) but THERE WAS LITERALLY NO NEED. they didn’t let one of the strongest clans to help and then praise the sacrifice that had to happen because of it. naruto was forced to live with a literal demon inside of him and two dead parents. the uchiha were right to want to revolt. they’ve done nothing but serve konoha only to be met with suspicion and distrust. and of course everyone knows what happened after that (the uchiha massacre). i will never understand boruto because how does aasuke go from hating konoha and literally saying that he would never forgive them to saying that he was out his life down for konoha. sounds like bad writing. because part 1 and 2 but mainly part2, we see naruto understanding how fucked up things are. BUT NOTHINGS CHANGED. naruto became hokage and we see that nothing has changed. and that’s not an attack on naruto but i think kishinoto sees nothing wrong with konoha. either that or he can’t write another naruto with boruto if things start changing.

and that was only one example. not to mention the chunin exams where literal kids are met with the very real possibility of death and the teachers barely even act like it’s a big deal. like it’s an entire system based on the death of teenagers. and yeah they “have the option” of not partaking but look at the numbers that partake year after year. oh and then the hyuga clan. i could literally go on.

i’m sorry that was so unprovoked and probably doesn’t make any sense. i was talking to someone else in the naruto fandom and it honestly baffles me how rude some people get towards people who hold different opinions. and i love that you don’t so i really wanted to know your opinions. (i’m gonna be completely honest, i just rambling. I don’t even know what I wrote so it’s totally understandable if you don’t want to answer)

Hi~ 💕

Definitely. Well, It wasn’t that Konoha had to be built so Senju and Uchiha could be at peace, it was Senju and Uchiha putting aside their differences and becoming allies that Konoha could exist in the first place. Regardless, it’s fucked what happened to the Uchiha and I would’ve like to see one have become Hokage also. 

‘M not sure where they were during the attack. Itachi said their parents were ‘out’. Any other info came from that Shinden novel which has many mistakes in it also, screwing up the Akatsuki timeline even more. Keeping them out may have been a deliberate choice to keep any ‘suspicion’ up for the reader if there was any. Yeah those are major problems with anything that came after the original story, huh? In order to even make place for it they had to shift the world/system problems towards Aliens. (It also brushes aside all the pain characters had to endure because of it since "it was never a problem if it doesn't exist!" which pisses me off.) That way, Sasuke’s “they only worked together because they had a common enemy” and Naruto’s “we can all work together” both hold true, but in the cheapest, most lousy, awful, second-rate rotten way possible. It’s hateful. Nothing needs to change for the ‘Boruto-verse’ if you just change the way things work. That’s why it’s not the same world, not the same rules and certainly not a continuation of that which we’ve come to know and love. Because if we follow the original story, then both Naruto and Sasuke would’ve had to work their asses off to make it happen even if there suddenly are a bunch of aliens. I even would’ve understood Sasuke’s “I’d give my life for Konoha” because it wouldn’t be just about the village, it would be because they’re working on their dream. Because Naruto being Hokage would be important and meaningful. They would’ve made progress so this ‘Konoha’ wouldn’t even be the Konoha we knew anymore- things would’ve changed, but it didn’t. Now, Sasuke saying it rightfully feels off. A straight up lie. Naruto claiming the village is ‘family’ just the same. He doesn’t say it because he means it, he said it literally parroting previous Hokage ‘because the Third always said so’. All meaning is lost man. But yeah it’s not their fault. The posts blaming Naruto for the shitshow that is the sequel are so ridiculous lmao. Anyway, like you, I could go on about it as well 🤷🏻‍♀️

[certified-bi]

A Phone Call

The ringing split the uneasy peace, the kind of peace that has an undercurrent of someone holding their breath and hoping that the shadows in the dark aren't to be realized. Sam opened her eyes and took a moment to check the room to make sure it was the same as when she went to sleep. The glow of the dim lamp, and man she needed to get a new bulb, showed the other bed was the same mess of sheets and blankets Will always left it, her uniform hung up on the leftmost of her hooks with her work shoes directly under it, the dressers had the same arrangement of shower and personal items as always, and the dust around the phone undisturbed next to the lamp as it should be. She honestly didn't think it could ring given it hadn't in the year and change she had been assigned to this building, and she always used the main office phone to make outgoing calls since Ginger and mom always wanted to talk really early in the morning or in the later evening. She grabbed the phone with her glasses clothe and was cut off from even saying hello.

"Sammy my teacher is making us debate about the humanity of doppelgangers because Derek is a bastard and what if she makes me talkIcan'tthinkaboutitwithoutcryingandIcan'tcryinfront-"

"Ginger, you have to breathe for me." After a few gasping breaths turn into a steadier pattern, "Okay... so your teacher wants you to debate on if doppelgangers are people?"

After a pause and what sounds like a few sniffles, "Mhm, Miss Toner said it was an interesting idea."

Sam honestly didn't know what to do with that. Technically there was nothing illegal about a private school teacher covering the subject even if it was in poor taste. She had heard the hushed debates about whether it was simple mimicry for survival or true thoughts and sapience that explained how close to human the doppelgangers were able to get. If the doppelgangers were thinking beings like humans, was the D.D.D. humane? She had found this thought process naive at best. The kind of thoughts from people who didn't have their childhood ended by watching a doppelganger eat someone they knew and then display sickening mockery to plead not to be hurt with blood still on their lips. To be scolded as if her real father wasn't a corpse behind her, and her little sister's sobbing wasn't-

Pursing her lips and pinching her thigh, she pushed that line of thinking away. It wouldn't do any good to get stuck in that moment now. That's not what Ginger needed. She caught enough of the end of the explanation to fill in what she had tuned out for.

"And so, she said it technically fit in the philosophy part of the course." There was a pause and Sam knew the next question would break her heart before it was even spoken, "Is it... is it bad I want them gone? Does it make me evil?"

Sam deliberately softened her voice and her rage with a deep breath before answering. "Gingerbread I've never seen a single one that didn't try to harm a human even if it wasn't caught. They're killers and they enjoy it." Maybe it was harsh to lay it out like that but unfortunately it was true.

It took a few stutter stops for Ginger to get through her next words. "I-I know. I remember d- I remember. I just feel like I'm losing it with so many other kids nodding along."

And wasn't that the rub? In sending her sister to a safer school, she had doomed her to be one of the few kids with personal experience with doppels. Sure the other kids knew about them in theory, but with them having the best technology and security in the region, even being able to do DNA tests regularly, came the reality that people rich enough to attend were rich enough that when news broke of the doppels they were firmly far away from the threat using everyone else as a buffer. Still... given the choice again she'd do it every single time. Ginger being teary eyed after school was far better than having her experiencing what Anastacha had the month prior seeing a doppel of her mother putting another doorman into retirement right after school. God that had been a bad day to top the many other bad days that made up their lives.

"I know. Your classmates don’t... they don't get it. But you don't have to be present for that debate. I'll make sure of it." Even if she had to get every parent and staff member on the phone before the next day's classes started.

"Thanks Sammy you're the best." And there was the worst part of this whole conversation. The fact her sister had to feel grateful that she didn't have to debate the humanity of her father's killer.

"Of course. Why don't you call mom and I'll get this sorted?" A few more parting words and she was left in the silence of the workers’ quarters. The building hadn't been built with a doorman in mind and it was clear that the room had once been part of a lobby. The beige rug was just a few inches short on each edge to cover the full floor, but that only served to highlight the pattern on the floor and the way it clearly continued into the hallway but ended along the back wall. The ceiling was so high that they hadn't even bothered attaching a light to it. All of it combined into a feeling of liminality that summed up her life fairly well. Staring at the opposite wall for a few minutes she started to plan out her next moves.

The next night and early morning would be full of calls, worried simpering and carefully placed threats she had no way to back up, but the person on the other side of them had no way to know. No one was sure just how much power any given agent or contractor of D.D.D. was given so as long as she walked the line of believability and actual ramifications with grace no one would call her on her bluff. And at the end it was worth it to know that the lesson had been pulled to an optional essay because after all the school didn't want to risk the wrath of the parents who funded them nor the government being... concerned about their legitimacy. ---- Thank you to my beta @dqrshrtck. Further Context for Will & Sam

AO3

[rubykgrant]

I did some touch-ups and adjustments to the drawing of my twin characters, Ian and Eli! I first thought of them when I was about 18, and drew this when I was in my 20s (I was practicing what would eventually become my simplified almost-chibi style). Ian is the one in the hoodie, and Eli is wearing the jacket. They were very much "baby's first on-purpose gay characters" (had some other characters who I was, y'know, subconsciously coding, but that would take a while to figure out~). They're 24 at this point of their lives, share an apartment together, and work in the same shopping center area (Ian at a cafe, Eli at a bookstore). The story with them is deliberately a slice-of-life one, because I always tend to turn everything into some kind of crazy magic/sci-fi/destiny nonsense; this is just them living life, no super powers, no dragons, no ghosts… but is still filled with emotional moments, happy and sad.

I had fun working out what they have in common, and what makes the unique. Ian is more of a cheerful social butterfly, while Eli is an over-thinker who worries too much (also, when they were younger, Eli was the first one to realize he was gay, but Ian was the first to come out and say it). Eventually, they find boyfriends; Ian starts dating Henry (a hunky model/actor, who is also very down-to-earth), while Eli starts dating Paul (somebody who tries hard to seem cool, but is very sensitive)

I won’t be coy; I first came up with them when I was about 18 and had a weird dream that I was hanging out with Wallace Wells from Scott Pilgrim, and he was introducing me to his friends who happened to be twins that were both gay- hey, two siblings can both be straight, and sometimes two siblings can both be gay! When I woke up, I liked those two twins, so I started making a story with them, like a coming-of-age sitcom.

They navigate different struggles with growing up and dealing with various life-problems; work, saving money, friendships, random problems that come up, and dating. All that jazz~

Ian and Henry are the kind of couple who show a ton of PDA, and Henry will basically just carry his boyfriend around while they both act all lovey-dovey. Eli and Paul take a little longer to actually start dating and once they do are more privately passionate. Each of them has their own struggles and joys when it comes to their sexuality and experiences. Ian and Eli were accepted by other students and teachers when they were younger, but their parents didn't react well to learning both their sons were gay. After graduating high school, the boys were basically kicked-out and on their own. Ian doesn't do well feeling rejected and alone, so he tries to be more out-going and have fun! Eli can't stop thinking about the future, and all the things that could go wrong, now that he and his brother are dealing with so many responsibilities on their own.

Henry has pressure on him from his agent to remain "publicly single", since it makes him more popular with fans if they think he's not dating anybody (but he's head-over-heels for Ian, and doesn't like having a fake party-boy persona. because Ian tries to avoid difficult conversations, it's hard for Henry to tell that Ian loves the REAL him, and doesn't just have stars in his eyes). Paul was in a long-term and unhealthy relationship that recently ended... at first he feels like Eli is a safe rebound, but didn't expect to legit catch feelings (it's a whole struggle for Eli to express when he truly feels hurt, because he doesn't want to inconvenience others, so even though Paul is still hurting from past experiences, he learns how to offer comfort to Eli too)

[shiinata-library]

Photography lessons [1/3]

Relationships: Ray Levine x fem!Reader

Summary: You ask Ray to teach you how to develop an old camera film because you have a crush on you.

On AO3

Chapter 1

Your sister is a single mother, and you often suggest your help if she needs it. As she often works late, she asked for you to pick up her son from a photography lesson in which some of his friends are participating. And that's how you met Ray Levine, your nephew’s handsome teacher. 

You always thought love at first sight was for others or that never existed, but the first time you saw him, your heart raced and your cheek blushed immediately. His sad eyes seemed searching for comfort while his behaviour showed a certain authority and kindness with kids. You have never been so glad to be in winter to hide your red cheeks, leaving him guessing it was because of the cold wind.

Weeks after weeks, you have made sure to be the last person to pick up your nephew so you could have a little chat with Mr Levine, who quickly told you to call him Ray. After some short discussions, you found he was kind and fun. You had already heard some rumours about him, and you didn't seek to know the truth. Everyone has their past and their issues.

Despite all your chats, his behaviour never shows any interest in you, but not the opposite either. He is quite hard to read. So one day, you decide to go for it.

 “Ray, do you do lessons on developing film photos? I have some old cameras from my grandfather, but I don’t know how to use and develop them,” you tell him in front of his door as you came to pick your nephew. “I always want to know how to do it from the start to the end, but I didn’t know where to learn it. Even if I would be with children, it doesn’t bother me.”

It’s true, but it’s also a good excuse to spend time with him, alone or in a group. Making your best smile, you look at him, waiting for an answer. He seems hesitant, scratching his light beard. Maybe even with your best smile, it’s not enough.

 “Don’t worry if you can’t,” you resume as you see your nephew becoming impatient to go home. “I must take him back. I'll let you think about it and you can give me your answer later, even if you can’t. I come back here every week anyway.”

Your little joke makes him laugh. Oh, it’s so pleasant to hear him laughing. He should do it more often. Your nephew pulls on your sleeve and you’re about to leave when Ray speaks quickly.

 “No, it’s ok! I just need to organise a few things before we start. Hm, I need to find all the materials, but of course I can give you lessons on that. Just give me some time. Can you give me your phone number? I'll call you as soon as it's ready.”

He could have told you when you’ll pick up your nephew but he wants your phone's number! It takes a few seconds before you pull yourself together and take out your phone to get his number as well.

.

First lesson: How to use an old film camera?

On the first lesson, you come on Tuesday after work with your own cameras, three that you found in your grandparent’s attic when you cleaned it. It’s the first time you enter Ray’s home and you’re surprised by all the photos hanging everywhere. As you remove your coat, you stare at his wall, mesmerised, wondering if the photos are randomly arranged or if it's deliberate that they look so good. Ray takes your coat and hangs it at the entrance.

 “This autumn is pretty cold, do you want a coffee or a tea before we start?” he asks, walking to the kitchen corner before adding in a laugh. “Or a beer?”

 “I'll pass on the beer. I need to be focused for the lesson,” you laugh as you’re still looking at the wall. “Maybe another time.”

After you tell him what warm drink you want and he makes it, he walks to you and gives your warm drink. He leaves you to watch the photos for a while, then he puts his own drink on his desk.

 “Before beginning the lesson, choose your favourite photo on the wall,” he says as he comes up behind you, looking at the photos too.

You’re glad he gives you a warm drink otherwise you couldn’t contain silvers at the thought of him very close behind you. As the silence makes you uncomfortable, you decide to focus on the photos and find one you like. After showing him, he takes it off the wall for you to look closer. 

“It’s a really good photo. Well, I find it really good,” you smile as you give it back. “And what about you? What is your favourite photo?”

It was a simple question but it seemed to bother him. Maybe it’s something you should ask for a photograph, especially the first day of a lesson.

 “I’m sorry if I shouldn’t–”

 “No, it’s okay,” he sadly smiles, scratching the back of his head. “It’s just a complicated question, and the lesson isn’t for me but for you, so let’s start.”

After that, you both sit next to his desk and you show your cameras. Ray takes his time to look at them and it seems the three don’t work anymore. You are clearly disappointed and Ray chuckles at your pouty face as he stands up and comes back with an old camera. 

 “Don’t worry, I was prepared for your cameras not to work. I'll lend you one,” he says as he sits back next to you, giving you the camera. “This is an old Canon film camera. It doesn't have many options but that's what makes it interesting!”

 “Are you sure I can use it? I mean, won't the photos be blurred or, over or underexposed?” you ask nervously as you turn the old camera in your hands. “I don’t want to waste your time and develop, how much did you say, 24 shots.”

 “You won't waste my time since you pay me to teach you, so don’t worry about it. You’re here to learn, right?” he says as he stands up to rummage in his drawers and boxes. “Alright, I have several films anyway. I’ll show you how to put it inside, but don’t remove it yourself when you finish the 24 shots, ok?”

 “Hm, ok,” you repeat, focused on his hands on the camera.

Oh, you never notice he is wearing dark rings, bracelets, and he has strong hands. But let’s focus on the camera!

First, he shows you how to install the film. It’s quite simple in fact. Then, he explains to you how to use the camera in such an enthusiastic voice that you couldn’t help to find him cute and smiling all along. 

His explanation is clear and interesting. You touch his fingers several times as you exchange the camera and even though you manage to hide it well, a shiver runs through your body each time.

At some point, you raise your eyes to him and he is closer than you thought. Oh, his blue eyes are mesmerising, but let's focus on the camera! 

Hoping he doesn't see your embarrassment, you turn your eyes back to the camera. He didn’t have the time to see your cheeks flush, right? 

Oh, and he smells good. Did he have a shower before you arrived? Come on, let’s focus on that damn camera!

 “Hold it steady,” he says as he stands up with the camera, showing you to do the same before giving it to you. “Then, you know where to look. It’s simple. Just don’t move and it’ll be ok.”

 “Alright,” you say as you look in the camera, feeling Ray coming behind you.

 “Stand up straight or your pictures won't be straight,” you hear almost in your ear as his hands place your arms correctly.

 “Al-alright,” you stammer, trying to stay calm as you stand up straight. “I think I understand it.”

Even though his hands on you don’t bother you at all, you lower the camera and turn to him with a smile. Your heart is beating too fast to stay so close to him. He looks at you before looking down to the camera, as if he wanted to avoid your eyes.

 “Is there anything else I need to know in general about photography except from putting film in this camera?” you ask, still smiling.

 “Yes, of course. The lesson is not finished yet. Sit down where you were and I’ll show you the bases.”

His eyes finally turn to you with a smile as he also sits on his chair to continue the lesson. 

.

Your first lesson lasted two hours, but it’s like you stayed a few minutes. As you put on your coat, Ray wonders when was the last time a woman had stayed in his flat as long as you did. He can’t help but smile when he closes the door behind you, hoping you enjoyed your lesson because he truly enjoyed it himself.

As a long sigh escapes his lips, his hand runs on his face as he remembers your warm back almost touching his chest, or your soft fingers under his. He never noticed you smell that good when you came to pick up your nephew. But the worst part is when you’re smiling. 

How will he be able to keep himself from touching those seductive lips that stretch into a smile? And you smile every time you look at him! The future lesson will be a torture, but he will endure it. You come only for the lessons. Who would want a guy like him with such a past anyway? You surely deserve better than him, and there are a lot of men better than him… 

Chapter 2 >

[mysteroads]

Chapter 12: After the Exams

Summary: The exam is officially ended! The League regroups and takes a break, even though Kurogiri would rather hurry back to the dorms before the villains find out about their heroic audience.

Excerpt:

Being reassuring wasn’t Shouta’s strongest suit. He’s better one-on-one, where he can give his whole attention to a single victim or student, but luckily, the kids in the shuttle weren’t a bunch of worried citizens that had just gone through a villain attack. They had just been recently traumatized by Tomura Shigaraki, though, so he made an effort to look relaxed and confident. He even kept a straight face when the city was flooded by doubles of Twice. 

Shouta was a UA teacher and pro hero, everything was fine, and the kids would be alright— with some therapy, in a few cases. (He made a mental note to buy Hound Dog extra-strength tylenol and a bag of really good coffee, because the school counselor was going to need it.)

“Mr. Aizawa?” 

He glanced over to the slim girl in the gray jumpsuit sitting in the seat beside him— Haruna Shinkawa, aka SoulSword—then closed his eyes again.  “What is it, Sinkawa?”

“How old is Shigaraki?”

The question is odd enough he sits up straight and actually turns in his seat to get a look at her. She deliberately avoided looking at him, twirling a strand of hair around her finger. Shouta frowned at her, confused, then realized something. “You know, I’m not actually sure. I’ve never asked outright.” It’s actually embarrassing, considering the way Shigaraki had been flirting and that they technically had two children together.

Shouta whistled to get the attention of the Twice doubles. Three bounded over immediately, eager as puppies. Since the shuttle was only going at jogging speed, the doubles could keep up easily, and did so.

“Hi!” “What’s up Eraserman?” “You kids look awful!” 

“How old is Shigaraki?” Shouta asked them. 

“Don’t know!” “Younger than us!” “Hold on a sec and I’ll check!”

One of the clones ran off at top speed, then returned with… Shigaraki? But no, this Shigaraki was still wearing all his hands and was uninjured. A double then. Rather than jog alongside the shuttle, the Shigaraki double hopped up onto the shuttle, balancing easily with one hand on the back of Shouta’s seat. The students all leaned away, eyes widening, and the double snorted softly and looked at Shouta. “He did a number on them, didn’t he? Damn. That’s hilarious. Wish I could watch the footage.”

Fear turned to indignation and the students all sat upright, glaring at the clone. Shigaraki snickered, the eye visible between two gray fingers dancing with wicked amusement. Shouta decided it would be best to distract everyone before another fight broke out. “Shigaraki, how old are you?”

The double tilted his head, obviously curious. “I’m twenty. Why?”

Twenty?

Shouta waited for more. A one, or maybe a two. But nothing else came. “Twenty.” he repeated, voice flat.

“Yeah, twenty.” Shouta could hear the smirk in his voice. “My birthday was just before the USJ, actually.”

Twenty.  

Shouta instinctively lowered his face into his capture scarf, hiding his expression. Tomura Shigaraki was twenty years old.

He’d been barely twenty at the USJ.

Suddenly, so many things made sense about Shigaraki's attitude and behavior, then and now… He’s so much more mature now that I forget that he's still so damn young. Younger than I thought. Too damn young to have been nearly doomed to life being hunted in the shadows.

Another important, but less somber implication struck him.  Wait, does this make me a cougar? What’s the male version of a cougar? Oh damn, this could get complicated-- even more complicated, especially with the hiccups involved. A ten year difference. Shit. The media is going to have a field day.

Well, Shouta had never cared about the media's perception of him before, but it was something to consider. 

“Really?” Soulsword sounded… weirdly pleased.

Shaken from his thoughts, Shouta raised his head and glanced at her, and was taken aback to see her cheeks were bright pink. Freeze Frame and Delirium also seemed a little too interested in Shigaraki’s answer for Shouta’s comfort.

“You mean we lost to a guy only two years older than us?” Ronin complained from the back of the shuttle, Tarantella chittering a bitter agreement. The disgruntled expressions on most of the other students said they felt the same way.

“To be fair, I probably couldn’t have beaten you all before the USJ, or before the Overhaul incident. I could’ve killed you all, sure, but not beaten you,” the Shigaraki double pointed out. “I leveled up between then and now.”

“Still,” grumbled the Eleventh Metal, who had spent the whole attack unconscious and had been verbally pissed about it.

Shigaraki shrugged. “Spend fifteen years training almost exclusively to kill people, then survive three months of being homeless while also trying not to be brutally murdered or arrested. That shit levels you up fast.”

There was an awkward silence, then SoulSword broke it, asking, “Are you dating anyone?”

Shouta froze. This was not happening. The gods were not this cruel— oh, who was he kidding? Yes they were. They absolutely were. This was his life. Teenage heroes hitting on a villain who was flirting with a full hero. Somewhere, there was a god having a good laugh at his expense.

[queenharumiura]

“ Who am I to you? ” (From Gokudera)

Send “ Who am I to you? ” to hear my muse describe their relationship with your muse/how they perceive them as a person. ||Accepting||

Haru was fuming mad when a couple of friends jogged right up to her. “Eh? Jerk? Oh- no no no, don’t do that. I know how it looked, but I wasn’t being harassed by some hoodlum, don’t get the police involved for something like this.” Gokudera and Haru always fought, it was like… their thing. She swore it felt like Gokudera would die if he didn’t try to get under her skin at least once a day. Well, it’s not like she couldn’t say the same, because she would also rile him up on a near daily basis, and sometimes it was because she was being petty and was getting back at him for pissing her off the day prior. Guilty as charged… “Despite his roughness, he’s not exactly a jerk.” A weak defense, but—he did have his jerk moments! She’s not going to lie!

She had just stormed off after having a fight with Gokudera and her friends had witnessed it from a couple blocks away and they’d jogged to catch up to her. She did appreciate the fact that her friends were concerned enough that they were thinking to find a stationed policeman to ensure that Haru was safe from being harassed. It was a relief that they thought to clarify the situation with Haru first before simply going through with it. It would be embarrassing to have to explain to the officer that it was just daily habit for them so there wasn’t anything to be concerned about. “Eh? Is what ‘him’?” Haru looks at her classmates with a dubious look. “Ah… yeah, that’s him. The one I’m always fighting with. He’s so rude and mean to me for no reason. It’s like my existence is an offense to him.” She mumbles, puffing a single cheek in aggravation.

The girls huddled closer to each other and started whispering among themselves, but Haru could still hear them. She nods along with some of the things they were saying. Yes, Gokudera is someone who is wasting his talents, because he could be applying himself in school, but he has a track record of leaving early or having an attitude with the teachers. A shame, because she can tell how smart he is. For the academically inclined girls the Midori students were, it was a true shame. A moment of silence for the potential.

Can’t deny that he acts and looks like a punk. They’re not wrong there. Ah… his looks strikes again, huh? Imagine that? Gokudera may start having a fan club over at Midori as well as Namimori. There is a twinge of annoyance that she feels, but she dismisses it in favor of listening into their chatter. That’s right, despite how he appears, he’s the diligent and devoted type, like a puppy. They sure remember what she’s said well. Makes her wonder what they remember about the rest of the Vongola crew. Mhm, he’s got a nasty temper sometimes, and it fits his vibe. “He has his moments though, it’s not like he’s always so rude and mean.” She interjects.

She dramatically rolls her eyes at the look they gave her, “Sorry sorry, continue your deliberation. Haru will be a quiet stranger.” Do they start speaking any quieter? Nope. They’re doing this on purpose to mess with her, she swears it. It’s true, he fights with Lambo a lot, but he’ll always be one of the first to try to protect him when danger comes around. He was very protective of his friends, and that’s what made him reliable. You could feel safe around him. Well, if you ignore heightened blood pressure being one of the side effects. This has her realizing just how much she’s talked about her friends at school. Maybe she should stop doing so as often from now on.

“Hm? Yeah, we fight a lot, but I know he cares. He’s my friend.” She makes a face at the look they gave her. “What’s with that look? What do you mean you feel sorry for him? HAH? I have to figure it out myself? No, tell me now! Hey! Get back here!” They’ve come to a unanimous decision. Their friend is dumb. She didn’t see it since she’d stormed off, but they did see something—and that was the sole reason why they didn’t contact the police right away. They caught up to Haru to make sure of a few things. There is at least a 95% chance that this guy liked their dense friend, and she was always too upset to see it. It’s her bull-headed stubbornness, you know? Poor guy… but he could stand to learn to be gentler.

They wish you luck.

[pinkandgoldensoul]

(Some) F1 drivers as guys I’ve met in high school

: ̗̀➛ Charles Leclerc - the fattest crush of my life. literally would turn red like a traffic light anytime I saw him enter the classroom and choke on my own saliva whenever he said hi to me. Not helpful, since he’s been my historical deskmate. I honestly don’t know how I survived sitting next to such a positive, fun, confident, trustworthy and shamelessly handsome guy. Brown hair, big green eyes either sparkling with childhood mischief or pure innocence, and the most athletic guy I’ve ever seen in real life (he’s a sportsman). Definitely had any girl lying at his feet - and he was extremely aware of it - but only cared about his girlfriend and never bragged about his charm. Humble af despite his family being quite wealthy and him being such a nice person. I’ve involuntarily been his point of reference for anything school-related and he’d blindly trust me, which always made my heart melt. He’s the type of guy you need to send a “let me just screenshot this so that I discuss it with my bff-lawyer before replying” text when you see a notification from him. And he’s also the one you look from afar, contemplating his senseless perfection. “I’m so lucky to live in the same historical and geological era” “I don’t know if I’m worthy of him” kind of vibe.

: ̗̀➛ Carlos Sainz - a unique type of nerd. At the beginning he deliberately ignored me. Then he started slowly talking to me about things he really enjoyed and, seeing I was okay with it, he began showing me books he liked, getting all excited in passionate perorations, lending them to me and demanding I’d give him my piece of mind. Also bought and gifted me for Christmas  the copy of a novel he was reading ‘cause he thought I’d be interested (the weirdest and most awkward gift-receiving experience of my whole life. I’m not doing it again). Really liked to push all my buttons to see my reaction (but I ultimately gave him a lifetime lesson) and had a few banters. Don’t think we were really that compatible, he was too opinionated for me, but most of the times I enjoyed having conversations with him. Friendly jokes and benevolent banters with Charles; he’s been class representative for five years, once together with Max.

: ̗̀➛ Max Verstappen - the lonely, misunderstood genius. Didn’t give a crap about school and spent his free time riding motorbikes and getting hands dirty with engine oil. Everybody knew he was original (he had a lot of other hobbies and interests) and all my teachers always felt challenged by his way of thinking. Not afraid to speak up, at all. We’d never talked in five years, but during the dinner we had with all the professors before our finals, completely drunk, he sat next to me and started asking me things about my life. He seemed genuinely interested in what I had to say, but I think he struggled following the conversation since I had to repeat myself at times (he didn’t even hear a tipsy friend of his calling his name twice. “UH?! What?!”). It’s one of the deepest conversations I’ve had in my life. I think in another life we would’ve been good friends, at least. Elected class representative and we still don’t know how but ngl, it didn’t feel that wrong because we’ve always known he’s got that… plus.

: ̗̀➛ Lewis Hamilton - the dreamer. Not very focused on studying, but chased his dream of becoming a dancer like crazy. He was insanely good - like, national level - and skipped a lot of school days to attend competitions. Pretty energetic, confident, mr brightside; always blasting music through his wireless speaker whenever we got out and vibing. If he knew you had a dream, a passion or a special hobby, he’d push you and encourage you as much as possible. Incredible motivator and coach. S t y l i s h     a s     h e c k . Could rock anything but chose to beat us all every single day. Really good friend of Charles. Actually chatted with everybody, but wasn’t really that close with a lot of people.

: ̗̀➛ Alex Albon - the surprising kid. A mediocre student throughout the years, but actually a math and physics enthusiast and genius. He started to show signs of his abilities only in the last year and a half. The only one actually knowing what he was doing with formulas lmaooo Surely wasted in the type of high school I was in* and he acknowledged making the wrong decision, but he didn’t know back at the time he liked physics that much. One of the most chilled out and laid back people I’ve met, really pleasant to talk to. Would often find ourselves in bad situations and look at each other as to say: “It’s a mess, but nothing I hadn’t expected to happen anyway”. The defeated-but-we-already-knew-when-we-started resigned duo. * we mainly studied humanities. We also had physics and chemistry classes, but there are other types of high school more “science” oriented, which would’ve been way more suitable for his skills. #badchoices

: ̗̀➛ Valtteri Bottas - i haven’t figured him out. Like, he was pretty basic and easy to talk to, but had so many hidden interests. Currently studying aerospace engineering. Part-time cosplayer. His instagram posts have descriptions we’re still trying to decipher. Sometimes perceived as a low-key genius, others acting like a fool. I honestly don’t know what to think of him, he just confused me a lot lol.

: ̗̀➛ Bonus: Mick Schumacher - first love. From another class, but the same high school. A bit reserved at first, but the ultimate sweetheart. Thoughtful, polite, calm, soft-spoken, kind, just- you get it. Awkward hugs, talking on a bench for three hours as a first “date” and arguing about who’s going to pay for breakfast (‘cause I couldn’t accept him being the one to pay, like, we were just friends). That was the first time I felt the need to shower someone with love without caring about being reciprocated, at all. I’ve been in the friendzone - voluntarily - for 3 years only to get to know from a shared friend that he had got together with a girl four months prior but didn’t want/ didn’t know how to tell me. To this day he doesn’t know a thing. Not in love with him anymore, but unknowingly gave me the best thing I’ve ever felt. 

[puddingvalkyrie]

Yes, this, omg. In school the bullying was so insidious and constant I didn't even think I was being especially bullied. Like, I knew I was being bullied but because it did not match the 'Kid waits to beat you up everyday' stereotype, I thought it wasn't something I could complain about or that the adults could do anything about. They even asked me about it once, because I didn't want to go to school and my dad came and asked them what the heck. And I didn't tell them anything, I didn't think it was 'real bullying' because I wasn't getting picked on like on TV.

But it was CONSTANT and my 'friends' did nothing to stop it, they were the worst offenders actually. It was rare that anyone in class said anything in my defense. Just a constant stream of derision and othering, about my hobbies, my looks, my opinions, my family.

I heard one girl I didn't even know say to someone else, about me, 'I hate her, me.'

When I tried to fit in better, I got laughed at. Like, I shaved my legs for the first time, and these girls noticed and where laughing about it like 'Why did you bother?'

I permed my hair once, in my final year. The next year in college, I heard some girls at the back of the bus talking about me, and the perm, saying 'It looked really nice, but she's not bothered about it so it's gone messy'. I don't remember a single person complimenting my hair. And even if I did, I would have assumed it was a fake compliment meant to hurt me anyway, because that was a part of the bullying. I still have trouble taking compliments as genuine and understanding if people are joking or not. Another thing was my friends would deliberately wind me up. Deliberately start arguments with me to make me upset. And they'd laugh and say they do it because it was easy to do. See above re: are you serious or not?

And I could not fight back. If I fought back I would get a disproportionately aggressive response. My friend insulted my brother, so I tried to explain she shouldn't do that, because it was upsetting, what if I said I don't like your mum? I didn't say brother cos she didn't like her brother, so I dunno if she thought I really didn't like her mum, but the response was:

'If you say you don't like my mum, I'll punch you.'

I burst into tears and tried to explain again, but I got the same response. I was just inconsolable because I didn't understand why she didn't understand and it's not fair that she should threaten to hit me when she gets to diss my brother and I don't get to say anything back. (I believe now this is a dyslexia thing, my explanations sometimes miss an implied step that is obvious to me with my logic, but is not actually that obvious)

One time a girl held a craft knife to my throat after I talked back. Just mumbled a 'yeah, same to you'. And the whole class saw, and the whole class did nothing. And then I complained to the teacher after class and one girl, who I had known since primary school, was complaining saying I was a 'grass'. (People also threw clay at me all lesson that time, and at each other, so she was probably meaning the clay, but STILL). ... And it was my birthday.

It left me feeling like everyone hated me and that the majority of people were evil and it took me several years to get out of that mindset. And I still have issues with anxiety and feeling like I am the outlying weirdo to this day. I have trouble making friends and I just generally assume I am being a nuisance in a lot of situations.

It's something I am fighting against, but it's hard.

no piece of teen media has ever accurately depicted the quiet psychological warfare of bullying. bullies on TV are always dumb brutes and not the evil geniuses of emotional manipulation that they are in real life. being given a wedgie and having your lunch money stolen is nothing in comparison to a classmate quietly creating a taboo against speaking to you that they intend to enforce against all the other kids. it’s nothing like continuous cutting comments from people you thought were being nice to you. that way that the work of one kid can make you feel like every person on earth silently hates you and that you are dirty, disgusting, worthless, creepy and useless. that you can have friends but many of them will not speak to you at school for fear of the social consequences on their end. how that damage lasts in any social setting for the rest of your life