#i have a quiz in a week :D

[asterdeer]

decided on a whim to take a coursera course on dino paleobiology and realized that even the free version has a quiz and that i will need to take notes and Remember things and just whispered delightedly "oh i need a notebook"

[12am-motivation]

GIVE US A BREAK SOLMARE THE OMNB ANNIV EVENT JUST ENDED 😭

[britishchick09]

my poetry class starts today! i thought i'd have a couple assignments to get done before my san diego trip, but the first week stuff isn't due until the 29th! :o

[hongjoshuaz]

I JUST GOT A 52 ON AN ASSIGNMENT IN CALCULUS THAT WE HAD DAYS TO DO IM SO UPSET

[ms-demeanor]

Sometimes college professors like to hop on my posts lamenting the sorry state of syllabi these days and joke about how they haven't thought that far ahead in the course themselves, or talk about how they struggle to complete a schedule for their students.

With all due respect, that's your job. If you can't do your job, you should have a different job. If you need help, ask your colleagues or your department chair or *someone* because I know that professors aren't given a hell of a lot of education on how to educate, so you probably *need* help.

But every single time I make one of those posts I get anywhere from ten to thirty messages, replies, reblogs, and asks say "oh man, that's exactly why I had to drop out of school; I couldn't keep up with the assignments because I didn't know when they were due until the week they were due."

I have been a college student in three separate decades, and "not having a schedule of assignments in the syllabus" is new to my experience. That shit didn't fly in the 2000s or 2010s and I think it likely has to do with professors being overly reliant on apps.

AT A MINIMUM your syllabus should have:

Contact information (including preferred method of contact) for the professor

Office Hours

Grading Policy

Assignment schedule.

Your assignment schedule doesn't necessarily need to have the exact page numbers of every reading or a full assignment sheet for each project, but it should have things like:

December 1st - Major Project 3 second draft due December 9th - Quiz 10 December 12th - Major Project 3 final draft due December 15th - Final Exam

If you end up presenting a more thorough schedule with readings and homework later, that is acceptable to present a week or two into the semester but it is absolutely insane to me that students these days don't know what homework they're going to have to get done over Thanksgiving break during the first couple weeks of class.

If I had three professors at once who didn't give me a schedule, how on earth would I know if I was going to have to read three chapters of a novel, take a midterm and turn in two stats homework assignments, and complete a history research paper the same week that I'm planning to travel to see family? If I'm aware of this from the beginning of the semester I can make sure not to pick up extra shifts, or I can plan to leave a day later to accommodate the midterm, or I can start working on the paper early to complete it before the due date but if I don't know what's going to be due when, I'm going to have a big problem.

If you don't give your students a schedule you are communicating that you don't care about their schedule, and that you think it's their responsibility to contort their life (and their job, and their other classes) around your class, and honestly my advice to students in that situation is "drop in the first week and pick up another class". That's actually part of why I recommend signing up for one more class than you can really manage - if you get a professor whose class looks like it's going to be a disaster because they don't have a schedule, you can bail before the withdrawal period and get a refund for the class.

I'm only in one class this semester but the professor's response has fully dropped me into "Fuck it, I guess I'll fail" mode and I don't even know if I can pull myself out of my current D grade because I don't know how many assignments we have left in the semester.

This is a shitty way to run a class. If you can't do better than this, you shouldn't be running a class.

[munson-blurbs]

Eddie Munson x Shy!Reader

Summary: Max and Lucas are tired of their friends silently pining over each other but never making a move, so when the Winter Formal rolls around, they take matters into their own hands.

Warnings: mutual pining, idiots in love, fluffy fluff

WC: 1.8k

A/N: Happy anniversary to the love of my life, @corroded-hellfire 💚 one year ago today, we met in person for the first time, and my life has been infinitely better ever since. Thank you for being my best friend. I love you more than Dustin loves his Weird Al shirt. Red, this fic is for you.

Divider credit to @saradika

“Kill me now.”

Three words uttered by none other than Max Mayfield, sliding her lunch tray onto the table and sitting down with an irritated sigh. 

You look at her with an amused grin. “What is it this time? Bombed a pop quiz? Got detention for flipping off a teacher—again?” Her brazen, flippant attitude provided many entertaining moments, so long as you weren’t on the receiving end of it. 

Max shakes her head, spearing a limp macaroni noodle with her plastic fork. “I wish.” She holds up two tickets to the Winter Formal. “Lucas is dragging me to this bullshit. ‘All the other basketball guys’ girlfriends are going,’” she mocks him in an octave much lower than his actual voice, “so I guess that means I have to follow suit.”

Bringing a hand to your heart, you jut out your lower lip in mock-pity. “Oh, no; your boyfriend wants to show you off at a school dance! How will you ever survive?” 

Max doesn’t miss a beat. “You could go, too,” she says, blue eyes pleading. “Keep me company when the guys inevitably bail to get wasted in the woods.”

“I don’t—”

“You don’t need a date,” she insists, reading your mind before the words can leave your mouth. “I’m telling you, Lucas is gonna ditch me as soon as Jason and Patrick show up.” She takes your hand between both of hers. “Please? I’ll even tell Ms. Kelly the lengths you went to for your poor, troubled freshie.”

You exhale, knowing that she doesn’t need to go to all of that trouble. You’d started off the school year as her peer mentor, but just a few months later, you two have become close friends. “Fine, I’ll go,” you acquiesce, laughing when she pumps her fists victoriously. “But I’m not gonna be happy about it.”

You return to your own lunch, completely missing the mischievous look that graces her freckled face. 

Unbeknownst to you, a similar discussion is had at Hellfire Club later that same afternoon. 

“Absolutely not,” Eddie scoffs, folding his arms across his chest. “Nice try, Sinclair, but I wouldn’t be caught dead at some lame dance.”

“Seriously,” Jeff smirks from his position across the table. “He’s never been to a single one in his ten years of high school.”

Eddie flips him off casually. “It’s only six, asshole. But that doesn’t matter, because I’m not dressing up in some penguin suit to drink unspiked punch with a bunch of shitty people.”

“C’mon, dude,” Lucas says, his tone bordering on a whine. “If you don’t go, I’m gonna be stuck with the jocks all night, and they just wanna suck face with their girlfriends.”

“And you don’t?” Gareth quips. 

Lucas rolls his eyes. “Not in front of everyone. And I don’t need a front-row seat to their performances, either.” He turns his attention back to the Dungeon Master. “Look, I’m desperate. Mike’ll be visiting his grandma and Dustin’s grounded because of his D-plus in Spanish.”

Eddie narrows his eyes. “What about Huey, Dewey, and Louie over here?” he asks, gesturing to the three remaining club members. 

Their collective responses are jumbled excuses; Eddie swears one of them says he’s going kayaking—in mid-December in Indiana—but he doesn’t bother to sift through their lies. “You owe me, Sinclair,” he declares, pointing his forefinger at the underclassman. “Big time.”

The next few weeks leading up to the Winter Formal are spent meticulously making plans. For someone who seemed so disinterested in this dance, Max is paying careful attention to each detail. 

You walk out of the dressing room in a velvet emerald green dress that hits just above the knee. Max is beaming as she adjusts the off-the-shoulder sleeves and smooths down any creases. 

“You look really nice,” she says, nodding her head. She’s trying to temper her enthusiasm, but you can sense her excitement. “I can’t wait to tell Lucas.”

You wrinkle your nose. “Lucas? Why would he care?” He’s a nice kid—more in tune with emotions than the average fourteen-year-old boy—but that doesn’t constitute an interest in your fashion choices. 

Max’s cheeks burn as red as her hair. “Uh, well, seeing you happy makes me happy, and seeing me happy makes him happy, so…everyone’s happy?” she finishes lamely. She clears her throat as if expelling the awkwardness from the conversation. “Anyway, let’s buy this dress so we can look for shoes.”

“Yeah, okay.” You’re not fully convinced, but you brush it off and steel your nerves to ask a question. “Is anyone else gonna be there that we know?” You really want to know whether Eddie Munson is going to be there, but you can’t say the quiet part aloud. 

“Probably,” she shrugs, a bit too quickly, but she’s pushing you back behind the curtain to change before you can inquire more. 

“Why does this stupid tie need to be green?” Eddie asks, sifting through the store’s selection with Lucas by his side. 

“Uh, Christmas colors,” Lucas stammers, fumbling for a decent explanation other than the contents of his secret phone call with Max earlier today. “And, y’know, red is way overdone, so…” he trails off lamely, going back to the display table and hoping Eddie drops the matter. 

They find exactly what they’re looking for—not without Eddie complaining about putting in too much effort just to be a third wheel—and make their way over to the food court. Eddie makes a beeline for the Pizza Hut when he stops dead in his tracks. “Shit, Sinclair; we gotta go,” he says urgently, clapping a hand on the younger boy’s shoulder and steering him away from the fast food. 

“What the hell? I’m hungry!”

Eddie shakes his head, curls brushing against his shoulders. “Look, man.” He discreetly points to his left, where you and Max are giggling at the Orange Julius. “We can’t let them see us.”

“Dude, she’s like the nicest person ever,” Lucas rebuts. “Even Max likes her, and Max pretty much hates everyone.”

“That’s not the problem.” Eddie rakes his ringed fingers through his hair, wincing when he snags one on a knot. “The problem is that she’s gonna be all, ‘hi, Eddie; what’re you doing at the mall?’ And I’m gonna be all, ‘just picking out a tie for the Winter Formal.” And then she’ll go, ‘oh, who’s your date?” And then I’ll have to say, ‘I don’t have one; I’m just playing babysitter to some freshmen like a goddamn loser!” He hops back and forth to indicate each character change.

“First of all, ouch,” Lucas quips, “second, go hide in the bathroom if you want, but I’m getting something to eat.”

Eddie exhales an exasperated sigh, giving in and schlepping over to Pizza Hut, one of the few times in his life that he’s trying to be inconspicuous. 

You pull into the school parking lot on the night of the Winter Formal and shift into park before killing the engine. Max is bouncing her leg up and down in the passenger seat, lower lip tucked between her teeth.

“What’s on your mind?” you ask, mistaking her excitement for anxiety. “You know that Lucas would think you look beautiful even if you showed up in a potato sack.” You furrow your brow. “Where is he, anyway? Why didn’t he come with us?”

She mumbles something about not wanting her mom to ask any questions about the relationship, and you take them at face value. Her eyes light up when she spots her boyfriend walking into the school alongside…Eddie Munson?

“Eddie’s here?” you ask in a hushed whisper, feeling sweat prickling under your arms. You’ve been nursing a massive crush on him for ages–one that Max is very much aware of. And now he’s here, dressed in a black suit with his hair pulled back into a low bun at the nape of his neck. “Max, why didn’t you tell me? Who’s he going with?” The idea of him slow dancing with someone else has your stomach turning.

Max just shrugs. “I don’t think he had a date.” Too casual, too blasé–she knows something. “C’mon, let’s go in.” She swings the car door open enthusiastically, leaving you shell-shocked in your seat.

“Maxine Mayfield!” you hiss, using her full government name to drive home your bewilderment, but she just skips ahead. Damn your heeled shoes, slowing you down before you can catch up to her. When you finally do, she just grabs your hand and tugs you towards the guys.

She poorly feigns surprise, jaw dropping as she exclaims, “Eddie? What are you doing here? Oh, my gosh, this is such a coincidence!” She pulls you closer, smiling far too wide. “Lucas and I both brought our upperclassmen friends! What are the odds?”

“Yeah, so weird,” Lucas says, not as loud as Max but just as transparent. He looks at Max before regarding you and Eddie. “Okay, well, we’re gonna go dance–bye!” The two of them scamper off, leaving you alone with Eddie. If their stilted dialogue wasn’t evidence enough, the way Eddie’s tie perfectly matches your dress certainly clears up their intentions.

Eddie speaks first, shoving his hands in his pants pockets and nervously swiveling his body. “I, uh, think we’ve been set up,” he says with a small, awkward chuckle. “I swear, it wasn’t my idea. Not–not that it’s a bad thing, I just meant, like, if you’re uncomfortable with this, I don’t wanna be held responsible.” His cheeks burn red. “Shit, I need to stop talking.”

“It’s okay,” you reassure him with your own kind laugh, “we might as well make the most of it. Get some punch and make fools of ourselves out there?” You gesture towards the gym’s makeshift dance floor; the band has just started playing Journey’s “Faithfully.” Eddie’s nods, following you to an empty space, and you timidly drape your arms over his shoulders. Taking care to avoid an inappropriate touch, he rests his palms on the small of your back. 

His voice is low when he murmurs in your ear, ���you look really beautiful tonight.” He clears his throat and speaks again. “You always look really beautiful, though.”

The two of you sway to the music, swapping shy smiles and fleeting but longing glances. As the song ends, you look over your shoulder. “We’re being spied on,” you report, noting the way the two younger kids are watching you from across the room. You consider your next words before eventually deciding to go for it: “Did you talk to Lucas about me as much as I talked to Max about you?”

“Probably more,” Eddie laughs, bringing you a bit closer. “But I’m interested in comparing notes.”

You nod, staving off any lingering nerves. “Maybe after the dance, we can split a burger from Benny’s and discuss?”

Eddie presses a soft kiss to your forehead. “Yeah,” he says; you can feel his lips move against your skin, “I’d like that.”

--

[aziraphales-library]

Hello librarian squad!

First of all I would like to thank you for all the work you're doing and providing the fandom with reading material, you're doing god's work<3

I was wondering if you, by chance knew some good gomens university AU fics with enemies to lovers trope? Preferably a longer one

Thank you in advance!

Here are all the enemies/rivals to lovers university fics I could find...

More of a Comment than a Question by CemeteryAngel725 (W)

Dr. Aziraphale Fell and Dr. Anthony Crowley are both architectural historians in the same department. You would think they would have a lot in common, but it's the exact opposite - from the day they met, Crowley has done everything in his power to annoy Aziraphale. But now they're being forced to share a hotel room at an academic conference, and Aziraphale is worried. Will they survive the weekend?

A Halo Effect by Tv_Saved_The_Teenage_Girl (T)

Living with a roommate so different from you can start to get on your nerves, but when Aziraphale takes care of Crowley one drunken night, things start to change between them. What will happen when Aziraphale finds out Crowley is in an abusive relationship?

Play The Game by ffonippop (M)

Aziraphale was a university student on his last grueling year of pursuing a joint-honors Bachelors degree in Biology and Theology. His favorite day of the week was Sunday, because on Sunday, he could forget about the lab and leave behind the library to gather with his friends and play a competitive game of trivia— Quiz Bowl. He liked Quiz Bowl because it was a brain game, it was engaging, and it promoted teamwork. But most of all, he liked Quiz Bowl because he was the best at it. Until Crowley, the arrogant bastard with a swagger in his saunter, started showing up.

The Shared Desk Dilemma by MissUnderstoodLyrics (E)

In the hallowed halls of Eden University, professors Aziraphale Eastgate and Anthony Crowley share a desk but have nothing else in common—except for their knack for outwitting each other with escalating pranks that have the entire faculty taking sides. When the university president, in a desperate bid to restore peace, mandates a team-building retreat, the adversaries find themselves reluctantly sharing a room, and sparks fly. Crowley can't stand the pompous, irksome Dr. Eastgate, and the feeling appears to be mutual, yet they can't seem to keep their hands off each other.

A Tricky Situation (Entirely of his own making) by sixbynine (E)

"Crowley stood up and went to leave, he turned back just as he opened the door and took a deep breath. “You know I was quite excited to come here and work with you. I enjoyed reading your work. I disagree with a lot of it, but your writing style is lovely and every so often you’d let that privileged rich white boy mask drop and it was fantastic. I was hoping to meet that Professor Fell, but I’m beginning to think maybe he doesn’t exist and I’m going to be stuck with a rude stuck up arsehole for the next five years.” He slammed the door behind him before Aziraphale could respond. Aziraphale gaped, open mouthed, at the shut door." -- Aziraphale is teaching at Kings College London. He's been teaching at King College London for a long time now thank you very much and he does not take kindly to new Professors being sprung on him suddenly. Especially when this one has quite publically made his opinon of Aziraphale's work known. Luckily Aziraphale has an understanding penpal...

- Mod D

[sturniolos-blog]

In trouble again? - Sturniolo little sister oneshot

warnings - swearing, fluff, arguing

—————————

Quick backstory behind this oneshot:

When Y/n was 14, her 19 year old older triplet brothers moved to LA. Upsetting her for a while, hard not seeing them around the house.

But after a lot of convincing, when Y/n turned 15, Marylou and Jimmy agreed to let her move in with them.

Obviously, nick, chris, and matt were okay with it.

You may wonder how a girl fit in with three boys, well it was easy for her.

Nick was the one she’d go too for boys, about her period (since he bought her pads and what she needed when she was on it), she'd go to Nick about a breakup, literally about anything that Matt and Chris would freak out about if she told them.

Then Chris was the one she’d go to if she needed too laugh, needed a hug, (chris gives really good ones), He always found a way too make her laugh, even when she was crying. Although when y/n was crying chris usually got emotional with her, so they cried and laughed together.

Now Matt, matt was the one she’d go too for a lot of things. Anxiety was a big one, she had a lot, so she usually asked for tips and stuff. Y/n also gets frustrated, annoyed, anything negative really easily, (like matt) so she usually went to Matt to calm down and take a breath. Y/n also usually slept with Matt, much like chris she hated sleeping alone, so she usually slept with, matt, but occasionally with math and chris because chris was usually found in matt’s bed.

Y/n also gets in trouble at school a lot! (Bad y/n)

—————————

2:03pm

I walked inside my house with yet another write up i got this week, it's only thursday and this is my third write up this week, (new record by the way) this time was for yelling at my math teacher how she didn't know how to teach. She seriously doesn't because if she did would not have a D- in her class right now.

"Is anyone home?" I yelled out, kicking my shoes off and throwing my bag down.

I see Nick walk downstairs, "Hey y/n!" He says cheerfully, "Matt and Chris went to return the jeans you didn't like and Chris wanted to go to get a new sweatshirt or something." Nick smiled before his eyes trail down to my hand. He let's out a sigh, "Y/n...Please tell me.." He trails off, his voice filled with disapointment.

I look down at the paper too, "Umm.." I clear my throat, "Sorry I thought they would've called or at least texted you guys already. My bad. Now can you please sign it before Matt gets home?" I pleaded, handing the paper to Nick for him to sign. Matt was the worst one for when i got in trouble, he changes a lot. He's like all sweet and then his face gets red with anger. It's scary.

Nick took the paper and grabbed a pen from the kitchen table, "I'll sign it, but they took Matt's number down. So there is no doubt he got that call or text." Nick says, signing the paper with his signature like it said too do. I let out a groan as nicks eyes glanced over the quick explanation of what happened.

"You went off on your math teacher?" Nick scoffed.

"I already told Ms.Reel I don't play! She kept testing me, literally and figuratively. She tried givin' me a pop quiz like I was 'bouta do all that. Yeah no thanks." I defended. Grabbing a water from the fridge and sitting down at the island.

"What exactly did you say, n/n?" Nick asked, giving me the now signed paper.

"All i said was, 'I'm not doing this.' and when she asked why I said 'because why would i take a pop quiz from a teacher that teaches like she graduated at the university of nowhere.' and when she told me to go to the office i said, 'gladly, i'd rather have 6 months of detention then ever come back too this bootlegged not teachin us nothin' classroom. And then i got kicked out." I explained.

Matt signed the one i got on monday for going off on a girl for making fun of my friend. He told me it was okay and that i was sticking up for somebody i cared about.

The one i got on tuesday was for walking out of the classroom when my science teacher didn’t let me go to the bathroom but let a boy out when he asked. Chris signed that one for me, Matt found out about it, i didn’t know they had his number, he was upset but he said as long as i didn’t get another one it’s fine.

So after this one i am definitely getting yelled at by Matt.

The front door opens and i hear muttering, sounding like bickering.

“Wait, i left my jacket in the car, can you go get it?” I hear Chris ask Matt.

I then hear Matt mutter something along the lines of, “You fucking idiot” before walking away.

Chris then speed walks into the kitchen, “Y/n, you seriously messed up. Matt was already in a bad mood since he woke up, and then at the mall workers were giving him shit for trying to return your jeans without the tags on them, and then he got a call about how you got in trouble. So you’re actually fucked.”

My eyes widened, “Um- yeah i’m just gonna go up-” I start to walk away but bump into Matt.

“Just the person i was looking for!” Matt says. sarcastically, his arms crossing as he stands in front of me.

“Go sit, now.” He demands. I rub my forehead and nod, sitting at the kitchen table.

Matt sits down next to me and grabs the write up slip, “Nick signed it already? That’s great.” Matt continues with the sarcasm.

“Don’t bring me into this!” Nick puts his hands up in defense as him and Chris are watching us.

Matt then gives nick and chris a look that makes them both go to their rooms.

Great.

I take a breath in before starting to talk as Matt reads the write up slip, “So on a scale of 1-10 how mad-”

“Don’t even finish that sentence, y/n.” He grits out.

I nod and bite my lip, i’m really fucking scared.

“You can’t- why would you- who even- where- what- the fuck!?” Matt stutters.

“I don’t even know what to say, y/n! This is the third one this week! It’s thursday! There are only five days in a school week! It shouldn’t be this hard to stay out of trouble!” Matt yells.

“I’m sorry i just-” I get cut off.

“No! You don’t just do anything, you can’t just do something like this and keep getting away with it. You don’t need to be acting like this.” Matt says, putting his head in his hands.

“I also don’t need your opinion, i mean why are you even getting so mad? Nick and Chris don’t care this much.” I say, nice going y/n.

Matt scoffs. “Go to your room.”

“But-”

“Now!” He yells.

“Whatever!” I scoff and get up, literally stomping to my room.

—————————

10:16pm

It’s been 8 whole hours since i last talked to Matt.

Which was crazy, Nick and Chris came in to ask me how i was doing but i just shrugged, i got to keep my phone so i was doing alright.

I get another knock on my door, expecting it to be Matt, i quickly say, “Come in!” But it’s Chris. I love him but i lay back down, scrolling on my phone.

He walks up and sits on my bed, rubbing my shoulder.

“I think you should talk to Matt.” Chris says, his voice soft and welcoming.

“He doesn’t wanna talk to me. He’s made it clear, we haven’t talked since the argument.” I sniffle, i was so upset.

“He does wanna talk to you, but he’s stubborn also, so he is not gonna be the first one to say something. If you go and apologize, and really mean it, like not just go in there because i told you too, then he will appreciate it and say sorry too. I promise.” Chris says as i sit up.

I put my pinky out, “Pinky promise?” I whisper.

He interlocks our pinkies, “Pinky promise.” He confirms.

I nod as he leaves my room, about 5 minutes pass and i decide to get up too.

I knock on Matt’s door, I hear some shuffling before the door starts to open, “Nick how many times-” Matt starts but stops when he sees me.

“N/n.” He says, his voice was much softer.

“Matt- i’m so sorry for getting in trouble and i’m sorry for saying that you get too and and it’s just schools been really hard and i hate it and everyone’s annoying and i don’t know what to do and i-” I sob but get cut off when Matt pulls me in for a tight hug.

“Okay, calm down baby.” He whispers, his fingers going through my hair.

I sob into his chest, that’s all it was. Stress and being overwhelmed.

“Shh..” Matt hushed, bringing me into his room with his arms still wrapped around me, kicking the door shut with his foot and bringing me to sit down on his bed.

“Y/n, listen.” He pulls away from the hug.

“You’re right, i have been harsher than normal, but that’s only because i want you to succeed, you’re in highschool! You are growing up so fast and i want the best for you. And i’m sorry that i’m not the fun one all the time. I’ll try, but if i try you have to promise that you will too, and if you’re ever feeling upset or down that you’ll talk to me.” Matt comforts.

I nod and wipe my nose with my sleeve.

“Can i sleep in here tonight?” I ask.

Matt laughs, “Of course you can.”

—————————

why is this literally the most basic thing i’ve ever written oh lord goodbye idk what happened with me today but im just gonna start dad matt tmr and it will either be done tmr or thursday (i pinky promise) hope yall enjoy this one!

[jtl-fics]

Fluent Freshman - Part 43

PREV

FF is a pretty good student. Solid Bs in his Gen-eds and As in regard to his major. With one C+ that he’s still working on with Captain Neil but it’s higher than the D+ that he had been pulling before Captain Neil had started to tutor him and he really just needs to pass the one gen-ed required math class.

There was many a deep breathing exercise before he made an appointment with his educational advisor for the next semester back in October but it hadn’t been that bad even though she was the one that had asked if he knew anyone good at math since it obviously was not a strong suit of his. So he dragged his grade up from a D+ to a C+ and he was pretty proud of that.

FF has a preferred spot in each and every one of his classrooms. In his Gen-Ed courses he sits in spots that the Professors don’t even notice and where there is almost always a gap between him and the next person. He arrives perfectly almost late every single day for every single class he can to achieve this feat.

For his Major classes he sits near the front with the few Foreign Language major friends that he has.

FF likes to be prepared. Studying was a nice way to prepare for the future. If he’s already read the entire textbook front to back and taken notes then a pop quiz can’t catch him off guard. He double, triple, and quadruple checks homework. He could probably recite the syllabus for any of his classes off the top of his head. He has read it so much to make sure he’s gotten everything and is on track.

FF kind of likes finals week.

For once, for one week, everyone is as anxious as him.

He sits next to Nicky patting his back as his friend sobs into a pillow. “I’m not going to graduate and it’s going to delay seeing Erik by an entire year!” Nicky yells as he brings his face out of the pillow.

“Nicky, you only got one flashcard wrong how about you shut the fuck up!” Aaron yells from his desk where he seems to have spontaneously developed ambidextrousness as he writes notes with both hands. “Fuck I am NEVER fitting all of this one one index card.” Aaron slams his face into the table.

“I don’t even need this degree.” Matt says looking down at a textbook that he has not turned a page on for the last hour. The fact that Matt had also not even opened that textbook before now was a bit of a cause for concern. “I’ve already got offers for professional teams. I can just play Exy. I do not need to pass a workplace psychology course.” Matt says.

“You think Dan wants an idiot?!” Nicky demands not wanting to go down alone.

“She thinks it’s cute that I’m stupid!” Matt exclaims.

“No she doesn’t!” Aaron points at him, “She said and I quote ‘I love it when you use that big ol sexy brain of yours.’ the last time you had her on speaker phone!” he uses a slightly more…effeminate voice when he impersonates Dan but FF had spoken with Dan and to his memory she did not sound like that.

“Fuck you’re right she deserves an all rounder!” Matt cries, head in his hands.

“Why do I even have to TAKE this Gen-Ed about history?” Nicky demands now holding onto FF as if he were a teddy bear.

“So that we’re well-rounded individuals with a wider perspective on-”

“Smithy, my sweet child, I was not looking for an answer.” he feels Nicky’s hand come up to his hair and maybe he’s being treated more like a favored pet?

“You’re having trouble with a Gen-Ed?!” Aaron asks turning around in his seat, “That’s embarrassing.” he turns his nose up.

“I’m having trouble with something that is going to be useless in my adult life.” Nicky says as if he were not currently an adult. “You are having issues with a class that will have huge ramifications on your future if you don’t manage to learn it!” Nicky points out.

“Eat my shorts Nicky.” Aaron hisses.

“Maybe I could study if you would wash your shorts Aaron. I can smell your laundry pile from over here!” Matt spits.

The fight devolved from there and FF slipped out of the dorm as Nicky was holding a chair over his head to seemingly throw at Matt for his ‘unreasonable number of sticky notes messing up the flow of Nicky’s studying’.

He heard a crash.

“It’s probably fine.” he says to himself and he has his index cards with the speech he has to give for and he really should go over to talk with Captain Neil.

He walks to Captain Neil, Andrew, and Kevin’s door and- “There faster-!”

FF walks away from Captain Neil, Andrew, and Kevin’s door, remembering only in this moment that Kevin had declared that he would be “Living in the library until this paper is done or I am.” to the team at the last practice of the year.

Captain Neil and Andrew were never the type to waste an empty dorm room.

He misses Pepto Bismol as he hears a particularly dirty line of Russian coming from his Captain’s dorm room.

***

Eventually Finals week is done and dusted with only 4-5 more blow-ups in his dorm room that result in Nicky, Aaron, and Matt stopping their fight to see if they accidentally had knocked him out with all of the thrown debris (only happened once when Aaron threw a textbook that Nicky ducked but he didn’t.)

FF came out of his final…final feeling pretty good all around. He had managed to get some extra tutoring time with Captain Neil after Kevin managed to finish his history paper a little early. Despite all of their fears and complaints Aaron, Nicky, and Matt all did manage to pass all of their finals and their classes.

The Tower was closing tomorrow for the rest of the year and despite checking almost every day with Nicky he still was invited to go to New York City with most of the team to stay at Allison’s house.

“Smithy, did you pack a swimsuit?” Nicky asks.

“Nicky, we’re going to New York for Christmas break. Do you think we’re going to swim?” Aaron asks incredulously.

“Two words, my fetus of a cousin: Hot. Tub.” Nicky holds his hand up and putting one finger up and then another. “Is hot tub two words?” Matt asks as he reaches for his own swim trunks.

“Yes Matt hot tub is two words.” FF says nodding.

“Thank you Smithster.” Matt says.

“I can’t believe you don’t know that hot tub is two words.” Aaron says with a huff.

“I can’t believe that you don’t know how to not be an asshole even after you started getting regular sex with Katelyn.” Matt returns, “Look at how not a thing that was when Smithster answered it.” he gestures to FF.

“You cannot compare Smithy to Aaron. Apples and Tomatoes.” Nicky dismisses.

“Whatever, so Allison got a hot tub at her place?” Aaron moves past the conversation.

“Aaron you just made fun of Matt for asking stupid questions.” Nicky says with a hand on his cheek.

“I fucking hate being part of your family.” Aaron says without any real heat.

“Yeah sure.” Nicky says, rolling his eyes and smiling as he saw Aaron packing swim trunks that FF knew he had bought for his cousin.

“Okay, I’ve got the packing list that Allison sent. Do we wanna run through it so that we’re all properly packed?” Matt says holding up his phone.

“Yeah, let’s run through it.” Nicky says with a sigh.

They went through Allison’s provided list twice and then zipped up their suitcases. Smith was going to be driving to the airport with Matt. Neil and Andrew were going to be driving the Maserati up alone while the rest of them were going to be flying up to New York City.

Now onto something that filled FF with far more dread than simply passing tests that determined whether or not he continued to get a free ride in college.

Meeting new people.

NEXT >>

MASTERPOST FOR ALL PARTS OF FLUENT FRESHMAN AU

[cassandrarebornanew]

The Misfits pt2

cod x reader

2K words

Mild swearing, mentions of violence @harley101399

I played a bit with the formatting, so let me know what you think!

Enjoy :D

——————————————————————————————————

Bang

“Reload!”

Click

Click

“Fire!”

Bang

“Fire!”

Bang

Ghost huffs a breath, impressed at the way you all move so cohesively. Price chuckles. 

“This is what I want from you buggers. For ya to actually listen to what I say.” 

“Good luck, Cap” is Soap’s only reply.

They watch the five of you shoot the targets again and again, all of you with impressive accuracy. Scope is leading in that regard, with you hot on her heels. The rest aren’t that far behind, but it’s clearly not their area of expertise. It has been a long few weeks of training, using a variety of weapons and attack styles, everyone trying to show their skills to the others. You step up to each and every challenge, just like the rest of your team, but you (as always) do it with ease, as if you’d been training for a hundred years specifically for this. You push yourself and those around you to heights that no one thought possible. Ghost’s pretty sure that some records have been broken so far, the majority by you - not that he’d say anything about that to your face. As the five of you finish up, your score tallies, and your team have a slightly higher total than the 141. Despite grumblings that there’s a fifth person on your team, and therefore it doesn’t count, you decide to take the win anyway. 

“Anything else you want to look at Price?” He considers your question, before shaking his head. “Alright then team, you know what time it is.”

Most of them groan, knowing exactly what you mean. You turn to the rather confused task force, before explaining that every time you do any training, there’s a mandatory stretching session after. It helps loosen and strengthen muscles, keep up flexibility, and reduce stress, all of which you need in this line of work.

“Want to join us?” You offer. Despite Jester vehemently shaking his head behind you, they hesitantly agree, and you all march off back to the gym. 

“Jesus fucking Christ.” Soap is sure that he can feel muscles where muscles shouldn’t be, and from the looks of it, his team are equally struggling. Jester shakes his head. “I tried to warn you, ya know? Every time this happens, the newbies feel like they’ve been run over, and look it too. They’re a real menace sometimes.” You chuckle at the strange but true analogy, before wiping your face with a towel. The 141 can’t help but notice how the rest of your team clearly felt the stretching, but it didn’t affect them nearly as much. You, on the other hand, had contorted yourself into some terrifying positions, and yet you are now walking around as if it was nothing. The way your body twisted, how your muscles flexed to keep you stable, the look of concentration on your face - they noticed all this and more. And, yes, it was hot, but it was also very impressive. Their curiosity is hitting an all time high, and they quiz you at every opportunity during dinner. Yet somehow, like the past two weeks, you methodically and expertly evade every attempt at discovering something personal. While they know a fair bit about your interactions with others, anything before the formation of your team is an absolute mystery, and it annoys the hell out of them. The frustration is vented and well expressed that night in the barracks: how the hell can someone be so secretive? 

“Not even Lt’s that bad! Come on, we at least knew your name when you joined us. Crazy.” Gaz mutters, rearranging his pillows for the umpteenth time. 

“I hate to say it, but he’s right. I did keep it vague, but you got some answers, whereas this one’s telling us fat nothin. Look. I hate to be the one to say it, and they seem real capable, and haven’t given us any bad signs, but can we really trust ‘em? I can’t help but feel like they’re holding out on us.” Everyone pauses to think about what Ghost said. Price sighs, rubbing the bridge of his nose tiredly. 

“I dunno Si, but I don’t think we have a choice on this one. The mission’s tomorrow, ok, so let’s just get it done and get them out the way. They’re too much of a distraction.” That last bit was mumbled rather quieter than everything else, but despite that, the rest of the team heard it, and agreed.

“Yeah. Let’s just get it over with.”

Tightening the straps of your uniform, you slowly and methodically attach all your weapons, before triple checking that your shirt is the specific one that doesn’t burn when you use your magic. You check up on your team again, and make sure the 141 haven’t got any new news or changes in the plan. As you all make your way over to the cars, the tension becomes palpable. Before every mission the mood will darken: that’s a fact. It suddenly occurs to the others that they could easily die out there, that this may be their final moments. Silence as you climb into the trucks, silence as you drive. Keeping an eye out for landmarks as you approach your destination, you stop just before a ridge, pulling over and getting out. As Jester cloaks himself and sneaks over the ridge, Ghost hides in the shadows and goes the other way. A few minutes pass and they come back. After a brief discussion of what they saw, you all decide to stick with the plan. There seems to be a gap in the security; it’s small, but it’s there, and hopefully you can use it to sneak in. Minutes crawl by as you move slowly over towards the window of opportunity, inching closer and closer. The fence is within reaching distance now, and Price uses his fire to heat the wire. One of his claws extends, and he slowly drags it down, cutting the links of the fence. Peeling it back, they start to crawl through. Any active magic from your part will trigger an alarm, notifying everyone that you’re here, so you’re keeping it to a minimum until necessary. Gaz is the last one through, but just as he’s halfway clear, his wings get stuck in the fence and he has to stop. You dash out from where you’re all hiding, hurriedly pulling the feathers free. The security guards are going to round the corner in a few seconds, and you can’t be seen. Hearts racing, you finally get the last one free and yank him through, practically throwing him at the others. You hurriedly bend the metal back into what you hope will hide the hole in it, before sprinting over and chucking yourself around the corner at the last minute. You all tense as the security guards pass, chatting away blissfully. Taking deep breaths to steady your heart rates, you make eye contact with Gaz and signal to ask him if he’s ok. One shaky nod and a dismissed thank you later, you can finally move on. Sneaking as best you can, Scope peels off in one direction to get into position, and Jester a few minutes later. Despite stopping every few minutes to hide from the oncoming guards, you all make relative headway, nearing the labs step by step. Jester finally calibrates the necessary machinery, allowing your comms to listen in on the chatter in the room you’re aiming for. Through the mix of scientific lingo and bubbling chemicals, you can discern the noises of four guards, shifting around the room and keeping an eye on the scientists. It’s hard to tell how many scientists are in there, but it seems to be somewhere between twelve and fifteen. Arctic and Crux, Ghost and Jonny, Price and Gaz, all heading in their separate directions. The plan is to flank the guards, allowing them no time to react or hurt anyone. A countdown, before you burst through the doors, and take down the guard whose back is to you. Hitting the back of his head hard, and yanking his knees out from under him, and letting him hit the floor hard. Looking up, you grin at the scientists.

“Heya folks. We’re here to get you out. Please follow us.”

You’ve nearly made it to the cars. The rest of your team have split from you, stopping any guards from getting too close, and tying up loose ends. You move as fast as you can, slinking through the hallways with urgency. The scientists follow as quietly as they can, but you can’t help but wince at every creak and mumbled word. You’re all meant to rendezvous at the trucks, and get the civilians out asap. Helping them scramble up the hill and over the ridge, you hop over just as the alarms go off. Tuning your earpiece, you call for your team. The 141 are all here, as well as the scientists, but your four are nowhere to be seen. You know that they were meant to meet you here, as they had split off a while ago, but the sooner they arrive, the sooner you get out. You tell yourself that you’re imagining the pit in your stomach, the nagging instinct that something is wrong, even as you are met with nothing more than static and radio silence. With the scientists in the truck that’s being driven away by another agent, the 141 gather around you, listening to your one sided conversation.

“Misfits, come in. Misfits, this is Thanatos, do you copy? I repeat, do you copy?” 

You call their code names, switch onto the private channel, calling them over and over. Eventually, Price puts a hand on your shoulder, stopping you. 

“M sorry, but they can’t hear you.”

“What do you wanna do?” Soap asks, cocking his head in a concerned manner. You don’t reply straight away, thinking out your possible options. Static bursts through your earpiece, and you open up comms again. 

“Misfits, are you there?”

“Hello Thanatos.”

The 141 watch as a shadow passes over your face. This is the first time they have seen you and you aren’t smiling, and it’s terrifying.

“You have something of mine.”

“Do I?”

Everyone listens in horror as Arctic’s voice can be heard faintly.

“Don’t!

Don’t           we’re fine RUN!”

A loud blow, and he falls silent. 

“You’re right, I think I do.

Want them back?”

You don’t say anything, hoping that whoever has your team will let something slip.

“No? 

even if you did,

do you think

you would get them back 

sane?

However long it takes you to plan will be 

too long.”

Suddenly you’re smiling again. Not for joy, but because you’ve found a weak point. A predatory grin, sharpening your features. Deciding to play into it, you speak, not needing to fake the slight tremor in your voice.

“How much time do I have?”

  “Don’t be a

fool.    Not enough time.

I  will     break     them.

I have heard  about you.

I hear you’re  strong.  Not strong  enough.

But please.  Try to save   them.

I would like to watch you  fail.  Fall.    Die trying.”

“You’re kind of stupid aren’t you?” You can practically hear them fume, clearly not the expected reaction. “I’ll get them back. And people will die. But not me. Not them. You. I’m coming for my team. And I’m coming for your head. Start praying.” You yank out your earpiece, chucking it to Ghost before turning back towards the facility. 

“Wait! What are you doing?” 

You stop before turning back towards them slightly. 

“You heard what I did, right? They have my team, and I’m getting them back.” You turn fully, and they tense when they see your eyes start to glow an electric blue. 

“No

    matter

            what.”

[kirisaki-daichi-scenarios]

How'd you think kiridai, haizaki, imayoshi, nash and jason would use insta? (I know it isn't popular in Japan but still)

Hanamiya Makoto

his account used to be public but he made it private after getting fed up of having to delete comments like “you scumbag you broke my friend’s ribs rot in hell” from his posts which were just cute pictures of the kiridai cat (yes i’m bringing this ancient headcanon back) 

so now he only allows follows from people he knows and trusts which means literally just the kiridai team, imayoshi, maybe a couple classmates, and his mum 

and then within that circle, he has the other kiridai boys on his close friends list and they’re the ones who see the stories that ‘reveal his true nature’ 

like hanamiya sees that someone who played against him has made a post about their journey going through shoulder rehab (no guessing who gave them their shoulder issues), so he reposts that post to his close friends story with the caption “time for a round two?”

meanwhile the posts his mum sees are just pictures of the kiridai cat or pages from some books he’s been reading recently

(n.b. hanamiya’s mum very rarely uses instagram. she only uses the account to keep up with family members, and only made it in the first place because hanamiya had just made his and she wanted to make sure he didn’t get cyberbullied. 

meanwhile her son is the one who has been repeatedly suspended from instagram for bullying.)

Hara Kazuya

has a lot of accounts and if not for the fact that he has basketball and other hobbies he would be chronically online

so there’s one main account which has just a couple photos that make him look cool (a photo of him dunking, or him drumming with good lighting) and occasionally he’ll post a picture on his stories of the city under a dawn sky and a note of the time so everyone knows he’s out grinding streetball at stupid o’clock. 

the main account is his only public account and he only really has it so that, if anyone (family friends, basketball players from other schools) search him up, those curated posts are all they’ll see. he only posts that occasional story in order to see if anyone’s been stalking him.

then there’s the finsta which is what he’s most active on. he posts several times a week on this account and the posts are all either 1) shitposts and memes that make little to no sense, 2) pictures of fellow kiridai members at very bad angles, or 3) photos from matches that he wants to mock, like a picture of kiyoshi’s face in agony as his knee got broken with the caption “tfw tanaka-sensei sets a pop quiz.”

and finally hara has his assortment of troll accounts, most of which he uses to pretend to be a high school girl living in the general Tokyo area so that he can catfish classmates when he’s bored. 

hara has so many of these accounts that he’s created a cinematic universe of his own with elaborate storylines about the tumultuous friendships between these non-existent girls. they’ve become kiridai’s answer to d&d whenever the boys are bored.

plus these catfish accounts have now become strategic. several of the ‘girls’ are in talking stages, and even online relationships with, basketball players from other schools. this means that a) hara can get intel from the players and b) as soon as any important match comes around, he breaks up with/ghosts the guy, in the hope that it’ll make them place worse.

it goes without saying that it was hanamiya who invented this innovative technique of psychological warfare but hara’s the one who puts the hours in - to the point where it would be a little suspicious how well he can pretend to be a teen girl in love if not for the shit-eating grin on his face whenever he goes through his collection of screenshots of messages begging “her” to take them back 

(sidenote - can you imagine how well okamura would fall for this?) 

(i’m thinking of a yandere!okamura x catfish!hara fic…)

Furuhashi Kojiro 

has two Instagram accounts

account number one is the one his teammates/family/friends follow. it’s a private account that he doesn’t use very much apart from liking friends’ posts. he has a few photos on there, but mostly photos of scenery from holidays

account number two is public, with around 10k followers. it’s completely anonymous and no one irl knows he has it. this account posts quite regularly and every post is an aesthetic picture either of his plants or what he’s baked recently. and when i say aesthetic, i mean aesthetic: the perfect warm lighting and usually some berries or something framing the centrepiece of the photo. 

the captions are usually quite short and wholesome: “making melonpan can be difficult but i find the challenge refreshing” “when the days become stressful, i turn to these larch bonsai to remind myself to stand tall” “i am trying a new macaroon recipe. may it bring great riches.”

he’s also started posting some reels on this account, mostly timelapses of bread rising or plants growing etc

furu uses very few hashtags but somehow still gets super high engagement. his followers adore him and have collectively assumed he’s a fem lesbian living in the countryside somewhere with her beloved girlfriend. (furuhashi naturally never corrects anyone because he wants to keep it anonymous.) the comments are all “cottagecore queen” “i owe all my mental health to you” “the only unproblematic account on Instagram” 

so yeah, on instagram, furu is considered an angel

Jason Silver

this man has not posted a single photo where he is not shirtless

and his stories are like 30% videos from streetball practice and 70% thirst traps which he pretends he’s posting to show his gains... but everyone knows he’s just posting them to try attract the three women who followed him back

his following is around 50% ‘baddies’, 45% nba players, and 5% friends and a few streetballers that he’s played against before

(he follows very few streetballers because he thinks it’s beneath him to follow losers and see how they’re improving. he’s so good at basketball he has no need for that, duh.)

(in reality he has no need to stalk prospective opponents because nash does it for him.)

also actually headcanon that most of jason’s posts are videos of him breaking the hoop while dunking or just generally basketball action shots, because jason can’t pose in front of a camera to save his life

you can’t blame him really - that’s a lot of man to fit in one small lens

Haizaki Shougo

no profile photo, no posts: 100% anonymous account. man just uses his Instagram account to get material to jerk off too - pretty much every single account he follows is of an onlyfans model. (he would still be following some female classmates and kise’s ex girlfriend if not for the fact that they’ve all blocked him.)

in the end, haizaki has no friends to interact with and no aesthetic life he can post about, so why would be bother having a more social instagram

added bonus of the anonymous account is that he can use it to stalk others - and he does like his stalking. 

sometimes he stalks the gom’s accounts, and he tells himself it’s just to make fun of them being desperate for likes or looking pretentious, but really he gets a “what could have been” feeling from scrolling through all the photos (and it hurts -- especially seeing videos of them playing together like back in middle school.)

and sometimes haizaki stalks his fukuda sogo teammates. again, he tells himself it’s just to mock them, and he’ll see photos of them hanging out together and be like “what fucking losers who would want to be seen with them.” but there’s a little pang of loneliness in his heart all the same.

Yamazaki Hiroshi

has had the same instagram account since he was 10 and he never deletes or archives any posts so if you scroll far down enough, you’ll find videos of pre-pubescent him and hara doing ‘parkour’ (literally just jumping over benches and off swings) or those chain posts like “share this with five friends or you’ll be haunted forever.)

zaki’s is a private account with a couple hundred followers - his teammates obviously but also family, cousins, some classmates, some of hara’s catfish accounts, and even a couple fellow high school basketballers from distant enough teams that they somehow haven’t realised that zaki is a member of the infamous kiridai. 

he posts semi-regularly and mostly just very normal, mundane posts - photos from family holidays, a tasty udon noodle bowl he had the other day and maybe the occasional streetball photo (typically with one of the kiridai boys in the frame instead of zaki – zaki’s not a huge fan of photos of himself)

zaki’s feed is mostly hara’s shitposts and also streaming clips from his various video games, and if you do ever see his account in the ‘wild’, it will be him backing up hara’s finsta after hara made a particularly outrageous comment somewhere

because a real friendship takes two people: Person 1 who just stirs shit up, and Person 2 who defends Person 2’s shit-stirring by cursing out every commenter who criticises them

[solacescastleglow]

🩰🍳🌿 Daily Life Aesthetics 🌿🍳🩰

What do you do when you can't motivate yourself to do things without a moodboard, but you don't want to look at a screen? Print the moodboards out of course! These will be going into a binder along with some troubleshooting notes so I can get things done even when my executive dysfunction is an issue. I highly endorse making these, the process was so fun.

Morning Routine

light stretches, the clean feeling of having just brushed my teeth, sesame turkish bread with hummus, reading with bleary eyes, chai lattes, the certainty of knowing exactly what I'm going to do that day, upbeat music, fresh air through the windows, saying good morning to my cat, picking out a cute outfit.

French

the sound duolingo makes when you get 10 in a row, nasal vowels, repeating phrases under my breath, understanding a new sentence for the first time, writing a ç by hand, watching french movies with french subtitles, studying the republican calendar to learn new nouns, understanding cooking and ballet terms instinctively.

Studying

the ritalin kicking in, getting 100% on a quiz, write now edit later attitudes, marginalia, a cup of tea slowly cooling next to my laptop, messy desks, flashcards, today's study schedule on the wall, feedback from professors, watching online lectures at 1.75x speed, going to a cafe to think.

Leaving the House

the sun on my face, buying flowers for the house, the smell of a secondhand bookshop, museums, getting a little treat, sitting in the shade, reading on a park bench, farmer's markets, the sound of rain hitting an umbrella, picnics, finding a cool record, seeing people wearing pretty outfits (and telling them that).

Exercising

winning badminton, feeling not exhausted but satisfied after a game, seeing my muscles actually move when I flex them, happy baby pose, better posture, laughing through the pain when doing bicycles, going on a walk, connecting with my sibling through pilates, high reps on the lightest weight possible.

Going to Therapy

the catharsis of crying, the ache in my chest fading after years of heaviness, allowing myself to be a kid again, feeling more whole, finding parts of me I thought were gone forever, knowing I can handle whatever life throws at me, laughing with my therapist about serious topics, curling up in a safe corner of my room.

Working on my Book

designing characters, research, writing rich descriptions of settings, planning out illustrations and page layouts, bringing imaginary conversations to life, watching over someone's shoulder as they read what I've written, finally getting a frustrating sentence right, dreaming about children who will see themselves in my writing.

Housework

a little nudge from the robot vacuum, the smell of steam coming out of the iron or dishwasher, exhausted satisfaction after finally getting the fitted sheets on, laundry in the wind, everything in its place, a clear mind in a clear space, rinsing the dust off the damp duster, the smell of fresh laundry.

Planning my Week

neat rows of binders, colour coded spreadsheets, calendars with everything in place, vision boards, grocery lists crumpled in a hand, knowing exactly how this week will go, step by step guides to each task, feeling safe in case of emergency, a messy journal and a neat wall calendar, time blocking.

Personal Finance

putting away 50% of my income into savings, being surrounded by beauty, a comfortable sinking fund, transferring money between sub-accounts, getting everything I've ever wanted, investing in things I'm passionate about, creating stability for the future, being debt free, being able to get a little treat with what I've saved.

Participating in my Religion

a cheekful of wine, the presence of g-d in the room, candles on ornate candlesticks, tikkun olam, the cycle of the year, awe as the ark opens, ripping challah apart, the grounding points of the magen david when I squeeze my necklace, playing with tzitzit, praying sounding like birdsong, the dusking of a new day.

Cooking

mise en place, the smell of garlic and spices, bubbling pots on the stove, the whole house warmed up, chatting with my dad, fresh vegetables, mountains of parmesan cheese, the chime of the pressure cooker, pretty plates, sitting down to eat with family and friends.

Showering

double cleansing, feeling literally squeaky clean, gourmand scents, leave in conditioner making my hair feel like seaweed, the tingly feeling of glycolic acid, burberry her mixed with cocoa and coconut, scented candles to set the mood, listening to self improvement podcasts, smooth skin.

Nighttime Routine

cookies and chamomile tea with my family, watching tv, calling 'goodnight' down the stairs, overheads off and warm lamps on, teeth feeling so clean after an everything toothbrush, reading in the faint light, filling out my journal, nighttime yoga, daydreaming about the future, an easy slip into a deep sleep.

[tanith-rhea]

hii, I love your writing! I was wondering if you could do some fake dating for either Larissa, Miranda or Lucifer and female reader? :D You know the one where for some reason they decide it's good to pretend they're dating, but oh nooo they accidentally fall in love for real? 😱😏

Only Pretending

Hey, anon! Thank you so much for the request! I'm afraid it turned out bigger than I expected, I don't know what you envisioned but this will definitely be a multiple chapter one... Sorry!!!

Word count: 3k

"That's all for today, guys. I won't give you homework, so enjoy the break and prepare for the quiz when we get back. Remember, the winning team gets a homework-free week!" you waved the excited teenagers out of class. It was the last period of the day and autumn break was officially started. Many wished you good rest and some a fun Halloween, but there were always the ones who bolted right after you said they could.

However, some stayed behind, too entertained gossiping to pay attention at the hour or — which was the apparent case — complaining about their mother coming to get them for "Family Halloween Traditions". Wednesday and Enid were still sitting at their shared desk, Enid trying to convince her roommate that "it" could be fun if she let herself enjoy the festive spirit and Wednesday complaining she would only have fun when Enid arrived.

You thought they were the cutest pair. So different and at the same time sparking out the most unexpectedly similar sides of each other; Wednesday encouraged Enid's feistier side through bickering and teasing and Enid made Wednesday smile begrudgingly with her cuteness.

"I think it'll be less horrendous than it's been before at least," Wednesday conceded, "Some different faces of people I actually don't loathe being around."

"Exactly, honey bun!" Enid chirped, getting up from their class and offering her arm for Wednesday to take, "I'll arrive early to rescue you from your mom and I'm sure Principal Weems will bicker with her enough to make you smile."

Wait, Larissa would visit the Addams? For Halloween? You could swear she barely tolerated Wednesday's mother from what you've heard of their history at Nevermore. Morticia seemed all right to you and according to other teachers and old acquaintances, quite fun to be around, but the poorly concealed disdain that overtook your boss' face every time the woman was mentioned fostered a small uneasiness and dislike to grow on you towards Wednesday's (un)beloved mother.

"Hello, girls!" you approached the pair with the pile of essays you had to grade and everything you needed to not return to class for the entire week in your hands, "Everything all right? Do you have any questions?"

"No, Professor! No worries," Enid hushes to say, and Wednesday got up as well, linking her arm to Enid's, "We were just about to go. Happy Halloween!"

You were about to wish them happy Halloween as well when Wednesday cut in, "Do you have plans for Halloween, professor?"

Curious of her to ask. You liked to think you had a good teacher-student relationship, but the girl rarely seemed to care for pleasantries or chit-chat for that matter.

"Actually, I'll just stay at the academy and rest a bit. I love teaching you guys but if dealing with ordinary teenagers is already taxing, teaching extraordinary ones is a whole other level." It was true, the amount of trouble your last students could get into was only exponentiated when added to the supernatural abilities students at Nevermore possessed. It was also much more entertaining. Yes, you had to keep them safe and punish troublemakers accordingly, but you loved the thrill to discover just what mischief they had got up to again. The best one so far was when a vampire kid turned into a mist to sneak out at night and changed into their solid state while floating atop the lake.

“Mother is hosting a Halloween party. I believe she’ll only pester Principal Weems to go but you are invited,” she said in her trademark monotone. Why you didn’t entirely know.

“I think that would be a matter for your mother to decide, dear. Although I am honoured you’d like my presence, I don’t think I can simply show unexpectedly.”

“The more sane, competent women there the direr it will be for mother, I only figured you could help me avenge the inconvenience of her smothering motherly love.”

Wednesday was quite the interesting girl. You thought it did make sense she’d want some friends around to endure the celebration, and while you understood and quite shared her respect and admiration for the principal, you were touched to find she regarded you similarly.

“If I cross paths with your mother, I’ll be sure to ask her, can we leave it at that?” at the youngling’s curt nod, you saw the pair leave the room and followed behind, closing the door when you left.

You took three or four steps before listening to the click of very well-known heels. Your shoulders sank and you quickly prayed to any god that might be listening for patience.

“Hello, there, beautiful lady!” Razvan, the vampire transformation teacher stalked at you to accompany your steps.

“Good evening, teacher,” your voice was calculatedly calm. You learned your lesson on being nice to overly adorable and excitable kittens as well as their human-like form.

“I was hoping to catch you alone to ask about that coffee date I suggested last week,” he was smiling like a child on Christmas morning, waiting to open their presents, “You said you were too busy planning the homework you’d give the students for the break but now we’re all free.”

It was cute how he seemed to like you, but he just wasn’t your type. When you saw the tiny black cat at the quad a few months back you thought it was only that, a cat, which you petted and played with and fed because its appreciative meows were cute. When it turned out to be the very not-cat, very impressionable vampire transformation teacher, you wanted to smash your head into the nearest flat surface, so what if it was a stone wall?

“You see… I haven’t got around to grading their essays yet, so I’ll be busy these first few days. Maybe later this week? I’ll see if I can make time and get back to you, ok?” it was really difficult to just say no. You weren’t the most proficient at negating people even in normal circumstances; the fact that he was so clearly infatuated with you made saying no seem like kicking a puppy.

“Oh… that’s fine… I guess. What about tomorrow? Right after lunch? You can check your agenda tonight and I’ll look for you for the verdict!” with that he puffed into a bat and flew down the corridor like a drunk butterfly. Was he making little loops? You had to end this and soon, it was too cruel to keep it up and even if it’d hurt him, it was best than leading him on.

Later that day, you and Vlad sat together eating dinner. He was telling you about an interesting countermove a second year made to get a point on their opponent and you were only half-listening and humming when you thought it appropriate.

Larissa was at the other end of the table, rather uncharacteristically talking to no one and wearing a tight face as if her food tasted like lemons and green limes squished together.

“Something on your mind?” Vlad inquired, following your gaze to the headmistress, “Oh, wow, someone’s not looking forward to rest and relaxation.”

“Hm?” you looked at him and noticed he was also studying Larissa’s sour complexion “Ah, yes. She does seems really angry, doesn’t she? If I hadn’t seen it before I would almost say she’s pissed.”

“That is because she is.” He explained, taking a sip of blood before continuing, “Morticia Addams visited earlier, and by what I hear she quite smugly questioned if Larissa would ‘finally’ bring a plus one to the Halloween Ball they host every year.”

Oh, so that was it. You’d seen Morticia’s verbal sparring with the principal before; you attributed it to their past roommate status and the complications that may arise with sharing a bedroom for three years. You had also seen the bickering and teasing on parents’ weekend, the elongated looks in yearly student reviews and all the times Wednesday’s parents had to be called in because their daughter got herself into trouble.

You knew the story of Larissa’s fancy for Gomez when they were young, but you didn’t think Morticia would still be gloating twenty years later that she got the cake.

“And is she?” you asked, looking back at her, something in your chest making you feel cold all of a sudden.

“What?”

“Is she bringing a plus one to the ball?”

Vlad examined you with those piercing dead eyes of his, knowing all too well why you asked, but respecting your wishes not to mention it.

“I don’t know. Haven’t heard anything yet. The closest person she had recently turned out to be a fanatic serial killer who tried to murder her.”

“Laurel, right? The one before me?” you were the second attempt at a normie teacher in Nevermore. You liked to think you were doing well, but few things could be worse than trying to destroy the school and everyone in it, so you couldn’t be always sure.

Vlad only nodded and went back to his drink while you lingered on Larissa’s face, then her hands, barely moving to pick at something on her plate.

The first day of break came as a welcomed cup of hot chocolate on a winter morning. It was chilly outside; some yellowed and orange leaves were stuck on your window with the early humidity. The corridor outside was so silent it felt almost eerie and gut-clenching. But you knew it could only mean one thing: freedom. Freedom from classes and teenager angst, freedom from having to get up and face the world. You could just get back to sleep if you so wished and boy that was quite something.

But you didn’t. In truth, the fact you knew most teachers would do exactly that, spurt you on to get out of bed and enjoy the entire campus at your disposal.

The kitchen was first. You made coffee with just this side of too much cream and stole waffles someone had made and left at the table. Then you went to the library and spent some hours in the lounge, readying cheesy romance and enjoying the sunlight coming through the big arched windows.

It was bliss, although short-lived. From the corner of your eye, you saw a small black cat silently but confidently making its way to you. The man shifted with a practised puff, almost like a magician popping into the stage from a cloud of smoke.

“Good morning, professor. I see you decided to venture around the school instead of having extra hours of beauty sleep. Not that you would need, of course,” he shifted excitedly beside you. You couldn’t mask the regretfulness on your face upon looking at him, and he realized it, mistaking your meaning and quickly adding, “Don’t worry! I’m not here to talk about our date. I said after lunch, and I’ll stand by my word. I just wanted to pop in and say good morning.”

“Oh... No problem Razvan, I’ll have my response by then, and good morning to you too. Have you been enjoying the time off so far?”

He seemed to brighten at your question, and although you were happy you could converse on something else than the blessed date, you were also fretful he would think too much of it.

In the end, he had something to do in Jericho and had to leave just a few minutes later, which you were grateful for. He was perfectly pleasant and even fun to be around but his lovesick eyes made your head pound in second-hand embarrassment.

At lunch, you and Vlad got together again at the gazebo in the woods. He slept through the morning, enjoying having the excuse to shift back onto his nightly routines, but not willing to fully shift or else he’d suffer to go back when classes started again.

“You will not believe what I’ve agreed to yesterday,” he told you in a voice that very much spelt migraine alert.

“Oh, Vladdy, break just started and you’ve already got yourself in trouble?” you teased, biting on your sandwich.

“I’ve got myself in trouble?” he asked, in an undignified tone “I’ll have you know that the person that got me ‘into trouble’ is your beloved Larissa Weems!” he pointed at your chest with an arched brow.

You looked around for anyone that might have heard him, no one was there.

“Hey, Vlad you know you can’t say that! What if someone tells her? I’d be out the door in no time, you know she’s especially strict with me!”

He just tsked and shook his head, “You are such an oblivious young girl, she couldn’t care less about you breaking rules. Besides, fancying your boss is not against any and Larissa’s just looking out for you because the parents pressure her into being careful after what happened.”

You knew Vlad had good intentions telling you this, but he wasn’t called every week, sometimes two times per week, to justify a comment or action some student or staff thought deserved attention.

Of course, she was always patient and never inquired too deeply into every situation but her cold demeanour told you everything you needed to know: she didn’t like you either, she just needed someone to show off when outreach between normies and outcasts was mentioned and you happened to be an overqualified and very capable chemist.

“But anyway, this is about me,” he continued, “and what I’ve agreed to is to pretend to be Larissa’s boyfriend at the Addams' Halloween Party.”

You were sure your jaw was on the floor. How had that happened? You knew Vlad and Larissa were friends for quite some time and very close for that matter, but pretending to date was just... another thing entirely.

“How are you going to do that?” you packed the rest of your sandwich, suddenly not hungry anymore, “Won’t they know you aren’t an item? I mean you know Morticia, and she knows you’re very good friends... To just start dating out of nowhere isn’t a bit suspicious?”

“She just really needs to give it to Morticia,” Vlad shrugs, a sorry half-smile in his mouth, “She asked me to her office yesterday night to drink. She was very upset by Morticia’s appearance and mean suggestion that Riss didn’t have a partner-“

“Of course she wouldn’t,” you interrupted, “She’s too busy being a badass successful woman at the head of a god-blessed academy!”

“Yes, yes, keep it in your pants,” he rolled his eyes fondly at you, “But she was breaking my dead heart and I suggested accompanying her. And first, she said it wouldn’t be the same, because we would go as friends and only confirm it to Morticia that Larissa was still alone. So I proposed we pretend to be a pair,” he seemed equal parts rather proud of himself and loathing his genius idea.

“I think it’s sweet of you. But I don’t think it’s going to work,” you said, not wanting to make him feel even worse, but enable to shake the feeling this was doomed to fail.

“Yes, I think you’re-“

“Professor!” a voice interrupted your friend’s comment and Razvan ran towards you, “I finally found you! I was looking for you to ask when we’re getting that coffee. I trust now you have my answer, correct?”

You were so full of this situation. Full of uncomfortable awkwardness, guilt and shame for playing with your colleague’s feelings, even if your intentions were benign. You had to tell him no, to say you didn’t like him that way. That he was too adorable and nice and you could never see him in that light.

“Oh, yes... about that, Raz...” you started, no idea of what you’d say next, “I’m sorry if I gave you the impression we could be more than colleagues and friends... but I’m-“

“In a relationship,” Vlad supplied.

“What?!” you and Razvan yelled in unison.

“C’mon, darling, it was bound to get out one time or another,” he kept going, the madman, “I know you’re worried about what people may think of her for it, but I swear Larissa is dying to go public.”

His maniac grin at your shell-shocked expression made you want to squeeze his neck until you heard it pop. It wouldn’t do much for him, but it would certainly be satisfying to you.

“Y-you and Principal Weems are together?!” the teacher was turning beet read and you had to give it to Vlad that it was a funny situation at least, “I’m so sorry, I didn’t know! And of course, I understand why you wouldn’t want to tell me you were taken, that’s completely not my business... Oh my, I’m so sorry!” and with that he rapidly walked away, just shy of outright running.

“You little shit!” you exclaimed as soon as the other vampire was out of earshot, “What in the absolute heavens were you thinking?”

He was shaking with laughter while you punched his shoulder, which only made him go on a bit more before finally calming enough to talk, “You’re right,” he said, as if it explained everything, “I and Larissa aren’t a believable couple. But you and she are a pair one could easily sell.”

“What are you talking about?” you ran your hand through your face in exasperation. He was out of his mind, and now you were screwed if Razvan said anything to anyone.

“You’re here only a year. Morticia doesn’t know you and Larissa is comfortable enough around you to pretend to be with you. It might be even easier than with me because kissing someone after twenty years of friendship is admittedly awkward,” he reasons.

“Kissing some-? What are you even on about? I can’t pretend to be in love with her, you know I can’t! I’ll just make a fool of myself and let something slip.”

“Nonsense, girl. Let’s go, we need to tell Larissa about the change of plans,” he got up and held out his hand to you “And if she says no, we already told someone, so she’ll have to go with it.”

Chapter Two

[crwn-lore]

Study Update 9/18/24

What's going on:

completed my first optics lab of the semester and got to use a spectrometer for the first time. It's quite a cool device; just horrendous to set up (but that's for most precise devices) :D

Tried to get some cool photos!

trying to finish the seven assignments (plus a lab report) that's due this week (my to-do list is a mile long at this point). Just completed the first assignment for my differential equations class, and will hopefully finish the lab report tonight

My Set-up today!

Study-wise, I have my first quiz for Calculus III this Friday, and I plan on revising the notes I have so far for my two physics courses over the weekend

[honeyandthunderstorms]

hello, hello, hello! i just read your fic “if i pass this quiz, will uou give me your babies” — and i love every single word of it. <3

i was wondering, if there is a possibility that you’ll continue the fic? i think i’ve read the fic quite a few times this week. it’s just so good! you wrote max very well. plus, i never knew i needed a controversial!max (lestappen au) until i’ve read your fic.

well done! lots of peace and love for you!

helloooo :)

first, I want to say thank you <3 I'm so glad you liked this fic bc it quite literally took ahold of me and I couldn't physically stop myself from writing it. so it means a lot that you and others like it so much :))

so like, it’s a possibility but not a promise that I will continue the fic. I am currently in the process of moving homes within the next month (aka packing, organizing, cleaning, etc) & will probably not have the time to even update my current 2 ongoing fics, let alone this one that I didn't even plan to write more of. so in short, if I do continue to write for it, it probably won't be any time soon, but I am not opposed to the idea of writing more.

controversial max has taken over my mind though and I will probably write more of him and charles in the future, just maybe in different aspects instead of this fic. @beensinning has something cooking currently as well, but she will reveal that in her own due time hehe (I am sat and ready).

also, @sediciii brought up clothes sharing within my fic universe and I do want to see a pregnant charles in max’s shirts bc mmmmm ALSO, a lot of my commenters, I think, want lactation kink sprinkled in and I am definitely not opposed to writing that hehe

anyway, lots of love <333 thank you for sending this ask, I hope you have a good day/night :D

[remnantofstars]

Do you know what's rough? Having to name an entire 7 years of characters. Because this fic is going to span an entire year. Only the first year has a full cast. After that it's the names I could find, which fills about half. And now I have to name people. I have to NAME them. Random British name generators my beloved TvT.

But also,,, do you guys want a cameo into the fic as a character from years 2 to 7 (or apprentices which is an extra thing I added for reasons you will realize)? Please let me know! What would your name be? Your interests? Personality? House? Would you be in DADA? (After OWL years DADA class is optional so keep that in mind!). Favorite classes? Professors? (This is a fun new personality quiz actually. New end of the chapter question but only to figure out how you'd function in the fic I write... Because there's so much space anyways, why not let you guys have some fun hehe!) (IF YOU DO DON'T FORGET TO ADD UR AO3 USERNAME SO I CAN SHOUT YOU OUT IN THE NOTES!!!)

You have PLENTY of time to think about it, this is like weeks away, I just started already to get ahead of the curve, of course (I already finished the class schedule so that's great). I just thought hey, this is fun for the dear readers that have been so awesome to me :D

And I suposse a little reward for those that are here >:D