#i am. also returning to other socials after midterms

[theseusmcalt]

school knocked the wind out of me i am. so tired. and it's midterms after christmas break so i'll be studying the whole time anyway,,,, iam so excited for post-midterms you guys have NO idea. SLEEP !!!!

[beautifulsnake2162020]

Beautiful Anomaly (Part 6): Morpheus x FReader

(Gif by hopeidontgetaddictedtothis from : https://at.tumblr.com/hopeidontgetaddictedtothis/dreams-subtle-sarcastic-smiles-throughout-this/dbi9r2a65h65)

Morpheus x FemReader (present day, its a little hard to explain)

A couple of disclaimers:

1.) This is all based on the Netflix show and I have 0 background on the graphic novel it is based on (so don't expect it to be faithful);

2.) This is a fan work, the only benefit I derive from this is sharing it with the community.

AN: So as usual the original text is too long to be in one post so everyone who is following Beautiful Anomaly will get Parts 5 and 6 divided up so that it can withstand the tumblr textbox limit. Also fyi I will be using the same Morpheus gif because I am too lazy to find a different one when I was writing this. These will be my last posts before I officially go on tumblr hiatus for my midterm exams. Once again thank you to everyone who has been following so far.

For those of you who are new. I highly recommend reading the previous parts first because I don’t know if you will understand everything without first reading those.

Part 1:

Part 2:

Part 3:

Part 4:

Part 5:

Taglist (if you want to be a part of the taglist just comment requesting so) : @winxschester @true-queen-of-mischief @laydreams @memento-mora @daydreamin1220 @kuchokitty @fate-huntress @igotanidea @mikariell95

You awaken just a few minutes before your alarm could go off from your phone. Sitting up you take a moment just to briefly meditate and think about his offer. On one hand you already have a lot on your plate, with balancing your social life, your studies, the rescue of Ana and the investigation of what Mark Gal Lanes wants from you. But on the other hand, once those things are over and once you’ve managed to return Ana to her parents in this lifetime, maybe then you can be more attentive to his needs. Rebutting that is that before taking any endeavor to help others, you need to prepare yourself mentally since who knows what can happen. But on the other hand, knowing Morpheus he might take more drastic approaches to either persuading you or to waiting for you to accept his request. On the other hand.

“Unlike other beings, he can’t just directly or indirectly force you to comply with his request.” Death said as you converse with her through her sigil. This was one of the few times wherein she wasn’t free to go to your apartment and so you hold her sigil similar to how you would hold a cellphone on speaker mode.

“Even then, do you think I’m the best…for his request?”

“Oh yes, he and I agree there. Honestly you’re overqualified for it, and he must be really opening up to you for him to ask for your help after confiding in you.”

“I see.”

“He needs you, more than you need him. I have no doubt that without his help you would have found some way to investigate and rescue your daughter but with his involvement, things are not just more convenient but also faster.”

“You’re right.”

“By any chance, if he had not offered and had you refused – what would have been your plan?”

“Contact one of my former lovers and ask for his help.”

“In this lifetime or from the last lifetime when you were there?”

“This lifetime, contrary to popular belief their species are not immortal, but they do have a longer lifespan than a human lifetime.”

“They meaning singular or they meaning plural? Just to clarify.”

“Plural, I’m referring to their semi-humanoid species who can shapeshift into a regular human appearance and have been successful in integrating with human society.”

“Wait, why did the two of you break up again?”

“We had different priorities. And we loved each other too much to try and force it to work when we both know that it’s better to break up amicably than stay together and end up resenting each other.”

“How very mature of the two of you for your first romance in this lifetime.”

“Although depending on what we learn more about Mark Gal Lanes and what he wants from me, I might need to call him anyway.”

“Morpheus might be peeved by that.”

“Huh why?”

“You know how possessive he is.”

“He has no reason to be possessive. I’m not his lover and even if I was, he’ll have to learn to accept my sometimes polyamorous nature and that me being his lover won’t stop me from being attracted to other people.”

“Have you not learned anything from his romantic history?”

“You said it yourself, he needs me more than I need him. But if he wants to court me, he will also need to accept me for who I am just as I am going to learn to accept what he is in essence – how is this connected to my ex?”

“All I’m saying is before doing so, inform him and be honest about your feelings. He may not need you, but I know you well enough that you are going to be his guide and to prevent him from doing anything dramatic, you will need to tell him of this.”

“I will, hopefully that will give him second thoughts if he wants someone like me to be his guide. But for now I’ll focus first on rescuing Ana and investigating Mark Gal Lanes.”

You end the call and from your smart tablet you see that Nadia has sent some files in the GC.

Nadia: My hacker brother has found this information about Lanes. Only child of an American soldier assigned here during WWII. Stayed and married a Maria Catalina Fernandez Y Lopez, an heiress. Based on the lack of records after he was born we can infer that she died during childbirth. His father didn’t remarry but he did have plenty of illegitimate children. He managed to eventually bring all of them into the US but he died three years later and all of them were separated by the foster care system.

(Y/N): Any connections to magic or the occult?

Nadia: Based on the internet, not really. He hasn’t finished formal school but he got a job as a clerk for a local comic bookstore in Little Rock, Arkansas. He became friends with a single mom through San Diego comic con. She’s Ferdinand’s mother and I’m guessing that she is Ferdinand’s mother.

Tala: What happened to her?

Nadia: Officially she died from an accident. Unofficially she might have been murdered or at the very least a homicide. (Y/N): Based on what?

Nadia: The facebook and twitter posts from her friends. No remaining family relatives, so that’s probably how Lanes got Ferdinand Garcia.

(Y/N): That’s his legal name?

Nadia: Yeah, his mom is hispanic. Which makes it all the more puzzling how Lanes got custody over him knowing how community oriented the hispanic community in the U.S. is.

Tala: So how did they end up here?

Nadia: I don’t know how but he managed to get a 3 month long visa here. And he brought Ferdinand with him as his ward. The time when you first felt pain coming from Ana that was during their first week here.

(Y/N): So before then he probably somehow placed a coma spell over her parents to prevent them from going after her. And then used Ferdinand to lure Ana into his premises. Tala: And then you felt her as she was tortured or was transformed by Lanes.

(Y/N): Exactly. And now she’s a ball python in a drawer receiving minimal care. Tala: Has she even eaten since turning into a snake?

(Y/N): Sadly no You feel your hands almost smashing the message in your phone as you channel how angry and upset you were upon what you learned from the bond.

(Y/N): Ana has only been given water and from what @Lucy has told me, she looks underweight for a snake. Lanes has only changed water and hasn’t given her food and she doesn’t know why. My guess is that he thought he could get away with not feeding her for a long time because ball pythons are known to sometimes go on fasting periods that could last for several months. That’s still not an excuse to actively neglect feeding her. I feel her hunger, and it is only because she has been dwelling in the colder part of the drawer and she has nearly drained her waterbowl that she has been able to cope.

Tala: Oh fuck him.

Nadia: @Tala let’s pass by the pet store before going to her apartment later. I know they have frozen thawed mice for pet snake owners.

Tala: Would she even eat it? She could still talk so maybe she still has her tastebuds.

(Y/N): At this point she’s so hungry I think there’s a higher chance of her eating an already dead mouse. Btw I think you should buy two since I don’t know if Lanes plans on actually feeding her.

Nadia: Oh don’t worry it’s a set of 12 so we’ll probably have enough. But I’ll pack 3 for the mission tonight.

Tala: We’ll hopefully gather more ground since all 4 of us will be in the residence.

(Y/N): Be sure to bring your masks. I’ll see you both later when you arrive here.

Nadia: Geros Ilas!

Tala: See you later. @Nadia I’ll just finish my lunch and then I’m on my way to our meeting spot.

Nadia: Sure, see you Moirail!

That evening after you’re finished with your classes and after everyone has had their dinner, you all gather in the living room to recap the plan, back up plans in case something goes wrong, and what to do what to prioritize when having to choose between all the possible goals that you aim to achieve.

“Like before, this is an information gathering mission. The goal is to find out what magical barriers or spells that are either active or may be set up as a trap if I were to step foot in it or if it would be a hindrance into rescuing Ana. Like before, your safety is paramount but if any of you would want to risk your life prioritize rescuing Ana over attacking Mark Gal Lanes. Thanks to Nadia’s brother we have confirmation that both Mark Gal Lanes and Ferdinand will be flying out of town and won’t be back until the week after next.”

“For a vacation?” Nadia shook her head at Matthew’s question.

“That’s what it looks like on the surface to those who are not in the know. But the locations that they are visiting are known to be areas that are supernatural in nature or at least areas where magic users are known to visit.”

“It’s possible that he framed it for Ferdinand to be a vacation. And when the boy has exhausted himself playing during the day time, he meets with the magic users and possibly other magical beings in the evening.” Lucy added, knowing how generally speaking her fellow magical beings tend to be more active during the night time.

“Possibly even cast a spell or slip something into his food or drink to make him sleepy.” Tala added before taking a gulp of water. You face Morpheus.

“What did you find out about Ferdinand?”

“He’s lonely, he feels neglected by his mother and his father abandoned them. Nobody in his neighborhood wanted to play with him and instead they bullied him for not wanting to join in on their more extreme games like jumping down from the top of the jungle gym. Mark Gal Lanes was the first one with whom he bonded with and who actively protected him. That was until he and Ana began playing together when they arrived here.”

“How long have they known each other?”

“About 5 days, she would play with him after she gets home from school. Her family was invited into their house on the fifth day. And the following day when they played together she was lured into staying with them. You know the rest of what happened.” You feel your heart sink and you feel your stomach turn at how Mark Gal Lanes had essentially betrayed the trust of not just Ana, but possibly also Ferdinand for harming the only friend he had outside of him and also her parents may now become overprotective to the point of hindering her social growth once she reaches puberty.

“What probably happened is that Lanes slipped the coma spell while her parents was in their residence, and soon placed them into a coma. And that removed Ana’s last piece of protection making her ripe for the taking.”

BZZZT BZZZT BZZZT

Your phone rings, your eyebrow raises as you see the caller ID.

“Sam?”

“(Y/N) I have some news for you. There’s someone after you.”

“I know, his name is Mark Gal Lanes right?”

“Yes but there’s more. I’d rather tell you in person. Someone could be listening in.”

“Where are you right now?”

“In the Coffee Bean café that we used to hang out in.” So the same one wherein you formally introduced Morpheus to Emira.

“Can you come to my place? There are other people here but they also know of the situation.”

“Sure, just give me a few minutes.”

“See you Sam.”

Well this will be interesting. It turns out you didn’t need to call him when he was the one who called you.

“Sam will be joining us. He has some news which may be useful. And if he’s up for it he might be able to join the four of you in the mission tonight.”

“Aw he still cares.” You roll your eyes at Lucy’s implication.

“Um who’s Sam?” Matthew asks with a tilt of his head clearly puzzled.

“Her ex and first lover.” Nadia said nonchalantly.

“Yeah not gonna lie, I thought they would eventually get married but oh well.”

“You never know Tala, maybe they might reconnect, he becomes the unofficial stepdad.”

“Guys your shipping tendencies are showing.” You feel yourself smirking as you shake your head.

“There’s still time. And the best part is unlike other men, you don’t have to hide your magical supernatural connections cause he’s one of us.”

“Um what do you mean he’s one of you?”

“He’s a creature called a Tikbalang, like us the Manananggals they are one of the magical creatures that have adapted into blending in to human society.”

“What are they exactly?”

“Matthew imagine a reverse centaur. Head, legs, and height of a horse and human torso. But out of the need to survive they’ve managed to shapeshift into regular humans.” Morpheus says as he straightens up in his seat. His voice neutral, calm but there’s an underlying emotion that you couldn’t pick up on.

“They are notorious for being very fast and very skilled in battle. Especially in their actual forms. If you manage to win against one fairly, you get three wishes.”

“Did he grant you any wishes when you two were still a couple?”

“I never had them, that was never a factor between the two of us.”

You hear a knock and went to welcome Sam in.

“Who’s here?” His deep baritone voice that you haven’t heard from in awhile asked you accompanied with a concerned expression.

“The coven and two other beings that I’ll introduce you to.”

“Are you sure they can be trusted?”

“In this case, yes. Did you use your Tikbalang form to come here or did you use your motorcycle?”

“Motor, I don’t want to risk my actual form with the news I got for you.” His six feet tall reverse triangle torso’d frame which still carried his cross bodied messenger bag, entered the apartment and you fight your urge to roll your eyes at the amused expressions from everyone except Morpheus and Matthew.

“Kaluasam, amusing to see you with our best friend again.”

“Oh hahaha Tala, laugh yourself out if that makes you feel better.”

“Sam this is Morpheus, Dream of the Endless, and his raven, Matthew.”

“Nice to meet you, I wish we were meeting under better circumstances.” Morpheus nods, you see him scanning or inspecting Sam. Given the situation and how it now seems that there was a hunt for you, you couldn’t blame him.

“Likewise Sam, you say you have information that concerning (Y/N).”

“Yes, Mark Gal Lanes is visiting various tribes and groups within the magical community to put a bounty on (Y/N). Whomever could capture her alive first and deliver her to him would receive some sort of award.”

“What’s the award?”

“I don’t know Luce, he was vague about it. Said something about something you’ve always wanted. My father and the other Tikbalangs didn’t really believe him and probably thought it was a scam to exploit us. But I’m not sure if that will be the case for other tribes.”

“Do you know what he wants to do with her?”

“All he said was the she was the key to making his dreams come true. I don’t know what he means by this.”

“Dreams coming true?” You see a change appear in Morpheus. Almost as if some of the pieces has now matched up.

“What are you thinking Morpheus?”

“I have a guess, but because I do not entirely know how your powers may factor in to this, I could be wrong.” He takes a breath before continuing.

“Given what we know, it is possible that he wants you to bring something to life. It would explain why he has been targetting you specifically and not me, the King of Dreams.”

“Someone must have informed him to come after me and not you. But who?”

“Look, as much as I want to also have answers to these questions, it’s almost 8:30, the sooner we go to his residence and possibly rescue Ana, the sooner we could leave that place.” Lucy says as she looks up from her watch.

“Who’s Ana?”

“My past life child reincarnated in this time. Mark Gal Lanes kidnapped her, abused her, and transformed her into a ball python snake to lure me into rescuing her and possibly trapping me through those means.”

“That motherfucker.”

“I know.”

“Would you like to join us Sam in our investigation slash possible rescue mission?” Nadia asks as she starts unloading the devices to be used for the mission.

“What are you guys trying to do?”

“Find out what spells, magical barriers, are in place to possibly trapping (Y/N), or preventing Ana from escaping, or what could be the possible counter spell or reverse spell that could change Ana from ball python back into her human form.”

“Count me in, Luce will you be flying?”

“Yeah, I’ll be leaving my bottom half here for safety. But just to be safe you may want to transform when we arrive there to avoid breaking anything here.”

“Just give me some space then I’ll transform here. It’s better that no one knows my human form. If they see me in my actual form then they could dismiss it as their imagination.”

“Before you two transform let’s settle who’s going where and what Nadia’s new gadgets could do.” You say after glancing at the clock at the time running out.

“Okay Team 1 will be Matthew, Sam, and Lucy, the three of you will be investigating the main house – particularly the second floor – of any magic or information that could shed light on the plans of Mark Gal Lanes. Team 2 will be Tala and Nadia who will check up on Ana and investigate the premises that she’s trapped in. Each team will have a teleportation device, and the medical flashlight thanks to Lucy borrowing her father’s flashlight for tonight. Your safety is paramount. But if it is safe to do so then rescue Ana.”

“Shouldn’t I be in the team with Ana? Since you’re also seeing through me?”

“My bond with Ana has been restored. Before you all go I’ll be informing her through the bond that she should be expecting some people to visit her.”

“We need to know also what Lanes wants to do with (Y/N) that he would go to such lengths to try and capture her. For tonight focus on that.” You sense that Morpheus was mentally sending a message to him. Your guess was that he should also keep an eye on Sam since at this point you can’t blame him for not entirely trusting him yet. You would be skeptical too if someone suddenly appeared to help out of nowhere. This was also why you placed Sam into the team investigating for information, because if he does turn out to have other plans the risk would be on you and not Ana.

“Any other questions?” Without any dissent you let Nadia take the floor to explain some of the new devices that she’s handing out. A device that looked like a hand held super market scanner was made to quickly scan any books or contents without needing to open the pages. The drawback is that said books or stack of files should be scanned facing towards the scanner and it can’t be scanned through the sides.

“I’m currently working on that, but for now this will do. I call it the Content scanner.”

“Does this need wifi?”

“No need Luce, the base also has a hard drive and we’ll see and study the contents when I upload the files in my laptop. It requires a special program that I had to make specifically for this.”

“How are you just a Psychologist?” Tala asked as she placed the Content scanner in one of their deep pants pockets.

“I don’t like mixing work with hobbies. Next is the Invisibility ring.” She produces 4 adjustable silver rings.

“This allows the wearer to become invisible. I made this just in time for tonight so that (Y/N) won’t have to drain herself from making invisibility charms.”

“Thank you for that Nadia. How does it work?”

“This groove right here is how it is activated. You put it in the underside of your finger. Move the switch to the left to become invisible and to the right to become visible. The adjustable parts are also there to make sure you know how to position it. The “key” part should be on the right side.”

“So you essentially made the ring of power from Lord of the rings.” Matthew said with a hint of concern.

“A time sensitive one. The invisibility only lasts for 15 minutes, before it needs another couple hours minimum for it to be replenished so use it wisely. Also as a check and balance mechanism, others who are also wearing this type of ring will still be able to see the wearer. So it’s more of a group effort kind of thing.”

“So a more dangerous ring of power because now it’s not just one ring.”

“I guess you could say that. But that’s all from my part for now. And don’t worry Matthew Luce will make sure to also protect you.”

“I – I don’t need it.”

“Don’t worry Matthew, I’ll make sure you stay alive.”

“Okay okay let’s go there now please.” And with that Lucy and Sam transformed with Lucy leaving her bottom half in one of your guestrooms. You informed Ana of the visitors she should be expecting tonight through the bond. Then divided into their respective teams they made their way to the Lanes residence.

“Do you still have feelings for him?” Huh? You turn towards him as he seats himself next to you.

“Huh? No what made you think that?”

“I am just unsure of where you are with him.” You give him a pointed look of annoyance.

“He’s only a friend now, we’ve outgrown each other. It’s similar to you and Calliope. We’re still in each other’s radar because of me checking up on the magical communities here in this region.”

“I see.” He’s relieved. Why he was relieved you aren’t completely sure.

“Are they here yet?” Ana asks.

“They’ve just arrived, you’ll be meeting two new people and they have something for you. Their names are Nadia and Tala.”

“Okay.”

“Do you know that Mark Gal Lanes and Ferdinand is going to be out of town?”

“No, is that why he gave me two water bowls?”

“Probably, has he fed you?”

“No, I’m hungry but somehow I can endure it? It becomes less painful when I’m in the cooler part.”

“Okay just hang on, they’re coming to you okay.”

“Okay.”

In retrospect, that evening was on the surprisingly boring side of things. Team 1 had essentially scanned almost every single document located in the master bedroom. And after checking and double checking every single magical barrier and spell in place, everyone concluded that while it wasn’t safe for you to enter the premises, it was safe enough to rescue Ana the following evening. Based on the documents recovered it seems that Lanes was also a world building writer, and had several ideas that he has written in his journal. Largely inspired by H.P. Lovecraft and other literary world builders like Tolkien and George R.R. Martin. His journal did indicate that he at the very least harbored genuine love for Ferdinand and saw him as a fellow outcast rejected by society.

“Other good news is that the grimoires contained in the basement floor with Ana also contain the spells that was used to transform her as well as the counter spell to turn her back. But I highly recommend doing a magic check up on her first when she’s here in the apartment before transforming her back.” Nadia says as she uploads the files obtained from the Content scanners into the GC.

“I agree, we’ll also need to make a decoy to switch her with just in case there’s a hidden trap from rescuing her that we couldn’t detect.” Tala says as she starts putting energy to form Ana’s decoy.

“This weirdly seems too easy and convenient. Don’t get me wrong I’m thankful that it seems to be easy but if I were him I would put some sort of security over his grimwears and other magical tools.”

“It’s grimoires not grimwears. And actually he did Matthew, the security he placed was touch based. I suspected that the moment some stranger touches his tools, it will activate some sort of trap. Which is why after feeding Ana I asked Tala to levitate the books and used the Content scanner on them.”

“Sadly none of the documents provided any answers as to who informed him of the bond between (Y/N) and her children and her abilities.” You hear him lament as you pour everyone a cup of black coffee.

“We’ll settle that later Morpheus. Once the decoy is finished the goal is to rescue Ana, and once she is here I’ll use the counterspell to change her back to her human form.”

“How long will it take to make a decoy?”

“Reasonably speaking, about 5 days.” Morpheus looks at Tala with disbelief.

“I thought you were going to rescue Ana tonight?”

“Without a decoy I wouldn’t risk it. Besides Mark Gal Lanes is still out of town, we have time.”

“Every moment she stays there, it becomes more dangerous for her.”

“You think I don’t know that Morpheus? Everyone here wants to rescue Ana and beat up Mark Gal Lanes, but you heard (Y/N), safety of everyone is paramount.”

“Just a suggestion.” Sam says after finishing his coffee.

“What if I capture Mark Gal Lanes and interrogate him?”

“Sam!”

“I’m serious (Y/N), I’ll just get the magic cancelling handcuffs, handcuff him, gag him so he won’t make any verbal spells. And the only way he could be allowed to communicate is through mental projection.”

“I actually agree with you on that one.”

“Morpheus not you too.”

“Think about it, if we would take the fight to him, and take control over the anxiety he is causing you then maybe this would all be resolved faster.”

“If the two of you are going to pursuit him, you will need one of us witches to make sure he can mentally project his thoughts.”

“Everyone let’s calm down.” You say loudly as you speak with no room for dissent. There was a pause as everyone turns to you. By the look on their faces you realize that they are going to pursuit this whether you like it or not.

“I can tell that no matter what I say some of you are going to pursuit him. I can’t control what you do, but I do request that you be careful and if you are going to do this we’re going to do this as a team and step by step. Nadia, Tala, keep working on the decoy. The only traps in the residence are for me right?”

“Yes, but with us it’s not responsive.” Tala says as they pours their second cup of coffee.

“Good. You two will work on decoy and rescuing Ana. Everyone else who is going to pursuit Mark Gal Lanes, make sure that you stay safe while pursuing him. You are to bring him to me restrained and gagged. I’ll be the one to provide for his mental projection communication.”

“Are you sure?” Lucy asks with concern.

“Yes, I’d rather finish this sooner than later. And finally settle this.”

“Well if you’re sure.”

“For the pursuit I recommend Sam and Lucy take charge. When in doubt follow Lucy. Oh and Morpheus, may I speak with you?”

You lead him to one of your guest rooms to have a private chat with him.

“What is it?”

“I’ve decided to accept your offer of being your guide.” You see the subtle relief in his expression that no one else would see if they didn’t know him very well.

“Thank you.”

“I’m feeling a little bit drowsy. After you talk with Sam and Lucy can you bring me to the dreaming with your voice?”

“Of course.”

And soon you found yourself in the dreaming.

More specifically in the same conference room within the library that was near the throne room. With Morpheus sitting across you from your preferred place at the seat against the wall.

“What made you decide to accept my offer?”

“Let’s just say I have a feeling you would find some way to persuade me into actually doing it and that you wouldn’t take no for an answer.”

The expression on his face confirms your statement as he shows no remorse with a hints of relief and an almost smile from his lips.

“However there are a few things that I would like to discuss before we even begin.”

“And what are your demands?”

“I’d like to think of them more as reminders rather than demands. Number 1: While we may have some similar experiences we still have differences in our overall experience with you as an Anthropomorphic being and I as Life incarnate. I will not be able to understand everything because even I am simply limited from what I know among my many lifetimes. I am simply a guide to this journey of yourself, I am not here to provide answers.”

“You need not worry, it is because of this difference that factored into me asking for your guidance.”

“We’ll see once you hear all of my reminders. Number 2: I am neither a psychologist in this lifetime nor a psychiatrist. If I feel like some of your questions is better suited for either one then I shall recommend you to ask Nadia since she is highly more equipped than me to tackle those concerns. Don’t worry she’s happy to help but just ask her ahead of time first.”

“Very well. You aren’t finished yet I presume?”

“No definitely not. Number 3: Somewhat related to my first reminder I need you to remember that my nature as Life incarnate may sometimes be biased towards that and there’s no shame in asking for the second opinions from other beings you feel comfortable with.” You didn’t need to wait for him to ask you as his confusion was visible on his face.

“Such as you being mainly monogamous in your romantic history and I am sometimes polyamorous. Of course a lot of times I have also been monogamous but I also want to bring up that when it comes to potentially romantic concerns I give my love to whom I deem worthy of it. That doesn’t mean I always act upon it, but you should know that I will be biased towards that system. Same with potentially sexual concerns since I wasn’t in love or even loved everyone with whom I have slept with which is a sharp contrast to your experiences.”

An expression on his face shows you that he is finally starting to understand the reason why you wanted to discuss these things first before embarking on any self-explorations with him. You couldn’t recognize every micro-expression he has shown you nor all the emotions blended into it but at least you were bringing this up at the earliest possible time.

“And lastly you will be doing most of the work since I won’t always be available. A task like this requires energy and emotional and mental stability on my end. If I feel like I am not in the proper headspace to journey with you, you won’t be exploring it with me. But you may still ask me questions and I’ll get back to it when I am again in the proper headspace to actually address it. We will also be working around my schedule since I also need to actually live out my life in the waking world.”

You take a breath studying his face now in contemplation.

“If you accept all of these reminders then we can formally begin. None of them are negotiable. You don’t have to make a decision now, this is technically a counter offer for the contract we are trying to establish. I recommend you take your time to think it over before you give your answer.”

He sighs before replying that he will take your suggestion and contemplate it for awhile.

“While you’re still here how are you going to assist Sam and Lucy in pursuing Mark Gal Lanes? Remember he has a subconscious barrier similar to the ones the occultists had in their minds.”

“I’ve managed to locate the counter spell from the files Nadia has downloaded. Before you have asked me to speak privately with you, Lucy has asked if we could meet in her dreams since she has to work to do. I have instructed both of them that for that to happen they need to be asleep at the same time, but her request is well within my power.”

“I see, be careful okay? I’m not sure what your backup plan is but I don’t know how I will rescue any of you if something goes wrong. And please cooperate with them, they are two of my most trusted people within the magical community.”

“Even Sam?” He asks with concern mixed with a bit disdain.

“Look I know you’ve just met him so you don’t know our history. But trust me when I say that there have been multiple times in the past that he could’ve had the chance to hurt me but instead he went the extra mile to protect me. You may even check his dreams if you have any doubts.”

He wanted to say more but he restrained himself as he looks into the corner.

“I’m sorry for interrupting my Lord but she wanted to see her.” Lucienne enters guiding Ana in her human form as she rushes to your side.

“What may I call you? Mommy is already for my mom in this lifetime.”

“Oh you may call me Muña, it’s High Valyrian for mother.”

“What’s High Baleryon?”

“Va – leer – yan, that’s how you pronounce it dear. Altogether it is Valyrian. It’s a new language that I am also learning to speak.”

“Oh from what country?”

“It’s not from any country, it’s from a fantasy series.”

“Huh?”

“What your mother means is that someone made this entire language. Usually languages has an entire group creating it. But in this case someone made this language from their own mind.” He adds with his expression a lot more softer than before.

“COOL! What other words are in High Baleerion?”

For the rest of the dream you spent it slowly teaching the little High Valyrian you’ve learnt from Duolingo and dining on her new favorite food Spanakopita, and her favorite drink Wintermelon Milktea. Morpheus had to leave midway giving the two of you to time to bond.

“Where is he going?”

“He and two of our other friends are going to plan how to capture the mean man who did this to you.”

“Is that why your friends visited me?”

“Yes, there’s another friend of mine whom you haven’t met yet but you’ll meet him soon once you turn back into a person.”

“Oh it’s a he?”

“Yes. Why are you asking?”

“Is this he your boyfriend?” Thankfully you didn’t choke on the boba that you were swallowing.

“He was once my boyfriend. But he and I are just friends now.”

“Do you still like him?”

“Yes I do still like him. But now only as a friend.” She breathes a sigh of relief.

“Oh good. I like Morpheus with you.”

“Hmm why?”

“I think he has a crush on you. You make him smile a lot and he loves talking about you.”

“Well he is a friend of mine and he has helped the two of us restore our bond. I couldn’t tell you about myself yet.”

“But he looks at you the way my daddy looks at mommy. And the way he talks about you feels different than when I talk about my friends.”

“And while I do like the way you think, there are still plenty of things that needs to happen before Morpheus could be my boyfriend.”

“Like what?”

“Well for one thing he needs to be aware of his tendencies to overreact sometimes and why or what causes him to overreact. That’s one among other things that he needs to take a look at what needs to be done.”

“Oh…but what does that have to do with being your boyfriend?”

“Think of it this way, when you meet new people and children and you want them to be your friends, why do you want them to be your friends?”

“Because I don’t like having friends because I feel lonely.”

“And would you want them to be your friends because of your toys, or for yourself?”

“For myself. Because I don’t need toys to have fun.”

“Exactly, I feel the same way if Morpheus wants to become my romantic partner, he should also want to be with me for who I am, just as I would want to be his partner for who he is. That doesn’t mean there isn’t room for improvement for the two of us to grow since I also make mistakes. But if he couldn’t love me for who I am then we are better off as friends.”

You can tell that she is following along though she herself may not have experienced romantic love yet.

“But enough about my non-existent romantic relationship with Morpheus. What is ‘Please’ in High valyrian?”

“Kostilus.”

“Good. And what is ‘Thank you’?”

“Kir…Kir…um.”

“Kirimvose (Y/N) Ana kimívagho.” [Thank you (Y/N) for talking to Ana] Morpheus says with his voice on the deeper end of his range, reminiscent of the tone he would use to calm your mind and bring you to sleep, as he leans against the doorway of the conference room with a hint of a smile on his face with his arms crossed. With an eyebrow raised you respond in kind.

“Jiōrna āeksio ēdrurys [Welcome Lord Dream]. Join us as we are conducting our High Valyrian lessons together.”

“I’ll only come there if Ana could say please in High Valyrian.” He was feeling lighter you could tell from his tone that there was a relaxed softness to it.

“Can I practice first?”

“Of course Ana.”

“Muña what’s his name in High Valyrian?”

“Āeksio ēdrurys. It means Lord Dream. Āeksio means Lord and ēdrurys means dream.”

“Kirimvose muña. Kostilus āeksio ēdrurys?” She asks as best as she could.

“Issa, drēji sȳz Ana.” [Of course, very good Ana] He goes to the two of you and once again he retakes his seat across you.

“I thought you had other business to attend to.”

“It was finished surprisingly early, and so I decided to come back here while the two of you are still in the dreaming.”

“Āeksio ēdrurys what do you think of ñuha muña [My mother]?” Ana asks as she practices some of the High Valyrian words she just learnt during your time together in your mutual dreams.

“I think you are very lucky to have her as your mother. Even if she didn’t give birth to you during this lifetime.”

“But do you like her?” He gives her a smile, but from how you see it there’s a hidden deviousness underneath it that you’re not sure if Ana has noticed.

“Issa [Yes] I really like her. It’s why she and I get along so well.”

“Though sometimes he and I also disagree on various things.”

“If we agreed on everything we might as well be the same being.”

“You have a point there.” You look at Ana who now has both of her elbows on the table with her hands holding her face.

“So when are you going to be her boyfriend?” Your feel your heart stop and you are hoping that Morpheus won’t take it seriously.

“What makes you think I could be her boyfriend?”

“You make goo goo eyes at her and there’s something weird about your smile like what you’re doing now.”

“Is that so?” Ana begins to fade as a sign she is starting to wake up.

“NO! I don’t want to be a snake again!”

“Ana don’t worry, a couple of my friends will rescue you tonight okay. Just hang on.”

“Okay muña.” Then she was gone and was once again in your domain in her snake form.

“Out of curiosity was that your doing or was she genuinely waking up?”

“She was genuinely waking up. I wanted to talk to her more about her thoughts about being your partner.” You couldn’t help but roll your eyes at this.

“There’s a lot of things that will have to happen first before that is even a possibility.”

“Such as?”

“A lot of negotiation on many things. Discussion of what are our priorities. Things we are willing to negotiate and what cannot be negotiated. Discussion of our own issues with each other.”

“You make it sound like a contract.”

“It is a contract. Not one regulated by law but by social mores. I know I’m making it sounds so formal, but I find that many relationships fail because of lack of communication so I would rather settle anything and everything I could right at the start. That doesn’t mean I’ll be closed off once it has begun but I’d like to settle all that I could. Besides.” You get up to take a brief stretch of your body.

“We have other things to think about first such as rescuing Ana, pursuing Mark Gal Lanes, finding out why he wants me in the first place, and your own self-exploration of your thoughts and psyche.”

“True.” He replies with a neutral tone. Once again he has retreated, but you also couldn’t blame him for someone who is just so used to keeping things to himself and only confiding in people when pushed by either Death or other close confidants.

“So what have you, Sam, and Lucy discussed?”

The rest of the time in your dreams was spent discussing the plan on pursuing Mark Gal Lanes including on improving what you’ve already suspected they plan on doing.

Since Lucy and Sam were also from wealthy families it would also be believable that they would travel around through more private means. Sam is going to borrow his family yacht that will serve as transportation in tracking down Mark Gal Lanes. Lucy and Sam will be in charge of restraining him both physically through magical handcuffs made to remove the wearer’s ability to use magic and verbally just in case the handcuffs were not enough since the handcuffs only prevent mostly non-verbal magic but the loophole around it was simply saying the spells out loud. That way he couldn’t actually say any spells and the only way he could communicate is through mental projection. This not only allows Lucy and Sam’s minds to remain secured but will also allow communication to happen without any possibility of injuries to anyone involved.

Afterwards, Lucy, but in case she was indisposed then Sam would do the honors, would do the counterspell to break the subconscious barrier guarding his subconscious thoughts against Morpheus. Once the barrier was broken, Lucy will either say a sleeping spell or Sam would knock him out, but somehow some place, they’ll make him fall asleep allowing Morpheus access into his dreams and his subconscious and to do his own investigation and interrogation as to why Mark Gal Lanes wants to capture you.

That was the plan but you bring up one crucial logistical issue.

“In order for them to be able to get those kinds of handcuffs they’ll need to file the case first with the Datu of the magical judicial community of Laguna since Ana’s domicile is there. He is the one that regulates access to them.”

“Then what’s the issue?”

“It could take days if not weeks before they could get access to them and we don’t have that much time. They’ll have to prove to him that this is an urgent case.”

“Who is the Datu presiding?”

“I don’t know, I’ve never had a reason to know it. But Sam might know.”

“I’ll see if Lucienne could locate any documents or books that might show who it is. Maybe I could help make their journey a little more faster.”

“Whomever the Datu is, don’t threaten. Just make it more memorable than usual so there’s a lesser chance of whomever they are of forgetting it the moment they awaken.”

“I will see to it.”

As you predicted it took 5 days for Sam and Lucy to finally have access to the magic restraining handcuffs and two more days for the yacht to be prepared to leave. In the yacht Sam managed to get his motorcycle into it which will serve as their on land transportation which Lucy will be riding along with for the sake of efficiency. Fortunately or unfortunately there was a strong typhoon that entered and while it had passed where you were living in, by the time it got to the general area that Mark Gal Lanes was currently in, it became strong enough for electricity to be cut – off and as confirmed by Sam and Lucy’s network of contacts, he and Ferdinand were forced to stay in that area until the electricity would return. Conservative estimates was at least two days or three days.

“That means there may be more time for Sam and Lucy to capture him?” Ana, now in her little girl form, although you took a picture of her as a GHI ball python before Tala and Nadia did the counterspell for reference, who was currently eating peanut butter spread on whole wheat bread as her brunch meal after the two of you have devoured a large batch of scrambled eggs.

“Yes, they are currently on their way to him. Hopefully everything goes to plan and nothing happens to either of them.”

“What happens if something does go wrong?”

“Then Sam, Lucy, or Morpheus will contact me, Tala, or Nadia and we’ll use the teleportation device to go to them and help.”

“Three of you together?”

“Hopefully just one or the two of us. But yes, if it is dire then all three of us will have to travel to wherever they are.”

“Oh” She’s concerned but at this point it would be more dangerous for her if she were involved in it anymore than necessary.

“On the bright side, Tala and Nadia will be visiting your parents tomorrow and will start removing the comatose spell from them.”

“Should I go with them so that everything will seem normal?”

“Oh don’t worry, the magical community has already been informed and have already made preparations for that.”

“Memory editing?”

“Of many people. They won’t do it to you because you are my daughter and our bond cannot be ignored, but they will have to do it to your parents and to the people around them so that the magical community will be protected.”

“So how long will it take?”

“According to them, it’s at least going to be one week since the spell used on them either had no time limit or had a very long one. And that will take awhile to safely remove it from them.”

“Can’t Āeksio ēdrurys just say ‘The dream is over’ and make them wake up?”

“He can, but it won’t be without harm. If they wake up immediately from a long sleep, their brain could be damaged from the sudden rush of activity. To do it safely, Tala and Nadia will have to carefully remove the spell from their minds and it is only then that they can actually begin to sleep.”

“But I thought they were already sleeping?”

“Hmm how do I explain this. They are sleeping but only lightly, in order to get proper rest, we also need to have very deep sleep. It is only in very deep sleep can our conscious mind really rest and allows our body and brain to repair itself. This is also why it’s only in deep sleep that you are able to enter the dreaming.”

“Ooh so my parents haven’t been in the dreaming this whole time?”

“Yes, they are not totally in the subconscious but they are in between being conscious and the subconscious. Āeksio ēdrurys can still access them but only very little because they aren’t in deep sleep. And because they aren’t in deep sleep, that means their bodies are working extra hard to keep them alive rather than bringing them to sleep. That’s why Nadia and Tala have to be very careful in doing the counterspell because they will also be feeding them magically to help their bodies get fuel.”

“And that fuel will help them actually rest by bringing them into a deep sleep?”

“Issa, sȳz riña.” [Yes, good girl]

“Kirimvose muña.” [Thank you, mother]

“Biarvose Ana” [You’re welcome Ana]

“So that means if they’re busy doing that, you’ll be the first to go to Lucy and Sam if something goes wrong.”

“Issa [Yes], it seems so. Let’s hope that they won’t need to call any of us or that they stay safe doing so.”

“Issa muña.” [Yes mother] The doorbell rings and you hear Emira call out to you.

“Ana, it’s time I introduce you to your sister. She’ll be staying here through the weekend.”

“Is she the one you told me who is also in Law School with you?”

“Issa.” [Yes]

You open the door and was surprised to see her not only with her backpack and duffle bag for her weekend clothes, but also with three boxes of Pizza hut pizzas.

“You carried this all the way to this floor?”

“I wasn’t about to let anyone else steal anything in these bags. And also the pizza is too precious to be trusted with someone else.”

“You could’ve called me.” You say as you immediately take the boxes of pizza to allow Emira to put down her bags and introduce herself to Ana.

“I didn’t know which kind of pizza you liked so I got 3 of the flavors that our mom and I eat all the time whenever I’m staying here.”

“What flavors are they?”

“Cheese lovers, Pepperoni, and Supreme.”

“Oh I like Pepperoni.”

“Me too. Our mom prefers only cheese.”

“That’s how I appreciate the pizza.” You respond as you set up the three pizza boxes on the dining table and prepare three dinner plates. That evening to your relief surprisingly went well and as you were devouring your Cheese lovers pizza, and your daughters sharing the other two pizzas and even made a game of mixing each of their toppings together, it turns out there is one topic that they are more than happy to tease you about.

“Well he said he likes her. Muña was there to see it.”

“Let’s not read too much into his replies first Ana.”

“Oh my gosh mom even Ana sees it. How are you still blind to it?”

“I’m managing my expectations.”

“She says that there are a lot of things that need to happen before he becomes her boyfriend.”

“Oh like what?”

“Like making sure that he knows where I stand on certain things and what I require from my lifetime before that happens. Establishing boundaries here and there. Being open about what our issues are with each other and if given all of that he would still want to become my partner. You know those things.”

“But muña what if he’s doing all of this because it’s his way of showing you that he wants to be with you?”

“Yeah mom, like why is he suddenly all super helpful when it comes to me, Jared, and Ana?”

“Wait he has been helping Jared? How?”

“Jared hasn’t told you yet? Morpheus has been helping him learn or rather re-learn Hebrew.”

“Who’s Jared?”

“Our brother. Mom was his father during their lifetime together.”

“That’s why he calls me zaza because it’s a gender neutral term for parent and it’s obscure enough that it could be mistaken as a nickname.”

“How many siblings do we have?”

“Reincarnated? Just Emira and Jared so far.”

“How about if you and Morpheus have babies muña?” Oh this is getting ridiculous.

“Woah woah woah that is too far ahead. There’s still plenty of time for that.”

“Plenty of time for what?” You pray to the fates that he hasn’t heard any of what your daughters have said.

“Lord Morpheus rytsas! Would you like to join us for dinner?”

“Oh so that’s how you say it? Wait how do you have time to study both law and High Valyrian?”

“High Valyrian is my break from law.”

“Children.” They quiet down but you stand up and walk towards him.

“Has something happened?”

“Sam and Lucy have managed to capture him as planned. They have teleported to the Datu presiding over the case in Laguna.” You were thankful that it was sooner than you have hoped but you’re also bracing yourself in case something goes wrong.

“Are you here to pick up Ana? Tala and Nadia haven’t begun the counterspell process for the coma –“

“It’s not Ana they want to summon. It’s you. Datu Sali has asked me if I could convince you to be present.” So he’s here for you. On one hand at least Ana would be spared from any further encounters with Mark Gal Lanes but on the other.

“Do you think it’s safe for me to go?”

“That was also my concern, which is why if you’re going I believe we should include Tala and Nadia to protect you. I will also do my part in your protection.”

“Kirimvose Morpheus.” [Thank you Morpheus]

“Biarvose (Y/N)” [You’re welcome (Y/N)]

After making sure that Emira knew what to do now that she was the legal adult in your apartment and after making sure that Nadia and Tala went there first to put some protection spells and charms for you, you arrive at the tribunal.

“Out of curiosity, where’s Matthew?”

“He’s with Emira and Ana. I have instructed him to guard them while you were away. I have a feeling that he won’t be needed here and I wanted to do my part to make sure they were safe while you and I are here.”

“We should’ve checked if Death was available to baby sit for the evening.”

“She will be there.” Surprised and impressed you turn towards him.

“She was the first person I checked with since I have a feeling that you wanted to be here. Once she has finished with her duties, she will swing by your apartment to make sure Matthew did not cause any irreparable disaster.”

“You have little faith in your new raven. He’s at the very least more cautious than Jessamy, we both know how that turned out.” You see his quiet acknowledgement at the expression he gave you.

“Besides, if anyone is going to start the disaster it would probably be either of my daughters. Matthew will be the one who is trying to talk them out of it, only to be ignored. Chaos ensues, Death arrives to Matthew desperately asking for her help as he is hapless in the midst of the chaos. Then depending on her mood she will either join them or make another type of distraction to at least help Matthew out.” His smile with his expression he now bears towards you shows that the situation you’ve painted is the more likely comical one to happen.

Before stepping in to the area where the tribunal is being held you take this chance to turn towards Morpheus.

“I don’t know what’s about to happen when we both join there. But I just want to say thank you for everything you’ve done for me. And I know I may be harsh for giving you those reminders on what to think on before actually guiding you into your self-exploration, but those come from a place of love and good will. And if something were to happen – “

“Life, have hope.” He says as he steps closer to you. Almost touching but not really.

“You have been able to endure so much through many perils, many joys, sorrows, births, deaths, suffering, pleasure. You give yourself so little credit sometimes that you forget how much you have benefitted everyone around you including yourself. I and many others will be there to protect you. But you yourself are a powerful being.”

“Similar beings have also fallen.”

“And yet you persist against all the odds.”

“And yet there has to be a balance for life to exist and continue to exist.”

“And yet paradoxically, once life exists you still find a way to come back over and over again. Relentless towards the end.”

“Even when I am lazy?”

“Even then.” He says to you with a reassuring look. And you didn’t know that this is what you needed just before entering into the tribunal.

“Thank you Morpheus, for this.”

“Biarvose.”

You two enter the tribunal surrounded by various magic users and magical creatures that everyone thought was mere superstition and with your presence now in the forum the adjudication over Mark Gal Lanes has begun.

Datu Sali was among the humans who practiced magic and his title of Datu was bestowed on him by the magical court that was hidden away from the non-magical world. His background on political science helped in him being selected for arbitration and mediation.

“Don’t I get a say in this?” Lanes says through his mental projection since he is physically restrained by his hands in the magic restraining handcuffs, feet tied to the chair that he is sitting on, and his mouth sealed with ducktape reinforced by magic to prevent any spells from being verbally said even without moving his lips.

“Yes you will. Now that the person you’ve attempted to capture has made her presence known, you may now tell everyone around here why.”

“Tsch. My reason was simple enough. I wanted to make a new world outside of this one.” You and Morpheus slightly turn to each other to see that the two of you shared the same look of being disturbed.

“All my life, I have been neglected, and been abused by this world that I was born into. You don’t have to know about them, because I want to keep this short. I prefer action to words. When I connected with Ferdinand, a little boy who was a kindred spirit of mine also neglected by his own creator, I took him as the son I never knew I wanted.”

He looks at you in your eyes.

“And he was like a son to me, when we were back in the fucking United States, he was bullied almost every day. And I didn’t want him to endure it for any further. And so I decided to try telling him stories and together we’ve build a world where no one would do any harm to us. But I knew that we couldn’t stay in this fictional world together forever. If we wanted to live, we needed to endure the cruel world that seemed to hate us for reasons that neither of us could understand. Then one day a person came to me and informed me of the being of Life Incarnate, how she had the ability to bring to life the world we would escape to. Away from the cruelty of this one, wherein no one was cruel to us anymore. So I ask you, would you penalize someone for wanting to make their dreams come true?”

“If that was the case then why didn’t you just go to (Y/N) and ask her directly if she could grant your request?”

“Because the same person told me that not only would Life Incarnate reject me. But if I wanted to get what I desired, I must forcefully bring out her immortal aspect by subjecting her into pain and suffering. As was recommended I pursued her daughter given to me by the person informing me of such things.” You have a sneaking suspicion as to who this person is but you’ll need to settle this issue first.

“(Y/N) would you like to respond?”

“Yes, thank you Datu Sali. Mark Gal Lanes, I don’t know who informed you of this but I cannot bring your dreams to life.”

“Why not? Haven’t you also endured such hardships in one of the many lifetimes you’ve experienced? Surely a part of you has sympathy for my tale.”

“Bringing life to a new universe, what more of a universe of your own creation, would mean destroying and shattering my current self in both the physical and the spiritual aspect.”

“Why would that be an issue?”

“Because if I do, all current life on this world is going to die as a result of it. If I force it and it doesn’t happen organically through the eventual path towards entropy, all life will be extinct. It’s one thing to ask me this back in my early days as bacteria wherein I could still have more room to play around. But to ask this of me while I am in my current form with complex thoughts, is another.”

“No, It – it can’t be. You’re lying!”

“Am I? You forget that life is all about balance and maintaining that balance. If one part is out of place, this leads to death or the failure of life to exist in the first place.” You take a breath and a moment to gather your thoughts.

“There is also one other thing you are forgetting Mark Gal Lanes. I presume in this new world of yours you also want me to bring to life sentient beings?”

“Yes, I do.”

“Do you realize that you cannot control them once they have life within them and that they will eventually become something you’ve never intended to create because they have their own thoughts and feelings?” He doesn’t reply. But he doesn’t have to for you to know that he hasn’t considered this.

“While not all life will be capable of sentience, granting life to such complex beings will result into their own consciousness and therefore their own will to live and act whether you like it or not. Any parent could tell you that. You say you wanted to truly escape this world into a world of your own because of the neglect you and Ferdinand have endured. Have you maybe considered that you have taken away from him a dear friend of his and have taken advantage of how vulnerable he is to your suggestions? We are social beings by nature, and you have been negligent in fulfilling this need by abusing my daughter who opened her heart out to Ferdinand to be her friend.”

“She was just a tool to get you. The moment she knows more about him, she’ll leave.”

“Then let it happen, heartbreak is a part of life. And you’ve failed in providing no other perspective other than your own.” He became silent after that. It was clear that whomever provided him with this information was either just messing with him or he was a tool for another purpose that he doesn’t know about.

“I think we can all agree that it’s time to wrap this up?”

“With all due respect Datu Sali, may I ask him a few questions?”

“Go ahead Dream of the Endless.” Morpheus turns toward Mark Gal Lanes.

“Who was this person who gave you this information about Life Incarnate?”

“The person didn’t give me their name. But the pronouns are they them their and had golden eyes.” Suspicions confirmed.

“And this person provided you with everything you know about Life Incarnate?”

“Yes. I should’ve known better than to fucking believe that fucker.” Oh he has no idea.

“You may pass your judgment now Datu Sali,”

“Thank you, Mark Gal Lanes, you are hereby penalized for your attack against (Y/N). Your powers and magical abilities will be taken away from you and you will have a restraining order to not go anywhere near (Y/N), her children or her family and their respective biological families. This is just the first part of your penalty. But I want to discuss the reason behind it. While I do sympathize with the pain and struggle of being neglected and bullied, this gives you no excuse for the harm you’ve caused (Y/N), her children and their families. No one here will blame you for wanting to dream for a better world and to use this as a means to escape from the harsh reality we live in. But if the cost of that dream means to actively bring harm to others then it is worth questioning if that dream is worth turning into reality. As for the second part of your penalty -”

Your mind tunes off as you turn towards Morpheus.

“See, nothing has happened.”

“It’s only because you are here with Nadia and Tala.”

“Speaking of which, we will have to inform them that we will be leaving soon. The sooner you can get into the dreaming, the sooner we can settle this.”

“Could I pass through if I’m also in the Dreaming?”

“Yes, but you must take my hand when it happens.”

“Of course.”

Before you know it, the two of you stand in his gallery about to approach the mastermind behind all the suffering you have endured recently.

AN: And that's it until after my midterms.

1.) Yes I know the last part (the capture and the tribunal) is really rushed. I was racing to finish it before starting my week long devotion into remedial law;

2.) I've used various High Valyrian dictionaries for words I didn't learn yet in Duolingo, if any of it is off, sorry about that I'm still in unit 3;

3.) I've aslo used several sites to find Filipino names to fit in with the characters and I've even consulted with online Friends on what could be the appropriate ones for them. And since this is a fictionalized version of them I let them pick;

4.) I wanted to put a Maliksi figure after falling in love with him in the Trese animated series but I don't want to put in another fandom with this work. So that's Kaluasam "Sam" Life's first boyfriend in this lifetime. Don't worry he's not a threat, but he does still care for her.;

5.) Lucy the Manananggal (I hope I spelled that right) was inspired by SB19's song called Mana and the background character in Trese that my friends like to call "Mommynanggal";

6.) The Ball python morph that Ana was turned into is a GHI ball python. I wanted to find a melanistic ball python morph that could still have some contrasting patterns so that the light could still be reflected on it and would show what specific creature Ana was transformed into. It looks like this:

or this:

Both pictures are from : Ghi Ball - Morph List - World of Ball Pythons

[cheoliehae]

121U! - jeon wonwoo // seventeen au

❖ soulmate: you are able to communicate with your soulmate via a special chat room but you are both unaware of who you are due to the username

❖ a/n: hi everyone, so if you been here since the beginning of my blog you know that i used to write bts text au and that I also have skz au writing account. well since im in my 3rd year of uni i started to write to relieve stress and it’s really fun. so enjoy this idea i had that was og for my skz blog. if you haven’t figured it out yet I took inspiration from Day6 song 121U (aka a bop) as well as A Cinderella Story (you know the one with Hillary Duff, a CLASSIC). It is unsure how much i will write on this blog since again i only write when i am relieving stress so until next time enjoy :)

❖ word count: 1.6k (legit one word away from 1.7k)

❖ paring: jeon wonwoo  x gn reader

❖: high school au, soulmate au

Ah, high school, a time where smarts and social status do not mix well together. You are either lucky enough to be a part of the popular crowd, being invited to all of the hottest parties, and dating the hottest people. Or get a normal student focusing on their studies and not giving a crap about any social status that one may obtain. Walking down the hallway with your earbuds in your ear you didn’t care about the people around you. You were just at school to study and graduate knowing that you were destined for greatness after high school.

“Excuse me,” you heard a voice coming from behind you. Pulling out your airpods you were faced with Mina and her group of followers. “Can I help you?” you questioned her as you had no idea what she wanted from you. You have never even said two words to her before this moment so you were highly confused about what was happening. “You are walking slowly and my locker is right there so can you please use your two legs and move faster please,” Mina motioned for her hands to move. Rolling your eyes you did just that and proceed to walk into class.

“Hey y/n you look, not good,” your best friend Joshua as he saw you sit down at your desk. Setting your head down a small sigh left your month “I hate Myoui Mina with a passion, I get it she is popular but does that give her a reason to freakin pick on everyone like come freakin on”. Joshua extended his arm and gently pat you on the back “there their y/n, rant to your best friend,”. Raising your head up you saw Mina walking into class with her boyfriend Wonwoo as his arm was around her. “Great this is going to be a long day,” you set your head back down and moped.

As time passed by you started to get bored in class as you finished all of your assignments. You opened a new tab on your laptop and entered into a chatroom. A smile grew on your face as you got excited seeing your friend mrbookworm was online. A bit of backstory mrbookworm is actually your soulmate but you felt really awkward calling him your soulmate since you had no idea who he was.

ouasunshine: hey i see that you are alive

mrbookworm: yeah i finished my classwork a bit early so i wanted to see if you were on or not

mrbookworm: and just like i expected here you are :)

ouasunshine: i am highly convinced that you are just on this chat room 24/7 waiting for me to come online

mrbookworm: you would be disappointed if that was false ;)

ouasunshine: dont get cheesy with me.

A chuckle left your mouth knowing how much mrbookworm made you feel. But it sucked that you did not know him in person cause you really did believe that if you did your whole world would be different. He seems like the type of person who really did not care about social status or what others think of him. 

mrbookworm: how are your classes today?

ouasunshine: the normally but I did have a lovely run-in with one of the ‘popular’ at my school

ouasunshine: let’s just say it was not really the highlight of my day

mrbookworm: :( im sorry you had a rough day I wish there to make you feel better

ouasunshine: i have to go, the bell just rang

Packing up your backpack and quickly walked out of the classroom trying your best to avoid any more interactions with that clique. Which for once was in your favor as you didn’t run into any of that crowd for the rest of the school day. Your absolute favorite time of the day was when the last bell rang and you were able to go to the library. It was quiet and wasn’t too crowded unless it was midterm or final season. The librarians were also very appreciative that you came during your free time and helped out. “Y/n, I just wanted to let you know that we are going to close up a bit early so don’t be alarmed okay,”. “I won’t Mrs. Park,” you said with a smile on your face and then returned to your book. 

As time passed you were getting lost in your book. “Excuse me,” looking up from your book you say Wonwoo standing in front of you “Um can I check out a laptop?”. “Sure but the library is closing early so you have at least 30 minutes before I have to ask for it back. ID please,” you held out your hand. He handed it to you and once you scanned everything you handed it back to him. You watched as he walked away and returned to your book. Looking over at the desk that was in front of you you saw your phone buzzing. You moved forwards to see if anyone was in your line of sight and if anyone could see you, let’s just say you were in the clear.

mrbookworm: if you were picking out a book for me, what book would you recommend?

ouasunshine: what makes you say that I am a reader?

mrbookworm: well for one thing your soulmate is a bookworm aka i am a bookworm 

mrbookworm: i kinda hope that my soulmate is one too

ouasunshine: Are We There Yet? by David Levithan. It is about two brothers who go to Italy and they end up falling for the same girl but neither of them knows. It is pretty good. I give it a solid ⅘ but it definitely breaks the love standards that we are used to.

mrbookworm: wow i can’t imagine a system without soulmates

ouasunshine: i feel like the system of soulmates will still exist but people won’t know see the signs unless they are truly in love

mrbookworm: do you think there will be a possibility that we would be soulmates without this whole soulmate system.

ouasunshine: that is really hard to say

The clock hit 15:30 and you had to leave. So you logged out and looked around for Wonwoo to get everything back. “Um hey so,” you said walking up to where he was sitting out. “Oh is it time already?,” he said looking at his watch and then back at you. “Yeah, sorry for kicking you out I guess? I mean I know we are open later than this but you know closing hours aren’t my rules to make,” you said looking at him. “No no I understand, do you think I can check out a book or will it be easier to get it tomorrow morning?”. “Probably come tomorrow morning then you have more time to actually look for your book if you have no idea where it is located,”. “Yeah I think that will be my best bet. Thanks for the help y/n,”.

You were taken aback by him saying your name was this was one of the first time that you have ever had a conversation with him. “No problem, Wonwoo,: smiling back at him as you walked him out before locking up.

As the night was drawing to an end you were laying in bed finishing up an homework assignment. It was a simple reading so it was nothing heavy but you did wish that time would pass faster. A ding from your computer and you saw the lovely notification from your soulmate.

mrbookworm: two truths and one lie?

ouasunshine: hello to you too,

ouasunshine: what are you doing lol

mrbookworm: i’m bored and I don't feel like bothering my friends

ouasunshine: so you wanted to bother me?

mrbookworm: you’re my soulmate ;)

mrbookworm: you are kinda stuck with me forever 

ouasunshine: i mean i guess i can spare a minute or two

ouasunshine: ummm

ouasunshine: my favorite cake is red velvet, i played soccer as a kid and i’m 75% certain i was a butterfly in my kindergarten school play.

mrbookworm: oh that is an easy one

mrbookworm: it's the butterfly one

ouasunshine: i wish you can hear me laugh

ouasunshine: it is actually the cake one

mrbookworm: you’re lying

ouasunshine: no i believe that i have a picture somewhere.

ouasunshine: i was either a butterfly or a flower but i have a picture somewhere

mrbookworm: well when i meet you in person you will have to show me

mrbookworm: but what is the lie?

ouasunshine: i really don't like red velvet cake

For the rest of the night, you were talking to your soulmate. And just like you wished for at the beginning of the night the hours did fly by when you were talking to him.

Arriving at school early you walked straight to the library. You unlocked the door and headed to the main deck and pulled out the book that you were reading last night. And to your surprise the first person who entered was Wonwoo.

“Good Morning,” he said, walking up to the desk with a smile on his face. The soft curls from his hair lightly hit the top of his glasses. And the grey sweatshirt that he wasn’t helping his case and we really did look nice. “Hey morning, are you here to look for that book from yesterday?”. “Yeah I am looking for Are We There Yet? by David Levithan,”. Your head lifted from the computer and stopped typing mid-sentence. “No there is no way,” you thought to yourself. “Is there something wrong? Is it checked out?”. “No it’s not that, it’s just I recommended that book to someone yesterday, it is one of my favorites,” you said looking away. “Oh same, well not me recommended but it was recommended to me,” Wonwoo said looking down at the ground.

“This is a very out of the blue question but are you mrbookworm? Again totally random questions and if you aren’t that this is highly embarrassing,”. Wonwoo just looked at you and smiled. “Hi ouasunshine, I’m expecting to see that picture of you as a butterfly one day, maybe over coffee?”. “I would really like that,”.

[foramomentonly]

Saved-A Meet Ugly

Author’s Note: Behold, the promised meet ugly inspired by @aewriting ! Blatantly stealing titles from early aughts teen films of my youth at this point.

Summary: Alex discovers a) his new roommate is a Christian Fundamentalist who hates him, b) he’s love with said roommate, and c) he’s super wrong.

 CW: negative perspective on organized Christianity/Fundamentalism

Read on AO3

Alex meets his dormmate briefly in the hall as he and his parents are heading out to lunch. Michael Guerin is friendly, his barely-contained, nervous energy evident in the restless way he passes his hands through his close-cropped curls. His parents are formal, bordering on sour, and they glare at Alex’s eyeliner and polished fingernails with disdain. They don’t invite him to eat with them. Then again, Alex thinks as they part and he wanders towards the room he’ll share with Michael, his own father didn’t even bother to drop him off at school. Glass houses, or some shit like that.

Michael has claimed the left side of the room, his bed neatly made up with simple, blue sheets and his desk stuffed with thick textbooks, some already clearly marked with wear. A battered, clunky-looking laptop charges on his nightstand. Some secret tension in Alex slowly uncoils with the knowledge that he isn’t sharing living space with some rich prick; when he eschewed the Manes family military tradition for higher education, Alex left home with little more than his scholarships and a military duffle stuffed with clothes and stolen linens to his name. Knowing his days of watching douchebags like Kyle Valenti flaunt expensive tokens of their parents’ unconditional love are over is a small comfort. 

That is, until Alex notices the crucifix resting on Michael's plaid pillowcase. It’s innocuous enough; Liz Ortecho's small home has plenty, family heirlooms hung as reverently as Texas gas station finds, and Alex counts her among his true family. But the facts fall into place like thundering dominos—Michael’s parents' disgust at Alex's makeup, the family's conservative clothes, Michael's closely-chopped hair and, after a bit of snooping, the two well-worn Bibles Alex finds, one in Michael's nightstand and the other on his small bookshelf. Fundamentalists, most likely. Alex swears loud and defiant into the empty room. He thought he'd left bigots and homophobes in his dust, but like a plague of fucking locusts, they followed him, and here he is about to share a sink with one of them. 

But Alex also knows better than most that kids aren’t always carbon copies of their parents’ stupidity; he’d flip his shit if someone assumed they knew literally anything about his beliefs based on his asshole father. So when Michael returns to the room Alex is in stealth mode, spread out across his bed and feigning disinterest by flipping through his welcome packet, tracking Michael’s movements out of the corner of his eye. Michael blows a loud puff of air out through his lips and looks like he’s about to flop onto his bed. When he sees the crucifix, he freezes; Alex is about to celebrate a victory against religious indoctrination when Michael lifts the small cross reverently off his pillow and, after an appraising scan of his space, hangs it low on the wall above his nightstand, dragging his school-issued lamp in front of it. He jerks his chin down in a small nod of satisfaction before his eyes dart quickly over to Alex; he almost catches Alex in a glower. Instead, Alex is quietly seething over an intramural sports schedule, his face blank, eyes burning holes in the middle of the page. He figures he’s in the clear when he hears Michael’s bedsprings creak with the sudden weight of his body. Alex glances up and Michael is crossing his arms lazily behind his head. He lets out a loud, satisfied sigh and shoots Alex a disarmingly sincere grin.

“Free at last, huh?” he drawls, and Alex arches a cold brow.

“Sure.”

Alex has every intention of icing Michael out of his daily existence, but as months go by—months where Michael lets his curls grow wild, rambles on and on about the science of irrigation, offers Alex his extensive biology notes for midterms, and laughs loud and deep at all of Alex’s snarky asides—Alex finds himself smiling easily at Michael in return, willingly passing lazy lunch hours and weekend afternoons with him. It comes down to this: for all Michael hasn’t done—the crucifix is an ever-present shadow above his nightstand and weekly video check-ins with his parents are never missed—he just doesn’t fit the mold. He smokes weed on the abandoned picnic tables behind the dorm at night, signs every social justice-oriented pledge and petition shoved at him on a cheap, plastic clipboard on their way to class, and he never wakes up before noon on Sundays. He isn’t fire and brimstone, hate and hellfire. He’s marshmellow fluff; laid back and open, sweet and eager to please, all messy curls and broad shoulders and goofy smiles with too much teeth and—oh, fuck. Alex is in love with him. 

Alex is in love with Michael and Michael probably thinks Alex deserves to burn in hell and it’s Kyle all over again. Alex was never in love with Kyle Valenti, but he loved him the way a neglected, angry little boy would love the popular, gregarious kid who was his only source of sunlight. Graciously. Blindly. Kyle was Alex’s best friend, and when middle school puberty made evident that Kyle was a stud and Alex was, well. Alex felt the betrayal of Kyle’s sudden targeted cruelty like a punch to the gut, long before Kyle or his new friends ever laid hands on him. And now, Alex realizes, Michael is his best friend and his heart’s deepest desire and, he’s finally ready to admit, who he jerks off to on lazy mornings after Michael’s barely made it out the door for his 8 a.m. class with a shirt on. Alex is well and truly fucked. “Damned” is too on the nose.

Then one day Alex is dragging his miserably-in-love ass back from class and he totally misses the tie that slipped from the doorknob onto the ugly carpet in front of their door and he opens it on Michael and some random guy going at it on Michael’s bed, sheets bunched at the foot of the mattress, shirts tossed inside out on the floor, and Michael’s hand deep down the guy’s jeans as he pants and whines into Michael’s mouth.

“Shit!” Alex cries, waffling between shutting the door behind him to shield them from the prying eyes of hallway passers-by or in front of him to shut himself out of his own room. “I-I’m so sorry.”

Michael looks flustered, but it’s not the bone-deep terror of being outed; Alex is intimately familiar with that darkest timeline of queer identity. His boyfriend—hook up?—just looks annoyed. His dark eyes glare at Alex and he snaps, “Do you mind, man?” with a sharp nod towards the door. Alex squares his jaw and opens his mouth to retort when Michael says softly, seriously, “Don’t talk to him like that,” shaking his head at his bedmate. The guy huffs in disbelief, rolling off the bed to pull on his shirt, still inside out, and fasten his jeans, brushing his fingers through messy, deep brown hair. 

“You’re seriously kicking me out right now?” he murmurs low, and when Michael doesn't answer, he spits, “You are such a dick.”

Michael winces and bites his lip, normally bright eyes dim and gaze cast down towards his own hands. The sight of Michael cowed, flushed and hurt and getting told off by the same Hot Topic reject who was getting off with him not five minutes ago trips Alex's long-dormant kill switch. He steps into the guy's space, pulling back his shoulders so his shirt stretches tight over the muscles of his arms and chest, and draws up to his full height.

"You have thirty seconds to get the fuck out of our room," Alex says, voice low and eerily calm, even to his own ears. The guy glowers at Alex, but the corner of his mouth twitches and he blinks first, intimidation evident in his narrowed eyes. He brushes past Alex and slams the door behind him.

"Are you okay?" Alex asks, moving closer to Michael on instinct and setting a comforting hand on his bare shoulder. Michael gazes up at him with wide, honey eyes, opens his soft, pink mouth, and blurts, "I love you."

Alex blinks, gapes, and what comes out of his mouth is an incredulous, “But I’m gay!”

Michael snorts, cups Alex’s forearm gently and runs his palm up and down his skin, the soft hair on his arms.

“Yeah, I know. That’s kinda why I’m hoping I have a shot.” He pauses, hesitation creeping across his face, and he takes his hand off of Alex abruptly, as though he hadn’t quite realized he’d put it there in the first place. “If you’re not interested, I totally—”

“No, no, I am,” Alex says, and the wattage of Michael’s answering grin could power the university’s electric grid for the rest of the semester. “But I thought you were, like, Team Westboro or whatever.”

Michael’s face falls, his whole body withers, and he hugs his arms around his naked waist. The impact of Alex's words on Michael horrify him, and he drops onto the bed next to Michael, takes Michael's hand in his and strokes his thumb across it’s back, feels the knots of Michael’s knuckles as he grips Alex's hand in return.

“Why the hell would you think that?” Michael asks, staring at their palms pressed together in his lap.

Alex shrugs, answers, "I mean, I didn't. I don't. Not about, like, you." Michael turns his head, brow wrinkled in confusion. "It's just. The cross? The Bibles? Your parents, I—"

"They're not my parents, "Michael interrupts, voice flat. "They raised me, but. They never formally adopted me, and I'd have fucking run the other direction if I thought they were gonna."

Alex stays quiet, waits for Michael to continue, squeezes his hand gently to let Michael know he's listening.

"They're Fundamentalist assholes, for sure, but I never bought into that shit, especially once I—I realized I like more than just girls." Michael reaches out, pushes his lamp out of the way and glares at the crucifix. "I'd love to never see their fucking faces ever again, but winter break is coming up, and then summer vacation, and—" He hangs his head, nearly whispers, "I need to have a place to go. I can't afford an apartment on my own yet. So I play nice. Put that on my wall and make sure it's in the background for video calls. There’s, like, zero support for kids who age out of the system alone. I fucking hate it, but I need them." 

Michael leans his head close to Alex's, catches his gaze and holds it with deep, whiskey-colored eyes Alex all but falls into.

"I'm not ashamed of what I like or who I love," he says, "and I'm so fucking in love with you, Alex. I just thought maybe you weren't into me."

Alex licks his lips, and a flush of arousal darkens his cheeks as Michael tracks the movements of his tongue with hungry concentration.

"I'm extremely into you," he says, his throat very suddenly bone dry, his voice husky. Michael's gaze hasn't moved from his lips, but he has flipped Alex's hand in his lap, starts running slow, feather-light brushes of his fingertips across Alex's palm and up his arm, fingers snaking under the short sleeve of Alex's shirt.

"I really wanna kiss you," Michael breathes, "but I’m also aware you just walked in on me hooking up with, like, Alex Manes-lite, so I—"

Alex closes the distance between them, pressing his lips to Michael's and cupping his neck, fingers finding their way into Michael's curls like he's been fantasizing about for so long. They're silky, clingy, and Michael tastes like lingering mouthwash and he smells like rain and Alex presses himself into Michael's lap, desperate to feel Michael's arms around his waist, the hard press of his chest against Alex's.

"I really want to do more than kiss you," Alex pants when they reluctantly part for air, when Michael’s fingers slip beneath his shirt and his nails scrape down Alex’s spine, and Alex feels the touch much lower on the geography of his skin.

Michael laughs, loud and free, and his strong hands on Alex's hips guide his legs apart until Alex is straddling his lap, those same hands pushing Alex's shirt up his chest, over his head.

"Thank God," Michael laughs, and reaches for Alex's belt.

[shinsouskitten]

Hola mis amiga (I’m a French student what am I doing) I saw that your ass class requests were non existant so I’m here with a request. Can u do karma and Nagisa with a blind s/o who’s a pro assassin at 15 (is that how old they are??) and also v smart and they were sent by the government to 3-e to help with the Assassination? Bonus points if they’re low key a reaper level assassin like they have a good chance of winning if they went against the reaper 1 on 1. It’s chill if u don’t get to this 💖

Yo! I am no language student cause I can’t even english correctly half the time

Also this is what happens when I finally get requests for a character I love… I go a little ott

Warnings: reference to violence and assassination (uhh… yk, it’s called assassination classroom for a reason), Karma

---

Important info: 

💬 To have the reader be a pro assassin at 15, my friend (@grapefantaenby the beautiful Sammy whom I love dearly but is also a bitch sometimes) and I decided it might be a good idea for them to be basically the next gen Irina - not as a femme fatale, but just the next gen of pro trained assassins

💬 So for this request I am writing the reader as if they were chosen to be trained (possibly by Irina herself) and sent to e-class after Irina’s original attempt failed. Only Irina and Karasuma knows the reader is an assassin

💬 If you wish to read it from another perspective that’s fine too, but that was the idea I was writing from, so I hope that’s okay

---

Karma Akabane:

🔫😈 When he first meets you Karma barely bats an eye. You’re just another kid stuck in e-class for some reason or another. Midterms are coming up, he has a weird yellow octopus to kill, a new student doesn’t really matter to him

🔫😈 It’s only when you all get your tests results that he first notices you. You didn’t take the tests with them, instead in a lone room with braille substituted for the usual test papers, and a scribe to write down your answers, but it was the results that Karma noticed. You scored as high as him, though perhaps in different areas. None of your scores were below 95%, but you weren’t nearly as showy as he was. If he hadn’t heard Korosensei praising you he wouldn’t have even realized

🔫😈 You didn’t travel on the school trip with them, which kind of disappointed Karma (not that he’d admit it). He wanted to find out more about you, but even so, he wasn’t too bothered. He’s Karma after all

🔫😈 As mean as it sounds, he highly doubts your ability to be an assassin - at least, when he first meets you. Sight is one of the most important senses, and if you’re trying to kill an inhuman yellow… thing, you’re going to need everything you have

🔫😈 The first occasion is in science class, where you trip seemingly on nothing while making your way to your desk. Karma moves to catch you, surprising himself for a moment, but Korosensei is there first. The second he offers a tentacle to help you up, it explodes. Your hand had been covered in antisensei pellets you’d powdered so that they were invisible if someone wasn’t paying enough attention. In his surprise he doesn’t move fast enough as you fling your other arm out, catching the edge of another tentacle and slicing through it halfway. You’re unable to make another attack, as this time Korosensei moves too far away, but for a moment the whole class is silent

🔫😈 You’d gotten further than anyone, destroyed 1 (and a half) tentacles and no one had even suspected it was an attempt. Korosensei is surprised, while Irina watches her protege from the sidelines, secretly incredibly proud of your attempt

🔫😈 And Karma… Karma doesn’t know what to think. Your first trick was similar to his original attempt on Korosensei; a hand covered in antisensei material and a seemingly innocent gesture of assistance/goodwill. Did you know he’d attempted something similar? Of course not. You weren’t even there when he arrived, and besides, it’s not like you could’ve seen what he did (okay is this mean I have rlly bad social cues)

🔫😈 He doesn’t know what to think. Had he really doubted you that much?

🔫😈 With AIFA’s introduction some of the attention is steered away from you, which Karma takes as an opportunity to steal you away for a moment. It’s during gym class, he slips away easily, leading you by the elbow until you’re out of sight of the others (sneaky boi)

🔫😈 He asks question after question, at one point even joking that the two of you together would be an unstoppable force. Of course, he doesn’t mean dating, but it slowly starts to become less and less of a joke the more time you spend together. Plotting assassination slowly turns into study dates, then just regular dates

🔫😈 It’s only when some jerkwads from another class try picking on you that you and Karma are forced to decide; is it something more? I say that, because when he sees this amateur bullying attempt, he quickly slides up next to you, curling an arm around your waist and warning the kids to stay away from his s/o. It leads to one of the worst questions a person can hear… “what are we?”

🔫😈 It all works out happily though, and when he finds out about your profession he’s only intrigued (I was gonna say he’d kill to be a pro assassin then I realized the irony of my sentence)

🔫😈 He was right, the two of you do make a great team, and although you’re unable to kill Korosensei, you’re grateful for him allowing you to meet the one and only Karma Akabane

---

Nagisa Shiota:

🐍🔪 Nagisa notices you almost instantly, a complete reversal of Karma’s first reaction. He’s attentive, and so he realises there’s something different about you (not the blind things tho, I mean the assassin thing), even if he can’t quite put his finger on it

🐍🔪 He’s amazed when you score as high as Karma in the midterms, but doesn’t bring it up to you immediately. He doesn’t want you to feel singled out, so instead he waits until the day is over. It’s the first time he gets to talk to you, and even though the conversation flows smoothly, there’s still something in the back of his mind that he can’t quite place

🐍🔪 Much like Karma he’s disappointed that you don’t join them for the school trip, but he can’t really blame you. You’ve only just joined e-class, you likely don’t feel comfortable trusting them to lead you around an unfamiliar city

🐍🔪 When he returns, Nagisa can tell you’re planning something, though for the life of him he couldn’t figure out what it is. Eventually your plan reveals itself to him. You’d changed your walking stick, something no one else had really noticed. It was the same colour, in fact it was almost exactly the same, save for the slight sheen of plastic

🐍🔪 It happens the next day, just before the bell rings when you’re sitting on the steps to your class building. You frown as your hands trace across the floor, unable to reach the stick a few feet from you. Korosensei sees, and ever the helpful teacher, speeds over to hand it to you, not realising until it’s too late the new material covering the surface. And just like that two tentacles are destroyed. You attempt to finish the job with a knife, jumping towards where you heard Korosensei’s surprised gasp, but he dodges quickly

🐍🔪 You smile, murmerming out loud that it was a good plan. Korosensei agrees, after the initial shock wears off, but notes that you should’ve made your final attack just slightly quicker. If he hadn’t recovered so fast, you likely would've had him

🐍🔪 Against his better judgement, Nagisa decides to ask you where you learnt to do that. You brush him off easily at first, but it quickly becomes clear he doesn’t believe you, so eventually you give in and tell him the truth

🐍🔪 He’s surprised, but also, he’s not. Okay that sounds confusing. He could tell something was different about you, the way you act seemed too mature for a 15 year old at the bottom of the school. But at the same time he almost expected it. I mean, you had no disciplinaries and your grades were superb. Why else would you be in e-class? Karasuma, Irina, you, AIFA, all of you were there for another reason. It wasn’t to teach, or to learn, it was to kill

🐍🔪 There’s a lot of things that draw Nagisa to you, and it’s only a matter of time before he realises he’s big fat crushing on you. Karma noticed Nagia’s crush before the boy did himself, and you can imagine the teasing that took place

🐍🔪 I was gonna say you couldn’t see him to think he’s a girl which gave you bonus points but I feel like it might be in bad taste

🐍🔪 He studies you almost obsessively, attempting to learn some of your professional tricks as a way to boost e-class’s assassination attempts. It’s not creepy, he’s just genuinely amazed by your abilities, and well… you

🐍🔪 No matter what you do Nagisa is always in awe of it (simp), and your relationship (hard as it is to get Nagisa to finally admit to you) is a good one

[iwillgoon]

Table 4

Chapter two Get out

Paring - Negan x black!reader

Summary - Reader deals with the repercussions of the guys staying late at the diner.

Warnings - Negan being an a-hole, thoughts of racism, broken glass

Word count : 3236

Note: Thank you, to anyone who took the time out of their day to read my story. ❤️

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

After sanitizing the tables, and chairs you sweep the floors; even taking the time to wipe down the table tents. Looking over your left shoulder you let out a frustrated sigh, it’s been 5 hours, and they have yet to leave. Getting the green light to close up early from your manager due to the decrease of customers in the diner, leaving only the group of guys at table 4. Who were still sitting there socializing like a group of frat boys. You didn’t like to rush customers to leave, but it’s been 5 hours. Even after your passive-aggressive approach of nonverbal cues to get them to leave wiping the table, sweeping and mopping other areas, removing the paid check. And you were fucking tired, especially since you have class tomorrow, and you couldn’t leave until they leave. Fuck this. You thought standing up from your seat deciding to give them a piece of your mind, trying to get home quickly.

“Excuse me, gentlemen, I’m sorry to tell you we are closing but there are a few places nearby open late if you want to continue the conversation.” You snarled, expression hardening a deep line appearing between your eyebrows. The convo between the three men stopped instantly at your interruption leaving Dwight, and Mustache in utter shock robbing them of speech, not expecting you to get so hostile. Except Negan, smirking at you as though he knew it was going to occur.

Spotting a grin that grew wider by the second. The corners of his mouth quirked up, “Well correct me if I’m wrong sweetheart, but if a fucking restaurant let you in the door then they must fucking provide service up until you feel goddamn ready to leave.”

Damn you did not expect for him to go off like that, he really caught you off guard. Feeling your heart rate climb a bit, swallowing hard quickly regaining your composure shooting him a frown, “ Sorry to disappoint you but, that’s not the policy here. You eat until we close.”

His eyes lighten up in amusement as if I was a dog taking the bait. He turned towards Dwight throwing a playful punch on his shoulder . “God damn, Dwight where have you been keeping this one.” Turnings his gaze back on you with a radiance in his eyes. “Well sweetheart, I don’t see any signs stating this. Also it looks like this dump could use the money so….”

A helpless anger simmered in you, hands squeezing into fist. “you fucking-“

“Hey, calm down y/n, it’s fine let me just take a piss, and we’ll be out of your hair okay.” Dwight persisted, stopping you both before things got more heated up. Raising is hands in surrender, trying to reassure you that was his only motive.

Letting out an angry breath, you nodded staring into his blue eyes, “Fine, bathroom then you all leave. Okay?”

Rising up from his seat Dwight drags himself to the bathroom leaving you with the two strangers, an awkward silence taking over the room. The man with the impressive Mustache stands up from his chair stepping towards you. He extends his hand towards you in greeting, offering a handshake. You obliged, hesitating for just a second, afraid to make actual contact with him. Eventually he broke the tension in the room, “Well excuse my rudeness, I don’t actually think I’ve properly introduced myself I’m Simon. I sincerely apologize on behalf of my friend. He's not always this off-putting.”

Pulling your hand back from his firm handshake, head bowing towards him glazing at the floor avoiding any, and all eye contact with the stranger. You shrugged, taking a sharp breath. “Um, it’s fine. been through worse.”

“Well, how about you come and sit over here with us while we wait for D over there.” Simon replied pointing to the table, strolling back to his seat pulling out a chair for you.

You politely declined his invitation trying to avoid any close range contact with Negan, not liking the lack of control over your emotions. But of course, he probably knew of your lack of composure when it came to him. Leaning back against his chair a faint tremor of amusement was on his lips, “Oh come on, he ordered the btl, and it always goes right through him. He’s gonna be a while.”

Treading slowly towards the empty chair surrendering to Negan's one single order. You really didn't have the foggiest idea what came over you, possibly it was the tiredness crawling up on you, or was this your rabbit hole that you could fall into. Whatever it was, certainly excited you as much as you prefer not to concede. Despite the fact that your gut was cautioning you not to go for somebody like him, obviously, you'd disregard it, you generally do. Negan's eyes lit up in excitement, gripping the arm of his chair, as he loomed closer, “So, how do you know our dear Dwighty. I simply Can’t believe that we have been running in the same circle, and I haven’t come across you.”

“He used to date my best friend, that's all, I barely know him.” You muttered, shoulders lifting in a half shrug. Truthfully you only met the guy three times, and you were even surprised that he remembered your name.

“Wait, so you telling me Dwighty boy knew a cute girl like you and didn’t think to set me up.” Negan exclaimed, staring at you in disbelief and you nodded in return. His compliment taking away your ability to form any speech. “I need to have a nice talk with his scrawny ass.”

You nodded mutely, yielding to the awkward mood of the night. Picking at the lint on your apron, choosing to be done with the conversation. What is taking him so long? You thought, deciding now would be a good time to check on sherry since she’s still in the kitchen doing some inventory. Just as you were about to get up a loud scream emerged from the kitchen releasing a surge of alertness through your body. Jolting your head towards the commotion. Wasting no time, leaping from your seat, upending the table, running towards the shouting, and hollering.

“Leave me the fuck alone! Didn’t you humiliate me enough D!”, Sherry yelled, shakily holding onto a piece of broken glass, pointing it towards her intruder defensively. Your eyes widened in shock at the scene unfolding in front of you, there were pieces of fine china scattered all over the floor. What the actual fuck? Dwight spotted a fearful look, his hair disheveled, breathing even but shallow. “But no you just had to come back to rub more salt in the womb? Huh!”

Raising his hands in a pleading manner, his head jerked in frantic disagreement, “You know that’s not true baby, I’m sorry for lying to you about them but I told them about you and how I’m not their little robot anymore. I swear you can even call Tracie she was there the whole time, babe I fucking swear.”

“Fuck Tracie, and fuck you. We are done, Dwight. I want you out of my life for good, now get the fuck out!” Sherry demanded, a bitterness creeping into her face. Walking closer to Dwight with the piece of broken glass now raised towards his face.

“Sherry, put that down! Are you crazy” you intervened, trying to knock some sense into your best friend. You know she was hurt, but this wasn’t the right way to go about it. However, you knew Sherry, and that she wouldn't calm down not until he was gone. “Please just leave. Haven’t you done enough? You’ve caused enough damage as it is.”

“Let’s go D, she’s not even fucking worth it.” Negan spat, pushing Dwight out of the kitchen despite his ongoing protest. Simon follows after them, throwing you an apologetic look on his way out.

Sherry tried to hold back the seething tower of tears that had been building up since the moment she had been angered. It was painful to see her like this, but all you could do was embrace her and let the torrent of her tears soak through your shirt.

—

“I miss the kids too, but I’ve just been really busy. You know with midterms coming up, and my hours at the diner. I don’t know.”, You revealed, strolling into your apartment, throwing your keys into a bowl by the door phone pressed between your shoulder and left ear. After avoiding your sister’s calls for a week, you’ve finally surrendered. After feeling guilty after reading her lengthy Instagram post about how much she misses you. “Tomorrow? Um, I don’t know Michonne, that’s my day off. And you guys live very far, and I am too fucking tired for that.”

“Stop being so dramatic, We’re only forty minutes away, and you could even spend the night. Just pack some clothes and I’ll just drive you to class, yeah?” Michonne demanded, on the other line. Slumping on the love seat, releasing a baffled moan, the idea of not having the option to have the day off picking at you. You really cherished visiting your sister, and her kids however Sundays were the days you looked forward towards. Staying in bed throughout the day, not associating with individuals was a basic need for you.

“Fine, I’ll come. Now can you stop those sappy insta posts about me. It's cringey, and kinda creepy.” You teased, getting up from the couch strolling into the kitchen attempting to discover a snack to tend your snarling stomach. Looking through every cabinet, eventually giving up your search nothing grabbing your attention. Inclining toward the island as Michonne continues to talk your ear off about how she wasn’t trying to guilt trip you. “I’m gonna let you go, but I’ll see you tomorrow, okay? Love you, bye.”

Finally ending your phone call, feeling defeated from the conversation. I guess it would be to see the kids. A lighter feeling taking over your aura as you conjure up the pros about giving up your antisocial day.

“Hey, when did you get back.” Sherry questioned, leaning against the doorway a smile planted on her face. Gazing upward in shock, Narrowing your eyes at her, the total 360 of her state of mind changes worrying you. After comforting a sobbing Sherry once the group of men left. She clarified what had happened the previous evening saying how Dwight arranged the entire thing to win her back by appearing at the diner. Even asking his friends to come with him for moral support and how he faked needing to utilize the washroom rather heading out to discover her. “I didn’t hear you come in.”

“Sorry about that, I was on the phone with Michonne. You know how it is.” You apologized, knowing how scared she gets when she’s home alone. Sherry waved it off with a considerably greater grin presently laying all over, head inclined towards you attempting to get you to ask her what she was so glad about. Knowing her, it's most probable about Dwight, you thought shaking your head. “Just come out with it Sher....”

“Okay, but before you say anything just know that I am truly happy and this time is different. I -I can feel it, I swear.” Sherry ramble, towards you giving your hand a tight squeeze. You nodded encouraging her to go on with her announcement. “I couldn’t go to sleep last night you know after everything at the diner. I just kept tossing and turning because of the burning question in my head. Like is he telling the truth? Did he truly face his folks? So I said too hell with this, I’m calling tracie, and I…..I believe him. ugh say something.”

Nodding slowly, eyebrows furrowed trying to make sense of the situation. Dwight was a good guy, but the way Sherry reacted to him last night was very alarming to you. “I don’t know sher, just a few hours ago you thought your whole world was over because of him, and-

“But it’s not like that, we are taking things slow. We’re starting over, a fresh new start, it’s different this time. Please just be happy for me. I can’t give up on us, and I need my best friend to support me.” Sherry interrupted, crossing her arms, eyes narrowed at you. She was never good at listening, or taking the truth especially when it came to her relationships.

“You know I have always supported you sher, but I just want you to be careful. Okay?” You advised, knowing that she wouldn’t take your guidance no matter what. Sherry guaranteed that she will, and how she had one more thing to report. She proceeds to explain how Dwight actually invited her to his family Gala to prove to her that he wasn't lying. And how she needed you there for backup just in case things turned left.

“So I need you to be my plus one. I promise I’ll be by your side the whole night .” Sherry asked, giving you puppy dog eyes. Pulling your arm towards her heart.

“Ugh, why me? You know I hate parties with privileged people who thinks complimenting the black girl on talking properly is a good thing .” You signed, snatching your hand back. It was true though, every time you go to parties with a predominately white crowd it was always the same damn thing. Them talking to you like you grew up in a wooden hut, reminding you how they voted for Obama like it’s a personality trait, and hearing their backhanded compliments about how proper you talk.

“That’s not true.” Sherry disagreed, throwing you a frown. You rolled your eyes at her, shaking your head at her. How would you know?

“You can’t speak on experiences you don’t go through. we’ve talked about this sher.” You stated, staring into her guilty eyes. She quickly agreed, apologizing for her ignorance.

Eventually In the long run she persuades you to go to the function saying how there will be heaps of food, and she'll clean for seven days. Who could disapprove of that? Without a doubt not you. “Okay, fine I’ll go now leave me the fuck alone.”

—

Arriving at the gala you were in awe at the sight inside the building. Wall-to-wall marble floors, limestone columns, soaring vaulted ceilings and intricate ironwork decorate the interiors of the ballroom. Is this what the met gala looks like from the inside you wonder, staring up at the eclectic chandeliers, unique furnishings, and bistro lighting. Sherry was instantly pulled away from you at your arrival, promising you she’ll be back in a minute. Well it’s been an hour, and you were pissed not just in light of the fact that she disregarded you knowing how you feel about being in sceneries like this, but because the food was shit. And you were hungry. Returning from the bathroom after sitting there for 20 minutes trying to kill time, and avoid any socializing. Currently sitting at the bar trying playing an intense game on your phone.

“Are you fucking following me? You could’ve just asked me out instead, love when a woman takes charge.” a voice teased, behind your head making your body convulse in a sudden jolt. Looking up from your phone turning around in your chair, frowning at the twit who startled you. Negan? Well yeah he’s friends with Dwight idiot. He looked fine as hell though wearing a tuxedo like the entirety of different guys in participation, however his appeared as though it was made explicitly for him, custom-made better than anybody else's. His hair was slicked back with a gel. Smirk sitting on his face at your distaste at seeing him again. That didn’t stop his eyes from roaming your figure. Biting his lips satisfied with his sights. “Holy shit, you look fucking gorgeous.”

‘And you look fucking beautiful,' your demons were nearly commending the man before you, a supposition you shared;

“Thanks.” You uttered, gazing towards the ground. His presence leaving a burning sensation on your skin.

“Listen, what happened last night was fucking insane. Definitely wasn’t expecting your bestie to go all buckwild on Dwight.” Negan recalled, detecting your strain towards him. You nodded in agreement, never seeing Sherry enraged in all your years of friendship. “And I’ll say we didn’t exactly left off on the right foot last night. But I do remember you starting it.”

Arms tightly crossed, you throwing him a glare,“I started it? No, you and your little friends were supposed to leave once we closed, but you guys stayed late on purpose knowing that we were closing. That was on you.”

He lifted his shoulder in a half shrug, “Listen, I just came to support a friend. Got tired of him crying like a little pussy over her, so I said fuck it. Told him to drive up to that little raggedy old diner, and to win his girl back. And it worked.”

You stayed silent, realizing where it counts he was correct. He was just trying to help his friend, who could be mad at that? And he was actually right, Sherry and Dwight eventually did work things out so you had nothing to be mad about. Tucking a loose curl behind your ear releasing a deep sign. “Yeah, I guess it did”

“Let me make it up to you. The food here is absolute dog shit. There’s a little diner around the corner, foods a whole lot better than the dump you work at.” Negan offered, gripping the arm of your chair leaning closer, throwing you at slight wink. Making your heart beat faster at the closeness between you two. Wow he is so fucking gorgeous and he knows it.

You instantly froze, the thought of being alone with him terrified you, for the most part since you would make a damn fool out of yourself. Thinking up a good excuse you gulped “No, thank you. I don’t even know you Negan. For all I know you could be some psycho serial killer. Might bash my head In with a bat or something.”

“I promise I won’t try anything, all I want is to just make up for last night. I fucking promise sweetheart. My treat.” Negan assured, staring straight into your eyes with an intense gaze, showing you that he was serious. I could stare at his eyes all fucking day 24/7

Your eyes perk up, my treat who could say no to free food especially since the food here was shit, and you were a broke college student. But you did come with Sherry and she will definitely be concerned once she understands you're not there. Fuck her she left me alone for TWO hours you concluded, the anger you felt towards her overclouded your conscious to do the right hing. “Fine. But if you try anything I swear I’ll-”

Negan lifted your chin, “I know, y/n. You're safe with me I promise.”

Neither of you moved a muscle. You could hear his own heartbeat; he could even hear your nervous breaths. Grabbing your purse sending Negan a nod, the two of you head out towards the entrance. As you two stroll towards the diner you gaze toward the sky silently praying to the higher realms that you won’t do anything you’d regret.

[yeeterparkersblog]

Last Days | PART 3

Pairing: 6 Underground! Four/Billy x reader

Word Count: 3.9 k

Warnings: Drinking, smut (Whaaaa?)

Summary: To everyone else, he was a suave young man in a gang of thieves, someone they would rather not get tangled up with. To you, he was a cheeky bastard who wouldn’t get out of your hair and most of all, a rival thief. But one day, he decides to reach out to you.

Publishing Date: 29 March 2020

A/N: Hello my dears! Thank you for being so patient with me. It’s been 2 months I think since I posted Part 2. Thank you for being so patient. I LOVE YOU. I had my midterms but now they’re over and everyone is in quarantine and practicing social isolation. Part 3 is quite short but it’s pretty satisfactory (I hope). Again I can’t say when I’ll post the next part, just know that I am trying my very best, under these circumstances, to write these fics. Thank you again! I love and appreciate you lots! (Also pls excuse any grammar or spelling mistakes I’ve made thanks)

PART 1  2

Pouring your heart out to someone you’ve known for less than a year, wasn’t exactly an easy feat. But you felt like you had to do it. If it weren’t for Billy, God knows the amount of debt you’d be in. Granted, he was the one who put you in debt. But the profit from the tiara would be more than you would have gotten from the Pasteque or the Blasé.

The cold wind sent goosebumps along your skin, causing an involuntary shiver. Though it could have also been due to your nerves. Your fidgeting hands picked at the sticker on the beer bottle until it had come off.

How would you put this?

“So long story short, I think I just wanted to say…” You concluded. “Thank you.”

“Thank you?” He repeated, inching closer to hear your whispers.

“You are saving my life by giving me the chance to work with you.” You put down your beer bottle. “The tiara will give us 1 million each!”

“You do realize I stole the necklace and ring from you, right? That’s why you’re in debt.”

“Yes, but I spent a bit too much preparing for those that even if I did steal them, the profits wouldn’t be much.” Billy arched a brow curiously. “This time, however, you’re the one who’s paying for the preparation. I’m getting 100% of my profits, but you… How much did you spend anyway?”

“Well, how much was the Pasteque?”

“Christ, Billy…” You stood up from the bench suddenly. “3 Mil? This means you’re losing money!”

“Stop worrying about me (Y/N). I’m not the one deep in debt.” He lightly gripped your hand to pull you back on the bench next to him. “You need the money more than I do.”

A moment of silence passed between you two. You didn’t know what to say to him. He’s sacrificing millions for you. But why? Was he feeling sorry for you?

“You need the money more than I do.” You barely hear him utter those words. “You need to take all the money. Please.”

“What? No!” You looked at him with disbelief. “Billy, you deserve your share.”

“Well, you didn’t deserve what I pulled over the last few months. Take. The money.” He said almost harshly. “The 2 million? It’s all yours.”

“Stop making things so difficult!” Your voices started to raise, each trying to overlap the other’s.

“It’s not difficult. I’m giving you the money. Why won’t you take it?! Who’d refuse free money?”

“You’re just feeling sorry for me, and I refuse to accept your pitiful handouts.”

“This isn’t a pitiful handout. I’m just trying to help you!” He rose from his seat to stare you down. “Why won’t you accept my help?”

A pang in your chest. “Why do you care, Billy?” Your voice had started to tremble. “Why do you care how I do? Why would you willingly sacrifice so much to help me? You just care SO MUCH, don’t you?”

You buried your face in the palms of your hands. Wherever these sudden bursts of emotions had come from, you didn’t know. All you knew was that you felt ridiculous, in your huge green dress, weeping like a child in front of Billy.

You felt his warm hands wrap around you. “I can’t tell you why I care. But I just do.”

“You need to think about yourself too.” Your words came out muffled from behind your hands.

You started wiping your tears hastily and smearing mascara everywhere.

“Look.” You spoke before Billy could get a word in. “I… care about you too.”

Your words not only took Billy by surprise but you as well.

“I get that you’re just wanting to help me, or just trying to apologize. But, what about you? You need the mo-”

“I have money, (Y/N). This isn’t my third or fourth heist.” Billy scratched the back of his neck. “Unlike you.”

You were sitting on the fence here. You needed the money. The other million would help you out SO much. You just didn’t want Billy to lose so much to do so.

“Are you sure about this?”

“Answer the question yourself.” He merely sat back on the bench and stared out at the city. “Will the extra million help you?”

Silence once more. You, wondering if you can accept his offering. Him, wondering how else he can convince you to take the money. And he cared too much to give in.

“If I’m the reason why you’re not accepting the money, you have nothing to worry about. I have money from previous heists.” He suddenly turned to you. “Please don’t tell me it’s because of your pride or some other stupid thing?”

You paused to think. “And you are still working with the crew?”

“Yes.”

“You swear you have money from prior heists and the Blasé.”

“I have money from prior heists, I swear.”

His eyes watched as you bit down on lip in uncertainty, as you licked your lips to wet them. Your nose scrunched in concentration, weighing the pros and cons.

“Alright.” You started to speak. “If you really don’t mind… I’ll take the money.”

His fists thrust up in victory.  "Final-“

“On the condition that I will pay you back.”

Shrugging, he accepted your terms. “Only after you get out of that financial rut.”

A warm feeling spread in your chest. “I guess I owe you another thanks?”

“Love, you look like a raccoon.”

“Excuse me?” His comment was like whiplash on your sincere words. “I’m trying to…”

“The uh…” He playfully laughed, gesturing at the area around your eyes. “Mascara?”

“Fuck.” You rubbed at it, not succeeding to get it off at all. “Just…”

“It’s okay. You still look nice.”

“Sweet talk won’t get you anywhere, bugger.”

“You say that.” He put down his now empty beer bottle. “But I can see you biting back that grin.”

You chug down the rest of your beer to avoid his eye contact, slamming your bottle down next to his the moment you were done.

And then it was quiet again. You’ve said what you had come here to say. What else could you do? Just stare out at the magnificent view, then. Both you and Billy’s hands still lingering on the beer bottles in between.

It was comfortable, the silence. Not at all awkward like you had thought it would be. The glass bottle was still slightly cold, despite being taken out of the fridge some time ago.

Billy’s fingers were a sudden contrast to the bottle when they brushed against yours. You jumped slightly but said nothing. You, for some reason, didn’t need to think twice of what to do. You merely smiled to yourself as you returned his grasp.

Your fingers intertwine, ignoring the bottles now. Both pairs of eyes stared straight forward, and neither one spoke. But all the solace you needed was the comforting graze of his thumb over yours, just like he had done during the gala.  

Your pointer finger just tapped rhythmically against the back of his hand, not knowing what to do.

His hand was so big it almost engulfs yours. His palm was as rough as it looked. And his fingers? Thick enough to make your mind wander, and your cheeks flush. Biting down on your lip, you suppress those thoughts.

Your head tilts in his direction, to see that his emerald orbs were already gazing at you.

“Hi.” He whispered.

Was it the wind? Was it the cold night? Was it the way he spoke it? Because whatever it was sent a pleasant shiver down your spine.

“Hi.” You smiled back.

With only the lone streetlight, you could barely see your surroundings. But even in the dark, you could see how intently and adoringly he studied you. The pupils of his eyes were dilated.

Heads inching closer and closer until your foreheads touched, and you could feel his ragged breath on your lips. They were hot. No words now. None of you dared to make a whimper.

It started softly. A teasing brush with just a bit of pressure. Like a dragonfly grazing the surface of the water, testing the waters. You could feel his lips curve up in a smile against yours.

How soft they were.

His lips were tender on yours, like he was mapping out every little curve. His arm dared to come up to cup your cheek as he continued to caress your mouth with his lips.

But the longer it went on, the more desperate and more passionate it got. It went from fleeting butterflies in your stomach to fireworks exploding and going off. His hands explored the curves of your body accentuated by your dress, while your hands made their home in his blond locks, gripping.

A moan escaped you when he bit down particularly hard. You pressed harder against his mouth in encouragement.

He took that as an invitation and parted your lips. You could taste the alcohol from the beer and champagne the two of you had been drinking. It was…intoxicating.

You couldn’t think straight. All you knew was that you wanted more. The heat between your legs demanded more.

You moved your leg to straddle him, but you had forgotten what sat between the two of you.

The two beer bottles fell to the pavement with a deafening crash, big glass shards shattering apart. The sound reverberated in the silent night and forced you and Billy out of your trances.

And both of you just stared at each other, frozen. You, caught halfway between a straddle, must have been quite the spectacle. Billy’s breath hitched in his throat, staring at the lipstick smeared and snogged all over your lips. He shifted uncomfortably.

He was the first to make a move- he shoved you off him. You flinched when he pushed you back into the bench, feeling your heart squeeze tightly in your chest.  

Puzzled, you watched as he squatted down to clean up the glass shards. A mixing pot of emotions brewed in your gut.

Frustration. Confusion. Rejection.

And they all felt ugly.

Why’d he pushed you off like that?

You watched bewilderingly from the bench. He couldn’t even face you right now? His back the only thing you could see, with the way he was positioned.

You’re starting to remember how you look. The black mess of mascara around your eyes. Both of you panting as if you had just run a mile. Your hair was probably a bird’s nest right now.

Though Billy’s hair wasn’t looking any better. You silently ran your eyes over the job you had done, your cheeks turning a deeper shade of red when you recall the feeling of his hair between your fingers.

You felt your thighs clench.

Not the right time, (Y/N)!

“I’m sorry.” Billy suddenly spoke, standing up. He had taken the big shards of glass in his hand carefully. He breezed past you without meeting your eye and threw out the glass in a rubbish bin nearby.

Why was he sorry?

“Come on. I’ll give you a ride home.” His voice was strained. He couldn’t bring himself to look at you. Was he ashamed?

But you didn’t want to say anything either. You just got into the car with him and looked out the window, disappointed with how the night turned out. You had hoped that…

Never mind.

If you and Billy ever decide to talk about it, maybe you could blame it on the alcohol. It was certainly a factor. One too many flutes of champagnes, and the beer, you’d say. You could taste it on him, he could taste it on you.

The two of you may be sat next to each other in the car, but emotionally no one’s ever felt this distant.

Billy looked over at you. The dress and your messy bun had your back exposed to him. You hadn’t bothered to tidy up your hair.

A trail of barely visible nail marks had appeared along your spine, no doubt thanks to Billy. He didn’t know how he felt about that. Only that the front of his pants had felt tighter and he had to shift in his seat to feel more comfortable.

Sitting in the dreadfully silent car, you could only wonder two things.

1. How would the night have gone if the bottles hadn’t been knocked over?

2. How far would the two of you have gone?

But those questions weren’t meant to be answered. The night took a wildly different turn. He had decided to shove you off him.

And that hurt you more than you cared to admit.

A sense of dread washed over you as the car pulled into your apartment. The car came to a stop. Your grip on your purse tightened. What now?

Is he expecting you to leave right away? Perhaps you should say something. Something that had been bugging you.

“Billy,” Your voice came out weaker than you had expected, but it was enough to gauge his attention. “I hope you don’t think I only kissed you because you gave me money.”

“NO! No! I wasn’t thinking that.” He was nervous, fingers twiddling while he wracked his brain for something to say.

You dared to meet his eyes. They were wide with anxiety.

“Can I walk you back to your apartment?”

—

It feels like ages ago since the two of you were in this elevator together, though it has only been a few hours, earlier in the day.

While previously the two of you could successfully diffuse the tension, this time it was too much. Both your minds kept drifting back to the heated make-out session, too flustered to say anything. You tried to focus on anything other than the ache between your legs.

You did your best to ignore Billy, who kept changing his stance, visibly uncomfortable.

You could have sworn that you thought Billy had the same feelings. That’s why you dared to go all in. But… he had pushed you off. Rather quickly too. Now everything’s become so painfully awkward.

“I’ll be back next week, okay?”

His voice sounded so loud in the small elevator.

“W-Why?”

“I’m going to give you the money.”

“Okay right.” You tilted your head curiously. “A week?”

“It’s going to take me a few days to get it to the proper pawn shops. I can’t sell the entire thing all at once. Too much suspicion.”

“Okay.”

“And it’s going to be in cash only.”

“Why…?”

“Cash is less traceable.”

“Oh okay.”

Dear God. Were ‘why’ and ‘okay’ the only words you could muster? You need a good slap.

From Bil- no.

You crossed your legs. You can see the unmistakable blush on your cheeks from the reflection. He could see it too.

“I’ll call you, okay?”

“What?!” Your exclamation was a tad too loud. Billy looked at you as if you had grown a second head.

“To keep you updated…?”

“O-Oh, yes. Of course.”

Gosh. 'Painstakingly awkward’ couldn’t even begin to describe the mood. Hurry! Come on!!!!

A silent breath of relief escaped you when the 'ding!’ of the elevator was finally heard. One second later and you would’ve combusted from the tension.

You bunch up your dress in your arms and trudge out the small space, Billy following closely behind.

You unlocked your door and suddenly you didn’t know what to do. Would inviting him in be too weird? Perhaps you should just bid your goodbyes. Or say anything. Thank him? Yes, probably.

“Thank you. Again.” You let out a nervous laugh, which he hesitantly returned. “For the uh… 2 million.”

“Yes, you’re welcome. Not a big deal.” Pursing his lips, he briefly scanned your person. “And the earrings. Hopefully, you’ll keep them?”

“Oh! Of course. Yes. Thank you.”

And both of you just nodded like two idiots in the doorway of your apartment. You cringed inwardly. Now what?

“Hey, I’m quite tired… So uh.” You tapped on the door, mentally slapping yourself. God! What was that lame sentence?

“Okay, I’ll just leave you alone then.” Ouch. You looked anywhere but his person. “I’ll call you. Text you. Uh, whatever you prefer.”

“Yeah, I… thank you! Goodnight!” And you swung the door shut, praying that you didn’t come off as too insincere or rude. Because right now, you only had one thing on your mind.

“Fuck sake.” You whispered under your breath. “What was that?” You were bumbling and mumbling around like a shy schoolgirl talking to her crush, which was very unlike you! You’d rather not know how much you had been blushing.

But you knew your foggy mind was a result of something other than your nerves. You knew quite well what it was.

“Bloody wanker.” You cursed, finally giving in.

You made a beeline for the bathroom, fingers fumbling desperately with the zipper of your dress. If you had opened the door any harsher, it would’ve come right off its hinges.

Your dress pooled at your feet and you kicked it off hurriedly as you entered your small bathroom. Stopping just for a second to gawk and laugh at your reflection in the mirror. You did look like a raccoon, one that just had a heavy make-out session, that is.

You managed to wipe off your makeup in record time and hop in the shower.

Sighing loudly when the hot water from the showerhead hits your body, you lean against the other side of the wall. Not that it made much of a difference. The shower area was pathetically small, just enough room for you to spread one of your arms. How luxurious right?

Well, it was the apartment that you could afford. But now you’d have enough money to get out of this hovel. And you owed it all to one person.

It wasn’t just the hot water that was warming you up. Your mind kept drifting back to the hill. How hot and bothered you had become. How riled up you still are now.

Your fingers swiped over your lips, applying just the smallest amounts of pressure. His kiss still lingered on your lips, the fading taste of alcohol on the tip of your tongue.

Your finger trailed down between your breasts and along the curves of your figure. You could remember his starved touch, how the caress of his large hands left an ache between your legs. Oh, how you wanted to satiate it.

Your hand sneaked down to where you wish his had gone.

A strangled gasp escaped you as soon as you brushed your sensitive bud. That’s how pent up you were. Your cheeks reddened, because all you could think of was what he would say if he were here.

“So needy.” He would tease. “All for me.”

The hand on your lips inched up to your hair, gripping hard. If it were him, how hard would he pull? How far would he go?

You let your imagination ran wild. Your finger rubbed small circles on your clit, and you imagined it was his thick and large fingers instead of yours. His body would be pressed against yours, pressing you harder into the wall. His lips would be by your ear, asking you how good you felt, before they continued to make red marks down your neck.

Then his lips would trail down to your chest, his hot breath igniting the nerves of your skin before he wraps his plump lips around your nipple, sucking the sweet moans out of you.

“Count for me, love?” His already deep voice would be an octave deeper. The tip of his middle finger pressed lightly against your entrance. It sent jolts of electricity up your spine.

He slowly inserted the first finger, dragging out the feeling so you can take it in. It earned a whiny moan from you.

“O-One…” You breathed out.

His middle finger began to thrust in and out, his thumb still playing with your swollen bud. Your gasps and moans were music to his ears.

“Ready for more?” He grinned wickedly. His index finger came into play and yet another eager whimper escaped you. His fingers curled up in a come-hither motion, curling against the spot that has your toes curling.

“TwO- FUCK!” You bite down on your lip, hard. You were loud. Your free hand goes up to clamp your mouth while his fingers continue to pump in and out of you rhythmically.

“No, no.” He suddenly says, his other hand letting go of your hair to move to your jaw. He pulls away your hand covering your mouth. “Let me hear you.”

And so you did, staring straight into his greens while he soaks up every sweet moan and curse from you.

Then he added his third finger, adding onto the thickness, filling you up more. A loud cry left your lips from deep within your throat at the additional friction.

“You can take it?”

You just nod in reaction, desperately grinding against his fingers as a sign for more. He took in your response with a lick of his lips.

He began to quicken the pace of his pumps, and the pace of his thumb around your bud. You just hope you didn’t wake the neighbors as your head threw back in ecstasy, loud pants and moans filling the small room.

“You’re such a good girl for me.” He groaned. “Such a good girl.”

Your eyes shut tightly as your mind clouded over. You couldn’t keep them open when you started to reach your high.“

"Are you gonna cum for me?” He asked, placing kisses on the tips of your chest. “Let me hear it. Let the whole floor hear you.”

You could see yourself on the small mirror of the other side of the wall. Your full breasts rising and falling, chest heaving. Your head against the wall while your jaw slacked wide open with filthy moans. You, chasing your high and getting off to imagination.

In the mirror, you see a glint of green through a blur of tears. The emerald earrings, still on your ears. You had forgotten to take them off. It turned you on further.

“Come on.” He says. “Scream my name.”

The pace on your clit quickens, the shine of the emeralds egged you on. All of it sent you over the edge. You couldn’t hold back your loud cry when you reached your toe-curling, back-arching orgasm. Your vision is white and eyes were squeezed shut, but you could still see his eyes savoring you as you fell apart.

“BILLY!” You moaned hard, knees buckling as you gasp for breath through your high.

“Good girl.” You barely hear his whisper through the muffled ring in your ears. You couldn’t feel anything besides the intensity between your legs.

But it ended sooner than you had hoped, and the feeling ended within a matter of seconds. You’re left to lean against the wall for balance while you blink away the white spots of pleasure, chuckling quietly at what you just did.

You steadied yourself with your arms. Your fingers were starting to cramp up.

It was suddenly so quiet, with just the sound of the water hitting your skin and the tiles. It felt so solitary, so empty. There hadn’t been a blond hunk that fingered you to orgasm. Oh, but wouldn’t it be nice if there had been?

You pumped a few blobs of shampoo into your palm, massaging it into your hair. Your reflection stared back at you. And so did the earrings.

Maybe... Just maybe... And you admit it.

You walked a few steps in front of the mirror, gazing at the emeralds. You smiled fondly.

Maybe you fancied Billy.

Tags:

@pippin248

@queenlover05

@sjeunhaelover

@takemetoneverland420

@onceuponadetectivedemigod

@dabitchisback​

If I forgot to tag you I’m sorry!!

[jaehyun-eclipsed]

Before I Met You | Thirteen

Updates: Sundays

Pairing: NCT (Jaehyun, Lucas, Mark, Jaemin, Johnny) X Reader/OC

Genre: Romance, Angst, Coming of Age

Summary: Four. There were four people before I fell in love with you… Here are their stories.

Warnings: Some swearing and mentions of mature content

Before I Met You Masterlist

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Choi Jisu.

Interestingly, I don’t actually know Jisu personally. I only know of her. She’s a year older than me and I only recognize her because she was dating an upperclassman from my high school when he became a student here. She was always tagging him in their photos together.

I scoff. No wonder I hadn’t been seeing those lately. She has a new man. I sigh. Small world.

I select her profile and begin clicking through her viewable photos. Jisu is an avid photo taker – and not the artistic kind. She’s the kind that clearly demonstrates the need to post about everything she does for social, and ultimately, external validation – as illustrated by her endless number of publicly available photo albums, allowing me to quickly discover that she participates in beauty pageants… and wins.

And as I juggle all that information, it starts to make sense. She’s used to being the center of attention. In fact, she likes being the center of attention and being treated like she’s important, hence her behavior regarding Jaemin opening the door for her. She has “high maintenance” written all over her.

As I continue browsing through her photos, I notice that all of the pictures she had with the guy from my high school are gone. Jisu clearly likes publicizing all of her relationships while she’s in them… and then quickly deleting any evidence of them as soon as they’re over as if they never even happened.

Wouldn’t that bother her? Having all 700 of her Facebook friends be able to pinpoint when she started a new relationship and with whom. One boyfriend after another – someone who clearly has difficulties being alone. It’s common for a lot of people, but why would you want everyone to know?

Her second most recent album that’s titled “Third Year – Summer” is where I find the photos of relevance – the photos showcasing her new and blooming romance with Jaemin. Most of them are pretty standard: dinner outings and various dates to the park and ice cream parlor.

My nostrils flare as I glare at the screen. That scumbag. Blatantly flirting with me when he has a girlfriend that he has conveniently left out of every conversation we’ve ever had!

I don’t know what to do with this information.

Wow, Jaemin! You probably thought you were so slick – and I’ll admit, you had me there for a second! But you made the mistake of bringing her home and coincidentally, I happen to know her. That last bit isn’t your fault, but really, what are the chances in a school with thousands of people?

I am not okay with this! We’ve already had an experience of a guy with a girlfriend flirting with me and it didn’t end well!

Am I just supposed to back off? But I didn’t do anything. I’m not even supposed to know anything!

I huff in irritation. I genuinely need help in physics and Jaemin has been quite helpful the last couple times I asked him. I conclude that I have two options: continue what I’ve been doing and act like I know nothing or find a new physics tutor.

The first option is purely convenient since he lives right down the hall and I know he can help, but it tests my moral conscience. The second option is more work on my part because I’d have to go through the tedious task of finding a new person and determining whether or not they’re any good.

But then I ask myself another question: am I actually doing anything wrong? I’m not the one who’s flirting. I can’t control how he acts around me. I’m not even supposed to know about this… but my conscience reminds me that I unfortunately do know about this.

Goddamn. Why’d I have to be home at this time?

Screw my conscience, I need help. My grade is more important and the flirting is kind of flattering.

And that’s the thing about the supposed “ignorance is bliss”: it can be taken away from you at any time, without your consent.

Hydroxyl groups are alcohols including methanol, ethanol, etc. They are polar and can form hydrogen bonds. Have the ability to assist in dissolving compounds such as sugars.

A carbonyl group is a carbon atom connected to an oxygen atom via a double bond.

I roll my eyes and chuck my highlighter to the side, sighing in annoyance as I look around the empty dining room. I’m so lame. It’s Friday night and I’m sitting at home studying.

Despite having adjusted a bit better at the beginning of my second year, I still haven’t made many friends that I can hang out with. The “friends” I have are mostly acquaintances – classmates that I could contact if I ever need anything for class. That’s why I was quite thrilled that Jaemin seemed pretty cool and that he actually liked spending time with me. But I’m not sure how I feel about this new revelation. Based on the superficial facts, I have qualms to pick with his moral compass.

So I started contemplating other housemates I was interested in getting to know – people I could come home to and hang out with in the common rooms. Jaemin’s other roommate – Jeno – seemed worth speaking to. Renjun is polite, but he’s built a nearly impenetrable wall to his friendship. Perhaps he’s just more comfortable with guys.

I turn my head when Jeno walks into the dining room. We make eye contact for several seconds before he turns away and continues into the kitchen. That’s how it always is with him. He’s always expressionless when he looks at me, but his eyes appear to betray him with that lingering glance that tells me he knows something.

I hear the opening of cabinets, the clanging of pots and pans followed by the stove fan being turned on.  

I don’t know what’s so scary about going up to new people – like you’re constantly afraid of being judged for talking to them. I know they don’t care, but this feels different considering Jeno and I have seen each other many times, never acknowledging each other, just… staring.

Jeno? He’s nice. You should introduce yourself to him!

Jaemin’s encouraging words convince me to get up from my seat and walk into the kitchen. Jeno is standing in front of the stove, cutting vegetables. Slowly, I walk up to him, tilting my head and peering up at him. He jumps a bit when he turns around, startled by my sudden appearance.

“Hi,” I say with a smile. “Um, you’re Jaemin’s roommate, right?”

“Yeah!” He returns a wide grin. “I’m Jeno.”

“Hi, I’m Y/N.”

He extends his hand out to me, barely gripping my hand – almost as if he’s afraid he’ll break it – and lightly shaking it up and down.

“Jaemin told me you’re a chemistry major?”

“Yeah, how about you?”

“Biology.”

We proceed to ask each other the standard series of questions: Where are you from? What classes are you taking this semester? Are you part of any clubs?

And of course, I always mention my struggles with physics because I’m half hoping he’ll have another suggestion in case I decide I want to jump the Jaemin-ship.

“Oh yeah, I took physics last semester,” he responds. “It was terrible because I hate math so I’m taking a break this semester. You should ask Jaemin for help. He’s much better at it than me.”

Goddammit.

“Yeah, I’ve been asking him for help. He’s been helpful…”

A silence passes between us and when I look up at Jeno again, he has this weird look on his face. The corner of his mouth is upturned and his eyes are – well, they look like they’re undressing me. And then I realize that it’s nearly identical to that mischievous look Jaemin has.

Good Lord, do all three of you have the same look?

Actually, you know what? I don’t want to find out.

“I’ll let you get back to cooking,” I say, abruptly heading towards the door. “It was nice meeting you.”

“What were you doing?” Jia asks when I return to our room towards the end of Saturday night.

“I was doing my physics problem set and studying for the bio midterm next week.”

“Ooh,” she coos suggestively. “Were you with Jaemin?”

“No. He’s going to help me tomorrow because went to a football game tonight.”

Hmm… I bet Jisu was there with him.

There’s a stupid grin on her face when I turn to look at her. “Do you like him?”

“No.”

“Really? You guys look like you get along really well.”

“Yeah, he’s fun to hang out with.”

“But you don’t like him?”

“No.”

“But –”

Thankfully Jia’s laptop starts ringing. Her parents are calling her from Beijing. I excuse myself, grabbing my laptop, phone, and water bottle to sit in the little inlet in the hallway until she gets off her call.

I know she suspects something and her inexperience with boys is what naturally makes her curious. According to her, she’s never had a crush on anyone. Not sure I totally believe that. And she’s not aware of anyone who has ever had a crush on her. Actually, she’s never had any guy friends and had once asked me how you communicate with them, her tone almost implying that they were an alien species. Like I said, she’s been quite sheltered most of her life. So she’s slowly learning things. I only wish I wouldn’t have to be the one she asks to tell her what a blowjob is.

When I left my room, I noticed that Jaemin’s door was cracked open. Actually, it’s always cracked open like that. And normally, it’s quiet, but tonight, I quickly learn, is a much different story.

“My girlfriend fucked up the pizza,” Jaemin says disdainfully.

So she was at the game…

“How do you fuck up pizza?” Jeno asks.

“She got cheddar pizza.”

“Cheddar pizza?”

“It doesn’t taste bad.” I hear the microwave door slam. “But it still tastes kinda weird. She also gave me a bunch of coupons.”

“For what?” Jeno asks.

“This one says ‘fifteen minutes of oral.’”

I nearly spit out my water. The hell?

“Fifteen minutes?!” Jeno responds in disbelief. “Can you even last fifteen minutes?!”

“Shut up!”

“Wait, maybe you can see if it can be fifteen minutes total,” Renjun says. “So if it takes you ten times to get to the fifteen –”

“You fucking –”

The rest of Jaemin’s crude response is muffled due to a loud crash. I imagine he threw something at Renjun given that Renjun and Jeno are uncontrollably laughing and I have to cover my mouth to prevent myself from laughing out loud. 

“But yeah,” Jaemin continues. “She gives me these coupons like, ‘You win this fight,’ ‘I won’t get mad when you fall asleep on me,’ ‘I won’t complain when you say you say you want to hang out with your guy friends’ –”

“Whoa, whoa, whoa,” Jeno interrupts. “She won’t complain when you say you want to hang out with your guy friends? Isn’t that sorta… shouldn’t that be a given?”

There’s a look of horror on my face as I process what I’ve just heard. Jisu sounds… let’s just say I would not want to be dating her.

“Exactly! She’s crazy!” Jaemin exclaims. “If I spend more time with her, I get more of these things and they’re kind of useful. But I don’t want to spend more time with her…”

“I didn’t really talk to her at the game, but she didn’t seem like she was enjoying it much,” Jeno says.

I purse my lips and run my tongue along my front teeth, completely stunned and quite frankly, somewhat amused that I happened to be out here at the time they were discussing this.

Wow, Jaemin, that sounds like a really secure relationship. Congratulations. If you hate her so much, why are you even dating – oh – the fifteen minutes…

All of these revelations were a disappointing confirmation. First, Jaemin actually does have a girlfriend. He said the G word himself. Second, Jisu is just as high maintenance as I had been able to analyze from her photos. And third, Jaemin is a liar! Well, actually, he hasn’t lied to me. He’s just conveniently left things out.

The alarm bells in my head have started ringing off the hook. At first, they were just there in the background, an occasional beep to warn of a possible danger. But I think now is safe to say that he’s a flirt – and he’s good at hiding it. That’s what makes him so dangerous.

The next afternoon after meeting with Jaemin, I had scheduled a call with Mark. We finally managed to figure out a time that worked for both of us and I had insisted that it was quite important. I was quite irked as I had actually confirmed that third assumption from last night.

I walk up the stairs shortly before my call time, taking note of Jaemin’s door slightly ajar again. As I near my door, I pause when I hear Renjun’s voice.

“Where’s Jaemin?”

“I think he’s out with –”

Dammit. Did he say Jisu?

“Again?”

“Yeah, he hasn’t been very happy lately,” Jeno responds.

“He should just break up with her,” Renjun says.

I continue onto my room, trying to make my footsteps almost silent to make sure they don’t suspect anyone is listening to them, but I nearly drop my things after hearing Renjun’s next question.

“Do you know anything about Y/N?”

“I talked to her once. She’s nice. I think Jaemin likes her though. She’s pretty attractive.”

“Do you think she knows about –?”

“I don’t know –

Suddenly, I hear someone coming up the stairs and shortly thereafter, one of my neighbors rounds the corner. I make eye contact with her, realizing how weird it is for me to be standing in the middle of the hallway. Quickly, I begin acting like I’m shifting my things into one arm in an attempt to grab my keys.

– Probably not. Jaemin never brings her here.”  

“Hey, Y/N!” she greets.

Fuck.

“Hi…”

I turn away quickly, tapping the key fob against my door and run inside.

“No, Mark, I’m serious! He has a girlfriend!”

“How’d you find out?”

I relay to him my story from last week – walking by Jaemin’s room and overhearing Jisu by happenstance, strategizing my method of figuring out who she was, the Facebook discovery, the coupons…

“And he’s been flirting with you like that? And spending three plus hours with you helping you do your homework?” he asks in disbelief. “Yo, Y/N, this guy sounds like trash.”

“He was helping me with physics today and I asked him who he went to the football game with and he said he only went with his roommates. He lied straight through his teeth!”

“I mean, it’s not like he’d actually tell you. He hasn’t told you before.”

“I kept trying to ask him some questions that would easily allow him to say something about it, but he never did.” I purse my lips. “He’s not stupid though. He probably knew I was fishing for information.”

“Wait, wait, wait, I have another question, Y/N. Who gives coupons like that?!”

“Uh… an insecure person?”

Mark lets out a loud sigh. “I mean – I – I can understand giving out coupons for like… a massage or to cook their favorite dinner. You know? Something cute like that. But these are just weird.”

Clicking my tongue, I respond, “Yeah, that was my conclusion. He doesn’t seem to like her very much though. Not sure why he doesn’t just break up with her.”

“Yo, he’s probably scared.”

“I was just hoping that you wouldn’t also confirm that he sounds like trash.”

“Why? Do you like him?”

“No, I’m not interested in dating him. I think he’s fun to hang around and I want to be his friend, but I feel like that’ll be kinda complicated.”

“Do you know what his girlfriend is like?”

“Only from what I’ve seen and overheard. She sounds –” I scrunch my face is displeasure “– high maintenance. She does beauty pageants… and wins.”

“So she’s pretty,” he concludes.

“Yeah, she’s pretty. I don’t really know why he’s interested me if he’s dating this pageant girl.”

“What are you talking about? Y/N, have you looked in a mirror? You’re really pretty,” he says. “And I’m not just saying that because I’m your friend.”

I’m thankful that Mark can’t see my expression since we’re talking on the phone.

“I met his roommate the other day. I don’t – I don’t know how I feel about him. He was looking at me like he was undressing me.”

“See! I told you!”

“But Mark, he’s a college guy. He’s probably interested in sleeping with any girl that’s at least a seven and is okay with ‘no strings attached.’”

Mark is silent for a moment.

“Y/N?”

“What?”

“You know that you just admitted that you’re at least a seven, right?”

“…your point?”

“I’m just saying! Anyway, you know that there’s only one reason why Jaemin wouldn’t tell you he has a girlfriend, right?”

I have a feeling I know what the reason is, but I entertain Mark’s question.

“What’s that?”

“That he’s looking for someone else… someone else meaning you.”

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Before I Met You Masterlist Masterlist

[freudsghost]

I’m not sure how much personal stuff I want to share on this blog but venting about some stuff helps me process. 

So in light of EB 224 I wanna share a bit about what it was like growing up in the south/bible-belt (Texas) and being who I am (a bisexual, Jewish woman) and my experience with Evangelical Christianity and CRU. 

Forewarning: this is not a happy story. these are not glory days. it’s dark. trigger warnings for gas-lighting, manipulation, mental, physical, and emotional abuse, corrective/date rape and semi-forced/coerced marriage, dissociation, eating disorders, depression, anxiety and alcohol. Read at your own risk.

I grew up without much religious influence in my life, my dad wasn’t Jewish (he was agnostic) and my mom is Jewish but not overly concerned with religious beliefs. My grandparents were/are Jewish as well and were WAY more involved in religion, but having survived the holocaust were private about their culture/religion. 

At 17 I was accepted on a full scholarship to Texas Tech University in Lubbock, Texas. And if there’s one thing Lubbock is known for is being one of the most religious cities in Texas. Predominantly Evangelical Christian. 

My first semester, I lived in the women’s architecture honors dorm and quickly made friends with most of the other girls, one in particular I became fast friends with and we studied for almost every test together and were studio partners for almost every project. I’m still friends with her almost 20 years later (its been rough and complicated) so, to protect our friendship and privacy I’ll just call her Mandy. 

Mandy was from a small town up north and her father was an Evangelical pastor and her first priority when getting to uni was to find a bible study group. I was NOT in any way involved in that, because I had no interest in christianity. Some time during Spring semester she started leading her own bible study group and invited me to come with her. I knew she was possibly trying to convert me and I resisted. At 18 I wasn’t very good at confronting people on their motivations but I’ve since talked with her about this and we’ve moved passed it with minimal damage.

I was super focused on my school work and sports and she stopped bringing up the bible study. For a while...

That all changed when she brought a few male friends back to the dorms for a calculus study group before midterms. During the study session I really hit it off with one of the guys. He was a year ahead of me, super smart and I thought he was charming and cute. And it turns out he was the leader of Mandy’s bible study. I’ll call him Vick.

Mandy knew I had a bit of a crush on him and got me to finally come to her bible study, with promises she wasn’t trying to push her beliefs on me but just wanted me to get to know Vick. 

She also said that their group was welcoming to people of other faiths and were open to other perspectives and wanted me to talk about being Jewish and The Torah. Which was weird, being put into a group where no one else was like me and I was the token Jewish person, having to represent everyone from a large diverse culture. I tried to explain I wasn’t the right person to do that but she insisted it would be fine because I was charismatic and outgoing. 

I should also mention that at this point of my life I was extremely outgoing, I had been in many leadership roles and actively sought those things out. I was very comfortable in front of large crowds and at this point I still had the dream of being a musician. 

Mandy knew this, and during her time visiting me over the summer asked me if I would be interested in joining the leadership team. I initially said no because I wasn’t at all interested in the religious aspect of their group, but thought that another leadership position would look good on my resume. So I reconsidered and talked with a couple of my long time friends who said I should go for it. It would put me on stage and I would possibly get to be musically creative. And of course I could always quit if I was uncomfortable. 

And that’s how I, a bisexual Jewish woman, became the leader and emcee for the Texas Tech Branch of Campus Crusade for Christ, or TTUCRU. 

During this time I had grown a lot closer with Vick. We talked on the phone all summer (yes this was before texting and iPhones) and when I returned for fall semester, we started to date. He was the perfect attentive boyfriend. He came across so charming and mature. He was romantic and sweet. Everything I had ever wanted in a partner. By the time my birthday came around in December we were pretty serious about our relationship. I knew he was the kind of man I could fall in love with.

He was also extremely helpful when I had the new pressure to write and coordinate large meetings for a group of people I knew I had VERY LITTLE in common with. I knew I was bisexual. I knew I was Jewish. But most people didn’t know that about me and there was a bit of an unspoken rule that I NOT mention any of those things. Vick suggested I not tell anyone, and it was easy enough to not say anything. I had a good christian boyfriend, everyone assumed I was a straight christian girl. But the whole time I felt like I was being shoved back into the closet not only when I led the group, but every time I was around CRU members. Which was 24/7. CRU became my only social outlet. It consumed most of my free time. It was stressful. 

Other things in my life began to suffer, at this time I was still a collegiate athlete (track and field), and I was majoring in not only one or two but three majors and an unnecessary minor and had to maintain above a 3.8 to keep my scholarship. I was constantly stressed, I started having issues with anxiety and didn’t know how to cope. I had a large public position on campus, because TTUCRU was The Organization to Follow for many students. I had to coordinate with other student organizations and get involved with student politics. I felt a constant weight on my shoulders not only to be a star athlete and student but I had to look The Part. 

This is where things get really dark.

(I should mention before I continue that I also had a traumatic childhood. It’s a long story but to sum it up, my mom bullied me into an early eating disorder. She treated me (and my father and brother) poorly and abused us all mentally and abused me and my brother physically. It’s left me with a lot of unprocessed trauma I wasn’t even aware of until I was an adult.)

It also left me as an easy target to be manipulated.

I’m not really sure how to explain how it happened and I’m not sure I ever will be, but after a few months I realized that I was a powerless bystander in my relationship with Vick. I felt like something was wrong and that I had no control over my own life. I couldn’t pinpoint anything, and if I mentioned this feeling to anyone I was usually dismissed as being stressed. Everyone loved Vick. He had been CRU’s Most Eligible Bachelor. I was constantly reminded this by other members, that I should count myself lucky to have a man like him, no matter what.

Looking back its because I know that he was manipulating me. He was charming and could talk his way into and out of things without anyone even knowing he was doing it. He talked me into things I would have not normally done at that time. Including how serious our relationship was. I felt like big parts of me were becoming less and less important, things that had once been very important to who I was as a person were becoming less and less visible. Like I was losing myself entirely. He used our relationship and his ties to religion and used our membership in CRU to manipulate me. By the time I turned 21 our relationship was nearly inseparable from our positions on the leadership team. He controlled what I said during meetings, he controlled my speeches and my prompts. He had offered to organize all our media and sound. 

I remember wanting to leave, but I knew if I mentioned it to Vick he would leave me and my identity had been so entangled with him, our relationship and CRU I knew I couldn’t. I was convinced I would be nothing without him, without CRU. There were always subtle reminders of this from the culture of the organization. How women are property. None of my accomplishments were ever my own, everything I did was because of Vick or because I was ‘given the opportunity’ by a man. I was also constantly criticized for my appearance. What I should and shouldn’t wear. The size of my jeans. Comments from full time coordinators about how my ass looked too fat. I looked pale and my hair wasn’t right. Vick enforced this. He encouraged me to lose weight and eat less. My already negative body image issues developed into a really unhealthy mindset about eating. I was determined to not be the girl who “gained the freshman 15″. And every time someone “Wow you look so great!” it felt amazing so I just kept not eating. 

Somehow a headstrong outspoken rebellious teenager who didn’t give two fucks about other people’s opinions had changed into a 21 year old whose identity was entirely based on the validation and judgement I got from standing on the stage in an auditorium filled with strangers and people I had very little in common with. But all that started to break down right before finals the spring semester of my junior year. 

I had moved into a house off campus and I was home alone with Vick keeping me company and we had been horsing around, playing with my dog and out of nowhere he snapped at me and rage I had only seen turned on other people was suddenly focused entirely on me. I still don’t know what sparked his rage and it doesn’t matter. All I know is that he grabbed me and shoved me, picked me up and threw me on the hard concrete floor. After months of treatment and several x-rays and MRIs, I found out that I had two herniated discs that had resulted in nerve damage causing chronic pain, migraines and muscle damage.

I had to quit playing almost all sports after this injury because between disordered eating, weight loss and this new injury I was trying to recover from I couldn’t physically handle the rigorous training. I also got put on some heavy opiates to deal with the pain and doctors at the time had no problem giving me prescription after prescription for heavier and heavier pain killers. Pain killers like Oxy and Vicodin left me in a pretty vulnerable state to be taken advantage of in many ways. Over spring break that year I went on a couples vacation with Vick where we were going to spend one weekend together hiking and meet up with friends to go sightseeing and to an amusement park. 

(this part is extremely hard for me to recall both because of being drugged and traumatic processing) The Saturday we spent alone ended with us going to get drinks at a martini bar that was recommended to us by a friend. I don’t remember having too many drinks or having anything beyond one drink at all. I had purposely not taken any pain medication because I knew it could be dangerous. I heavily suspect Vick drugged my drink. All I can recall fuzzy memories of being carried to his car, being carried and half dragged into our room, and Vick roughly taking my clothes off me and holding me down to sexually assault me. I remember being scared and confused. I remember asking him what he was doing. And I remember saying no. 

He did this after years of insisting to me that he was waiting for marriage to have sex. He enforced his belief system on our relationship, no questions allowed. I remember waking up Sunday morning the day we were going to meet our friends and feeling sick, sicker than I’d ever felt before in my life. I remember wanting to hide and not see anyone ever again. I shoved myself into the tightest darkest corner in our washroom and cried before calling one of my friends we were meeting with later to prepare her for the conversation I knew I needed to have with her. 

She didn’t believe me. 

No one did. 

I was shocked and humiliated. People’s reactions ranged from “Vick wouldn’t do that he’s an upstanding member of CRU” to “You were asking for it by (drinking)(being on drugs)(being a tease)(dressing like that)(you consented by just being his girlfriend)” 

I confronted him about it and told him that I knew what he did. He didn’t even try to deny it. He said he had been drinking and couldn’t control himself. I was certain it would be the end of our relationship. But in the storm of all of this, the two full time coordinators (two older adult men in their 40s/50s) of CRU called me in for a meeting mid-semester. They sat me down for lunch and fired me because they heard the rumors that I had been having premarital sex with Vick and they couldn’t allow someone like me lead their organization. They then used my sexuality and religion they had previously been aware of against me. They called me a whore and a heathen and dismissed me. 

I felt alone. I couldn’t turn to my family because they’ve never been supportive. My boyfriend had just done something unthinkable to me and I couldn’t trust him anymore and most of my friends thought I was a liar or a whore. Rumors started. I got the most judgmental amounts of hate I’ve ever had in my entire life from people who had previously been my friends. 

(somehow in the midst of all of that I managed to keep my grades up and not fail or drop out lol)

My friends told me if what I said was true, if I had sex with Vick the only right thing to do was to stay with him. They cherry picked bible verse after bible verse, a book I didn’t even believe in, to prove that I was trash unless I was committed to him. That I had to be his wife (property) forever. And Vick refused to leave me. Seeing him made me sick but after refusing to leave over and over again I gave in when he begged for us to go to couples counselling. 

(spoiler alert: going to a therapist your rapist has hand picked with them, isn’t a good solution) 

The ‘therapist’ was not-shockingly associated with CRU and the church Vick attended. He made it very clear what my role should be and that even if what I said happened, it wasn’t real. It wasn’t rape. It couldn’t be and that I needed to ‘process what it meant to be a good wife’ so I would be a proper woman for Vick. He used words like immature and selfish to describe my emotional upset.  

I remember leaving our second and final session crying and angry. I went home and felt even more alone. I felt pathetic. Vick kept trying to salvage our relationship but he ‘warned’ me that time was running out because he was leaving for an internship over the summer and we wouldn’t see each other. 

I was right. I had the whole summer to focus on me and getting into graduate school. I was writing my undergraduate dissertation and finishing up important studio classes to graduate a semester early that fall. I remember having this feeling that I needed to run away and wasn’t sure why. But I didn’t use any of my time alone to process what had really happened. I kept denying it. I was filled with so much self hatred, guilt, and shame. 

When Vick came back in the Fall he proposed to me and laid it out like an ultimatum. I either had to marry him or we had to break up. He knew how scrambled my brain was, and used everything he could against me. He promised me that I wouldn’t have anything if I said no. I wouldn’t have him, I would loose all my friends that I was lucky to still have and no one would respect or want me ever again. I was terrified and stressed and still on and off pain medication. I had no support system and no support from my family and no real friends. 

I remember going home with the ring and bawling my eyes out. I had a full on panic attack and cried for hours. My mom told me to ‘control myself’ because I was overreacting. She loved Vick and told me what a lucky girl i was to have  such a good and supporting man in my life. Told me that I was a stupid girl if I said no. So I said yes. We were engaged for over a year and a half. I kept putting off the wedding and I let him plan it all with my mother. 

Vick insisted we take time to go thru CRU recommended engagement counseling and seminar after seminar. I forced me to pray with him constantly. He said I needed to ask for forgiveness for what I had done. He started getting more and more jealous and would accuse me of “mentally cheating” if i looked too long at anyone. He would corner me and force me to confess my “adulterous” feelings. I remember believing him during this time. That looking at anyone, strangers or friends, men or women, was horrible and that I was betraying him if I had any thoughts about anyone else. I felt like a shell of a person. I gave up control over most of my life. I had given up trying to end things and decided to make the best of the inevitable.

I knew I didn’t love him. I knew I wasn’t a christian. I knew I didn’t believe in any of it. And I knew I couldn’t love him after what he did. And I knew before we got married he wasn’t the kind of man who could love me back. 

We got married on my birthday and I remember crying for hours beforehand. I insisted I was just nervous and stressed. The only person who ever asked if it was what I really wanted was my dad. An untimely question seconds before I was getting married. I never answered him. I wanted to say no. I should’ve said no. I wished I had listened to the gut feeling telling me to run.

That’s where I’m ending my story because the rest is a bit inconsequential to what I wanted to vent about. I left him after eight months of marriage. I had to reach out to friends finally, despite the guilt and shame. I still deal with a lot of internalized bullshit to this day because of him and the brainwashing (I don’t have a better term, sorry) I got from CRU and his church.

As an aside, I just want to say that this is MY story. These are MY feelings and no one else’s. I know ‘not all christians’-- I have friends and family who are christians. But I wanted to share this because I needed to. For personal reasons. And I know there are tons of other stories out there.

If anyone has any questions or wants to DM me just to talk, feel free! I probably won’t be posting public replies or asks about this though. It’s still kind of hard to talk about publicly. <3

[chocafe]

— persona

summary: not knowing each other’s identities, byounggon and you befriend one another on stan twitter, after bonding over treasure13. little do you both know that you guys actually dislike one another in real life.

genre: humor, fluff, enemies to friends, social media + bulletpoints

a/n: i really wanted to upload this on byounggon’s birthday, but i wasn’t able to because i had to prepare for my midterm exams! think of this as a little present to byounggon and you all ♡

additional info: treasure13 is a group, but ygtb never occurred in this imagine and the boys mentioned in here aren’t trainees. you + junkyu stan ➯ byounggon + hyunsuk stan ➯ seunghun + jihoon stan ➯ dohwan + doyoung stan ➯ midam + yedam stan ➯ keita + mashiho stan

the thought of meeting bex for the first time is perhaps the only reason why you’re so excited to see a new day

the two of you originally met online, as treasure13 stans on twitter, and to know that you both can finally meet in person and take this friendship to another level is more than anything you‘ve ever dreamed of! ! !

you’ve always wondered how bex looked like in real life, and unlike seunghun, you tended to think of him as a innocent baby by the way he talks to you (which is pure fluffiness and endless cycles of “ily y/n you’re the best person out there!”)

“he said that he would be here by four.” you utter underneath your breath as you look around the cafe that the two of you were supposed to officially meet inside of

from what you remembered, bex mentioned that he would be wearing a black long sleeve with a white undershirt underneath it

but he never gave any specific details as to how he physically looks like

im describing the outfit he wore when he was in japan if yall want a visual represent bc i dont know how to describe it at the same time

“it shouldn’t be hard to find him because there’s barely anyone in here.” you say once more to yourself

as you walk around the cafe, you discover byounggon, your group project teammate that you always complain about on your twitter timeline

“whAT IS HE DOING HERE???” you mentally scream out loud, but in reality, you cover your mouth with your hand, trying your best to stop yourself from many any sounds that could attract him

a little story is that you and byounggon were supposed to work on your project today, but you said you couldn’t make it because you felt sick,,,

on the other hand, byounggon said that it was alright because he was unexpectedly called in by his boss to work another shift at his part-time job,,,,,,,

ya’ll are both liars

you dash over to the farthest table in the back of the cafe

and begin to crazily text bex out of proportion

you: hello???

you: BEX

you: are you here?

bex: i am, but are you here????

you: omg quick where are you because we need to leave and find somewhere else to hang out at ASAP

you: remember that boy i told you about that i didn’t really have a fond for?

you: ha hA ha HA…. he’s here

bex: JSLKFJSKJSKLJD I WANT TO MEET HIM

bex: can you raise your hand? i’m not sure which person is exactly you, so this will help me a lot when it comes to finding you

you: can you raise your hand too so i could try to find you at the same time?

immediately after the short conversation, you throw your hand up, but what you saw in front of you was beyond your imagination

your mouth flew wide open as you saw byounggon staring right at you with his hand held high up into the air ( ˚Д˚)

“b-byounggon?” you pointed your index finger towards him as you began to stutter. “bex? is that you?”

“y/n?” byounggon sighs heavily, bringing his hand to push away the strandways hitting his face. “you said that you were sick!”

“anD YOU SAID YOU HAD WORK”

*~*awkward cricket noises*~*

“i guess that means we both just really wanted to meet each other?” you positively thought out loud with a small smile creeping onto your face. “this is still weird to me, to be honest.”

byounggon’s voice grew quiet as he walks closer over to you, attempting to whisper into your ear despite your guys height difference. “don’t tell anyone that i have a stan twitter dedicated to treasure13.”

trying your best to stay steady on your toes, you returned the action by also whispering into byounggon’s ear. “as long as you continue being my friend then i won’t tell a single person.”

despite you two disliking each other in real life, you both decided to push away that factor due to you guys being great friends online

byounggon told you not to tell anyone about this situation

but you still found your way into keita’s inbox, spilling your feelings and stories about you and byounggon to him ♡

[yeaimfishboi]

a small update

I know this is kinda weird for you guys (it’s really weird for me) hearing from me after over 2 weeks but yet here I am. (I’m going to put this here and mention it even though I barely talk about it but TW Mental Health and Abuse Mentions)

I’m here for two reasons: 1. An update on me and how I’m doing and 2. To Give you some sort of explanation. (I’m going to put a read more but I’d say read it)

An Update:

I’m doing as well as I can be right now. School’s been doing pretty okay lately, but I’m dealing with harder classes as of right now so school and work take up almost 90% of my time. And with Midterms being literally within breathing distance of me rn, I’m struggling a bit. But other than that I’ve been doing some things! I started Keto again and am enjoying it so far, this time around I’m focusing on finding a balance between all my nutrients so I feel a little bit better. I’ve also gotten back into dancing and am loving it. I also had a coworker to offered to swim laps with me to get me back into the pool. And I’ve also picked up one of my instruments for the first time in a year and a half so yay! (haven’t done much though)

But most importantly something happened that I believe will be a really big turning point into my mental health recovery. For the first time ever I said (out loud mind you, like totally fucking randomly, in my car) “I forgive you” to my abusers. Something I never thought was humanly possible for me. (I’ll post the poem I wrote shortly after) 

So I am quite proud of myself in that regard.

An Explanation: 

I know this hiatus really came out of nowhere. I’ve been on here for almost 3 years and have never truly been on “hiatus”. Two weeks ago I kind of hit a rough spot. I was driving to school on solid ice and lost control of my car and hit a mailbox. The damage was nothing scary. A scratch to my car and a totaled mailbox. However, I was incredibly emotionally distraught and the thoughts I had regarding the situation set me back almost 3 years back in my recovery period and I felt like everything is out of my control. Within 10 minutes of arriving home, I deleted literally every social media app on my phone out of impulse. And after doing it I realized how toxic my attitude was towards Tumblr. I had lost almost everything I had loved about this site and writing out of fear and complacency. It had gotten to the point where all I cared about was interaction and pumping out works in order to receive said interaction, which was more detrimental than helpful. I lost all motivation and the love for writing that I had 3 years ago. Because 3 years ago I didn’t give a damn what anyone thought since this blog was originally just a way for my friends to view the things I wrote for them whenever they wanted. Whereas just a few weeks ago I spent hours looking at one part I wrote with 3 questions in my mind: “Will people hate me for this?” “Will people take into account my POV before making a judgment?”, “Will it ever be good enough?”. I have been scared for so long to write anything that wasn’t puppies and rainbows out of fear my inbox is going to explode. I’ve also been scared to write anything of a small length out of fear of less interaction. I’ve been scared to write what I want out of fear it won’t get recognized (Take for example Kyber Path and Origin of a New War which got nothing in the way of speak whereas I got a bunch of comments about New Genesis). 

And I officially had my breaking point when it comes to this mindset. I will not sit and let my love for writing dwindle because I let these thoughts consume me. So I told myself that I will not come back until I have regained my passion and love for writing again. 

I am so sorry for the inconvenience to all of you for this but I really hope that by the time I come back you all will be shocked and happy by the changes I have made.

But anyways I wanted to say I’m sorry to all of you for the sudden disengagement and thank you to you all for standing by me in this time of need.

I also want to say thank you to my amazing mutuals for all the help and kindness they have given me, and even if you didn’t know I was gone, here's a little thank you to all the kind words, virtual hugs, and inspiration you all have given me. I love you so much and I hope that when I return you all can be proud of the new me. 

Anyways I love you all (again), and I am so grateful for all you have given me.

“Live Long and Prosper”

-Century

[eternalnight8806-3]

Ch 3 The Cat and the Fox

Category: Romance, Modern College AU

Rating: Will be Explicit but for now I’ll just say Mature for language and drinking

Pairing: InuKag

Words: 2,357

Also available on ff.net and AO3

Tag list: @keichanz @noviceotakus-blog @hinezumi @morikothehalfangel @cstorm86 @digital-art-monster @cammysansstuff

Enjoy!

 Hey, I have a kind of personal question for you

InuYasha rubbed his tired eyes and stretched. He had been staring at his laptop for the last 3 hours straight trying to finish this damn midterm paper. The sound of his phone buzzing caught his attention. Who the hell would be texting him at 2 a.m.? Miroku was downstairs with the other idiots watching some stupid Netflix show he never could get into about a women's prison. The goofy grin that spread across his face upon seeing her name was completely accidental, or so he would tell you.

 Shoot

 What happened to your mom? You don't have to tell me if you don't want to. I was just sitting here thinking about it and I realized you never told me how she died. But it's totally fine if you don't want to tell me. I swear.

InuYasha almost laughed out loud at her obvious text babbling. It's cool. She had breast cancer.

 Oh sweetie I'm so sorry. It must have been so hard to lose her that way.

 Honestly, it wasn't long after her diagnosis. She was already stage 4 by the time they caught it. They tried everything they could but a month later she was gone. It was hard. Still is. I miss her a lot. She was my rock

 Yeah. I don't know what I would do without my mom. She's the kindest woman ever. She's always supported me in everything. You never mentioned your dad though?

 He died when I was a baby. I never knew him.

 Wow.

 Yeah. Hey what are you doing up anyway? I thought you had to work this weekend?

 I do. Couldn't sleep. My brain just won't shut off.

 Missed me that much in 24 hours?

 You're incorrigible

 Always

 You don't have a humble bone in your body do you?

 Maybe one

     *    eyeroll emoji      *  

 What time do you have to be up?

 In exactly 2.5 hours. I have to catch the 5:45 train to get there on time.

 Jesus woman! Go to sleep!

 I already told you I can't

 Do I need to come over and sing you a lullaby?

InuYasha regretted that the instant he hit send. She would definitely think he was total creepy bastard now.

 Lol. You don't know where I live

He hesitated before typing again. Fine. I'll call you. I hope you like shitty renditions of twinkle twinkle little star.

     *    a series of crying laughing emojis      *  

 Can't be worse than my little brother trying to sing to our cat Buyo.

 You have a brother?

 Yep

 Me too. Well a ½ brother. Older. And an asshole.

 Oh yeah? Ever talk to him?

 Not really. Like I said he's an asshole.

 Got it. Foxy doesn't like his big bro

InuYasha's eyebrow quirked. Foxy?

 Ummm... yeah???

 What is that?

 Ummmm

 Your name?

 Is it now wench? ;)

 Ha. Ha.

 Hey, what do you call me?

 Catwoman

 I suppose that makes sense.

 Why do you call me Foxy? ;)

 Because of your       costume  

 Suuuuuuure

 You're obviously delusional

 Am I?

 Severely.

 Well you're the one talking to me at 2:45 in the morning

 Yeah. I know. I need a padded room next to yours

 So I can sing twinkle twinkle for you?

 OMG stop! I'm going to wake up my room mate!

 Sorry...

 You really should get some sleep wench.

 I know.

 Night Foxy

 Night wench

InuYasha couldn't sleep after that. He felt guilty for keeping her up, even though she had texted him first. Inane images scrolled past his eyes as he delved into the internet black hole, searching for something to occupy his mind. Finally, when he realized it was about 5 minutes past the time she said she had to be awake, he decided to make sure she had gotten up ok.

 Wakey wakey wench

Kagome groaned aloud at the sound of her alarm. She tried to roll over and go back to sleep but then her phone dinged.

 Don't wanna

 C'mon. You gotta. That job you love so much is beckoning

 Damn you

 You're cranky in the morning ain't ya?

 Only for people who won't let me sleep

 But you have to go babysit brats

 Uggggh. Fine. I'm up. Happy?

 Are you actually up? Like out of bed?

 Kagome put her feet on the floor next her bed.  Yes...

 Don't believe you

She sent him a picture of her feet on the floor.

 Sexy

 Shut up jerk

 Get ready for work wench

 I would if someone would quit distracting me

 I'm distracting huh? ;)

 You're maddening

 Only for you wench

 I'm getting dressed now

 I'll be right over

 Ha. Ha.

 Again, I remind you, you don't know where I live

 I'll sniff it out

 Very funny

 Seriously, I'm up and getting dressed now

 Go back to sleep

She pulled off her nightclothes and tossed them in the direction of her hamper as she made her way over to the closet. Pulling out a sweater and jeans, she made her way back over to the bed where she'd laid her phone.

 Never did

 What? Why?

 Just distracted

Kagome wasn't sure what to make of that, so she decided to ignore it as she pulled the jeans up over her hips. Then go to sleep. Weirdo.

 Only after I know you get to work ok

 You're nuts. I won't get there for another hour!

 So?

 Go to sleep.

 Nope. Gotta know you're safe.

The sweater made it's way over her head and down to her waist. Overprotective much? She grabbed her hairbrush and set to work on her tangled mane.

 Only of cheeky wenches

 Oh now I'm cheeky?  The hairbrush returned to her nightstand.

 Yep

Kagome picked up her purse and keys before quietly exiting her room. I'm leaving now. Go to sleep

 I told you, not til you're at work

Kagome didn't respond during her 20 minute walk to the subway station. She hoped he would fall asleep waiting for her to text back. No such luck.

 Oi wench! Where'd you go?

 To the train

 Hahaha

 Cheeky wench

 You on the train?

 I am now.

 Good. How long of a ride is it?

 20ish minutes

 What do you normally do on the train at too damn early o'clock?

 Lol. Well, listen to music, or read. Sometimes I people watch but there aren't too many people on the train this early on Sunday.

 People watch?

 Yeah. People will do the weirdest things when they think no one is watching them. I've seen people practically doing it right in front of me before

 Doing what exactly? ;)

 Shut up

 Never wench

 You make it too easy

 Do I now?

 Yep.

 Will you just go to sleep?

 You at work?

 No

 Then I'm gonna go with no

 How did I see that coming?

 Idk maybe because I've said it like 1000 times already

 Alright alright I get it.

 '  Now approaching 10      th     street station' came the automated voice over the loudspeaker. Kagome stood and slid her phone into her pocket to keep it from falling out of her hand as she exited the train. Since the station was nearly deserted it was easy for her to maneuver her way out to the street to make the short walk to work. Once outside, she saw that the sun was now fully on the horizon, creating beautiful hues of pink and orange. Stopping for a moment, she smiled and took it all in. The crisp autumn air whipped her raven locks around her shoulders. Seeing the sun between the trees, Kagome couldn't resist the urge to snap a photo with her phone and send it to her new self-proclaimed watchdog.

 Isn't it so beautiful Foxy?

 Just like you wench ;)

Kagome snorted as she walked and texted at the same time. You don't know what I look like

 Sure I do. Long black silky hair, eyes the color of dark chocolate, ivory skin. See? I know

 Still, you've not seen my face

 Don't have to

She didn't know how to respond to that. Lucky for her though, she rounded the last corner before coming up to Yoro North's front door. She took a picture of her hand opening said door and sent it to him.

 All safe. Please sleep now? I'd feel awful if you didn't get any sleep because of me

 Not your fault wench. I'm a big boy. But I promise I'll close my eyes now. Have a good day at work.

 Thanks Foxy. Sweet dreams!

Kagome tucked her phone back into her pocket as she walked right past Ayame's death glare without giving the girl a second glance. As she stepped around the corner to make her way back to the classroom, she found herself cemented smack dab into Koga's chest.

“Whoa there, sweetheart!” He said as he grabbed her shoulders and gently pulled her back. “You alright?” He asked, genuine concern in his voice.

Kagome shook her head to clear the fog from having the wind knocked from her slightly. Looking up into his sky blue eyes, she didn't miss the smirk that crossed his features at her antics. “I-I'm fine, Koga. Thanks. Hey, actually there was something I wanted to run by you if you've got a minute?”

“Sure thing, darling. Step into my office?”

Kagome had noticed his use of several terms of endearment in the last few days, but she didn't mind it so she didn't say anything to her new boss about it. Instead, she walked into his office and sat herself down without being prompted. Koga came around her to sit himself on the edge of his desk, crossing his arms lazily and smiling down at her.

“What can I do for ya, love?”

“Well, I've noticed that we don't ever take the kids anywhere outside of this building and its grounds. Is there a reason for that?”

Koga's face took a decidedly less happy appearance. “Kagome, this building is all that stands between these kids and the outside world. Humans aren't exactly welcoming to our kind, with the exception of the rare person such as yourself. We don't take the kids anywhere for their own protection but also for yours. You've seen how they can be with eachother. Imagine if they did that to a human? The backlash would be catastrophic.”

Kagome frowned. “So, they never get to leave here? Ever?”

“We occasionally take them to other facilities to interact with other children, but for the most part, yeah, they stay here.”

“And it's absolutely out of the question to take them to say a park?”

Koga's eyebrow quirked up in interest. “A park? Kagome, we have outside areas here for them.”

“I know that, Koga, but they should interact with other kids. Even human ones. I think it'll be good for them to socialize outside of their comfort zones. Some of them desperately need it. Besides, imagine if you were on the front lines of demon-human coexistence?”

Koga sighed deeply. “Kagome, I wish things were different but they're just not. I can't allow you to put the kids or yourself in that kind of danger. I'm sorry.”

The look of supreme disappointment that crossed her features nearly caused the wolf to cave. “If you say so, Koga. I'll go relieve Ginta and Hakkaku now.” She stood and exited his office with slightly slumped shoulders. She had been so sure she could convince him to let her take the kids out for a little while. Sighing, she decided she would just have to keep working him down until he agreed. Eventually, he would see her reasoning.

xxx

The next two weeks almost flew by for both InuYasha and Kagome. Even in the midst of studying for their impending final exams in a couple weeks, the pair never let a night pass without talking. It became part of both of their routines. They both looked forward to hearing from the other. Something that both of their respective room mates had not failed to notice.

“InuYasha, are you ever actually going to meet this girl?” Miroku asked his hanyou friend one Saturday afternoon.

“I have, jackass.”

Rolling his eyes, Miroku huffed. “You know what I mean. Sango and I have actually been on actual dates and you know, know eachother's names.”

“Bully for you. Now fuck off.” InuYasha practically yelled as he tried to stick his headphones on his ears.

Sighing, he took his friend's obvious hint and went downstairs to meet Sango. Upon seeing her leaning against the banister, fingers looped in her jeans, he couldn't help but smile. She smiled back and asked, “Everything ok up there? I thought I heard someone yelling.”

Miroku took his girlfriend's hand and went to exit the house. “Yeah. Just my room mate being an idiot.”

Sango raised an eyebrow in question. “Oh yeah?”

“Yeah. He met a girl at the Halloween party but has yet to actually learn her name or even see her face outside of whatever mask she was wearing. They just text constantly.”

Sango's eyes widened. “Th-they do?”

Miroku didn't hide his puzzled expression. “Yeeeeeah...”

“Um... well...”

Stopping mid step on their trek to the campus food court, Miroku eyed his girlfriend suspiciously. “Sango?”

Biting her lip, the girl looked down at the concrete. “I think your room mate is texting my room mate.”

Eyes widening to nearly the size of saucers, Miroku burst out laughing. “You're kidding!?”

Shaking her head, Sango responded, “Nope. She calls him Foxy. I guess he was wearing a fox costume or something?”

Miroku was nearly on the ground by this point. “Jesus! Yep. That's him.”

“I don't see how this is so funny.”

Finally calming himself, Miroku placed his hands on her shoulders, “Because my dear Sango, this cannot be purely coincidental. Maybe the strings of fate had a hand in this, eh?”

Sango rolled her eyes. “You're an idiot. What are we gonna do? I can't just lie to her.”

Placing a finger on his lips thoughtfully, Miroku had a dangerous gleam in his eyes. “Mayhaps you won't have to my dear...”

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[justsomekpopstuff]

On Your Left (Inseong College!AU)

Requested by @jin-hua

Pairing: Inseong x Reader

MASTERLIST: to find it, just look up “justsomekpopstuff masterlist” on my blog, since external links still are not fixed. It should be in there. Sorry about the inconvenience!

Student: Kim Inseong

Major: international business with emphasis in public relations

Inseong is definitely one of the most personable people on campus

He is very social, which is good for making everyone feel welcome when they first start off

he was immediately taken on to help with freshmen orientation every year because of this

he helps students find classes, clubs, and even gives tours of the campus

naturally these tours also include special secrets about the campus

because lets be real

every campus has them

and Inseong knows them inside and out

he has secrets to spill, and he will not waste an opportunity to do so

because of his business major background, he has the tendency to treat everyone like a work colleague

generally friendly, personable, and still professional 

for the most part

after all, he wants to work in public relations 

so it is only natural that he be this way

that is, until, he meets up with his usual squad of friends

the other boys

specifically Dawon and Jaeyoon

and then all hell breaks loose

there was one specific incident that did almost flooded the entire student union on campus

but we do not talk about that incident

you met Inseong through a public speaking and relations course you both had to take for your majors

this was the only course that was really available that worked for the both of you

because college scheduling is a nightmare

yes that is from personal experience, why do you ask?

the first day of this particular class, you walk in and sighed

because someone had already taken the only left-handed desk in the entire classroom

which happened to be the exact desk you needed

you walked over to the guy, clearing your throat to make yourself known

he looked at you and you smiled kindly, hoping that it would maybe help your case

“hi, I was wondering if you would let me sit there? See, I kinda need that desk, seeing as how I am left-handed and all...”

you saw him chuckle and you knew that your efforts were in vain

“sorry, but so am I. You’re just going to have to find another desk this time.”

“come on, please? the right-handed desks are so uncomfortable...”

“next lecture come in a bit earlier. maybe you can beat me to it”

“...is that a challenge?” you asked.

“...maybe...”

you nodded and walked away to sit in one of the crappy right-handed desks as the professor walked in, beginning to plot your plan to get the left-handed desk the next time you had this class

you were going to be ready

the next time your class met, you showed up an hour early, waiting in the hall of the building before making sure the class was empty

you then launched yourself at the open left-handed desk, successfully claiming it for your own

you even made sure to get your laptop out and ready for lecture for good measure

you sipped your coffee with a smug smile as you watched Inseong walk into the room 

you waved at him mockingly as you saw him sigh and take a right-handed desk, finally feeling how you felt the first day of class

as he sat in his seat, you knew that your mission was about to get a whole lot harder

the next class meeting, you two happened to show up at the exact same time

the both of you froze in your tracks, knowing that the next few seconds would determine the fate of the rest of the semester

as if the world was moving in slow motion, the two of you sprinted desperately towards the desk

the other students who had arrived early watched as you two overgrown children raced for the singular desk

you may have been quicker to the draw

but Inseong’s long ass legs beat you to the punch by a few seconds

and so

he ended up getting the desk for that lecture

you huffed and once again took a right-handed desk

this?

this meant war

the race for the single-left handed desk became a regular competition whenever this class met

the two of you would sprint for it as fast as you could, doing your best to seal the spot

some days you would win, other days Inseong would win

what you don’t know is that some of the times Inseong would actually let you win the desk bc he thought you looked cute when you won but he’d never actually admit to that

at some point, some of the other students who arrived at this time started placing bets on the two of you

there were actually two bet pools going

the first one would be who got the desk every class meeting

and the other long-term bet was when the two of you would stop bickering over the desk and go on a date already

both of you were adamant that the latter would not happen ever

but honestly

you wouldn’t be mad if Inseong did ask you out

and the idea of asking you on a date did appeal to Inseong

however, the two of you were just too prideful to admit to it

about midway through the semester, the professor had come in early to prep the lecture and answer any questions about the upcoming midterm

that means that they got the chance to witness you and Inseong competing for the desk...again

the professor just looked at you two with a look of “wtf y’all”

“there’s only one left-handed desk that we both need. We have to do this to see who gets it every class” you explained.

“...You know you could’ve just told me that you both needed a desk and I could have arranged to get one from another classroom...right?”

“... ... ...no”

the professor sighed and walked out of the room before coming back with another left handed desk, placing it next to the original one

you both sit down in the desks silently as the professor began to address the class

the two of you couldn’t bear to look at each other at the moment

at least the battle was over, right?

you walked sheepishly out of class once it finished, feeling a little awkward about what had happened

“hey, (Y/N), wait up!”

you turned to see Inseong running after you, and a confused look etched on your face

“I wanted to come up and...apologize, I guess? I feel bad about kinda ruining the mood for the whole first half of the semester with the whole competition thing.”

“Its okay. It was kinda fun actually,” you chuckled.

“I still want to make it up to you. We had a lot of fun with it, but we still have to discuss the terms of peace”

“Spoken like a true international business major. You free now?”

Inseong nodded and the two of you began to walk together to one of the cafes on campus

when you got there and ordered, you were about to reach for your wallet to pay for your own drink, but Inseong beat you to the punch

“I could have paid for my own, Inseong”

“I know. I felt I had to make the whole thing up to you somehow. Please let me”

“All right, next time its my treat.”

“There will be a next time?” Inseong asked flirtatiously

your cheeks flushed as you realized what you had just said

“I mean...do you want there to be a next time?”

“After all of the fun we’ve had, I’d be an idiot to say no,” Inseong smiled at you 

the two of you sat down at the cafe for hours, talking about your competition and the ridiculousness of it all

and every moment the two of you felt yourselves falling just a bit deeper for the other

the next week when the two of you walked in to the class hand-in-hand, you could see some of the other students passing money to some of the others

the ones that received the cash even cheered for the two of you, seeing as how they won the bet that you two would get together eventually

and now, both left-handed desks were sat right next to each other

Inseong as your college boyfriend would be the same Inseong that you fought over the desk with

still cheesy as all hell

and he loves to tease you too

every now and again he will switch the desks around to hide the other left-handed desk just to mess with you

but he always apologizes with a kiss and puts it back in its usual place next to the other

he loves it when you help him prepare for his speeches and pitches he has to make for some of his other business classes

whenever he gets the speech right, he loves it if you give him lots of kisses in return

and obviously he will do the same for you

whenever you are trying to study when he is with you, you see him give you little finger hearts every time you look up to check on him

if you feel like you are dying inside because your work load feels like too much, he is always there to cheer you up

whether its by encouraging words, a fun distraction, or even just sitting there with you 

all the freshmen that he mentors also begin to look up to you as well, seeing as how the two of you are together quite a bit

the two of you still get up to your competitive goofy antics together every now and again

it usually consists of who can get to a certain place faster, loser has to do whatever the winner says for a certain period of time

and yes there are still times where he lets you win because he thinks you’re cute af but at the same time you still beat him at stuff quite a bit

overall, college was a breeze as long as you had Inseong by your side

all you had to do was look on your left

[prorevenge]

Screw with my grade? Have fun dealing with an investigation from the dean's office.

Buckle in, because this is a long read, but the end is worth it.

Last semester I took an online only ECON-101 class to fulfill one of the requirements of my associates degree. I chose economics because it sounded more interesting than the other options - big mistake. This teacher, let's call him Professor Y., does absolutely no teaching online, takes forever to answer questions, and doesn't really seem to care about actually helping us learn. There was a website, called MyEconLab, which is where homework, quizzes, and tests were taken. Other than that, there were also weekly discussion boards to engage with our peers.

Now I'm not going to lie, I didn't deserve an A for this class, or even a B. I missed some assignments and didn't do so well on others. However, I thought that I earned a C. I got sick in the middle of the semester and missed some assignments, which was totally my fault. I noticed that I was now in danger of getting a D for the class, which wouldn't be good at all. I looked at the syllabus, which was littered with typos and was generally very confusing. I found a passage that says that the final was worth 100 points, and at this point in the class we only had 255 total. It seemed to be worth a big chunk of points. There was also a term paper assigned, which was also worth 100 points.

I focused more on the final than I did the term paper, because I'm better at multiple choice than I am papers. I received an 83% on the final, and I was satisfied that I would scrape by with a C.

The class ended on December 15th, and the final was not added to my gradebook. I thought that it was a little weird, but I didn't think anything of it. The professor had been taking a long time all semester to grade assignments. I checked every couple of days to see what my final grade was, and on January 10th, I was assigned a D. I checked my gradebook and saw that I got a 67% on the term paper, which is around what I expected. However, my final was nowhere to be found. In addition, the only assignment that referenced the MyEconLab website had not been updated since November 6th. Remember, the class ended on December 15th, so there was almost a month of assignments that weren't counting towards my grade.

Thinking that there must be some mistake, I sent my professor an email.

Hello Professor,

I checked my grade on webadvisor and it says that I have a D. I logged into blackboard and it says I have a 67%, but that doesn't appear to be taking into account the grade I received for my final exam, as well as some of the other MyEconLab assignments.

In addition, I'm having a hard time understanding your grading rubric, so any clarifications you can offer there would be most appreciated.

Thank you,

Ceryliae

I did not hear back from my professor for 48 hours. At this point, I called the Dean that oversaw Humanities, Arts & Social Sciences. I explained my situation to her, and she said that she would call my professor, and that there was a chance that it was just a mistake. The next day I received an email back from my professor

HELLO STUDENT, HERE IS A SUMMARY OF YOUR GRADE TO DATE. IT LOOKS LIKE YOU MISSED (2) CRITICAL DISCUSSION BOARDS WHICH AFFECTED YOUR GRADE SIGNIFICANTLY. PLEASE REVIEW THE COMMENTS I MADE IN BLACKBOARD REGARDING YOUR TERM PROJECT. IF NEEDED WE CAN MEET TO DISCUSS YOUR GRADE FURTHER.

Yes, it was really in all caps. Below that my professor had included my gradebook, which I already saw. That was the whole reason I was getting in touch with him. My professor didn't actually answer any of my questions. So I wrote him back.

Hello Professor, I appreciate your reply, however this doesn't answer my questions. Where is my final? What about my MyEconLab assignments from the last couple weeks of class?

Ceryliae

He replied

Ceyliae (he misspelled my name), please watch your tone. Your final is located in myeconlab, as mentioned in the syllabus if you reviewed it here is a breakdown of how the grades are calculated. Course Assignments and point distribution approximations:

(3) Chapter Mid-Term Exams (MyEcon lab) = 45 %

(1) Final Exam (MyEcon lab) = 25%

(16) Chapter Quizzes (MyEcon lab = 15%

(1) Term Project (Written) = 100 (points)

(10) Chapter H/W/Video Assn. MyEcon lab = + 15%

(6) Chapter Discussion Forums = 120 (points)

Total Points 100% weighted (plus 220 points)

Underneath that, he included the gradebook from MyEconLab. Which I already had. The grade breakdown that he included in this email was already located in the syllabus, which I read. I'm not sure about you guys, but this is very confusing to read and its actually impossible to calculate your grade from this. Once again, he failed to answer my questions. Not only that, he also asked me to watch my tone? I've been nothing but respectful. Also, he implied that I haven't read his dumpster fire of a syllabus, which I have.

My reply to him was

Professor,

I apologize if I come off as rude, it's not my intention. I'm just very confused. The only assignment on blackboard that is labeled as MyEconLab says that it is for weeks 1 through 11, and was last updated on November 6th. How does that include my final exam grade, which was taken on December 15th. Additionally, how can something that was updated on November 6th include all of my assignments for November 7th through the end of the semester?

Also, I did read the syllabus, and I spent quite a while trying to work out how the point distribution is calculated. I wasn't able to figure it out, which is why I asked for some clarification. I'm sorry if asking for clarification came off as being disrespectful.

I wait four days without a reply, and then I called the Dean again. I told her that I didn't feel like this was a mistake, and that I didn't think this was going to be resolved between the professor and me. She told me she would look into it further, and that she's been following our email conversation, but she didn't have my last email to him, which I forwarded in her direction.

Shortly after my phone call with the dean, my professor emailed me back.

Ok, 1st the points in MyEcon Lab are calculated within the My econ lab system based on the weighted point allotment for the particular assignment. This is why I sent you a copy of the syllabus which expresses all assignments in Myecon lab as a weighted %. Hence, the 92% for example on the final, is weighted with all other exam grades, which represented 70% of the Myecon grade.

Secondly, the Big reason, respectfully, your grade was lower than anticipated was based on the (2) discussion boards you missed in my opinion, with those 2 scores you would have been above a 70%.

All I can say is, we can sit down in Spring 2018, during office hours, and I can explain the grading criteria, as I have designed it based on student work within Myecon lab and Blackboard.

You did miss (2) discussion Board Correct? I just ask this to make sure this point clarification is correct.

Again, email me after February 12th, 2018 when I return from Winter Break and we can over your grade scores again.

Thanks Sincerely;

Professor Y.

So now finally I've gotten an answer on one of my questions. He says that he is calculating my grade by reducing all of the assignments that were done on MyEconLab down to a 100 point assignment based on the weighted percentages in the syllabus. This is ridiculous because there are 355 points in total for the class, so reducing all that work down to 100 points means it's all worth very little. The final ended up being only worth 7% of my grade. I replied back to him:

Professor Y.,

I appreciate your efforts to clarify your grading policy, however I am even more confused than before. If I'm understanding you correctly, it sounds like you're saying that every single assignment for MyEconLab is weighted according to the percentages on page three of your syllabus. Then those points are counted as part of the "MyEconLab (Weeks 1-11)" assignment, which is worth one hundred points.

This contradicts what your syllabus says on page five:

"Exams: there will be 4 exams over the course of the semester, (3) Midterm and (1) Final. These exams are a combination of multiple choice, matching, ordering, and essays. Each Exam is worth 100 points, and the exams are each worth 45% of your overall grade.

Research Paper: you will submit an 8-10 page research paper on a topic approved by the instructor. A separate handout will be distributed to students with details on formatting this assignment. The research paper is worth 20% of your overall grade and is 100 points. Document Requirements Page Located in Blackboard (Term Project Requirements)." (Emphasis mine)

This seems to contradict what you've stated about the final and midterm exams only being included in the MyEconLab assignment on blackboard. Towards the end of the semester, after I missed the two discussion boards, I realized that I might end up with a D in your class. I consulted your syllabus to see what points were remaining, and found the passages from page five that I quoted above. It seemed to me that the final exam was worth quite a big chunk of points, and I was relying on that to bolster my grade. At the end of last semester I was incredibly busy with other classes, performances, work, and illnesses. I believe you are aware of my illnesses, because you denied my request for an extension on the term paper. For these reasons, I had a limited amount of time to devote to studying. If I had known that in reality, the final was only worth 7% of my overall grade, I would have budgeted my time differently. Instead of studying so much for the final, I would have put more time into my term paper, which seemed to be worth less points.

You keep asking me to reference your syllabus, and in a previous email, you stated that if I had read your syllabus, I would not have questions about my grade. However, your syllabus seems to contradict itself in several places. I saw the quoted passage on page five, and assumed that it was correct. Was I incorrect to rely on your syllabus to guide me in how to approach your class?

Furthermore, I have asked a direct question in three separate emails, and I have not received a direct answer:

There are several assignments which were turned in after November 6th at 2:34 PM, this includes three chapter quizzes as well as my final exam. How are these assignments included in my overall grade, if the MyEconLab assignment was last updated on November 6th at 2:34 PM?

I would appreciate an answer, because it doesn't feel fair to me to receive a grade without all of my work being included in my grade. MyEconLab says that I spent over 4 hours working on assignments that were turned in after November 6th at 2:34 PM. Was that all for nothing?

I am sorry to keep bothering you during the winter break, however this is a time sensitive matter for me, as I receive a hefty discount on my car insurance for maintaining a 3.0 GPA. For that reason, I would like to resolve this as soon as possible.

Please be aware that I have CC'd the dean to this conversation.

Thank you very much, Ceryliae

The professor emailed me back the next day:

Well, I will address these issues within the next 4 weeks with you when we Meet. Again, did you miss (2) discussion Boards?

I am aware you have spoken with my Dean, and Chairman, however, this does not change my position or your grade until further review.

I will be back in the office starting February 13th, 2018 and we can revisit these issues 1 by 1.

Please just reply back for my records if you missed (2) Discussion boards or you can defer until we meet and I will use what I have in blackboard as my answer.

Please, no more emails until we meet, to keep perceptions and frustrations to a minimum.

Thanks.

So not only is he refusing to answer my questions, he also asked me a question about the discussion boards I missed, which I actually answered in the previous email. That means he didn't really read my assignment. Additionally, I can't really afford to wait 4 weeks to resolve this situation as my car insurance will literally go up hundreds of dollars.

I email him back:

Professor Y.,

I am disappointed that you are unwilling to answer my simple questions about my grade at this time, because this situation is very time sensitive for me.

As I stated in my previous email, yes, I did miss those two discussion boards.

I appreciate your offer to meet with me once the spring semester begins, however I don't think it is in my best interest to meet with you alone. I am uncomfortable meeting with you without the dean in attendance.

Thank you, Ceryliae

The next day I hear back from him with this short email:

Grade was changed to a C.

Best Success.

So now I've gotten what I was trying to get a week earlier. However, I'm not satisfied. So I call the dean and tell her that since I've been given the C I'm dropping the matter. However, I still think that Professor Y. should be investigated for how he grades assignments, as well as the confusing nature of his syllabus. She tells me that she is already investigating, and then asks me to put all this in an email to her so that she has a written account. She also tells me that she was calculating my grade and she thought I earned a C. She also didn't think that I had any issues with my tone, and said that I was nothing but respectful.

Here is that email:

Hello Dr. E.,

Professor Y. informed me that he was changing my grade to a C. For this reason, I would like to put this matter to rest. However, there are still some lingering concerns that I feel should be addressed going forward.

It still appears to me that not all of my assignments were calculated into my grade, due to the MyEconLab assignment on blackboard last being updated on November 6th, and the class ending on December 15th.

The syllabus has many inconsistencies as well as flat out missing quite a bit of information. Page three has the grading breakdown and mixes points and percentages, which makes it very confusing. Furthermore, the grading breakdown is contrary to what it stated on page 5:

"Exams: there will be 4 exams over the course of the semester, (3) Midterm and (1) Final. These exams are a combination of multiple choice, matching, ordering, and essays. Each Exam is worth 100 points, and the exams are each worth 45% of your overall grade.

Research Paper: you will submit an 8-10 page research paper on a topic approved by the instructor. A separate handout will be distributed to students with details on formatting this assignment. The research paper is worth 20% of your overall grade and is 100 points. Document Requirements Page Located in Blackboard (Term Project Requirements)."

Along the same lines, there are typos littered throughout the syllabus, including stating that the four exams are each worth 45% of your overall grade, which adds up to 180%. If the Syllabus for Econ-101 is confusing, there is a good chance that his other classes are equally confusing. How many students have not had the confidence to come forward after they were misled or confused by Professor Y's syllabus? I have attached all three revisions of Professor Y's syllabus to this email.

You have been exceedingly helpful with this matter, and I appreciate all the help you've given me.

Thank you,

Ceryliae

So now the professor is under investigation for how he grades assignments as well as his syllabuses. None of this would have happened if he had assigned me the grade I earned.

TL;DR Professor screws me over with my grade. I get the dean involved and my grade is changed to a C. Not satisfied, I also get him investigated by the dean's office.

(source) (story by Ceryliae)

[truthbeetoldmedia]

Charmed 1x04 “Exorcise Your Demons” Review

Episode 4 finally has us meeting an Elder! I wasn’t too crazy about the original series’ Elders because they were all uptight and had a “holier than thou” attitude. If Charity is completely different from those old Elders, one would assume the others are, too.  

The episode begins with a flashback of Mel and Marisol sitting down with Angela Wu, encouraging her to move forward with her sexual assault claims against Professor Thaine. This is something we come to learn that Mel has immense guilt over. If she hadn’t encouraged her to tell someone, Angela wouldn’t have wound up in her coma and wouldn’t have been susceptible to the Harbinger’s possession.  

Meanwhile, the Harbinger is still chained up in the girls’ attic and the whole team is wondering why it’s taking the Elders so long to arrive with a plan to take the Harbinger out of the house. Tensions are high. Harry is confused. One would assume it doesn’t usually take them this long. The sisters are wondering where the Elders are when Niko and her partner, Trip, pay them a visit. They’re looking into the disappearance of Angela Wu. Turns out, her mother put in a missing person’s report after she didn’t return home from the Halloween party at the Vera house. All three women are beyond obviously nervous. We already knew that Mel had a hard time lying to Niko as just her girlfriend. When Niko’s on duty, it’s practically worse.  

Right when the Harbinger starts banging around in the attic, which causes Niko and Trip to want to investigate, that’s when Charity makes her appearance...as an interior designer. Making some excuse over moving furniture and whatnot, the sisters are able to dissuade Trip and Niko from investigating the scary noises. Charity’s physical appearance is a rebranding of the Elders everyone knows and, well, not loves, but expects for sure. We’re used to long white robes and here Charity is in her smart, white power suit. She has an amazing energy and she also run an investment fund for women who are starting businesses in developing countries. I don’t know of any Elders that actually have a day job, but this might just be one of the new things this series has going for them.  

Anyway, Charity brings news that the sisters have to kill the Harbinger by the end of the full moon the following night. That means that they’d be killing Angela, too. Charity and the Elders are convinced that Angela’s gone, but Mel knows she’s still in there. It’s a gut feeling the Charmed ones are known for having, no matter which series it is. Also, turns out Marisol was an Elder? Harry said he told them in his opening speech to them, but Macy says he called her a high witch and Harry basically said it was the same thing and that kind of disappoints me a little bit. Elders in the original series were men and women who lived their lives as good people and, in death, became guardian angels to witches. That doesn’t seem to be the case with this series and honestly, that’s kind of a major downfall for me, next to Harry’s “orbing”. (To summarize: I’m not upset with the witch aspect of the show. I’m upset with the whitelighter/elder aspect.)

Back to the story! Trip knows the girls aren’t being truthful, but Niko isn’t convinced that Mel would lie to her about Angela’s disappearance. There is also some concern about all the other murders around Halloween being the sisters’ faults. Trip has his doubts and, for the moment, he keeps it to himself. Niko’s not listening to it, anyway.  

While there is a literal demon in their attic, we’re reminded of the sisters having actual lives. Macy’s romance with Galvin is nonexistent. In fact, it looks like Galvin’s backing off after Macy rejects a date in favor of spending time with her sisters (because they’re killing a demon that night.) I just want Macy to blow off the demon murder and spend more time with Galvin outside of work. I know Macy is introverted when it comes to her romantic life, but this story is moving just so slow and not in a good “slowburn” way. It’s like Galvin’s just thrown into a scene as an afterthought. There’s no real movement between these characters and it’s making a bit ticked off.  

Maggie is also having her own troubles. She’s failing one of her classes. Turns out she does have the occasional class at college. It’s not all sorority activity. Lucy is determined for Maggie to pass the class midterm, so she offers up her boyfriend, Parker, to help Maggie study. Well, Maggie and Parker met in the last episode and sparks were flying. You can see where this is going a mile away and I’m not here for it. I hate love triangles and I hate cheating storylines. I’m already annoyed.  

Mel and Niko have their own problems, but they also seem to be the most stable relationship on this show at the moment. Good for them, but I can’t forget how their relationship started. In episode 2, Niko made it sound like Mel was the other woman. Remember how she mentioned that she was previously engaged, but just HAD to be with Mel? Well, I’m not a fan of relationships that come from cheating. These sisters are better than that, or they’re at least supposed to be.  

Charity and Harry are trying to get all the sisters back to the manor for killing the Harbinger underneath the full moon, but that was before Mel took Harbinger!Angela and hid her in a vacant building that was housing the college’s homecoming float. Mel performed a spell and it revealed what she knew all along; that Angela Wu was still inside that body. The sisters needed to cast an extremely powerful exorcism spell to rid Angela of the demon.  

Someone starts poking around outside and it’s Parker! Maggie has to go distract him from entering the place and she ends up kissing him. Thankfully, she realizes that was a mistake and that they can’t do that again. In fact, she doesn’t even want his help studying for her midterm anymore. Neither of them seem particularly regretful though and I’m sad all over again. Maggie goes back to help with the exorcism and things get crazy. It’s like there’s a storm inside the building.  

Unknowingly, there is ANOTHER person poking around outside and that person is Trip. He gets inside the building and sees all the calamity going on. He tells everyone to freeze and to put their hands up. He’s holding his gun on the sisters, Harry, Charity, and a possessed Angela Wu and Charity just magics the gun away. I wish all guns could just be magicked away. He’s powerless watching the exorcism. With the power of three and the very strong will of Angela Wu, they are able to exorcise the demon and have Angela remain very much alive.  

However, turns out a pipe was knocked loose with all the wind flying around and ended up killing Trip. The sisters saved one life, while another was put in harm’s way. Mel is feeling the most guilty because it was her fault that they were all at that building to begin with. Trip is also Niko’s partner and she knows her girlfriend will be absolutely devastated. At the very end of the episode, you see Mel comforting her girlfriend and that’s when she finds out that Charity, who had taken care of Trip and the scene of the “crime”, had pinned all the Halloween murders on Trip.  

The sisters are watching over Angela as she recovers from her possession, something she doesn’t even know happened. You’d think that after that harrowing experience, they’d tell her what happened to her, but nope! They pin it all on blackouts. Angela’s been through so much. As much as I want to see more of her, I think it’d be best if the sisters distance themselves from her. If they don’t, I don’t see Angela making it out of the season.  

What happened to the Harbinger, you ask? Charity trapped the demon in a paint can and when she went to bring it with her to the Elders, she was hypnotized by a mysterious stranger in an elevator. They traded paint cans and he was able to walk away with the demon in a can. Who is that guy? Is he going to be this season’s Big Bad? Poor Charity is going to just kick herself when she realizes she lost the demon.  

All-in-all, I was more disappointed with this episode. It wasn’t even the episode as a whole, just elements that, when added up, made me sad. All three of the sisters’ love lives are not the greatest. Maggie is still placing her social life above saving the world. Macy is a hot, single lady and Galvin wants her! Give Galvin more screen time! What the hell already! I really want Mel to just tell Niko the truth. I think that’s where they’re heading this season. I say just get it over with. Mel, and the rest of her sisters, are horrible liars and it’s better to just put them out of their misery.  

Some thoughts:

If Maggie is going to focus on one thing while at college, it should be her grades and not her sorority shenanigans. You all know how over the sorority storyline I am.  

It’s hilarious how bad all three sisters are at lying. I guess that’s one way you can tell they’re all related.

HUGE POINTS to the show for pointing out how POC are uncomfortable around cops and how it’s basically justifiable and understandable. (At least that’s how it came across to me.

Charmed airs Sundays at 9/8c on The CW.

Sarah’s episode rating: 🐝🐝

[newsfact]

Youngkin victory deals another blow to Biden, as agenda stalls in Congress

Republican Glenn Youngkin’s victory in Virginia’s gubernatorial election Tuesday night dealt another blow to President Biden and Democrats, as the political newcomer flipped a typically blue state red in a signal of what could be to come in the 2022 midterms.

Youngkin’s victory is the first statewide for the Republican Party in Virginia in 12 years – in what some saw as a referendum on Biden’s presidency and his legislative agenda pending in Congress.

ELECTION DAY: REPUBLICAN GLENN YOUNGKIN HOLDS CLEAR LEAD IN VIRGINIA GOVERNOR’S RACE: LIVE

“The Youngkin win in Virginia sends a signal to Democrats: Americans want to get back to work and want their kids to succeed and don’t want policies that are aimed to pit people against each other,” a senior House GOP aide told Fox News. “If I were a moderate Democrat, I’d take tonight as a clear sign that a vote for trillions of dollars of socialist spending while inflation is already hurting Americans’ pocketbooks is a vote in the wrong direction.”

President Biden attends the Action on Forests and Land Use session at the UN Climate Change Conference COP26 in Glasgow, Scotland, Tuesday, Nov. 2, 2021.  (Steve Reigate/Pool via AP)

Republican Rep. Darrell Issa of California also said voters in Virginia “demanded a different direction” for their state. 

“The White House should take note that this is only the beginning,” Issa said. 

Even David Axelrod, an adviser to former President Obama, questioned whether returns in Virginia’s gubernatorial election were forcing Democrats to rethink their votes on Biden’s multitrillion-dollar spending plan.

“If you’re a Democrat sitting on Capitol Hill and you’re from one of these swing districts in suburban areas, are you rethinking tonight your vote on this reconciliation package?” Axelrod said Tuesday night on CNN. “Are you thinking, maybe it’s best, we shouldn’t do it.”

VIRGINIA GOVERNOR’S RACE BETWEEN YOUNGKIN AND MCAULIFFE: WHAT TO KNOW

Axelrod added: “If I was sitting in the White House, if I were sitting in the leadership of the, in Democratic counsels in the Congress, I’d be worried about that. I’d be trying to firm these people up.”

Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., arrives to meet with the Democratic Caucus at the Capitol in Washington, early Tuesday, Nov. 2, 2021.  (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)

Biden’s Build Back Better economic agenda is pending in the House of Representatives. The Senate has yet to reach an agreement on that spending package.

His social spending package, once valued at $3.5 trillion, is now down to a leaner $1.75 trillion after progressives and moderates agreed to cut programs, including universal community college and paid family leave. That bill only requires a simple majority to pass in the Senate because it would be done through a process known as budget reconciliation, but moderate Democratic Sens. Joe Manchin of West Virginia and Kyrsten Sinema of Arizona have said they still will not support it.

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Prior to polls closing Tuesday, the president predicted Democratic wins in Virginia and New Jersey and rejected the premise that his performance had any impact on the gubernatorial race.

“I don’t believe, and I’ve not seen any evidence that, whether or not I am doing well or poorly, whether or not I’ve got my agenda passed or not, is going to have any real impact on winning or losing,” the president said during a press conference in Glasgow, Scotland, on the sidelines of the United Nations’ COP26 climate summit. “Even if we had passed my agenda, I wouldn’t claim we won because Biden’s agenda passed.”

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