#books recommended by middle school students

[inmirova]

In an ideal world, it would be a program for Deaf teachers, the government could even put it under vocational rehab if they wanted to! Unfortunately, even some Deaf schools don't employ many Deaf teachers and a lot of teaching jobs end up going to interpreters or just hearing & non-signing people instead. But you're right and I love what you said, we can hope 🩷

idk man. i just think itd be really cool if sign language classes were mandatory throughout primary school. yeah because it would make communication with deaf kids and autistic/nonverbal kids much easier. and those kids would be accessible to the others so they cold make friends and have healthy relationships. yeah. and kids would eat that shit up man. like their own little secret language? they love that.

[alexiroflife]

"five more minutes?"

part 2.

college au, grungy!choso, fluffff, beginnings of mutual pining

choso kamo x writing tutor!reader

Synopsis: your last tutoring session of the day catches you off guard when the hottest guy you've ever seen in your life walks into the writing center

to sum it up: you and choso didn't expect to enjoy each other's company so much and your giddy awkwardness shows it

WC: 3,700

Warning(s): none, just you and choso being cute as hell

-> guys i am speechless thank you so much for +2,000 followers y'all are amazing i love you so much

You, in truth, never wanted to be a writing tutor.

Your English professor had recommended you to do so, seeing that you had a tendency to excel in your creative and academic writing courses. Your major in english and the years prior you spent scribbling away the fantasies of your mind in middle and high school certainly were to commend for you exceptional writing skills now, but you find that any time you’re actually forced to put pen to paper instead of doing so on your own will dulls the experience entirely. 

You can’t necessarily complain too much because you are getting paid (certainly not enough as a junior in university), but you don’t exactly enjoy the tediousness of having to sit down with freshmen who are crawling their way through their introductory writing courses, fighting to keep their engagement as they try to rush you through your hour and a half appointment- despite how badly they need it.

Writing is an art, and should be treated as such, but god, the way the intro courses are treating it and how the students treat it accordingly truly hurts your soul. Especially because they’re required classes, and people never fare well in classes they’re forced to take. You have first hand experience with that.

You’re almost done for the day when you double check your schedule to see that you have one more slot filled before you can call it a day.

Sighing, you lean back in your desk chair and click on the profile of the boy you’re meant to be meeting with. Apparently he’s in a grade above you working on a seminar. You raise your brow, curiosity striking you. You don’t typically find many upperclassmen coming to your services since they normally already have the writing training that they need and have been crafting enough essays to get the hang of things, or are simply too lazy to be bothered with visiting the writing center.

You don’t have much time to ponder it before there’s a knock on your office door frame, signifying the arrival of the person you are to be mentoring. You look up, and the breath almost flies from your lungs when you see a tall brunette clad in heavy, dark cargo pants, a tattered band tee, and a puffy jacket. His heavily lined, violet eyes meet yours tiredly, though after a few moments, a sprinkle of light flickers its way into his irises upon registering the sight of you. 

“I’m… uh, here for my 3:30?” his remarkably deep voice mumbles out as he stares at you pensively, ringed fingers clutching the strap of his beaten satchel book bag. “You’re (Y/n)?”

You blink. “Oh, y-yeah. Sorry,” you clear your throat, hastily throwing on a friendly smile. “Come in. You can take a seat right here.”

You gesture to the chair before you at your desk, and he approaches, slinging his bag from his shoulder to the floor and seating himself in the cushioned seat. 

You scroll through your computer mindlessly to relocate his profile and exactly what he is here for, but you can’t deny the fact that your mind is immensely distracted by the presence of the man sitting in front of you. You can feel his pretty eyes wandering over the room, bouncing over you then to his lap. You clench your jaw to prevent yourself from practically screaming, for this kid is insanely attractive in a grungy, silent loner kind of way, and you’re unsure of how you’ll even be able to focus throughout the session.

“It’s Choso, right?” you ask, turning from your monitor to meet his diamond eyes.

He nods, pressing his lips together. “Yeah.”

“Okay, cool. Nice to meet you. Why don’t you walk me a bit through what you need help with?”

He releases a heavy sigh, scratching the back of his head and averting his gaze. “I don’t know, my senior sem professor said I needed to work on my paragraph structure for the essay part of the project,” he explains almost disinterestedly. “I don’t really know what she means, so I figured I’d just come here.”

“Okay,” you nod. “Do you have a draft that you can show me?”

Choso reluctantly nods once more, leaning over to collect his bag and pull out a thin stack of papers. He gathers them in his hands and as if embarrassed, slides them across the wood table toward you. You take it from him and briefly skim over the words, the title catching your eye.

“You’re a bio major?” you ask, interest piqued.

“…Um, yeah. I’m writing about blood coagulation… it’s kinda boring stuff I guess.”

“No way, I think that’s sick,” you say casually, flipping through the other pages. “I could never begin to understand that stuff.”

You miss the way Choso’s gaze lingers on your face in momentary, subtle surprise. Your eyes fly up from the page to him again, and he immediately looks away. 

You place the papers back down. “I can kinda see what your professor means just by first glance,” you tell him, reaching over to grab a red pen from your pencil holder.

“That fast?” Choso asks, raising a brow.

You chuckle slightly. “I mean, I didn’t get to see everything obviously. I was just browsing, but I do this a lot. I notice you tend to jump from one thing to another without a solid transition.”

“Oh.”

“That’s okay, though. And was it just paragraph structure…? Was there anything else you specifically wanted to look at?”

He shrugs stiffly. “I don’t really know,” he admits. “I’m… less of a writer and more of a researcher. I don’t really- I’m not too good with this kind of stuff in general. I just do the work.”

“That’s no problem. You’ve got the important parts down,” you assure him. “Here, why don’t we move to the center next door? It’ll be easier for me to help you with your paper when I’m next to you instead of sitting across.”

“Sure.”

You believe that you have sabotaged yourself in suggesting so, though moving to a less cramped room is something you always do with your clients. Even so, the second you and Choso seat yourselves beside each other at a rounded table in the next room, with another appointment taking place across the room and rather distant from you, his scent of woody cologne consumes your senses the moment his breeze blows past you with his settlement into his chair. 

Your eyes go slightly wide, his arm inches away from brushing yours when he throws his bag over the back of the chair. While he pulls out his computer and gets his papers and notes situated, you sneak a glance at him out of the corner of your eye.

He beholds the facial structure of a model, a rather bored, tired energy capturing his eyes but emphasizing his beauty nonetheless. His hair, you think, is styled uniquely into two ponytails, but it somehow complements his aura perfectly. Tendrils of chocolate brown sweep over his forehead and behind his ear, and that is when you catch a peak of a tattoo creeping up his neck from behind his jacket collar. 

This guy is too gorgeous for his own good. Part of you doesn’t believe that he is aware of his beauty himself, for he carries himself as though he wishes not to be seen, or more accurately, hardly pays any attention or care to how he is perceived by the surrounding world. He’s reserved, calm, and oh, the way his Adam's apple bops when he clears his throat softly is criminal.

You’re prepared to ask him about his tattoo when you recall that you are supposed to be maintaining a professional, yet amiable environment. To make it obvious that he’s captured your attention and then some would interfere with the entire purpose of his appointment, which he scheduled for academic assistance with you, a tutor. 

You immediately avert your gaze when reality smacks you in the face and you shift your focus back to his paper, sliding it under your palm and ripping the cap of your pen rather harshly. Just as you turn away, Choso finds himself peering over at you, but far less sneakily. 

He had come here expecting to despise the entire process, for his pride is slightly wounded that he even has to visit a writing tutor, but he refuses to allow his lacking skill in essay craft to debunk his grade in something he is so passionate about, and something that he desperately needs to graduate. Besides, he has come for help early enough in the process for it not to have much of a strain on the final product overall, but when he found you in your office, he hadn’t expected to be working with someone like… you.

He was expecting a stuck up hermit who was prepared to tear apart every single piece of his rough draft that he had thrown together, sneering down at him through round framed glasses and frowning at his sheer inferiority within the English department. Instead, he’s greeted with you; a fresh, friendly and drop dead gorgeous face that welcomes him in with no judgment. Aesthetically, and likely spiritually, the two of you can’t appear more different, but you don’t seem at all moved by his dark presence. You smile at him, and you compliment his work though no one has ever taken him as a guy interested in or withholding the brains of one who desires to study the inner workings of the human body. He half thinks you’re just being nice because it’s your job, but he can’t help but take a liking to you immediately solely because of how pretty he deems you to be.

Not only that, but you guide him through each and every one of his stand points within his draft, circling words, marking down sentences, scribbling little notes in the corner summarizing the main point he wishes to get across and how he intends to prove so with his research. You listen to him after asking him to explain something you don’t quite understand, and your eyes search his honestly as he mutters through his intentions that are yet to be properly conveyed on the page. You then nod along with him and tell him that he makes perfect sense when he talks, then you freely provide suggestions about how he can improve this portrayal of understanding in a different way.

And everything you tell him, he understands effortlessly. You have a way with your words and how you transcribe them into something that can be put into paper. You know absolutely nothing about what Choso does academically, but somehow, you magically transform that unknown into what you do know. You tell him that literacy is universal, so it’s easy for you to take any topic and help him construct it properly for literary intake. 

Choso finds himself enraptured by your tutoring. He’s agreeing with you, humming in interest and pointing at the things you write for him, typing away at his notes to record everything he’s hearing. He’s taken by the way your lips move when you speak passionately, intelligently; how your hands swirl animatedly with your speech as you paint physical pictures in the air of what you are verbalizing; how you grin widely when Choso adds onto your suggestions, proving that he is getting a hang of what you are telling him. And above all, Choso can see the joy in your eyes as you help him, how entranced you are by the chance to hold an intelligent conversation about what you have mastered doing and what Choso has mastered doing.

You actually like tutoring him, and Choso can tell because he has come to enjoy being tutored by you within the hour and a half block that you are given.

The two of you only make it through about eight of twenty pages before you somehow get off topic, minutes past your block has ended.

“How long have you been a tutor?” the purple eyed man beside you questions suddenly. You look up, closing the cap of your pen with a gentle smile. You don’t even notice the other appointment in the room leaving, the two of you now completely alone.

“Just for a little over a year,” you say. “I started at the beginning of sophomore year last year.”

“So, you’re only a junior,” Choso observes.

“Didn’t you know that when you clicked my profile on the tutoring site?” you tilt your head.

Choso shakes his head, looking down as he reaches his hand to his keyboard and bouncing his leg. “I… wasn’t paying attention,” he mutters and you laugh slightly.

“You could have picked anybody to help you, then.”

“Yeah, apparently,” he hums. “I’m glad I got you though.”

A certain giddiness captures you as your light smile brightens. “Really?”

“I- just mean, you’re a good teacher,” he adds quickly, brows drawing together. His jumping knee leans over the slightest in his manspreading position beneath the table, leading it to bump against yours clumsily. The two of you look down at the same time, and he brings his leg back in hastily. “Sorry.”

“You’re good,” you bring your shoulders up as you crowd your hands in your lap, his brief contact having startled your nerves. “And thanks. I try my best. I actually had fun during our session.”

He turns to look at you. “You had fun trying to fix my awful writing?”

“No, no,” you chuckle. “Usually I help a lot of freshmen and they don’t really care what they’re writing about, but you really seem to.”

He hums. “I get it.”

“So… why biology? Why blood function?”

“I don’t know. It’s always been cool to me, how much stuff happens inside the body that we can’t see,” he says lowly. “I also… got money to come here in high school for science and all that. It’s kinda always been something I’m good at.”

“You say that like it’s not a big deal,” you raise your brows, turning in your chair to face him completely. He glances at you momentarily from the side, but keeps himself awkwardly forward as he clicks randomly away at the keys on his computer. You can see a dust of pink creeping over his pale skin as he eyes his screen. 

“It’s not really. Plenty of people have scholarships and stuff.”

“Yeah, but that doesn’t make yours any less impressive,” you say, and his blush brightens. He’s so cute. “What would you wanna do with that when you graduate? This is your last year, right?”

“Oh, uh,” he tilts his head back. “I’m looking for work now… but I don’t know, not a lot of jobs in my field would really…” he tries to find a way to explain. His lips tug to the side and his brows angle, hand finding his locks. “...approve of the way I present. I could probably get away with being a lab tech, but if not, I’d do something behind the scenes. Maybe get another job in retail, too.”

You hum, looking over him. “Is it because of your…” you stop to point to his neck. He looks at you quizzically, reaching his hand to where you point. His face relaxes in realization.

“Yeah,” he breathes out a light laugh, and you shiver. “Didn’t know you could see that.”

“Only a little…” you grin. “What is it?”

He takes in a deep breath, looping his fingers over his jack and pulling it down from the skin by his ear. His face is still lit with a pinch of color as he averts his gaze, tilting his chin so that you can see the sharp lines of ink swerving from behind his ear down to his collarbone, a cyber sigilism design. 

You gulp, your own face growing warm with heat as you examine the way his muscles ripple beneath the tattoo, his face bored though leg still jittery with nerves. 

“I like it,” you say as he releases his jacket and lets it rise to conceal his neck once more. “It suits you.”

He looks at you, pursing his lips. “Thanks. I have a lot more.”

“Yeah?” your eyes dash over his frame out of curiosity.

“You won’t be able to see them,” he tells you, and you snap your eyes right back up to his face. A small smile plays on his lips.

“O-Oh. Right,” you stammer. “How many do you have?”

“At least, like, twenty by now.”

“Really?!” you gasp, rather impressed. “Did they hurt?”

“Only a few, but you get used to it after a while.”

“Hmm. You’re making me think I should get a tattoo.”

Choso’s lips curl into a full fledged grin as he examines you, seemingly amused by the idea. You falter slightly when his teeth reveal from behind his soft lips, a dimple prodding in the corner of his cheek with his smile. “You’d get one?”

You pick up on his slightly playful tone and raise a brow. “Why? I don’t look like I would?”

He shakes his head. “I mean- well, no, but-” he paused. “I guess I don’t look like I’d want to be a medical professional, so.”

You can feel your smile widening, your heart brimming with excitement as he opens himself up to bantering with you. And his smile… you would have never expected such an angelic sight on someone like him. You knew he was handsome before, but now with his eyes shining with humor, his cheeks flushed, and a tumble of shy laughter spilling from his throat, you’re willing to risk everything for a chance to hear him laugh again.

“See?” you muse as he finally closes his laptop.

“Where would you get one?”

“Uhhhh,” you try to think. “Maybe… on my shoulder?”

“Yeah?” he pokes out his bottom lip and nods. “I think you’d pull it off,” he goes to tuck his papers back into his bag, keeping his eyes down as the next phrase falls from his mouth. “Maybe I should take you to get one.”

Your brows jump at his suggestion, unsure of whether he is joking or being serious. He catches your eye when he pulls himself back up, heliotrope pools simmering with that hint of bashfulness as he looks at you through his long lashes. 

“Y-You know,” he starts once more. “After you finish helping me with the rest of my essay.”

Your mind clicks when the topic at hand shifts back to the reason why you are sitting with him in the first place. You turn to look at the clock on the other side of the room and widen your eyes when you find that it is half an hour past when you were meant to be finished. “Speaking of,” you start. “We ran really late.”

Choso perks up, following your gaze. “Oh… shit, sorry. I didn’t mean to… keep you.”

“No, it’s okay! Really. I didn’t even notice what time it was,” you say. Choso stalls with his hand on his computer, having prepared to put it away, but something in his mind is making him hesitate.

“So-”

“Did you-”

You both stop, having talked over each other, and you laugh nervously. “Sorry, you first,” you tell him.

“No, you go.”

You oblige. “Well… when are you free next? We can keep working on your draft. Maybe in the library soon if you want a change of scenery? Or not, we could just stay here.”

You don’t know why you’re all of a sudden acting like a child struggling to speak before him. You are meant to be scheduling a follow-up, as you do with everyone you tutor, but somehow it feels as though you’re asking Choso out on a date.

Before you can say anything more, the brunette is nodding before he even comprehends what you’re asking. “Yes. The library is good. Let’s do that.”

You grin, relieved. “Okay. Cool. Great. When-?”

“Whenever,” he rushes. You blink, and he reels in upon noticing how quickly he answered. He turns away. “I mean- whenever you’re free.”

“Next week? Same time?”

He hums. “Yeah. That’s- that’s perfect.”

You go to stand as Choso reaches for his bag, slinging it over his shoulder. The two of you stand before each other, silence taking you as you find yourselves unsure of what else to say. 

You look to the side and notice that Choso’s computer is still sitting on the table. You reach out for it, gathering it safely in your hands and presenting it to him. “Here. Don’t forget this.”

He looks down at the device and his brows lift. “Oh, yeah. Right,” he takes the computer from your hands, brushing his fingers accidentally with yours, before pulling it into his grasp and tucking it into his bag, lowering his head to hide his flustered expression. “Thank you. And thanks for the… the help.”

You nod, smiling. “Anytime.”

You remain before each other for a moment more, neither of you desiring to leave just yet. 

“Should I, you know, give you my contact?” Choso suggests, and you perk up. “For next week, and I guess in the future when we schedule other appointments…”

“Oh, yeah! Sure, here.”

You pull out your phone and let him hover over you, his scent invading your senses once more as he types his number into an empty contact. You call it once he is finished so that your number can pop up on his phone, and he leans away. “Got it.”

“Great,” you smile at him. “I’ll see you next week?”

“Yeah. See you then.”

You watch his tall figure trudge away, out of the doorway and down the hall with his face into his phone as he works to save your contact. The moment he leaves, you heave out and press your hand to your chest, excitement fluttering through you in the form of butterflies. 

Hell. What you would have given to get just another five minutes alone with that beautiful stranger. Maybe he would have asked you to hang out sometime properly. 

[lexirosewrites]

Slick Sunday!

Since you're making the move to be a middle school teacher and I myself am in the process of getting my license and doing my student teaching I've been thinking about Teacher Alpha Eddie and Family Resource Room Coordinator Omega Steve this week.

Steve who doesn't get into any colleges and doesn't really have the desire to pursue college anyway but wants to support the pups he babysits (the party) when they make the transition to middle school (they're a couple years younger than in canon for plot reasons) so he uses his parent's money to donate some new equipment for the AV Club and some board games the kids like for the library.

To his surprise, his parents are completely fine with this development because they can mark those off as charitable donations for tax purposes so Steve just...keeps doing it. His parents aren't really around and the pups are the only pack he really has since he stopped hanging around Tommy, Carol, and the rest of his jock friends in his Junior year so he's extra attached to them, and sometimes his instincts so a little haywire and he's prone to overdoing it when it comes to taking care of his pack.

So he starts spending more and more money on the school. New desks and science equipment and books and he starts to think, hey, I've been trying to think of ways to help the Byers, Hendersons, and Mayfeilds who struggle financially sometimes but they never let me, what if I just...let them think the school is providing resources for families without my contributions. So he does. He starts a food pantry and a clothing closet and starts going out to meet people in the community who provide other family support services and makes a resource kiosk for the office with flyers and applications for family services.

Eventually, the school reaches out and offers him an office and a small salary to do his work full time since at this point his parents are still making him work a part-time job so imagine what he could do full time! He jumps on the offer and gets to spend his days applying for grants and helping families and pups who need him and he feels like he finally has a purpose. He moves out of his parents' house and stops using their money and finally feels content with himself even if he doesn't have the mate and pups he dreamed of having at this stage in his life.

Que the hiring of one Eddie Munson at Hawkins Middle following a failed try at the rockstar life in Chicago. He crashed and burned hard and he's come home to lick his wounds in the familiar comfort of his uncle and only pack mate Wayne's home. He sulks for a good couple of months before Wayne pulls him up out of his depression den by the ear and formally introduces him to the Omega he's been courting for the past year, Scott Clarke, who works at the middle school and is helping set up an after school music program at the school and has recommended Eddie as the guitar instructor.

Eddie is hesitant at first. School and him don't exactly have the best relationship but he agrees to come to an informal meeting with all the potential instructors and he is surprised to find that they are all really cool actually. Chrissy is sweet and excellent at the piano and Robin is a total badass and can apparently play just about any brass or wind instrument out there. The thing that seals the deal though is the arrival of an absolutely stunning Omega. He's tall and built with freckles and beauty marks placed by the hand of a loving god all across his body and Eddie is immediately smitten. He is disappointed to learn that he won't be one of the instructors and is just stopping in to pick up Robin to take her home to their shared apartment, but his hope is renewed when they leave the room and Chrissy leans over to tell him the mystery man, who he discovers is named Steve, works in the school and is single.

He accepts the job before he leaves the building.

I could go on and on but this is already long so I'll leave it here lol.

this so sweet i’m gonna die😭😭😭💕

[reaveries]

▬  𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐲

gif credit to @robpattinsongifs (much higher resolution on their account)

summary: late-night visits from your definitely human boyfriend

pairings: edward cullen x fem!reader

word count: 1.6k (approximately 7 minutes reading time)

a/n:  I’ve had this baby marinating in my drafts since January, when I was going through my bi-annual Twilight Renaissance. I was actually in the middle of writing a RE2R Leon Kennedy fic today and decided to put on a twilight playlist, and then I just knew I had to finish this one. It’s my first *published* non-RDR fic heehee (I have so much in my drafts, it’s insane). Anyways, enjoy (pardners)!

masterlist archive of our own

It’s that dreadful time of year again. 

The sun is making its curtain call as students from the nearby elementary school trip over themselves running home. Little girls and boys have sticky remnants of lunch peeking from the corners of their mouths and the grass is still slick from morning showers. But dusk is impatient in February, and its eagerness is encouraged in a town hidden beneath perpetual overcast nine months out of the year.

The school children ran past her window minutes ago when the sky had been painted brilliant indigo. Now, when she looks up the only thing left to see is her own dark reflection and the warm orange glow from a candle on the sill. Its tall flame stutters, collapsing and rising with the damp breeze. 

A page turns, disrupting the otherwise quiet room. The only other noise that can be heard is a soft pitter of water dripping onto the floorboards from a coat hanging off the closet door. 

She reaches for a mug sitting on the corner of her nightstand and promptly sets it back down upon finding it empty. It returns to its spot atop crumpled receipts and library hold slips belonging to the growing stack of books accumulating dust at her bedside. These books tower over the permanent nightstand residents: lazily discarded beaded necklaces, a sample bottle of floral perfume from Christmas, two little ceramic bunnies purchased from an antique mall in Port Angeles last summer, car keys, and drugstore chapstick. It might be worth convincing her to let go of some of these post-object permanence discoveries, but that is a matter for another time.

In a desperate attempt to comprehend the words she’s reading, she rolls onto her back and extends her arms straight in the air so the book hovers a foot from her face—a change of perspective to freshen the mind.

It does not help. 

No matter how much she shifts or squints, the antiquated prose remains stubbornly uninviting. She can’t fathom why anyone would willingly subject themselves to something so archaic and convoluted and furthermore, recommend it as one of their favorite novels.

With a huff, she adjusts the headphones at her ears, hoping the music will clear her mind. But despite her best efforts, the book slowly drifts closer to her chest and her eyelids grow heavier as the music lulls her into a dreamless sleep. 

When she wakes to cold fingers grazing her jaw it’s impossible to tell whether she’d fallen asleep or if she just blinked. The weight of the headphones gently disappears as they’re pulled off and set down on the nightstand. She grumbles incoherently and stretches out her legs, not unlike a cat after a long, difficult day of lounging around. Her eyes begrudgingly flutter open and immediately find him only inches away. He’s watching her, peering down with a twinkle in his amber-colored eyes.

“Edward…” she whispers.

“Dracula,” he says, eyebrows raised as he makes the observation. “I thought you didn’t like Gothics.”

She reaches a finger into the book on her chest and folds the page over before tossing it carelessly into the sea of knitted and quilted blankets at the foot of the bed. With the haze of sleep still clouding her eyes, she smiles sheepishly up at him.

“I’m trying.”

He chuckles lightly and brings his hand to her hair again, brushing stray strands off her forehead and tucking them behind her ears before leaning down to place a chaste kiss above her eyes. Though his lips are soft, the icy touch of his skin sends a shiver down her spine. He’s always cold; a result of his anemia, he says. However, the downpour that's dampened his hair and clothes to his skin has chilled him even more so.

In an effort to sit up, she raises herself onto her elbows and catches a glimpse of the bright red digital numbers on her bedside clock.

“You’re late, you know,” she chides, watching him settle uncomfortably at the head of the bed. He sinks down among the pillows, their plushness contrasting humorously with the stiffness of his demeanor. He reaches behind his back and tugs free a stuffed rabbit lodged between him and the headboard, then sets it down softly beside himself.

“I had to make a quick stop. I hope you can forgive me,” he says in a hushed voice, so as not to make too much noise in the resting house. His eyes flit towards the nightstand and she follows them to see a new item sitting amongst the disorder. A tall styrofoam cup with steam rising thinly from the lid. Coffee. 

The mug she just finished sits right beside it. She’d considered brewing more but that was before being rendered unconscious by Bram Stoker nearly an hour ago. Her heart swells at his thoughtfulness, but a more pressing question comes to mind before she can voice her gratitude.

“How did you even climb up here with that?” She asks, reaching for the cup with both hands.

“I’m very…agile.” There’s a look in his eyes that tells her there’s more to it, but she chooses to ignore it for now with a shake of her head.

The taste is immediately harsh, significantly more bitter than how she makes it herself. Any trace of a smile dissipates and is replaced with a pronounced look of disgust.

“Good God, Edward,” she exclaims. “Decaf? What did I ever do to you?”

He laughs and takes it from her hands, leaving her still reeling from the unexpected taste. “As much as I love staying up with you, you need sleep,” he says, a hint of sternness in his voice. “You didn’t get any last night and you don’t hide it well.”

He says the last part sweetly, tilting his head to the side and following her motions with his eyes, watching her pick up the stuffed rabbit by its cotton paw.

“Don’t hide it well?” She repeats, the indignation in her voice contrasting with the softness of the toy as she raises it high into the air and brings it down against his chest with a soft thud. “Well maybe I wouldn’t have to hide anything if you—weren’t—keeping—me—up—all—night!”

With every word, the rabbit hits his forearms poorly attempting to shield himself from the blows. Edward grins as she attacks him, the soft toy barely making a sound against his arms. He watches as her hair falls across her face in the midst of the unrelenting attack, the warm glow of the candle casting a soft halo around her.

But then, his amusement fades as he sees the exhaustion in her eyes. 

He gently takes the rabbit from her and sets it aside before grabbing her arm mid-swing and pulling her into his chest. She sighs heavily and surrenders, relaxing against him. "I’m sorry," he whispers, his lips brushing against her hair. “I’ll let you rest tonight.”

Despite his tender words, a residual half-baked frustration lingers inside her. “How did you manage to stay awake in class?” she mumbles into his sweater, the words muffled. “I mean, you didn’t get any sleep either.”

He chuckles, as if privy to some inside joke.

“Well, someone had to take your notes for you,” he says, his fingers trailing through her hair in a soothing motion. “And besides, you looked so peaceful drooling away.” 

She looks up at him, a hint of a drowsy smile playing at the corners of her lips. “I did not drool,” she insists.

He grins down at her, his eyes alight with fondness. “Of course not.”

She groans and buries her head into his chest, to which he responds by encircling his arms around her waist and pulling her closer.

“I’m never falling asleep in front of you again,” she grumbles.

His chest rumbles beneath her cheek as he laughs. “Alright, angel.”

He shifts his hand from the crown of her head to the curve of her back, tracing languid circles over the fabric of her t-shirt as the room fills with a comfortable silence. The rain outside grows heavier, tapping against the glass with a more insistent force. Her body is warm against his and he can feel the steady thumping of her heartbeat as if it's his own. A few minutes slip by, and he senses her breathing even out and deepen. Without disturbing her, he reaches for a nearby blanket and drapes it over her, then turns his gaze to the candle on the windowsill.

“Sweet dreams,” he whispers, as the dwindling flame fades out of focus. 

This is his favorite part of the day.

Vague arrays of soft, muted hues and shapes swirl around in his vision, overtaking the warm surroundings of her bedroom. They morph into recognizable figures after some time, and he can hear them speaking when he focuses. For the most part, they sound as if he’s underwater and they’re conversing on the shore. But every now and then, a clear phrase emerges.

Suddenly, the floating shapes assimilate into a figure resembling him and he realizes what this dream is. It’s a recurring one he’s particularly fond of. He settles in and pulls her closer as the scene ebbs between reality and distortions of the unconscious mind. 

He can’t remember how he used to pass the night hours before he met her. Books, records, films--looking back, they feel hollow compared to nights spent like this. Part of him hopes he’ll never know what it's like to want for this. But these dreams, and her thoughts in the waking hours, assure him he won’t ever have to find out.

[pretentiousbrownie]

Art by @red-wood-raven

Art by @jadequarze

Art by jinxpawz

A lovingly curated collection of my OC power couple, Alto and Katherine: Bonded by the weight of shared responsibility, a common cause, and a fiercely protective instinct, the two are driven by a self-sacrificing love and the unyielding desire to fight for everything they believe in, to give their loved ones the happiness and safety they themselves so desperately sought.

This unlikely werewolf and angel pairing is one that represents two extremely distinct aspects of myself. Embodying strength, perseverance, and a quiet determination to persist, Alto is the protector of my true self - the savior of my younger self, and the guiding light towards the realization and acceptance of who I was then and who I am today. Characterizing grit, resolve, and a fighting spirit that is so unabashedly true to them, Katherine is the determination to not only exist and persist, but thrive, in all senses of the word. Together, they are the forces that helped me become the person I am today; they are the personified aspects of my past, present, and future selves, and all struggles they’ve dealt with in order to reach this point right now.

They are the story of how I came to be, how I came to understand and accept myself, and how I persevered - against all the odds - in realizing that self, and that is why each piece is so much more than the sum of their many stunning colors, rich depths, and powerful expressions.

To the artists and friends that have continued to work with me in creating these pieces and more, you have my eternal gratitude and love for giving these characters shape and form and color and life. They are everything to me, and more. Thank you all so very much!

As one final aside, I wanted to leave each of you with this as well; these pieces (and the other commissions I have done over the past few years), have also been a way of recapturing what was taken from me so long ago; I'm not sure you could quite call it a dream, or even a goal, but I was an artist. From young, I always carried a sketch book or drawing pad with me. Armed with pencil in hand and the spark of creativity, I used to lose myself for hours, completely tuned out of the world, engrossed in each and every line and detail I so painstakingly drew.

I did it for myself, but I also did it to explore more than what I was. It started with architecture, design, decor, and abstracts, before delving into people and creatures and animals. I won't ever claim to be "good" - I was a kid without any formal training and only the world around me as my inspiration, but I always hated qualifying terms like "good" and "bad" with art. I just created art, and I did so because I enjoyed it and it was comforting.

Throughout grades school, the relative value of my art had been recognized by the teachers and peers who shared in those same interests and goals as myself, and I was welcomed into so many spaces that encouraged and helped develop those skills further. For the longest time, I was so incredibly happy to be doing what I loved more than (almost) anything.

And then came high school.

I won't lie, I had a wonderful time in high school. Yes, even contending with difficult situations, certain traumas, a great deal of depression, and the loss of multiple people very close to me, but one thing beyond all of that did change in an irrecoverable way; art.

Coming out of middle school, I was recommended for studio art and the honors art track that could further hone and nurture those skills/passions I shared. In my final year of middle school, I had the immense good fortune of having an arts teacher that actively encouraged her students to explore art in whatever forms it took, and was set aside from the typical art class to develop my own portfolio throughout the school year. I was set to work on several smaller pieces and one large piece for an exhibition in a local arts competition.

I was given free reign and ended up with several pieces featured on display at local events and at the statewide exhibition. I was thrilled beyond all belief that I was experiencing art in its freest forms and being actively encouraged to pursue it.

But as luck (or rather misfortune, or I suppose more misunderstanding than misfortune) would have it, that same recognition and appreciation for art did not resonate with my parents as well.

They were supportive, to many degrees - they certainly loved the skills and talents I'd worked so hard to develop and commit myself to, but they weren't convinced there was any real purpose to my arts beyond the hobbies they saw. So, when the time came to make a decision towards my educational track in high school, they pushed me away from art and "encouraged" me to think more about practical things.

I was denied the arts track as I was pushed towards a long-term language goal (four years of foreign languages), I was placed in the music program (which, in fairness, represented some of the very best times I had in high school), and was then set up for an intensive program in double maths and sciences for the next several years (in addition to sports, other AP/honors classes, and part-time work).

The workload was grueling and positively miserable.

In the end, art had to take a backseat otherwise I'd lose myself and my time towards the things that supposedly mattered more. By my sophomore year of high school, I'd all but given up on art, and pushed out maybe a few last pieces before never returning to the supply store to buy more materials.

Fast forward almost a decade, and here we are.

I am an adult, living (mostly) my own life, and rediscovering the things that have made me, well, me.

The irony is that my job is art, in some loose sense of the word.

I operate a photography studio and shoot commercial photography for automotive clients. I work with a local dealership and one of the foremost importers of enthusiast vehicles in my region. I have deep connections to other prominent names in industry, including motorsports and NASCAR, and engineering and design. I shoot for all of them, they value my inputs, and many of my long-term goals are aimed at improving automotive design and ergonomics in design for more human-centric interaction in an increasingly disconnected driving world.

Between the work I have done, the goals that I've encountered, and the people I've surrounded myself with in my personal and professional lives, it's given me the time and the space to focus on the things that matter to me.

Art has been a way of recapturing the love my younger self shared for creativity and free will/expression. After coming out years ago, it's also been a way to engage in the spaces and ideas that have long faced me without answer. Art has allowed me to be truer to who I am, who I was, and who I'd ultimately like to be. These commissions are a partial reflection of all of that, and everything it's taken to achieve that, and they're also the goals I've set as I rediscover my love for arts with the newfound freedoms to explore it.

So, it way too many words, these pieces are everything to me. I don't quite know how else to put this other than thank you. Thank you to everyone that shares a common appreciation for art, that has enjoyed seeing these pieces as much as I have, and that feels in some way (no matter how large or small) a connection or relation to the words I've said here.

And to the artists that have made these pieces and others for me; you may never quite know what they mean to me. These are all the ideas I could fit on a page while working, so I am a bit pressed for time, but your time and your creativity and your energy spent realizing what I could not - that means so much to me. It means more than I could every reasonably tell you or pay you or otherwise verbalize in some actionable way. So, seriously, thank you all so very much. From the bottom of my heart, I love and appreciate all you each done for me.

And I will leave it there for now. Thank you all for sticking around - I know this has been a very long read. I really do hope you love my OCs as much as I can. And hey, if you have a sec, if you've got a couple ideas, go make some OCs of your own. If it's within your realm of attainable, commish some of your favorite artists, or doodle out some of your doods - I promise it'll be some of the most fun you can have!

[thedivineflowers]

Had a funny thought but imagine RSA meeting middle school!reader, and seeing how absolutely feral they are.

But some see past that, and see just a child and immediately go to pick them up and hold them like a stuffed animal saying:

"Awww look at the little baby!!!"

❤ anon

HOLY SHIT YOURE SO SMART ❤️ NONNIE ONG

So.

Apparently selected students of RSA were allowed on a field trip to NRC.

And you being one of the most popular students at NRC Crowley said that you'd be giving the students a tour. You of course couldn't go against Crowleys word or else you wouldn't be eating for the week 😔.

You had to wait in the mirror chamber for the RSA students to come through and when they did you had introduced yourself. "My Name is Y/n, I will be giving you all a tour of the school, and after that I will lead you to where you all will be staying for the next three days." You said, trying to stay professional like Crowley said so he doesn't take your allowance.

Neige

Before you couldn't say anything else the student named Neige Leblanche had tilted your head up so he could take a look at you. "Aww! When I heard Vil talking about you he showed me a picture of you and you look even cuter in person!! You have to see this!" Neige squealed as he squished your cheeks and showed you to the dwarfs

That's how it was for the whole tour, even when you got into a small fight with a Savannaclaw group Neige squealed over you.

"Oh, look at how brave you are! I'm sure Vil is so proud of you! I seriously wish I met you sooner!" Neige said as he hugged your head. Dawg his hands were so soft and warm it took you everything in your being to not sob and cry in his arms right there.

And when you lead them to ypur dorm where they were staying Neige was CONCERNED FOR YOU.

"Oh, so you stay here by yourself?" Neige asked. "I stay here with a Cat named Grim, I'm sorry about how dirty the dorm is. Crowley left me on a short notice so I could only clean three rooms decently." You said calmly to Neige. "Really? I've taken care of a cottage by myself but not a whole dorm building! That must be so tiring for you to clean so much!" Neige said with a concerned face. "I'm used to it. Anyways I have to go make dinner for you and the others." He looked at you with a shocked face as you walked into the kitchen.

10/10 would recommend but he insisted that he go to have a conversation with Crowley with how he treated you. In the end you got him to stay and he gave you cookies. His dwarfs also are the bestest of friends with you and have given you flowers to press in a book that Neige gave you for the inconvenience.

Chen'ya

You and him immediately locked eyes and smirked. Y'all are the bestest of the silliest of people. Literally you can tell when he is with you that is how close y'all two are like fuck.

You were dubbed as Chen'ya's younger sibling with how you two will mess with people by the RSA students who went on the trip

And genuinely he like cares about you that he refuses to let you sleep on the couch while he slept in your room he had to roll you up in blankets and place you on the bed while he slept in the room you cleaned for him.

Even when you got into a fight with the Savannaclaw group he backed you up and scared the students away with you.

During the tour he gave you the most randomest things that he claimed to have found lying around. You ended the day with 1,000 more madol in your pocket.

If you're seen as feral on a normal Tuesday then wait for when Chen'ya appears. Riddle and Trey will be jump scared so much by the two of you you were so close to being burnt by fresh tea and getting hit with a whisk.

10/10 outta pocket fella and you two harassed Crowley into giving you more allowance. (MC has magic after their own overblot) He even taught you how to appear and scare people the way he does using your magic.

My Spotify was fucking up and I got annoyed but I genuinely liked writing this even if it seems to not have any energy to some people.

I would've added prince Rielle but I don't know anything about little man but if I find out more about him to be able to write him I will do it.

I might write when you met them for the first time maybe. 🧍‍♂️

Anyways here you go my ❤️ anon pookie ❤️❤️❤️❤️

[mymoodwriting]

Request for Anon (Yandere Vampire Felix) 3.8k, vampire, fangs, blood, bullying, physical assault, harassment, kidnapping, chains, yandere, possessive, smut, non-con, dub-con, fingering, groping, penetration, blood drinking, loss of virginity, cream pie (@starillusion13)

“Please welcome our new transfer student.”

You felt kind of bad for the new kid. Transferring schools was always difficult, but doing so your senior year seemed like the worst of it. At least it wasn’t in the middle of the year.

“Would you like to introduce yourself young man? And perhaps tell us something about yourself?”

The boy scoffed. “Lee Felix.”

“… okay then, please have a seat.”

You had to admit Felix was quiet good looking, but someone like that was way out of your league. To your surprise though he sat down right next to you. That was the weirdest choice considering you sat in the front, right in the middle nonetheless. There were plenty of other open seats around too, you knew that so it made this all the stranger. You peeked back just a bit, seeing the other students whispering and looking your way. You sat alone not entirely by choice. You didn’t really have friends, and as you knew many would rather avoid the front seats. You’re more likely to get picked on up there.

Felix was quiet throughout all the morning lessons, he wouldn’t even ask to see your books, but you shared anyway. When the bell rang the other students quickly shuffled out. You were always one of the last to leave, but Felix hadn’t moved at all. You told him it was lunch time, and asked if he knew where to go. He simply nodded and you left him to his own devices. You made it to the cafeteria and got your food, sitting down in your usual spot, all alone. You were eating peacefully when a tray was suddenly set down in front of you, and Felix sat down. Once again you were shocked, more so when he spoke to you.

“Why are you alone?”

“Huh?”

“In class and here, why do you sit alone?”

“Oh… uh… I’m the smart kid… and the teacher’s pet… no one wants to hang out with that kind of person… if you want to make friends I’d recommend you sit somewhere else.”

“I can be your friend.”

“… wa… what?”

“I don’t need to be part of the social groups here and have a lot of friends, just the one will do.”

“… why me…”

“You’re pretty.” Felix smiled. “And nice.”

You felt your face heating up, and you looked away. He asked if you were alright and you nodded. That’s how your friendship began. After that day Felix was more comfortable with you, speaking freely and revealing just how chatty he really was. You adored his smile, his face full of freckles, and how sweet he really was. Although now that he seemed more alive, he was getting attention from the rest of the class. So of course that meant girls and guys alike trying to strike up a conversation, but no one ever held his interest for long.

“Why are all those girls at our table?”

“Hm?”

You followed Felix’s gaze, seeing a bunch of your classmates sitting at your usual table. There was only one empty seat left, for Felix of course.

“You can go sit over there…”

“Why would I do that?” Felix chuckled, playfully nudging you. “Come on, another empty table over here.”

Unfortunately for you Felix wasn’t the only one getting attention. In the moments you’d find yourself alone some of your other classmates would confront you.

“Felix is way out of your league, you know that right?”

“I’m not trying to date him… we’re just friends…”

“Good. Speaking of, maybe you and I should be friends.”

“She doesn’t need other friends.” Felix came over to your side, wrapping an arm around your shoulder. “Get lost.”

“Why can’t we be friends? All of us together-”

“If you really wanted to be her friend you would have been one already.”

“It’s a new year. Our last one-”

“Let’s go, y/n.”

Felix pulled you along and you returned to the classroom. He didn’t comment more on that whole scene and just asked about the homework, wanting to go over his notes with you. It was nice to have such a friend, and knowing that he chose you over and over again. Although you got nervous around homecoming. You had never gone before, and even before meeting Felix you had been telling yourself to go. It was your last chance to experience a high school dance, and even if you went alone you could at least say you went. Of course now that you had Felix there was a certain idea floating around your head, but you weren’t sure he’d be up for it. Not to mention he was constantly bombarded by invitations, but he turned them all down.

“Y/n…”

“Hm? What’s up?”

“About this homecoming dance.”

“What about it?”

“Do you want to go?”

“Uh… I’ve never been to one before, but given it’s my senior year I figured I should go, so yeah, I’ll be going.”

“Cool, cool… do you… you wanna go with me?”

“Are you… are you asking me to homecoming?”

“Yes.”

“I…”

“You don’t have to!” Felix blurted out. “We can go as friends, but if you wanna do the whole matching outfits and all that stuff, like… I’m down.”

“Felix.”

“Yeah?”

“I would love to go to homecoming with you.”

“Good, yeah… we should go shopping together… figure out what color looks best on you…”

“I’d like that very much.”

It felt like such a dream that you actually got asked to homecoming. It did mean some nasty glances were thrown your way once word spread Felix was going to homecoming with you, but you didn’t care. You were too happy to let anyone kill your mood. After school one day the two of you went out to find the perfect dress and matching suit. You felt like such a princess as you tried on dresses and Felix told you that you looked good in everything. When the big day came you were so nervous, but Felix told you he’d take care of everything and that you just had to enjoy yourself. 

He wasn’t kidding about taking care of everything, as he came to pick you up in a limo, the two of you drinking non-alcoholic champagne and taking plenty of pictures together on a polaroid camera. Of course you drew attention upon arrival, but you were focused on Felix and the night ahead of you. He got you drinks and invited you out to dance, making this night unforgettable, but there was more to come. After a while of dancing Felix excused himself for a moment, and you used that time to go to the restroom to freshen up. You stared at yourself in the mirror for a while, admiring your beauty.

“Look who’s here.”

A group of girls had entered the restroom as well, looking you up and down. You ignored them and made your way to the door but some others blocked your way.

“Please step aside.”

“So you came with Felix, huh?”

“He asked me.”

“That must have made you so happy.”

“Of course. Now if you’ll excuse me.”

“It’s wrong for someone like him to be with you.”

“Whatever. Now move.”

“Bitch!”

You were shoved to the ground, and then you felt some liquid being poured onto you by some of the girls. When you got your bearings you realized they had spilled punch all over you, ruining your dress. Tears stung your eyes but you didn’t want to give them the satisfaction. You got up and pushed your way out of the restroom, running out of the gym and into the halls, needing a place to hide. The girls followed you though, telling you to pose for the picture and to stop running. You didn’t listen, although you wound up tripping over your dress and tumbling to the floor. You had cut the palm of your hand, holding it close to your chest as the other girls caught up to you.

“Come on, smile for the camera.”

“What the hell are you doing!”

Felix had stumbled upon the scene, glaring daggers at everyone around. The girls tried to explain themselves but he wasn’t having it, telling them all to leave. His voice was deep, and to a degree terrifying, so they all ran off. Once they were gone Felix focused his attention on you, taking in your distress form, then he realized you were bleeding. He gently grabbed your hand, looking at the blood.

“I’m fine… just a scra-”

Felix suddenly pulled your hand close and licked your wound, catching you off guard. You stared at him, not sure why he would do such a thing. Then he glanced up at you, lips stained red and you swear his eyes were glowing a matching crimson color.

“Felix…”

The boy opened his mouth, and you saw something like fangs before you felt a sting. Felix was on your wrist, holding your arm tight. Besides the prick you began to feel funny, a warm and pleasurable starting to spread across your body. A dopey smile began to appear on your face, your body relaxing as well. The edges of your vision were going black but you didn’t care, whatever this feeling was, you didn’t want it to end. Still, you were slipping into the darkness, feeling your head fall back and then there was nothing.

🖤

“Hm…”

As you began to regain consciousness you could feel this heaviness on your body. You were weak and could barely move, but you were alive. When you opened your eyes there was darkness with a little bit of light, and it took you a moment to adjust. You were in a small room, and as you tried to move you heard the sounds of metal. You looked down to see your hands cuffed together, the chains leading into the dark. Panic was starting to build, and when you heard a voice you yelled.

“I’m sorry…”

“… fa… Felix?”

“I didn’t mean for things to end up like this… but I can’t let my secret get exposed…”

You somehow managed the strength to sit up, finding a wall to lean against. While moving you winced, looking down at your wrist to see it was bandaged up. You carefully peeked under it, seeing two puncture wounds. The shadows around you moved and you noticed Felix sitting on the other side of the room, by a boarded up window. From what you could see he looked like his usual self, no glowing eyes this time, but given the evidence you had you figured you could make an educated guess.

“You’re a vampire.”

“… yeah…”

“That’s cool.”

“What?” Felix looked over at you. “You’re not scared or something?”

“Not really… I’ve known you for a while now… it explains why you didn’t join the social crowd… and why you’re friends with me… I’m shy and quiet…” You pulled your legs up, feeling a bit cold. “You know… I’ll keep your secret.”

“You will?”

“Not like I have other friends to tell… this is really just me learning something new about you… besides, it’ll be our secret… I like that…”

“You promise you won’t tell anyone?”

“I promise.”

From then on you grew closer, truly becoming best friends. You wanted to know more about Felix and the vampire world, and he was more than happy to tell you all about it. You felt so small hearing about what else was out there, and yet so full of wonder as to what was actually possible. Of course this also caused changes between you too. You knew Felix would never ask so one day you offered him your wrist.

“What are you doing?”

“You must be hungry… and I don’t want you to be going around hungry.”

“I bring blood bags with me.”

“Is that where you disappear too?”

“Yeah…”

“Well, if you ever want my blood, just ask.”

“Are you sure?”

“I don’t mind. I know you wouldn’t hurt me.”

Eventually Felix took you up on your offer, the two of you sneaking off during lunch so he could have a quick bite. It really brought some color to his skin, and you quite like the buzz it gave you. That’s how you were for the rest of the year, closer than anyone would ever know. When talks of college came up Felix suggested going to the same place, and you loved the idea. Come graduation you were both together to celebrate your achievements and the beginning of the next chapter of your lives. A journey you’d be taking on together.

🖤

University life was a whole other world. You didn’t have to fit in with a certain crowd and could just be yourself. That type of atmosphere, and having a friend like Felix by your side made you feel more relaxed. Of course you and Felix were studying different things, but you made sure to always share at least one class together. You’d hang out in between class, and after, so you maintained your close relationship. Although you couldn’t deny that Felix had been acting differently around you lately. It had been going on for a while, but now that you were actually at Uni it was a bigger deal.

“Where are you going?”

“To the library. I have a group study-”

“I’ll come with you.”

“We have this project going on, we shouldn’t have distractions.”

“Are you saying I’d distract you?”

“Of course. With that pretty face of yours we wouldn’t get any work done.”

Felix tsked. “Then I’ll wait for you, nearby.”

“Alright.”

Felix smiled and hooked your arm with his, the two of you walking together. He hung around outside your study room, waiting around like he said he would. As soon as the session was over Felix quickly pulled you away from the group, not even greeting anyone when they tried to talk to him.

“Felix-”

“I want a bite.”

“You’re lucky I’m done for the day.”

“Exactly.”

You went up to the rooftops, sneaking around security. The sun was setting and everything looked so beautiful. Before you could make a comment Felix snuck up from behind and sunk his fangs into your neck. You threw your head back, your mouth hanging open. By now you couldn’t deny how good it felt when he fed off you. He had told you it was the pheromones from his bite, which made sense. Although you had nothing to compare this feeling to. Felix took in a deep breath once he pulled away, holding you up in his arms. He gently sat you down by the entrance way, rummaging around his bag for some bandages and sugary treats.

“Felix…”

“Yes my pretty?”

“You… you wanna go… to a party…”

“What?”

“I got… invited…”

“When? By who?”

“My classmates… we should-”

“No.”

“Huh?”

“Why would we go to some party?”

“To have fun…”

“Y/n-”

“This isn’t high school anymore… I wanna come out of my shell…I-”

“I said no.”

“Why…”

“You don’t need to come out of your shell and socialize, you have me.”

“Felix-”

“I said no!”

Felix was on your neck again, and you could tell his bite went deeper this time. Despite the pleasurable feeling you had, you stayed alert, trying to get Felix off you. He was stronger than you, and by feeding off you again he was making you weak. You kept trying but he didn’t stop until your vision was mostly faded. He held your face in his hands, and you could vaguely make out his bloody face before everything went dark.

“You’re mine, only mine.”

🖤

You groaned as you regained consciousness. It took a bit to get your sight back, and when you did you were relieved to find yourself in your dorm room. You stayed at one of the co-ed dorms on campus, Felix as your roommate. You slowly sat up, grabbing your neck. Felix had never drank so much from you before, or bitten you so deeply. While you were waking up you heard some footsteps, and then Felix came into your room.

“You’re up.”

“Felix… can we talk…”

“About what?”

“You… I feel weird…”

“Sorry, I drank more than I should have… it’s just hard to resist your blood sometimes.”

“Huh?”

“The blood of a virgin has an extra sweet taste to it… but I have wanted to change that.”

“What does that mean?”

“I really can’t let anyone else have you…”

“Felix…”

He gently pet your head, a soft smile on his lips. You were still kinda out of it, and he was well aware. Next thing you knew he laid you back down and was crawling on top of you.

“Felix…”

“Sh, don’t tell me you’ve never thought about this, about us.”

“Us…”

“For over a year now it’s just been you and me, yet don’t you think we’re more.”

“…”

“Let’s make it official and be more.”

“Felix…”

He cut you off as he pressed his lips against yours. You had never kissed anyone before, and even though the situation was questionable you couldn’t help but kiss back. For a while now you had feelings for Felix, but you had no idea how to say them out loud. You feared rejection, after all, he treated you like a friend and you weren’t sure he felt the same. Now that you were here it seemed you were wrong about him. Although it didn’t change the circumstances.

“Felix…”

“Sh, I got you.”

Felix caressed your cheek for a moment before reaching over to pull off your shirt. You tried to cover yourself, feeling shy, but he pinned your arms above your head.

“I want to see everything.”

He pushed up your bra and exposed your breasts, taking them into his hands and massaging them gently. His touch felt nice against your skin. Even if he was cold to the touch you had to admit there was a warmth to his hands in the moment. After a while his hands trailed down your body, getting you out of your pants as he took one of your breasts into his mouth. You were partially afraid he’d bite you, but it was all lip and tongue action. Soon enough he tugged down your pants, his fingers running along your panties. You tried to move away but he put a hand on your chest, keeping you still.

“Don’t be afraid. This is going to feel amazing.”

“Wait… wait a second…”

“I’ve waited long enough, haven’t you?”

“Felix…”

He certainly wasn’t listening to you, caught up in his own world. He teased you for a while before moving your panties aside. His cold fingers against your sensitive folds made you shiver. These were all new sensations to you. Even in the shower you had been too scared to reach down and touch yourself, yet you had total trust in Felix right now. He only gave you a moment before he pushed a finger inside you. It was such a strange intrusion, but a second later it no longer felt weird, but nice.

Felix had been watching your face intently, making sure he wasn’t hurting you. Satisfied with your reaction he added a second finger, then a third, wanting to prep you well. He was already aching to feel your insides, having been dreaming of this moment for so long. Once he felt you were ready he undressed himself, pushing your legs apart. You looked over at Felix, noticing the red glow in his eyes. That rarely happened but it was such a sight to see. He crawled up towards you, making you feel like prey. You only caught a glimpse of his fangs before they were buried in your neck.

The tingling sensation of his bite shot throughout your whole body, and then it all changed. You felt something poking you between your legs, then you felt it stretching you open. You cried out, arms wrapping around Felix to hold onto. It was like being torn apart, but in a good way. You were experiencing something completely new, and it felt incredible. Once Felix had gotten every inch inside he began to move, rocking you back and forth. You felt your eyes roll to the back of your head, mouth hanging open in silent cries. Felix didn’t let up on the bite either, two pleasurable feelings mixing together to create something new.

It was all new for Felix too. Moreso as he did all this while drinking from you. The initial bite flooded his mouth with a sweet familiar taste, and then it began to taste. It became sweet in a different way, similar to how wine gets better with age. His bite went deeper as he wanted more, but hearing your cries pulled him back to reality. He could only drink so much, especially in this situation before causing you to pass out, and he wanted you conscious for this. So he shifted his focus to his movements, wanting to feel every bit of you, and watch you experience a joy only he could give you.

“Felix… fuck… fuck…”

“You’re doing so good, baby.”

“Hm… good…”

Felix wasn’t sure he ever had control once you were naked before him. He wasn’t rough, but his movements were still rough and consistent. That is until you reached your climax. You cried out Felix’s name, bunching up the bed sheet in your hands. Felix had to stop for a moment, taking in how you squeeze him so nicely, not wanting to let go. Yet he had to keep going to reach his own high and take advantage of your sensitive state. Soon enough you felt something warm between your legs, a ditzy smile on your lips. You could barely keep your eyes opened but you managed to cup Felix’s cheek. He grabbed your hand, placing a gentle kiss on it.

“You okay?”

“Hm… you…”

“That was incredible.”

“… yeah…”

“You did great.” Felix kissed your head. “You can rest now.”

“Hm… don’t… don’t go…”

“I won’t, I’m right here. I’ll always be here to take care of you.”

🖤

It was always Felix that did things to change your relationship, and this wasn’t any different. You partially regained consciousness a while later, waking up in the bathtub with Felix. You were cuddled up in his arms, resting in the warm water.

“Felix…”

“Hm, you awake?”

“A lil…”

“Sh, it’s okay, you can go back to sleep.”

“This is nice.”

“Only the best for you, you’re mine after.”

“Yeah…”

“Always.”

“We should… do it again…”

“Yeah? You want to?”

“Hm… and the bite…”

“Ah, if you want to do that you’re gonna have to wait. I took more than I should have today.”

“It’s okay… was… good…”

“I’m happy to hear. Now you’re fully mine, no one else can have you.” Felix kissed your cheek. “Promise?”

“I promise…”

[mephinomaly]

[TL] Backdoor - an Original Scenario written by Akira

Backdoor is a short original story written by Akira-sensei to accompany the release of the Crossroad animated series. I recommend watching it before reading this, especially if you haven't read the original Crossroads.

Please enjoy my translation below!

—

Backdoor

I break in from the backdoor. I feel like a super cool outlaw from one of those movies. Avoid the countless traps, blindly shoot the enemies like bang bang bang! Feast your eyes, idiots of the world!

I am the great Oogami Koga…!

"..."

By the back door is a guy with blond hair who’s sorting the trash out, probably works here part time. Since I came in and started acting like a weird middle schooler, he looks at me, surprised.

“Hey, you–” Part-time-kun (tentative name) puts his hand out with a totally bored expression. “One thousand yen. It’s the entrance fee.”

“Oh, yeah. Sorry.”

“Next time come in from the proper entrance, ‘kay?” Part-time-kun (tentative name) doesn’t lecture me any further and exchanges my 1000 yen bill for a sleek plastic card.  If I show this at the bar, I can get a drink and stuff. I thank him. “Enjoy your night～♪”

Part-time-kun (tentative name) is side-eyeing me, and at this point in time I’m so embarrassed all I want to do is go home but I pull myself together and head inside. 

I’m in a cheap underground livehouse in the downtown area, near Yumenosaki Private Academy, the school I’m going to attend. 

My sanctuary is here.

My god is here.

***

The livehouse I've been hanging around in lately is built a little weird. The entrance to the stairs is in a back alley. At the bottom of the stairs, there’s two corridors, one leading left, the other right. There’s a lot of soundproof doors, standing one after another. The majority of these small rooms are booths, meant to be hired out by amateur bands to practise in. If you look through the window of one, it’s normally empty since nobody really uses them.

Well, these days people don’t practise by actually picking up an instrument, playin’ until their fingers hurt.  I’ve been doin’ that too lately, sittin’ at home ‘n staring blankly at my computer screen. I dunno. 

At the end of the empty corridor, there’s the employees only room, the kitchen, and the back entrance which I found by accident when I was trespassing. 

I’ve been short on cash lately because I’ve been buyin’ like, introductory books to playin’ the guitar ‘n stuff so I’ve been sneakin’ in that way ‘cos then I don’t hafta pay the entrance fee. No-one’s ever around anyway. 

“I won’t be able to come in that way next time,” I complain as I walk down the corridor in low spirits, stopping when I find the soundproof room I’m looking for. 

The biggest, most extravagant door is in the middle of the corridor. At the back, at the heart of this place— is the livehouse, or I guess you could call it a music hall. 

“♪～♪～♪”

I open the weighted door and my entire body is blasted by music. 

This is it. This electrifying feeling.  

At the back of this relatively wide space is a really nice stage, and that’s where bands that have signed up to perform do so. The entrance fee also covers one drink, but you can order more food and drink and enjoy the show at the same time. It’s your average livehouse. I dunno though. I’m underaged, so I stick to a non-alcoholic tomato juice whilst enjoying the show.

Since this place is close to Yumenosaki, a lot of the customers are scruffy-looking students. I never thought young me would come to a place like this. I’m just in ordinary clothes. This place pays attention to its customer base, so there's not a drop of alcohol or a single cloud of cigarette smoke to be seen. Only super cool music is playing. It’s echoing. 

“～...♪”

My God is in the middle of the stage, singing enthusiastically. The lyrics are in English, and I understand almost none of them. The lyrics are probably about wishing for world peace, or religious sacrilege; something complicated but meaningful. When I asked what he was singing about later, he said something like “I’m so happy because my cute little brother has recovered from his cold!”

Is he stupid? Or am I the stupid one for being so entranced by him?

But. I didn’t know that sort of thing back then, so I was genuinely moved by him.

Illuminated by the dim stage lighting, his pale corpse-like skin stood out in the shadows— him.

Crimson eyes like hellfire. 

Black hair that melts into the darkness.

From between his seductive lips that are sexier than any girls’, comes a masculine, deep voice. 

He looked simultaneously like an angel that could rescue the world and a devil that could destroy it too. Whether angel or devil, his singing voice was powerful enough to completely change the very fabric of this world.

“～...♪”

The name of the person I respect the most in this world is Sakuma Rei. 

My God.

***

I was born and raised in an unremarkable environment. 

We’re middle class. My dad’s an office worker and he earns a pretty decent wage, and my mum’s a housewife, which is rare nowadays. 

They bought a nice detached house in a nice place. Both of my parents like kids and like taking care of others, so I grew up pretty pampered. I’m aware that since I was spoiled, I grew up to be a selfish, cocky brat. I was given whatever I wanted. I didn’t know what I really wanted though since it would be handed to me before I could even think about it. When I got to an age where I didn’t need to be looked after, my parents got a dog to satisfy their overflowing need to help others (?). His name’s Leon. He’s the best dog ever. 

I fussed over him too, but not in the way my parents did. Everyday, they’d treat him like he was a baby, doting on him, probably the same way they treated me. It made me sulk a bit. 

I could tell that my parents’ interest had shifted from me to Leon. Leon isn’t bad. He was bought to be loved. He’s a pedigree, he was born for this, to be doted on. He’s a really good boy and whenever I felt sad he’d snuggle up close to me and put his face next to mine. So I wouldn’t be lonely. So I knew I wasn’t alone. 

But I felt that the amount of love I had received up until this point was steadily decreasing, and it made me anxious. 

—Alas! Miserable, spoiled Oogami Koga-kun!

But I wasn’t shameless enough of a person to say “pay attention to me instead of the dog!” Leon deserved to be loved as much as I did— I wandered around town, searching for someone other than my parents who could love me.

I was starved, yearning. I looked like a stray dog scavenging around for something to fill me up. My parents aren’t bad. Neither is Leon. I’m probably not bad either. 

I’ve already finished compulsory education. I had reached the age where I could fend for myself. So I should have. I’m sure other people are doing that. We leave the watchful eye of our parents, tackle teenagehood, and find out who we are. Find what we want to do with our lives. After countless trial and error, I found what I was looking for— Sakuma Rei. His music satisfied what my soul had been craving. 

***

The performance ends, and Sakuma Rei disappears behind the stage. 

I’ve never been on stage before, so I don’t know what it looks like back there. There’s probably a passageway that leads to a green room or something. The livehouse is weirdly dark and it’s hard to see much of anything, so it really looks like Sakuma Rei vanished like a ghost. 

The person who fills the gap in my heart, vanishes. 

So I grow anxious again and begin blindly searching for him everywhere. I make my way through the livehouse, pushing through the swathes of people who came here to see Sakuma Rei.

—Sakuma Rei, Sakuma Rei, Sakuma Rei.

My soul wants him. 

Of course, I’m not part of his family. We’re not even acquaintances, let alone friends. He’s probably never even heard of me. But I didn’t mind either way. I found him, met him, fell in love with him, and had my yearning quenched. That alone made me thankful. Sakuma Rei, without a doubt, saved me. That’s all I wanted. I was just a sheep, one of hundreds who came here. To me, he was the night sky, something I thought I could never reach. I didn’t mind just watching from afar. That’s how I really feel. If I never got to see him closeup, I’d be fine with that.

And yet. 

“What you’re drinking looks good.”

Suddenly, the tomato juice I’d ordered, which I didn’t end up liking because it was weirdly sweet, is taken from my hand by someone next to me. 

—The hell, bastard? That’s mine. When I go to look up at whoever grabbed my drink with a belligerent expression, I realise it’s Sakuma Rei. 

“If you’re not drinking it, I’ll have it. Singing’s got me workin' up a sweat.”

Naturally, my body stiffens.

That’s Sakuma Rei.

If I reach out my hand, I could touch him.

I’m so surprised by what I originally thought was something that could never happen, I have nothing clever to say and instead, like an idiot, I freeze with my mouth ajar. 

“What’s up? Oh, you’re at that age where you think indirect kisses are embarrassing, right…?” Sakuma Rei says with a somewhat apologetic expression. Then he says something absurd.

“Oopsies, sorry～…Don’t worry, I take full responsibility for stealing your first time. Mhm.”

That was the first conversation we had, and it’s not exactly something I can brag about to anyone. 

Ever since then, ever since that moment, I’ve been at the mercy of this arrogant person.

***

I step through the backdoor.

The unmotivated-looking blond employee is slacking off on his phone again today– he’s a playboy called Hakaze and is actually the manager of this place. He’s also supposedly one of my senpai from Yumenosaki. He glances up from his phone at me with a gross expression.

“Look look. I just got another girl's number. I’m typing out my first message now.”

“Shut up, I don’t know you. Don’t talk to me, playboy.”

About two years have passed since I had my first conversation with Sakuma Rei, Sakuma Rei-senpai, a conversation I’d rather not remember. 

I’ve got a bit taller and a bit stronger. 

I practised intensely so my guitar and singing skills have somewhat improved. 

Whilst I was growing, Yumenosaki had gone to the dogs.

Yumenosaki Private Academy’s an idol school steeped in a rich history and tradition. But inside, it was rotting. 

I wanted to be like Sakuma-senpai, so I followed him without thinking and took Yumenosaki’s entrance exam like an idiot. I was blinded. I didn’t know anything. Every Yumenosaki student is shit. Naturally, I noticed that since I frequented the livehouse in order to see Sakuma-senpai. 

A rotted miniature garden where those with dead eyes spend their sad youth reeking of corpses. Sakuma-senpai was weirdly energetic despite the backdrop of death, so I got it wrong. No. I think I was just an immature, stupid brat, so I didn’t notice. 

Sakuma-senpai had those same dead eyes. 

In the mountain of dead bodies, he was clinging onto life. He was the only one who didn’t want to die, he was the only one praying for something to happen.

No-one could save him. 

A bespectacled monk boy from a temple came along and evoked anger in him, trying to make him into a human— into something more than human.  The stupid, lost dog just wagged his tail and followed the hand that fed him. 

We didn’t realise that the person that was always grinning like a fool, and living what appeared to be a happy life, was actually suffering more than anyone. He desperately needed help. You can see why we didn’t notice; he looked like he was having fun.

When he stood on stage with me and Shitty Glasses as Deadmanz, he lived each day like it was his last. He looked genuinely happy—he looked like he was alive. But that was only a short-lived dream. Once he steps off stage, the spell breaks, and he turns back into a corpse.

A revolution takes place at the rotted Yumenosaki.

Sakuma-senpai was seen as a cause of evil and exterminated by those who claimed to be on the side of justice. The evil monsters had been defeated, and everyone lived happily ever after. It’s creepy when a corpse moves. Yeah, nothing will change if you don’t exterminate all the gross monsters, right?

—Fuck you, you bastards!

***

“Wan-chan, will you be singing today too?” The bored-looking playboy asks, on his phone as usual. Guess he doesn’t really want to talk to me. “You should stop because you’re dampening the mood. People think you're one of Sakuma-san’s henchmen, so people think you’re evil too and will persecute you like he was.”

“I don’t care. I… I’m.” I growl, the shallow first person pronoun Sakuma-senpai sometimes used slips from my mouth [1]. I cling onto what I’ve got left of him. “I just wanna sing with all my energy. I don’t care what the rest of you do.”

“But you’re creating problems for the livehouse. A customer pokes fun at you or Sakuma-san, you get angry, and you start a fight—I really don’t want things like that happening.”

“I won't create any problems, I’ll be on my best behaviour.”

“Will you really? But you’re like the rest of the customers— You always look like you’re going to start arguing with other Yumenosaki students. You come in from the back entrance like, everytime, to avoid any trouble, right?”

“I still pay the entrance fee.”

“Why do you go out of your way to perform here even though you’ve got to jump over so many dangerous obstacles to get here? It’s super bothersome.” Playboy's grumbling as usual. He pulls out a key and throws it to me. “Here. I’ll give you a key to a room so you can change clothes and get ready. If you swear to not cause any more trouble, you can become our new breadwinner, Wan-chan. I actually want to cheer you on,” the playboy said and laughed insincerely. 

I hate his demeanour, so I snap back. 

“Don’t call me ‘Wan-chan’.”

“Sakuma-san calls you ‘Wanko’. I call you ‘Wan’ as in, ‘number one’. Honest, honest to god.” [2] Playboy’s face goes serious for a split second and he waved his hands around like he was trying to hide his embarrassment. “You can be my number one breadwinner, like Sakuma-san.”

“Don’t hafta tell me twice.”

Just like Sakuma-senpai, I’ll become the best guy in the world. My voice alone will excite the crowd. A flirtatious glance will have women swooning. With a single look, even the strongest of men will bow down to me. In an instant, their souls are gripped, I captivate everyone. I’ll become like Sakuma Rei too. But the journey is a long one. “Let’s go. I’m singin’ tonight.”

I reach my booth, key in hand, and change into my costume. I take out my guitar, who’s as important to me as my parents and Leon are. Once I’m ready, I head to the stage. To tackle this head on.

“Shake, you fools! Imma show you what real music is!”

I sing. My guitar does too.

Just like Sakuma-senpai did.

Right now I’m blindly copying him, but I pray that one day, I’ll be able to be just like him.

I hope this song reaches him, wherever he is. 

***

Once, I was starving, yearning. But when I found Sakuma Rei and his music, my soul was satisfied. 

—Now it’s my turn. 

“Rock ‘n’ roll…!”

Come on, idiots of the world. I’ll open your eyes with my music. I’ll become your God. 

~~~~

Translation notes:

[1]  in the line above this one Koga says ‘俺...俺様は’ or ‘ore…ore sama wa’. Oresama being the first person pronoun rei sometimes used, and its very egotistical.

[2] number one is pronounced as, in this case, ‘nanbaa wan’

[rebeccathenaturalist]

I volunteer in a school library (for elementary, middle, and high school students) and we've got one shelf of plant books, and seven shelves of animal books. Can you (and your followers) recommend some kid-friendly books about plants? Maybe some organizations willing to donate some to a public school?

@sovereignsolace I don't work with kids much so I don't have a lot of suggestions personally. However, I was delighted to see this recently:

While there are certainly kids who will happily read the original book (which is excellent for so many reasons!), this will make it accessible to those who might find the original too long or who like the sorts of informational sidebars and other asides that make this version more adapted for primary/secondary classroom discussion.

I also found this list of botany-related books for kids on Goodreads.

Anyone else want to chime in with other suggested titles? Or know of a source for a library to get titles donated to them?

[pawnshopbleus]

These Are the Days Eight - Melted Away

Abby Anderson x Fem!Reader High School AU

For the summary, warnings, and more, please visit here.

Previous Chapter.

Another day of history class meant only one thing, more busy work. The entire class was silent. The only thing you could hear was the scratching of pencil on paper and the occasional cough from a student who definitely shouldn’t have come to school today. 

Class goes by faster than usual and the bell rings. Students gather their things, and you're leaving with them for the first time in a while.

Mr. Miller stops you at the door. “I was hoping I could speak to you for a moment.” 

You nod, bidding Abby farewell, and lean against the door frame. 

“The school board is having a meeting next Tuesday. They tasked me with finding the perfect student that could provide them with some ways to help make the school better and I pointed them in your direction.” 

You? You’ve been in Washington for less than a year and at Lakeview for less than five months. Although you’ve gotten accustomed to the school, you don’t know everything about it. 

“Mr. Miller, I appreciate the thought but I barely know this school. How would I be able to tell the school board what they should fix?” “That’s why I thought you would be perfect for this. You’ll be able to give them fresh ideas. Not to mention some of the people on the school board are also admissions counselors at The University of Washington. Having a letter of recommendation from them could get your foot in the door.” 

You press your lips together. Before moving to Washington, USC was your dream school. It was right in the middle of Los Angeles, just a thirty-minute drive from your old house and right in the middle of the city. It was where your parents went to school. You felt like you’d somehow get closer to them if you went to their alma mater but as you explored Seattle with Ellie, Dina, Jesse, and Abby, you fell in love. It was a beautiful metropolitan oasis that you would surely thrive in. You mentioned wanting to go to The University of Washington to Mr. Miller in passing but you never expected him to remember that. 

You gulp. “I’ll do it.”

Mr. Miller nods. “Good, I’ll let them know that you’ll do it. You should invite your parents. I noticed that they weren’t at back-to-school night.”

“They work a lot so I don’t think they’ll be able to make it.”  

“Well, that too bad,” Mr. Miller returns to his desk, letting you make your exit. You set off for the library where Dina, Jesse, Ellie, and Abby are all waiting for you. 

You sit in between Abby and Jesse, take out your math book, and start studying. You occasionally ask Abby for help but the rest of the group stays silent. It’s unusual for Dina, Ellie, and Jesse to be this quiet. Usually, Dina and Jesse would be bickering about something small or Ellie would be gushing over how good Dina smelled, but today, they all sat with their head down, focused on their schoolwork.

As if he could sense everyone’s discomfort, Owen saunters into the library with a smug smile dancing across his face. You have to restrain yourself from plugging your nose as he pulls up a chair next to Abby. 

Owens's hands paint their way toward the back of Abby’s neck and pulls her in close. He kisses her in a way that you know doesn’t feel good but despite that, Abby sinks into the kiss, her hands finding their way towards Owen’s letterman jacket. 

Your mouth drops and you look at the other’s for confirmation that this is happening. Owen and Abby are kissing. They’re kissing as if the past week didn’t happen. Abby’s kissing Owen as if you didn’t see her after they had their argument in his car. Owen is kissing Abby as if he didn’t get another girl pregnant. Abby is kissing Owen as if you didn’t comfort her and provide her direction when she needed it most. And all you can do is sit there and stare at them. 

The one time you want the librarian to come up to your table, she’s not here. 

They break apart after what seems like forever and Abby clears her throat and gathers her things. 

Owen throws his arm around Abby’s shoulder and pulls her in close. He leans down and kisses her on the forehead, looking you in the eyes as he does so. Owen ushers Abby out of the library, leaving the four of you behind. 

“What the fuck was that?” Jesse’s the first one to say anything. The librarian shushes him and you roll your eyes. 

“I thought that him getting another girl pregnant would finally end it for them but I think she’s in deep,” Dina sighs as she leans her head on Ellie’s shoulder. 

All you can do is stare out into the window. You thought that you were going to get Abby back but as you stared into the eyes of the devil, you knew that she was gone. The version of Abby that you knew had melted away like snow does at the beginning of spring. 

You grab your bag and leave the library. Ellie, Dina, and Jesse watch as you solemnly leave the library. They give each other a knowing look and then return to their schoolwork.

Next Chapter.

Taglist: @colbyweirdo, @rew1nds

Thank you for reading!

[violetelderberry]

Sims 4: Wonderful Faults Legacy Challenge

General Rules and Requirements:

- There are no pack or mod requirements for this challenge, but you are welcome to use mods to make the gameplay more realistic. - Minimal money cheats allowed; you can use cheats to pay for your first starter home, but otherwise they should be avoided. - Set lifespan to normal; I usually play most of my games on long lifespan, but it could get excessive with the number of generations, so the normal lifespan is a recommendation more than anything. - And lastly, follow all generation requirements, but otherwise decide your own stories or paths for the character for things left unspecified. This challenge was designed to give inspiration while also giving the player certain creative freedoms aside from the main storyline. Have fun with it!

Generation One: The Lonely Author

Your sim has always been a lonely person who was dedicated to their work; they aren't in contact with their parents, and they overwork themselves from the lack of financial help. They struggle to pay for everything on their own, and when they eventually meet their soulmate, they are skeptical to actually engage with them because of their previously lonely life.

Generation Requirements:

- Must start off generation as an independently living teenager - Must have the creative and gloomy traits - Must write at least ten books in your lifespan - Must complete either a romantic or a creative aspiration in young adulthood - Must meet your soulmate but not immediately enter a relationship with them. Must be friends for an extended period of time first. - Must have at least two kids

Generation Two: The Sickly BusinessSim

Your parents tried their hardest at raising you, but they were extremely strict and had a few faults in their relationship, causing you to be an anxious child. You had a few creative talents of your own but decided that you didn't want to pursue a creative career after learning of your parents' struggle, and you eventually settled on going into business.

Generation Requirements:

- Must have the clumsy and erratic traits - Must max the business career - Must max guitar, logic, and charisma skills - Must adopt at least one child - Must have at least two failed relationships and never get married

Generation Three: The Exaggerative Lover

You were never really taught much about non-familial relationships in your childhood, so as you got older, you decided to surround yourself with people. You would frequently go out to parties and always make time with your friends, even if there was something that should've prevented you from doing so. You also continued this behavior into your romantic relationships, longing for connection with other people to the point where it got in the way of other aspects of your life.

Generation Requirements:

- Must have the romantic and outgoing traits - Must never decline a social gathering or phone call - Must get fired from at least one job due to skipping work to hang out with friends - Must max the charisma skill - Must have at least five long-term friends - Must never go more than a week without a partner after getting their first romantic partner

Generation Four: The Athletic Scholar

You always felt content within the social scene because your parents' openness, and because of this, you had a lot of friends to play basketball with when you were younger. You found a passion for fitness at a young age and never let your academics slip. You balanced your social, academic, and work life very gracefully, but as you really settled into the life of business, you couldn't help but feel like you wanted something more personal and passionate for your career as well.

Generation Requirements:

- Must have the active and genius traits - Must be an A student in middle and high school - Must get to level three of the business career before switching over into the athletic career - Must at least get to level five of the athletic career - Must max the fitness skill - Must get married as a young adult and never divorce - Must have a group of life-long friends

Generation Five: The Shy Chef

Your parents' openness and excitement always made you a little bit nervous, but you were thankful for the way they would always help you grow. You started cooking at a young age to find a positive outlet for your emotions, and you absolutely fell in love with it, deciding upon graduation that you wanted to turn your love for culinary skill into a full-blown career, your parents still supporting you every step of the way.

Generation Requirements:

- Must live with your parents until you decide which branch of the culinary career you want to pursue - Must have the loner trait - Must max the culinary career - Must max cooking and mixology skills - Must complete the Master Chef aspiration - Must not have any non-romantic close friends - Must not become interested in flirting until young adulthood

Generation Six: The Snobby Agent

You were always a fan of mischief as a child, pranking and tricking people at every chance you got. Your parents were never very strict, causing you to go unpunished for your behavior. As a young adult, you decided to go into the secret agent career field, the aspect of not being able to tell anyone giving you a thrill, but you weren't aware of the less enthusiastic secrets that would be brought on because of your life path.

Generation Requirements:

- Must have the mean and snob traits - Must max the secret agent career - Must max mischief, logic, and athletic skills - Must have at least five enemies and one best friend - Must have a child with a married sim - Must have a negative relationship with at least one family member

Generation Seven: The Gloomy Comedian

You went non-contact with both of your parents as soon as you entered young adulthood, causing you to be pretty financially unstable early on in your life. You were a very unhappy person during your younger years, so you decided to enter the entertainer career to make other people, and hopefully yourself, smile.

Generation Requirements:

- Must have the gloomy and goofball traits - Must enter the comedian branch of the entertainer career - Must max the charisma and comedy skills - Must live with a roommate for your entire young adult life - Must not speak to parents (after young adulthood) until you are an adult with your own children - Must marry your best friend and complete the soulmate aspiration

Generation Eight: The Gluttonous Painter

You always allowed yourself to over-enjoy life's pleasantries. You started off life in a very poor position, but your parents earning more money as you grew older caused you to indulge more in the things that you once had an absence of. You are completely content with your life and the cheerfulness that it allows you, but sometimes your indulgence allows other sims to grow frustrated with you.

Generation Requirements:

- Must have the glutton, cheerful, and art lover traits - Must reach at least level seven of the painter career - Must have a failed relationship because of the constant need for more - Must take frequent trips to the bar after or before work - Must max the comedy and painting skills and get to level five of three more skills of your choice - Must get married to a sim in the culinary career - Must have the max number of sims in a household by the end of the generation (via children and/or animals)

Generation Nine: The Bored House-Spouse

You were raised to believe that you always deserved everything that you wanted, but as you got older, you realized that you never really knew what you wanted in the first place. Your parents were both very creative, career-oriented people who had so much going on in their lives, but you ended up being a stay-at-home parent with a rich spouse. Although you were thankful that you didn't have to do much, you found yourself not wanting to do anything around the house at all, finding much more entertainment with sneaking out while your spouse was at work and going to hang out with people you knew you shouldn't be around.

Generation Requirements:

- Must have the lazy and kleptomaniac traits - Must marry a rich sim (can use cheats to give spouse a good career and house) with the jealous trait - Must have a low (but not negative) relationship with all children - Must befriend a sim in the criminal career - Must never have an official job - Must have a temporarily negative relationship with spouse once they realize that you're never home - Must make up with spouse only after arguing brings your platonic bar into the red

Generation Ten: The Loyal Gamer

You never had a close relationship with your parents. One was always at work, and the other was always running off somewhere else instead of interacting with you, but you know what you did have? A computer. You got into gaming at a really early age, and it wasn't long before you got into programming as well and realized that you could make some money off of it. However, you had another revelation later on in life after you fell in love for the first time: you didn't only want to be motivated by money and excitement like your parents, you wanted to be a good parent and partner while still maintaining your financial and career life.

Generation Requirements:

- Must have the geek, materialistic, and family-oriented traits - Must complete a parenting aspiration - Must only be with one sim for your entire life - Must hack for money as a teenager at least twice - Must max the gaming and programming skills and get the cooking skill to at least level four - Must not have a high relationship with either parent - Must be good friends with all children and pets (if you have that expansion) - Must have both biological and adoptive children - Must either join the eSports section of the Tech Guru career, or the streamer career if you have the High School Years expansion pack - All children must be at least B students in middle or high school by the end of the generation and have their own unique trait combinations and personalities

[richincolor]

The Hysterical Girls of St. Bernadette's by Hanna Alkaf Salaam Reads/ Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers

Publisher Summary: An all-girls school is struck with mysterious cases of screaming hysteria in this chilling dark academia thriller haunted by a deeply buried history clawing to the light.

For over a hundred years, girls have fought to attend St. Bernadette’s, with its reputation for shaping only the best and brightest young women.

Unfortunately, there is also the screaming.

When a student begins to scream in the middle of class, a chain reaction starts that impacts the entire school. By the end of the day, seventeen girls are affected—along with St. Bernadette’s stellar reputation.

Khadijah’s got her own scars to tend to, and watching her friends succumb to hysteria only rips apart wounds she’d rather keep closed. But when her sister falls to the screams, Khad knows she’s the only one who can save her. Rachel has always been far too occupied trying to reconcile her overbearing mother’s expectations with her own secret ambitions to pay attention to school antics. But just as Rachel finds her voice, it turns into screams.

Together, the two girls find themselves digging deeper into the school’s dark history, hunting for the truth. Little do they know that a specter lurks in the darkness, watching, waiting, and hungry for its next victim…

Note from author -- "It includes discussions and descriptions of sexual assault, trauma and PTSD. If this is too much for you right now, please set this book down and come back to it when you can. There is no shame in protecting your scars." 

My Thoughts: Even before beginning, my worries went down a bit after reading the note from the author. I am not a person who reads horror as a general rule, but for some reason knowing what was coming, helped prepare me and also let me know that the author had thought ahead to care for the readers. This made me more willing to dive in even though scary books are not what I usually grab first. 

There are definitely creepy and rather horrifying moments within the pages of this book, but it was also incredibly intriguing. It has Salem witch trial vibes with what seems like random hysteria and it's not something easily explained. When there is so much that is unknowable, there is a lot of room for imaginations to run rampant. 

The author shares the story through two perspectives and that choice helps readers see everything unfolding from very different contexts. And there are many layers to what is happening so it is good to have more than one way to pick up the clues that are scattered here and there. 

Like the characters, readers are likely to wonder if this is all created or manifested due to humans and their own issues or whether there may be some monsters lurking about. The answer is a complex one that I will obviously not reveal, but the many moments of wondering kept me flipping the pages rapidly. 

Beyond the actual screaming, there are questions or ponderings about how girls are perceived, how they are meant to act, who listens to them and when and how they use their voices. There's a lot going on beyond the ghost/monster portion of the story though there is plenty of that for those readers who love that aspect.

My Recommendation: Get it as soon as possible. Do not skip it unless it would be too much right now. This would be a great Halloween read, but could work anytime really. It's a unique story that raises many questions and for me the ending was particularly satisfying. This was one of my favorite books of the year.

Pages: 352 Review copy: ARC via publisher & library copy Availability: On shelves now

Extra: Brief talk on mass hysteria - Hanna Alkaf on TikTok

[springzy]

hello again darlings !! sage (s/h) here to introduce the lovely han jieun aka julie. julie was created to fulfill my true crime cravings, so i apologize in advance for any crazy themes you may or may not come across. she's quite the girl for someone her age anyways. with a high iq and the luxury of a golden spoon, she's everything you'd expect—pastel pinks, diamond jewelry, short skirts, straight hair; yet a blunt attitude underneath all the glitter that puts herself in the wrong situations. especially since she works as an administrative assistant in the town hall. so, i'm sure you'll be seeing plenty of her pretty face if you enjoy it or not.

♡ 정보 𓂃 ⋆ profile & memories & connections.

like this for a dm or reply to this for a starter.

— the tl;dr

han jieun / julie • march 13th, 1999 • second born by han junseo, hanul ai founder & bae saran • top of class oxford graduate • ex-nis agent intern and author, current administrative assistant • floor 9, unit 3 • pisces, rabbit, intj-a, true neutral(?)

tw: abuse (mental and physical), cheating, murder, death, underaged victims, and mentions of serial cases.

— the story

unfortunately given birth in a family that expected the most. she was intelligent, sure, but the good grades and awards wasn't enough to please her father. everything revolved around her older brother, han jiwoo, who was set to run the company.

presented herself as a typical rich girl, most likely for attention than anything else. from high heels, perfect makeup, attractive looks, expensive brands, and a no-can-do attitude—at least her classmates could give her the attention (and drama) she craved.

took up tennis in middle school via her mother. probably one of the only things she actually grew attached to.

but then in high school, her best friend who also practiced tennis, was killed at a competition in the locker rooms. julie saw the whole thing and who did it, but she didn't have the courage to stop it from happening. the culprit got away. in the end, she developed a strong fear against blood and a slight ptsd from witnessing that at her age.

luckily she found her calling through that event. she got shipped off to oxford then decided to study law and psychology. her goal was to work on understanding the human mind and why they do what they do (yes.. this is basically criminal minds lol).

met her best friends there, went to a lot of parties, gained honor's through oxford, was an overall well rounded student. this was the time of her life she felt most like herself.

oh yeah, did i mention she got engaged?

after returning to korea she managed to score an internship with the nis via recommendations and her high iq score. here she worked on a lot of serial or extreme cases with her team. she even anonymously wrote a book called "under oath" about some of the cases.

but then got murdered by the lover of one of the brutal killers she wrote about. it happened in an alleyway with a hammer. how fun, am i right?

— the sequel

arriving in ansong she doesn't remember much of how it started. the first thing she can really put together is: standing in front of the apartment's desk that already had her unit prepared for her.

by a month later and she's managed to capture a job at the town hall. she just felt most inclined to work for the city. an easy office job where she simply works with files and paperwork all day.

eventually she put the pieces together that she used to attend oxford. all of her friends and memories there feel nostalgic, but also confuse her too much. she honestly tries to avoid thinking about it because the entire concept makes her feel sick to her stomach.

she likes to spend her free time at the library, book stores, coffee shops, or flower venues. she likes pretty things or trying to avoid all the bad things in her head by using those items.

there's not a whole lot since she's still very new to town. all she can 100% understand is that she wants to stay in ansong for quite some time. she has no want or need to remember her life. it scares her anyways.

— the connections

anyone that loves her fashion taste and wants to learn.

maybe floor neighbors she’s not familiar with.

a best friend she talks to everyday!

someone to share work drama/complain about boss with.

strangers meeting at bad moments.

a food employee that she’s a regular for.

group of friends that sees movies every week together.

give me more negative based relationships!

or go to her connections page for more in depth ideas.

besides that: more to be added eventually.

[fictionadventurer]

I have a friend to whom I introduced the Regina Doman books, and she's looking for something to fill a similar niche now. Do you have any recommendations?

I'm not sure how far the introduction to Regina Doman's books went, but if she's just read the Fairy Tale Novels, the first expansion I can suggest is the John Paul II High Series, a multi-author contemporary teen series she created about a group of six teens who make up the entire student body of a brand-new Catholic charter school. They represent a broad range of the Catholic experience, from the Latin Mass traditionalist to a charismatic to an agnostic whose mother just sent her there for safety after a school shooting. Doman wrote the first book, Catholic, Reluctantly, and other authors wrote the later books. They're nowhere near the level of the Fairy Tale Novels, but they do hit that FTN niche of modern-day teens struggling to live out their Catholic faith while also getting entangled with creepy criminal conspiracies.

The next author who came to mind was Doman's friend and neighbor (and real-life inspiration for Paul Fester), Ben Hatke. The Zita the Spacegirl and Mighty Jack series, his science-fantasy middle-grade graphic novels, are a very different subgenre, but they maintain a Christian worldview and are full of fun and adventure in a way that fits in with Doman's work.

Another, possibly too obvious, suggestion is to recommend she read Chesterton and other authors recommended by the characters in the Fairy Tale Novels. Chesterton particularly has a similar blend of fun, adventure and darkness. The Father Brown stories probably have the atmosphere that most reminds me of the Fairy Tale Novels.

The author whose work strikes me as most similar to Doman's is Meriol Trevor's Letzenstein Chronicles . This is a middle-grade Ruritanian series about a girl from 1840s England who finds out she's related to the royalty of a tiny principality roughly where real-life Luxembourg exists, and gets entangled in the political intrigue between the duke's son and his evil cousin. There's a similar blend of Catholicism and adventure, particularly with one character who feels like he could have been a Sacra Cor member.

Branching out a little further, I can suggest Rumer Godden as an author who explores modern-day Catholicism with some exquisite character work. I've read and enjoyed The Kitchen Madonna and An Episode of Sparrows, and though they're both middle-grade works, they might appeal to someone who likes works that are drawing from a similar tradition to the one Doman was working from.

I'm sure there are authors and works I'm forgetting, but perhaps something here can be a good starting point? And maybe other people have suggestions?

[scifigeneration]

Sci-fi books are rare in school even though they help kids better understand science

by Emily Midkiff, Assistant Professor of Teaching, Leadership, and Professional Practice at the University of North Dakota

Claudia Wolff

Science fiction can lead people to be more cautious about the potential consequences of innovations. It can help people think critically about the ethics of science. Researchers have also found that sci-fi serves as a positive influence on how people view science. Science fiction scholar Istvan Csicsery-Ronay calls this “science-fictional habits of mind.”

Scientists and engineers have reported that their childhood encounters with science fiction framed their thinking about the sciences. Thinking critically about science and technology is an important part of education in STEM – or science, technology, engineering and mathematics.

Complicated content?

Despite the potential benefits of an early introduction to science fiction, my own research on science fiction for readers under age 12 has revealed that librarians and teachers in elementary schools treat science fiction as a genre that works best for certain cases, like reluctant readers or kids who like what they called “weird,” “freaky” or “funky” books.

Of the 59 elementary teachers and librarians whom I surveyed, almost a quarter of them identified themselves as science fiction fans, and nearly all of them expressed that science fiction is just as valuable as any other genre. Nevertheless, most of them indicated that while they recommend science fiction books to individual readers, they do not choose science fiction for activities or group readings.

The teachers and librarians explained that they saw two related problems with science fiction for their youngest readers: low availability and complicated content.

Why sci-fi books are scarce in schools

Several respondents said that there simply are not as many science fiction books available for elementary school students. To investigate further, I counted the number of science fiction books available in 10 randomly selected elementary school libraries from across the United States. Only 3% of the books in each library were science fiction. The rest of the books were: 49% nonfiction, 25% fantasy, 19% realistic fiction and 5% historical fiction. While historical fiction also seems to be in low supply, science fiction stands out as the smallest group.

When I spoke to a small publisher and several authors, they confirmed that science fiction for young readers is not considered a profitable genre, and so those books are rarely acquired. Due to the perception that many young readers do not like science fiction, it is not written, published and distributed as often.

With fewer books to choose from, the teachers and librarians said that they have difficulty finding options that are not too long and complicated for group readings. One explained: “I have to appeal to broad ability levels in chapter book read-aloud selections. These books typically have to be shorter, with more simple plots.” Another respondent explained that they believe “the kind of suppositions sci-fi is based on to be difficult for younger children to grasp. We do read some sci-fi in our middle grade book club.”

A question of maturity

Waiting for students to get older before introducing them to science fiction is a fairly common approach. Susan Fichtelberg – a longtime librarian – wrote a guide to teen fantasy and science fiction. In it, she recommends age 12 as the prime time to start. Other children’s literature experts have speculated whether children under 12 have sufficient knowledge to comprehend science fiction.

Reading researchers agree that comprehending complex texts is easier when the reader has more background knowledge. Yet, when I read some science fiction picture books with elementary school students, none of the children struggled to understand the stories. The most active child in my study often used his knowledge of “Star Wars” to interpret the books. While background knowledge can mean children’s knowledge of science, it also includes exposure to a genre. The more a reader is exposed to science fiction stories, the better they understand how to read them.

A matter of choice

Science fiction does not need to include detailed science or outlandish premises to offer valuable ideas. Simple picture books like “Farm Fresh Cats” by Scott Santoro rely on familiar ideas like farms and cats to help readers reconsider what is familiar and what is alien. “The Barnabus Project” by the Fan Brothers is both a simple escape adventure story and a story about the ethics of genetic experimentation on animals.

The good news is that elementary school students are choosing science fiction regardless of what adults might think they can or cannot understand. I found that the science fiction books in those 10 elementary school libraries were checked out at a higher rate per book than all of the other genres. Science fiction had 1-2 more checkouts per book, on average, than the other genres.

Using the lending data from these libraries, I built a statistical model that predicted that it is 58% more likely for one of the science fiction books to be checked out in these libraries than one of the fantasy books. The model predicted that a science fiction book is over twice as likely to be checked out than books in any of the other genres. In other words, since the children did not have nearly as many science fiction books to choose from, their readership was heavily concentrated on a few titles.

Children may discover science fiction on their own, but adults can do more to normalize the genre and provide opportunities for whole classes to become familiar with it. Encouraging children to explore science fiction may not guarantee science careers, but children deserve to learn from science fiction to help them navigate their increasingly high-tech world.

[supaastarrr]

HIII BULLY FANDOM!! I’ve been so busy with school I’m barely on here anymore 💔💔 but here’s information about my self insert!! (cuz I still LOVE her and bully)

☆ Kamila “Kam” Carter Rosèll ☆

Kamila is an extroverted, conceited confident, and surprisingly sensible girl.

Born and raised into money, she’s very privileged and takes advantage of it. However, her parents made sure to raise her with a sense of humbleness. They didn’t want her to grow up acting as spoiled as she is, so she was taught to be grateful for her place and mindful of people that aren’t in it as well.

+ Her mom is a CEO of a designer brand and her dad is a popular producer

This makes her have a strange relationship with some of the preps. She finds their snobbiness annoying and can’t help but roll her eyes anytime she hears Derby talk (she still likes and is a friend of Pinky. Kam feels like she’s a good person at heart and that it’s just that her parents spoil her a lot). She doesn’t openly show her dislike, but will say some choice words to other people about them.

She does have quite the ego herself, stemming from her looks, but thinks she’s a little better because she doesn’t show off. Her looks and money do go hand in hand as she’s very high-maintenance. Often going out to get her nails and hair done and buying the best skincare on the market. (If you asked her where she got something, she will never gatekeep. She’ll go in-depth about exactly where she went and will also give some less pricey recommendations on top of that)

She isn’t shy by any means, she has a lot of energy and loves to spend it around other people. Because of this, she’s rarely seen on the campus alone. To class, at lunch, and just around the school, she’s often talking to someone. Kam is also (for the most part) friendly will talk to anyone she thinks is worth the time. She finds clique rivalry dumb and is very happy she isn’t a part of any of it so that she can talk to whoever she wants. She was happy that Jimmy tried to put some of drama to rest.

She has a good reputation and is well-liked among the other students

But because of her lack of shyness, she speaks her mind anytime she opens her mouth. Whether it be normally or in response to something she found offensive

She’s a cheerleader and a member of the drama club! Cheer is something she’s done since middle school and thinks that it’s really fun if you’re passionate about it. Her being in the drama club is mostly because of her love of singing, she’s definitely asked Dr. Crabblesnitch to have a musical in school more than once.

She’s very empathetic, so any time she sees people who don’t deserve it getting bullied (the little kids and SOME nerds), she feels pretty bad. She hates that Mandy picks on Beatrice and makes a conscious effort to be nice to her because of that.

+She once gave Beatrice a lipgloss she never used after hearing Mandy chew her up again to make her feel better.

(This part is so cringe and self indulgent)

She’s a popstar!!

Because of her dad being known, it was easy for her to get in the music industry (nepo baby 😭)

She’s that punky-pop type of artist, it’s hard to explain but a good example of the type of music she makes is Potential Breakup Song by Aly & AJ and songs by Avril Lavigne

Because of this everyone already knew who she was, so she didn’t really have an awkward phase when she first became a student

☆ Relationship with other students! ☆

Preps

Derby likes her (platonically) but she doesn’t like him. Their parents know each other as Derby’s dad buys stock in her mom’s company. So to keep good blood between their families, she acts normal to him whenever they talk.

+She’s literally fighting for her life through every conversation with him

She gets along with the nicer preps like Pinky, Gord, and Parker.

She isn’t close with Chad but regularly goes to pet Chester

Once at a party hosted by Derby’s dad, Tad and her had a really nice conversation. Because of this he’s fine in her book

Greasers

Dates Vance!! They’re that couple that does all that corn-ball stuff like giving each other flowers, match Halloween costumes (she spent a good $30 to be a pirate with him), and walks on the beach. She even wrote songs about him, some are so cheesy she hasn’t shown them to him

Before her and Vance got together, she found Peanut pretty cute. His voice added on top of that kindaaa made him an option for her

(In general when she first started attending Bullworth she thought the greasers were the best looking clique)

Lola and her are best friends. Kam is actually closer to her than she is with Pinky. But even with them being so close, she dislikes the way she treats Johnny

She’s always trying to tell Lola to talk something out with him instead of going with Gord or some other boy

Lefty and her are fine, they’re friendly but they only hangout if the other greasers are there. Still they can have a good conversation (she low-key finds him too flirtatious)

Norton and her are friends!! She likes that she can have an intelligent conversation with him, she can’t say the same about a lot of other people at Bullworth. People usually assume she isn’t very smart because of her personality, but she can drop all of the energetic stuff when she’s seriously talking to him

Johnny kinda thinks of her as a tag-along. It’s because she isn’t a part of the greasers and doesn’t to be, yet finds herself around them a lot. They aren’t terrible though, he likes that Lola has a female friend. He vents to her on accident a lot (like the one scene with Johnny and Jimmy)

+He asks if Lola has ever mentioned another guy to her CONSTANTLY

Ricky slightly bugs her. He tries not to say off things about girls when she’s close, but even then she’s heard a few comments she found unpleasant. Still, she tried giving him advice on how he could get his ex back. They don’t have any tension so it’s pretty much all good

Jocks

Hates Ted so bad it’s crazy. He gives her the BIGGEST ick and she shows it. She’s pretty confrontational, so she’ll lash out on him quickly. He thinks it’s hot 💔

Mandy and her are complicated. Mandy doesn’t like people taking attention off of her, which Kam manages to do. Kam likes to think that they just rule the school in their own ways.

+She still checks out to be on the cheer team though

(Tbh I don’t care for the jocks that much)