#he hasn’t really caught on because he thinks it’s kate’s bird

[padparadschaaa]

im pretty sure al noticed that kate turned into a bird before elbie did

Kate: Mr. Alfons, with a suspicious smile on his face, answered meaningfully while looking at the little bird..

(Oh, you don't realize it's me, do you?)

then when elbie says that he can’t eat breakfast without kate, al just says he can eat with the bird… he knows.

[cielcius]

hey hey hey kate 😃 first time sending a request

how aboutttt, any hq boy of your choosing, and how’d you think they’d cheat on a test? would they be obvious or lowkey sneaky with it? were they successful or did they get caught? did they cheat and still fail 💀 or cheated and pass?

I’m studying for a chem test and ik for a fact I’m gonna fa!l 🥲

HOW THEY CHEAT ON A TEST | HEADCANONS

includes: atsumu m. (hq), bakugou k. (bnha), bokuto k. (hq), kuroo t. (hq), & monoma n. (bnha)

from the writer: LMAO i love this idea it’s hella funny. ik this is also really late but for ur sake i hope u did well on that test and every other test that comes 😌 I also added two bnha chars just bc but n e ways, i hope u enjoy and thanks for requesting :) have a lovely day/evening!

notes & warnings: mentions of guilt, academic cheating (don’t do it folks!)

Atsumu:

he thinks he’s so slick and sly about it, but even the damn birds outside the window can see how often he’s looking at the inside of his palm

and he doesn’t even sit near the window—

he treats it as a whole elaborate plan as if he’s going on some top-secret mission to collect information

and then his grand plan ends up with him writing everything down in the palm of his hand with sharpie🧍‍♀️we know that's not rubbing off for days

but it does get a little smudged and spreads onto other places so the teacher is just sitting there watching Atsumu squint at his hand the entire time

like the person sitting in front of him can tell what’s happening

at this point, the teacher doesn’t even wanna deal with that so he got away with it this time 😀👍

Bakugou:

he doesn’t 🙂 it’s taboo to even think about him cheating but that doesn’t mean he hasn’t tried at least once

the one time he did cheat was only because he forgot about a test which is honestly surprising in itself

he hates cramming but this was definitely the first and last time he would ever do it again

on the outside, he’s playing it cool as usual but he actually gets heart attacks every time the teacher walks relatively near his desk

I feel like he used the trick where he slips a piece of paper under a bandage on his finger or hand or sum and it actually passes because of all the quirk training that happens

but it’s a humongous silent hit to his pride and ego with the fact that he actually had to resort to cheating

yeah, he’s never doing it again cause it also takes too long to find the answer in the world’s tiniest handwriting

Bokuto:

he doesn’t like to cheat in general because he feels guilty

but he really needed to pass this test or else he wouldn’t be able to go to the training camp

and it’s his worst nightmare subject: math

while he’s writing down what he thinks he might need during the test, he also questions how other people cheat because they always seem to have the exact answer to each question

but like how do you know what the questions are?? like if you knew, then why didn’t you just study that material???

he’s not gonna judge though cause he’s practically in the same boat but with a guilty sub-conscience

he deadass uses the biggest piece of paper but he manages to hide it under the test paper and in his pants out of panic when another classmate came to pick up his test

Kuroo:

he’s a smart boy, he doesn’t need to cheat but he does need to cheat

he got cocky and decided to study during the break before the period with the test

only to find that some of his notes were incomplete due to the fact that the teacher was going through the lecture really fast that day and he forgot to fill in the rest

mind you that this break lasts for ten minutes only so he’s Lightning McQueens this shit and speed through his notes and the internet simultaneously so he can write down what he’s missing in his notes and on the inside of his arm Mulan inspired

the only problem is that his handwriting is a bit bigger than average and you can see the black ink through the white sleeve of his shirt

so he walks in holding his forearm to his stomach constantly to the point where the teacher asked if he had a stomach ache and if his arm is okay

cue him holding his hands up to reassure the teacher only to have the teacher and the whole class see his forearm scratched up in black ink with notes on the test subject yeah it’s confirmed, he absolutely despises history now

Monoma:

he’s actually really smart, contrary to what others may think

but he’s bombing this section of chemistry and after studying for hours, he gave in cause he also doesn’t wanna ask for help

he was lucky to even get a low C on the last test honestly same and the upcoming one is one of the biggest that’s going to count for thirty percent of his semester grade so he’s secretly freaking out

he is confident about what he does know in the subject so his cheat sheet is just about small enough to fit in his hand

but if you look close enough, you can see how awkwardly he has to position it so that the paper doesn’t show or slip out

he gets through the test fairly well but here comes the real problem: it slips out onto the floor right in front of the teacher just seconds after he’s handed his test in

“Monoma, what’s this?” “notes?” “they’re small” “IT’S MY TINY POINTLESS ITEM THAT I LIKE, OKAY?”

[reynie-muldoons]

'Depends on the Wagon' liveblog!

I saw someone do timestamps in their liveblog and it was absolutely lovely, so I think I'll try that too

1:55 why does Curtain sound like an mlm ceo LMAO

2:07 WOW ASSHOLE 😂😂 waving off your own teacher when he was complimenting you is not the vibe

2:17 so Dr. Curtian is only available through chain emails. Got it.

2:27 he seems like the kind of asshole to say that people on welfare are lazy and exploitave but then like, not pay his taxes

2:42 I DON'T LIKE HOW HE SAID THAT, THAT WAS CREEPY

2:47 oooooh Constance, always asking the right questions

3:05 Kate, why are you yelling, it's literally past curfew 😂

3:35 oh hai Jackson.. gtfo

4:22 oh yeah, the best way out is through the hallway that Jackson just entered. Good plane, babe.

4:25 soooo Kate Depending On Friends arc :)

4:59 AYYY HI RHONDA!!

5:13 why do I kinda fucking love then all deciphering the Morse code together

5:20 so the kids use the gemini riddle? Not the adults???

5:36 his face when he figures it out 😭😭😭

5:46 Nathaniel? Guess that's Dr. Curtain's name now. Less ridiculous than Ledroptha, but you dont get the badass Let Drop the Curtain reference

6:53 okay so no one knew he had a brother? But he did???

7:21 his faaaace 🥺

7:29 AWWW HE COULDNT BRING HIMSELF TO SHARE 😭😭😭 okay I'm kinda on board with the change if they can make it work in the long-haul

7:42 hi Milligan, good timing 😂

7:56 "not the time.........I'll take a dozen" Number Two my LOVE

8:23 interesting. I dont think Mr. Benedict was adopted in the books? He certainly didn't let Violet's family, the Hopefields, because he knew their financial troubles would be even worse. So who?

8:54 ohhhh dear, stages of grief at work. Maybe don't do that

9:05 I talked about this in the MBS discord server, but I think the show is really nailing Mr. Benedict's feelings. He's always been an emotional person, but he has to be so careful. Bottling up your feelings only leads to bigger feelings later. It makes so much sense for Mr. Benedict to be a whirlpool of strong, repressed emotions.

9:11 MILLIGAN'S FACE JAHAHS

9:34 RHONDA'S FACE HAGSKDGDJ

9:40 Mr. Benedict, sweetheart 🥺❤

10:01 "brothers stick together" why does it sound like he's talking about Reynie here 😭😭😭😭

10:12 that is a good ass point, Mr. Benedict already lied to them once

10:21 it makes sense for Sticky to be the one questioning the most because of his anxiety, but damn

10:46 AWWWWWW

10:56 KATE MAKING A BED FORT KATE MAKING A BED FORT KATE MAKING A BED FORT

11:00 I dont like how aggressive Kate is but it makes sense considering she's been in the circus for years, taking care of herself for far longer than she hasn't. She's not good at depending on people, and she's not good with difficult people.

11:10 Yeahh, Constance gets it!

11:40 Yeahhh, Constance gets it

12:55 that teacher seemed pretty nice last episode, nice to see that they're not what they seem just the same as Dr. Curtain lol

13:28 CONSTANCE I LOVE YOU 😂😂

14:00 "check again" okay so Krista from the tests and Martina give off the same vibe.. perfect 😂

14:16 "yeah......hang in there :D"

15:05 all of the apologies to the general class.. he's such an anxious sweetheart. He's really reading as autistic to me.

My sister just called me 😑 it's like 8 am, I answered her like "did you ever consider that you might be waking me up?" She did not consider that 😂

15:22 Martina's face just growing more and more annoyed and disgruntled HAHA

15:29 that was CORRECT?? WHAAAA

15:51 throwback to when I compared Dr. Curtain to an mlm ceo.. definitely like a cult

16:44 ohhhh Martina

17:30 CONSTANCE HEARING VOICES HELLOOOOO

18:22 ayyyyyy helper man

18:40 he seems too cheery to be a helper .-. The helpers all being super sad made [redacted]'s story make a whole lot more sense

19:35 aaaand now we get to it. You know, it really does seem a lot more cultish on screen than in the book

19:53 WAIT CONSTANCE GOOD JOB PUTTING THE PIECES TOGETHER 😂😂😂😂

19:53 that cut to Milligan making that exact face was INCREDIBLE

20:05 was he tryna leave? Yeah, good fuckin luck bucko

20:10 "critical papers at home" my ass, they packed everything up

20:24 the stages of grief back at it. 🥺

20:38 their relationship >>>>

21:00 "located in the..?" *description of envelope* "located in the....?" *more description* "located in the????" 😂😂😂😂

21:34 ohhhhh Thursday must be the student ranking day

21:56 Martina seems like the kind to throw out "pick a god and pray" as a crit quote 😂

22:07 I don't see any of the Society'a names on the list. Maybe they havent been there long enough

22:17 OH SHIT JK THERE THEY ARE

22:25 ohh Kate and Constance

22:55 the combination of the ferry horn and the bell makes it weirdly grim

23:55 them bringing Kate up and reminding her that she's needed 😌✨

24:29 hi Milligan bb ilyyyy

24:35 real good lookout guys, y'all are so well hidden

24:52 AYY HE'S DOING IT KATE STYLE

26:31 "visionary" is a word for it

26:31 I really kinda love that Number Two and Rhonda are going to such depths to try and help Mr. Benedict figure this out for sure

26:56 Mr. Benedict fully walking away while they talk about his brothers accomplishments 😂 I'm laughing, but poor guy

27:08 his FACE 🥺

27:28 HERE'S THAT TANTRUM FROM THE TRAILER

27:28 take your guesses how many times will he fall asleep

27:50 "he just has to work through some things" you dont fuckin say

27:55 you mean to tell me he had a full blown meltdown and they didn't show him falling asleep once??

28:35 like father like daughter 😌✨

29:10 ayyyy secret desk compartment

29:19 honestly I'm surprised there were actually papers he needed and it wasnt an excuse to go confront Dr. Curtain

29:32 oh shit, how'd they manage to get that far inside? No one was there to guard it, but the maze itself is a security measure

29:42 KATE STYLE STRIKES AGAIN

29:47 ooooh I like Dr. Curtain's office

30:01 WAS THAT SQ AND DID HE JUST CALL DR. CURTAIN HIS DAD

30:41 birds have careers. Got it 😂

30:50 JOURNAAAL

31:02 the fox?? Reynard the fox???

31:27 ohhh here we go, Dr. Curtain sees himself in Reynie only to resent it later

31:37 Mr. Benedict called Reynie a leader once too.. the parallels have ✨begun✨

32:12 is this the "keep your enemies close" conversation??

32:15 I'm honestly surprised he called him Sticky and not George

32:42 IT IS SQ IT IS SQ IT IS SQ

32:59 sooo that starts by not letting his caution down with you

33:11 Dr. Curtain congratulating himself mid-conversation on saying something deep is so in character

33:20 "I was betrayed by someone very close to me" so that was Mr. Benedict. Who the fuck else would it be

33:23 WHAT DID I SAAAAY

33:31 oh noooo Reynie starts doubting Mr. Benedict here? Is that the move?

33:43 that transition was so pretty stoppp

33:53 again how hasn't he fallen asleep

34:55 ayyyy journal snooping

35:05 Constance, my love, you are cut throat

35:11 Milligan is in the DRYWALL? ohh buddy be careful

35:21 omfg are they talking about water polo 😂 I love that that's the sport of choice

35:51 ayyyy they put the Milligan dots together too. Shame the guy's not with them rn

36:36 so Mr. Benedict brings up cheating first? I really like how we get to see the adults riddling out what to send back, we didn't get that at all in the books

37:46 I LOVE THAT THEY KEPT "don't get caught"

38:51 Kate riddling out the island schematics engineer style is so like her

39:07 they're just walking out the door?? Huh???

39:29 babe... turn off your flashlight

39:33 AND THAT'S WHY

39:58 is that the precursor to chuckroot?

40:38 the papers were from his orphanage 🥺🥺🥺

41:14 why does that break my heart

41:19 Dr. Curtain and SQ doing shit together it just.. so heartwarming

42:00 HAHA

42:16 okay, so show!Curtain is a kissass 😂

42:35 wait wait wait so Dr. Curtain is actively trying to contain his brother? That would explain why the Recruiters were looking for him and weirdly not the kids

43:25 "power wants to be free" sounds more like a personal mantra than a conversation between engineers

43:41 YES A LETTER TO MISS PERUMAL

44:02 more voices. Poor Connie girl 🥺

44:36 he loves her so much 😭😭😭

44:45 SHE TRIED TO SEND HIM A CARE PACKAGE

45:13 WORRIED MOM TIMEEE

[shawnsorangeglasses]

The Opposition - Part 2

4.4k words

gif found on @shawn-mendes-pictures 

it’s part two and i’m shaking. I think this is a goodun.

Synopsis: Shawn is a tightly wound, Type A law student in college. For the most part, he has his life figured out and planned to the minute. Then comes Caroline, a charming Type B and his unlikely equal.

warnings: brief mention of death and sex but not necessarily in that order and not at all in detail

…

Mornings start early for Shawn. Only the finches and sparrows chirp and sing songs at this hour. No one else in the building is awake, so he can go downstairs to the common room. It's the best time to get the good coffee with little to no human interaction. Zero noise and no one to see him in his onesie.

He sits in a lounge chair, watching the sun come up over the tree line outside. The whole room gradually transitions from gray to a soft orange. The quiet is both comforting and unnatural for the busy dormitory. It’s times like this Shawn wishes he could bottle feelings to calm himself down later.

An hour later, he walks back to his hall, making sure to wave good morning to the security guard lady at the front desk.

“Shawn?”

He turns towards the direction his name came from. Kate is there, coming through the door behind another student swiping themselves in. She looks great, as usual, and it stirs something inside of him. He hates that she can still affect him this way. What’s worse is she knows it.

The dynamic is different now though since Shawn broke it off with her last summer. Now, he knows better. He’s noticed how she moves and talks when she wants something out of him. Whether she’s doing it on purpose is still something of a mystery. Sometimes it works, but not as much anymore. Even now, he wonders if his heart skips a beat because he’s still hung up or because this is technically a security breach.

“Kate,” he says, paralyzed. “What are you doing? You don’t live here.”

She continues to approach him. “Harrison didn’t tell you I’ve been trying to get a hold of you?”

Shawn swallows hard, “He told me. You should probably stop texting him, he can’t afford the data.”

“I wouldn’t have to text him if you just gave me your new number.”

Shawn bites his tongue. He wants to say he can’t afford the data charges either, but that might set her off. So he says nothing.

She shifts from one foot to the other. “How have you been?”

“Better,” he admits. He looks down at his onesie. “I’d rather not have this conversation right now, Kate.”

“Shawn, I’m trying to apologize-”

“Don’t,” he cuts her off. “You have nothing to be sorry for. We have nothing in common and I fucked up thinking we did.”

“I just wanted to make sure you were okay. That we’re okay.”

“I’m fine,” he shrugs. “I’m already over it.”

“Well maybe we can go get breakfast or something? Just you and me?”

She smiles and Shawn can feel himself softening. It easy to say whatever when she's not in front of him. Getting trapped in her icy blue eyes this time serves as a reminder that he’s without a doubt still in love. And it only makes this harder. He looks down into his mug. “I’ve already made plans with Harrison.”

Her face falls slightly. “You can’t squeeze me into your tight schedule?”

Shawn tightens his fist behind his back. "You know me. A plan is plan."

"You used to always make exceptions for me."

"Yeah well," his voice carries a little too far. Reel it back in. "That was then. We're not together anymore. If we ever were together at all."

"Don't make this sound like I didn't care about you," she shoots back.

"I don't know Kate, did you? I dropped everything for you and you never tried to be more than-," his words trailed off. That's not something to be said out loud. In front of the security guard lady.

"I know I wasn't the best to you, but I know what I want now. And I want us to try again. Can't we?"

"Don't you think that everything ends for reason, Kate?"

Kate glowers at him the way she used to when she didn’t get her way. Shawn holds eye contact, refusing to let her bend him. He takes a sip of his coffee when she finally breaks.

“Fine,” she groans. “Guess I’ll see you later.”

Hopefully not, he thinks to himself. “I’ve gotta go wake Harry up.”

Shawn doesn’t wait for her rebuttal. That last thing he wants is to be the guy caught arguing with his fling on the first floor. He lets go of a breath of air he didn’t realize he was holding in as he boards the elevator. His eyes sting and blur, making it difficult to find the right button.

...

Classes start Monday. The local news said this would be the last week of high temperatures, so Shawn made plans to go with Harrison to the mall and buy some colder weather clothing. He did try to protest waking up early on a Saturday to go shopping for coats in August, but Shawn managed to convince him by promising ice cream later. Harrison is easy to win over that way.

"Harry," he called from the other side of their dorm. "You better be ready or I'm leaving your ass here. And don't think I'll bring you something back. I will not."

“Why can’t we just order the shit online,” Harrison shouts back.

“Because we don’t want to turn into hermits.”

Shawn adjusts some out of place items on his desk before exiting his room. The dandelions he and Caroline picked yesterday are still kind of alive on top of his leather journal. The way the sunlight is coming into his room right now makes them look exceptionally yellow. He stores them in between a couple of pages and flattens the book with a dictionary. Something he saw in a movie once.

Harrison hops on one foot out of his room, tugging his sneaker onto the other foot. His t-shirt hangs around his neck. "I can't find my glasses."

Shawn stands by the front door, swinging his keys around his finger. He blinks slowly at his disoriented friend. "They're on your nose."

Harrison pats the side of his head, feeling the wire rim framing his face. "Oh. Duh." He pulls the rest of his shirt down. "Okay I'm ready."

"Alright, come on then."

Shawn double checks his pockets as they walk out. The door automatically locks behind them and they walked to the elevators.

"Wait," Harrison shouts.

Shawn nearly jumped out of his skin. "What now? You’ll wake the whole floor yelling like that."

"We gotta get Caroline."

Shawn rubs the bridge of his nose. "I didn't plan for Caroline. I planned for us."

"Oh, you with the fucking plans. She's our friend. We have to get her."

"Fine! Fine, her room is on the second floor." Shawn pushes the elevator call button. The doors open immediately. "Christ, if I didn't know any better, I'd think you were into her."

"And yet I'm not the one who knows where her dorm room is," Harrison says coolly.

Shawn shoots him a look. "Fuck off. It's not even like that."

He throws his hands up in surrender. "All I'm saying is it's really cute that you walked her back here. I just knew you would."

“Any good person would walk a woman home. It’s called being a gentleman.”

“Yeah yeah, call it what you want. I see this coming a mile away. Can’t say I blame you. She’s got that X factor. That je ne sais quoi. That secret sauce.”

“I’m gonna stop you at ‘secret sauce.’”

The skin on Shawn's face slowly turns red as he remembers the dandelions as well as the feeling of Caroline tucking them into his hair. He hasn't let anyone get that physically close since Kate. A funny, warm sensation spreads throughout his chest. He swallows it.

“Oh is that some blush I see,” Harrison teases.

"We're almost to her room, shut the fuck up."

Thankfully, Caroline’s room was one of the furthest from the elevators. It gave Shawn a minute to cool himself down. He leans on the doorframe and knocks twice. “Behave,” he warns Harrison.

He blows a raspberry. “What’s the fun in that?”

The door swings open. A tall, lanky, blonde girl stands there in an oversized shirt, brushing her teeth. “Who uh yahl,” she asks through minty foam.

“Uh, friends of Caroline,” Shawn manages to say.

“Hahng ahn,” she says, slamming the door shut. When it opens again, Caroline is in her place, excited and bright in the eyes. She’s an early bird too.

“Boys, to what do I owe this pleasure?”

“Shawn’s making me go outside,” Harrison whines. “So I need you to come for emotional support.”

Shawn rolls his eyes and they settle on Caroline. “How soon can you get ready?”

She turns and shouts, “Beth! I’m leaving!” Presumably Beth responds with a gargled “okay.” Caroline turns back to Shawn and Harrison, “Give me three minutes.”

…

The mall is as packed as one should expect it to be on the weekend at the end of summer. Shawn can hardly enjoy himself. Caroline and Harrison are cracking jokes left and right, but he stays a few steps behind, going round and round in his own head about Kate. She seemed so sincere and honest. And out of all the problems they had, she never lied to him about anything.

“Shawn,” Harrison says.

Shawn falls out of his thoughts. “Huh?”

“Where’d you go, man? I said your name like three times.”

Shawn looks between his friends' confused expressions. “S-Sorry, I was um...just thinking.”

“Okay. Well I never got to pee at the dorm so I’m going to the bathroom. Caroline’s in charge.”

Shawn looks at Caroline, who’s already shaking her head. She mouths “no I’m not” and sits down on a concrete bench. Shawn sits next to her, keeping a safe and polite distance from her hip. She seems to take this as a cue to turn to her phone.

"Sorry to drag you down here," Shawn says. "Unexpectedly."

"It's fine. I wasn't busy and I like hanging with you two."

Shawn takes a second to really look at Caroline out the corner of his eye. Enigmatic Caroline. She dressed comfortable today, like the first time he met her. She also isn't aware of him watching, as she's far too engrossed in an article on her phone. He can feel the muscles in his back starting to unravel the longer he watches her in her own little world.

"So," she starts to say, not once looking up, "any reason as to why we're at the mall this fine Saturday morning?"

"Harry needs winter clothes and if I didn't make him go today he would still be wearing tank tops in November."

Caroline doesn't say anything for a beat. Then her hand is on his sleeve. "Are you sure you’re okay? Did that stick up your ass grow branches or something?"

She says it in such a loving tone, Shawn has to laugh at the irony. "I'll be fine. We can all talk about it later."

"Well," she reclines back, surveying Shawn, "before I forget, you do look nice today."

"I thought I dressed like the dean," says Shawn.

"Oh you do, but it's not as stuffy as yesterday. This looks like you might be Harrison's and my cool dad. I'd probably roll the sleeves up though."

Shawn looks down at his cuffs. He lends an arm to Caroline. She unbuttons his right wrist and neatly rolls the fabric up to just before the bend of his elbow, then does the same to the left. Shawn squirms in his seat, unsure of how to react to her skin touching his. It really has been a while. She bites her lip, looking him over one more time. Her inky eyes dart around until they settle on his collar. “May I,” she asks.

Shawn’s eyebrows furrow. “Is all this really necessary?”

“Yes,” she unfastens the top most button, “because if I had this body, I’d be unstoppable, okay?”

Her words all but force him to compare. Caroline is by no means a model, but there’s clearly physical appeal to her body. She dresses comfortable, but just like the red dress from yesterday, she also dresses to accentuate. Much like now, she had on an oversized cardigan and a romper that did not match in anyway but still looked good on her. Every line is bold and intentional without being so obvious.

"One more thing," she says, and pushes a curl back into his hair. "What’s with you always hiding this pretty face?"

To say he doesn’t like the compliments would be untrue, but Shawn couldn’t ignore the twisty feeling in his stomach. It doesn't feel normal. None of it makes sense coming from Caroline, as if she’s speaking another language or telling him some kind of dirty secret. It puts him a compromising position between indulgence and denial. Twice each she complimented him and Harrison on the way to the mall. Harrison, of course, took it easier because he’s Harrison. Shawn nearly ran into a couple of curbs and parked crookedly.

Caroline scoots back on the bench to observe her edits. “There, now doesn’t that feel a little better?”

It does, but he isn't about to admit it outright. Shawn clears his throat. "Whatever. Quit embarrassing me."

She shakes her head. “I can’t help but feel like you’d be better adjusted if you just got laid,” she says a little too loud. A couple of younger girls walking by snicker in a huddle.

“I get l-laid enough, t-thank you very much,” Shawn stammers.

“Really? When’s the last time you got some?”

“I’m not answering that.”

A few people glance their way, either annoyed or entertained. Shawn drops his head in his hands. "You're insufferable."

“And you’re uptight.”

Harry comes out of the bathroom a few minutes later, shaking his head. "I swear people get filthier and filthier," he spits. "Toilet paper and puddles everywhere. Let’s buy these sweaters so we can go get ice cream already."

“You don’t want to at least get some real food before that,” Shawn suggests.

“It’s all going to the same place anyways,” Harrison and Caroline say at the same time. They both smile at each other.

“Wow,” Shawn scoffs. “Literal children. Both of you.”

…

They started at The North Face, but Harrison winced at too many of the price tags, so they downgraded to Banana Republic. He found some online coupons on his phone and that got him into the shopping mood. For a while, he was dragging Caroline and Shawn from store to store. Harrison had about $200 worth of clothes by the time he decided he couldn’t handle spending much else.

Now settled in the food court, Shawn sets up his own office space at the end of the table, complete with laptop and notebook. He bought Chinese for himself and Harrison while Caroline got a meatball sub. “I’ll eat in a second,” he promises when Harrison asks him to take a break. He scribbled some notes about possible laws that can be applied to an ethics court case from 1983, Bouvia v. Superior Court.

"Bro, when is that even due," Harrison asks, mouth full of orange chicken. He's curled up in the corner of the booth they chose.

"Uh," Shawn checks his syllabus, "next Friday."

Harrison leans across the table and slams his laptop shut. He points a menacing spork at him, to which Shawn folds his arms in front of his chest. "Shawn Peter Raul Mendes, stop and get something to eat."

Shawn takes a hasty bite of the eggroll from the container in front of him and retreats back into his papers. “I’ll eat in a minute.”

"Hey, this is a good time to talk about that thing," Caroline pipes up. "Remember that thing that was bothering you?"

The tip of Shawn's pencil snaps. He sighs as Kate wanders back into his headspace. Caroline worries that she may have overstepped when he doesn’t speak for a second or two. Then his gentle nod assures her that she did not.

"What thing," Harrison asks warily.

"Kate," Shawn pushes his hair out of his face, eventually resting on his hand. "She caught me downstairs this morning. Before I came to wake you up."

"Ah shit," Harrison winces.

"Nothing bad happened. She just wanted to get back together."

Harrison's eyes widen. "And you said no, right?"

"Obviously." Shawn tucks his hands between his legs. His foot taps uncontrollably under the table. "But…"

"Not the but," Harrison tugs at his hair. "But? Really?!"

Shawn doesn't say a word. He feels like a child again, wanting something he shouldn't have. Kate isn’t a bad person, but he decided a long time ago that they weren’t good for each other. She wants freedom. He wants stability. Shawn was always so sure of every decision he made in the past, but love is different. There’s never a way to plan for it.

"I don't know. Maybe I ended things too quickly."

"If you don't mind me asking, why not just see if she's ready to move on," Caroline asks. "Like find someone new?"

"You haven't met Kate," Harrison mutters through his hands. "She wants Shawn. Why? I don't know. He's a pain in my ass."

"Ditto," Shawn deadpans.

“She may be fucking gorgeous, but she’s incapable of committing. One minute she’s into lawyers. The next, she wants an art hoe. It makes me dizzy.”

“Well there’s a frat party on Friday,” Caroline offers. “I was invited and they let you bring a plus one. I’m almost certain she’ll be there.”

Shawn and Harrison’s eyes meet and they laugh right in each other's faces. “That’s a good one Caroline,” Harrison says, wiping a tear, “I almost threw up when you said frat.”

“What is so funny,” she shrugs.

“Like any of those frats would want us at their party,” Shawn says. “A snitch and a bisexual in the middle of all that? It’s a recipe for disaster.”

“Come on, Shawn and I can go, there’ll be a bunch of other hot guys, and we can see if she’s serious about him this time around.”

Shawn considers the idea. The thought of being surrounded by a bunch of drunk undergraduates nauseates him to say the least. He'd rather write twenty court case papers. However, it is a social setting filled with every single one of Kate’s types. A party is the ideal place to see if she means what she says. And no matter what his mind told him about

Harrison shakes his head. "Caroline it's a great idea in theory, but Shawn's never gonna-"

"Let's do it," Shawn blurts.

Harrison and Caroline stop themselves short. "What," they ask.

"It's insane and I hate parties, but I'll get my answer. We have a whole week to prepare. I don’t see why not, other than a few thousand ways this could go wrong. But I want to."

And there are a few thousand ways this could go wrong. Too many drinks. Too many drunk girls. Drunk angry frat guys. Drunk angry frat guys looking to start a fight with Shawn. The cops could show up. Fraternity parties are always a shit show waiting

Caroline’s arms shoot up straight in the air, “Yes!”

“But we’re doing things my way,” Shawn says, pointing a finger at her. “I make the game plan. Harrison we’ll find a way to get you in too.”

“Oh no,” Harrison laughs. “Please leave me out of this. I’d rather be surprised with that good story. That is if you two make it out alive.”

“We will,” Caroline chirps. “I’ve got a good feeling about this.”

…

Rampant knocks at the door would normally go unnoticed this time of night. Except Shawn is up late like he is every night. He's drinking coffee with an abnormal amount of sugar and creamer and immersing himself into a court case that happened decades ago. As far as anyone is concerned, staying up late on a school night to read is the most reckless he will be by himself. His first class isn't until noon so he figures this is okay for now.

So when Caroline comes knocking frantically at 1 AM, he’s wide awake on the couch.

He opens the door and the first thing he notices is her eyeglasses. The second is the tears threatening to fall down her face and how she’s out of breath. Crying doesn’t usually bother him. Mock trials can get emotional sometimes when they invite the theater students. And Kate cried often when things got bad, and they always got bad. Shawn knew how to handle crying. This was different though. For some reason, the Caroline he imagined didn't cry.

“Hey, what's-”

“I lost my sweater," she hiccups. "I-I think I left it at the mall, but I can’t remember t-taking it off. I retraced our steps for hours, but no one fucking had it. I didn't know where else to check.”

Shawn remembers that ridiculously oversized sweater. She left and forgot about it in the back seat of his car. Which makes sense, because all three of them kind of lost track of the day after the mall. It’s starting to become a running theme in the friend group. The shopping errand evolved into just another lazy Sunday and went well into the evening. After getting food in the mall, they got ice cream at a Cold Stone a few blocks away.

They sat and talked about high school and why it sucked. Where they wanted to go in the world. Who they would want to have a conversation with, dead or alive. And Caroline said her mom, who is incidentally dead. She was four when it happened so it doesn't make her too sad. Then they walked through downtown until it got too dark to be safe.

Without saying a word, Shawn pulls her into the living area by her shoulder and places a finger to his lips. She nods and takes a seat on the couch. He goes back to his bedroom.

Caroline’s sweater is exactly where he left it: neatly folded on his desk next to the leather journal. He was going to return it when he first noticed it discarded and alone in the back seat of his car, but he figured she would come back once she saw it was missing. Now he feels guilty, realizing he could have just gone down to her room on the second floor and just returned it to her hours ago.

She’s looking at all his papers scattered on the coffee table when he returns to the living room. “You’re like a real lawyer, huh,” she asks, now a bit calmer but still sniffly.

“Getting there, yes.” Shawn hands her the sweater, and it's crazy how quickly her mood changes. She exhales and buries her face in it. “You left it in my car," he explains. "I would've given it back sooner, but I thought you might come to me first. Then I forgot, which is stupid-”

He shuts up when Caroline traps him in a hug, lifting herself onto her toes. Shawn stays frozen in place for a moment before he wraps his arms around her shoulders. He doesn’t dare rest his chin on her neck. In his mind, they aren’t there yet. So he settles for rubbing her shoulders. Caroline taps his back to signal the end of the hug.

“Thank you.” She chuckles and it sounds tear-stained. “Sorry I came here bawling my eyes out in the middle.”

"It’s fine. Sorry I held onto your sweater."

"I'm just glad it's safe." She bites the inside of her lip. “And I trust you.”

"Oh."

Caroline wipes her cheeks silently with her palms. She hasn't looked him in the eye since she walked in. He looks around the room for a box of tissues on the side table and offers them to her. She only takes one for her nose.

"I have to be honest, I thought we'd have a little more time before one of us started crying in front of the other. Now I feel like I have to cry in front of you pretty soon. "

Shawn was only half hoping this would make her laugh. He never really thought of himself as funny, but it's worth a shot.

She sniffles again. "Are you trying to cheer me up?"

"Uh...no," he lies.

Caroline smirks, knowing the truth. She doesn't bother calling him out this time.

"I suppose I should ask if you're okay?"

This time she giggles. "That is what normal people do, yeah."

He shakes his head at her, then holds out his hand. "Give me your phone."

She takes it out of her back pocket and unlocks it before handing it over. The case is surprisingly practical and plain for someone with such a colorful personality. He finds her contacts and saves his number under the name "Shawn Mendes."

Caroline sniffs again. "How lame," she quips. "I'll change it later."

"Rename me whatever you want. Just please just call me the next time this happens," he says sternly.

She sends a text immediately. It says "ok."

A hush falls over them. Only Harrisons snores can be heard through the walls. Shawn rolls his eyes. Caroline snickers.

"Guess I'll leave you to your, uhm, homework?"

"Well no," Shawn peeks at the mess of papers, "just a little light reading, I guess."

Caroline's mouth twitches, like she was trying to muster a smile. Her tired eyes meet his caffeinated ones. "That's really cool, Shawn."

He folds his arms across his broad chest. "It is?"

"Yeah. You're actually into it for the career, not the money. Unlike some people."

Shawn looks down at his socks. Sometimes Caroline really is too much for him.

She's turning to leave and Shawn is starting to panic a little because he feels like he should say or do something.

"Thanks again," she mumbled.

"C-Caroline?"

She stops in between the door and its frame. For the first time in a long time, Shawn didn't think before he spoke. So silence follows. He just looks at her in the doorway. Enigmatic Caroline.

"What is it Shawn," she finally asks.

"Uh…I um, I didn't know you wore glasses."

“Oh,” she adjusts the frames on her face. “Yeah, sometimes. I try to stick to contacts.”

Then there’s nothing else to say, so she’s gone. Shawn’s left alone again in the mostly dark. He scratches his nape of his neck and wonders what the hell just happened.

“That was weak, my dude.”

Harrison leans on his bedroom door, snacking on granola. Shawn tosses a throw pillow at him.

…

taglist

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[netflixandgrill-blog]

How to Get Through a Quarantine in 10 Movies

(The Netflix and Grill Guide to Movies You Will Love to Hate)

1. How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days

Kate Hudson and Matthew McConaughey are both charming and pleasing to look at, but even they can’t out-act this God-awful script. We felt our minds wandering through all the exposition, so much so that the movie should be called How to Lose a Viewer in 10 Minutes (nailed it.) Kate Hudson’s gold dress was, and always will be, the star of this movie. 

2. The Notebook

We both (separately) bought tickets for this movie in the theater when it was released in 2004, when the average movie ticket price was only about six bucks, and we both had the same thought upon leaving: “I definitely overpaid.” We watched it again on Netflix and, after figuring out our per-movie cost from our monthly subscription, found that this viewing cost us about 34 cents. We still think we overpaid. Someone needs to tell Allie she’s in an abusive relationship with Noah. Someone needs to tell Noah that no means no--an easy way to remember that is that it’s the first syllable of his name. We thought it was an interesting choice that Allie’s later dementia was foreshadowed by her younger self forgetting what accent she was supposed to have in any given scene. Allie the Sometimes Southern Belle is a flighty bird, Never-Say-Die Noah is a toxic male bird, and we wish we could fly back in time 2 hours. 

3. Eat Pray Love

What could be less interesting than a well-off white woman traveling across the world to escape her first-world problems, the worst of which seems to be that her husband loved her too much and her subsequent much younger boyfriend loved her even more? Answer: nothing. Why this movie became such a phenomenon escapes us the same way Julia Roberts’ character escapes accountability for any of her shitty behavior. 

4. Crazy, Stupid, Love

Ryan Gosling is a street-smart Brooklyn-Italian-sounding ladies man who says things like “Just bang the broad, Bah-fahn-gool. Fuhgeddaboutit.” (We paraphrased.) And Steve Carell was like, “Remember when we did 40-Year-Old Virgin? Let’s do the exact same thing again.” Let’s also not forget that boundaries and propriety don’t seem to be a thing in this movie, as the grown-assed babysitter gives nude pictures to a minor and we’re all supposed to be cool with it. A lot of people are crazy, stupid in love with this movie. We think they are crazy and stupid. 

5. P.S. I Love You

This movie begins with what feels like a 3-hour exposition scene to set up the fact that Hilary Swank is oh-so-unhappy with the fact that she's already 28 years old and her carefree Irish husband hasn’t given her 5 kids yet. Also, their ultra-beautiful and hip New York apartment isn’t enough--why don’t they have a house already??!!  Waaaaahhhhh. Then her husband dies, and Hilary’s already unlikeable character spirals from annoying into the realm of insufferable. The dead husband orchestrates a series of notes to be delivered to Hilary, still trying to please his sullen and ungrateful wife from beyond the grave, proving that he has just as poor taste in women in death as he did in life. 

6. Catch and Release

Oh, we caught it, but we didn’t release it soon enough. We suffered through to the end. Why was Kevin Smith in this movie, and why was he trying so hard to be funny? The plot is so unclear and convoluted that we can’t tell you exactly what happened, but the bullet points are: Jennifer Garner’s fiancé dies, leaving behind a million bucks that she didn’t realize he had; she moves into a house with her dead fiancé’s buddies for some reason; her dead fiancé had a secret lover (Juliette Lewis) and possibly fathered a son with her; and, in the end, Jennifer Garner gets with Timothy Olyphant, her dead fiancé’s best friend. Why does all of this make for a compelling movie? It doesn’t. Why was this movie called Catch and Release? Beats the hell out of us. What could possibly account for this movie getting made? Our guess, cocaine. 

7. Monster-in-Law

Monster-in-Law...more like a Monster Waste of Time (nailed it x 2). Jennifer Lopez is at war with her fiance’s mother (played by Jane Fonda), who has a death-like grip on her son, Michael Vartan. Jennifer Lopez is just a simple dog walker with the beachside apartment of a tech CEO who fell in love with the world’s biggest mama’s boy and got engaged to him after what seems to be four dates, a fact which Jane Fonda hates. Conflict ensues. And that’s it, just 102 minutes of that. Except for Wanda Sykes, the no-nonsense assistant and only sympathetic character, and you can practically see the sweat beading on her forehead from her straining to try and save this steaming pile. The other movies on this list we either loved or loved to hate. This one we just hated. 

8. Ghosts of Girlfriends Past

Makers of Ghosts of Girlfriends Past, you did it. You made a movie that not even Emma Stone, Matthew McConaughey, or Charles Goddamn Dickens could save. This movie came out eight years before the #metoo movement, and has aged about as well as Harvey Weinstein’s face. To be clear, it sucked regardless, but now it suffers from the double-whammy of both sucking and trying to evoke empathy for a sexual predator.   

9. My Best Friend’s Wedding

In fairness, Heidi actually loves this movie, and Mike thinks it’s not the worst thing ever. Ok, he loves it too, in spite of (and sometimes because of) its many flaws. The movie begins with a music video that has nothing to do with the rest of the story, leading you wonder how it’s going to pay off, and yet it never does. It’s so laughably dumb that we both wish we had thought of it. Julia Roberts’ gay (2nd) best friend, Rupert Everett, flies in not once but twice to save her ass. And at the last minute, too, so you know those flight prices must have been steeeeeep. Which made us realize we need better best friends. Mike’s best friend stole his wallet. On his birthday. Heidi’s best friends are not quite so bad. They just forget her birthday.

10. Dear John

What a snooze fest. Any movie that Channing Tatum is in where he doesn’t dance isn’t worth watching. Any movie that Amanda Seyfried is in that’s not Mean Girls isn’t worth watching. Amanda Seyfried and Channing Tatum don’t get together, though. She instead marries family friend Henry Thomas, who even as he’s dying of cancer admits that he’s really only a sub-plot in Channing and Amanda’s life--a plot device more alien to us than the one in Henry Thomas’ most well-known role (Elliot in ET), in which he encounters an actual alien. 

[ntnchamp2]

What books are on your nightstand?

George Saunders’s “CivilWarLand in Bad Decline” and “Three Women,” by Lisa Taddeo.

What’s the last great book you read?

“So the Wind Won’t Blow It All Away,” by Richard Brautigan.

Describe your ideal reading experience (when, where, what, how).

Wine. Armchair. Raining. Or reading in the same room as someone else who’s reading. It’s rare, but there’s a particular sort of peace to it.

What’s your favorite book no one else has heard of?

“I Saw Esau: The Schoolchild’s Pocket Book,” edited by Iona Opie and Peter Opie with illustrations by Maurice Sendak. It’s a collection of chants and rhymes for children that I was given by my very conservative grandmother. She didn’t realize what kind of subversive, morbid glory was in there. It haunted her for years as I learned everything by heart and recited it to her endlessly.

Which playwrights and other writers — novelists, critics, journalists, poets — working today do you admire most?

There are so many, but I’m perpetually in waiting — and I’m not alone — for Donald Glover’s next work. Kim Addonizio’s poetry gives me physical energy, particularly “For Desire” and “What Do Women Want?” Kate Tempest is our modern philosopher, Carole Cadwalladr changed the world and Natasha Gordon is one of the most exciting playwrights out there right now.

You were brought in to work on the latest James Bond script. Have you read the original Bond books by Ian Fleming — and if so, what do you think are the best and worst?

I hadn’t read them, but started while I was working on the movie. I don’t want to say which ones I was inspired by just yet.

What book would you most like to see turned into a movie or TV show that hasn’t already been adapted?

Daphne du Maurier’s “The Blue Lenses” would be a trip. You’d have to be high.

What character from literature would you most like to play?

Cathy Ames in “East of Eden,” by John Steinbeck, although Jodie Comer is perfect casting for her. I actually opened the pitch document for “Killing Eve” with Steinbeck’s description of his monstrous beauty. It’s a passage that stopped me in my tracks when I first read it. I’d never come across such a twisted female character. It was electrifying to read. Even her author was obsessed by her.

What writers are especially good on frustrated love?

Ernest Hemingway, Ernest Hemingway, Ernest Hemingway.

Has a book ever brought you closer to another person, or come between you?

I am always drawn to people who love “The Master and Margarita,” by Mikhail Bulgakov.

What’s the most interesting thing you learned from a book recently?

That orgasms can be brought on by art, and vice versa.

Which subjects do you wish more authors would write about?

I wish more people would write from the point of view of tiny, witty animals.

What moves you most in a work of literature?

When someone finds a new way to describe love or grief.

Or when you realize that the storyteller has been doing something to you without you realizing. Sometimes just the artistry of the writing can move me! I love being manipulated!

Do you prefer books that reach you emotionally, or intellectually?

Agh, if I had to choose, I’d say emotionally. But ideally there’s both.

How do you organize your books?

I don’t! They are all over the place!

What book might people be surprised to find on your shelves?

I’m a big fan of Charles Bukowski. He was an old dog, but I love how visceral his writing is.

Have you ever changed your opinion of a book based on information about the author?

“Frankenstein” took my breath away, but when I discovered Mary Shelley was 19 when she wrote it my head blew off.

Who is your favorite fictional hero or heroine? Your favorite antihero or villain?

I do have a penchant for an antiheroine/hero. I prefer not to know exactly how I feel about a character. I definitely started walking like a badass while reading Lisbeth Salander. I was horrified yet set alight by the brutal amorality of Sebastian Dangerfield from J. P. Donleavy’s “The Ginger Man,” and I’ll never quite shake the impact of Cheryl Glickman from “The First Bad Man,” by Miranda July. Humbert Humbert in “Lolita” was the most unforgettable, uncomfortable relationship I’ve had with a character I can remember. There are so many!

What kind of reader were you as a child? Which childhood books and authors stick with you most?

I was obsessive about particular books. There’s no cool way of saying this but I was really into irreverent poetry for my first decade and a half. Most likely set off by my poor grandmother. I never went anywhere without my copy of “Thawing Frozen Frogs,” by Brian Patten. The Point Horror books were a feature, Roald Dahl was a champion, but Philip Pullman’s “His Dark Materials” trilogy defined me as a young reader. I lived between those pages. I remember the physical ache of wanting to be deep in those worlds. I even wrote to Pullman asking if I could play Lyra. Still waiting.

How have your reading tastes changed over time?

I don’t really know. I just want to be transported. I’m still intimidated by massive tomes. Looking back, I started out feeling reading was an escape, then a chore, then a habit, then a luxury. Only now I’ve realized what a necessity it is, and how easily it’s taken for granted.

Have you ever gotten in trouble for reading a book?

Well, of course the sexy ’70s classic “Forever,” by Judy Blume, was banned from my school because a Certain Page was getting the students all sweaty. But any number of detentions were worth being caught with it and I had … one or two detentions. Not dissimilarly, years later, I picked up Anaïs Nin’s “Little Birds” while browsing Waterstones and stood frozen there, entranced, for about an hour until an employee had to remind my flushed face that Waterstones isn’t a library and I had to remind myself that erotic short stories should be read in private.

You’re organizing a literary dinner party. Which three writers, dead or alive, do you invite?

Definitely Shakespeare. I want to look that guy in the eye. I’d tell him there were other people invited, so he would definitely come. But in the end there’d just be an intense little table in a tiny room, lit by a single candle and me saying: “O.K. Come on. How the f—”

Disappointing, overrated, just not good: What book did you feel as if you were supposed to like, and didn’t? Do you remember the last book you put down without finishing?

Ha. I’m not going to tell you that.

What do you plan to read next?

“Ghost Wall,” by Sarah Moss, and “Fleishman Is in Trouble,” by Taffy Brodesser-Akner.

[cdelphiki]

Swear to god “Life Happens” has ruined me For any other Batman fanfics.... I cannot find one as good as yours. So if you have any recommendations, sending them my way is the least you could do for ruining me... 💕💕💕

LOL Oh my goddddd I don’t even know what to say to that.  Thank you.  

Here are some WIP fics that get updated regularly that I’m absolutely obsessed with. 

The Birds Who Smile By Raberba_girl

I am, no joke, obsessed with this story.  She calls it a ‘rough draft’ and it can be inconsistent at points because of it, but those moments are very minor and over all it’s amazing.  It follows the recovery of the dark robins from Dark Knights: Metal, which I’ll admit I’ve never read, but this story is just incredible.  

Robins and Other Flightless Birds by Ionaperidot

This story is about a Bruce from a universe where he truly works alone.  But he came into contact with another Bruce and realized that he really liked kids, so he basically just kidnaps one of each of his kids from all different universes where, for whatever reason, their Bruce didn’t have them.  It’s super cute.  The only thing I wish about this story was that it was longer.  haha 

Multiversal Constant by Echoes_01

Damian and Jon get stuck in the Young Justice universe and get tangled up with the League of Assassins.  Super cute, angsty.  There’s a lot of relationship building between Young Justice Clark and Jon and Conner, and between Bruce and Dick and Damian.  Baby Damian and Cass get introduced into the Young Justice World toward the end.  

As for completed works, there are a handful I’ve read multiple times each.  

Confidence Lost by C_R_Scott

This is a White Collar x Batman crossover.  I’ll admit, I had never heard of White Collar, but this has a podfic for it, so I listened to it anyway one day at work and boy am I glad.  I’ve listened to it 4 or 5 times and read it once.  This story actually influenced Life Happens quite a bit, I think, with the character “Kate” and “Peter,” at least.   Anyway.  It’s about Tim going missing and ending up as the main character of White Collar, a dude who steals artwork and replaces them with fakes but got caught by the FBI so now he works for them.  Damian and Dick find him in NYC like 7 years after he went missing and then chaos ensues.  It’s really fascinating and has an awesome climax.  Great story.  

A Good Place by @lemonadegarden

This was one of the first fan fiction pieces I read.  It’s about Damian going back in time and meeting Bruce just before the man takes in Dick.  It’s cute and angsty.  

Yesterday’s Voices also by Lemonade_Garden

This is about Bruce losing his memory and thinking he’s five years younger, and dad to just a cute smol Jason and a Dick who hates him.  Instead, he gets back to the cave to find Damian, Cass, Steph, etc.  Since he hasn’t suffered Jason’s death yet, he’s better at showing his emotions and it freaks the younger boys out.  It’s great.  

So I’m noticing a pattern in the works I like…. They all involve time travel, universe travel, or memory loss of some sort.  

Ha.  

Anyway.  That’s totally not gonna be the plot of my next story.  Nope, not at all.

It’ll be brainwashing.

OH SPEAKING OF

 Juneberries by @mishaberrywrites

Tim is kidnapped and brainwashed, and Damian feels guilty about it and goes after him and stages a rescue attempt.  It’s angsty and heartbreaking and detailed and everything I want in a story.  

[thisdiscontentedwinter]

Bad Blood - Chapter 22

You can read it on AO3 or find the Tumblr Chapter Index here. 

________

Peter is tired of warehouses, so they go back to the loft. It’s a fair distance away from the warehouses on Elm where Gerard was going to start searching for them, and really, Gerard is on the back foot now. He might still have his six mercenaries, but they aren’t local. They don’t know the area. And Kate and Chris and Stiles have all been removed from the equations.

It gives them a little bit of breathing space, Peter reasons, while Gerard reels.

The Camaro purrs like a kitten as it pulls up outside the loft, like it knows it’s home.

Peter glances at Stiles in the rear-view mirror.

Stiles hasn’t said anything at all since the Preserve, actually. He’s sitting in the back seat wedged between Laura and Derek, while Allison sits in the front with Peter. Allison is the hostage here, no doubt. Her safety ensures Stiles’s compliance. But Peter has no intentions of harming her. Chris Argent has paid for her safely already, with his blood, though Allison and Stiles don’t know that.

Stiles is still and quiet, but his heart races like a rabbit’s.

“Let’s go,” Peter says. “Everyone out.”

Peter and Derek flank Stiles as they head up the stairs.

The loft is on the top floor of a yet-to-be renovated industrial building. One day it might be fancy apartments in a gentrified neighbourhood, but right now it’s as pleasing to the eye as Soviet-era architecture. If the loft has any charms at all, they’re well hidden beside a façade of cinder blocks and urban decay.

The return to the loft isn’t entirely because Peter’s feeling homesick: there’s a room here, windowless and secure, that can hold a werewolf on a full moon. It can hold a newly turned alpha unaccustomed to her new strength, or a beta so distraught with grief and guilt that he can no longer feel his anchor, and even the left hand of a pack who is consumed with rage and thoughts of revenge.

That room has seen a thing or two.

It ought to hold a baby hunter.

Laura walks ahead of them, and has the loft door open by the time they reach it. Peter keeps a hand on Stiles’s shoulder, and steers him into the loft, through the open living area, to the room with the steel door. It’s an old equipment room of some sort, Peter supposes, or perhaps there was even a safe bolted to the floor once. The room has brick walls, no windows, and that solid steel door.

“Nobody is going to hurt you,” Peter tells Stiles as Laura wrenches the steel door open. “We just don’t trust you not to hurt us.” And then, to Derek: “Get him some blankets or something to go in there, hmm?”

Derek nods and heads up the stairs to their bedrooms.

Peter prods Stiles and propels him forward into the dark little room. He holds his arm out to stop Allison following.

Allison gasps, and Peter sees the first flicker of emotion on Stiles’s face since they caught him.

“Nobody is going to hurt your cousin either,” he tells Stiles. “But I do need to have a little chat with Miss Argent before she joins you in there.”

He closes the door in Stiles’s face.

Stiles is the calm before the storm, he thinks, and wonders how long it will be before he breaks, and how wild it will be.

***

“Your father is alive,” Peter tells Allison as she sits in the kitchen and white-knuckles a mug of tea. “Your mother is at the hospital with him. Sheriff Stilinski has deputies watching the.”

Allison’s brow creases. “Sheriff Stilinski?”

“Yes,” Peter says. “Stiles’s father. And that’s the least crazy part, trust me.”

Allison doesn’t look like she trusts the ground beneath her feet at the moment, but Peter tells her everything anyway.

***

Allison Argent sits cross-legged on the sofa in the loft with the knitted throw rug pulled up over her lap. She looks hollow, carved out. Her tea has long since gone cold.

Laura sits across from her, quiet and attentive, and she looks so much like Talia in this moment that Peter’s chest aches.

Derek is sitting on the floor with his back to the steel door of the storeroom. Peter, watching from the stairs, isn’t sure if Derek has even noticed how he’s drawn to the boy. To Stiles. How, out of all the places in the loft he could be sitting, he’s chosen that spot.

Peter gets a sudden flash of memory. Before the fire, before everything that tore their lives apart, before Derek became closed off and wary. Derek must have been eight or nine, and he was late for dinner. Peter, rolling his eyes, had followed the pup’s scent and found him a mile or so from the house. He’d been crying over a dead bird.

“Oh, pup,” Peter had told him, all his previous annoyance forgotten. “I am really not the right person to give you the whole circle of life talk.”

Derek had looked up at him, wiping his eyes. “I know things die, Peter! But it’s still sad! And its mom will miss it, won’t she?” His lower lip wobbled. “Do you think it had brothers and sisters?”

“Oh, pup.”

Derek had glared at him. “Don’t tell Laura I cried about it!”

He’d had such a big heart for such a little kid, and Peter had known then that Derek could never be the pack’s left hand after him. He was too good for that. And later, after the fire, when Derek had been full of guilt and anger, Peter had wondered where that little kid with such a capacity for love and compassion had gone.

And he thinks, watching the way that Derek trails his fingers absently along the steel door, that perhaps he’s been here this whole time.

Allison leans forward, her hands clenching in the knitted throw. “Which one of you clawed my cousin in the throat?”

Peter inclines his head. “That would be me. Right after your cousin was involved in the death of one of my packmates, Scott McCall.”

Allison hunches over.

“There are no good guys in the story,” Peter says. “If you’re looking for a side with no stain on it, you won’t find one.”

“Our pack was innocent,” Laura says. “Our family. Before Kate started all of this by burning our house down. But since then, there have been times we’ve gotten our hands dirty in order to survive.”

“Kate’s dead, by the way,” Peter says. “I think your father shot her.”

“Huh.” Allison draws in a shaky breath. She looks at the steel door. “Stiles said… Stiles said that he was with Kate and Grandpa when Scott was killed. Is that true?”

“That’s true,” Laura says. She puts her hand over Allison’s.

“H-he was a part of it,” Allison says. She swallows, and tears spill. “Oh god. It’s my fault, isn’t it? I asked him to sneak out and visit me, and my family saw him!”

“It’s not your fault,” Laura tells her. “You didn’t know.”

Scott did though, Peter thinks, regret stabbing at him. Scott did, but Peter remembers what it was like to be a teenager, reckless and headstrong and thinking he was invincible. He should have kept a closer eye on Scott.

Allison shakes her head. “How do I know I can even believe you? You could be lying to me! You could be exactly what they say you are!”

“We could,” Peter says. “Meanwhile, your father’s lying in a hospital bed because he acted against your grandfather. You ought to be able to draw your own conclusions from that.”  

She’s not being argumentative, Peter knows. She’s confused, and she’s lost, and she’s trying her best to make sense of a world that she very suddenly doesn’t understand. She reminds him a little of Scott in that respect. She’s a teenager, a high-schooler, and nothing in her life has prepared her for all the shit the universe is pelting at her today.

She lifts her chin, looking past Laura to Peter. “You have my cousin locked in a room right now. What if I draw my conclusions from that?”

Touché, Peter thinks.

Allison narrows her eyes at him. “What are you going to do with Stiles?”

And that, Peter thinks ruefully, is indeed the question.

***

Peter leaves Allison and Laura talking, and excuses himself to go out onto the narrow balcony to make a call. Derek is still leaning against the steel door. From behind it, Peter can hear the faint sound of Stiles’s heartbeat.

He pulls the door shut behind him as he steps onto the balcony, and dials John.

“Peter?” John’s voice is tense.

“We’ve got them,” Peter says. “They’re safe and well.”

John’s sigh of relief shudders in his ear. “Where are you?”

“Back home.”

A moment of silence. “Are you sure that’s a good idea?”

“No,” Peter says frankly, “but we needed somewhere secure to keep Stiles. He’s calm right now, but how long will that last?”

John sighs again. “I was always told not to get caught.”

“And if you did?”

“Well, the implication was to do anything I could to escape again, or to die trying.”

“That’s a hell of an implication,” Peter says, arching a brow.

“Right? And I’m guessing under Gerard’s roof it was less an implication, and more a direct order.” John pauses. “Watch him closely, please.”

Peter gazes down at the street below. “I rather thought you’d want to come here and watch him closely yourself.”

“I’d give my right hand to do that,” John says, “but if I walk out in the middle of a murder investigation, questions will be asked. I’m heading back to the hospital soon. I’ll let Wiktoria know Allison’s safe.”

“Oh, how did that reunion go?” Peter asks.

John snorts. “Well, she didn’t shoot me, so better than I thought.”

“And you didn’t shoot her either,” Peter says. “How interesting.”

“Remember when I called Stiles a hostage? I think that Allison was one as well. Gerard had already proved he could steal my kid. What would stop him from stealing hers as well?”

Peter blinks down at a passing car. “How very understanding of you, John.”

“Oh, when this is over I’ll be having words with both of them,” John says, his voice like steel. “But at the moment we’ve got bigger things to worry about.”

“Truer words,” Peter murmurs.

“Hey,” John says. “Call me, okay, if there are any developments?”

“Of course,” Peter says.

“Or, you know,” John continues, “I’ll probably call you anyway.”

Peter smiles. “Talk to you soon, John.”

He ends the call.

[simblrbreezycakes]

i was tagged by @chippedcupanddustybooks sweet bb. i am tagging @irrelephantsims @magnoliidae @simplymelaninated and anyone who hasn’t been tagged i swear i feel like the last person doing this LOL. heckin long ass questionnaire under the cut.

1. What is your full name? Brianna Leigh [Redacted] 2. What is your nickname? Breezy 3. Birthday? may 4th 4. What is your favorite book series? hmmmm series? idk.... i really like every single john grisham book and they aren’t related but when you have such a niche brand of book i feel like it counts lol.  5. Do you believe in aliens or ghosts? kinda on both. 6. Who is your favorite author? oh whew. tough one right here. idk man, i have a few? but if i had to choose i guezz i would say george orwell.   7. What is your favorite radio station? who tf listens to the radio like det anymore lmfao. i don’t have one. before i listened to 107.1 in memphis in the car sometimes, but i moved so. 8. What is your favorite flavor of anything? i loveeee pineapple anything. 9. What word would you use often to describe something great or wonderful? lit 10. What is your current favorite song? currently really into pink in the night by mitski and also sicko mode by travis scott.

11. What is your favorite word? good ole fuck(in/ed/etc.) i also really like voluptuous and bubbles. 12. What was the last song you listened to? last thing i listened to was another lifetime x nao.  13. What TV show would you recommend for everybody to watch? absolutely check out the good place. also hilda, the dragon prince, she-ra princess of power, criminal minds, law and order (the original), and snapped. 14. What is your favorite movie to watch when you’re feeling down? i used to watch the notebook religiously when it rained/felt upset like shit. but lately i’ve been watching say yes to the dress to combat my depression lol. 15. Do you play video games? yah 16. What is your biggest fear? dying alone and no one finding me. like literally alone not like meta alone “oh no one loves me” like dead ass alone somewhere isolated. 17. What is your best quality, in your opinion? hmmmmm idk that i care a lot about other people? 18. What is your worst quality, in your opinion? all of them lmfao. i’m annoying, i’m physically unattractive, i talk too damn much, i can be kind of a bitch both intentionally and unintentionally, i’m a trash writer, i can be selfish, and i self depreciate a lot (lol see above response “all of them”) and i’m sure that gets on people who love and care about me’s nerves ((but like....i mean it lmfao)) 19. Do you like cats or dogs better? whew tough. prolly cats though.  20. What is your favorite season? winter followed by a tie between spring and fall.  21. Are you in a relationship? nah lmfao.  22. What is something you miss from your childhood? not being so fuckin ugly and depressed lmfao. 23. Who is your best friend? “my person” as greys anatomy stans would say is ivy lynn [redacted] [redacted] but i also wanna shout out my home girl mary (i know you follow me on here), my home girl christina (also follows me on here but she never checks her simblr anymore), my smoothie gang bitches, my NSA bitches (which includes both ivy and mary lmfao), and my memphis as fuck family. honorable mention to loml [redacted] who is skating on thin fucking ice with me right now lmfao. 24. What is your eye color? brown 25. What is your hair color? brown 26. Who is someone you love? don’t make me answer this tumblr gods. 27. Who is someone you trust? all my best friends, my parents, my brother. 28. Who is someone you think about often? fucking murder me @ this question lmfao. my friend kate (RIP) my grandmother grannypeg (RIP) and [redacted] 29. Are you currently excited about/for something? i’m excited to spend christmas in a new country! forging new traditions and all that. 30. What is your biggest obsession? currently i’m obsessed with wedding stuff and mens fashion and how mens fashion such as suits translates into womens fashion. we love a hot lady in a tailored suit amiright? 31. What was your favorite TV show as a child? spongebob squarepants RIP :”( 32. Who of the opposite gender can you tell anything to, if anyone? [redacted] 33. Are you superstitious? kinda i guess? not really about stuff like stepping on cracks breaking mamas’ backs or opening umbrellas indoors but little things about familial traditions. 34. Do you have any unusual phobias? not really a phobia but i have misophonia. i also hate eye shit. like eye violence or anything fuckin around with eyes is a big no from me dawg. 35. Do you prefer to be in front of the camera or behind it? absolutely behind the camera. i used to be a theater kid so like being on stage i don’t mind but when it comes to the spotlight and being filmed??? no no no no no. lemme be a cinnamontawgrowfur all day.  36. What is your favorite hobby? watching movies, playing skyrim (I MISS IT SO MUCH), reading, watching music videos, modern calligraphy/hand lettering, baking (ALSO MISS IT MUCH) 37. What was the last book you read? lol a textbook about developing countries.

38. What was the last movie you watched? i just rewatched the swan princess the other day but in terms of watching something brand new i think it was this tom cruise movie my friend showed us and i thought she said someone else ( i don’t remember now. maybe tom hanks?) it was pretty good he was irish or sum with nicole kidman and they came to the united states and pretended to be siblings but the sexual tension was so fucking high dawg. 

39. What musical instruments do you play, if any? nothing i’m wack and a disappointment to my musically gifted family (my dad and brother)  40. What is your favorite animal?  polar bears followed by giraffes. 41. What are your top 5 favorite Tumblr blogs that you follow? i’m gonna go with my main tumblr because ion wanna hurt nobody’s feelings but i follow a celebs of color page i really love, a fashion page i really love, and a few artists i really love. 42. What superpower do you wish you had? teleportation or shape shifting.  43. When and where do you feel most at peace?  i feel most at peace when it is raining and i’m in my room, everything is clean and tidy, candles are lit, i have nothing to do so the world is my oyster, i have a nice cup of coffee or hot cocoa or tea, and i just am v i b i n g.  44. What makes you smile? seeing my friends, my brother (when he isn’t pissing me off), funny videos of red dead people falling off their horse in cinematic mode, pretty flowers, cute art, round birds. 45. What sports do you play, if any? i don’t lmfao. 46. What is your favorite drink? honestly a frozen margarita no salt. 47. When was the last time you wrote a hand-written letter or note to somebody? a month ago.  48. Are you afraid of heights? absolutely. 49. What is your biggest pet peeve? people chewing with their mouths open and people talking to me like i’m incompetent/assuming i don’t know anything about what they’re trying to talk to me about especially if it is my area of expertise lol. 50. Have you ever been to a concert? hail yeah. many. 51. Are you vegan/vegetarian? nope! 52. When you were little, what did you want to be when you grew up? honestly i don’t know but i have a distinct memory of a bunch of girls in my second grade, yours truly included, wanting to be strippers. and i don’t know why or how this came up or if we even truly knew what stripping meant but. yeah. OH i guess around the time i was in 4th/5th grade i started wanting to be a harvard law graduate and be a lawyer but i gave that up in like high school and then bounced being a lawyer back and forth in my noggin up until i applied for grad school. shout out to my mary for doing it though.  53. What fictional world would you like to live in? hmmmm idk. none of em really. 54. What is something you worry about? if i made the right decision(s) in life lol.  55. Are you scared of the dark? not really.  56. Do you like to sing? yeah i do! doesn’t mean i’m good at it though haha. 57. Have you ever skipped school? yeah lmfao. 58. What is your favorite place on the planet? i miss Rwanda a lot. but honestly my favorite place is wherever the people i love are. my family loves to travel so whenever i’m with someone i love sharing an experience? i’m in heaven. 59. Where would you like to live? idk anywhere i guess. somewhere it is mostly cold most of the time though haha. 60. Do you have any pets? my bb boi fred lives with my dad and my mom has a dog and 2 cats. we used to have 3 but one of em ran away when she moved to her house, we caught him, he ran away again. oh whale. 61. Are you more of an early bird or a night owl? oh a big time night owl. big time. 62. Do you like sunrises or sunsets better? honestly i like sunrises better but i am never awake to catch em hahah. 63. Do you know how to drive? yah and i fuckin love doing it. 64. Do you prefer earbuds or headphones? i prefer headphones. like really quality ones too. but i tend to use earbuds more often because i don’t need quality while im working out or going to class just easy grab and go. 65. Have you ever had braces? nope but i used to want some so bad. 66. What is your favorite genre of music? i love rap, dream-y pop music and dream-y rap music, i love 80s music. all 80s music really lmfao.  67. Who is your hero? mi mum and mi dad. also viola davis queen of inventing acting and every single color in the rainbow. 68. Do you read comic books? kind of. i was trying to build up a collection before i moved but i only had my BP comics. 69. What makes you the most angry? injustice and offensive ass content and behaviors. also don’t fuck with my friends. i got two dudes on my shit list right now that it is *on sight* if i ever see them again. 70. Do you prefer to read on an electronic device or with a real book? a real book all the way. idk what it is about digital reading my brain shuts the fuck down. i am super fast reader but the second i try and read something digitally it takes me maybe like 10-15 min to get through just a few sentences. 71. What is your favorite subject in school? history lol i was a history major. 72. Do you have any siblings? yeah my chicken nugget puppy brother dylan. asshole. 73. What was the last thing you bought? some historical romance i think? it’s in dutch so idrk.  74. How tall are you? 5′7 i think. 75. Can you cook? yeah i love cooking but saddly don’t do much of it. 76. What are three things that you love? my teddy bear my momma got me for valentines day, my st. agatha figurine, and my yikes tapestry mary got me. i realize now after reading the next question you probably meant like shit in general so. the smell of a fresh cup of coffee, snuggly warm sweaters, postcards and tiny gifts from friends. you know the ones “i just got this for you because i thought you’d like it” 77. What are three things that you hate? funky ass attitudes, the smell and feel of lavender oil, corn. 78. Do you have more female friends or more male friends? female 79. What is your sexual orientation? i’m a big ole heterosexual. sorry to disappoint :/  80. Where do you currently live? the netherlands. 81. Who was the last person you texted? my friend and former roommate. today is her birthday. 82. When was the last time you cried? like an hour ago lmfao. 83. Who is your favorite YouTuber? i don’t have one haha. vevo i guess. 84. Do you like to take selfies? do i like taking them? not really. it takes me too damn long to get one that looks good enough. i like sending stupid selfies to friends though. 85. What is your favorite app? i use twitter probably the most but my favorite app is my spider solitaire game haha. 86. What is your relationship with your parent(s) like? we are very close. i would say both of my parents are my biggest supporters and cheerleaders but how they do that looks a bit different. my mom and i are very similar but sometimes how we handle certain things is very different so we can be the best of friends one day and the completely butt heads the next. 87. What is your favorite foreign accent? i loovveeeee a scottish accent and an irish accent. also tbrh i love a good southern boy drawl. like idk if i could play for you all the way this one dude who works with my mom talks? i would because i wanna bottle it and listen to it whenever i feel bad. 88. What is a place that you’ve never been to, but you want to visit? i would really like to go to norway for my birthday. 89. What is your favorite number? i don’t have one. 90. Can you juggle? nope but i did try and learn i have a video of it somewhere lmfao. 91. Are you religious? kind of. i’m more spiritual than religious and lowkey hate saying that because it sounds so hoitietoitie but it’s true. 92. Do you find outer space or the deep ocean to be more interesting? the ocean. so much of it we haven’t explored. thinking about space makes me feel existential and dead inside.  93. Do you consider yourself to be a daredevil? nah haha 94. Are you allergic to anything? yeah i’m supposed to take one claritin a day but like i don’t. 95. Can you curl your tongue? yeah 96. Can you wiggle your ears? nope :(  97. How often do you admit that you were wrong about something? i’ll admit i’m wrong if i’m actually wrong but you’re gonna have to a helluva lot of convincing to get me there lmfao. though if my being “wrong” has caused harm to someone else i’ll apologize quicker than lightning because the last thing i would want is for my stubbornness to hurt someone i love. 98. Do you prefer the forest or the beach? um the mountains 99. What is your favorite piece of advice that anyone has ever given you? "never turn down a date. you never know who you might meet while you’re out” -my grandmother to my mother to me. 100. Are you a good liar? lmfaooooo i am a reformed liar. 101. What is your Hogwarts House? HUFFLEPUFF BAYBEEE 102. Do you talk to yourself? yah 103. Are you an introvert or an extrovert? an introvert. i may be loud and talkative sis but i promise you i’m over compensating because i want you to like me lmfao. 104. Do you keep a journal/diary? i have a private twitter does that count. 105. Do you believe in second chances? depends. 106. If you found a wallet full of money on the ground, what would you do?imma keep it real with you chief i would keeps the money lmfao. in the past i would’ve tried to return it to the owner but i am big broke bois with a lot of unexpected expenses coming up so like... yeah lmfao. we keepin that coint. 107. Do you believe that people are capable of change? sometimes. 108. Are you ticklish? yes lmfao 109. Have you ever been on a plane? yeah! 110. Do you have any piercings? yah i got my lobes pierced one on each ear, my nose, and a cartilage piercing. 111. What fictional character do you wish was real? my girl nancy drew. 112. Do you have any tattoos? yeah i got 2 of em. 113. What is the best decision that you’ve made in your life so far? idk lmfao. probably when i applied for cityterm and when i appled to go back to undergrad. 114. Do you believe in karma? Yeah but not in a “oh you hurt me? you’re gonna get your come uppins” way but in a every action affects your soul and your being kinda way.  115. Do you wear glasses or contacts? im supposed to wear glasses but ask me if im wearing em right now lmfao. 116. Do you want children? presently i don’t see myself wanting or having kids but i want to foster. 117. Who is the smartest person you know? my friends lol. 118. What is your most embarrassing memory? literally every single memory has a tinge of embarassment lol. but probz when i walked into the cafeteria my first day of highschool as a smol freshman and my knees locked up and i fell forward and my giant ass backpack (because i never used my locker ever in any grade) wrapped around my neck and had me stuck in a strange position in the middle of the parting of the tables in the cafeteria.  119. Have you ever pulled an all-nighter? hell yeah lmfao. 120. What color are most of you clothes? blue or black 121. Do you like adventures? yeah! 122. Have you ever been on TV? yeah but like on the news and shit. 123. How old are you? 24 124. What is your favorite quote? i carry your heart (i carry it in my heart) 125. Do you prefer sweet or savory foods? OOF TOUGH BUT UHHH probz sweet. 

[defineguilty]

FULL CHARACTER INFO SHEET

BASIC INFORMATION

♛┋FULL NAME: Neal George Caffrey ♛┋NICKNAME(S): Do aliases count as nicknames? ♛┋OCCUPATION: FBI Consultant / Former Con-Artist ♛┋AGE: 32+ depending on verse ♛┋DATE OF BIRTH: March 21st ♛┋GENDER: cis male ♛┋PRONOUNS: he/him ♛┋ORIENTATION: bisexual biromantic ♛┋NATIONALITY: american ♛┋ETHNICITY: white ♛┋RELIGION: catholic, but not really practicing actively 

PHYSICAL APPEARANCE

♛┋FACE CLAIM: Matt Bomer ♛┋EYE COLOUR: blue ♛┋HAIR COLOUR: brown ♛┋DOMINANT HAND: right ♛┋HEIGHT: 5' 11½" // 182cm ♛┋BUILD: athletic ♛┋TATTOOS: none ♛┋SCARS: none to speak of ♛┋PIERCINGS: none ♛┋GLASSES: occasionally when undercover/under an alias, but he has perfect vision ♛┋STYLE: Sophisticated & elegant. He very rarely leaves the house without a suit, often accessorizing with a hat. Usually somewhat vintage, but styled on the modern side. The most casual he usually goes is suit pants with a T-shirt or sweater.

FAMILY

♛┋PARENT #1: James Bennett (father) ♛┋PARENT #2: Angela Caffrey-Bennett (mother) ♛┋SIBLING(S): n/a ♛┋CHILDREN: n/a ♛┋PET(S): n/a ♛┋RELATIONSHIP WITH PARENTS: Non-existent. His father was a corrupt cop who killed a fellow cop and was arrested for it. Until his 18th birthday, Neal was led to believe his dad was a hero who died on the job and knowing the truth about his definitely messed up his entire world view. Add to that the fact that James tried to use Neal to get off after running from authorities for a murder he did commit and Neal certainly has all of the daddy issues. His mother, Neal feels less strong dislike and anger for. She was never a very stable presence in his life and the arrest of his father didn’t exactly help her. Instability and substance abuse made her a rather unfit mother and even though Neal would never say she was bad to him, Ellen was always the only real mother-figure he had. He hasn’t talked to his mother since he was eighteen and she hasn’t reached out either.  ♛┋RELATIONSHIP WITH SIBLING(S): n/a

BACKGROUND INFORMATION

♛┋HOMETOWN: St. Louis, Missouri ♛┋CURRENT: New York City, New York ♛┋LANGUAGE(S): English, Spanish, Mandarin, Japanese, French, German, conversational Italian & Swahili ♛┋SOCIAL CLASS: middle class ♛┋DEGREE: three MBAs and two doctorate degrees but... none of them legit. (in reality, Neal never graduated High School) ♛┋RAP SHEET? bond forgery (at least that’s the only thing they caught him on) ♛┋PRISON TIME? 4 years for bond forgery, another 4 years after breaking out of prison just before his sentence was up -- to be served as a consultant for the FBI

PSYCHOLOGY INFORMATION

♛┋JUNG TYPE: ESTP ♛┋ENNEATYPE: Type 3 -- The Achiever: Focused on the presentation of success, to attain validation & 7w8 ( Type 7 -- The Enthusiast: Pleasure seekers and planners, in search of distraction & Type 8 -- The Challenger: Taking charge, because they don't want to be controlled) ♛┋MORAL ALIGNMENT: Chaotic Neutral / Chaotic Good ♛┋TEMPERAMENT: Sanguine ♛┋SCHEMA: Insufficient self-control (very strong). Other contenders include  Unrelenting standards, Emotional inhibation, Abandonment and Entitlement  hahaaa ♛┋INTELLIGENCE TYPE: Linguistic & Visual are at the same score. Interpersonal is second place. ♛┋NEUROTYPE: Neurotypical

PERSONALITY DETAILS

♛┋POSITIVE: charming, witty, inventive, creative, intelligent ♛┋NEGATIVE: sly, dishonest, distrusting, guarded, detached ♛┋DREAMS/AMBITIONS: Neal’s main goal is always a sense of fun and adventure. he doesn’t have a set end-goal either way -- not the white picket fence life, but also not the life of the fancy villa in some country that doesn’t extradite as some sort of crime lord. He likes the thrill of a con, so if he can make it happen, keeping that alive is what he cares about most. ♛┋FEARS: Among is main fears is definitely turning out like his father. Having idolized him for so many years before he knew who he really was and then seeing a few similarities between them after all really does scare him. He’s aware he’s far from the most honest person alive, but he likes to believe he would never turn to murder or betraying his own closest family and friends the way his father did.

RELATIONSHIPS / SEX

♛┋RELATIONSHIP STATUS: Verse dependent ♛┋PREVIOUS RELATIONSHIPS: Several ambivalent on-off relationships (see Alex Hunter), plenty of casual affairs and only a few more serious relationships. The first big one being with Kate which, obviously, was something he was incredibly serious and passionate about. Also the only relationship to date he was so open about and had no shame admitting he’s deeply in love and would do anything for her. The only other (canon) relationship, although also without labels attached, was with Sara which remains his most healthy relationship, though it was foiled by circumstance and perhaps, just Neal’s inability of honesty at the time. ♛┋LEVEL OF SEXUAL EXPERIENCE: high ♛┋STORY OF FIRST KISS: Technically, it happened in the third grade after he drew a girl in his class a nice picture and they then proceeded to date for three weeks, which really just consisted of them holding hands twice, Neal drawing more pictures and that one first kiss at recess. Showed Brittney Nicole too -- his tooth gap clearly wasn’t that bad. ♛┋STORY OF FIRST TIME: Neal had just turned 17 and at the time, had his first more serious girlfriend. They’d been dating for a few months at the time and it happened after a night of plenty of shenanigans on a random Saturday. For Neal, sneaking out was never an issue anyway since parental supervision wasn’t exactly a thing, so no sneaking had to take place, and she’d told her parents she was staying at a friend’s place. Originally, they’d planned to just do whatever they felt like, something they both enjoyed very much (usually that meant Neal rigging the games at a local Arcade and winning her a bunch of stuffed animals or them hanging out at his favorite pool hall where he’d regularly earn a little extra by making some older guys who underestimated him play for money) but that night, they decided to up the stakes a little. They stopped by a second-hand store in town, bought complete outfits (suit and a cocktail dress, respectively) and then proceeded to drive to one of the fancier hotels in town. Somehow, they convinced the guy at the reception that they were relatives of the owner and should have been announced. They ended up getting one of the nicer rooms in the hotel for the night (and, for free!) and the exhilaration of the con pulled off well led to both of their first time.

VICES / HABITS

♛┋SMOKES? No (unless it’s part of a cover) ♛┋DRINKS? Yes, but preferably something respectable and only for taste and enjoyment, not specifically to get drunk ♛┋DOES DRUGS? No ♛┋IS VIOLENT? No ♛┋HAS AN ADDICTION? Well, technically he did say that a con is an addiction and that he hasn’t kicked it yet, so. That. ♛┋IS SELF-DESTRUCTIVE? Yes. I think while he comes off very confident and considers himself very confident too, there’s a couple things he just doesn’t believe will happen in his life for him. Among those are stable relationships, so he can sometimes subconsciously be destructive towards those and therefore proof his belief-system. ♛┋HABITS: He likes to have something to do with his hands, especially when he’s nervous. Be it throwing something and catching it again, or just twirling a pen between his fingers. ♛┋HOBBIES: Art, Reading, Cooking, Languages ♛┋OBSESSION(S): Depends on what’s currently important. Kate and the music box definitely developed into a sort of obsession at the time. I think in general, when intense things come up, especially when they threaten his loved ones, Neal has the tendency to get obsessive about them and let those things take over his life (or at least his private life) for the time being.

MISCELLANEOUS INFORMATION

♛┋HOUSE: Raveclaw, though a serious contestant for Slytherin  ♛┋VICE: Pride ♛┋VIRTUE: Willingness to do almost everything to protect/help those he cares about ♛┋ELEMENT: Air ♛┋MYTHOLOGICAL CREATURE: Siren or Centaur ♛┋ANIMAL: Fox ♛┋WOULD SURVIVE POST-APOC? Probably not. He’s very smart and would probably find a way to survive for a little while by somehow securing food and the like, but he has practically no combat skills and the second he needs to fight for his life, he would die ♛┋SONG TO DESCRIBE THEM?: Alibis by Marianas Trench

DETAILS / QUIRKS

♛┋PET PEEVES: All of the pet peeves. For someone with an affinity for the illegal, a lot of little things really annoy him. Some examples: the toilet seat being left up, gum on the sidewalk, people eating very fragrant food in confined spaces just to name a few ♛┋NIGHT OWL OR EARLY BIRD?: Night owl ♛┋LIGHT OR HEAVY SLEEPER?: More on the heavy side ♛┋FAVORITE FOOD?: He couldn’t pick. But he does have a real soft spot for cheese. Also risotto.  ♛┋LEAST FAVORITE FOOD?: Deviled ham ♛┋FAVORITE DRINK?: Red Wine ♛┋FAVORITE BOOK (GENRE)?: Non-fiction for genre. I don’t think he has a single favorite book though. ♛┋FAVORITE MOVIE?: He likes classic Hollywood movies, ngl. Sunset Boulevard is among one of his favorites. Romantic movies, in general. ♛┋LEAST FAVORITE MOVIE?: Anything super action-heavy or overly crude. ♛┋FAVORITE PLACE TO BE?: Not in jail is a great start. France, though, if he could have his choice. ♛┋COFFEE OR TEA?: Coffee. ♛┋FAVORITE COLOR?: Navy blue. ♛┋CUSSER? No. Shit is probably the worst thing he’ll say