#but i had to drop like half the classes so i never actually graduated or for the qualification

[eggthew]

there are free tafe courses available and I am Looking At Them but I'm also very doubtful about my ability to do anything that complex. there is a reason why I have never fully completed any education

[hellfirenacht]

Anomaly Part 2

Summary: You can talk to anyone in school with no problem. At least, anyone who's not named Eddie Munson.

Tags: Anxious-ish!Reader but not shy, one sided pining, no use of y/n, fem!reader, one sided enemies to lovers, fem!reader

2.1k Words

Part 1

School assemblies were fun in their own way. You weren’t exactly brimming with school spirit but you could fake it for a half-hour when it got you out of your History class. Everyone was ushered into the gym at the end of the day to celebrate the sport season. You had no idea if the Hawkin’s Tigers were good or not, you could really only name two and a half people on the basketball team: Jason Carver, who you unfortunately had shared a free period with once, Lucas Sinclair, who you had seen talking to Eddie once in a blue moon, and Steve Harrington who had graduated, so he didn’t really count. You vaguely remembered working with him on some school project for two days and thinking that you just wanted to squish his hair down to see if it would spring back up. 

Stacy bounded over to you in the bleachers, decked out in more Tiger’s Green than a leprechaun. She shook the scrunchy out of her hair and slipped it onto your wrist. You sometimes wondered how she never became a cheerleader with how perky she was.

“There, now you look like you tried.” she giggled, nudging you. 

“I was gonna scribble on my face with a green dry erase marker, but Mr. Thompson’s had run dry.” You said. 

“He was probably lying so you wouldn’t steal one and huff it in the bathroom.” 

“Hey, that was one time and 4th grade math was hard.” you cackled. 

“Speaking of hard drugs, look who decided to actually show up.” Stacy smirked and your stomach instantly dropped as you followed her gaze. 

“What the fuck is Eddie doing here?” you whispered to Stacy. “He doesn’t do pep rallies!”

“Guess he does now.” she shrugged. 

Eddie was a few rows lower than you, leaning against the end railing of the bleachers. You vaguely wondered if he was burning up in that leather jacket, it wasn’t exactly cool in the gym with so many bodies all squished together. 

He was alone, looking like he’d rather be literally anywhere else. You didn’t blame him, this clearly wasn’t a place where he fit in. You looked down the bleachers in the opposite direction, unable to pick out any of his friends. During pep rallies, the bleachers were divided by grade, with Seniors on your end of the bleachers, and freshmen on the opposite end. Maybe Eddie was pressing himself against the railing to create his own section of Super Seniors. 

If he was anyone else, you’d join him in that section, but you kept that knowledge to yourself. 

“He looks lonely, go talk to him before they start.” Stacy encouraged. 

“Please, I doubt he’d want to talk to me at any other time. You think he wants to talk to me now?” you asked incredulously. 

“What’s the worst that could happen?” 

“He could convince me to join a cult and then sacrifice me to the dark forces.” you said, looking over at him. Well, it wouldn’t be the worst thing in the world. 

Eddie’s head snapped up and he whirled around. Out of everyone around, his eyes immediately locked onto yours. 

Oh shit.

He heard that. 

His round brown eyes sized you up, and you cringed out of embarrassment for your stupid joke. You felt like a deer in the headlights. Eddie was looking at you, really looking at you for the first time and you were about two seconds away from jumping off the back of the bleachers and tunneling your way out of the school. 

Next to you, you could practically feel Stacy shaking as she tried to hold in her laughter, which unfortunately, triggered your own set of nervous giggling because this whole thing was so stupid and Eddie was still looking at you. 

He looked unimpressed, and flipped you off before turning back around to sulk against the railing again as the band suddenly started up, and everyone started cheering for the team. 

“Gotta say, I am nailing this, Stacy.” You laughed, leaning against her shoulder. “Practically had the boy swooning.”

“Yeah, he’ll be asking you out any day now.” She rubbed your back sympathetically. 

“I can’t believe he heard me. He totally thought I was being serious.” Your giggles finally subsided and you looked up at her. 

“It would be very easy to clear this up, if you’d just talk to him.” She said. 

“I don’t like it when you’re rational, you know.” you replied and glanced at him again. Eddie was no longer looking at you and was just fiddling with his rings as he watched boredly as Principal Higgens was giving announcements. 

You had to apologize. The last thing you wanted was for Eddie to think that you were really like that. You didn’t buy into the bullshit that some dice and graph paper could damn your soul to hell. 

“Fuck it, I’m going in.” you said, and turned to head towards Eddie. 

“Go get ‘em, Tiger!” 

You made your way to the edge of the bleachers, and three things happened in quick succession. First, Miles Cooper got overly enthusiastic as you passed by him, and his elbow made a quick and sharp connection to your stomach, knocking the wind out of you. The second thing that happened was a stray backpack got kicked right in front of you as you staggered from the shock of being elbowed. The third and final thing was you falling down the two benches of bleachers that separated you and Eddie. 

“You can either go to the pep rally and act like you are a part of this school, or you can have detention, Mr. Munson. The choice is yours.” 

Normally, no one gave a shit if Eddie skipped out on something like a pep rally. That time was better spent either reading in an empty classroom or as a smoke break in the parking lot. He had just made it out to the parking lot before he was spotted and given the option. Eddie had been good about not skipping class this year, but he really didn’t want to give Higgins another reason to threaten to withhold his diploma. 

So there he was, leaning against the railing of the furthest bleachers so that the second the pep rally ended, he could just book it back to the van and leave to.. Somewhere. Uncle Wayne had work, and Eddie didn’t have a shift at the Hideout. There was no Hellfire today. 

Eddie was feeling restless as he fidgeted with his rings. Today had already been annoying and he really just wanted to sneak out to his van and have a smoke. It’s not like anyone here would miss him, they’d probably celebrate his departure more than the entrance to the basketball team. 

He looked down at his hands, taking his rings off and rearranging them on his fingers. He tapped them on the railing, listening to the sounds they made as he counted the seconds for this whole thing to be over. 

As his mind started to wander off, a voice snapped him back to the hell he was currently in. “-join a cult and sacrifice me to the dark forces.” 

It was always obvious when someone was talking about Eddie. Normally he’d let it go and ignore whoever it was, but he wasn’t exactly in the best of moods today. His head whipped around, looking for whoever was talking about him. 

There you were with Stacy, again. Eddie wished he could be surprised, but he wasn’t. His eyes narrowed as he looked you over. You weren’t dressed in anything that screamed “school spirit” except for a scrunchie around your wrist. 

He saw how you cringed at the sight of him, which only pissed him off more. What was your fucking problem? You were friends with Stacy, who had been on the cheer squad before her ankle gave out, the skaters liked, you liked everyone. Everyone who wasn’t Eddie Munson. 

Eddie had wanted to give you the benefit of the doubt, that maybe the two of you just hadn’t crossed paths enough. Maybe it wasn’t personal. But now, after hearing you say that you also thought he was some sort of demon worshiping freak he was fine to write you off as just another Hawkins student. Maybe then he could finally move past this weird feeling he had whenever you gave him the stink eye. 

Stacy started giggling next to you, and Eddie just rolled his eyes and turned away. It wasn’t worth it to start anything now at the pep rally. He was already on thin ice after being caught trying to skip. The sooner this was over the better. 

His attention drifted as Higgins droned on and on about school spirit and upcoming fundraisers and games. It was all background noise. In his mind, Eddie was working out the next dungeon that Hellfire was going to take on. His party was getting too used to his usual tricks, so he’d have to pull out something new to really throw them off-

There was a choked off gasp. 

Then a curse. 

Then a horrible cracking sound as something fell next to him.

“Jesus-!” Eddie jumped nearly a foot in the air as you hit the bleacher next to him. His eye nearly bugged out as he saw you sprawled next to him, clutching your stomach and gasping for air like a fish. 

Everyone in the section was still as they all stared at you, before a few started to snicker. Stacy was quick to jump down with far more grace and land by your side. Eddie was completely frozen, unsure of what to do until he heard Miles Cooper say- 

“It was Munson! He did it!”

Eddie’s head snapped to Miles, about to say something before a teacher sharply demanded the Eddie get off the bleachers and come down for what was sure to be a one-sided lecture and detention for something he didn’t do. 

He didn’t fight it, he was about to argue and cause a scene right now in the bleachers. Not when that teacher had a fire in her eyes that said she was just itching for trouble. Fine, he wanted to be as far away from this as possible. 

Eddie walked down the bleachers and followed the teacher out into the hallway. He was already tuning out the lecture about watching your body and not hitting girls. This was such bullshit, and he knew he couldn’t even fight back and defend himself. 

“Look, I didn’t touch her!” Eddie couldn’t stop the frustration in his voice. “She was behind me when she fell!”

“Witnesses say otherwise.” The teacher crossed her arms. 

“Look, just because that dumbass said it was true-” 

There was a loud CLANK as the heavy doors to the gym burst open and to Eddie’s surprise, you were rushing through the door, holding onto your arm. 

You made a beeline for him and the teacher and Eddie could already see it now. Your fake tears as you cried about how the freak shoved you down for no reason-

“Didn’t... do it.” you were shaking your head and panting hard. With your free hand you were pointing at Eddie. “He didn’t... he didn’t do anything... Miles elbowed me. Then I tripped. Eddie never.... Touched me.” 

Stacy was behind you and grabbed your shoulders, trying to hold you in place. “Eddie didn’t do anything, Mrs. Jane.” she explained. “She was just trying to go get some water and ate shit. Eddie had nothing to do with it.”

You nodded, still panting hard as if trying to catch your breath. Stacy was rubbing your back, and you looked like you were on the verge of tears. 

Eddie felt like he had just stepped into an alternate timeline. You were actually defending him? You were in that much pain but had still come running to claim his innocence? 

Mrs. Jane looked at you with concern. “Eddie, you may go back to the pep rally.” She dismissed him without so much as an apology for chewing him out. 

Fuck this. Eddie didn’t need to be told twice. He made his way back towards the gym, but slipped into a side hall. The pep rally was going to be over soon anyway, he might as well beat traffic. 

He paused just as he was out of sight. Fine, he was a little nosey and mildly concerned as you had just come to his rescue. 

“I... I think I hurt my arm.” you said, and he could hear the real pain in your voice. 

“I’ll take her to the nurse.” Stacy said. 

Eddie heard the sound of footsteps, and quickly slipped out of the school before Mrs. Jane caught him escaping. 

Yeah, he was going to need something stronger than a cigarette after this. 

I really didn't think the original blurb would get much attention lol

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@veemoon @mrsrdlw @eddieheart

[butterflyscribbles]

Freenoodle Headcanons (Part 1) - bc there’s no way I’ll have time to draw them all out fast enough and I need to get them out of my brain:

Hidden underneath bc it’s loooong…

- Tang and Pigsy met in a college-level business class. Pigsy was going for a general business major with a minor in culinary arts. Tang was pursuing Chinese Literature and Lingustics in order to eventually be a librarian or museum archivist as well as an author on the side. They started interacting more bc Tang threatened to call Pigsy out for cheating on an exam and Pigsy “bought” his silence with a bowl of homemade noodles.

- It started with “blackmail” that Tang was gonna tell if Pigsy ever stopped making food for him but gradually they just started hanging out. Pigsy began to realize that if it weren’t for him, Tang would have most likely wasted away considering he was not only a picky eater but would also completely forget meals while being so focused on his studies. Tang in return started helping Pigsy with study before big exams as well. It became routine until they both finished the class. That was one of the only classes they had together being on pretty separate tracks but by then they were close enough friends to continue hanging out semester after semester.

- Tang’s family was not too fond of him hanging out with Pigsy and eventually Sandy who had a bit of a rebellious (and somewhat criminal) hot streak. Lots of being kicked out of bars for fighting, loud music and band parties that somehow would force them to migrate into Tang’s apartment after they trashed their own.

- Tang used to have pierced ears that were Pigsy’s own handiwork but his mom made him take them out the minute he visited home. He wants to get them pierced again even now because he loved how it looked but is lowkey too chicken to act on it bc ouchieeee needles it was hard enough the first time

- They never really defined themselves as dating out loud in college but they were definitely “more than friends” after a while. Pigsy crushed on him first but Tang fell harder once he finally caught on that Pigsy liked him. They were both too emotionally constipated scared to slap an official label on it though.

- Tang is almost always freezing and wrapped up in sweaters, scarves and mittens. Pigsy is always hot. Equilibrium achieved.

- Speaking of scarves, Tang’s trademark red scarf and most precious comfort item he owns, was a gift from Pigsy’s mother when Pigsy introduced him to his parents. He is almost never without it and takes very good care of it because it is hand-made and one of a kind.

- Tang was NOT a fan of the Pigsy mustache era™️ but that did not stop the pig man from burrowing his face onto him and teasing him near to death with prickly kisses

- Pigsy’s affectionate nickname for Tang became ���truffles” for a hot second after this^^ Tang secretly and begrudgingly loved it. The nickname is still stashed away for special occasions and ONLY when its the two of them.

- The mirror to that is Tang found out Pigsy’s weak spots were his ears and under his chin. Loves scritches and sometimes Tang would just reach out and idly play with his ears if they were within reach. That’s also something that occurs in present time.

- On rare occasions, Tang would convince Pigsy to sing for him and most of those moments ended in tears both of sadness or laughter on both ends. Mostly because Pigsy would either sing songs his mom taught him or ones he could only half remember the lyrics to.

- They stayed in contact for a while even after Pigsy graduated (Tang was pursuing a PHD so he stayed in school longer). Tang and Sandy were both there when the restaraunt was passed down to Pigsy and they were the first customers at Pigsy’s Noodles.

Things got a bit more complicated after that…

- For about 5 months before MK came into their lives, Tang and Pigsy were actually having a huge fight and were not on speaking terms. Sandy’s anger and violence issues were at an all time high and he dropped out of college just before graduating, Pigsy and Tang struggled to define their relationship after they Tang’s family was insistent he finally cut them out of his life and it lead to a big fight where Sandy ended up leaving the trio and there was a huge and bitter rift between the three of them.

- Three weeks after Pigsy’s mom passed, little MK showed up on his doorstep. He was already running the shop alone for the first time and now he suddenly had a child who desperately needed him. While MK brought some much needed light back into his life, he struggled to properly care for the little ball of energy and still make end’s meet. His quick temper and the passing of his mom had seriously impacted business and chased off a lot of regulars as it was. So, he called the only person he trusted to help. The minute Pigsy explained his situation…Tang didn’t hesitate to come back, even as he continued classes. Things were awkward and messy for sure and there was a lot of baggage to sort through…but they made it work for their little monkey kid.

Okay that’s it ta ta for now part two is going to be Freenoodle Family focused I wanted this one to be more on the early days before MK to set it all up.

[fbfh]

Hey! Then in hoo it is mentioned that Leo has dealt with a lot of bullies and horrible people since Esperanza died, I could ask for something like him and his s/o going to do something normal like shopping and end up running into one of these people And they keep making fun of Leo so his s/o defends him and comforts him or something like that(sorry if it seems confusing, English is not my first language haha)

first of all your english is great babes!! not confusing at all <33

ah yes. the bitchy girls. the asshole mean girls who have a fucking superpower for sniffing out adhd and autism and other neurodivergent traits like fucking blood hounds. the devils in lululemon leggings and nike sneakers who worship the ground hailey bieber walks on and keep their marc jacobs tote bags full of knives to stab anyone and everyone in the back with the moment the see an opportunity to.

those girls.

Leo's been able to avoid them for a while. Drew was the worst at camp, but she was a watered down version of them - Leo realized at some point that Drew adopting those traits was her own way of dealing with shit, and the more time she spent at camp since Piper became head of cabin, the more chilled out she's gotten.

There were barely any mean girls at MIT, none he had trouble avoiding at least. But now he's here, back in the real world, shopping for groceries for your little apartment you have together. And in the real world, fresh out of nursing school, is Emily. The exact same Emily from the school he went to before camp half blood. At 15, Leo went through a lot of shit. School was hell, his foster family was so bad he ran away enough to be sent to the wilderness school, and he was at one of the lowest points of his entire life.

You don't know who she is, but from the look on Leo's face, the sudden, sharp drop in his energy, the way he starts picking at his hands and gets all jittery. He hopes he can get away with it, hopes she won't even recognize him.

"Oh my god... Leo Valdez?"

you grimace at her voice, the way she mispronounces his last name, and your hackles rise. She looks at you in shock, seeming to hold back a laugh.

"Wait, is he your boyfriend?"

She says it like it's some joke, like this whole thing is hilarious.

"He used to be so awkward!" she giggles, "Wow, you look exactly the same."

Leo can read you like a book, and he knows you are SO pissed off for him.

"Yeah," You say with an equally sarcastic smile, "I had no idea you guys were the same age, you look so much older. I never would have known you guys were in the same class."

She blanches a little, and you double down.

"Leo actually just graduated top of his class at MIT. He has, like, a dozen job offers already." You smile at him proudly. "So how about you, are you... doing anything?"

"Mhm." She nods, the humor suddenly gone. "Nursing school. I just started."

"Oh," you nod, glancing over at Leo and sharing a subtle look with him, "well, we better get going, we have some open houses to get to."

As you walk away, still close enough for her to hear, you mutter to Leo, stifling a smile.

"Wow. The mean girl to nursing school pipeline is real." You chuckle, "And like, she does know it's not 2016 anymore, right? Cause her eyebrows don't seem to..."

He's so surprised that after an interaction with her, after all these years, he actually feels... okay. Outside the shithole of high school, with you by his side, she doesn't seem nearly as intimidating as she had. He's not sure how you got him to realize that so quickly, but he realizes that there's nothing that feels that intimidating when you're by his side. And you're right, her eyebrows are just as awful as her personality.

[sassypantsjaxon]

Fuck it. UA instructors as...things the staff from my college have done, I guess?

Because it's been three and a half years since I graduated and I miss that place every single day

Principal Nezu

Principal Nezu has everybody's names, faces, and quirks memorized before the first day of school. This is never acknowledged.

(Recovery Girl also learns everybody pretty much right away, but she interacts with them a bit more directly than Nezu, so it doesn't seem quite as weird)

Somehow Nezu manages to both be so chill and yet have no chill.

Nezu once texted Mic to ask if he was available for a call about some program at school and when Mic didn't answer within 15 minutes because he was DRIVING Nezu just called him anyway and was like "is this a bad time? I can call you back :)" Like, no,no, We're both here now, let's have this conversation now. Go ahead

One time Nezu pulled the Big Three out of their classes and brought them into his office to sit them down like he was about to have a Big Serious Conversation, and then he just says "Do you think...it would be possible for you to visit the first year hero classes...and tell them about your experiences? :)" Mirio and Nejire are both going "yeah, sure", while thinking why did we have to get pulled out of class like this was something really important? Amajiki is hyperventilating.

Power loader

Power Loader is like some kind of cryptid.

He just shows up when things need to be fixed, fixes them, and then disappears again. He never says a word. Don't question it, just be grateful and let him stay in his hiding place

Random knowledge. Whenever the rest of the staff has some random question that no one else can answer. Ask Power Loader. He knows. He always know. Don't question that either, he's just one of those kind of people

Power loader and All Might are the only two teachers who were asked to come to UA instead of having to apply

13

Actually 13 falls somewhere inbetween applying and being asked to join the staff, because she kind of created her own job.

She just had a meeting with Nezu one day to be like "Your students need an Unforeseen Simulation Joint! Here's what that means and why you need it" And Nezu went "... :) You're hired!"

All Might

Toughest person anybody knows. Can not handle spicy food.

Everybody loves him. Anybody who doesn't isn't cut out for hero school. This is not bragging, it just happens to be true.

All Might once listed one of his credentials as BAMF. (Izuku absolutely lost it that day)

While discussing I Island with Izuku, All Might very casually stated "My ex husband lives there" as if that isn't an Absolute Bombshell to drop You can't just Say That and NOT ELABORATE WHAT DO YOU MEAN YOU HAVE AN EXHUSBAND!?!!???? (Izuku lost it even more that day)

Present Mic

Mic has a bad habit of talking a little too fast. Nobody's ever 100% sure what he said.

Also he swears. Like. A lot. Like, he would get in trouble as a student for swearing.

There is a drawer on Mic's desk that's labeled 'Present Mic's Top Secret Hiding Place' and anybody who notices it is just like ??? because it's clearly labeled and Not a Secret. But Mic is very scatter brained and will lose anything as soon as it leaves his eyesight. Having a specific place to put things help with that.

EraserMic

Married. But they don't really talk about it, and they don't act married in front of the students, so a lot of them don't realize it

It's actually surprising because they have pictures of them and their kids on their desks. All you have to do is go to the teacher's office. It's not a secret. It's right there.

There's a class for the second years on like, heroism and personal lives or something. Eraser and Mic get to teach part of that unit because they have experience being married heroes.

One year when Aizawa says that he's married to Mic one of the students asks him why

That same year, when Aizawa reveals that there is one teacher he will never be friends with (like, even more than all the other teachers), just because they have nothing in common other than working at UA, and the same student asks him if it's Mic

People assume Mic gets special treatment as Aizawa's husband. This is not true. If anything, he's more likely to get the short end of the stick and be asked to cover for Aizawa.

Eraser Head

Aizawa forgot that there was supposed to be a chaperone for the remedial licensing training and said he would probably be the one doing it. He was not. He sent Mic. Thus proving the previous statement true.

Bad at interpersonal relationships

Has a bad habit of mumbling. Students are never 100% sure what he said

At some point, the people around him start referring to doing anything overly rational as 'pulling an Aizawa'. Yeah. ...yeah...

[ash5monster01]

Hello Darling 🩷Could you do an imagine with Charlie Dalton x plus size reader where the reader feels insecure about her weight and Charlie shows her how perfect she is to him if you know what I mean 😉. (If you don't write smut or just feel uncomfortable don't do it it is fine. Just do him being comforting)Thank you so much and have a nice day 🩷🩷

Just The Way You Are

Pairing: Charlie Dalton x PlusSize!FemReader

Warnings: 18+, foreplay, nudity, language, minor angst, self deprecation, use of the word fat, mentions of bullying, fluff

Summary: Being a bigger girl was already hard enough, when the college hot shot starts to take interest in you, you think it’s a joke. Charlie proves to you it isn’t.

word count: 2k

Masterlist

“Please go away” you beg, eyeing the brunette boy who had purposely thrown his frisbee your way at least ten times. The quad was large enough for everyone and yet the annoying and overly cocky boy from your English class found it funny to nearly hit you each time. You wanted to rip the dam beret off his head and throw it up in the tree you leaned against.

“Sorry doll, it’s an accident” he says giving you a sickly sweet smile as he retrieves the item once again. He’s joined by two other boys who were smug faces like they know he was doing this on purpose.

“Sure” you scowl, collecting your books and stacking them in your lap. That’s when his face falls, actually realizing he had upset you. It takes a few moments to collect everything and even then you stand awkwardly as you try to balance it all.

“I’ll be right back guys” he calls out to his friends, throwing the frisbee with actual skill their way before turning his attention back to you. He doesn’t even give you a choice as he scoops half the stack of books out of your arms. “I’ll walk you”

“It’s fine, you really don’t have to” but he’s already starting to the dorms with stuff you can’t finish your assignments without. Groaning you shuffle along behind him, doing your best to keep up.

You couldn’t really explain Charlie’s interest in you. It was already tough enough being the weird fat girl on campus. The other girls whispered mean things about you in the halls and rounds of laughter came from boys when you passed by. You had planned to keep your head down and graduate, that is until you met Charlie. The brunette boy with mischievous eyes and a daunting grin who had a will to drive you up a wall. You had thought it was to make fun of your size but so far he was the only boy in this school to have never brought it up.

“Are you trying to push my buttons?” you ask as you join his side and this time he gives you an earnest smile, head looking down to eye you.

“Can’t I just do something nice without you accusing me?” he asks and you roll your eyes, fearing anyone in this school was everything but nice towards you.

“I just don’t understand your constant need to be in my face all the time. I’m just trying to get through school like everyone else” you say as you reach the girls dorm hall. Charlie’s following you now and that’s when you realizes you had absentmindedly guided him to your home base. The only safe haven on this entire campus.

“I thought I was being obvious” Charlie says once you reach your door, noting how you have a single. You use your elbow to push the handle down and open the room up to you both. He happily follows you in.

“Obvious about what?” you ask as you drop your stuff onto your desk. Charlie sets his half of the pile on top of it before propping his hands on his hips and looking you up and down. Just the idea of him checking you out has your body lighting up with nerves.

“I’m flirting with you doll” he says like it’s the most natural thing. The confession has you choking on air, gaping at him like what he had just said was absurd. To you it was.

“This isn’t kindergarten Charlie. You don’t pull a girls hair or call her names to get her attention. You do not like me like that” you inform him, shaking your head and trying to calm the panic that swells in your chest.

“Well forgive me but I went to an all boys school. The only flirting knowledge I do have comes from the playground. That’s not for you to decide if I like you or not” he defends, eyebrows furrowed and looking more serious than you’ve ever seen him. Suddenly it’s hard to look him in the eye.

“Listen, I don’t know what kind of sick joke this is but I don’t want to hear it. Go find another girl to throw your frisbee at” you say, trying to usher him out the door but he holds his ground, unmoving as he looks at you.

“Why is this so hard for you to comprehend?” he asks and you gasp, face flushing as you realize he’s just called you out on something you have no interest in explaining. Yet you have no where to go.

“I’m not the kind of girl you flirt with. If you haven’t noticed I’m fat and everyone else on this campus acts accordingly. I suggest you do the same and leave me alone” something flashes behind Charlie’s eyes, something you don’t recognize as he looks at you with something different than sympathy. Had it been sympathy you would’ve shoved him out the door.

“Doll you are not fat, please don’t say that. You’re so beautiful. I’ve never seen a girl like you in my life. I didn’t even know what to do with myself around you so I just started acting like an ass” the admission is paired with a look in his eyes that convey adoration. Something you had never seen directed at you before.

“This isn’t funny Charlie, you don’t have to pretend for my sake. Let’s just let this go and pretend it never happened” you go to shove him out the door again but his hands lock around your wrists, holding you in place until the only thing you can do is look him in the eye.

“You have the most beautiful eyes. Every time I look at them I feel like I’m lost as sea, drowning in the color until there’s nothing left of me. Your smile is astounding, it freezes me in place every time I see it. I spend my nights dreaming that one day you’d direct it towards me” you’re silent as he says this, the words washing over you like the tide dragging you out to sea. You had never heard anyone speak about you like that.

“What else?” you whisper and Charlie grins when he realizes he has really caught your attention now.

“I have to try not to get dizzy when I smell your shampoo. The scent of you intoxicates me and I dream of my clothes smelling like you too. You’re also so funny it hurts. I never thought it possible to meet someone I found funnier than me. Paired with your body-” he’s cut short by the soft shake of your head, him having lost you after his small spiel.

“Nothing to say about my body” you try to pull away but he holds you in place. Eyes piercing your own in hope his next words will resonate with you.

“Your body is different than any I have ever seen. I trace your curves with my eyes everyday, wondering what it would be like for my hands to travel the hills of your breasts to the dip of your waist. Even just the sight of your ass has me dreaming about how plush it must be. The expanse of your neck when you wear your hair up makes me drool. Everything about you is soft and I want to cover myself entirely in your warmth” you suck in a sharp breath, not expecting the honest words that had come from the boy. Words that had made the curves and size of your body to sound so beautiful.

“I don’t know what to say?” you tell him, unsure if you want to cry happy tears or hug him for uplifting you in a way you never had been before.

“Then just let me show you” he says and your eyebrows draw together, confused as to what he means until his hand brushes your hair behind your shoulder and glides across your bare skin. Fingers tugging the neckline of your blouse and pulling it away slowly.

“Oh” you blab out like a fool, his eyes asking you for permission that you grant with the nod of your head. Every part of you is screaming not to but the way he looks at you is enough to have your fingers fumbling with the buttons of the silk material.

Charlie’s hands make home on your waist as you continue, the top opening more and more to reveal the white lace bra underneath. Charlie’s throat goes dry before helping you shrug the material off your shoulders. Next is the zipper of your skirt that he’s happy to assist with. It takes only moments for it to fall and pool around your feet. In front of him you stand in only your undergarments and Charlie can’t tear his eyes away.

As you sit there fearing the largeness of your arms and the plump of your stomach he feels as if he’s reached heaven looking at you. You were a real woman, the kind of girl that only he could handle. He wasn’t sure if it would be to forward to ask for you to suffocate him. Either way he’s sure no air would ever return to his lungs if he doesn’t kiss you right now.

“Doll, can I take care of you?” and the desperate whine from your lips is confirmation enough for him to seal his against your own. He swallows the sound and locks it in his heart forever, tongue dipping in to taste you as his fingers find the clasp of your bra. You reach out for him, hands grabbing his shoulders and tugging his hair as the straps come loose. You only let go for him to pull it off of you.

“Wow” is all he says as he pulls back and takes in the sight of you. All those years of stealing his Dads playboys to finally see a pair of breasts that could easily be in the magazine in person. As a man possessed he reaches out, cupping you in his hands, squeezing softly and unable to hide the hard on anymore.

“Charlie” you say in a plea, unsure what you’re begging for as he gropes you softly, nipples pebbling under his palms.

“I know baby, I know” and then his mouth was latched around your nipple, sucking softly as he pinched the other. Unable to stop the moan you let out your cheeks turn red from embarrassment. You’ve made a mess in your panties and if you had known what this was going to turn into you would’ve yelled at him sooner.

“Feels so good” you cry as he switches to your other breast, hand now nudging your panties down. It should be unfair that he was still fully clothed.

“Lay down” he orders and you obey, sprawling out on your bed as he tugs his own shirt over his head, knocking the beret off in the process. You watched shamelessly as he removes all articles of clothing until his length is brushing along his lower abdomen. You swear you already feel him as heat pools in your stomach.

“I’m gonna show you just how gorgeous you are” he says crawling above your form and you grin, trying not to whimper when his length brushes along your inner thigh. It’s then he smiles wide at you, looking like a simple boy.

“What?” you can’t help but ask, the smile still etched across your face and Charlie shakes his head lightly.

“Nothing, it’s just you finally smiled at me” and the sentiment makes you blush. Your red cheeks earn you a soft kiss, his hand trailing from your shoulder over your breast, down the expanse of your stomach, and inching closer and closer to the spot between your legs. It’s then you swear to always take Charlie for his word again.

“Keep doing what you’re doing and I’ll smile at you forever”

[fortunekookie07]

X amount of time ago, I got my first request for a story. I am still over the moon about that. And being that Xavier's new memories just dropped, I chose him per requesters prompt.

Potatosugar this one is for you

Moment Forever Lost

Rafayel, just thinking or hearing his name sent butterflies coursing through your stomach. Your best friend, the person you felt closest to in the world. The one you wanted to spend the rest of your life with.

Rafayel, the one existence in this world you felt you could never reach. Not after she entered the picture. How many plans had been rearranged, canceled, or simply forgotten because for Rafayel, she always came first.

When Rafayel told you that she was the one who had rescued him as a kid, and then confided in you that I'm that moment he fell in love with her. Your heart shattered into a million pieces.

After all, how could you compete with that? She was a hero to Rafayel, and he was smitten. The first time you met her you wanted to abandon all hope. She was beautiful.

Perfect, straight, long dark brown hair. A small frame and delicate features. It was like fate had created a perfect girl and then sent her your way to destroy the future you'd wanted.

You had begun to war with yourself internally. Half of you instantly hated her for stealing your place. The spot next to Rafayel had belonged to you. You'd been the one friend who stuck by him since middle school. Rafayel's personality was a bit off putting to most people after all. Even she had found his manners a bit extreme.

The other half of you actually liked her. She was nice, friendly, and very likeable. Her smile alone put anyone at ease. Then there was her talents. As a Deepspace Hunter, her skills were unrivaled amongst her graduating class. She had been named the best and she'd gotten to join the Unicorns Team that took on the most dangerous missions. It was no wonder that Rafayel was smitten with her.

You constantly compared yourself to her. Frustration rising whenever you thought about the goal you once had. Your Evol had never really developed. Making the ground shake around you would not benefit you or your partner at all. Often times you couldn't even control it. Whenever your emotions got out of hand so would your Evol. It drove you crazy to see someone else living your dream.

You hated yourself for having such negative thoughts about someone so kind. She ha never once been cruel to you. Even if she constantly seemed to but in whenever you were spending time with Rafayel.

*******************************************************

Today was your birthday, twenty four years old now. The same age as Rafayel. By a few months, as he constantly reminded you. Proud of being the older, and therefore wiser one.

Rafayel had insisted on going out to celebrate. He'd wanted to take you to his favorite restraint. It was high class and typically only catered to famous individuals and top notch business men and women. It wasn't unusual to see this place booked out for some high tech companies meeting.

Rafayel had persuaded you to come here. He wanted to make you feel important. Not just to him, but for yourself. He wanted to make this a day to remember. He had reserved a table with a fantastic view of the city below and gotten you a beautiful dress to wear.

The color was a deep, dark blue. A sheer outer skirt of intricate lace. The lace went all over the dress and the sleeves. Fitting your figure perfectly. Complimenting all of your best features.

You arrive at the restaurant and walk to the maitre'D. "Reservation for two. Under Rafayel, has he arrived yet?" You ask with a smile. The man looked down at the tablet in front oh him, scanning the list of reservations for the night.

"I'm sorry miss, I don't have any reservations for Mr. Rafayel tonight". The man looked apologetic as he relayed the news. "Oh maybe he made the reservation under my name"? You say with a question and rattle off your own name. The man shakes his head again. "No miss, no reservations under you either". You felt your heart sunk as you stepped away from his podium.

You fish your phone out of the small hand bag you'd brought and immediately call Rafayel. It goes straight to voicemail so you leave a message. "Rafayel, I'm here at the restaurant but they don't have a reservation for us. I'll just wait for you. See you in a few". After hanging up you go to sit on the cushy bench just outside the entrance doors.

Five minutes goes by and you check your phone anxiously. Nothing, no calls or texts. You tuck your phone back into the bag. Couples drift by you once in a while. Some of them glance at you curiously as they walk inside.

Fifteen minutes go by and Rafayel has still not appeared. A sinking feeling in your stomach knots your insides up. This is not the first time you've been stood up, but like a puppy everytime he calls your name you go running back. A burn in the corners of your eyes start as you desperately try not to cry.

You pull your phone out again and call Rafayel once more. It still goes straight to voice mail. "Rafayel where are you? You are coming right? I'm still here waiting for you". Your voice cracks a bit at the end before you finally manage to stave off your tears.

Still wanting to belive that he would not ditch you on your birthday, you continue waiting. Perched on the seat, hoping, just praying, that Rafayel will suddenly appear. Hair disheveled from running and face apologetic, but it doesn't.

For forty-five minutes you sit on that bench and wait. When some of the people who'd gone in for dinner are now coming out you stand up, shame burning your face red. The looks on their faces clearly peg you as having had your date ditch you. You can't take being judged by people you don't even know and run off. The tears have broken free and are streaming down your face.

You don't know or care where you are going at the moment. Just away from there. You stop running after you stumble and realize you've made it to the edge of the downtown area. The restaurant is some thirty blocks behind you. Thankfully it isn't too late and this is a well traveled area. You're able to get a taxi.

Your phone rings as the taxi pulls up in front of your apartment. Rafayel's name and picture flashing on the screen. You send the call to voice mail and pay the driver.

As you're unlocking your door your phone starts ringing again. Rafayel's name and picture showing up once more. In anger you just turn your phone straight off and stuff it into the bottom of your bag. A voice speaks behind you.

"Wow, are you so against taking my call that your abusing your phone too"? That haughty tone can only belong to one person. Rafayel.

You turn and pin him with your angriest glare. "I don't even want to see you right now, much less hear your voice." You spit, hurling all the venom you can muster with your pain and humiliation.

He reaches out to take your hand and you're quick to slap it away. You hide the wince at the loud sound if the smack and the stinging on your palm. His arm is still held out towards you. The back of his hand red with the marks of your fingers.

Tears gather in the corners of your eyes again. "I get that I am not first in your life and that I never will be, but how could you stand me up on my birthday with plans that YOU made"? You ask not looking at him as your voice cracks. He moves in closer and forces you to look at him.

"You are important to me, you're my best friend. I am so sorry about tonight...". You cut him off placing your hand over his mouth before he can say her name. "I don't want to hear it Rafayel, don't say her name. Especially right now". You feel like your soul will shatter if he utters her name now.

He brushes your tears away one handed and you finally realize he's been holding his other arm behind his back. Before you can ask he's drawing his arm from behind his back and presents you with a bouquet. The fragrance hits you before your mind can register what you are seeing.

In his hands is a dozen of the largest white chrysanthemums you have ever seen. The bloom easily bigger than his hand. You didn't even know the flower could get this big. You close your eyes breathing in the scent of your favorite flower.

"I am sorry, this couldn't be avoided. It was an emergency. Let me make it up to you tomorrow. It's the first day of the lantern festival. Let me take you". You look at him in surprise. It was a well known fact that Rafayel hated crowds, for anything. It was one of the reasons why he so often skipped out on his painting exhibits. He didn't care for all the noise either. You'd never been able to get him to go to one before.

"R-really"?!? You ask hardly believing your ears as your heart soars. He nods before replying. "Really, let me take you". You hug him tightly in response. The ruined birthday all but forgotten now.

"I'll pick you up at 6:30 tomorrow". He says when you finally let go. "See you romorrow"! You tell him excitedly before going inside.

Once in the kitchen you search for your flower vases. Finding the perfect one that can hold such a large bouquet, you fill it with water and csrefully place them in it.

You take a deep whiff of the flowers before heading to your bedroom. As you get your pj's on you feel a sense of dread, like something bad is going to happen real soon. You squash it down and force yourself to sleep.

The following day can't pass fast enough. All day long you are distracted, even you co workers notice that you aren't getting much done. Seeing as you are usually zipping through your work it isn't hard to notice.

Finally the end of the work day has come. You excitedly clean up your desk and shut your computer down. Being an office consultant had its drawbacks but the job was easy and the pay was good. Even if it was boring sometimes. It was the safe and stable direction your parents had encouraged you to take after failing to qualify for the Hunter's Association.

After you got home you were quick to jump in the shower and freshen up. You only had an hour before Rafayel would be knocking at the door.

You decide to wear easy to move in clothes. A white dress and sandals with no heel. The dress is simple and cute. Having a halter style top and a point cut skirt that swishes while you walk.

Just as you finish tying your hair into place the doorbell rings. You grab your phone, keys, and wallet then slip them into your small off white knit bag and run towards the door.

Rafayel smiles in the other side and draws you into a hug. "You're right on time"! You say brightly closing thr door behind you after locking it. Rafayel casually takes your hand as he's done many times before and you start walking.

He asks you what you want to do first when the first lights appear just ahead of you. "Let's walk around the stalls and play some games"! You say just as a familiar figure comes into view. Your blood freezes as you recognize her.

You turn and look sharply at Rafayel and stop short. He tries to mask his expression and you can stop the look of betrayal on your face. You jerk your hand out of his. "Did you invite her to come with us"?!? You ask your eyes darting back and forth across his face searching for a denial.

She quickly interjects. "Rafayel didn't invite me. He told me he was going and I decided to come too. I didn't know I was interrupting a date". She says holding her hands up to calm you down. Her face is genuinely sorry and guilt is written all over her face.

"If it makes you feel better I'm meeting up with someone too. I though we could walk around as a threesome. But we can make that pairs. He's my partner from work. His name is Xavier, he's a good guy. Easy to get along with. You might like him". She says with a bashful smile.

Oh, OH there's that look on her face. You recognize it as you'd worn that same expression whenever you thought about Rafayel before. You glance at the man in question. His face is tight and there is a forced smile on his lips.

"There he is now! Xavier"! She calls waving wildly to someone coming up behind you. Turning you see a tall man with ash blond hair and a pair of the deepest blue eyes you've ever seen. "This is Rafayel and his friend". She introduces the two of you to him. He nods and looks you over before nodding with a small smile. "I'm Xavier, nice to met you". He says going to stand beside her.

This man radiates calmness but you can feel a dangerous aura lurking beneath that. As well as a fierce protectiveness for the small woman beside him. She grabs your hand and tugs you into the bustling crowd ahead. "Come on, or were going to miss all the fun"! Her excitement is contagious and your earlier anger had completely disappeared.

It seemed for once that Rafayel had not interjected her into your plans. That happiness was short lived when you noticed he kept paying attention to Xavier and suggesting that he play this and that game with her. Alot of the time she agreed, sometimes she would decline and play with Xavier. Most of the time she would play twice with both of them.

You were beginning to feel like a third wheel and regretting ever having come to this festival. Rafayel was hardly doing any of the activities with you and it stung sharply. Wasn't this supposed to be his apology for ditching you on your birthday?

Finally you could stand it no more and you stopped walking. The only one to notice was Xavier he looked back at you and asked "Are you ok"? You shook your head. "I'm not feeling well, I'm going home". You turned and walked straight back the way you'd come. Ignoring the protests from everyone coming this way and them telling you, you were going the wrong way.

It seemed like it took forever but finally you made it back to the entrance of the festival and you sat down. The tears came again. You just couldn't understand how and why you were so ignored by Rafayel. Your jealousy burned as every scene played back in your head. Rafayel had only played a few games with you and every time had been when she hadn't wanted dtonolaybwith him first. It had only been then, once she'd rejected that he would ask you like a second choice.

Once again you found yourself completely distraught for the second time, for the same man in only two days.

You walked home alone. Mood completely sour and expression dark. Fishing your keys out as you stood in front of your door you noticed your phone. Unlocking it you were unsurprised to find that there were no messages. Either Rafayel hadn't noticed you were gone yet, or he just didn't care. You shut it off and opened the door. Silence greeted you, just as it always did.

"I'm tired of being alone". You say out loud to no one. "I don't want to be in love with someone who doesn't even see me anymore". You cry sinking to the floor and sobbing again. You don't know how long you sit with your back to the front door crying. Your thoughts are jarred when the doorbell rings. You say nothing and listen. The bell goes off again two and then three more times.

Rafayel's soft voice comes from the other side. "Why did you leave without saying anything to me? Why didn't you tell me you were feeling sick in the first place. I was worried". He says and the concern in his tone irritates you. You stand up and yank the door open.

"Were you actually worried? How long did it even take you to notice I was gone??? Did you even look for me? Why did you ignore me almost the entire time I was there? Am I just a doormat to you? Am I supposed to act grateful any time you decide to toss me even a SECOND of your precious time"? You hurl all your pent up frustrations at him as more tears slip down your face.

Rafayel frowns and you can see him getting angry but you cut him off. "I'm tired Rafayel, I'm not a puppy that will keep running back to you every time you call my name. I will not be grateful just because you remember that I exist. I can't do this anymore. Loving you hurts to much and I just can't take it. It's killing me inside". You try to wipe your tears away.

"I never asked you to love me. I told you she was important to me a long time ago. It was your stupid choice to fall in love with me knowing all that". He spots back at you angry now. Not since your days in middle school when you first met has Rafayel spoken to you this way.

"You think she'll come to love you back?!? Open your eyes and look you stupid ass! She's in love with someone else too! She won't choose you"! You slam the door in his face before he can respond and run to your room and throw yourself into your bed. You sob yourself to sleep and wish that you had never met Rafayel. He's finally driven you into that dark place you'd tried so hard to avoid.

In the days that pass you feel numb to the world. Two weeks have gone by and not a single message or call from him. Not that you were expecting any or wanted any. The last message was from him and one of the silly stickers he liked to use.

If your heart wasn't broken and you weren't trying to recover from the severe emotional beating you'd taken, you might care that your phone was so silent for the first time that you could remember.

Several times you'd opened your contacts and went to trash all his messages and then block and delete his number all together. You just couldn't bring yourself to do it yet. Maybe in a few more days. You kept telling yourself that over and over again. You were caught in this vicious cycle. Wanting to move on and finally free yourself from him altogether and being unable to do just that.

You had adjusted to your life without Rafayel in it. A few times you'd seen his writing a message bubble pop up in your conversations but he never sent anything. You still didn't care.

Two months had gone by and nothing. Once Thomas had reached out to you asking why you hadn't been to the gallery recently but you didn't answer that message either. Under different circumstances you might have felt guilty leaving him on read.

After work that day you decided to change your pace for the first time in weeks. You went to the coffee shop you used to frequent. The Cafe style had always been cute to you and the chairs were so comfortable. Just as you put your hand on the door you noticed a familiar figure in your favorite chair.

Rafayel was slouched in the chair, completely unlike him. His wavy purple hair was messy and ot looked like he was neglecting his sleep. Badly at that, if the dark circles under his eyes were anything to go by. His head was perched on his hand and he was tapping the arm of the chair.

As if sensing your gaze he looked up. His eyes went wide and he immediately stood up and took a step in your direction. You let go of the door handle and stepped back blending into the people walking as you hurriedly left. The moment your eyes met you felt a twinge in your heart. You weren't ready to see him again.

The next day at work your mood was positively black, as if a heavy thunderstorm was hanging over your head. Everyone steered clear of you. Only coming to speak to you when absolutely necessary.

The day passed by slowly and you paid little attention to anything around you. By the time you noticed that it was quiet everyone had already gone home. You packed your things up slowly and were getting ready to leave when the hairs on the back of your neck stood on end. There was a strange energy in the room and your senses screamed danger at you.

Just then a strange screech echoed in the room and something hit you out of nowhere. You flew up into the air and across the room just as alarm bells went off in the building. Metaflux! Your alarmed brain screamed at you through the pain as you were crumpled on the floor where you'd fallen. A Wanderer was inside the room with you and you had no way to defend yourself.

Sheer panic overtook you ss you lifted your head and looked behind you at the horrible monster bearing down at you. That was when the tremors started and you screamed as it's blade bore down on you.

Just as it was about to strike you a gunshot rang out. The monster was knocked sideways and it's blade swung off course. Cutting the desk in two, instead of you. The creature screeched as a flaming dagger sunk into its arm. Rafayel had showed you his Evol many times before. You knew that dagger even at a glance.

The screen around you changed suddenly and then you weren't in your office building. "Protofield"! A female voice called out. Finally you could see Rafayel and her. He called your name and tried to come to you but was held back by the group of Wanderers.

"Just stay put we'll rescue you"! She called tone serious. You couldn't exactly move. Pain and fear had you rooted to the ground. You'd read about protofields before but lacking the skills, you'd never been in one.

Gunshots, screeches, grunts, and communication between the pair sounded all around as they fought the Wanderers off. Just as quickly as it had appeared the protofield vanished. The last Wanderer seeming to have been destroyed.

The two made their way over to you, picking across the damaged desks and scattered paper. Rafayel knelt next to you. Assessing your injuries as she made a call on her watch. Relaying the situation back to the Association as well as medical support.

You hadn't realized it yet, but your breaths were coming in short gasps and you were starting to feel dizzy.

That was when the floor started shaking again. This time the tremors were violent. Rafayel glanced around as he stood up trying to hold his footing. "Earthquake"? He asked glancing at he watch. She shook her head as Rafayel looked around some more.

Only you realized where the tremors were coming from. You'd never told Rafayel you had any Evol at all. He'd believed you when you said you were born without one and had never developed one after the Wanderers first appeared.

The shaking got worse and cracks appeared in the windows as it seemed like the whole building was moving. "Danger"! You managed to gasp out feeling like your energy was being sucked out of your body. You lay on the ground feeling dizzy and nauseous. The windows busted out, sending glass straight to the ground ten floors below.

Rafayel took as step towards you just as a violent shudder went through the building and the floor gave way beneath you. Then you were falling. You tried to scream as you fell. Above you Rafayel was falling too. Seeming to have jumped through the hole after you. Groaning metal and breaking glass was all that you could hear before you blacked out and then silence. Nothing but silence.

*******************************************************

Three months later

Rafayel sat at your bedside. He was usually here at this time of day. It was part of his routine now. He'd gotten used to the beeps of the machines in your hospital room. He'd thought back again and again. The Dr's had determined the earthquake like tremors had come from you. When you had panicked your body's natural instinct to protect itself forced your Evol out of control.

The result had collapsed the building you'd worked in. Thankfully everyone else had gone home for the day. His injuries were nothing compared to yours. Bumps, scrapes, and bruises. He hadn't even needed to be checked into the hospital.

You on the other hand, the list was long and scary. Broken ribs, a punctured lung, skull fractures, a dislocated arm, broken leg, the list went on. He had tried not to read all of it.

The Dr's had treated all your physical injuries and you'd had to under go three different surgeries. The skull fractures had caused the most concern for them. A concussion was the least of your problems.

Right now you were comatose. Your body had shut down all necessary functions to try and repair the damage. The extent of damage to your head had been undetermined as long as you remained asleep.

Rafayel looked at you again, glad most of the bandages were gone now. Beeing wrapped in gauze nearly from head to toe was hard to look at. He took your hand again, careful not to disturb the IV.

"Hurry and wake up, I'll even let you yell at me. I don't mind anymore. You can be mad all you want. Just don't sleep anymore. Please". His voice was a weak whisper as he rubbed his thumb on the back of your hand.

For the first time your hand twitched in his and he looked up sharply at your face. He called your name and the heart monitor picked up your increased hear rate immediately.

He waited anxiously with baited breath and then after what seemed like hours your eyes fluttered open. He leaned over and pressed the call button on your bed after informing the nurse you were awake he turned his attention back to you.

"I'm sorry for everything that happened. You were right. I acted like a jerk, and I didn't treat you very well. I knew for a while that my feelings wouldn't be returned. It's not like she didn't tell me about Xavier before. I just didn't want to listen. If you'll just forgive me, I don't need anything else. " Rafayel said in a rush. Spewing everything out that had crossed his mind in the last three months.

Confusion had knit your brows together. You were looking at him with an odd expression. The door opened as the Dr came in just as you started speaking in a raspy voice. Your words had his heart sinking to the floor.

"Who are you?"

****************************************************

Uwahhhhhh I just realized how long this was editing and proofreading 😵‍💫😵‍💫

I really do torture myself, but then again, short stories aren't very common for me. Oh, well.

I do hope you liked this one. It's a no happy end one. Unless you want to pick it up from my ending and make it happy.

[strangemaleswaps]

Strange Bully Swap

Sumit:

I hopped out of my car in the high school parking lot and grabbed my backpack from the seat. I'm glad I was graduating soon, but a little sad because I'd miss everyone so much. I wouldn't consider myself "popular" in the normal sense. But a lot of people knew me and I tried to be friends with everyone, despite being a shy guy. 

As I walked to the entrance, my best friend Thomas approached me from the left.

"Hey bro! Did you hear about the new kid?"

"Nah, what about him?"

"They say he was kicked out of his old school because of 'bad behavior' or something. But not like actually fighting people. Like threatening."

"What, like he's gonna kill them?"

"Probably. But the school board thought that was bad enough so they kicked him out." Thomas laughed. He'd been my best friend since I moved to this town in 6th grade. He could be a little harsh at times, but somehow we've stayed friends even through high school.

"That's weird yeah."

Bently:

In every one of my fucking classes the teacher had to introduce me all formal like. I hated it so much. Can't I just show up and go on my way?

My old school had people I actually knew and friends I actually liked. But I just HAD to tell this one loser off within earshot of a teacher and they had me expelled. It's not like I was going to do anything! Now I need to start a whole new reputation. One girl I hated from my old school was already telling people what happened so I was fucked from the start. Guess I'll have to sit alone at lunch once again.

Sumit:

The new guy wasn't in any of my classes but my heart dropped when we saw him at lunch. Now that I got a good look, I recognized him. I knew him all too well.

"You good?" I looked up to Thomas's concerned face.

"The new guy. I know him. His name is Bently."

"Yeah I know. He was in my class earlier. When people tried to approach him he like faked a punch." He shook his head. "What a weirdo. Wait, how do you know him?"

"He went to my old school. Middle school. He was a bully that basically made my life hell."

"What? That guy?" He glanced over at Bently sitting alone, then back at me. "But dude, but you're bigger than him."

"Well yeah, I am now. But back then I used to be tiny and wimpy. I remember him towering over me, and that's why I was easy prey. I was scared out of my mind being around him.

"Oh man. But you could totally take him on now though! Smack him!" He threw an air punch.

"Yeah. It's weird though. He was super popular before. He had that kind of outgoing personality that attracted people just like that. Well, other jerks that is. That's why we never got along."

"You really don't need to be an extrovert to be popular though. I mean just look at you! Half the school knows who you are and you're a turtle."

"I mean." I lifted up my shirt slightly. "I got abs too so that's probably why." He stared at me intensely like I said something wrong, but then we both started laughing our asses off.

"True! True!"

"I guess he finally got what he deserved after all this time."

"He's a real loser now. Sits at a table all by himself." Thomas smirked. We noticed Bently had dropped a napkin under the table and got down on all fours to pick it back up. When he extended his arm, his shirt went up, exposing a flabby belly.

"Oh shit dude, he's not only a loser now. He's fat!"

"No way."

"Yes way! Look at that flabby gut. Dude hides all his fat under the shirt. Wouldn't be surprised if he wore a fucking bra too!"

It was then that Bently revealed he was listening. It seems he couldn't take it anymore and walked over to our table with a show of rage on his face. Thomas looked up and started laughing again.

"Can I help you pick out a bra size mister?"

He curled up his fist, about to throw a punch, when I shouted at him.

"Hey Bently! Remember me?" He turned his head in my direction instead. I was feeling abnormally brave and angry at that moment. Maybe it was because I knew I had already won? We stared at each other for a few seconds when he spoke up.

"No."

"I'm Sumit." He took a long look at me when his eyes widened. I could tell he recognized me then.

"No way. Suckass Sumit?"

"Yep. But your bullying days are over so just give it a rest and leave everyone alone." I'm honestly surprised I managed to say that.

"Or what?" I stood up and got face to face with him.

"Or I'll mess you up," I said, alot louder than I wanted to. I may have had a better body than him, but I was no fighter. I was expecting him to throw a punch but instead he did a much dumber move - he knocked our heads together. It hurt like hell and we both fell over. I must've blacked out for a minute because when I got up, the principal had appeared; he was clearing the area and talking to Thomas.

"Are you alright?" He asked me.

"I'm ok."

"Thank you for not retaliating. It takes courage to not fight back. As for you Mr. Wilson," he turned to look at Bently, who was just standing up, "I will let you off this one time because it's your first day but one more screw up and it's detention."

As soon as the principal walked away, Bently came up to me once again.

"This isn't over asshole. Get fucked." He turned away.

"Wow, there's a real grade A asshole." Thomas put his hand on my shoulder. "Guess he's just jealous. I almost feel bad for him. Almost!" He started laughing again.

"Yeah, but my head still hurts."

"Eh, put some ice on it probably."

Bently: 

Fuck me. I should not have done that. I could've easily thrown a punch but he was just so in my face! I think I relied on my instincts. Stupid! Stupid! The rest of the day seemed to drag on and I could feel people laughing at me behind my back. This is really my life now isn't it? I headed home, and immediately to my room. Since my mom was out of town for the weekend, I didn't even bother trying to make any food so I just went to sleep, hoping that Saturday would be more tolerable.

Sumit:

At the end of the day, I went back home, hung out and played some Mario Kart with Thomas, and went to bed. My head wasn't hurting anymore so I was ready to enjoy my Saturday. But, all I could think about that night was Bently and what his problem was. I kinda felt bad for him. Who knows what his life was like?

Bently: 

I woke up feeling pretty energized, which was strange because that never happens. I reached my hand over for the glass of water on my bedside table, my eyes still closed, but found nothing. That's weird. I moved my hand around to find the table itself but still found nothing. I opened my eyes then and looked around to find a completely different bedroom. What the fuck? It was then that I noticed my hand was much darker than what I was used to. I checked out my whole arm and noticed how muscular it seemed. No fucking way. I investigated my body further and found I was wearing clothes that I didn't own so I decided to lift up my shirt to see what it looked like. I had fucking abs!

I grazed my hand along and they felt hard, completely different than the soft flab I was used to. Man I don't know what happened, but I like it! Wait, what do I look like? The bedroom wasn't mine but luckily it had a mirror on the wall. I took my shirt off and gazed into my reflection. Holy fuck.

I'm an Indian guy? Wait…shit. I'm that one guy from yesterday. The one I beat up…or tried to anyway. I leaned closer and touched my face. He's not all that bad looking actually. Wait what am I saying? That guy sucks! But still he has a nice body. I could feel myself getting hard within the sweatpants I was wearing. Maybe I won't think about who I am if I don't look in the mirror. I proceeded to the nearby bathroom and took out his member. Holy fuck he's huge! I rubbed one out, switching between nipple twists and rubbing my abs the whole time. I don't know how I swapped bodies with him, but all I know is that I'm in no rush to change back. This is gonna to be a fun weekend…

Sumit:

When I woke up the next day, I definitely did not feel rested. It felt like I barely got any sleep at all. I scratched the back of my head but noticed something was off. My hair was longer again? I had just got it cut so it was pretty noticeable. I opened my eyes and was very confused when I found I wasn't in my own bedroom. I didn't even recognize the room at all. It was kinda messy and there was a weird scent in the air - which was a stark contrast to my spotless bedroom.

When I tried to sit up I felt a weird feeling. It was sort of a jiggle? I looked down and saw how pale my arms were. What's going on? Am I dying? I made the mistake of touching my chest. It felt…squishy. Oh god. I lifted up my shirt and saw a flabby mess. What happened to my body?! I jumped off the bed, the saggy flesh shuffling with me. My belly drooped a bit below my sweatpants, and the place where I once had pecs, were now wobbly bags of meat. I leaned over and watched them hang down.

I went crazy and slapped my belly, watching all the flab go nuts. This can't be happening! I walked over to a nearby mirror and almost puked when I saw who I was. I….I'm Bently.

What happened?! I made weird facial expressions and shook my belly again. I turned to the side to feel my ass around, and found it was equally as blubbery as the rest of my body. What did I do to deserve this? Oh no, what does my dick look like? I pulled down my sweatpants to see the damage. Oh god, it was…tiny. I have a tiny dick! Maybe it's a grower? I sure hope so! What am I going to do now though? Thankfully it was a weekend so I didn't have to go to school like this, but I needed to figure out how this happened. In the meantime, I was a little curious to see what it would be like to jerk with someone else's dick…

[jaesqueso]

Need it (m)

pairing: college professor!johnny x female college student!reader (featuring college student!jeno)

summary: professor suh thought the fantasies about one of his students were safe inside his head, but what if they came true?

word count: 3,215

warnings: professor x student sex, protected and unprotected sex, creampie, public sex

a/n: I never thought I needed professor suh in my life but I’m so glad he’s here 🥵 I hope ya’ll enjoy it ❤ not proof read yet

☽ ���・・・・ ☾

Johnny walks into the auditory with a smile on his face. At just age 30, he’s living his dream of teaching at the same college he graduated from a few years before. His English classes are quite popular so he sits happily contemplating the full room. But as much as he appreciates all his students, there’s one in particular he always looks forward to see and he is quick to find in the crowd, making his smile widen just a bit more.

You always sit in the front row, try to participate as much as you can and really seem to listen to what he’s saying. Even when he’s having a bad day, just watching you take notes on your seat makes him brighten up.

He knows he shouldn’t be thinking about one of his students like this. Not the way your lips wrap around the end of the pen and you look at him. Not the way you uncross your legs to cross them again, real Sharon Stone style. Surely not the way he just wants to take you right there on his desk in front of everybody.

But those are the thoughts he keeps to himself as he talks about the many perspectives on this lame ass book that’s on the program. He’s sure more than half the class didn’t actually read it, however you certainly have, with way you nod and comment on it.

“Alright, that’s it for today.” Johnny wraps up the class. “Before you go, I just want to say there’s an opening for a TA position, if anyone is interested let me know. Don’t forget it gives extra credit!”

The desperate try to get attention got lost between the sound of students packing and leaving the room. He already has a TA however, has he took more classes to teach, he soon realised he could use a second one, but everybody seems to be more interested in going to parties than spending their free time in a teacher’s office dealing with boring teacher things.

As he starts packing his own stuff, he sneaks a glance your away, getting his last glimpse for a while. He likes to think all your movements are carefully calculated for him, because you know he’s watching, even if deep down he knows that’s not true.

Still he watches you make your way to the door, bag thrown over your shoulder. But then you stop to talk to someone. Of course it had to be Jeno. The popular jock that every girl drops to their knees for. He never saw you two together, so in his fantasy head he thought you were immune to Jeno’s charms but maybe he was wrong with the giggles and the touches in the arm.

Suddenly Johnny feels jealous for something he really shouldn’t so he turns his attention back to getting everything back on his briefcase to get out of there as fast as he can.

“Professor Suh?”

“Yes, Jeno?” He tries hard not to roll his eyes, still focused on his task.

“I have someone interested in joining me as your TA. You must know her. It’s Y/N.”

“Really?” Looking up, he sees Jeno nodding. “Well then, tell her to come with you tomorrow.”

“Perfect, thank you Professor Suh. See you tomorrow!”

Now that got him interested. You want to be his TA. Guess this will be more fun than he thought.

The next day couldn’t come faster. Johnny was barely able to focus on the classes as he anxiously awaited to meet up with you. And Jeno. But he’s not thinking about that last part while he paces around his office arranging every detail to make sure he makes a good impression. Does he have to impress you? Probably not. Does he want to? Hell yes.

His heart almost stops when you finally come in. It’s like a heavenly light exudes around you and he almost hears angels singing in the background. This is definitely not the way he should think about one of his students, but how can he not when you look just like a dream?

He thought having you as his TA would be perfection. Being able to spend more time with you and see you more often. And you look so beautiful concentrated over paper work. But only a few weeks in, it has become torture. Not only being so close to you and not able to do anything, but also the way you were with Jeno. The whispering, the giggles… So annoying.

Johnny expected you to be different. Not the type of girl to let herself be enchanted by the popular empty brained jock. Perhaps you only wanted to become his TA to get closer to the douchebag, not because you too were fantasising about your hot teacher. He doesn’t need to be humble about that. He’s hot, that’s a fact.

“Y/N, can I talk to you before you go?” One day he finally has enough.

“Of course, Professor Suh.” Instead of heading to the door, you walk to his desk.

“See you tomorrow, Professor Suh.” Again the incredible struggle not to roll his eyes as Jeno leaves his office.

“Did I do something wrong Professor Suh?” Why do you have to look so innocent asking that?

“Hum, no, no… I just…” He takes a deep breath. “Why are you here?”

“Well, you asked me to…” You raise your eyebrows.

“That’s not what I-” He sighs. “Why did you want to be my TA?”

“Oh, you know. U-Uh…” You stutter a bit. “Extra credit?”

“Come on, Y/N. You’re one of the top students in my class, you don’t need extra credit.” Getting up from his chair, he walks around the table, resting on the edge. “I’m afraid you’re doing this for the wrong reasons.”

“Please, Professor Suh, don’t send me away! I promise I’ll do better in the future! Please!” You begged.

“I’m sorry, Y/N, but I can’t have someone here who doesn’t want to do the job.” He rubs his temples not believing he’s really doing this. “I need someone who’s focused on the work and not trying to flirt with-”

“But it’s so hard to focus when I’m around to you…” You admit with a sigh.

“I’m sure it is, but-” Johnny widens his eyes fulling realising what you said. “Wait, what?

“I tried, Professor Suh, but the more I get to know you, the more I want you.” You bite your lip. “I know it’s wrong and I shouldn’t feel this way, but I just can’t help myself-”

Finally giving in, he presses his lips against yours and it’s everything he ever dreamt of. Your arms quickly wrap around his neck and in no time he flips your bodies around, pushing everything on the table to the floor and lifting you up to sit on the now empty desk.

Opening your legs, you give him room to get closer right between them, the fabric of your skirt going up with the movement and leaving the big prize only a thin barrier away. Your ankles cross on his back making him step even closer allowing him to feel your heat right against his crotch.

“So it’s my attention you wanted?” Johnny asks as you push his jacket down his arms.

“Of course, Professor Suh. It’s all I ever wanted.” You practically moan as the jacket falls to the floor.

“And all this time I thought you were flirting with Jeno.” He caresses your naked thighs, eager to feel more but wanting to seize the moment.

“Jeno? Oh, please, not in a million years.” You roll your eyes with a chuckle as you unbutton his shirt. “This might sound wrong but I was just using him to get close to you and maybe get you a little jealous…”

“You’re such a bad girl.” His hands grips on your skin making you gasp. “But I guess your little game worked.”

“Then it was all worth it.” You smirk and he takes your lips again.

Johnny’s hands move to cup the breasts he’s been fantasising about since he first saw you walking into his class. Even if you weren’t wearing a revealing shirt back then, week after week your cleavage became lower and lower leaving little to the imagination. Today he just has to slightly pull the hem down to have your breast full on display, no bra in sight.

Breaking the kiss a takes a moment to admire those beauties before sinking his face between them. Your head falls back as he sucks and licks everywhere he can reach, your fingers running through his hair.

“Do you have any idea how hard you make me every time you walk around in these revealing outfits of yours?” He growls feeling his pants get tighter.

“Maybe that was the goal.” You wink, driving him crazy. “But why don’t you show me?”

Taking your hand, he directs it straight to the bulge in his pants. Instantly you grasp it and rub it through the fabric feeling his whole length.

“Oh my, Professor Suh, you’re so big…” You bite your lip.

“And if you behave, I’ll only get bigger.” He smirks.

“That’s too bad…” He lifts his brows, confused but curious. “Because I don’t plan on behaving today.”

Johnny gasps when your hand sneaks its way inside his underwear, properly groping his dick and starting to stroke it. Pushing his bottom clothes down, he gives you freedom to fully pump his cock that, as promised, seems to grow by the second.

While you’re busy drooling at the sight, his hands return to your thighs, making their way to your core to check if you’re as excited about this as you seem. And the feeling does not disappoint, your panties are drenched in your juices that he yearns to taste.

Breathy moans leave your lips as he presses the fabric against your clit, moving his hand in circles and spreading your wetness around. But that was not enough for him. He doesn’t waste time removing your underwear, simply pulling it to the side and finally feeling your folds against his fingers.

You fasten your pace on his dick as he rubs your clit, your moans getting slightly louder. His breathing also gets heavier and he knows he needs to get inside you as soon as possible. And for that to work smoothly he preps you by entering two fingers inside your warm hole. Gasping, you’re no longer able to stroke him, closing your eyes as he pumps his fingers and and out of you to stretch you out.

“You think you’re ready to take me?” He questions, moving your head to look him in the eyes.

“Since the first day, Professor Suh.” You admit, making him reach around the table to grab a condom from his drawer and protecting himself.

“Now, you’ll need to be quiet for me, ok?” Johnny rubs the tip of his dick on your entrance.

“I’ll try.” You tease and he just can’t wait any longer.

In a strong thrust, he pushes all the way inside you, letting out a low moan. He stays in place for a few seconds, engraving the feeling of your walls tightening around him on his mind. But he waited too long for this moment and he’s not about to waste it.

He starts moving his hips against yours, making sure you feel every inch of his length going in and out of you. In the middle of his own pleasure, he watches your teeth sink into your bottom lip, trying hard to hold your noises in, encouraging him to go faster and harder.

Without messing up his pace, Johnny’s lips attach to your neck, careful not to leave a mark but enough to make a breathy moan escape your mouth.

Feeling himself get closer, he also feels like cumming with a better view, so he gently lays your back on his desk. This new position gives him a chance to hold your thighs up and wider making him hit you even deeper, just the right place to make you a moaning mess.

“Quiet, sweetie, just a little bit longer ok?” He asks and you take your own hand to cover your mouth, hopefully muffling the noise. “That’s my girl. I’m so close, will you cum with me?”

As you nod vigorously, Johnny smirks and decides to give you a hand with that. Literally. His thumb descends to your clit, rubbing it in circles as it gets drenched on your juices. Widening your eyes, you quickly grab his wrist keeping it in place.

In no time your back arches of the table while you bite your hand to prevent you from crying out his name, whole body shaking in pleasure. With your pussy clenching so tightly around his cock, he almost instantly fills in the rubber with sloppy thrusts that slowly come to a stop.

When your torso relaxes against the surface underneath you, he too allows him self to catch up on his breathing, hands providing support on the table as he hovers you. But suddenly it all sinks in. Him, Professor Johnny Suh, just fucked one of his students.

“We shouldn’t have done this, you need to go.” He almost whispers letting his dick off of you.

“What?” You chuckle, slightly confused.

“You need to leave. Now.” Quickly he pulls his underwear and pants up, not even minding to take off the condom as he proceeds to button up his shirt.

“Wait.” You get up from his desk, adjusting your top. “I thought-”

“Just forget this happened and go!” His voice is stern and you don’t hesitate to grab your things and get out the room.

As soon as the door closes he starts panicking. Pacing around his office he asks himself how in the hell he could let this happen. If anyone finds out it would be the end of his short career and you could even be expelled. He should’ve never gave into the temptation.

Luckily the weekend comes along and that gives him a few days to think things through as he tries to ignore your scent and your taste lingering on him. Definitely ignoring how he had already touched himself in the shower thinking about that sinful afternoon.

Sunday night comes along and he’s preparing his class for the next day to get his mind of off you but suddenly your name pops up on his screen. An email. He wants to wait to open it but his hands are faster than his mind. However what he reads makes his involuntary smile drop to a frown.

“Y/N?” Johnny calls as you’re about to leave his class.

“Yes, Professor Suh?” Usually your face is bright when you talk to him but today it’s just faint.

“I got your email.” Clearing his throat he continues. “Could you come by my office later? I’d like to talk about it before you make a decision.”

“Well I…” Looking around you sigh. “Ok.”

A few hours later, Johnny hears a knock on the door and he gets up, patting his clothes before telling you to come in.

“You wanted to see me?” You enter, closing the door behind you.

“Yes. Please, take a seat.” He points to an empty chair and you follow. “So, you don’t want to be my TA anymore?”

“Yeah…” You almost whisper, looking down.

“Can I ask why?” Sitting on his own chair, he clears his throat. “I mean, you were the one that showed interest in it even if you didn’t need the credits.”

“I know…” You sigh. “I just assumed that after last week you didn’t want me to-”

“Y/N, you’re by far one of the best TAs I’ve had in my years of teaching.” He interrupts. “My work has never been as organised as when you started and it’s has been a delight to have you here.”

Getting up, Johnny walks around his desk until he’s right in front of you.

“Please, re-think your decision. I…” He kneels down at your feet. “I need you.”

Without a word you lean forward, your lips lading straight on his. It’s just a peck and as you part you stay just inches away from him.

“What are you doing?” He whispers, eyes half closed looking down at your lips.

“I’m sorry, I thought-”

As you start to back away, Johnny grabs the back of your head pulling you back to the kiss you started. Instantly you kiss him back, hands entangling on his hair. Without parting away from each other, you stand up together, no space allowed between your bodies.

His hands slide down your back to your ass, giving it a hard squeeze that makes you yelp into his mouth, this corner of his lips curling up into a smirk. Descending them even more, he taps your thighs and you get the hint, jumping up to wrap your legs around his torso. Moving around the room, you gasp when your back hits the bookcase on the nearest wall.

“Are you ok?” He asks, concerned his hunger for you is taking over his sensibility.

“I’m perfect.” You half moan. “Just fuck me already, Professor Suh.”

Not wasting another second, he reaches between your bodies and unzips his pants to finally free his cock that’s been getting harder and harder ever since you walked into the room. Once again your panties are only pushed to the side before he feels how incredibly wet you are already.

Johnny’s dick slides so easily into you that he almost never wants to come out anymore. You hold tightly to his shoulders as he starts moving his hips. The more his rhythm increases the more your back hits the shelfs, a few thinner books falling to the floor generating chuckles between the low moans that fill the air.

It doesn’t take long for his orgasm to build up. This is all he’s been thinking about since the last time, no matter how much he tried not to. How would you expect him to get a taste of heaven and not want more?

When he shoots his load inside you, his eyes roll to the back of his head, muffling his moans in the crook of your neck. But that doesn’t mean he’s done.

Gently he takes his member out of you, giving you a kiss before getting down on his knees. One of your legs gets flipped over his shoulder as he dives in, tasting both your juices combined.

You seem to like his move by the way your moans intensify and you tug on his hair keeping his head just in the right places for his tongue to work its way to your orgasm. When it comes, it’s not hard to miss and he needs to hols you in place as your body shakes in pleasure.

Once he’s sure you came down your high, Johnny gets back on his feet, wiping his mouth with the back of his hands before giving you an intense and passionate kiss.

“You’re not gonna send me away again, are you?” You look into his eyes as he slightly leans back.

“Not anymore.” He smiles, caressing your cheek. “From now on, I want you to stay.”

☽ ・・・・・ ☾

taglist: @yokshi-unbeliebubble​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​ @nc-teen​​ ​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​ @yutahoes​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​ @dimplehyunn​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​ @iknowyuno​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​ @bebskyy​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​ @ne0cultur3technology​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​ @nurenciye​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​ @luvjeongjaehyun​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​ @nohyuckieduckie​​​​​​ @booyouwhore17​​​​​ @jenoxygen​​​​​  @jaehyunsprincess​​

unable to tag: @chenleyang @doahflix @criminalmindsz

[hannibalismos-jaaneman]

throw back to when you said richard was smarter than henry. im not disagreeing w you but i /gen wanna know why you think that. bc most people in the fandom would say henry (mostly i think because his aesthetic). i personally have never really thought about it.

anon MULTIPLE reasons. MuLTiPlE-

richard was naturally smarter because he attended high school. why is that? henry dropped out in junior year i believe and that year is so darn crucial, you make most of your friends in that time, you become comfortable in your class, with your teachers and within your family at that point. like your real personality and image starts forming in that year. junior year defines your social status and even tho henry was richer, richard still attended high school which means he was just that more emotionally intelligent than henry.

henry was apolitical and socially unaware. richard being from the suburbs had really been a part of the world and not just been a passive observer, unbothered by shit going sideways around himself because his daddy had money. he is canonically a socialist in 80's capitalist usa that's insane, that means he had an understanding of finance and floating monetary systems which was basically being revolutionized in the 80's. the structure of the us economy was changing, there were socio-cultural revolutions going on, feminism, the end of the black panther party, marxist-leninism, over-consumerism, hippie culture, fucked up geopolitics and the sins of the american government, i could seriously go on about how politics must have fascinated him at that time.

also, can i just say that although he dropped out, richard did about a year and a half (i think?) of pre med, that means he had stem related aps in high school and he must've scored well in them as well as his sat to actually land a pre med college.

richard was actually good at greek, that was actually why julian let him in the class besides the fact that he was prettier than all them pretty bois in hampden.

ONLY PERSON IN THE GREEK CLASS WHO GRADUATES™.

he's actually the only person amidst all of them who realises that they are going insane.

he didn't want this life, he actually wanted to be successful in his life but every twenty-something person makes bad decisions.

he's not completely innocent, nope, but he's incredibly inquisitive and he has a way with people. like all of them tell him something that they wouldn't tell anyone had they not been like him. and yeah most of the fandom still thinks that they were trying to set him up for their crimes but there's a separate explanation for why i think that's not actually true and it's voiced by someone else i'll try to link that here.

richard is also indeniably loyal yet extremely shrewd. as i said earlier, he has a way with people and that's because he understands them and unconsciously his attitude changes towards them, making them naturally trust him. like judy and sophie instantly just trusted him to do shit for them and talked to him. like it was the 80's, every other normal guy was a serial killer but they never really gave a second thought about it. same was the case with francis. like ik francis can be a bit of a dummy but he sure as hell fell for richard's- idk- richard-ness.

he was kinda like this weird glue between the nerds and the rest of the college. like soon after richard joins college, the greek class starts interacting with people outside the group, like, sophie, judy, cloke, bram, jack, spike, laforgue, roland. like idt that they would've ever interacted with anyone but each other had richard not come into the picture and that just makes him like a little bit more of the human element in the group and i believe that indeed does make him smarter than not only henry but the rest of the class as well.

[peaceeandcoolestvibes]

It's sad af that professors go out of their way to actually thank us for working hard lmfao

.

[bread-tab]

Doctorate progress:

This spring I was granted an associate's degree (2 years of university, worth about half a bachelor's) by my community college after 11 years of on-and-off classes, repeatedly burning out, getting diagnosed with ADHD, and going back for one (1) English class that I had previously failed or dropped out of 4-5 times already.

I passed that class last year by the skin of my teeth because I'm an excellent writer but kept missing classes and writing assignments due to being sick.

Apparently this gave me just enough core credits for a different degree than the two (transfer and specialized) degrees I'd been going for in the past. The school sent me a letter saying they would automatically graduate me if I didn't respond within the next 4 months. Due to aforementioned ADHD, I didn't get around to it and subsequently forgot about the whole business until I got another letter with my transcript and instructions on how to order a copy of my diploma. ...I should probably do that.

I have decided not to go for the doctorate on account of, I finally have a full time job and if I take more than one class at a time I will spontaneously combust.

Sad about not getting to do a dissertation and all that fun stuff but like. I'm a whole adult. At this point I'd rather invent my own field of study, do the field work in my spare time, and write some books. That sounds a lot easier.

I've already done my decade in academia. I've had enough.

(Maybe I'll find a school without the structural and institutional ableism, ageism, and classism I'm accustomed to and change my mind. But, like, I doubt it.)

So, a little belatedly, I'm giving myself a pat on the back for finishing school. You never have to do it again, buddy. Not unless you actually want to.

[whoblewboobear]

At this point Wednesday and Thursday are the highlights of my week like I’m vibrating with excitement when I know Wednesday at like 7 something I’ll be sitting down to giggle at my favorite show like I- 🤧

I don’t always watch d20 seasons as they’re airing but for fantasy high, it gets so woven into my schedule when a new one drops 👏 like not to get super sentimental (I’m absolutely going to in a read more. Plus the season is ending soon and I’m emo about it but also just excited in general to get all the answers) but this season really means a lot to me. Absolutely none of them will see this (thank god) but the intrepid heroes & BLeeM mean so much to me. They made a show that is so funny and beautiful and kind and so stupid at its core and it just goes to show how lovely they are. The impact they’ve made on the actual play community is so huge. For me a lot of actual play was very intimidating to get into because of huge backlogs or the kinds of stories being told weren’t for me but goddamn, d20 just hits on so many levels. In part due to the storytelling and also just holy shit everyone at the table shows up and cares so much about who they’re playing and their place in the world and the story they’re helping be told. It’s just 🤧💖 I hope one day I’m half the dnd player that Brennan, Emily, Lou, Murph, Siobhan, Zac, and Ally are. They truly inspire me so much.

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**TW For SA, trauma, mental health + personal shit etc under the cut**

I stopped watching d20 for a long while. Give or take a year or two? I know it was around the zoom season era. Me and A guy I was really close friends with bonded over dnd and d20 and it was one of the main things we had in common. The night he SA’d me we were watching FH S1 from the beginning. And I think that kinda.. like I didn’t watch d20 because it brought up a lot of thoughts of him and that night and just so much ptsd.

D20 was my favorite form of escapism during hard times and it really sucked to lose that for so long. When d20 Junior year was announced I decided it was time to get back into the show because I missed it and I loved it and I couldn’t let him make me so scared that I never went back to what gave me so much joy. I introduced the show to him in the first place, I could reclaim.

I watched freshman year after I dropped out of art school because my parents and I couldn’t afford another loan and I was really lost. It took my mind off a lot of it thankfully.

Sophomore year aired when I started going to community college. I had a night-time psych class that would end about half an hour before the streams would start so it gave me motivation to get through it because I had something to look forward to after. Now junior year is airing while I’m dealing with a lot of health stuff + depression + job stress (now that I write it all out, both college stresses passed and I did end up getting a decent-ish, albeit very shitty job in graphic design, so I know there’s light at the end of the tunnel so to speak, this’ll pass)

I don’t know if they’ll ever do a senior year/graduation season but if they do, I’ll be there still excited and brimming with joy and anticipation for more d20 Wednesdays to come. 💖

[frazzledsoul]

Probably preaching to the choir here, but I find the constant revisionism regarding Christopher Hayden's sporadic attempts at fatherhood rather frustrating.

I often see his fans argue that Lorelai "kept Rory away from him and refused to let him participate" and that "she made it uncomfortable for him." But did she? She declined his marriage proposal because he was uninterested in Rory from the beginning. She left home and moved thirty minutes away, worked her way up to a middle-class life, and made it clear he was free to do whatever the fuck he wanted. We're told he calls Rory every week (I find this unconvincing, but whatever), he sees her on holidays, he knows how to find Rory and Lorelai when he finally visits them 14-15 years after they move there. It sure doesn't sound like Lorelai hid her away and didn't tell Christopher where they lived or refused to allow him to visit her. Not to mention that we are explicitly told in season 1 that she's "always held the door open to her, you just never wanted to use it" and he agrees.

The other thing she tells Rory in that S1 episode is that "he's going to come and go as he pleases, hon, you know that." Contrary to the belief that she kept Rory away from him, she actually is super accommodating any time he wants to show up and contribute and she never rebukes him for all the times he didn't feel like it. She doesn't appear to ever ask him for money or criticize him for being a bad dad and of course, she keeps sleeping with him any time he does anything half-decent. She's raised Rory to think that it's inevitable he's going to treat them like crap and only show up when it's convenient for him and that they can never be mad at him or hold it against him because she didn't marry him when he offered so long ago. The idea that he had a responsibility to Rory regardless of whether Lorelai was willing to be in a relationship with him is not a reality in their world. It doesn't help that both sets of grandparents seem to blame the entire situation on Lorelai and don't expect Christopher to contribute in any way.

And of course, Christopher doesn't really care about Rory. He's mostly eager to act like a dad when there are cracks in Lorelai's relationship with Luke and he senses an opportunity to get in her pants (he usually succeeds at this). Once that opportunity goes away, he disappears. He drops out of Rory's life once Gigi is born. He doesn't appear to be in contact with her after he and Lorelai divorce until it's time for her graduation. After Lorelai stops talking to him once she reconciles with Luke in the post-OS period, he stops talking to Rory, too. Even the offer to pay for the second half of Rory's college education only comes when he inherits a bunch of money he didn't earn and offers to buy *Lorelai* anything she wants until Rory reorients his offer towards something practical. Rory is a means to get to Lorelai and not much more. And of course, we know from AYITL that he sends Gigi away to her mother eventually as well, giving up on her too.

This is not to say that Lorelai always behaves perfectly. She avoids telling Rory about Christopher requesting to make holiday plans with her for a few days and she does a lot to poison Rory against Christopher/Sherry in S3 because SHE'S mad at him for rejecting her and Rory feels she has to take her side. Still, I don't feel this is equal to all of Christopher's neglect and at any rate Rory is a big girl now, a legal adult, and can develop a relationship with her dad beyond her mom if she wants. Christopher doesn't appear to be terribly interested.

(Oh, and the aforementioned S2/S3 behavior is why you shouldn't be best friends with your daughter, as it's inevitable that your hurt feelings will get in the way of what's best for her and her relationship, however frayed, with her other parent. That is another topic, though).

In the end, all this does have a profound effect on Rory. She's often submissive in her relationships (especially with Dean) and lets problems fester instead of dealing with them because that's what's been modeled for her. She also regularly cheats with old boyfriends because her parents taught her that you always have a claim on your first love and that overrides whatever commitment you're currently making. And of course, in the AYITL era she seems to have copied his life patterns a bit too much, as she's got no real incentive to change at this point.

Lorelai wasn't too hard on him. She was way too easy on him and put up with too much of his shit over the years, and that had its own reverberations. Both Lorelai and Rory should have been allowed to be angry at him for his neglect. It never happened.

[doyou000me]

Part II: Historical Context and Hyung's Background

So… this is not what I was going to write for Part II. I was going to write about shame and the way we perceive/react to how society sees us. I was going to loop it back to Part I; “An excess of self-awareness was a disease in itself.” I was going to compare how the narrator, his mother and his boyfriend are all affected by it in similar and/or different ways. 

And then I got to thinking about the boyfriend, mainly referred to as Hyung. 

About two thirds into part II, we get Hyung's backstory and, without spoiling anything, it’s basically a chunk where the narrator name-drops a bunch of movements and incidents that are part of recent history in Korea. Most of it meant next to nothing to me, and I felt like I was missing out on a whole lot of context. So I did some preliminary google searching, realised I needed more historical context, and went to the library to borrow a book on Korean history. Then I started making a timeline. Then I went online and started googling specific movements and incidents. Then I got a headache. 

[This is long, so I’m putting the rest of it under the cut. Also, this is about Hyung's backstory so, you know, spoilers about that.] 

The chunk of a paragraph that started all this is this one:

“He had been part of the leftover student activist generation of the mid-nineties and after graduation had dipped his toes in the labor movement. The Misun-Hyosun incident demonstrations had also been during his time, as well as protests against the abolishment of the National Security Act and the anti-Chosun Daily movement…” 

Student Activism in the mid nineties

Labour Movement

Misun-Hyosun Incident

The National Security Act

Anti-Chosun Daily Movement

That’s 5 historical events, all named in one paragraph without further explanation - likely because a Korean reader is expected to know what this all means. I am not a Korean reader and I have no idea what most of it means. It’s a lot. When I started reading about it, I realised it’s even more. As is often the case with history, a whole lot of things are connected, and many of these things connect all the way back to the Japanese occupation. 

There are academic papers written on these things. There are books. I am a pyjama-clad person curled up on my couch with a book and an internet connection. Of course I decided to attempt to summarise and explain it all. What could possibly go wrong? 

Disclaimer time: I am not a historian or, in any way, an expert on the subject. I’ve spent about a day and a half on this, and it’s not nearly enough. Also, I am paraphrasing to the extreme to make sure I don’t end up writing half a book. I hope it’ll serve as context for anyone reading part II who feels as context-less as I did, but if you actually want to know about any of these topics, I’d recommend doing some reading of your own. I’ll leave references at the bottom. 

Also: content warning. This is really dark and really heavy history. Be warned, and take care of yourselves. Now:

Some massively paraphrased Korean history 

Japanese Protectorate and Occupation (1907-1945)

Starting out as a protectorate treaty to challenge China’s power on the Korean peninsula and give Japan access to Korean ports, Japan took control of Korea in 1910. What followed was 35 years of repression and Koreans living under systemic racism as second class citizens in their own country. This included institutionalised erasure of the Korean identity. 85% of the Korean population lost their Korean names and were forced to take Japanese names. Many never learnt to write in Korean, only Japanese. Hundreds of thousands of Koreans were killed for protesting against the occupation. All higher positions within the country were given to the Japanese, and the Korean workers were paid half of what Japanese workers got. Towards the end (1931-1945) when Japan went to war with China and needed resources, 3,5 million Koreans were displaced, both within Korea and abroad to Japan and China. Many were forced into slave labour in mines where unsafe working conditions and 17-hour work days killed many. Women, many just teenagers, were made “comfort women” and forced into filthy, violent brothels to serve the Japanese soldiers. 

Then WWII ended. Japan surrendered to the allied forces in 1945, packed up and left Korea. Korea was suddenly free. 

Just as suddenly, there was no government and no regime. There was no leadership, and not just on the government level. Industries ground to a halt. Production stood still. Displaced Koreans moved back, leading to sudden overpopulation of urban areas. Nationwide unemployment was at 50% and criminal activity, homelessness and alcoholism rose. 

American Occupation (1945-1949)

The US stepped in. Due to global tensions after WWII, they did not want Korea to fall into the wrong hands, and made a deal with the Soviet Union: they split Korea in two along the 38th parallel, and the US would get the south part while the Soviet would get the north part. The plan was for Korea to eventually regain independence. The split along the 38th parallel was not grounded in any social or geographical conditions. Farmland and manufacturing in the south was divided from fertiliser production, natural resources and energy production in the north. Families living on different sides of the border were divided. 

The American leadership that was put in place had next to no time to prepare, barely any prior knowledge of the Korean history, culture or people and very limited interest in learning. The US leader, General Hodge, had little political or administrative experience, and initially tried to cooperate with the Japanese to help with the occupation (this, as you can imagine, did not go over well). Labour demonstrations born from the terrible conditions Korean workers had lived with were brutally repressed and seen as pro-communist. Racism led to the assumptions that the Koreans were incapable of organising and governing themselves. The National Security Law was established in 1948 with the purpose of arresting North Korean sympathisers and infiltrators. 

In 1949, the US withdrew from South Korea, and South Korea was declared the independent nation of the Republic of Korea. The Soviet Union (officially) withdrew from the North - while also helping North Korea, along with China, to build up their military. In June, 1950, the North Korean army marched over the border on the 38th parallel and invaded South Korea. 

The Korean War (1950-1953) 

On one level, the Korean war was about North Korea invading and trying to take over South Korea, turning all of the Korean peninsula into one Korea. On another, global level, it was a cold war power play between the US and the Soviet Union with South Korea, the US and the UN on one side and North Korea, the Soviet Union and China on the other. Both sides tried to take all of the Korean peninsula. Both sides failed. After three years of war, where foreign soldiers fought in a foreign land and Koreans fought Koreans, nothing was gained. In 1953, the border on the 38th parallel was reestablished. The entirety of the Korean peninsula had been bombarded and razed to the ground. Everything needed to be rebuilt. North and South Korea were among the poorest countries in the world and millions were still separated from their families by the border. 

34 000 American soldiers were killed. 140 000 South Korean soldiers were killed. More than 640 000 North Korean soldiers were killed.  Over one million Chinese soldiers were killed.  Some 3 million Korean civilians were killed.  And nothing was gained. 

South Korea Under Military Dictatorship (1953-1960, 1961-1987)

So, with hunger, spreading disease and homelessness, with cities in ruin, orphaned children on the streets and widows left to fend for themselves in a country where women were not seen as independent citizens at the time, President Rhee and the Liberal Party won the elections in May 1954, making Rhee the first Korean president. They worked to turn the economy around through the use of five year plans as well as grants and loans from the US and secured national safety with an agreement with the US to place troops in Korea indefinitely - troops that are still present today. 

They also turned the democracy into a dictatorship when Rhee risked being voted out of office. Elections were rigged and political opponents silenced. The National Security Law (according to which anti-state groups and those who disturb the national order can be imprisoned) was used to silence and root out opponents. Student protests were regularly held against the violations on democracy and corruption in the Rhee administration. After Rhee’s fourth presidential reelection in 1960, the opposing party rejected the results and student-led protests erupted in Masan, quickly spreading to the rest of the country. This became the April 19 Revolution, which led to Rhee going into exile. 

An election was held and a new president was chosen. 

The next year, in 1961, General Park led a military coup and took power, claiming that South Korea - amidst strikes, protests and student and left-wing groups discussing immediate reunification with North Korea - was not yet ready for democracy. They focused on economic growth, successfully turning South Korea’s economy around and, on the way, making the chaebol into some of the wealthy conglomerates we know from kdramas. They also focused on improving the relationship with Japan, leading to major protests. 

They also cracked down on all opposition. Less than a month after the coup, the KCIA was established - for decades, the KCIA investigated, arrested, tortured and assassinated South Koreans who were accused of being North Korean sympathisers, suspected of supporting communism or seen as a threat to the regime. Gradually, the dictatorship became more and more repressive, with crackdowns on freedom of speech, increased power for the KCIA and martial law being imposed. Student activist protested, demanding a return to democracy, and workers protested with them, demanding better wages and working conditions. 

In 1979, Park was assassinated. 

General Chun took over, appointing himself director of the KCIA and continuing the military dictatorship, but by this point the people had had enough. Starting with university students in Gwangju, thousands of people in the city gathered to demand a return to democracy. The protest lasted from May 18 to May 27 of 1980, and became known as the Gwangju Uprising. It ended in violence, when the Chun regime isolated the city and went in with tanks and paratroopers. 150 were killed, over 4 000 wounded, thousands arrested - both protesters and citizens simply living their lives in the city. After that the relationship between the regime and the people was strained, to say the least, and anti-American sentiment sky-rocketed as people associated the US forces with the violent crackdown in Gwangju. 

It was during this time that “Hyung” was born, in 1979, because yes, this post is still about LitBC Part II, and this all started because I wanted to understand his background better.  Hyung lived his first years under a military dictatorship, where the people were under constant threat from the KCIA, student activist groups continuously struggled to regain democracy and anti-American sentiment was on the rise. 

In 1987, as the next presidential election approached and with the Gwangju Uprising still fresh in memory, people doubled down on their protests. Led by students and workers, the June Democratic Struggle broke out on June 10 with people demonstrating across the country. It lasted until June 29 - in success, as the new president pledged that South Korea would have free, direct presidential elections. Democracy, for the first time in about 20 years. 

Many changes were still needed in the country, but now the population could take to the streets and protest without fear of violent repercussions - and the regime listened. Wages doubled over a span of five years. 

In 1997, the Asian Financial Crisis hit South Korea. Several Chaebols went bankrupt and 1988 became the worst year in the history of South Korean economy since the Korean War. (Go watch Reborn Ritch if you’re interested) Today, this is spoken of as the IMF crisis. Fortunately,  South Korea recovered relatively quickly. To balance the country’s over-reliance on manufacturing, the government launched a campaign to support the entertainment industry, thus laying the ground for the Hallyu wave that would spread globally in the 2000s.  

The 2000s

“Hyung” entered university in 1995, and would have graduated somewhere around the shift of the millennia, right as South Korea was recovering from the IMF crisis. Shortly after his graduation, the Misun-Hyosun Incident, Anti-Chosun Daily Movement and Protests against the abolishment of the National Security Act all happened within quick succession. 

The Misun-Hyosun Incident, also known as the Yangju Highway Incident, occurred on June 13, 2002, in Yangju. Two South Korean schoolgirls, 14 year old Shim Misun and Shin Hyosun, were struck and killed by a US army vehicle on the way to a training exercise. Apologies were issued, but the drivers of the army vehicle were ultimately found not guilty by the US MIlitary court, sparking demonstrations across the country and fuelling the anti-American sentiment in South Korea. 

The Anti-Chosun Daily Movement can be traced back to the early 1990s. The Chosun Daily, or Chosun Ilbo, is one of the main newspapers in Korea. It is a conservative newspaper and has historically had a very close relationship with the ruling regime, military dictatorships included, which brings into question its role in a democratic country of free speech. With the rise of more progressive online journalism, the criticism against the Chosun Ilbo has increased and people have gathered online to raise their voices, leading to boycotts and an anti-Chosun manifesto being written. In 2002 the movement became an important part in Korea’s development as a progressive country and was a contributing factor to the media reform that followed. 

Protests against the abolishment of the National Security Act broke out in 2004, when the then leading political party called for its repeal. This National Security Act/Law is the same one that was established in 1948 to catch communists and North Korean sympathisers, and was then used by the Rhee regime to silence political opponents (are you still with me?). When the law was about to be repealed, a newspaper poll found that 66% wanted the law revised but not repealed, while a majority would rather keep the law as was than have it abolished on grounds that it helps keep the country’s economic stability. The constant threat of North Korea is a very real factor to why people see the law as necessary. Amnesty International has called for the law to be fundamentally reformed or abolished, as it challenges freedom of speech. 

Ok. Deep breath.

If you’re still reading, I applaud you. If I lost you somewhere along the way, you won’t see this but I do understand you. As I hope you understand, this is all very condensed. The history of Korea is very complex and much of what I have written about are still sensitive issues today. I’ve tried to keep close to my sources to avoid getting anything wrong, but I am sure there are many, many more movements and issues that would need to be covered to present anything close to the full picture. Still, I hope this has given some insight into the background of “Hyung” and the past that has shaped him into the character that he is. 

When I read part II, I did not understand his character. I dismissed him as some conspiracy-reading guy living in a basement keeping a tinfoil hat somewhere, and when our narrator dismisses and downplays his story, I was fully onboard. Now, after a full day of reading up on the historical context and political climate that “Hyung” must have grown up in, I understand his paranoia and reluctance to interact with anything American far more. It leaves marks, having lived in a time when the KCIA could drag you off the street for speaking up against the government, never to be seen again.

Times have changed in South Korea and they’ve come a long way, but the recent past is still very recent and they still have a long way to go before old wounds can be healed and damage done can be cleared up. All it takes is watching a few kdramas, and it’s clear that general distrust in politicians and the legal system is still around. Apart from a better understanding of a character in a book, it’s shed some light on my own naive ignorance and lack of understanding when it comes to some Korean attitudes and reactions I’ve encountered in the past. Some things I frowned at then, I now understand. 

Apart from Reborn Rich, which plays out between 1987 and today with its main focus on the financial crisis, I have not watched dramas depicting this part of Korean history (I have avoided them, because the subject matter was very heavy simply to read about. I do not think I could handle watching it dramatised). Neither have I found any good documentaries covering it. If you have recommendations that you’d like to share, please do. 

Now, as promised: sources!

Historical background and context: Korea; A New History of South and North by Victor D. Cha and Ramon Pacheco Pardo (2023)

Most of this post is based on this book, and if you’re interested in 20th century Korean history, I’d really recommend it. It’s a surprisingly easy read. 

Misun-Hyosun Incident/Yangju Highway Incident: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yangju_highway_incident

National Security Act: https://wilj.law.wisc.edu/wp-content/uploads/sites/1270/2012/02/kraft.pdf 

Anti-American Sentiment: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anti-American_sentiment_in_Korea 

Anti-Chosun Movement: https://www.academia.edu/86931794/The_Anti_Chosun_Movement_Journalism_Activism_Politics_and_Historical_Memory_in_Post_Authoritarian_South_Korea_1998_2002 

Student movements in Korea: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Student_movements_in_Korea 

Internet activism in South Korea: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_activism_in_South_Korea 

National Intelligence Service: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Intelligence_Service_(South_Korea) 

@lurkingshan I'm not sure if this counts as meta or goes as a context-post, so I hope it's okay I'm tagging you

[waltwhitmansbeard]

Prom with Vaxleth?

26. Prom setting this in grow with the flow! buckle the FUCK UP

It starts with a social media post—Vex's, to be specific. Vax groans, his phone hovering just a few inches above his face, and Keyleth turns her head away from the business email she's been writing and rewriting for the last half hour to ask, "What is it?"

"Look." And then the phone is shoved in her face, and she's looking at—

"Is that you?"

All limbs and sharp angles, a teenage Vax in an ill-fitting tuxedo, his hair slicked back with what must be an entire container of hair gel, gives a sultry look to the camera. He's back to back with his sister, who's wearing a shimmering blue strapless gown that makes her legs look a million miles long. They each wear a snowdrop, him on his boutonniere and her on her corsage.

"Is this your prom photo?" Keyleth snatches the phone, grinning from ear to ear, to look even closer. "You two look so good!"

"We look so dorky." Vax tries to grab the phone back, but Keyleth keeps it deftly out of reach. "Apparently, today's the tenth anniversary, and Vex decided to air our dirty laundry on social media."

Keyleth scrolls down to read the comments, and since Vax is tagged, the Grow with the Flow audience is having a field day. "Oh yeah, this is fun. It's half bullying you, half asking to have a threesome with you and Vex."

"Disgusting."

Keyleth finally returns the phone. "Did you guys at least have fun?"

"Well, I hooked up with both the prom queen and the theatre teacher, so...yes."

Keyleth's jaw drops. "At the same time?"

"No." That prompts more questions than it answers, but then Vax asks, "What about you? I wanna see sexy prom photos."

She snorts. "Good luck. I didn't have a prom."

Vax sits up in bed. "For real? Why not?"

"I wasn't kidding when I said Zephrah is small. My graduating class had eleven kids in it. We just had a bonfire instead. That was the first time I successfully shotgunned a beer. There may be pictures of that somewhere!"

Vax pouts, hooking his chin on your shoulder. "So you've never gotten to dress up all pretty, make all the boys and girls go oooooh?"

"Um, well, I got a pretty nice dress for my mom's funeral."

"Oh fucking hell." Vax swings his legs out of bed and snags up his phone. He paces a line in the kitchen, dialing someone and pressing the phone to his ear.

"Who are you calling?"

"My sister. We are fixing this."

.

Honestly, Keyleth forgets about it. The podcast is really taking off, and pretty much any time not spent researching and scripting and recording and editing is spent coordinating sponsorships and doing the annoying paperwork that comes with owning a business. Vax has some project that he's working on, but he won't tell her what it is, which is fine, because she has more than enough projects on her own plate right now.

She doesn't think to question it when Vex tells her they're going shopping one weekend. Vex likes to shop—well, no. Vex likes to window-shop. Vex rarely spends actual money. Except this time, they go to a little corner boutique, one that sells gowns for weddings and galas. She doesn't know why, but Vex is insistent that she get this long-sleeved emerald green dress that hugs her curves. She tries to argue that it's a ridiculous expense, but Vex promises her they'll do a photoshoot with it for the podcast, and hey, they've been making some pretty good ad revenue these days, so she caves. It's especially hard to say no when Vex buys a dress herself, a slinky black number that makes her look like danger.

She definitely doesn't connect the dots when Vex and Pike burst in unannounced one afternoon when Vax is out, each laden with bags of makeup and hair products. Keyleth's tugged away from her editing to get dolled up, for fun, they insist. The next thing she knows, they're all dressed up, each in their own beautiful gown—Pike's poofy golden dress makes her look like the sun incarnate—and Keyleth's being shoved out the door.

She probably should have figured it out before Vex pulled her car up in front of the botanical garden, where a red carpet lined with silver and gold balloons leads inside the building, but no, it takes Vax, dressed in a sharp black suit that fits like a glove with a slim green tie that matches her dress perfectly, stepping out holding a homemade sign that reads Will you go to prom with me? that she finally fucking gets it.

Crying, she throws her arms around his neck, chastising him for keeping such a momentous secret from her, but Vex is there to scold her for ruining her hair and makeup. Her friends lead her inside, where she's shocked to find the gardens filled with people, most of whom she does not know. Vax explains that he put the call out for anyone in the city who missed out on their high school prom and wants a second chance, with all profits from ticket sales being donated to Keyleth's favorite conservation organization. Keyleth dissolves into a mess again, but Vex and Pike get her cleaned up enough for the evening to begin.

And oh, what an evening. Scanlan's band plays them through a night of dancing, drinking, and all around fun. Keyleth has never spent so much time on a dance floor in her life, but even though she takes plenty of spins with Percy and Grog and the girls, she is happy to have so many with Vax, who can go from an elegant waltz to a shockingly gymnastic twerk with a simple key change.

Some of the other prom attendees are podcast listeners, and Keyleth is so grateful to get to put faces to the numbers she spends more time than she likes to admit obsessing over. Everyone takes thousands of pictures, and she is so excited to see the #growwiththeflow hashtag come morning. The gardens are filled to the brim with people just loving life and enjoying each other's company, and Keyleth, who had never put much thought into what it meant to miss out on such an adolescent right of passage, is beyond grateful to experience this night with these people.

When the evening is winding down, and most of the revelers have either gone home or gone to another location to continue the party, Vax tugs her by the hand deeper into the gardens, far from the area set aside for the event. He boldly strides past a sign forbidding entry, saying "This is not even in the top ten most interesting places I've trespassed" when she stutters in protest.

He stops when they're surrounded by the most beautiful blossoming cherry trees Keyleth has seen since she left Zephrah. The glass ceilings of the botanical gardens let in the light of the stars above, and the entire scene is so fragrant and beautiful. "Vax...this is lovely."

"So are you." She wrinkles her nose at him, and he kisses it. "Did you have fun?"

"I don't think I've ever had so much fun in my life. I can't believe you kept this a surprise from me for so long."

"I can't believe you didn't catch on. I mean honestly, Keyleth, don't tell me I have to be the brains in this relationship, because if that's the case, we're screwed."

She punches his arm. "Jerk."

"Yeah, well, this jerk has one more surprise for you. Look over there." He points over her shoulder and she turns. She squints in the low light, but she sees nothing beyond the cherry trees except more plants.

"I don't understand, is there supposed to be—" She cuts herself off as she turns around to see Vax on one knee, a small box in hand. Her hands fly to her mouth, her eyes instantly watery.

"Keyleth, I am not a man of the gods." His voice is cracked, strained, like he's choking back tears of his own. "There is little that I have ever had faith in in this life. Until you. Until I fell in love with a girl I'd follow to the ends of the earth. Until I learned that fate did not mean that my life was a cart on a track, hurtling toward an uncertain future I couldn't avoid, but rather a certainty, a knowing that in this life, in any life, I am yours until I die and long after. And now my faith is in how much I love you, in how much I know you love me. And I may be a lovesick fool, but I have every faith that love will carry us through whatever the gods have in store for us." Keyleth is openly weeping, her breaths coming fast and sharp. "So, then, Keyleth..." He opens the ring box, revealing a pair of rings, one with a gorgeous smokey gray stone. "Will you marry me?"

She doesn't answer him, choosing instead to tackle him into a kiss that knocks him pack onto the stone pathway of the gardens. She kisses him until she can't breath, until the crying and the laughing and the hyperventilating has him sitting her upright before she passes out. Her hand trembles as he slides the rings onto her finger, and it isn't until he closes the ring box again that he pauses and asks, "Uh, wait, was that a yes?"

"Oh, you are definitely not the brains in this relationship." And she kisses her fiancé again, beneath the stars and the cherry blossoms and the eyes of the gods.