#anyways good morning everyone pulled my second all nighter at college and this time it was actually for schoolwork

[todayisafridaynight]

it doesn’t compute in my brain how some people can play and finish y3 and not get minedai brainrot like there are actually normal people out there who play these games

many such cases, truly

[write-orflight]

Trouble: Chapter 1

*Gif not mine*

Pairings: HotchxReader

Prologue

Rating: M

Words: 2K

Warnings: Basic witch stuff. Sex talk

Request: OPEN/CLOSED

Summary: After Haley’s passing, Aaron Hotchner has lost the light in his eyes. He seems to find it it the most unlikely of places, an occult themed coffee shop ran by a witch.

A.N: Tarot and Crystal information is very secondhand if you see any inaccuracies, no you don’t

Chapter one: Got so much to prove. 

Virginia wasn’t necessarily in your top five places to open your shop. 

In fact, you wouldn’t even say it was your top ten. 

But you knew better than to question the process, life never led you anywhere you didn’t need to go. Quantico wasn’t that bad either, at least it was in a good school district. 

You wake up to tiny fingers tapping on your forehead, you smile slightly opening your eyes to see your daughter's almond colored eyes staring back at you. 

“Artie…” You say, trying to be the scolding mother you were supposed to be. You were never like that though, your daughter was too cute to be mad at sometimes. “What’s the rule?” 

“Not to wake you unless it’s an emergency because you might be projecting.” She says, stumbling over the words the way six year olds seem to do “But it is an emergency, mama.” 

“And what emergency is it this time?” 

“I want pancakes before school.” She smiles, you can’t help but grin back at her. 

“That’s not an emergency, Bean.” You say, flicking her nose lightly, she giggles at the action. “However, pancakes do sound good right now. Chocolate chip?” You ask standing, she nods excitedly, arms stretched fully for you to pick her up which you happily obliged. You knew the days where she wouldn’t want to be picked up were fast approaching so you held on tight as long as you could. 

After a batch of messily made pancakes, you strap your daughter into her booster seat and make your way to her school. Most days, you were opening up at the shop so you didn’t get to take her to school which was why you were very appreciative of the times you could. You drive in silence for a second until your daughter pipes from the back.

“Hey, mama?” 

“What’s up, bean.” you ask.

“Why don’t you have any friends?” 

Wow, cutting deep this morning, Artie. You think. “What do you mean? I have friends, Auntie Silly, Auntie Lola. And I have you! My very best friend!” 

“But you don’t have a Boyfriend.” She says, emphasizing the boy in boyfriend.  

“First of all, who taught you what that means?” You say, looking in the rearview mirror at your daughter 

“I don’t know what it means.” She shrugs. “Auntie Silly just said it’s been a while since you’ve had a boyfriend and gotten any. What does that mean, mama?”   

“Means we need to have a conversation with Auntie Silly about what’s appropriate to say in front of you.” You say, rolling your eyes. Silena never did have a filter. You go to park in the drop off lane. Turning to your child.  “And while I appreciate your concern, I’ve got everything I need right here.” You say, reaching back pinching her cheek. “Now, left palm please.” She opens her hand automatically, knowing the drill at this point as you slip the Sodalite crystal into her hand. She closes her palm around it. “What do you say when accepting?” 

“My mind is open to new information!” She says, excitedly. She slips the stone into her pocket and hops out of the car. 

“Learn something, Artemis!” You yell after her. She turns briefly to wave as you drive off. 

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

You walk into Hallowed Grounds a little later stopping at your apartment to change. Your green hair in a sleek ponytail, wearing a simple black v-neck and olive green pants. As you walk in. you’re greeted by a mostly empty shop which you expected as the morning rush is typically gone by this time. Your best friend Silena, leaning against the counter bored, perks up when you walk in. Salem, the black cat who lives in the cafe, is surprisingly lively and rubs against your leg when you enter. You reward him with a pet as you walk behind the counter. 

“Hey, how was your morning off?” Silly asks. 

“Pretty good, until my daughter told me that Auntie Silly said I needed a boyfriend and I hadn’t gotten any in a while.” You turn to see Silena’s extremely guilty face. “Know anything about that?” 

“I may have been talking on the phone to Lo while I was babysitting last week. In my defense, I didn’t think she could hear me.” 

“We’ve talked about this, Sil. Artie’s smart, she soaks things up like a sponge. You’ve gotta watch what you say and secondly, Why are you and Lola discussing my love life in the first place?” 

“Uh, maybe because there’s nothing to discuss.” You roll your eyes, starting to clean out the pots, Silena helps alongside you, rinsing out the grinders. “Think about it, Y/N, when’s the last time you’ve been on a date?” 

“I don’t have time to date, I’ve got Artie and the shop…” You trail off. “I don’t know if a boyfriend’s in the cards right now.”   

Silena looks excitedly at you. “Let’s find out if he’s in the cards right now.” She says scurrying to the corner of your store, grabbing a tarot deck of one of the shelves before settling on one of the bar chairs you had set along the bar counter of the shop. “Tarot reading, right now.” She says, already shuffling. You push back. 

“Silena come on, not now.” 

“No, you come on.” She counters. “I haven’t done a good reading in a while, and if it’s truly not in the cards for you I’ll stop bothering you about it. Scout’s honor.” She says in mock salute. 

You roll your eyes. “You’ll really let it go?” You ask, she nods enthusiastically. “Fine.” You say as she shuffles the cards. She giggles, child-like. You guys were slow anyway, what’s a small tarot reading to you. 

“Now you have to be serious and ask like you actually care and want to know the answers. The cards don’t like mockery” she says, handing you the deck to cut it.

“I know, Sil.” You finish cutting the deck into 3 piles. “Is new love in my future?” You ask, seriously before letting go. Silena grabs the deck and starts pulling. 

The first card is Two of Cups. 

The second card is the Ace of Cups.

Silena practically squeals, you don’t know why. 

The third card she pulls is The Devil. Which only makes her squeal more. 

“Sil…” you say hesitantly. 

“Relax, big baby. The devil isn’t inherently a bad card. It depends on what the rest of your reading is. Plus, he’s balanced so that’s good.This is a really good pull, extremely good actually.” She smiles. “So I’m sure you know this is past, present, future. The Two of Cups means that you’ve actually already met someone you have a potential strong connection to. And the Ace of Cups means should you choose to pursue it, it can become a long lasting love, I’m talking Marriage long.” Silena says, before picking up the devil card. “And this bad boy right here means the sex is going to be wild.” She emphasizes. You can’t help the flush that spreads across your cheeks. “I mean, crazy, sensual, amazing sex. Don’t look at me like that, we were roommates in college. I know exactly what you’re into. Unfortunately” She adds, smiling wildly at you. “Claim it! Claim it now.” 

You clear your throat, still flushing. “I am grateful and claim this reading for me. Thank you.” You say to the cards, knowing that it’s best to thank your cards no matter the reading. Silena puts the card away before grabbing her bag. 

“I’ve got to go, Mike’s taking me to Donnatello’s tonight.” She says. “Who knows? Maybe I’ll get wild sex too tonight.” She says winking at you. You wave after her before resuming what you were doing before. 

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

You’ve been in the shop for hours now, you had a pretty decent rush but for the most part you were slow today. Around 7 PM you notice a familiar face come in. 

“Hey Doc!” You say as the lanky doctor saunters in. “I thought I told you I’m not selling you coffee this late anymore, you’ll never get to sleep.” 

“Right now that’s a good thing.” He says, sighing. “We’ve got a rough case right now and it’s looking like we’re all pulling an all-nighter so I offered to run for coffee.” He says handing you a list of coffee orders. 

“Aw, can I ask what’s got you working so late?” You ask, looking over the list, getting to work. A white mocha for Derek, Caramel macchiato for Emily, Earl Grey for JJ, Americano extra sugar for Spencer, Iced Caramel mocha for Penelope. Simple enough. 

“Missing kids, time’s winding down on us.” He says, you pout, you had a soft spot for kids after having your own.

“I’m sorry.” You say. “Can I offer you some chalcopyrite? Helps find lost items.” You add. 

Spencer shakes his head. “I don’t think a stone will be necessary.” 

You narrow your eyes at him. “I know you don’t believe but the extra help couldn’t hurt. I’ll bless it for you though, just in case.” 

You and Spencer make idle chat while you make the drinks. “I met your boss the other day.” 

“Hotch?” he asks, you nod.

“Is he…” You didn’t know how to ask this without seeming like a weirdo. “Is he...ok? I didn’t have much of an interaction with him but his Aura is very dark, like he’s suffered loss or something, I don’t know.” 

“That actually does make sense.” He says. “He lost his ex wife a couple months back and his son lost his mom. Killed in her house, incredibly sad. I think he still blames himself.” Spencer tells you. 

You look sadly, you knew there was a reason something was telling you to protect this man. You had only just met him and you gave him a powerful protective stone for internal battles. You had felt he was fighting grief but not grief that big. 

“Will you bring him a coffee, if I make it?” You say, Spencer nods letting you get back to work. 

——————————————-

Spencer walks back into the office, coffee in tow. Immediately, everyone greets him with grateful looks. 

“Thanks! Was y/n working?” Emily says, grabbing her cup. 

“Yea, so you know it’s good.” Spencer says. “She said to tell you to come visit.” 

“I know, I never have the time to get over there.” She adds. Spencer nods before grabbing the cup y/n had indicated was for Hotch. He steadily made the walk up the stairs to his office, rapping lightly on the open door. Hotch signaled for him to come in and wait while he finished up a phone call. Once done, he looked at Spencer and the cup. 

“I didn’t order coffee.” He says, bluntly. 

“I know, sir. Y/N insisted on making one for you.” He said sitting the cup down on his desk. Hotch examined it. On it was a drawing of the dwarf, Grumpy from Snow White and the Seven Dwarves and Agent GG in her script. Hotch smelled the cup, he knew it wasn’t regular black coffee. It smelled too sweet and nutty for that. He took a sip, tentatively. Fuck that was good and he definitely needed to ask her what it was for next time. 

“Why?” He asked. “Did she tell you?” 

Spencer shook his head. “Honestly, I stopped asking why Y/N does anything a while ago. But she did tell me to tell you to come back and see her, she wants to see if the crystal is working for you.” Spencer’s eyes immediately zeroed in on the clear quartz that had now taken permanent residence on his desk. He didn’t know why he kept it. He didn’t believe in that stuff but for some reason it made the work less stressful and less energy draining but most importantly, it made him think of you. You’d never know it but you had taken permanent residence in his head as well. “You took a crystal from her?” 

Hotch cleared his throat, awkwardly. “Yea, why?” 

Spencer shrugged. “It just doesn’t seem like something you’d do.” He said before walking out. 

He was right. This wasn’t something Hotch would do. But It seemed like you were becoming his personal contradiction. 

Taglist: @megatrexus @roses-and-grasses​

[purplerose244]

Irrational - Chapter 2: Restless

Hello everyone!! Here’s another piece for the @spacecampweek!! 💙

This shot if for the second prompt, “Sleep/Nap”, I got a little angsty on this one but there’s also fluffy hurt/comfort. Also this is a CollegeAU... of a future college? Krel is still an alien... and they were roommates 😎😎

I saw some amazing work for these prompts, my Campers mutuals you are amazing!! Enjoy!! 🥰

Summary: After just another night without sleep, work is still piling up for Seamus, and so is the feeling of doing everything wrong. Luckily, he got his roommate there to scold him.

Warnings: Mention of past emotional abuse

Read it on the AO3

Seamus used to think that being used to the all-nighters he used to pull in high school, with a heavy breath over his neck and a new list of problems to solve poking his back, facing college was going to be a breeze. He Had been an Elite student, he had graduated early thanks to his grades and he had been pulling through the weirdest Arcadia had to offer for a whole summer and more, coming out of it without a scratch – only a minor migraine whenever he thought about it. All being said, he had genuinely, absolutely, naively thought that his weekly cram sessions to stay in touch with the generic studies at the good old Arcadia Oaks High would have been enough preparation for what was waiting outside Mrs. Janeth’s classroom.

He really, really, really didn’t like being wrong. Especially since being wrong meant having to prepare a kilometric essay in a week about history of burrito engineering – huh, uhm? – in a week because he had decided it was absolutely normal taking four exams in the same period and leaving the hardest work for last.

Spoiler alert, it was not. It only made him regret his entire existence.

Or maybe that was the lack of coffee.

Which he was out of at the moment, great. It was the third time he had picked up his mug – ‘Count on me’, a little stupid graduation gift from Logan –, hoping to find restless juice only to suck air instead. It was also the third time he had groaned, holding his head between his hands and massaging his temples for a few seconds before continuing. It was getting harder and harder to focus on the screen of the computer at this point, even with the brightness at minimum.

He pinched his eyes with two fingers. Fourth time he did that.

Dang it, dang everything, his eyes were being tortured and only because he didn’t have his glasses at the moment. He had left his glasses in Eli’s castle in the sky – huh, huh? – last time he and Steve had dragged him along to watch another marathon of Earth Invaders – perfectly aware that he didn’t admit he liked it only out of pride. He didn’t absolutely need glasses, but it made it harder to keep his focus and the light was getting on his nerves. Everything was slowly starting to get on his nerves, but it was debatable if it was the inevitable stream of time extending his failure or because he had started the introduction of the essay right away instead of for last and was now doubting his entire half page – he would have screamed if he wasn’t this tired.

There were three more exams after this, the floating in midair one, the dreadful upside-down multiple choice and the GoGo Sushi exam – what? –, he couldn’t pull it off, he couldn’t!

This was hard, way more than he would have expected. He knew it was going to be tough nonetheless in a way, but he felt like whatever he was doing, it wasn’t right. He was learning nothing, all he was trying to memorize just didn’t stick with him. This papers, this situation, all the stressful work he was putting into, everything felt absolutely wrong.

Was he… was he the problem?

“Struggling to work your way through, huh? I’m not surprised.” Seamus gritted his teeth, pressing a hand over his forehead.

“Not now, dad.”

“Remember what I told you, when you decided to do be stupid and choose engineering instead of accounting? Remember what I said?” He wasn’t going to turn around, he wasn’t going to turn to find him in the room of his campus, with that awful scowl from whenever he found anything less than an A+ in his hands. “Try to go through the first college without me, see how you do! Guess what son, you’re making a mess. Just like I knew you were going to.”

He took his head between his hands, feeling it boiling. Stupid, stupid, irritating thoughts, always working against him. Always making him think that he was right. He wasn’t. He wasn’t right. He wasn’t… right?

No. No. No.

“I said not now, dad.” His room started to burn.

“When will you learn, Seamus? What are you trying to do, reach for the stars or some philosophical crap like that? You know the chances of being an astronaut are minimal, that is, if you manage to even get a master.” He could even feel him march behind him, his big and heavy steps, calculated in order to intimidate him. Every. Single. Time. Even here. “You should’ve followed the path I traced for you, the one I trained you for. You wouldn’t be struggling this much if you did.” There was a press on the back of his chair. “You would be happy.”

“Stop it.” Flames raised up from the ground.

“You’ll never make it without me.”

“Not now!” His notes and his desk were turning black.

“All I ever did was for your own good, you know that!”

“Not now dad!!” The photo he had left there gone as well.

“If you even think for a moment that an absolute failure like you will make it to the world, or even worse, that you could actually caught the attention of that foreigner-”

“I SAID-”

A noise. The door of the apartment was slammed closed after it had opened.

So did his eyes.

Seamus blinked, his entire perspective had changed. He wasn’t facing his desk, his face was right onto it, and he was looking at the door. In the way, the photo he had taken with all of their friends from high school, completely intact.

He felt the echo of his dream roaring into his ears before slowly disappearing.

Then, the absolute frustration took over.

Dang it, he had fallen asleep. He should had known, heck, he had known that he was going to feel miserable the moment he had decided to avoid the useless sleep. His cheek was attached to his notes, he was drooling over the equations, and he knew that the moment he was going to move his back was going to kill him. It was the horrible kind of tiredness, the drowsy one that was meant to stay, one hour nap was never going to suffice. His eyes felt like they were aflame, his stomach was growling horribly menacing to be emptied any time now.

On top of that, there was a good chance he hadn’t gone past the introduction for the essay. Oh how much he wanted to die right now. He closed his eyes, not to sleep, only to try to remember if his life was going somewhere. He was too tired to consider if this was realism or pessimism.

The was a thud outside his room, steps and stuff being moved around that caught his attention. A bigger thud, and half-screamed “Kleb!” in the air.

A voice emerged from behind his door. His shoulders relaxed.

“I am back! The morning shift at Hex Tech ended early, and Electronics did not have customers… again.” His annoyed tone was so intense, it made Seamus chuckle without having the strength to. Maybe Krel was the only person aside for himself that hated wasted time the most. “I hope you do not mind carnitas again, it was all Stuart had left from his truck!” Quick steps got closer, the door was opened. “It is good though, I wonder why it is always- Oh, you look horrible.” There he was, in human form as he preferred to be when he got out, even though he worked with friends.

Seamus cracked a laugh, without moving his face from the desk. It wasn’t comfy in the slightest, but the uneasiness went along well with how he was feeling inside.

“You’re sugarcoating it for me, how nice of you.” Krel did not look amused, that meant a discussion was coming and he had no strength into his body for that. “… okay, I get the feeling I did something bad, but my brain is all fried up so can you help me out on this one?”

The prince crossed his arms. Ouch, bad sign.

“You have been awake the entire night.”

“Is that a question?”

“Seklos and Gaylen, again?” He shook his head in disapproval. “I did not check on you this morning because I thought you were resting! Did you sleep at all??”

“… is that a trick question or…?”

“No tricks, not stunts, I am corpse serious.” It was a hobby of his, learning new expression and push them to the maximum. It was the funniest when he got a saying wrong. “Granted that I am no expert in regard of human necessities,” It was an old excuse considering he had been on this planet more than a few years now. “But there seems to be an agreement that sleeping is an important part of the day, so I am questioning if you are deliberately trying to destroy yourself.” That was actually a very good question, coming from a very good mind. As expected from this engineer genius.

Seamus shrugged, trying to gather around the best brain cells his brain had to offer at the moment.

“If it’s lunch time I got… huh, two hours at least. That’s something right?”

“Something very insufficient. You do know that is not okay, right?” Despite the scolding tone he got closer, placing his hand over his shoulder. Gently.

It was hard to get distant with him being worried, because despite the arrogance and the rationality this Akiridion cared so much about the people around him. Seamus was lucky enough to be one of them, and he wasn’t that interested in keeping up his pride anyway – he blamed his stupid sleep deprived brain for this. He leaned into his touch, covering a soundless sob with a yawn.

“… this is hard. I knew it was going to, but I don’t get if it’s supposed to be this hard.” He crossed his arms over the desk, hiding his face in the middle of it. “Is it normally this difficult, for everyone, or am I… really, really wrong?”

The hand on him twitched. There were a multitude of words unsaid in the air.

“You dreamed about him again, didn’t you.” Ah, the prince really knew him well at this point. “Can I begin by saying that your father is the biggest gloober I have ever met in my life and nothing he has said will ever be even the slightest bit useful?” His brain was hardly keeping up with his convoluted answers, but Seamus knew from the tone it was something uplifting. “I know that his words are hard to forget. Trust me, I understand what it is like to be conditioned by someone that is supposed to show you how to live your best life.” They really were too similar, the two of them. “But you are making progresses, you want to deal with your choices, and you are doing your best to become an astronaut like you have always wanted… that involves a procedure for some reason.”

How could he stay grumpy and melancholic with that pout on his face? This country had been pretty clear on the matter, the Akiridion was not allowed to improve space travel for humans. It had something to do with ‘allowing our specie to grow independently and finally reach the stars’, but Krel had taken it as ‘we can’t let someone else help us or we would look like soolians’. To be honest, the prince probably got it right.

Seamus looked up at him with a little smile.

“You’re never gonna let this one go, aren’t you.”

“Earth would be connected with the rest of the galaxy in a few months if they let me use even a single optimizer for the fuel capacitor. So yes, I am very not letting this one go.” Another laugh. Krel smiled as well. “Despite this ridiculousness, you are moving forward. I suggest you focus on your achievements, not on what you have not accomplished.”

It sounded so doable said from him, he simply had a way of being convincing. The blonde wasn’t sure if it was about his smarts or the way they had grown to care for each other.

He sighed, pressing his lips tightly together.

“It’s hard to do though…”

“I never said it wasn’t but might not be the best moment to think about it. Remember that time I told you Stuart got a sprain?” Miracuroulsy, inside his boiling brain, he remembered. Perhaps because the poor durian had gotten it after slipping onto a drop of guac – he had almost broken in coughs while laughing. “I brought him to the hospital back then, and I met Dr. Lake.” His hand started to rub his shoulder in a soothing motion. Ah, this felt nice. “She told me a lot of interesting facts, especially for humans that are going through college. Between those she recommended a good sleeping schedule, because restlessness affects the mood, which is additional stress.”

Ah, so not only his brain was making him feel absolutely miserable, it was also trying to make this even harder than it already was. Great, like he wasn’t a total failure already like dad always said… huh, maybe this was a little more internalized than he thought. He had left that house since months now, dad hadn’t called him at all, not even once. It was both a relief and a downer.

Seamus swallowed, turning again. Krel was looking at him, he smiled when their eyes crossed. It was really hard to keep his scowl with him around right now.

“… I have work to do, I… I don’t have time to sleep.”

“Seamus, when was your last exam?”

“What part of ‘my brain is out of service’ you don’t understand?” He got the eyes of no joking around, and he was forced to try and use his mind. “… like, yesterday?”

“Precisely. Now, again, I am in no way entitled to tell you how to take care of basic human necessities,” Okay now he was just enjoying playing the ‘I say I’m dumb but I’m really not’ card. “But I believe that studying all night after studying all night is not a good way to treat yourself, especially while you look like you got pummeled to the ground by Aja after telling her she was never supposed to be a warrior.” Whoa, that bad? “You have given a successful exam I believe, you will not receive the result for a while. There is no need to strain yourself, you are doing good.”

The blonde snorted, because motivational Krel was absolutely hilarious.

“I’ll let you convince me that I didn’t complete fail yesterday only because I have no proof of the opposite.” He did end before everyone else after rereading his answers three times. “But am I doing good? I’m a shell of a man right now, where exactly am I doing good?” He was probably admitting that this wasn’t good for himself, but there was no victory for the last statement anyway.

Krel hummed. Then he smirked, in his special way of his.

“Well, when I left, I asked you to rest every once in a while, and even though I was not conscious your body did obey. That was a wise choice of your subconscious, how about the rest of you follow suit?” This little irritating- “Not like my roommate should absolutely follow my rules, but still, how is not listening working out for you?” He snickered, shrugging a little. “I could also add that you are a mess, but not because of an overly high consumption of alcoholic substances. That is quite the accomplishment, congratulations!” He raised a thumb, something very off on him.

It took Seamus two blinks to grin back at that attempt at distracting him from his negativity. It worked, but just because he was grateful and feeling like his soul had left his body to go to a dance club, to respond to this guy he had all the energy in the galaxy.

“You sure you’re in the position of scolding me? What happened during Lake’s birthday party?”

Yep, there it was, the smirk turning into a pout. A super adorable pout.

“Akiridions are not able to sustain your alcohol, big deal!”

“Less about Akiridions and more about you, since Aja had a drink for each hand and was still able to beat her boyfriend at arm-wrestling.” An even bigger pout, if there was an argument, he could annoy him over was his rivalry with his sister. It was an easy victory. “Look, I get what you’re trying to do, but I have the essay for mech… stuff… something, to finish.” A massive eyebrow was raised. “Just because I can’t remember it very clearly right now doesn’t mean it’s not important!” Stupid brain, he was supposed to win the argument, collaborate!

No use, Krel was already on it, pulling him up by the shoulders. He was considerably less strong than his sister but still slightly better than the human average, which made him being pulled around towards his bed impossible to avoid. It did weird stuff to his chest. Seamus pondered if there was any reasons into trying to fight back – something that wasn’t going to gain him an even bigger scolding later –, deciding that even if it was a good idea he really didn’t have the energy. It was no use anyway, a moment later he was pushed onto the mattress. At that point it was impossible gathering the strength to get up once again, everything was beautifully bouncy and soft over there. He was keeping his eyes up out of pure will.

Krel moved him so he was laying down.

“Seamus, how long does it take to become an astronaut?”

“Again asking me stuff Mr. Tarron, you’re really pushing me on my limits.” Silence. Seamus struggled, but even right now it was a pretty easy information to remember. “Well, I need a master’s degree which is what I’m trying to get, then two years of professional experience, a thousand of hours pilot-in-command time on jet aircraft…”

“It’s quite a lot, is it?” He blinked, a little taken back by the interruption, slowly nodding. “Then why making it miserable? The way towards your dream does not have to be awful.”

Oh. Right.

Dad used to say that it had to be, that until he was accomplished, he was nothing. He had never said anything useful, for real. Seamus smiled.

“Yeah… yeah, I forget about that sometimes.”

“Try not to, space does not go anywhere. Literally, space-time does not move.” Krel sat onto the bed. “One day you will get there, and it will be because of your effort, but you don’t need to rush it. I hope you will have a good memory of this time as well.” His eyes were so soft right now. It wasn’t very often that he could get the most of this guy’s kindness. This was definitely a memory he wanted to keep. With that being said, the smirk coming back was also pretty welcomed. “Besides, I will be there holding your hand the entire time. No need to be anxious.”

This guy was the worst. And the best. And Seamus could do nothing else but sink his head into the pillow and laugh out loud, feeling the last of his energy slowly disappearing into that sound. He was almost in tears, moving to wipe them away.

“Why are we friends again? Scratch that, why are we roommates even?”

“Because Steve snores, Logan is not ready to leave his house, and I can hack into all streaming services without the need to log in.” The last reason would have been enough. “Also… you were there when my parents passed away, no matter how isolated and insufferable I was. I have every intention to do the same.” His cheeks reddened slightly. Never mind, this one would have sold him. Immediately. “If you are truly not feeling like sleeping, could you at least consider eating something? You need to gain your energy from somewhere.” He had gained this little mom tendency by being his roommate, finally letting his most caring side take over. It was still a little new for him, but also pretty… very endearing.

No one had really taken care of him before. Not since mom left, definitely not with dad around. Seamus could hardly get used to how he didn’t have to deal with every conversation ending with shouts, that an argument didn’t mean he was going to be punished, and that he didn’t have to gain his privileges like watching TV or go out with his friends through grades. Even with his brain all messy, it was a warm feeling.

It made him want to try to at least make Krel feel less worried.

“… no, I… I think I’ll try to sleep some more. Properly this time.” The prince made a surprised face, probably not expecting him to give up this soon.

He was clearly pleased by it though.

“Very well, I will leave you to it.” He got up. Seamus’ hand was on his wrist almost unconsciously.

“… Krel?” The prince hummed, clearly taken back but still close. “Can you… stay around? You don’t have to do anything, you can read a book or watch something on the phone, and only until I fall asleep.” He was too tired to feel embarrassed. “I… kinda don’t wanna stay on my own.”

“You’re never gonna make it without me!”

For a moment there was no reaction. Then Krel smiled, nodding. Seamus expected him to take the chair or something, instead he found himself naturally shifting away as the Akiridion lied next to him, his shoulders touching the pillow. He took a book from the nightstand, – ‘Love Amongst the Dragons’, he had forgotten where he had taken that from – one Seamus hadn’t had the time to read with his stressful study schedule happening. It was something the prince used to rarely do, reading, considering his general reluctance at accepting the terrestrial method of learning. It turned out you cannot learn college stuff through thermogenic osmosis – not without overheating apparently – so he had begrudgingly accepted the educational method.

As it turned out, he did not mind it as much as he showed. It was a peaceful view every time.

“I will be silent, please get some rest now.” Seamus nodded. His mind was too foggy to register how he was leaning his head over his shoulder, hearing a little gulp from him. Was he doing something he wasn’t supposed to? Whatever, Krel was warm. Comfy too. “… Seamus?” The blonde hummed. “Are you still tense? From before?”

Right, he asked not to be alone, it wasn’t a mystery why. He was too tired to care about keeping his pride, so he nodded, fighting the urge to sleep for a few more seconds.

“A bit.”

“… very well, then.” His voice got softer, as soft as the feeling blossoming onto his forehead. Krel had brushed it with a kiss, in a sound that barely moved something into his mind. Seamus’ chest felt lighter, as the prince quickly went back with his nose between the pages. The blonde didn’t understand why the reluctance. Was this important? It sure felt nice. “T-there, you should feel slightly better now. Have a good rest.” Seamus gave him a look. His cheeks were getting redder. He was cute. Krel was really cute.

The blonde smiled lazily, snuggling closer, finally closing his eyes.

“I always do when you’re with me.” All he registered after that was the prince holding his breath, like he had said something meaningful. Who cared, he was tired and warm, it could wait.

…

…

… three hours later Krel had left for the afternoon shift and his usual tutoring lessons with Steve and Lake. There was a burrito still wrapped left onto his nightstand. And Seamus, with a more rested body and a finally functioning mind, was having a full existential crisis while screaming into his pillow.

Dang it, four exams still to finish, and a crush on a snarky genius from another planet.

Studies were not the most stressful part of college anymore.

[itzagothamcitysiren]

Welcome to the Family

I’ve always struggled finding someone who I think would make a good Damian. I love the voice actor from the DCAU, and even the kid who did the voice in the Harley show lol, but live action wise I’ve never really settled on a kid I’d think would do a really good job.  I’d love to know everyone’s own fan casting and who they would think would make a good Damian. :)  

Mother’s Day pt.2          

  Damian couldn’t stop himself from watching the whole scene play out in front of him, cursing Drake as he knew that this was his plan all along. Drake wanted to rub it in his face no matter how hard he would deny it when Damian confronted him on it later. The bitter taste of the sweat was all Damian could taste as he slowly began to peel off his costume after a long and tiring night of patrolling Gotham City. His eyes darted from person to person, trying to keep the sudden annoyance down in the pit of his stomach.

           His father stood off near the batcomputer, slowly getting ready to call it a night, overlooking some files. His father had his cowl off, the tiredness of a long night out in the city showing on his face. A little ways away stood his sister, politely excepting the water bottle Alfred was now handing out to each of them. He started to head towards the pair to retrieve his own but halted. Drake approached them, clearly hiding something behind his back, underneath his cape. He turned around, simmering but kept listening as Drake began to speak.

           “Hey, staying the night?” Tim cleared his throat as he approached Halley, a hint of hopefulness reaching his voice.

           The girl chugged her water bottle, capping it off with a sigh. The cold liquid felt good running down her throat. Placing the near empty bottle on a nearby desk she turned to give Tim her full attention. With a smile, she leaned up against the desk, her muscles sore. “Nah, I have to head to the library first thing tomorrow, finish up my term paper.”  

           “I can help you. Use the library here,” Tim frowned, offering his help. He hadn’t seen his sister as much as he’d like over the past few months. She’d been busy with her last year of college and the internship she started this year at the Gotham Gazette.

           He did get to see her two weeks ago but that didn’t really count. He’d never gotten to meet the Robin before him, Jason Todd, but Halley spoke very fondly of him. They had grew extremely close he learned and she was absolutely devastated when the Joker killed him six years ago. And for the last couple of years, Tim would accompany with her to visit Jason’s grave on his death day because she could never bring herself to handle going alone.

           “As much as I would love that, it’s actually a study date.” She bit her lip, looking at her feet.

           “Wow, like a date, date?” Tim was taken aback, almost looking proud at the older girl. All the years he’s known her, she’s never been one for dating or having interest in anyone.

           “Yeah, we’re going to go to this café; the one on fifth, the one you said had really good coffee muffins.” She nodded, still timid about the date itself. She hadn’t been on a date in six years. It felt weird, but Dick told her it was time to start moving on and Dick had never led her astray before so, she was going to try. Jason would want her to anyway, she kept telling herself.

           “Well, I hope you have a good time. And actually get some work done.” Tim chuckled. “Well since I won’t see you in the morning and it’s technically the tenth right now, here you go,” Tim said, pulling out what was hidden behind his back.

           Halley looked down at the items that were being outreached to her, her eyes already getting watery. Tim really didn’t understand how much this stuff meant to her. Glazing over the card, seeing it goofily decorated with glitter and cute little doodles, Halley couldn’t help but let out a chuckle. She thought it was adorable. Opening it up, she read what he wrote inside, chuckling more at the little stick figures of Nightshade and Red Robin. Inside it read:  A mother is the person you can always call to see how long chicken can last in the fridge.

           Shaking her head at him she moved to the other item he handed her. It was a medium sized box wrapped in wrapping paper with little cute cartoon pugs and an oversized purple bow. Putting the card in between her armpit, in order to not drop it, she tore the wrapping paper apart, letting out a squeal, causing everyone to look at her in shock; it took a lot to make the former assassin to squeal in pure giddiness.    

           Damian was now almost fuming as Halley lunged herself into Tim, nearly tripping the boy over in her excitement. Her grip on him was tight, as was her grasp on the gift she still held in her hand, as if holding onto it for dear life. She couldn’t believe he got her this,

           “How did you get this? It sold out in seconds!” She pulled away, now hugging the object to her chest, “Tim you really didn’t have to do this, I totally didn’t realize the date, with school and-,”

           “I knew how much you wanted it and were bummed when you had to go on that mission with the Titans when it went on sale and so I ordered it for you, so you didn’t miss out.” Tim cut off her rambling, shrugging her off. “I was going to give it to you for Christmas, but it didn’t come in on time so I saved it for this.”

           “I can’t wait to show Steph!” She excitedly held it up to look at the smooth and shiny new box, revealing it to everyone in the room the newest Jeffree Star and Shane Dawson palate. “You’re literally the best Tim.” She pulled him into another hug, this time a quick one, no one noticing how Damian was now practically steaming. “What are you doing Wednesday? I’m only at the Gazette until like noon, we should hang out, go to the movies or arcade or something once you’re out of school. I’ll pick you up.”

           “I promised I’d help the Titans with something, it’s not an emergency though-” Tim frowned, hesitating, he could try and reschedule.

           “No, no it’s okay. I know you’ve missed them, being busy with school and all,” She waved off, scrunching up her nose. “We’ll figure it out, but soon, we gotta at least go get burgers or something. It’s been too long.”

           Damian watched as Halley began to start saying her goodbye, realizing that it was nearly five am at this point and wanted to try to get at least three or four hours of sleep before she had to be up for her date. She called out a goodbye to Bruce and Alfred, shooting Tim another thank you and smile before heading to the showers to change and grab her bag to head to her apartment in the city. On her way out, Damian felt his cheeks turn red as she nicely wished him goodnight, smiling wider than she did to Tim. Feeling a strange pang in his chest, he brushed her off, muttering a grumpy ‘night, before curtly turning to head up to the Manor.

           He was unamused by the exchange between her and Drake. He was only under the impression that he was giving her that immature card, not a gift as well. She looked so happy that it almost appeared that Drake was indeed the favorite brother, which absolutely could not possibly be true.  He was the blood brother, he reminded himself. He couldn’t let Drake outshine him like that. It wasn’t even because he cared that much, it was just unacceptable. If it had been Grayson it might sit a little easier with Damian but Drake?

           Damian thought about it until the sun shined through his windows, making him even angrier. Why was he letting this get to him as badly as it was? It was just a stupid card and a box of colorful dirt. But that stupid card and box of colorful dirt still stood in his mind for the following days, making it nearly impossible for him to concentrate on anything else. His father asked him what was wrong during patrol the following nights, only to get a growl here and a grunt there in response. If Damian had to see Drake’s smug look one more time during these moments, he’d finally kill him, his father be damned.

           Damian couldn’t believe how much he let this get to him. He tried to deny it; blame it on hormones or whatever Grayson called the cause of his mood swings. He didn’t even begin to consider admitting he was jealous of his sister’s close relationships with his so called brothers until he found himself standing in front of the Gotham Gazette at 1:50pm. Gritting his teeth, he walked straight in. Once he reached the front desk, he said he was here to see his sister. He was a Wayne, they knew who he was and the woman nervously pointed him to the way to the office his sister worked in.

           The look of worry and shock his sister wore as he stood in front of her desk confirmed that this had indeed been a terrible idea.  She had been head deep in her computer, typing away furiously, while on the phone, barking out questions and demands; something about needing to have some interview with some councilman rescheduled ASAP. Damian was impressed as she spoke. He was used to her stern voice from working with her on missions but this was different, she seemed so professional but scary; he almost felt bad for whoever she was talking to on the phone, but also felt proud by the way she was demanding things like an al Ghul would.

           She must have thought that he was someone else who knocked on her door for when she slammed the phone down, she didn’t even look up at him, just outreached her hand waiting to be passed something. She was expecting someone. She was busy. This was a terrible idea, Damian thought to himself in a slight panic. Was that sweat starting to form on his brow? Grow up Damian, he spat to himself.

           When her hand stood empty she shook it aggressively as if silently saying to hand her something.  Damian raised an eyebrow at her and when she was still left empty handed, she whipped her head up, clearly irritated. She was tired from another all-nighter. She couldn’t even consider going on patrol last night, which was something she never missed up until the last couple of months. She was itching to be done with school already.

           She had to stay up all night trying to make a backup plan for her final article and paper. She was writing about the coming election, making a strong article highlighting the past Mayor’s and city officials. It was a puff piece, but a damn good one. She wanted it to be perfect so that way when she graduated in June she’d hopefully get to stay at the Gazette permanently. But at the same time, she was also just trying to use her connection with the paper to weasel her way into an interview with councilman, Rupert Thorne.

           Her paper had been her obsession since starting it; she was exposing the corruption of city hall and it was at the point where her grade didn’t matter, she just wanted it to be done so she could publish it. Everyone knew that Gotham was corrupt, but no one really talked about, just complained about the crazy, dressed up weirdos that tormented the city at night. People like Scarecrow, Riddler and the Joker make people overlook villains who in her opinion where just as bad. For example, Rupert Thorne

           He had his nose deep in too many illegal operations running out of Gotham that Halley and even Bruce lost count. He had the audacity to run for mayor this election season, as being a councilman wasn’t enough for someone like Thorne. If he won this, Gotham was more screwed then it already was. Without at least speaking with him once her entire paper and grade would be ruined. And she couldn’t exactly go as her alter ego and force him to talk to her. That would raise too many questions. She didn’t even care as she named dropped Bruce, making sure they knew that she was Halley Wayne; she was desperate.          

           When she saw Damian though all thoughts about Thorne left her mind and her face softened before scrunching up again with concern. Damian never visited her before a she had been pretty sure he forgot that she interned here a couple days out of the week. Stopping her work, she looked up at him, looking around the room as her co-workers eyed them curiously.  “Damian, is everything okay? What happened?”

           “Tt.” He crossed his arms.

           “Damian, is everything okay?” She pressed, seeing that look in his eyes when he looked stressed or in trouble.

           “Nothing is wrong, I-,” He paused. He hadn’t figured out what to say. He didn’t prepare for this. Gulping down his anxiety, he took the seat that was across from her desk. He could see the bags underneath her eyes and the untouched food sitting at the other end of the desk. He also noted how the clock said that it was now a couple minutes past two. “Didn’t you tell Drake you were done with work at noon?”

           Halley blinked a few times, now knowing that there was no emergency but instead was just thrown off. What was he talking about? Looking down at the time on her laptop it clicked. Her conversation with Tim in the cave, about possibly hanging out today. Oh right, she remembered.  Looking back up at her younger brother she gave him an unsure look, she didn’t understand why he was here.

           “Um, yeah, well I don’t have a concept of time when I’m in here.” She lightly chuckled, trying to get a vibe on why he was here. Rubbing the black beanie on her head, itching her head awkwardly, “Most times the janitor has to kick me out.”

           She looked at him when he just nodded at her, still not stating why he was sitting in front of her. She was surprised he remembered her conversation with Tim, she hadn’t thought he had been listening and it was like they were talking that loudly for him to be forced to overhear him. She had taken note of Tim texting her about how unbearable he’s been since last Sunday though. She bit the inside of her cheek, was Damian jealous? She laughed to herself, there was no way. But when she have him another look over she saw his green eyes staring at her messy desk with a slight pout on his face. Oh he was totally jealous of Tim, she thought.            

           She looked at her untouched lunch, having totally losing herself in her work and forgetting it even existed. She then felt her stomach growl, seeing how Damian noticed it as well, raising his eyebrow higher, if that was even possible. Quickly saving the document she was working on, she slowly closed her laptop, letting what she was about to do sink in. Trying to contain her smile, not wanting to scare him off before she could even begin, she cleared her throat.

           “So do you like Burgers?”

[starrybbarnes]

impressions [b.b]

Pairing: Bucky Barnes x Reader, Clint Barton x Reader (Family)

Summary: you’re a new recruit, and Bucky has been keeping on eye on you on why you were hand-selected by Stark. One day he finds out why.

Word Count: 3083

Author’s note: imagine hawkeye being your uncle. the bants would be amazing. anyways, I’m trying to keep writing as much as i can, so if y’alls have any requests, it might come to life! :)

Warnings: it’s a long fic?? Maybe a swear ? some old man humor?

“Well, here we are!”

The car came to a complete stop right in front of the Avengers compound. It was huge, pristine. Almost scary-looking if it weren’t for the sight of two agents in the middle of the front lawn doing yoga.

“Y’know uncle,” you started, “I’m having second thoughts.”

“Oh, nonsense, Y/N” your uncle Clint chuckled. “Everyone is very excited to meet you, especially Wonder Boy.”

You rolled your eyes at the last part. You always wondered what it was like to work with that man. And now it was coming to a reality. You couldn’t thank your uncle enough for taking you under his wing. From a young age, he saw that you were very much interested in whatever “uncle Clint was up to.” It also helped that you had a sharp eye for accuracy.

Therefore, it only seemed fitting that while in school, your uncle would train you 3 times a week after school was done. Before you knew it, you became one of the best markswomen in the family. Next to your Uncle, of course.

The door opens to reveal a very giddy Tony Stark, embracing your uncle in a huge hug and some remarks about the family, the weather, the Knicks,  standard dad stuff.

“And I’m assuming this is Y/N,” Tony said as he turned to you: he stuck out his hand, “An absolute pleasure to meet you.”

“If anything, I’m the one that’s starstruck,” you gushed, “I’m a huge fan of your technology and work in general. It’s pretty cool.”

“You see, Legolas!” Tony cheered, “I’m still hip and coool.”

“Man, don’t make me regret my compliment, Stark,” you groaned, “you sound just like my Uncle on trivia night.”

“Hey, hey, hey” Uncle Clint argued, “I’ll have you know I’m an absolute boss when it comes to pop culture references. The me-mes, if you will.”

“I’m gonna internally combust,” you sighed, earning chuckles from both Stark and your uncle.

“Walk with me, Y/N,” Stark started as the three of you made your way inside the compound, “so tell me a bit about the young markswoman.”

“Well, whatever my uncle told you, it’s pretty much the same. I’m 25, just graduated with my masters, and I happen to have very good aim. Grew up in Queens with my mom and younger brother,” you shared.

“Look at you! A whole degree!” Tony congratulated, “It’s a good thing Barton didn’t immediately put you into SHIELD as I first intended.”

“Believe me, it was a tug and pull,” you said.

And you were right. Your skills kept getting better in high school, and you remembered how badly Tony Stark wanted to recruit you. You were to be the next protege, and quite frankly you didn’t want any of that.

You remember clearly when Stark came to visit you during your senior year of high school and you flat out told him: “Listen, I’m a teenager. I’m very self-centered right now. I’m only 17, and the biggest issue in my life right now is whether or not I can afford to apply to my dream school. I’m tryna go to college. And maybe have a boyfriend, who knows. Point is: I’m not ready to be recruited.”

That explanation definitely shook your entire family, and Stark knew that you were S.H.I.E.L.D material, but understood your different passions. It was a very mature thing for you to say, and he was impressed. You vaguely remember telling him “I won’t let these skills go to waste. I’ll give you a call when I’m ready.”

And ready you are now. Granted, you would rather work on your non-profit to train kids to become S.H.I.E.L.D recruits, but you knew Stark would be more than happy to give you advice on how to successfully pull it off.

“Well, I’m overjoyed you joined our team,” Tony thanked profusely, “Your talent is amazing.”

“Anything my Uncle do, I can do ten times better,” you added.

“I won’t complain about that,” Clint said as he ruffled your hair.

“Are you ready to meet the rest of the team, Y/N?” Tony asked as you walked towards the door of the common area.

“I think so?” you hesitated, “Hey, uh, Stark? Is it okay that you don’t let the team know that I’m like, part assassin, part scary graduate.”

“Keepin’ it humble, I respect that,” Tony chuckled.

“Thanks, Tony,” you smiled, a small plan brewing inside you. Your uncle already knew of it, and when you guys made eye contact, he gave you a thumbs up.

“So how do you want to be introduced: intern? Assistant? Your Uncle’s dietitian, which by the way, he needs one.” Tony proposed.

“I’m gonna pretend I didn’t hear that,” your uncle scoffed.

“How about, shy intern training to become full time at the compound?” you offered as the three of you faced the door.

“Perfection,” Tony simply said, “Now, it’s showtime!”

Tony does his signature grand entrance and simply extends his arm out, earning one single applause from your uncle. It was very fitting.

“Everyone,” Tony Stark started, “I’m sure you’re all familiar with Old Man Hawkeye. Well now, I present to you his niece!”

You slowly emerged from behind your uncle and shyly waved to the team, “Hey guys, my name is Y/N, and I just started my internship here.”

“Y/N is an absolute smarty pants I tell you,” Tony began once again, “she has a Master’s degree!”

Claps and cheers erupted with the team. Steve was the first to speak, “Well, I’m personally very proud of your accomplishments, hopefully, after your time here, you’ll consider staying here for the long run.”

You just smiled, you couldn’t believe that the Star-Spangled Man with a Plan was proud of you.

One by one, the Avengers went up to you greeted you individually. You were most excited to grow your friendship with Wanda and Nat, seeing was you three were clearly outnumbered.

“We gotta stick together the three of us,” Natasha commented, “It ain’t safe here.”

“It just reeks of testosterone,” Wanda added, “you’ve become mine and Nat’s blessing.:

Thor was super happy to meet you as well, as he now has a new opponent to challenge in drinking, to which you responded with “you’d be surprised at how much I can take, Mr. Lord of Thunder.”

Both Sam and Rhodey were very appreciative of you, and couldn’t wait to discuss anything and everything. Sam more about if you’re the prankster type, and Rhodey more on the topics of bad scary movies (this week’s choice: Jaws.)

Banner was super excited that there’s another person with a passion for the sciences and social work, and you knew you’d hang out in the labs a lot. Vision was just grateful that there was another person to add more inside jokes.

And then there was Bucky. Naturally, he was the last one to greet, but that didn’t stop you from sweating your balls out. You admired him greatly.

All he did was give you a handshake, flashed an adorable smile, and simply said: “Welcome to the team, Y/N, the name’s Bucky.”

You croaked a small thanks, and shuffle next to your uncle, trying to hide your face, ears turning pink from embarrassment. You couldn’t deny that Bucky was an attractive fellow. It would be like denying that the Sun is bright.

“It’s those eyes, I’m telling you,” your uncle said to no one in particular, “Stark, I really don’t know how you do it.”

“That’s what you got from a handshake between him and your niece?” Stark asked.

“Like I said, I’m cool and hip.”

You and Bucky just glanced and quickly smiled at each other before staring at the ground.

You could sense Bucky was gonna warm up to you soon.

。。

6 Months Later

Your ‘internship’ was better than anything you’ve ever asked for. Sure, no one knows that you can take someone down that’s double your size with a measly flip, but you showed your strength and ingenuity elsewhere.

You got to sit down during briefings, work alongside Stark to innovate tech, and even got to observe Hill and Fury as directors. All this information was more than you’d ever accumulate during your all-nighters in college.

You still trained with your uncle, but this was where it got tricky (but not like the Run-D.M.C. song, though). Certain supersoldiers were night owls, and others liked to wake up at the ass crack of dawn for their dumb run. This is definitely not college.

So what you and your uncle would do is go to the gym that was at the very other end at the compound immediately after breakfast. People knew there were offices in that general vicinity, so no one questions it.

You remember Bucky once asked what you’d do on ‘the other side’ and you would just reply, “lame intern stuff, filing, and organizing.”

He has bought it, but it just gets harder to hide this not so obvious secret. He knows you sometimes hit the gym because he knows you’ll “practically melt” if you were to step foot in one.

And he knows weird tidbits like your favorite spot to people watch, your favorite campus cafe, and what cat you would like to have as a pet (a black one, because they remind of a time when you wanted to be a witch).

Sometimes you’d be a night owl with Bucky and join him in the common area and you guys would just talk. And soon after, you guys became really close. Nothing was hidden from each other, and it was nice to confide in someone.

You were still shy around everyone else (minus the gals), and people knew you wouldn’t hurt a fly. Bucky would specifically notice all the details that he enjoys about you. You’d do the same, only you tried to conceal any indication that you liked Bucky.

Your uncle would notice it too. “You know, one of these days he’s gonna catch you slipping. I’ve heard him ask for you around the same time you come train with me,” He mumbled, sipping some tea out of his mug. Mornings like these were the best: tea time with your uncle.

“Is this in relation to our feelings for each other or the fact that I can probably beat up Bucky?”

“Hmm, either work. So you do like him, eh??” Clint chuckled.

“Great,” you huffed, “another person knows.”

“I’m telling you, it’s his eyes,” Clint commented, “no one has eyes as beautiful as his.”

“... Don’t you have blue eyes??”

“Yes. But the point is, you gotta reveal your skills now,” your uncle added.

“What if he thinks I’m weird?” you whined. Your uncle just stared at you and continued drinking his tea.

“Don’t knock it ‘til you try it,” Clint consoled. Both of you heard some footsteps coming from the hallway, and saw a freshly showered Bucky emerge.

“Speaking of the Dreamboat,” Clint said, “Bucky!”

“Good morning to you too, Clint,” Bucky smiled, “you’re in good spirits today.”

“That’s because Y/N has to tell you something life-changing,” Clint gasped, winking at you to see if you got the idea. He quickly scurried towards the gym and left it at that.

“Goddamnit uncle,” you mumbled, a laugh escaping from Bucky. Your cheeks flushed red as you lowkey checked him out.

“So, what’s this ‘life-changing’ statement of yours, sugar,” Bucky inquired, his nickname for you throwing you off.

“I, uh, um,” you stuttered, “well, I was thinking about, um, maybe training under someone. And, uh, I know we’ve, um gotten closer.” Bucky nodded in agreement.

“So canyoupleasetrainmeorsomething,” you quickly got out, your breath nearly turning into a heave.

Bucky looked at you with genuine happiness, “I’d love to, y/n. When did you want to start?”

You saw the clock: 9:35 AM.

Usually, you’d start at 10, so for him to see your stunts, he’d have to come slightly later.

“How’s 10:30 sound? I took into account the time it takes for me to get ready and my complaining.”

“Sounds like a plan,” Bucky stated, winking when he said, “I’ll see you soon.”

You blushed once again and waved goodbye to him. Quickly you sent a text to Tony and Clint saying to gather towards the gym and to bring anyone that was free.

Bless Bucky’s heart. He didn’t know what was in store for him.

。。

9:50 am

The gym was quiet, as usual, with the exception of another agent running on the elliptical. You had changed quickly and briskly walked towards your uncle.

“No one’s here yet,” Clint observed, “Do they even know we have another gym?”

“Don’t worry I told Bucky to come at 10:30, and everyone else at 10:15, so we can warm up and give a real show,” you beamed.

“Well, it’s almost time, let’s just work out like a normal day,” Clint said.

“Aye aye, Hawkeye,” you saluted, mentally congratulating yourself that you came up with that on the spot.

。。

10:25 am

Sweat had been going down your spine, and you weren’t tuckered out yet.

One by one the team came walking in to observe what was going on, and so far, they were really impressed.

The first half-hour was you and Clint basically doing a mix of sparring, some agility tests, and a bit of archery. You didn’t want to show off just yet, but you’d throw a couple of tricks here and there.

Tony commented something about the “Manchurian Candidate walking towards the gym,” so everyone scrambled to make themselves look occupied, while also observing the scene was about to unfold.

You then looked to Clint and simply said, “Knives?”

“Knives,” your uncle responded.

And with the same agility you had before, you walked towards the indoor range to the side and picked your favorite knife. You quickly saw the clock read 10:28 so you decided to just go with the flow.

As if on cue, Bucky walked in greeting Steve, and then set his eyes on you. You hadn’t heard him walking into the room, and you just went ham on the knives.

Each target that would light up, you’d throw your knife and hit it in the dead center. The sound of the knives hitting the target would be unsettling to some, but it was just background noise to you now.

You then grabbed a bow and arrow and decided to hit the furthest target that you could see, which was a good 20 feet away. And just like with the knives, you’d hit the bullseye.

Your uncle decided to spar once more, but this time you were put up against an agent, John. John would train with you sometimes, and he offered to take part in the show today.

You started throwing punches, and John did not hesitate to strike back. It went like that for about 5 more minutes until you saw John struggling a bit. You did your classic flip maneuver and took him down. You and John started laughing, and your uncle came over to give you a high five.

You turn towards your audience and received some hoots and hollers. All but from one person.

To say Bucky looked mortified was an understatement. Here was a soft and reserved girl who wouldn’t hurt a single soul, throwing knives at targets and taking down a big guy.

Everyone had left the gym, and Bucky kept his mouth agape.

“Bucky, sweetie, you’re gonna catch flies,” you commented as you reached for his cheek and closed his mouth, “you seem, distant. Is everything okay?”

Bucky blinked, then spoke: “Did you learn that in a day??”

You laughed, “More like in 18 years, Buck.”

“Years?!” Bucky almost screamed.

“Yeah, my uncle has been training me since I was a kid. I like this stuff, it’s really fun and exhilarating,” you said nonchalantly, “Tony made me a SHIELD agent about six months ago.”

Bucky just had an incredulous look on his face. He really didn’t know what to think.

“It just… looked so cool.” Bucky whispered, “why didn’t you tell me earlier??”

It was your turn to not say anything, “I thought you were gonna think I’m weird, or like an overachiever like Steve.”

“Doll, do you know who I am?” Bucky asked as he stepped closer towards you, “I wouldn’t judge you for anything, and you know that.”

He pulled you into a hug, his chin resting on top of your head, “and, quite frankly you looked really hot while doing it.”

“Even when I put John in a chokehold?”

“That was the best part.”

Bucky let go of you slightly and simply looked at you with that longing feeling in those rom-com movies. You know which ones.

You decided to take it upon yourself and close the gap once more and kissed Bucky on the lips. He was a bit startled at first but soon caught on. Hands on your waist, he pulled you as close as humanly possible, and your hands immediately wrapped around his neck.

The two of you pulled away, breathing heavily. You sighed in content and simply said, “Everyone was right, your eyes really are dreamy.”

“Why not look at them all night when we go on a date later today?” Bucky said with confidence in his voice.

You smiled once more and quickly kissed Bucky on the cheek, “I’d love that, Buck.”

The sound of the door slamming open pulled the two of you out of a trance.

“Stark! You owe me twenty!” your uncle hollered as he motioned for the two of you to leave the gym.

You groaned. “I’m gonna internally combust, Uncle Clint.”

“Not before you stare at Bucky’s eyes again. Now get out of here, lovebirds. I’m trying to work out,” Clint grumbled.

Bucky grabbed a hold of your hand, walking with so much glee.

You looked outside the window and saw agents doing yoga.

“Hey, Buck?”

“Yes, y/n?”

“Let’s go do some yoga,” you offered. It was the first thing you saw when you got here, and now you get to share that activity with someone you cared about. Bucky nodded in agreement and you guys walked outside, holding hands, basking in the sunlight and the birds chirping.

。。

Hope you enjoyed! :)

[rainydaylanguages]

life update!

(i started writing this post almost a full year ago and must’ve forgotten about it in drafts! here was what was happening at the start of my junior year. my school offers a program where you can do the IB during your sophomore and junior year if you want to accelerate your high school career, and that’s what i did.)

hi everybody! my junior year of high school starts tomorrow, so i thought tonight would be a good time to put in an update with what my life will look like this fall and what classes i’m taking and why.

(i know my school probably starts a lot later than everyone else’s, my school district always starts classes on the wednesday after labor day in the us, and if anyone’s jealous i start so late, just keep in mind that my summer doesn’t start until the last few days of june)

in case anyone is curious, i finished my first year of IB in june, and i tested in biology SL and math SL in may. i got a 5 in biology and a 3 in math (i was 1 point away from a 4 in math) and i know those aren’t fantastic scores, but those are my weakest subjects and my goal was a 4 in both of them. at least a 3 and a 5 averages out to 2 4s!

i’m a currently behind on CAS reflections and will be writing some tomorrow before school starts, and my TOK class doesn’t start til next week i believe, although i actually haven’t heard anything from my TOK teacher. 

at my school, TOK isn’t part of the regular school day, we have it either before or after school. i’ll be taking it before school for 1 hour 3 days a week, but i don’t know which days yet.

also, at my school you have to have a full extended essay draft turned in by the time you begin your second year. our drafts are due on friday. i’m behind on mine but i’ll be working really hard to write as much as i can this week. don’t follow my example, write a lot during the summer and it will save your butt during second year. 

my ee topic is “The Effectiveness of the Seattle Plan in Desegregating the Seattle Public Schools”, and it’s a local history topic (i heard the IB really loves those and i really love my city’s history)

the classes that i’ll be starting tomorrow are:

AP statistics - i wasn’t planning on taking a math class (or a science) this year since i tested in both last year, but i couldn’t take all 6 classes i had planned on taking so i decided math would be the best class to replace orchestra with in order to get a good reaction from the colleges i apply to. AP stats is said to be really easy at my school so i’m hoping it won’t be too hard for me. 

IB music SL - this is my IB elective of choice and my third SL. i’m hoping to score a 6 or 7 in music to make up for my 3 and 5 in math and bio.

IB english literature A HL year 2 - english HL as a first language is required by my school, but i also would have chosen to take this class if i had had the option. i also chose lit, not lang + lit. i’m aiming for a 6 or 7 in lit.

IB spanish B HL year 2 - i felt like spanish was my best choice HL, so i chose to take it and i’m also hoping to get a 6 or 7 in it.

IB history HL year 2 - my school also requires that we take HL history as part of our state’s high school graduation requirements, but again, i would have chosen to take HL history anyway, without the requirement. i’m also hoping for a 6 or 7 in history, because it’s one of my favorite classes and i like to think i’m pretty good at it.

*update from future me*

If you’re curious, I was absolutely not a perfect student during my time in the IB. I wrote most of my IAs, my EE, and my ToK essay at the last minute (literally the very last minute - I pulled an all-nighter to finish my ToK essay and turn it in by 7:30 in the morning, and I skipped class to finish my EE and print it out to turn it in at lunch on the day it was due. I finished my CAS reflections after exams, although my coordinator did let us do that because he was so overwhelmed with exams to keep up with CAS. Anyway, my point here is: you don’t have to be a great student or super organized and on top of it to finish a hard program like the IB. I most definitely wasn’t. All I did was made sure to make every IB deadline, no matter what deadlines my teachers set for drafts and things like that. And I did it! I got the diploma!

[thedappleddragon]

twofer because sleep schedule madness

Woken up at noon by dad, left at 2something to go driving for a couple hours to practice parallel parking, running over lots of cones in the process because they were too short for us to see. Stopped practice early so we could go to the hardware store to pick up hooks so my sister can set up a hammock, and went grocery shopping where it was VERY CROWDED and gave me a little headache, partially from chewing gum too long. We got home and my dad started cooking dinner on the grill and I helped by making stuffed mushrooms which turned out amazing :) we had asparagus and mushrooms and scallops and burgers and pork chops and hot dogs and pasta salad and potato salad oh my. My friend dropped by to pick up the bear I made them, but first they went grocery shopping and lost their wallet lol. Afterwards I hung out for a bit and accidentally fell asleep. I woke up for half a second when my dad came in to turn off my light, and didn’t wake up again until 1am or so. My dreams were centered around a mechanic of matching rhythms and events to move time forward or something, idk. But since I went to bed early and just now woke up when I would normally start thinking about going to sleep, I’m afraid I’ve fucked up my sleep schedule and won’t be able to go back to sleep tonight. I’m gonna try tho. (all that was typed at 1 am, its now midnight the next night) so no I did NOT go back to sleep. instead I watched tiktoks and drew Bugsnax but mostly some random gemsonas. I washed the sun rise and heard my mom come home from morning shift, but eventually my sister got up and started her day so I got up too. I felt just a little sick, just like the embodiment of sour milk, and my head spun just a little bit as I walked down the hall. but I ate a bagel and hung out and was fine. there was freezing rain outside so all the trees had little icicles on them so I couldn't go outside with my cat, and I couldn't go driving with my dad. I finfished up the tiktok and hung out, played some stardew valley, ya know. I talked with my mom for a little bit and we ate together and I struggled to not eat the rest of the girl scout cookies dad bought yesterday. I was just chilling in my room when my sister walked in with a letter from ball state talking about tuition costs, and I made the mistake of showing my dad which stressed him out on his day off which I feel kinda bad about. but then he kept giving me lists of stuff to do and kept telling me; in the kitchen, in the living room, standing in my doorway- it sucked. instead of doing something productive I listened to tally hall and put on 5 asmr videos at once to block out everything I possibly could and I just laid like that for a while until I could move again. my brother texted me and i watched a video about the dorm I'm staying in and DAMN IT LOOKS SO NICE?? its a new building with fully stocked maker spaces and a kitchen and semi-private bathrooms and communal spaces that remind me of my high school and a really clean and tidy laundry room. I think I'll like living there, but tbh lately I've been stressed and hesitant about college. I know it’ll be a great time and I'll learn a lot but I cant help it. idk man. but I did spend some time checking off stuff for the to-do list they sent in the mail. I don't understand the proxy but I promise I'll do it soon. I also set up a time/date for my drivers license test which I do not feel ready for AT ALL but hey we still have a week and a halfish. I also need to tally up my driving hours which is hard because I didn't consistently write them down :x oops. I'm pretty dang sure I have enough, I just have to fudge the exact times. that's another thing I was supposed to do today. ugh god I'm thinking too much about college tuition. maybe if I can funnel my energy away from stardew and back into fursuit making, I can make some decent money off of that. I just need to order a couple furs but the long white shag is out of stock right now. it’s never in stock tho which fuckin sucks. bleh I have too many things happening at once, and on top of all this I feel like a lazy shithead disappointment of a child because I just bum around the house all the time while all my friends are working full time or doing school or both and fhdgfdsflgjs shit sucks :( I think I'll get some good pictures of my brown puffy paws and try to pawn them off, maybe sell one of my mostly-finished fursuit heads as a fixer upper and throw in her unfinished paw and the fabric I used for it if I can find it. for now I just dont want to think about it and play stardew valley or something instead. I was gonna say maybe I’ll play Webkinz but it brings me a little sense of dread because I feel bad for not playing daily but when I do it feels like a chore. ughhhhh why do I have to throw myself into things 100% for a while and then give up on them? oh right its the mental illness. fuck. maybe some of this is just from being awake for almost 24 hours now. but does it even count if most of that time is laying in bed concerting energy anyway? I found out during highschoolI can pull an all nighter mostly unscathed as long as I'm laying down in bed while I do it. Ifeel guilty about not using my desk or cleaning my room or having mom spend all this time money and effort to try and make my room nice but instead I still do everything in bed. fuck. I wished I could have talked with my friend about feeling left behind and unproductive since school let out but it turns out she’s been working full time so I really am a slacker and dragging behind everyone else. why the fuck am I like this I hate it here why do I have to go through life with unmedicated adhd. godamnit this is all gonna be irrelevant in like 5 minuted when I fuck off and watch youtube to forget about it anyway so who cares. I didnt mean for my daily report to turn into a vent, sorry

[lydiadenman]

College

In life there are few things that remain a constant throughout the world. The first constant is that people are born and the second constant is that people die. What they do between their birth and their death is ultimately their choice. Pending legal age for some things. However, in most developed nations you’ll find that one of these choices disguised as something good can be more harm to a person’s health. What might that be you ask; well it’s called college. Kids spend twelve years in school only to be told once entering the job market that those twelve years amounted to squat. They are not prepared for a good paying job so they either go to a trade school or college. But college is supposed to prepare them for the world right? Well it does and doesn’t! Don’t get me wrong I think going to college is a great opportunity and I’m lucky to have the opportunity but sometimes I question college as a whole. For instance everyone knows of the ‘freshmen 15,’ or have at least heard of it. Well that’s where due to the stress, fresh faced newbies gain 15+ pounds their first year. I can’t give stress all the credit though when your morning meals consist of the image below.

Just be sure to go in the morning when it’s quite so you can eat and do homework; because you’ll always be doing homework.

I bet your going to say well you can always just make your own food and I would proceed to tell you that getting yourself a mini fridge might just help with that. However, as you can see below I had to get up with the early dawn to have any tine to cook anything, and the concoction I came up with was just awful. That’s what one gets for not looking up a recipe.

You can’t tell but that clock says 6:58am and that’s when I finished cooking the slop below.

Now that we covered the food you put into your body let’s talk about the things you drink to stay alive. I can tell you right now it isn’t water. When you have a paper due the next day and you weren’t able to start it due to your busy schedule during the week; that’s where you’ll pull an all-nighter. 

Oh and trust me you’ll be doing more of those than you’ll like, but in the meantime I suggest you take up a caffeine addiction.

Mind the mess it’s not like you have time to clean anyways.

On the off chance you still have medical insurance don’t forget to go to a few appointments that will just mess up your schedule.

See now I have more to do next week!

Now that we covered the fun college has on your physical health let’s jump into how it messes up your mental health. Also if it’s your friend’s birthday don’t forget to stalk them before they’re supposed to arrive back at their house only to be told they are too busy to celebrate their birthday.

I legit stalked her!

Perfect timing she just got home from her second job and now I can sing to her at 2 in the morning. She’ll later tell me how I was the only one who bothered to wish her a Happy Birthday. 

No worries you have your friends to help you through it all so it’s all good. Well until you ask them to help you with a project for another class and you realize they need just as much help as you do and neither of you know what you’re doing.

Somehow though you’ll figure it out.

Heading to work from class wear your headphones to block out noise pollution from the jerks with their hands permanently stuck on their car horns. Trust me it’ll keep you sane.

Speaking of jerks try not to be one yourself. Especially like the ones who tore up the RA on my floors wall for kicks. It was a pain to put back up!

Also at work don’t forget to broadcast that you’re slowly losing it with some well places doodles.

Now as much as I complain about college life I with many others wouldn’t want to be anywhere else. College is a community in its self that helps to broaden one’s horizons. However, it’s easy to get caught up in the negativity of it all and forget to enjoy it. People go to college to gain a higher education but the reason it’s a popular cultural phenomenon (if you could call it that) is because students learn how the world works around them from professors and friends. It’s an experience one shouldn’t give up on just like those here. 

=) =) =) =) =)

[aceyanaheim]

6 Characters: Seto Kaiba, Tamaki, Charles Xavier, Alexander Hamilton, Wolverine, Ryo Bakura

dOh this one….has all my favorite characters..huh okay.

Push off a cliff: Alexander Hamilton ( I love him bu he does too much dumb shit)

Kiss:…Prolly none. Maybe Tamaki is we’re the same age cause he’s the one I can see being okay with that.

Marry: Charles Xavier if I had to chose. He’s the most financially stable…and possibly the most mentally stable lol. Also he’d totally understand a qpr where we just chill and help/raise all the mutant kids in need.

Set on Fire: Wolverine ( he’s the only one that could heal.)

Wrap a Blanket around: ALL OF THEM. 

Be Roommates with: Oh Gawd they’d all make H O R R I B L E roomates…like

Alexander would be the freaking dude who pulls all-nighters writing ( and keeps YOU up while doing so) and lives on Monster drinks so there’s nothing in the fridge when he’s in charge of groceries….and possibly does drunken-half-asleep commentary on politics which…would actually be fun.

Also “I think I’m about to cheat on my gf/wife” “How bout you don’t do that” “…yeeah I…don’t know how to do that thing you’re sayin…gonna need to crash with you after the thing’s done” “goddamit Alexander Why do you always do this at 3 AM in the morning. Don’t you SLEEP??!!”

But also I do the same thing and we’d both be messy slobs/laptop gremlins and the place would start to resemble the inside of both our heads.

Seto would ….be similar but less shitheadedness ( because he’s responsible with his self-destruction Alexander) and also probably hate me because I’m loud and jump around ( stimming) and he’s not about that and also I deep clean my place every two weeks and sort/light clean every week but in between I’m kinda like “eh it’s fine if I can find it on the floor”

and Seto…he’s pretty straight laced. I feel like after a while he’d just give me a check to cover his half of the rent and move out lol. ( Although he’d come with Mokuba so maybe it’d work out. I’m good with kids)

Tamaki would just make one too many commoner jokes and then much like Haruhi I’d have it with his rich people bullshit. “I’m about to deck the blonde outta you hair boy you want something better you go buy it” “Okay fine expect movers on the third” “THAT IS NOT EVEN REMOTELY WHAT I MEANT?????!!”

But also we’d prob’bly get along after a while because Tamaki’s a sweetheart ( albeit a bit.uh…unhealthily obsessed with how Haruhi presents but we can work on that) and then it’d just be me going “That’s a trick. Bad Tamaki don’t fall for it.” every time he doesn’t realize he’s being tricked and also hug him a lot because this kid goes through so much and someone needs to help him.

umm anyways

Wolverine would just flat out nope outta rooming with me because “I ain’t a babysitter” “Dude I’m 27″ “…right point still stands” He’s only nice to Laura and his x kids but if we were forced to room together I’d….probably WANT to help him work on his issues ( cause GOOD LORD) but just end up asking him to get drunk in his room and clean the bottles every now and then.

Also bribe him with beer and cigars to teach me to fight,

Alternatively, sick him on bad dates/every guy to ever use the word “friendzone” ever.

Although like Seto he’d probably get tired of the loud and jumping and excited “I saw a cat online!” moments I bring and move out…as soon as he can..although that may not happen as easily as with Seto because unlike Seto Logain doesn’t have a fortune at his disposal.

Ryou would probably work okay. We’re both shy and spend time alone and have….family problems ( although his are way worse because what is YGO if not tragic backstories for everyone that gets theirs told) I can see him being okay with my stimming and music and cleaning habits.

But uh…there’s the whole “I’m wearing a killer ghost” thing that I would have a problem with

Like I’m sorry Ryou you wanna room with me creepy killer necklace stays outside…..like far far far away outside. Like in a moving train headed to the opposite end of the world and also we’re changing the locks and I’m bolting my room. Yes it’s necessary. 

I’m not a white person in a horror movie and I don’t intend to play one in real life.

Like I wouldn’t room with Ryou unfortunately just on account he could be possessed. 

I ain’t about to mess with that shit.

Charles would also possibly be an easier person to room with…it would change depending on which Charles we’re talkin bout like.

Comics!Charles is old. He’s old and classy and always speaks proper english and I talk in memes half the time and think an italian sub is acceptable dinner food soooo….I’d probably try to speak like him when he’s around and talk about literature but I’d eventually want someone to play Magic with or to stay up late watching movies and he’d give me That Look. The one he gave the new mutants when they threw a party in Evo.

Now FirstClass!Xavier….would be just as down to have fun as me if not more ( cause I still haven’t been to a college party where as he…it was the first thing he did in the movie) and we’d probably BE the people staying up late and laughing at stupid shit science does. 

Both would be doable but the second one would work better.

So I guess the answer as to who I’d room with is….all of them.

[silenceofthemongooses]

hi! I hope I'm not bothering you but I can see ur attending CU. I'm planning on applying to either the school of art or engineering, but I'm leaning more towards art. I'm really at a loss when it comes to applying, home tests,and the general enviorment of the school.. and what to do after I graduate so I was just curious on what that's all like :0 sorry for making this so long .. thank u for ur time!

OMG THIS IS THE ASK I’VE BEEN WAITING FOR MY WHOLE LIFE I LOVE TALKING ABOUT COOPER

i’m putting it under a readmore bc it got crazy long??? i’m not even to the part where i yell about applications yet and it’s like ten paragraphs lmao

so. 

first things first. 

i applied to cooper in the first place because when i took the tour (best fucking college tour i took the whole time, by the way. all of the guides LOVE cooper and they love telling you about it, so if you get a chance, defo go on the tour bc theyre way more honest and you get a better feel for the school than on any other tour) one of the things that they emphasized was the student community., one told me that once when she walked into the EE lab and asked to borrow someone’s phone charger because hers had frayed so badly it wasn’t working. not only did someone give her a charger, but they fixed her charger until she could get a new one. 

and when i got here, it’s totally fucking true. cooper is a community in every definition of the word. everyone is totally willing to help you in any way that they can, because that’s the kind of people that cooper admits and then fosters that behavior. 

now. the reason they foster this behavior is because it’s a fucking hard school. the standard course load for a freshman engineer first semester is 18.5 credits, spread out over 7 classes plus a professional seminar. and yeah, some of those are only one or two credit classes, but they still have homework and class time. it is a rigorous schedule that only gets harder. professor alan wolf (physics, more on him later maybe? i have him next semester, we’ll see if the Rumors are true) said at an engineering faculty panel that he wants physics to be moved to first semester of freshman year (instead of second) because the transition from “an easy first semester” to a semester with physics and calc 2 was too difficult for a lot of students. everyone around me groaned when he said the first semester was easy. 

and this is just the engineering school! the art school is hard as hell too. keep in mind that what i know about the art program is just synthesized from talking to art students and not at all from personal experience. but. 

the first year of art is a foundation year. they assume you don’t know anything, and break you down to basics. the art ra in the dorms said her freshman year was incredibly hard for her both as an artist and as a person just because she was confronted with all these other talented people and having to face that she wasn’t The Artist in school anymore. i regularly leave the student lounge (menschel) at two in the morning only for art kids to walk in, holding all of their materials (although, not anymore, since someone got charcoal all over the tables in 3a lmao) and settling in for another all-nighter. 

cooper is a culture of intense rigor and stress, and there is no overcoming that. but it’s also a culture of community and supporting each other. it’s a really specific kind of school that some people find just isn’t for them. 

also, cooper is like, really small. like. very small. here are some of the things you will encounter because of cooper union’s limited budget and facilities, and which you basically have to accept:

no dining hall. there’s frankie’s cafe in the new academic building (also known as the engineering building, most commonly referred to as the nab) but otherwise there is absolutely no meal plan. frankie’s has like, sandwiches and muffins and bagels and (terrible) coffee, but it is in no way a full college dining hall. 

no gym. i think at one point we were allowed to use nyu’s facilities? no longer. almost everyone i know belongs to a gym. i myself visit the planet fitness on union square maaaybe once a month when i guilt myself into it. blink is a popular option. if you’re willing to spare the cash equinox is also there. crunch is the one that everyone kind of makes fun of but like it’s super close so go for it if you want. 

small supporting staff. this is both a blessing and a curse. i know everyone in the student affairs office by first name and usually they know me. i think at this point i’ve met everyone in the financial aid department. cool, because it means that they know me. bad, because it means i’ve had to talk to all of them to figure out what the hell is going on with my scholarships and how much money i actually know. this is not a school where there are online systems in place to fix any problems you have. you have to be your own advocate to the administration, and as much as they desperately want to help you, a lot of the time it comes down to just making sure your paperwork goes through. good news is you almost never have to make an appointment to talk to someone you just show up. 

very little interaction between the schools. there are three schools. art, architecture, and engineering. engineering is by far the most populated, followed by art, then architecture. if i didn’t live with two artists, i would never talk to anyone in art or architecture. yes, the hss classes are multidisciplinary, but just statistically, engineers far outweigh the artists. there weren’t even any architects in my hss1 class. if you don’t make the effort to reach out beyond your school, it straight up doesn’t happen. 

sometimes when you go to the basics plus to get some hangers because you ordered too many shirts online and now they’re just kind of shoved in your drawers and when the cashier asks if you have a student id and you pull out your cooper id she’s like “oh! is that local?” and you have to smile and say yes and when you walk out of the store you can see the foundation building down third with absolutely no problem

there’s more and i’ll think of them later but this is good for now

ANYWAYS i have a lot more thoughts on the culture of cooper??? but i think i’m going to leave it here because this is a decent overview of how i feel and what the most important parts are. 

now.

for applying.

again, i applied to and am in the engineering school. everything i know about the art school is based on talking to art students

also, i am in no way affiliated with the actual admissions department and the following is just based on my experiences as someone who applied and talking to other people who applied

also at first i thought you were applying this cycle and i was like. honey. this is not enough time for either application

BUT THEN i put an ounce more thought into it and realized not everyone younger than me is a high school senior lmao

anyways!

both applications are really intensive. to get art out of the way (sorry art) it’s a series of prompts that you have to create a piece in response to. some artists i know got crazy super stressed about it, and pulled so many all nighters, and skipped a lot of homework to do it, and overall just did not enjoy it. one of my artist roommates, however, said that she actually really enjoyed the process? she just let herself create without worrying “is this what will get me in?” and felt that it was a really great experience. 

either way, you’re going to have an interesting experience. 

for the engineering writing prompts, it’s a goddamn marathon. there were nine, i think, when i applied? i applied to eleven schools and i had to write seventeen supplements. the ratio of supplement-to-school was way off and its all cooper’s fault lmao

there isn’t a word minimum, but there is a word maximum per essay, a fact i discovered as i was copy-pasting mine into the commonapp from my googledocs file. i think the max is 500 words? not positive tho don’t quote me

anyways they’re all fairly standard questions. like, nothing out of the blue like chicago’s or whatever. but keep in mind that this is honestly where you’re going to get admitted. a lot of people apply to cooper. and a lot of those people will have the same exact stats as you (btw, sat/act scores and gpa matter slightly more for engineers than for artists and architects) and the way to distinguish yourself is through your writing. cooper admits you as a person because they believe you’ll add to their community and then to the world, not because you got a perfect score on whatever. 

so i, at least, let myself be a little freer in my cooper essays than in any other supplement. some of them i could answer right away (why cooper? why engineering?) and some of them i had to think about for a few days. the last one i wrote was the “tell us about something you read recently”. i wrote about staying up until three in the morning reading a novel and crying. i wrote it the next day because i realized that’s like, exactly who i am as a person. 

the biggest tip i have for writing these essays in general (not just for cooper) is to watch food network star or something similar. the contestants get prompted on how to hook an audience (hey, you want to do that too!) in a short amount of time (word count) and tell a story that relates to both them and their food (a story that relates to you and and why you’re going to be a bombass cooper student) like, just watch a few, and then you’ll kind of have the flow of it down, and you can figure out how to work it into your own writing

just like, really show who you are. i know it can be tempting to put on this facade, and to a certain extent you should (do not, for example, tell them about the time you got so drunk you pissed your pants) but do your best to express yourself, in either application. 

um anyways i am always down to talk about any aspect of The Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art, so if you ever want any more info on anything, hit up my inbox!

my points of expertise include the dorms, classes, stanislav mintchev the greatest math professor in the history of the world, ray’s pizza, sitting in the engineering student council meetings and listening to all the Hot Goss, and more

i mighttttt end up putting up like “a week in my life” post at some point because i always think those are cool and maybe it would be neato

we’ll see

(if anyone want to see that…… or anything else……. lmk……..)

[iamsonyeondone]

we're a two-player game // jeon jungkook part 1

Pairing: jeon jungkook x reader

Word count: 2.1k

Genre: fluffz and very slight angzt

The ever-growing pile of stress began to pull at your hair. College was starting to overwhelm you with the numerous group projects and assignments that you barely had time to yourself. And that resulted in the dark eye bags and how the whites of your eyes were turning crimson red. So looking like a mess was an understatement and your best friend, Taehyung, made sure you knew that.

"How long have you not showered? A few years?" Disgust filled every etch of his face as he analyzed the state you were in. Your messy bun could have been mistaken for a birds nest and your overall look screamed ' indebted and sleep-deprived college student'. You simply groaned in return at Tae's remark as you slumped into the seat beside him. You've heard worse.

"Another all-nighter?" He looked over with a  knowing look as you nodded slowly. It was as if your head would fall off from even the smallest force. It was evident that the fatigue was really getting to your head and another day of no sleep could end up with you, 6 feet underground.

"If it wasn't for my hoodie, I wouldn't have known that (Y/N) was sitting next to you, V." A familiar voice called out. Jungkook greeted the both of you, attempting to hide the wave of laughter that crawled up his throat. He failed miserably to say the least. Almost everyone in a 5 mile radius could hear the boisterous laughter of Jeon Jungguk.

"Ugh, Kookie! All your laughing is giving me a headache," You groaned as a throbbing sensation filled your head and drummed at your temples. You held on to your ears tightly as if they were bound to fall off from your head from all the ruckus that managed to come out from a single person.

"Sorry, Little Ms Grumpy. How's your assignments going along though?" He inquired as he occupied the seat in front of you, his laughter dying down.

"These damn assignments will leave my damn sights forever when I hand the damn thing up later. And if you guys ever bother me after that, you're all dead," You attempted to put on your fiercest look that you could ever imagine, but it was a complete failure as Taehyung chuckled and pinched your cheek.

"You can't hurt us even if you tried, little one. You promised us a match anyway when you were done with these. If you break it, we break your pinky," Taehyung raised his pinky as the memory of you promising them to a match on Overwatch came rushing back. The three of you had to settle the scores from the previous match since Tae was unsatisified that you and Jungkook had 'cheated' your way through to victory. You groaned in reply. You hated breaking promises but you were on the verge of falling asleep for eternity.

"Ok, how about this, I get some good night's rest and then we can play as much as you guys want to after that. Sounds good?" You negotiated as much as you could and took into consideration of your promises.

"Sure but... We can't guarantee that you'll wake up once you lay a finger on your bed, so your coming over to our apartment to play," Jungkook smirked, knowing full well how long you could stay in bed and snore as if you were playing the role of sleeping beauty.

"Fine, but you guys have to order the pizza," 

"Don't worry about that, Tae's got the bills. If he didn't then he probably stole those gucci slippers," Taehyung  gasped in horror at Jungkook's statement and soon the bickering of the boys went full throttle as you laughed at their antics and all their attempts at overpowering each other. Maybe sacrificing your hibernating week was going to be worth it.

----------

You had been waiting outside their door for almost an hour so far and no reply whatsoever had been received. You were about to leave their doorstep in fury with your already-fully-planned revenge when the door flew open. Jimin, your best friend since high school, was at the door, his hair pointing in every which way as his eyes were barely open. 

"Hey (Y/N), what are you doing here so early? It's the weekends anyway," He smiled softly, ignoring the fact that he looked like a complete mess. You wanted to scream from the lack of hearing of these seven men that even none of them could open the door. But you didnt have the heart to vent your anger towards Jimin when he greeted you with a soft smile, proof that he was having a good nights rest.

"Those two idiots promised that we were playing Overwatch here today but can't even reply my messages," You pouted, checking your phone for replies or any sign of them being alive.

"Oh I think they've been screaming at their screens since last night. Come in, if you need anything, I'll be in my room," He opened the door and made way for you to enter.

This wasn't your first time at their apartment, especially since you knew the group of men that occupied it. Since you knew them, visits to their apartment was pretty frequent and at times you would even sleepover. So you knew the apartments layout and could basically call it your second home.Well, it was obvious that the boys welcomed your visits since they had officially called you the Godmother of the house, as what Jin had proudly announced when you took care of their meals for the first time.

You walked up the stairs and headed for Jungkook's room, your first victim for your revenge. But once you opened the door to his room, you spotted Jungkook in his chair, snoozing. You wanted to feel furious but you couldn't help it when you saw him snoring in such a calm state, his hair a fluffy mess begging to be tangled in between your fingers.

And you did just that.

 You didn't know how or when you did but once your hand came into contact with his soft brown hair, you melted at the touch. It was just like patting a bunny. And that wasn't the end of it. Jungkook felt the same way too as he nuzzled further into your hand, a little smile tugging at his lips. And that made you burst out laughing from his animal-like reflexes. 

Jungkook woke up from your laughter as you laughed even harder at his shocked expression to see you right in front of him, your hair no longer a mess. You seemed put-together for once in a long time.

"What are you doing here? Isn't it like 1 in the morning?" He mumbled, as he fumbled to check for the time on his phone, only for it to tell him that it was already past 10 am. 

"I must have fallen asleep... Why are you laughing anyway? Did I snore that loud?" He asked, getting up from his seat and stretching every limb of his body from the weird position that he slept in.

"Y-you're just like a dog," You managed to get your words out before you laughed harder, clutching onto your stomach from the stitches that began to settle.

"Like a dog?"

"I was brushing your hair and you were pushing your head further into my hand! You even seemed to like it because you smiled and-," 

"Why were you even petting me?" He was now wide awake from your statement as he smirked. You suddenly became more aware of what you had just confessed and that, turned your cheeks into a bright shade of red. How shameless of you. But you guys were best friends, so wasn't that okay? You were also aware of the distance between you two, another step from either one of you and you would be against his broad chest. So you came up with a lame excuse, fighting back the stutters as much as you could.

"F-firstly, you forgot our plans and I feel betrayed for standing out there like... Like an idiot for 30 minutes!"

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

 You were calculating all of your movements wrong because Jungkook could feel the awkward aura that surrounded the both of you and although he seemed confident when he teased you, he was vulnerable to your shy attitude. The blurred perception of you as his best friend or sibling, began to disappear and saw you more as a mature young adult. And that pulled at his heart strings as he took a closer look at you. Everything became much more crystal clear.

Although you had eye bags from studying tirelessly, he admired them because they were proof that you were studying to achieve your goals. But he also wished that you were getting enough sleep and the thought of you falling sick from not taking care of your health made him upset and angry, and all he wanted to do was tuck you in bed and give you meals to feed you. He always assumed these thoughts was because he felt the need to protect you as a brother and never came to think that it was possible to protect you as his partner.

And those thoughts made him realize that he didn't see you as a sibling figure anymore and he wanted to be more than just best friends. How dumb. He only now realized what his thoughts meant when it came to you and now that he had deciphered it, he was onto the next stage of solving how he had to go about it. He couldn't just confess on the spot, you were probably chanting for your death in your head from the awkwardness surrounding the both of you and he wanted you to feel comfortable first.

"I'm sorry, kiddo. Hey, have you eaten? I'm hungry and the hyungs are probably busy being a 'genius' about music or whatever. You're okay with ramyeon right? Because that's the only thing I know how to cook," He chuckled as he lead the way to the kitchen. This diverted your attention from your pounding heartbeat as you thanked the lords for escaping that treacherous moment.

"I'll help out. There should be something in the fridge I can work with,"

"Thank goodness, I'll probably die from sodium overload without you,"

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

"Keep the compliments coming, Kookie. You owe me a ton for roasting me so much," You finally regained your confidence and managed to collect yourselves and speak to him like both of you always did. Bickering. You heaved a sigh of relief as you checked the contents of the fridge. Both of you were lucky that the fridge had been recently restocked and that it at least had vegetables and actual meat that wasn't canned or dehydrated.

"We can have fried rice if you'd like. Is that okay with you?"

"Is there mutton? Because it's been awhile since I had lamb skewers," Jungkook pouted as he stood beside you, analyzing the fridge as well. He was close, really close. His breath would occasionally brush your neck and it sent chills down your spine. He was driving you crazy.

"D-don't be such a spoiled brat. It's fried rice or nothing," You stuttered. Jungkook pouted, the thought of lamb skewers were thrown in the trash.

Both of you got cooking, all set with matching aprons that Jin bought because he thought getting an apron for you too was mandatory - he was simply coaxing you into cooking for the boys more. You instructed Jungkook to cut the ingredients, in no particular manner and not to your surprise, he had carefully cut them into symmetrical bite-sized pieces. As expected of the Golden Maknae.

You scrubbed the kitchen appliances clean while the enticing aroma of fried rice filled the kitchen and soon travelled through the corridors of the apartment. Not long after, all seven man occupied the kitchen, wanting to take a bite of the fried rice that you and Jungkook had made.

"(Y/N)! You should stay more often, I'm tired of cooking for these boys all the time," Jin joked as he took another spoonful. You knew Jin wouldn't stop pestering you about it until you would move into the apartment yourself and take over the role as Mother. You couldn't blame the poor guy, handling grown man with the souls of children is an exhausting job.

You hear a familiar voice calling out towards you, sweet and soft.

"(Y/N)~ You haven't taken a bite yet, right? Here, the airplane is coming your way!" Jimin chuckled, waving the spoon full of rice in the air while the other boys looked at him in disgust for being too adorable. With a final wave in the air, he fed you the spoonful, as a wide grin adorned his face.

"Yah! you don't look that pretty anymore if you chew with your mouth open you know," Jimin exclaimed.

You hadn't realized that Jungkook had his eyes on you the entire time since Jimin initiated to feed you. His heart felt as if it was on fire and he had the intention of pulling you away and feeding you himself, just like he intended to when he saw your tired expression. But he was just Jimin, your best friend since high school, so these actions didn't mean anything more than just best friends, right? He didn't want to get angry at his best friend either because he knew that Jimin had his eyes on another girl. So why was he so mad? 

Instead of filling his stomach, Jungkook ran upstairs into his room, instinctively rebooting up the system. 

You looked at the happy faces that crowded the dining room table but an empty chair stood out from the rest. You analyzed the faces and one particularly handsome one came to mind. Jungkook wasn't at the table although he was the one that decided to eat. And he would never miss a day to devour your home-cooked meals.

There was something off about it and you were on your way to find out why.

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

Finally uploaded part 1!! part 2 coming soon 😉

[differentjokes4differentfolks]

WTFIT Chap 6

A.N. Heyo! Here’s the next chapter, as promised :) plenty of fluff and stuff, also Tim Drake! Anyways, enjoy!

AO3 Link

“Bruuuce, c’mon! You gotta let me help you!”

“I think he should too. If it’s as bad as I think it is he’d be useful.”

“No.”

“Master Bruce, if I may-”

“No, Alfred.” Bruce eyes the men in front of him, all three pleading Tim’s case in assisting Bruce. It’s too early for this, he hasn’t even gone to bed yet.

Dick had waited up for him to discuss the lack of activity in the East End, which makes Bruce realise they’re starting to cover up more of their tracks. They feel threatened, which is both good and bad for Bruce. It’ll make them harder to find, but at least they’re scared. Dick had offered to visit the East End again tonight, which Bruce readily agreed to, eager to head off to bed, though he didn’t want to admit it. Then Tim had shown up. Apparently they weren’t quiet enough, and the young man was still wide awake, wanting to talk.

Tim now looks at him pleadingly. “Please let me come along, I swear I’ll be careful!”

“Tim, it’s too dangerous.” Bruce feels a headache coming on, he hasn’t even gotten over the event with Joker earlier. Now’s no time to think about that. He rubs at his temple, eye twitching.

“I know I can help you, Bruce. Give me a chance! What have you been training me for, if not to be with you during times like these?”

Dick plants a hand on Tim’s shoulder. “He’s got a point, you know. I’ve been going on these missions since I was younger than him, and look at me now.” He grins.

Bruce fixes him with a withering glance. “Headstrong and reckless to a fault?”

“Ouch, Bruce.” Dick raises an eyebrow. Alfred coughs to cover a laugh, Bruce just picking up on it. When Alfred realises he’s been found out he simply lifts a shoulder.

“Sorry sir, I had a tickle in my throat.”

“Right… Sorry. Look, can we talk about this later, when I’ve gotten at least two hours of rest?” It takes all his strength at that moment not to slump against his bedroom door, much as he hates to admit it. He’d love to be able to run just on solar power like a certain someone he knows...

“Ah, I forgot it was only four in the morning!” Tim suddenly looks sheepish. “My bad.”

“Yeah well, if you don’t get any sleep I’m definitely not taking you,” Bruce pointed out, enjoying the panicked expression Tim wears.

“See you guys later!” the boy disappears into his room. Bruce can’t help the half-smile on his face, tired though he is.

Dick yawns loudly. “I’d better get some rest too.” Stretching his arms up over his head he ambles over to his own room across the hall, leaving Bruce and Alfred alone in the dark hall. The butler stands at attention, Bruce peeling off pieces of his armor.

“I’ll get these tomorrow. I know you’ve been up as long as I have.”

“Someone has to look out for you, sir. But I daresay if someone had told me twenty years ago I’d be pulling all-nighters helping my ward hunt down criminals, I’d have laughed in their face.” Bruce has a hard time imagining Alfred laughing in anyone’s face, smiling at the thought.

“Get some rest, Alfred. I’ll see you in the morning.”

“Meaning mid-day?”

“You know me well.” Bruce opens the door to his room, Alfred walking away, his steps sounding as he heads downstairs. Bruce doesn’t bother with the lights, falling into his bed the moment the last piece of his armor is off. His eyes close within seconds of his head hitting the pillow.

He ends up waking up a little past one. Thank god he doesn’t have a meeting today. He rolls over in bed to adjust to the lighting, blinking the sleep from his eyes. He breathes deeply, savoring the sweet moments of relaxation. Wrapping himself up in his blankets, he lies back on his pillows, remembering last night.

That’s Dent and Bane down for the count. A few more villains to go. It does little to reassure Bruce, Penguin is still at large, but it’s something. And he isn’t sure if Sionis is just supplying or if he’s actively helping, so that’s something to consider. Oh, boy. His peace is shattered. Might as well get up.

A piece of paper catches his eye as he sits up. It’s lying around near his armor, which still lies strewn haphazardly. He picks it up.

In case you need to get a hold of me. xoxo

A phone number is scrawled underneath in Joker’s spidery handwriting. Bruce puts it back into a compartment in his gauntlet, whether or not he’ll use it is another situation entirely. He didn’t think Joker was a phone person. He thinks back on that phrase. It sounds strange in his head, causing him to question when his thinking about Joker became so casual.

Everyone is awake and in the kitchen when he finally decides to eat. He walks in and immediately Tim perks up. Dick sips his coffee, looking at him from the top of the rim. Alfred busies himself with food. Bruce isn’t sure if he’s preparing breakfast or lunch at this point. He knows they’re expecting an answer, one Bruce hasn’t thought of enough, and one he doesn’t want to make. He sits at the table and Alfred sets a plate in front of him. Lunch. Still no one says a word, and Bruce finally caves under the pressure. He’s so soft when he isn’t being Batman. Or maybe he just can’t say ‘no’ when he sees Tim’s puppy eyes. An eighteen year old should not have that ability.

“Fine, you can help.” Tim gives a whoop of celebration, but Bruce holds up a hand. “But you listen to everything I say, no exceptions. That means if I say something is too dangerous and you need to stay back, you stay back.”

“Sure! Thanks, Bruce!” The young man wears a grin that could rival the Joker’s at this moment. Dick’s smile is only slightly smaller. And Bruce can feel smugness radiating off Alfred, though the old man would never admit it.

“Don’t make me regret my choice, Tim.”

“‘Course not! You won’t even know I’m there.”

“Hmm.” Bruce drinks the coffee in front of him, a little too sweet but not unbearable. Dick must’ve made it. If anything has too much sugar, it’s Grayson that’s to blame.

“What are your plans for today, Master Bruce?” Alfred asks, leaning against the counter.

Bruce thinks. “Honestly? I don’t have any. Why?”

Alfred brings out a newspaper. Old fashioned maybe, but Alfred refuses to read the news online. “There’s a new restaurant opening over in the Diamond District, I thought maybe you’d want to visit, if you had no other pressing matters to attend to.”

Bruce leans back in his seat. “I could go check it out, it’ll give the place publicity at least. Dick, Tim, do you want to go?”

Dick shakes his head. “I’m gonna spend the day with Barb. There’s this thing she wants me to see, some machine maybe. She won’t tell me.” He stands. “I better get ready, she wants me at her place in an hour.” He walks down the hall, whistling a cheery tune as he goes. It sounds vaguely like ‘My Girl’.

Tim rolls his eyes at the older man before frowning thoughtfully. “I have homework. Which reminds me...do I get tomorrow off of school? You know, since I’ll be helping you save the city...”

Bruce purses his lips. “It’s your grade. You think you can miss a day of college classes?”

Tim nods. “I’ll have someone record the lectures. And I’ll email my teachers, it’s all good.” He stands from the table. “Thanks for lunch, Alfred.”

“Anytime, Master Tim.” Alfred doesn’t bother lifting his head from the newspaper, raising a hand to acknowledge the boy. Bruce tucks into his lunch, suddenly ravenous. The last thing he ate was...probably that cheesecake, if he’s honest. Which brings back the topic of Joker.

Why does that man make him feel so unhinged? He’s a villain, and a guy.

Actually...when has he ever been truly interested in a woman? Really. The last person was Selina, and even then something wasn’t right between the two of them. It wasn’t her, if he was going to date anyone it would’ve been her, and he did for a while. There was something that wouldn’t let him get closer to her though, something she noticed but he didn’t. But with Joker...no. He’s not going to finish that sentence. Well, whatever Bruce’s sexuality may be, Joker is a moot point when it comes to who he loves. A madman, albeit an intelligent, charismatic, humorous one… He loses himself in his train of thought. Where was I going with this? Only when Bruce hears Alfred calling his name does he snap out of it, focusing on the man.

“What is it, Alfred?”

“You’re in a daze again. You know I worry about you when you’re like this. What’s wrong?”

Bruce’s forehead scrunches up, seeing the concern on Alfred’s face.

“I’m alright, just thinking.”

“Your face is red, did you know that?” Bruce lifts a hand to his face, feeling it burn his hand. Shit. “Are you sure you aren’t coming down with a fever?”

Oh. That makes him feel guilty, worrying about a clown when his butler worries about his health.

“It’s nothing, really.” Bruce barely manages to get out the sentence without a stammer.

“Really?”

“Mmhmm.” Bruce looks down at his plate, unable to look Alfred in the eye.

Alfred remains impassive; Bruce doesn’t know how to feel about that, but he shrugs it off.

“It’s really nothing to worry about. And if it is a fever, it’s nothing I haven’t gone through before. I’ve already rested.” He’s eager to get away from the kitchen at this point. “You know, I think I’ll drive myself to the new restaurant, take the long way and sightsee a bit.”

Alfred smiles, though his eyes reveal concern. “Have fun, sir. Don’t overexert yourself too much.”

“I won’t.” Bruce puts his plate in the sink, rinsing his hands off, the cold water freezing his thoughts.

*

The car ride is long, a casual drive, good music making an appearance on the radio for once. Bruce hums along to some of them, singing out some of the lyrics quietly. At one point he hears an older song, and while it’s familiar Bruce can’t quite remember how he knows it. He doesn’t listen to this kind of music often, a sort of doo-wop tune, a fifties song… the answer comes out of nowhere. He hasn’t heard it as Bruce Wayne, but as Batman. During one of Joker’s schemes. The clown was singing along while causing mass destruction, swinging a cane around cheerfully and dancing around with one of the hostages he’d captured. The hostages face was molded into a mask of pure terror, Joker’s one of sheer joy. Why can he see that in his head so clearly? He’s relieved at having figured it out but frazzled that every little thing seems to remind him of Joker. Still, he can’t bring himself to switch the station. So he keeps driving.

Once he's truly in the city he heads to the Diamond District, where Gotham’s richest hang about and enjoy themselves. Rarely does he see prices in any place drop below 500 dollars. Even food is at least fifty. Mere pennies to the rich, but even a middle class man in this district is a rare find.

There’s a valet he gives the car keys to who stands under a ritzy, bold sign. It stands out, not necessarily in a bad way. He should’ve looked into what the restaurant’s theme was. A 20’s themed restaurant is creative, he guesses, but how is it different from any other restaurant in Gotham? The gangs are all there, it’s like walking into a gangster movie. He guesses the upper class probably hasn’t visited those places, but who knows? At least he’s wearing a suit, though nothing would convince him to wear a fedora.

There’s a haze of smoke in the air, enough to make him want to choke. Waitresses are dressed like flappers, guests in 1920’s finery. Judging by the people in the building it’s going to be expensive. Of course it is.

A hostess seats him at an empty two-seater table, not fussing about whether or not he has a reservation. He watches the spectacle on a stage in the center of the room, a woman crooning along to jazz. His head is propped on his hand, nose crinkling at the smoke. Laughter rings through the air, people dancing, instruments wailing. This probably isn’t a place he would frequent. Too lively. It’s only two o’clock and people are drinking fit to burst. Maybe the food’s better…

It is. The hors d'oeuvres are to die for, a lemonade he orders just tart enough. The main meal is just as good, though Bruce tries not to stuff himself.

Time passes and people start to glance over at him, maybe he should’ve brought someone with him. To not stick out like a sore thumb among other socialites. But it’d been spur of the moment, and he didn’t really want to bring anyone this time, he doesn't have the patience for small talk at the moment...

“Bruce Wayne?” A voice alerts Bruce, glancing up he sees two women standing next to his table, one blonde wearing a red and black dress, one ginger and clad in green. He recognizes them almost immediately, starting with the blonde’s less pronounced Boston accent. Harley and Ivy. Or Harleen and Pamela, when the duo isn’t wreaking havoc on the city.

“Hello,” he says with a smile, though he screams internally. Two villains he should be taking in, if not for the fact he’s wearing a wool suit instead of kevlar armor. Harley brightens up.

“Can we sit here?” Not waiting for an answer, she drags a chair from another table, Ivy sitting down meanwhile. She raises a brow at Bruce, the man doing all he can to not frown back. “This restaurant is awesome, huh? I can’t believe they hadn't come up with it earlier!” Bruce notices she takes care not rubbing at her face, her makeup the only thing making her a bit more inconspicuous. She'd stand out if she was still bleached white, though her personality is a far cry from the quiet psychologist at Arkham. Her eyes gleam as she takes a drink from a nearby table, taking a sip and recoiling at the taste.

“It’s definitely interesting,” Bruce comments, looking around. Ivy frowns.

“There’s too much smoke in the air. It smells funny.” Harley wraps an arm around her.

“We don’t have to stay too long, I just wanted to check the place out, Red.” She presses a kiss to Ivy’s forehead. Then she turns her gaze on Bruce. “I don’t see too many paps around you at the moment. Usually they're like flies around honey with you.”

Bruce shrugs. “They’ll probably get the jump on me outside.” Harley giggles.

“That’s the problem with being rich, isn’t it? Oh, by the way, I’m Harleen Quinzel. I used to work over at Arkham. You're helping fund it, right?” She holds out her hand, shaking Bruce’s hand firmly. “This is my girl Pamela.”

“Isley,” Ivy adds, not bothering with a handshake. Bruce nods. The woman turns to the small vase of flowers on the table, touching one of the petals softly, expression less than happy. Bruce can tell she’d love to make them healthier, change the water in the vases, or maybe just beat up whoever cut them and placed them here.

“Nice to meet you.” Though I already know most everything about you two.

“You too. It’s not everyday you meet up with a billionaire, am I right?” This side of Harley is a bit more subdued, in tone and language. Bruce almost wants to laugh at how different she looks but how obvious she is with the color scheme of her dress. She tugs at the stray hair fallen from her bun, eyes on the stage, people dancing with the music. “I wanna go dance. Whaddaya say Iv- Pam?” Her eyes flit to Bruce, who tries to seem not to have noticed.

“Can we leave after?”

“‘Course! Nice talkin’ to ya, Mr. Wayne! Ooh, wait. You mind taking a picture with me?” Bruce obliges, forcing the corners of his mouth to curl upwards as Harley snaps a pic with her phone. “Nice! Well, g’bye!” Harley takes Ivy’s hand, pulling the woman to the dance floor. Bruce waves, deciding to leave as well. There’s no point in staying any longer. His mind is back on his work already. His fingers drum on the table in time with the music, upbeat swing that gets the dance floor roaring with the sound of dancing feet. He didn’t think people knew how to dance to these kinds of songs anymore. Not that everyone is light on their feet. One couple moves in a way that’s more spastic than rhythmical, and another disregard the song completely in order to slow dance. A couple women eye him, and he knows they’re looking for a dance partner. His feet tap to the beat, but he isn't quite sure he wants to join them. He waves but stays where he is, left to his thoughts and to the ever-shifting music.

It’s a wonder he can avoid the chair that flies straight towards him. Blinking out of his reverie, he whips around to see where the table came from. The way is cleared, and he really didn’t know what else he was expecting to see.

Harleen Quinzel stands front and center, a scowl prominent on her face, her fists clenched. Ivy stands to the side, looking slightly charmed, sipping her drink and watching. A man is sprawled on the ground in front of Harley, babbling out incoherent excuses. There’s fire in Harley’s eyes.

“You think it’s cool to just touch people without their consent, huh? You think they want you to lay a fuckin’ hand on them when they pull away?” She points to a young woman a little ways back, tears in her eyes. “She said no. And you kept going. Now, you should apologize to her.” She tilts her chin up, waiting. The man looks less than terrified at being attacked by the slight blonde woman, but Bruce knows better. If she wasn’t in her ‘normal’ get-up, he’d by dead already. The crowd around the scene is deadly silent. Waiting to see what would happen next. Sheepishly the man mumbles out an apology, nursing an already swelling eye. Harley must've punched him. The girl smiles awkwardly but Harley isn’t impressed.

“Louder.”

Clearly the man is angry at being put on the spot, but he raises his voice to spit out a “Sorry” in the general direction of the girl.

“Better. Now get outta here, you ruined the atmosphere.” She nudges him roughly, narrowing her eyes and glaring at him until he’s on the street. Her shoulders hunch over as she sighs, the fight disappearing from her posture. She looks around innocently, suddenly acting more like the meek ex-psychiatrist she used to be. “I’m so sorry this happened, guys! I’ll pay for the damage. Please, carry on!” She smiles brightly, not waiting for the crowd to disperse as she heads back to Ivy, fixing her hair as she goes. Ivy takes her hand, kissing her softly. Harley catches Bruce’s eye as she turns and winks before disappearing back into the crowd. Bruce decides maybe it’d be best if he headed home, but not before he pays for the damage caused. Harley might not have had the best strategy in apprehending the man, but it was effective in helping someone else out, and honestly if he had been in her shoes he would’ve wanted to do the same. He starts to walk out of the restaurant when a hand grips his, and he turns to look into familiar green eyes. He freezes, and Joker grins, pulling Bruce towards him.

“Bruce Wayne, what a surprise.”

“Um. Hi.” A less than eloquent start. In his defense, he hadn’t expected to see the man here. Butterflies form in his stomach, an odd sensation he hasn’t felt in a long time.

“Hi,” Joker replies smoothly. “I wondered if I’d catch you before you left.” His suit is a muted but no less stunning blue, his hair light brown, though Bruce has no clue whether it’s a wig or dye. His face is covered in makeup, and like before he looks drastically different without his red lips. Not better, not worse. Just different. “Dance with me?”

Bruce flounders in the question, but he tries to maintain some of his composure. There are so many ways he could say no, his mouth deciding to say the lamest excuse ever. “I don’t know how to dance to this music.”

Joker rolls his eyes. “It’s easy. Just feel the beat, you know?” The beat is suddenly erratic to Bruce, matching his heart rate. There’s a knowing flicker in Joker’s eyes, as though he knows exactly what’s going on, can hear the way Bruce’s heart thuds against his chest.

Bruce is still hesitant. “I was just leaving, really…”

“Nope. You’re not running away. We’re dancing, I know you’re light on your feet.” He closes his eyes, tapping in time to the music. Soft jazz. “Not my favorite style, but it is nice to lose yourself in. They were playing swing music not three minutes ago. Not that I can see you doing that.” He snorts at the thought, Bruce feeling a little offended, even though Joker’s definitely right. The clown wraps his arm around Bruce’s waist, Bruce not knowing whether to stiffen up or comply. “C’mon baby, relax. It’s just a dance. Scared? Used to being the one leading, aren’t you?” Joker snickers. Bruce feels the tips of his ears heat up. Why does he always feel the need to make double entendres?

“How’d you know I’d be here?” He doesn’t think Harley knows who he really is, and he trusts Joker not to tell. The answer ends up being much simpler.

“Harley sent me a message that she just talked to Bruce Wayne. A picture too. It looked nice, you were actually smiling. You can’t blame her for wanting to share; it’s always a big moment when you meet Gotham’s favorite socialite. Well, maybe not for you, I guess.”

Bruce feels a bit more at ease with his explanation. He lets himself be guided around the dance floor, Joker leading him through a few paces, Bruce looking down at their shoes to make sure he doesn't trip. He does vaguely remember Alfred teaching him how to do simple dances like these, though it comes back to him slowly. As they dance he notices that Joker is a bit shorter than him, by at least two inches, having to tilt his chin up the slightest bit to meet Bruce’s eyes. You wouldn’t really know these details during quick melees, and even though he has Joker’s stats on file, he never really visualized it. It’s almost fitting. But...

“Why are you doing this?” he murmurs in the clown’s ear. Joker looks at him with amusement.

“You're gonna have to be more specific than that, darling. Why am I what, dancing?”

“No. I mean…” he lowers his voice to a whisper, not trusting the people next to him, couples who dance too close for comfort. “Whatever this is. Kissing me, flirting with me, dancing with me.”

“Are you confused again? Boy, Eddie’s gonna be out of a job.” Joker’s smile couldn't be any wider at this point. Any wider and he’ll give himself away. “I do it all the time, remember? You know I'm obsessed with you, right?” Bruce nods slowly, that's been clear since day one. “And I'm pretty sure you're at least a little obsessed with me. So why not? Are you just now realising that part of it?” Bruce nods again. “Wow. Have I been on your mind all day?” he coos.

“No.” Yes. “Obsession isn't the same thing as love.” Bruce points out. He regrets the words as the come out of his mouth, glancing around. He can’t believe he just said that. He hadn’t meant to call it love. All that time in the kitchen trying to convince himself it wasn’t just got washed down the drain, and he knows it. Joker seems startled at the wording as well, eyes widening slightly. He receives a couple curious looks from people around him, but other then that they’re just another part of the crowd. He’s right though. You can be obsessed with someone and never truly feel close to them, always putting them up on a pedestal instead of next to you where they should be. He’s done it, along with most of the human race. Bruce doesn’t think he’s in love, at least. Joker only shakes his head, composing himself and giving Bruce a sly smile.

“Don't you think it's halfway to it though? All it takes is a little push in the right direction. And besides, this morning? That was barely even a kiss. I can do better.” His grin is devilish as he waggles his eyebrows, warming Bruce all over. He can’t help but return the smile, Joker’s grin melting into something softer. “Can we just enjoy this, Bruce? It’s back to the usual tonight, you know.”

“I know.” Bruce pulls Joker closer, and the corners of Joker’s eyes crinkle. The song slows into more of a waltz, and they move in smoother paces, Joker resting his head on Bruce’s shoulder, humming along lazily. He lets Bruce lead this one, content to just rest against him. Bruce lets his eyes slip closed and relaxes into the moment.

He’s not in love, but there might be something there, just the tiniest spark that refuses to go out. And for the time being he ignores the warning sirens going off in his head, angrily spouting off why this is such a bad idea, the things Joker’s done, the people he's hurt...

There’s time for guilt later, he decides. He’s lost this round.

“You’re still a psychopath and a criminal,” he murmurs, almost to himself. Joker’s laugh breaks through his thoughts, the sound ending more like a sigh.

“I know. But I don’t really think you mind all that much.”

*

Traffic takes him home a little later than usual, the radio turned off in the car, and Bruce feels like all he’s done today is sleep and eat. And dance. It’s five o’clock by the time he gets home. Dinner in an hour. It’s all downhill from here, finding ways to pass time before heading out. He focuses on the entrance to the batcave. Might as well try some new gadgets he’s started to improve on. There’s a new addition to his batclaw that allows an increase in how much weight it can bear, and an added range to his smoke grenades. There isn’t a whole lot more he can do to these aids, but he has new ideas itching to be made. Tim comes down a bit later.

“I added something to your suit.” Bruce looks at the armor, not noticing anything out of the ordinary. “You can’t see it. And I don’t know if I should keep it a surprise or not, you know?” He grins, hands in his pockets.

“Is it helpful?”

“Yeah, and guess what? It’s bat related! I know you love that,” Tim teases. “Took some time to figure out how to make it the most effective, but you’ll appreciate it, I’m positive.” He fidgets, and Bruce knows the boy is going to give in. “Okay, actually I’m just gonna tell you. I wanna see your reaction. Hold on.” He puts earplugs in, and Bruce wonders just what is about to happen. “There’s a tiny button if you open the compartment in your gauntlet. The right one, it’s all the way in the corner. Click it!”

Bruce presses down on the small button he finds, and a sharp ringing enters the room. It’s strong, but he doesn’t really feel the effect of it. Meanwhile Tim has his hands clapped over his ears, a slight wince on his face. The ringing subsides and Tim bounds over to Bruce.

“What do you think? A piercing whistle to deter your enemies? It doesn’t affect you, I made sure of that, but it packs a punch.” His smile is prideful, and Bruce returns the look.

“This’ll work fine. Especially in groups. Thanks, Tim.”

The young man shrugs. “I thought it’d be useful for tonight. Where are we going, anyway?”

Bruce walks over to the batcomputer, going over the schematics of the next location. “Clock tower. Barbara has the location of the items we need to find and dispose of. The sooner we can fix that, the sooner the city will be safe.”

“Speaking of Barbara, do you think they’ll ever get back together?” Tim wonders.

Bruce’s brow knits in confusion. “They said they’d be better off as just friends.”

“I know, I know. But it’s obvious Dick is still in love with her, he has hearts in his eyes whenever he sees her. Or even talks about her. And Barb, well, she might’ve broken it off, but she’s about as obvious as he is.”

The corners of Bruce’s mouth curve up. “Aren’t you perceptive.”

“You’d have to be blind not to see it, Bruce.” Tim makes a face. “Really blind. But it makes sense if you haven’t noticed it, I guess. It took years before you realised you liked Selina. At least, that’s what Dick told me. I’m guessing it’s true.”

“It didn’t take years,” Bruce protests. “Besides, there were more factors that added up to why we took so long. Our professions, for one.”

Tim looks skeptical. “If you say so. Anyways…” Another subject change. “Are you having Jason help out? I don't really know him, but he's teamed up with you a couple times after the incident, right?”

There’s a wave of emotion that overcomes Bruce, sadness and regret. He hasn’t seen his old ward in quite some time. Their last team-up, as Tim had called it, was a while back, at least six months ago. And before that they hadn't seen each other in a year.

“I haven’t called him. I doubt he’d want to help either.” Especially if he finds out who we’re working with. Joker might not have killed Jason, but being beaten within an inch of his life doesn’t exactly set the tone for a friendly team-up.

“I guess. I’d still call him though, just in case.” Bruce only hums in response, knowing he won’t take Tim’s advice. He’s put Jason through enough.

Dinner is just him, Tim, and Alfred. Dick is still at Barbara’s, and the man claims he’ll just suit up over there. He’d brought his suit with him, apparently.

The food placed in front of Bruce is rich and flavorful, but he doesn’t eat much. This whole affair has kept his appetite at bay, and he only eats out of necessity. He can’t run on fumes all the time, after all. The sun sets early, clouds covering the October sunset that warns of the day’s end. Once in the batcave Bruce and Tim suit up, Alfred making sure their comms are secure and working, and leave via the batwing for faster travel.

The clock tower is Barbara’s location as Oracle, which worries Bruce, but she assures him that they won’t find her base of operations, hidden thoroughly. The criminals located there have no idea she’s there, but she only found out yesterday when they first showed up. None of the tenants in the apartments have noticed, which surprises Bruce a bit, but there are other ways to avoid gaining a civilian’s attention. Since then she’s kept quiet, not telling Bruce right away to listen in on them more. The thugs are antsy, but there’s no boss in the tower that she can detect, and Bruce assumes it’s not the most valuable cargo. At least, not as valuable as last night’s toxin. But there’s still the matter of explosives.

The base of the clock tower is quiet, the streets characteristically empty, save a few braver souls out after dark. Tim is itching to jump out of the vehicle, it’s his first mission in weeks. Bruce can only trust the boy won’t be too impulsive.

The lights of the clock tower brighten as the night grows darker, most windows shining light through as families have dinner and lead their normal lives, unaware that the Batman will be in the building. It’s amazing, that these people can be relatively oblivious as evil misdeeds are being carried out and corrected. It’s a luxury Bruce wishes he had sometimes.

He lets Tim lead the way at first, following him up the tower and away from the apartments. The higher up they go the darker it gets, until they reach the top.

They actually make quick work of the clock tower, Oracle doesn’t report anything amiss and it just ends up being a mission to knock out thugs and take the boxes back to the batcave. It’s simple. The GCPD arrives shortly after they finish their mission, carrying the criminals off as Bruce and Tim watch. Bruce then comms Dick, wanting a status report. He doesn’t get a response, only buzzing static. Strange.

“Dick?” More static. A wash of worry comes over Bruce, even in battle Dick doesn’t usually fail to respond. “Nightwing, are you there?”

“He’s not answering?” Tim asks, forehead puckered. “He’s in the east end, right? I thought he said there wasn’t a lot of activity over there. Maybe his comm died on him.”

“Maybe.” Bruce doesn’t think so. He comms Oracle.

“I checked his comm, it was charged. I just talked to him five minutes ago, what’s going on?” Bruce quickly tells her, and she checks his tracker.

“He’s not on the map. Bruce, you should go check it out.” Her voice is neutral, but Bruce recognises the tone as one she uses when she’s uneasy

“Do you knows what’s happening at the East End?”

“No, it’s still blank on the map…” Barbara gives a small huff of impatience.

“I’ll go see if anything’s wrong, Barbara.” He doesn’t bother telling her not to worry. A heavy feeling settles in Bruce’s gut. “Tim, maybe you shouldn’t come with me.”

“Bruce, I just got out here.” Tim’s expression falls.

Bruce closes his eyes. “I don’t want you getting hurt. Who knows what happened? Please just go home.”

“What if you need help? It could be a trap.” Tim keeps trying to plead his case, but it won’t work. Bruce places his hands on his partner’s shoulders.

“I need you to be safe right now. Nightwing can usually take care of himself, but like I said earlier, this is a dangerous situation. If it’s a trap I’d want you there even less. Any other night I would let you go, I promise. Please.” He looks Tim straight in the eyes. Understanding flickers in the younger man’s eyes.

“You don’t want me to end up like Jason.” Bruce’s knows Tim can see it on his face, he knows it’s mirroring the turmoil he feels in his heart. Tim hesitates, biting at his lip. “Alright Bruce, I will. But the moment you need help call. I’ll be there as soon as I can.”

Bruce smiles weakly. “Thank you. Maybe you should stay with Barbara, it’s closer.”

“Will do. But Bruce? Make sure you watch your back out there. I won’t be there to watch it for you.” Tim’s mouth is set in a firm line, eyes deep with concern. Bruce nods in understanding, waiting for Tim to enter the building before gliding off into the gloom.

[diviinedogs]

❣️hoi, what was art school like? I'm planning to go myself (and my family is pretty passively aggressively turning me down), but I just want to know what skills do you learn? What is the experience? Thank u for your time! Ur blog and art are amazing btw

hI I think it really depends on the school but I can give like the idea of two of them since I went to another school for precollege to see if it was something I’d be interested in majoring in! C./C/A and I went to Ri/.ngli./.ng and my parents are actually letting me go back to school now so hopefully I’ll be back there in Fall c’: also thank you for liking my stuff!

this ask is gonna long because I know I’m gonna ramble so I’m gonna call the schools C and R so I don’t have to do the slashes all the time! C’s experience was a specific  1-2 month course so it’s nothing like actual college at R so feel free to skip down to it, I just thought it was important to add since it was my first experience at an art school

and after I talk about the schools I’ll say what stuff’s good to include in your portfolio, of course this is based on my experience but for the most part it helps in what you should try strengthening 

I did animation at C, which was 2D in the morning and 3D in the afternoon. I did precollege the summer before my senior year cuz it’s like the college experience before college so you do get the feel of how it is being on your own, and I wanted to see if I was good enough to pursue something art related. At this point, my parents were on the fence about the idea, so it would help them too. And C’s in California, so I had a bunch of relatives who could show me around and who I could stay with during the weekends

experience wise, the teachers and TAs I had were really nice, so in 2D it was stuff like learning Principles of Animation and the first thing we did was a flipbook animation I think? and then it went to looking at scenes from movies for inbetweens and character sheets and we all worked together reanimating a quick scene from a movie. In the end, we all chose a really short scene from an animated movie to study and reanimate for our final

while in 3D, it was just learning around Maya and doing animation exercises each day with it, eventually working your way up to a mini film (nothing’s completely rendered though! just models), other than that it was pretty much the same as 2D

so basically, I learned the basics and they were really helpful, but to be honest I felt a bit lost with how free it was, you basically had to learn everything on your own with the teachers just checking your work. I was really good at 3D but it... wasn’t fun for me lol so I decided that after this I’d want to stay in the 2D realm of things

now for R! My parents were worried about the starving artist myth and all that, so they would absolutely not let me do Illustration even though that’s what I really wanted, so I chose Game Design and I was like hey I’ll deal with it or like maybe I’ll like it. If not, I could always try convincing my parents to let me switch my major. 

the way things work at R is that all the majors are put into categories, so Computer Animation, Game Art, and Illustration are all the Media Arts majors. All Freshman take basically the same type of classes and things start breaking off around the second semester of freshman year. Eventually you like see no one outside your major lol

and lET ME TELL YOU........ R HAS A VERY HEAVY WORK LOAD, so you gotta be prepared for that. I think just about all art schools are like this, but R’s very strict on it.  Manage your time wisely, there’s a lot of times I’ve seen people pull all nighters just to finish all their assignments. I was really bad at managing my time too, so when I go back I need to be more strict on myself. It’s better to do things early and relax than relax until last minute and have anxiety hell. Not many of the teachers are about how much homework you have in other classes. Also, it’s good to not do things last minute because then you can relax earlier and scanners and place you go to take photos aren’t crowded.

and trust me, your teachers will know if you did something last minute, and they can tell whether effort was put into something or not. 

Now for classes, I’ll talk about just freshman year since that’s probably what’s most helpful to you right now and since I was made to drop out by my parents I’ll probably be repeating like the second semester of that rip.... anywAY

so, R starts you with foundation, so figures classes, 2D design, drawing (this one’s perspective! so important but rip everyone forgets everything after that semester so I should probably start studying perspective again)

the figure classes at R are sO GOOD............ you improve a lot with those, a few weeks into it I was thinking about the figures I had in my portfolio and was just like...... fuck these are so shitty how the hell did the school accept me.... of course the experience depends on the teacher, but I loved my figure drawing teacher he was really cool and good. He did demos at some point every class to where we would all just hover over his shoulder and watch him draw while he explained what he was doing. You i

2D design I hated because like...... abstract... it’s supposed to help you work with compositions and such but I really don’t understand abstract and execute it properly so that was a really difficult class for me 

drawing class is just doing still life and perspective exercises, you don’t really get to the fun part till second semester, I forget the other exercises but I remember that towards the end there was one where you designed a car (like a fun spin on it like.... I think mine was a firefly styled car? yeAH)

other classes were Film & Narrative (so studying films, it was cool) and Writing Studio, which is just like a writing class, they don’t really apply to skills/experience in art so I’ll skip over those

second semester, you still have Figure Drawing, but there’s more of a focus on stuff and you get to draw animals too (sadly no, no real animals come into the classroom. You work off of projections and then there’s a field trip to a big cat sanctuary)

drawing II gets fun because you finally get to use photoshop for your still life and assignments, the assignments get more fun like the Tro/./.ja./n Ho//rs/e assignment. Like you could either do the actual one or draw a similar scenario, I’m totally blanking out on what I did but one of the examples was like a giant wooden mouse with cheese and in the back were cats watching the actual mice. Anyway, it had even more of a focus on compositions and colors. 

Another assignment was designing a character’s room. It could be any character, but you couldn’t have anything that gave away their name. People had to be able to guess who the room belonged to just by looking at it. Sounds hard, but fun. If the character you chose had like a specific style from the concept art of where they’re from you’re free to use that too! I did Kida from Atlantis and one of my friends did Greg Universe’s room, so she got to imitate SU’s background style which was cool to see!

3/D desi/gn was............. super difficult to me, I almost failed that class >w>;;;; because it was woodshop type stuff and polymer clay depending on what you wanted. However, every assignment you did would lead up to the grunt assignment, which was like, you had three designs of things that would be possible grunt level monsters, and you essentially pitch a game idea to the class and they pick the best. SO again, modeling especially with actual clay is hard for me but it was a great experience when it came to designing and stuff. There’s more but I don’t want to get into all the assignments

3/.D design differs based on what major you’re in, and you only get it if you’re doing one of the Media Arts majors, but I’m pretty sure for the most part they’re the same?

if you major in Game Art or Animation, then you also take traditional animation, which was really fun but tbh...... I only knew how to do animation because of me being at precollege at C and then like learning stuff on my own, you were really left alone a lot, which is the same for some of the other classes. They’ll help you if you ask, but if you don’t then you can’t really get helpful feedback. Again, it depends on the teacher. The one I had was really nice and I frequently went to her for help.

so despite how some assignments/classes were hard for me, I really loved R and I’m excited at my parents giving me the option to go back, I just need to do a portfolio again >w>;;;; R’s a really good school with a lot of great resources. All of my issues came from problems with people (not teachers just other students) there and I’m not gonna get into those cuz personal lol

OKAY SO for portfolio tips

still life

figURES

ANIMALS, it makes you have a better understanding of anatomy and stuff

try to have a mix of media in there, like I mainly do digital but still have some traditional stuff to show that you know how to use those

I would keep figures realistic and not stylized so they can see that you have an understanding of them

depends on the school I think, but R strictly says in their guidelines to not do fantasy stuff like unicorns and dragons

NO FAN ART.......  you can have it but you need to be really, really vague? if that makes sense, like people shouldn’t be able to tell it’s fan art

have what you’re applying for in your portfolio, so like depending on what you want I’d add concept art stylized stuff or character designs 

you gotta have your best work in there, like some people like having okay/bad work to show how much they improved but that’s a bad idea, if you don’t think something’s good don’t put it in for colleges to see 

[djbanana1]

The Troubles & Blessings of a Pet

(Jared Leto)Joker x reader

This was my very first fan-fiction I wrote. Just not the first one I posted so it will be, whats the word I’m looking for, lacking?

Preview: You’re a 21 year old college student that just recently moved to Gotham City for the University and a change of pace. It’s Friday night and your day has been horrible. To make things even worse your silly little feline friend has disappeared right before a storm. Will you find your kitty? Or will he accidentally lead you to doom? *wiggles eyebrows* 

Warning: There will be blood/killing, torture, slight cursing and use of ‘daddy’ (not a lot?) in later parts, and my lame writing :P

(Part 1)

I walk up the stairs to my apartment door, shoving the keys in as I reach it. Opening the door I toss my backpack somewhere to the right of me not really caring where it lands. Today had been a long day. Pulling an all-nighter to finish a 10 page paper just to have the due date changed wasn’t exactly the highlight of my day.

Oh, but that was just the start of my horrible day. If you add tripping over a trash can in front of a cute guy, spilling juice on my new shirt, getting called out on by a teacher, spilling ink all over myself after breaking my pen, getting chased by a stray dog, and finally obliviously walking in-between a fist fight. That’s right! I’m now sporting a nice pretty purple bruise under my left eye. It had been quite the day.

The only bright side would be the walk home. The sky was dark and about ready to start storming. I don’t know why but I’ve always loved rain. There was something always calming yet exciting about it. At least the walk home helped calm my fried nerves.

Now all that’s left to do is just settle down with supper and watch TV with Jasper waiting for the lovely storm. Jasper is my soft black cat with stunningly bright green eyes. He’s extremely precious to me and I talk to him all the time. Besides my dad, he is the only other male I talk to frequently. I’m not much of a party goer and I’m pretty shy at times. My life is boring but I’m fine with that. I mean it would be nice to spice up my life a little bit but I can’t complain. I have just one good friend that I do everything with. Now I would have normally invited her to join Jasper and I but she was gone visiting her family.

(Friends name) and I moved to Gotham City about 1 month ago to attend the University here. We wanted a change of pace instead of the small quiet town we came from. It was a small town in the country where everyone left their doors unlocked. So moving to Gotham was definitely a change, almost too much of one. Especially since Gotham has a very high crime rate. I guess you could say it has an underworld type deal happening here. Almost like a whole different world. Something we did not have back home. It’s taking some time to adjust.

So like I was saying tonight would just be Jasper and I. Walking into the small white kitchen I pull out a bowl for cereal. I grab a box of (favorite cereal) and make myself a bowl. I bring the bowl into the living room and place it on the small black table while turning the TV on. I nonchalantly throw the remote on the couch when the current headline catches my attention.

“Crime is never at rest, especially with the Joker on the loose!” I eyeball the news reporter as she gives a brief description of the events that happened today. I half listen as she prattles on about some bank robbery, a stabbing, a shooting, yadda yadda and then the Joker.

I’ll never get use to crime being this common, especially when its happening so close by.

A picture flashes up on the TV and I have to admire his flashy green hair. It makes me want to run my fingers through it.  “Make sure to stay inside this weekend. Rumors have it the prince of crime has been seen around these parts of the city. Stay safe and let’s hope Batman or the authorities get him.”  I roll my eyes since I never really leave my house anyways. I won’t be one of those poor fools. “Now let’s take a look at this week’s celebrity…” I completely zone out by this time.

Shrugging, I start skipping down the short hallway to my bedroom to put on some comfy clothes. That being a pair of black leggings and a chocolate brown sweater dress that ends mid-thigh. I let my (H/C) (H/L) hair fall naturally down my back. Now all I needed was Jasper.

Speaking of the devil. Where was he? He normally greeted me by now.

“Jasper! Come here kitty kitty!”

I go around and search his favorite sleeping places. I end up empty handed leaving me dumbfounded. That is until I see the window open.

That little shit!

I totally forgot about his late night rendezvous! He’s recently been sneaking outside late at night and returning some point in the morning usually when I’m sleeping. This all started about two weeks ago. Since we’d only been in Gotham for like two weeks at that time, I didn’t feel comfortable letting him outside just yet. Well, I guess Jasper had his own plans as he escaped through the window that night. I won’t forget that night anytime soon. I ended up getting help from a stranger and it took us all night to find the little rascal. Anyways, I probably should just shut the window but I don’t want to take that joy of being outside away from him. Rolling my eyes I quickly decide to go look for him. Tonight was going to be our night and no way was he bailing!

I creep up to the open window and yell his name a few times in case he’s just outside the window. After a few failed attempts I head to the bathroom to put some makeup on. I just put a simple layer of makeup on, mostly to hide the bruise. I grab my black combat boots that are cute but comfortable and head to the door. I grab my necklace with my apartment key on it and put my phone in the waistband of my leggings. I locked the door and headed out.

I started by searching near the apartment. Going through the alley way softly calling his name. Shortly after, I realize he isn’t nearby so I set off down the street. It’s dark out so there’s not many people out besides the sketchy people, night owls, party people and occasional late night workers. I continually let soft calls of Jasper’s name roll off my tongue as I stroll down the street. After almost an hour of looking I start to feel a gut twisting feeling. Dang it, where could he be!? I slowly feel panic setting in. How far could he have gone? Maybe it isn’t a good idea to let my cat wander the streets of Gotham. It most certainly isn’t the same as home.

Just then a drop of rain hits my nose. I look up to the sky and see the dark clouds ahead. Not just night time clouds but I mean the stormy kind of clouds. I totally forgot about the storm! To make things worse I didn’t bring my rain coat or umbrella. Great.

I start to fast walk while calling Jasper’s name louder as a light shower starts sprinkling down. I pick my pace up when I feel the rain coming down harder and before I know it I’m running through pelting rain. Each step I take sends cold shards of pain up my legs. The rain isn’t exactly the nice type that lulls you to sleep. It’s down pouring and I’m soaked in seconds. I urge my soaked body to keep going ignoring the rain as I scream Jasper’s name even louder.

Gosh. How could I be so stupid? I should have looked at the weather and kept the damn window shut!

I trip and hit the ground hard gaining some nasty scrapes. I start crying in the numbing rain. It’s hard to see or hear anything.

Poor Jasper! What if he’s hurt somewhere and I’m just being useless dead weight?! What if he’s lost and scared?! What if he’s, dare I say, dead?! My breathing is coming out ragged and it’s hard to breathe. It feels like ages before I actually calm down.

(Y/N). Stop. You need to think rationally. Jasper isn’t a stranger to being outside. He’s probably taken shelter somewhere and is waiting the storm out. Something I should be doing. Realizing I wouldn’t be much help to him or myself sick, I quickly scan my surroundings. Fear sets in as I realize I don’t recognize anything. I’m still very new to Gotham so I really only know my route to school and back plus the occasional places I need to go to.

All I notice is an abandoned looking building off in the distance. Well that’s better than sitting in the rain. I sluggishly lift myself off the ground to make my way over there. My body feels so tired and sore. The closer I get the creepier it feels. Reaching the side of the building, I reach for a door handle. After opening the door, I hesitantly walk inside to get away from the unrelenting rain. I ring out my hair and the bottom of my dress so I’m not as drenched.

Pulling my body into myself to reserve some body heat, I scan the inside of the building. It’s huge but pretty empty. There are some box like crates stacked on the sides of the warehouse. There are lights on but very dim so I can just make out some steep narrow stairs leading to an upstairs area. It kind of reminds me of a murder mystery movie.

Why the hell are there lights on in an abandoned building? Its probably some warehouse and the workers just forgot to turn the lights off.

Quickly shrugging off the creeping suspicion, I pull my phone out from my waistband. It has water damage and won’t turn on. Just wonderful! No amount of rice is going to save this phone. Oh well, I needed a new one anyways. I put my phone in my boot cuff since my clothes were sticking to me like a second skin.

Since I don’t know what time it is and the rain isn’t letting off anytime soon I think I’ll explore a little. My inner child must be showing but I love adventures so this could be kind of fun. (Friends name) and I use to always go out exploring in the country at night back home. We even had our own fun secret base in the woods we would camp out in. If we ever just wanted to disappear from the world, that was our place. 

I mean what am I going to find in the warehouse? A few rats, a zombie, the infamous Joker? I chuckle to myself as I start walking along the side of the wall near the boxes. As I go farther in I hear voices coming from up ahead. I stop and debate about going any further.

I mean how many other idiots are outside in this weather looking for a lost cat? I’m pretty sure its just me.

Getting down low, I crawl behind some of the boxes on the side. I keep crawling on my hands and knees until the voices start getting louder. My gut twists giving off the feeling I probably should have stayed outside or at least by the door. Curiosity killed the cat. Ironic really. Finding a little peephole between the crates I take a peek.

I can’t tell if the shiver that just went down my spine was due to the fact that I look and feel like a drowned rat or to the sight before me. There in all his glory was the clown prince of crime, the Joker.

Well at least it wasn’t a zombie.

I remember the news lady talking about him. Crap. I should have paid extra attention to what she was saying instead of his dang hair! He was wearing a golden looking jacket with a black shirt underneath that was unbuttoned most of the way revealing all his tattoos underneath. He was actually pretty handsome with his chiseled chest and amazingly sculpted face. His pale white face and prominent red lips. They looked so full and kissable.

Wait! What am I saying? He’s a killer. He would kill me if he knew I was here!

He was straddling some man in a chair sliding a knife gently down his cheek bone. The man looked terrified and about ready to pass out. The Joker had a good handful of goons against the wall dressed up in fancy black suits with weird masks on. One had a fake batman mask, another an eyeball and it just gets weirder from there. I mean that’s something I wouldn’t wear if I was watching someone get tortured but yet again I’m not a goon. Leave it to me to walk into the wrong situation! I can feel the blood pumping in my ears.

I should contact the police! But how can I with a broken phone?!  

“Blah, Blah, Blah. I didn’t ask for your excuses Mr. Jones. I want to know why you thought you could lie to me!” The Joker growled out. He took his knife and slowly but leisurely dragged the knife down the guys cheek leaving a long deep cut. The guy, err I mean Jones, starting screaming as blood oozed out. It was an agonizing scream that gave me goosebumps. As if on que the Joker laughed at his screams of agony. Now this laugh wasn’t just any laugh. I can see why they call him the king of laughter. He had a very obnoxious and loud laugh that sent tingles going through me. He abruptly stops his cackling. Sitting up straight the Jokers eyes lazily traveled across the room, lingering extra-long on the boxes I was hiding behind, until they landed on his goons.

Did he just look at me?!

“See this here boys! I think Mr. Jones is uncomfortable.” The Joker smiles while he breaks Jones personal bubble to run his hands along his face letting small Ha Ha’s escape his mouth. ”Why don’t I fix that? I don’t want you getting bored now do I?” His face has this mock serious look.

I had the strange feeling there was a different meaning behind his words. Like he really didn’t care for Mr. Jones well-being.

“I know! Let’s play a game!” The Joker purrs out leaning even closer to Jones face. “Every time you irritate me or lie, I leave a cut…” The Joker took his finger and stroked the guys cut before slowly digging his finger into it “Like this one here!” Jones struggled and whimpered under the Jokers touch.

“I don’t know anything, I swear! Mister J you got to believe me! I would never betray you!” This Jones guy was desperate.

I have to admit to myself Jones was kind of lucky to have the Jokers face so close. To feel his breathe on his face. There was something about the Joker that drew me to him. I really wanted to see his handsome features up close.

Shit! Am I seriously that guy deprived?

A long agonized scream brings me out of my thoughts. I look back and see that Jones already has a decent cut on his arm, thigh, chest and now one going from his ear to his lip. I feel bile rise in the back of my throat. One thing I’m not used to is seeing a lot of human blood. Before I could tear my gaze away, the Joker was happily sawing away at Jones lower right ear lobe with his small gold knife. This earned him even more screaming. This must be music to his ears judging by the way he happily wiggled his body while he continued his work.

I really shouldn’t be here! I need to get out of here before I’m next. I’m pretty sure he isn’t a fan of eavesdroppers let alone witnesses. 

I cast one last look at the Joker before I turn around to start crawling back. That is until I hear a very familiar sound reach my ears freezing me in my tracks. The unmistakable sound of Jasper’s meow was coming from Joker’s direction.

A/N: Just so people know I posted this on my quotev account first so if you have read this before... I never stole it because that’s still me :)

[n-ph]

2k16

wow it’s been awhile since i’ve written one of these. i just realized that i totally didn’t write one last year. anyway i dont even know where to begin. 2016 has been an interesting year to say the least. i was rereading some of my old posts and i said omg a lot. the days just seem to go by in a blur nowadays, so i will try to recap 2016 as best as i can. i dont have a word to encompass this year though.

went to seattle in january. tried some really expensive sushi..twice..holy crap. the quality was a1 but man the bill was something else. seattle was nice though. definitely had a san francisco vibe to it, except for when you go to the waterside and look back at all the construction. i guess we kinda ran out of things to do bc on the last day we went to chinatown and the area seemed really dinky. also gained a ton of weight in seattle though u_u

in february we tried 5a5 steakhouse. and let me tell u. it is the best beef i have ever had. it is also the most money i have ever spent on a single meal. oh my god. i dont know if i'll ever be back, but i would like to, some day.

thus far, the semester was pretty okay. let's see..i had government accounting with a moody professor who would throw tantrums whenever no one participated. i also had business law with this old guy who was really lively and fun. i had strategic management with a bryan cranston look alike. the class was really interesting though and i learned a lot and it got me started on reading the economist lmao im so old. i miss having so much free time that came with school. 40 hour work weeks are not the life (even if i barely do anything at work).

went to LA during spring break. and at a good time too bc it was still the soft opening of harry potter world so the lines were v manageable. butterbeer was dope. the entire hogsmeade village just felt so real. had sooo much good food in LA omg. got to see some friends as well. had some of the best steak frites ever.

i cant believe i particpated in asu's talent show this year. much has changed in asu since i joined. it makes me wonder if i was behaving that way when i first joined. it seems a lot more clique-y and high school and drama filled but hey maybe it was that way when i was active but i just never noticed. had many fun lunches with my grand little but man there is a lot of drama in asu and im just glad i wasnt in any of it. i kinda miss the old asu days of staying out late to eat or do nothing at all but also i dont miss it bc i get enough sleep and im a lot more productive without asu lmao. finally ended things with tram for good. maybe things turned out the way they did for the better. the entire friendship was such a roller coaster. im glad its over.

the end of the semester rolled around!!! and i graduated!!!! :') attended my sisters graduation which was pretty boring bc high school students have such a narrow view of life (not to say that college students are any better). attended my own graduation. felt really fortunate to have jessa and anthony there. this one kid in my graudating class gave a speech about accomplishments...and he revealed the wrestling belt he was wearing underneath his graduation gown...and then he made the grads stand up and chant thank yous to the friends and family sitting behind us. it was so embarrassing and extra omg.

shortly after graduation i was on a plane headed back to the motherland. and let me tell u. i hated most of it. it was super hot and humid and my sister and i shared about 100 mosquito bites between the both of us. also. i know i shouldnt but..vietnam is so dirty. i know its not their fault that theyre a developing country but man there are exactly zero sanitation standards and i dont even know why we were there bc the water had recently been polluted so none of the fish were edible and my mom didnt trust the food stands to have clean food either. i guess i made some new friends and visited some cool places but at what cost??? also i think my entire fam got sick bc we slept with the ac on but either way, the meds i took made me lose my sense of smell i think and i couldnt taste or smell anything for two weeks. the ac air also dried out my nose and gave me a skin infection (which i will discuss later). during our trip to danang a small ferry got flipped on the big river and a bunch of ppl died and the government tried to cover it up bc bad publicity etc. they played it off as if only a few ppl died rather than most of the ppl on the boat. our tour guide in danang was in the know tho so he told us everything and w o w that really could've been us on that river bc it was a boat the left the dock about half an hour after our boat left. crazy.

after the long and arduous journey abroad i finally made it back home...and then headed to hawaii. hawaii was dope af. 10/10 would recommend, would go back. battled the tides when we went kayaking and sadly the tides won and i lost my hat but also almost lost my flip flops if it weren't for some kind random strangers who swam out to get my flip flops. we stayed on oahu and maui. hiked up a v steep mountain in oahu. lost my hat from kayaking. got caught in the rain when we went looking for a beach on the first day. had some of the best shaved ice ever. attended my first luau. fell asleep during the first part of a fire dancing show (bc the fire hadnt started yet). essentially pulled an all nighter to try oahu's famous bakery that opened at 3am. flew to maui but due to poor planning we arrived 4 hours earlier than check in lmao. the house we had in maui was so beautiful though omg. it was ocean side so we could hear the waves every night and it just felt so peaceful and tranquil to sit on the balcony in the mornings, just staring out at sea. in maui we went snorkeling. the last time i went snorkeling was like...10+ years ago...in cancun...and the water was freezing...and i also thought i was lost in the middle of the ocean on our way to the snorkeling location... but anyway! the snorkeling this time was so cool omg they had prescription swimming goggles so i could see EVERYTHING. they also provided lunch which was dope. it started raining on our way back to shore though lmao. the next day we drove all the way up the volcano in maui...to find that the top was foggy af and we couldnt see anything. the road up was pretty nasty bc super windy and 10000 ft elevation. it got really foggy after like 6000ft so we basically drove in all fog until the top which was still foggy but also like 20 degrees colder than the rest of maui. maui is super rural omg. we tried to find a place to eat after our trek but there were barely any food places in sight. we picked a random spot in the middle of nowhere and then decided to take the road to hana (which is on the opposite side of where we were staying, and was about 3 hrs away. and boy did we mess up. we took the alternate road there and it was scarier than going up the volcano bc 1) windy 2) small ass roads which were unpaved at certain points and 3) cliff hugging roads..i cant believe i made the drive there and back it was so terrifying omg. not sure if i would go back. at one point there was a big ass cow in the middle of the road. once we got to hana though, the hike was really nice despite the humidity. almost died crossing the river at the end to see the waterfall. all the rocks had big ants on them!!! how was i supposed to cross the river!!! we missed out on the wading pools though but we were so starving by that time. made the 3 hr drive back and everyone was dead. spent the last day on maui not doing much bc rainy and we were all so dead.

about two weeks after i got back from hawaii was training week in sac for my first big girl job. ngl but i felt super homesick that first night. idk why since i would be home by the end of the week anyway. probably just overwhelmed by how fast everything was happening. graduation and now transitioning into a full time job. scary stuff. but i did make a really good friend in sac so it didnt turn out so bad!!! training was pretty fun bc our presenter was pretty engaging. except when we went over the boring stuff and i was v close to falling asleep. did get to catch up with some of my sac friends though which was nice. went to the state fair for the first time as well. it was..exactly as expected but hotter lmao. my family went to san diego at this time bc my sister was going to comic con but i couldnt make it :(

got back from training and started my first big girl job. im not sure what i expected but it was easy but also hard? my first engagement i was only with one other senior and she was super nice and pretty and really good at lettering. i dont feel like i learned much? i only really did the tasks given to me but i feel like half the time i wasnt even sure what i was doing. i also hated the commute all the way back from walnut creek. the going there wasnt so bad bc i got a ride out to oakland but man it would take forever to get home. :'( my second engagement was just me and a partner and i feel like she expected me to know everything...but i didnt know anything...so i mostly sat around a lot??? esp bc she wasnt on site every day so i had zero supervision. :/ towards the end of the second engagement i got an email from the city saying that they were accepting me into their accounting position and i was like oh shit. i ended up taking the job, which gave me a week in between quitting the first job and starting the second, which i used to go back to LA lmao bc i had a season ticket to universal. actually ate at the three broomsticks this time. it was defs filling and i thought it was a good bang for buck. attempted to go to the walking dead tour..chickened out..twice. i probs would've died in there tbh. also went to disneyland!!!! that was lit. their macone-roni and cheese was da bomb. saw world of color for the first time except it was the 50th anniversary edition so it wasnt so great. bumped into the couple that was in jbieb's love yourself video. tried some new food places in LA and saw some old friends, again.

started my second big girl job. all my coworkers are super nice except the big boss is kind of crazy and anal. but we deal with it. my supervisor is so nice :'( work isnt so bad bc i dont do much lmao. the hardest part sometimes is just staying awake if im being honest. getting paid to do nothing is the life tho.

spent my birthday weekend in monterey. we were supposed to go atv-ing but ended up going wine tasting but also not really bc we liked the first wine so much we got a bottle of that to share. it was really cold that weekend surprisingly so we stayed in and then went to this spa place on a whim and it was definitely an interesting experience.

went as a rice bag for halloween and i think that was probably my greatest costume to date. except we ended up going to a party full of white ppl...and i was like the only asian there gdi

tagged along w my sister when she went to sd. got to see many friends!!! went clubbing as well and that was lit. took michelle clubbing for her 21st birthday, also lit. squadsgiving and christmas were super fun. got some supplies for bullet journaling so guess thatll be my new years resolution. but also to take more photos bc i didnt buy that camera for nothing.

okay so in conclusion. i did a lot of stuff this year. it feels like it was mostly all highs. or maybe i just block out the lows but im pretty sure there were way more highs than lows. 2016 was a great year tbh. oh yeah i also passed two of four parts of my cpa exam!!! woot. in 2016, i learned a lot...of accounting lmao. plus i ran my first 5k!!!!! oh yeah and i joined a gym and now im getting swole af. im not sure what my reflections are. i guess, if i were to compare 2k16 kim to 2k14 kim i've for sure come a long ways. i wasnt afraid to try new challenges and conquer them. i stepped out of my comfort zone multiple times, sometimes with the help of alcohol. i got my shit together and really focused in school (which got me a 4.0 during my last year of college). i also got my shit together and studied my ass off for the cpa (which is still ongoing i crey). i really wanna say this was probably one of my best years with everything i was able to do and everything i achieved. so here's to you, 2016, and may 2017 be even better!!!