#i may edit this with more tomorrow if my brain turns on !!

[my-rose-tinted-glasses]

In Class 2

I was going to wait to binge watch the rest of the show tomorrow but honestly I need to put this show behind me for several reasons. Let me just get this out of the way before I say anything else. I am a big fan of the manhwa, simple as it may be. I have lived with these characters in my head for two years now. So my bias is clearly showing. But one thing that I want to make perfectly clear. Just because I love the manhwa, and admittedly I have a bias, does not mean I am dense, and incapable of watching and judging the show as it's own thing. I still have a brain. Ok. Now for the show. This usually goes without saying, but I'll say it anyway. These are my opinions. Read at your own risk.

This is not a bad show. It's also not a bl. And that fact alone, makes this a bad adaptation. Let’s be honest, they adapted a bl and turned it into something that’s not a bl any more, as many have stated before. This is a kdrama with queer themes. Liking the show, and even acknowledging that it’s good, doesn’t change that fact. And if people honestly can't understand why people would have a problem with that, then nothing I will say about it will make a difference.

Now for the actual show. As a kdrama this isn't a bad series. The characters have depth, the astronomy metaphors are clever, even if at times they felt really heavy-handed, the acting is really good, for the most part, and there are some brilliant scenes that could make this show a great one. But it doesn't all come together. It's inconsistent. And it doesn't commit to its queerness. It's a series that was made two years ago, and it shows. Maybe even further back, actually. Which, regardless of my feelings for the source, is just sad. I'm not a romance kdrama watcher so I have no real frame of reference in that regard. But it seems like this show wanted to be a couple of different things but ended up not being either. It's not queer enough to be a bl, but it's too queer to be mainstream. It's not hard to see why this show couldn't find distribution for two years. They were aiming for mainstream but that was never gonna happen two years ago. Well, it didn't happen right now either, so...

My favourite part was the sisters. I love them. I think their various adventures in dating were really important as a parallel to Heesu. Which is one of the reasons I don't think the Chanyoung and JiYu couple were necessary to drive that point home. Nor do I think that's why they were there. One of my favourite scenes was Heesu coming out to his sister. And her reaction basically being, "Oh, I should say I love him now, that's what one should do in this situation." It was so well done.

Ahn Ji Ho was great as Heesu. Just really great. His emotions shined through beautifully throughout the whole series. Lee Sang Jun also did an amazing job as Seung Won. His physicality was on point at all times. I love these two so much. 

I think time was not used efficiently here. Mostly with the queer couple. I live for pining besties. But by episode 9, there were way too many chances and everything with the hets was already in the open, so why stretch it out? Cause it feels purposefully stretched. The editing in the final two episodes was a mess and I kept wondering what might've been left on the cutting room floor. It just didn't flow at all, and I kept getting pulled out of the emotional journey. It really seemed like they were forced to have 10 episodes but they couldn't really give us more than 5 minutes of the boys together so they made a mess of things in the final stretch.

I think the friendship between Heesu and Chanyoung was the weaker part of all this. They never felt, to me, like best friends. A lot of times, there's an issue with friends to lovers, which is the blurring of lines. You are crushing on your best friend, so everything becomes deeper, more hurtful, than if he was just your best friend.  I think for the most part, Heesu navigated this pretty well. We've certainly seen much worse. He slipped sometimes and messed up, but he never really stopped being by Chanyoung's side. 

However, this is still a very unbalanced friendship, mostly because of Chanyoung. He makes fun of Heesu for not having any friends, but it seems like he has the same problem. Cause it seems like he only reaches out to Heesu when he has a problem. He comes and goes as he pleases, and if he hadn't been sleeping at his house and seen Heesu unable to sleep, I doubt he would've noticed anything was wrong with Heesu at all. I'm not saying Heesu was a perfect friend, btw. But the confession scene and the subsequent summoning of Heesu to the tennis court where Chanyoung could feel safe, where he literally has home court advantage, where he could throw balls at Heesu, was a step too far for me. (Also, JiYu, you could do better!)

I liked the final three minutes because I have a heart. And I could finally watch my boys be together even if only for a short time. But it came too late and it stumbled too much to get there for me to feel the level of joy that I usually get. I think I needed more of them throughout the show to feel that same sense of joy when they moved past all the hurdles and finally got together.

I think maybe I should stop now. I think I could forgive more about this show if it was actually mainstream. If I could say, you know what? At least we're getting a queer coming of age story in a mainstream kdrama. I might still not like that they chose this manhwa for it, because there’s no shortage of those, so to pick one that is just about two boys falling in love and little else confuses me. But at least then I could feel like something was accomplished here. As it stands, I'm just left disappointed by a show that I had been waiting for since I first read the manhwa a couple of years ago.

[within-your-eyes-if]

Chapter Three: Part One Release Tomorrow

Chapter 3 Part One is coming tomorrow (11/22 for me)!

I feel it'd be prudent to share this now because I know some of you will be very eager to jump into the story but there are important details I want you to be aware of.

First and foremost: Starting over is HIGHLY suggested, as there have been significant changes to the code. Your old saves will not work properly. But this also works because of the following first point:

Narrative Enhancements: As the story has unfolded, I've realized that certain elements were somewhat weak and needed more refining, while others seemed a bit 'out-of-the-blue.' These points hadn't been fully explored yet, except maybe vaguely in the Codex. To address this, I've added more foreshadowing in previous chapters and expanded and edited some Codex entries. I hope these changes provide a clearer understanding of the world and its lore.

Codex Update: While some new entries were added and a few expanded upon, I will be adding more in a future update. I'm just very tired and need a short rest to recharge my brain. I hope you understand and I appreciate your patience on the matter!

Gabriel and Lee Poly Route: As we delve into the complexities of a polyamorous route with Gabriel and Lee, it's important to note that their relationship begins with some jealousy. They are still at the early stages of getting to know each other, and this emotion is a natural part of their dynamic at this stage. Without revealing too much, I believe it's essential to acknowledge this upfront so you are all aware.

Emotional Depths: This chapter continues to tread through emotional terrain, and while it may seem heavy at times, these feelings are pivotal. They echo the profound events that have irrevocably altered the MC's life, and it's crucial to portray these events with the gravity they deserve.

Mind the Trigger Warnings: As we venture deeper, some story elements may be challenging. I urge you to read the trigger warnings provided at the start of the chapter and proceed in a way that respects your comfort and boundaries.

Lastly, I wanted to touch on the results of the height poll. It turns out I had misremembered male Gabriel's height ─ a reminder to always double-check! The majority of you expressed a preference for female Gabriel to match male Gabriel’s height. As for male Xiao, opinions were divided: many prefer his current height, while a significant number would like him shorter. I'm going to give these results some more thought. Your input was helpful, and I'll be sure to keep it in mind as the story continues to evolve. Thank you for participating!

Your patience and engagement mean the world to me. I'm eager for you to experience Part One and I hope it resonates with you. Another big shout out and huge thanks to my testers for their hard work and assistance with ensuring this part is ready for release! Your input was invaluable ♥

Thank you so much!

Total Word Count: 277,298 (excluding Codex)

[miscfandomwrites]

A/N: Don’t know how this college will show up on tumblr, so let’s see. This is an old, old idea that I got one day after I drew all over my arm in eyeliner when I was in class. It was actually really pretty, and thus the idea for this was born. Due to my ADHD it’s hard to focus in class, and because of that I need some sort of stimulation to make my brain think. This was written with an attention disorder in mind for the reader.

Pairing: Natasha Romanoff x F! Reader

Location: Marvel > Natasha Romanoff > Oneshots

Warnings: None, just a small drabble with fluff

Words: 900ish

Tagging: @tyler-t0t

~~

“We need to move in from this direction instead and then we can carry them out.” Bucky voiced from his place against the wall. 

I didn’t bother to follow the conversation, as this was the fourth time that they’ve been over editing the plan even when the first plan was perfect.��

I inwardly groaned and leaned my head back, moving my arms and stretching. Enjoying the feel of my back popping. The debate about how we were to get in was still going, and I ended up digging through my jacket pockets. Damn, I had a fidget in here this morning…

Still tuning everyone out, I found an eyeliner pen. Wait, wasn’t I looking for that yesterday?

You have got to be kidding me. I was. My habit, or rather, unconscious habit of losing things wasn’t fun. I misplaced things often enough to where I kept trackers on several items I used daily. Everyone idolizes having an attention disorder until you realize just how fucking shitty it is.

Seriously, I can’t get through the day without misplacing something. Or caffeine. Both. 

I ran a hand through my hair, tucking it behind my ears as I pulled the cap off the pen. It was one of the oil-based ones, which meant it was easy to clean off of skin. Laying my hand on the table I started sketching some bones on my fingers, then moved to my hand. Keeping tabs on the conversation, I finished my hand and moved to my arm. Instead of bones I just drew swirls, some small stars, and honestly whatever came to mind. I did the same with my other hand, albeit a bit messier because it wasn’t my dominant hand that was doing the drawing.

“We’re done with this for now. Let’s go over this tomorrow.” Steve said as he clapped his hands together, and shut off the screen. I glanced up only to meet Natasha’s eyes. As soon as she caught my gaze she smiled. I smiled back at her.

Everyone in the tower knew I had an attention disorder, and if just given my fidgets I would be fine. It turns out both of the scientists and I share that in common, and more often than not we were inventing some sort of new fidget toy. Of course, after the lighter-knife-spinner combination, we were a bit limited on our creations. Still, we got along great.

Everyone slowly got up and headed out to wherever they would be going, and I pulled out my phone and earbuds. Donning my jacket and tugging my phone in a pocket, I started my music and headed out, headless of Natasha calling after me.

I got to my floor and immediately shoved my shoes and socks off, along with my jacket and pants. I was bored enough that the thought of doodling over my legs sounded entertaining enough that I discarded my pants as well, kicking them over the back of the couch and flopping down onto it. I grabbed the remote and started from where I left off of (Favorite show) and went back to work. Eventually my feet were covered, and I moved up to my calves, then my knees, and soon enough my entire legs were covered. I drew up my arms as best I could, and fixed my hands. 

“So, this was the result?” Natasha’s voice scared the shit out of me, causing a huge streak of eyeliner to mess up my doodles on my arms. I turned towards her, mouth open in shock. She huffed a laugh and went around the couch, sitting down next to me.

She held out her hand. “May I?” She asked. I handed her the pencil and she gently took my arm, and continued my drawing up my arm and onto my shoulder, before lightly drawing them on my neck, and eventually my cheek. 

“These are really pretty...have you considered getting these tattooed?” She asked me as she switched sides and started working on my other arm. 

“I have, but I also realized that I’d want them different as soon as I saw them.” I replied. 

“That makes sense. You typically don’t like things to be permanent, they always need to be changing.” 

“Yeah, some permanent things. Such as tattoos, furniture, clothes. I change those often. But people however...they’re always changing.” 

“Ah, so in relationships you wouldn’t be deterred if someone wanted something permanent with you?” She questioned, tracing the pencil up my neck and onto my cheek, leaning closer to me. 

“No, I wouldn’t. I prefer that type of stability in my life.” I whispered as she leaned closer to me. 

“Do you want something permanent?” 

“I do.” I leaned closer and closed the gap between us.

[canadianfangirl-95]

Benny Miller- Sugar Daddy edition

Chapter Two!

Summary: Your gym crush becomes unmanageable when he is suddenly thrust upon you as your new boxing trainer. After a drunken hook up at a night club opening, you begin to explore your feelings as you continue to learn new and exciting things about him.

About: Continuation of the sugar daddies AU Triple Frontier collection.

Characters- Kayla and Tasha are undescribed, so you can imagine them as your own friend group.

Chapter Warning: 18 + minors, DNI, age difference, reader is early 20s, Benny is late 30s, swearing, manipulative and toxic ex described, description of smut through memory

Chapter Word Count: 5k+

Light filtered into your bedroom, and you startled awake at the sound of something falling in the kitchen. You rubbed your throbbing head and pried your tired eyes open. They widened when you found Benny lying peacefully beside you, the events of last night quickly returning to your hungover head. Though, looking down at your naked form under the sheets, you have the feeling you may be forgetting something.

“Shit-,” you muttered to yourself as you racked your brain for more memories before realizing he was stirring. One eye peaking open to find you propped up on your elbows staring at him.

His mouth stretched into a grin, “Mornin’.”

You pulled your lips tight, “Morning, did you uh- did you sleep okay?” you asked, settling yourself back into the bed beside him.

He slid onto his side to face you, “Felt good while I was asleep, now not so much. How much tequila did we have last night?”

You nodded, his head must feel about as good as yours does right now, “A little more than doctor recommended I would say.”

Benny smirked, “Ah well, all in the name of a good night I guess.” He pulled his hand up and tucked a piece of hair behind your ear.

Looking slightly bashful, you asked, “You had a good night then? With me I mean?” You pulled the covers closer to your chin in an effort to not feel as physically vulnerable as you were emotional right now.

“Of course,” he said with a smile. “I had a great time; I’d like to do it again sometime. But maybe after I actually take you out first.”

Your heart skipped a beat, “Really? You wanna go out, like on a date?” Your face looked skeptical, unsure how this could be true.

He nodded, “Yeah, I mean-,” He propped himself up to look down at you, his face turning more into a worried look as he met your gaze, “If you’d want that. I know I’m older than you so I don’t know if that’s something you’d actually be interested in but-,”

“I’d love to.” You said, this time interrupting his self-deprecation. 

He huffed out a little chuckle, “Alright well then, what are you doing tomorrow?”

You thought to yourself, “Um, nothing other than a study group from 1-3.”

“Okay well, do you wanna grab some dinner then? I know a great taco place if that’s your thing.” His eyes beamed with excitement; you couldn’t believe you ever doubted this man’s interest in you. He looked like you held the sun and stars in your hands.

Nodding you replied, “Yeah, yeah I’d like that a lot.” You leaned in and met his lips with a sweet kiss. “Um-, I’m just gonna go make a coffee. Feel free to stay if you want.”

Benny grinned, “I’d love to, but I should get going. My brother is probably wondering where I am. I’m just gonna order an uber and check my emails in here if that’s okay?” he asked, squeezing your thigh under the covers.

You nodded and dragged yourself from his clutches to throw on a t-shirt and sleep shorts before pulling the door open just a crack and slipping out.

Your head still pounded as your eyes adjusted to the lighting of the hallway. Rubbing your eyes you strode into the kitchen to suddenly halt at the sight of Kayla and Tasha sitting eagerly at the kitchen island with giant grins on their faces.

“Morning you little slut you.” Kayla squealed.

Rolling your eyes you waved them off and headed towards the cabinet to pull out your U of Kentucky mug. “Will you be quiet?” you whispered.

Tasha’s mouth gapped, “Is he still here?” She peered back into the hallway as if she would catch a glimpse of his naked form right there.

You finished preparing your coffee and snuck a look as well, “Yes, he’s still here. But he’ll be out of there soon so please be cool. Don’t make it weird.”

Kayla huffed, “Weirder than it’s gonna be on Monday when you have training with him? Just days after your one-night stand.”

“Actually, it won’t be days after our one-night stand. It will be the day after our dinner date.” You stated, smiling into your coffee mug as they expressed their shocked faces.

Kayla smacked your arm, “He asked you out?”

You grinned and nodded.

“How was he?” Tasha leaned in and asked.

“Ou, yeah I wanna know too.” Kayla pressed.

You looked back at the hallway again before lowering your voice, “Okay, listen. I was very drunk off tequila last night, so I am going to be perfectly honest here.” They sat waiting eagerly, “I don’t actually remember much of it.”

Kaylas eyes bugged, “Seriously? You don’t remember?”

Shrugging you replied, “I remember kissing on the dance floor, kissing in the cab, kissing in the hallway, kissing in the kitchen-,”

“Damn, how sore is your jaw?” Tasha quipped.

You looked up in thought, “Kind of sore, I’m gonna be honest with that one. But I don’t know I woke up naked, so I guess we must’ve hooked up.”

They looked between each other with skeptical eyes, “But, just give me a few hours I’m sure more of it will come back to me.” You chewed the inside of your cheek nervously.

“So are you gonna ask him about-,” Kayla started but quickly shut up as the sound of your bedroom door creaked open. The three of you halting in place as if a bear was creeping down the hall and you didn’t want to spook it.

Benny was dressed in his clothes from the night before, hair tossed in every direction and hallow eyes from the last night. He spotted the three of you doing your best to be casual and smirked, “Mornin’ ladies.”

“Mm, morning.” Tasha said into her mug.

“Sup playa?” Kayla jousted at him, leaning on the counter. He met her eyes and chuckled.

“How’s it going Kayla? Sorry I stole your girl from you last night.” he asked, tucking his hands into his pockets.

She grinned, “I don’t know, kinda ruined our night out Benny boy. Might need to get in the ring with you this week and let out my frustrations.”

You swatted Kaylas arm, she responded with a dramatic “ouch”. “Is your Uber gonna be here soon?” You asked casually.

He nodded, “Yeah it’s almost here, was gonna head down.”

“Okay, I’ll see you out.” You say, setting your mug down and walking to the door.

Benny pulled his hands out of his pockets and gave a sheepish wave, “Alright well, uh, bye then.”

Kayla and Tasha mewled their goodbyes and watched as the two of you exited through the front door.

Once on the other side you met his awkward stance, “So, I don’t actually have your number.”

“Oh shit, yeah right.” He said, pulling out his phone and giving it to you. You texted your phone number and handed it back to him. “So, uh- how’s 7 tomorrow? I can pick you up.”

You smiled, “Yeah that sounds good. I’ll see you then.”

He nodded and started down the hallway before turning his body to speak, “By the way, I really did have a great time last night. I’ll be thinking about that for a very long time.” He said before continuing down the hallway.

You froze in your spot, at least one of us will.

Throughout the rest of the day and the next, your brain fluttered. Flashes of Friday night came in and out. You heard moans permeate your ears as you visualized skin on skin. Feigned images of Bennys body on top of you, rocking into you and kissing your breasts made your core ache. You couldn’t get the whole picture by any means, but from what you did remember, and from what Benny said as he left, you could piece together that it was in fact an enjoyable night together. You were now hoping you would get the opportunity to actually enjoy it, should you ever get the chance again.

Sunday night at 6:55pm, you waited eagerly by the door checking your phone. Your foot tapped repeatedly, and your nerves grew as the clock ticked on.  Tasha and Kayla had gone out to eat a while ago, leaving you alone with your thoughts. Your phone flashed and a message from Benny popped up stating he was here. Collecting your purse, you took one final deep breath and left your apartment.

What you found in the parking lot was not what you expected. Benny was standing waiting for you, leaning against a bright red Ferrari, and waving you over.

You walked up to him and halted, analyzing the luxury vehicle. “Hey Benny, how are you?”

He smiled and leaned in to plant a kiss on your cheek, “A whole lot better now that you’re here. Ready to go?”

“Yeah, uh, Benny? Is this yours?” You asked, drawing your eyebrows inward.

Benny looked down at the car as he began to round it to the driver’s seat, “Yeah this is mine. You like it? Always wanted one growing up.”

Sliding into the passenger seat your mouth gapped, “Yeah, it’s awesome. I just, I thought you were a trainer at the gym how-,” You started to say but your thoughts consumed you as you looked around the beautiful interior. Benny had started to pull away onto the main road. He watched your face as the wheels began to turn. “Aren’t you a trainer?” You ask, confused.

He smiled, “Well, I do train, but just for fun. Technically however, I’m the owner.”

Your eyes widened, “The owner? Isn’t it a big franchise, I-. Benny?” He hummed in response, awaiting your question. “What’s your last name?”

“Miller.” He said matter-of-factly. His smile grew, he clearly knew what you were getting at but was enjoying your face as you put the pieces together,

Mouth stuck in a permanent shocked look you asked, “Miller? Do you OWN Miller’s Muscles? As in the whole franchise?”

He grinned, “I’m sorry Bunny, I didn’t mean to hide it from you. I just don’t like to start with that kind of stuff. Don’t typically get interest from the best kind of women when I boast about it you know?”

You nodded, that makes sense. But holy shit were you in it now. Not only was he nice and funny, but also a millionaire. Your nerves started to creep in again and you started wondering once again what someone like him would want with you. You remained quiet for the rest of the drive to the restaurant. Benny stole worried glances at you the entire time.

Once seated inside, you looked around. A casual spot with lots of wood finishes and a Spanish theme. The booths were red and had a low hanging pendant light above them. The waitress took your drink orders and left. You had been quiet almost the entire time still, your head spinning with the new information about your date, who looked at you with the most devastating puppy dog eyes you’ve ever seen.

“Hey,” Benny started, “what’s going on in that pretty head of yours? Is everything okay?”

You wrang your hands together and breathed deeply out your nostrils. “I’m sorry Benny, I know I’ve been quiet. I’m just nervous.”

“About what?”

“About, you liking me. With all things considered.” You looked down at your hands, the thought of looking into those eyes killing you.

He leaned back in his seat, “What things?”

You squeezed your eyes tight and felt your resolve break. “Oh, you know, you being rich and handsome, and nice and funny and me being well. Me.” You finally looked up to him and his eyes were soft, “I just don’t really understand, I guess. Why you would want to go out with a college girl that can barely take care of herself.”

Benny straightened up and replied, “Well, it’s probably because that college girl happens to also be nice, and funny and beautiful and well, I don’t know much about your financial situation but, that really doesn’t bother me. You could work at Walmart, and I wouldn’t care.”

You chuckled lightly, nodding along with what he was saying.

He looked you up and down, “Why are you so hard on yourself?”

There it is, why were you so hard on yourself. You knew why, of course. That was no mystery thanks to your no-good ex, Mike. But was now the time to dive into all that? It didn’t seem like there was much other choice with the way Benny was looking at you, awaiting your answer.

“Um, I-, I know I’m hard on myself and I’m working on that. It’s one of the reasons I got into boxing.”

“You told me you just found the machines boring.” He spoke.

You nodded and pulled your lips tight, “Yeah, that might have been a lie. But in my defense, it didn’t feel like the right time to trauma dump all over the boxing mat.” He nodded and waited for you to continue. “In all honesty though, I got into it because I needed to work on my self-confidence and overall strength. Not just body but mind as well. You see, my ex, Mike. He uh- he was very toxic to me. He always made me feel like I wasn’t good enough. He would put me down a lot and then build me up just to pull the rug out from under me.”

Benny leaned forward and took one of your hands in his. His comfort gave you the courage you needed to press on. “We broke up because, 5 months ago he actually cheated on me, and then basically blamed it on me in his own twisted way. Mostly me not trying hard enough or whatever, it was all bullshit. I’ll be damned though if I didn’t believe him for longer than I care to admit. But I finally figured out that what was happening was wrong and I got out. Mostly thanks to Kayla. It’s still taking me some time to get out of that head space though.”

“I’m sorry you went through that; he sounds like a piece of shit.” Benny stated.

You huffed out a slight laugh, “Yeah, you’re right about that.”

He grinned, “I would say I’d beat him up for you if he ever came back but based on how well you did this last week at training, I’d say you probably have that covered.”

You smiled, “Technically Kayla has dibs on that first round.”

Benny laughed, “Well, in all seriousness though. You seem like a pretty amazing person and I’m sorry that you ever felt like you weren’t.” He leaned in and kissed your knuckle of the hand he was holding. “I promise I will never make you feel that way.���

Your heart swelled, “Thanks, Benny. I appreciate that.”

The waitress returned with your drinks. She was a tall blonde with a fit body and a tight uniform on. She leaned closely into Benny with his drink and flashed him bright smiles throughout the food orders. Benny on the other hand, kept his eyes burning on you. Scanning every inch of your face, as if you’ll disappear and he would only have his memory left.

Once the waitress left, Benny leaned with his forearms on the table. “So, you haven’t told me what you’re in school for?”

You took a sip from your drink before replying, “Marketing.”

His eyebrows perked up, “Oh, nice. What kind of field are you hoping to work in with that?”

“I think the medical field, like a pharmaceutical sales rep to start and learn the business.”

He nodded before you continued, “I’m assuming you were in the army at some point, solely based on your tattoo and shirts you’ve worn to the gym.”

Bennys face grew damper, “Yeah, yeah, I was. I enlisted right out of high school. Got out a while ago though. That stage of my life is closed and I’m happy about it.”

His face didn’t look happy as he spoke, but maybe that happiness was deeper than surface level. You figured it would be best not to pry and allow whatever it is to come up when he was ready.

The rest of the date was flawless. His boyish charm made you laugh until you felt like you were going to cry. It wasn’t until you were standing outside your apartment door with him that you realized just how fast the evening had gone. You both shifted on your feet, unsure how to end the evening. Was a hug too casual? Was asking him inside too forward? You had already slept together and now you’re on your first date. Could you really take it slow now?

You batted your lashes at him as you both pondered what to do, Benny finally reaching out and holding your elbow. “I had a great time, again. Thanks for letting me take you out. I’ll see you tomorrow, right?”

His eyes were hopeful, not lustful. It seemed like you were able to fall back into the first date feeling. “I had a great time too. I’m looking forward to tomorrow.”

Benny nodded, and then leaned in. His lips met yours with a softness unlike anything from the other night. For such a big and boisterous guy, he had such a gentle touch when he wanted to. Your lips fell apart and immediately into a smile. You said your goodbyes and retreated into your apartment, swiftly clutching your heart and leaning against the door as soon as it closed, overwhelmed by the warmth this man had brought into your body.

Monday afternoons session had you buzzing with excitement. Kayla rolled her eyes as you grinned to yourself, taping up your hands.

“Will you stop acting like a lovesick puppy?” she snidely said.

Your mouth gapped, “First you want me to talk to him, now I’m a lovesick puppy?”

“Noo, I wanted you to bang him. Very different.” She said pointedly, all humor behind her tone.

“Don’t be jealous it is unbecoming on you.” You jousted, earning yourself a swat through the ropes to your ankle.

Benny entered the gym and immediately lit up when you waved at him. He returned it eagerly and did a light jog over to the ring. He tossed his bag through and climbed up, grabbing you into a bear hug before you could protest. “Hey Bunny, how was your day?”

You grinned from ear to ear, “It was good, long classes but was still good. How about you?”

He put together his training gear and answered, “Always a good day when I know I get to see you at the end of it.”

Your cheeks flushed and your heartbeat quickened. An obnoxious groan erupted from the floor below you by an unamused Kayla.

Benny met you in the middle of the ring, “Now, don’t expect me to be easy on you now. I’m still your trainer and I have to push you as much as I would with anyone else.”

You nodded, understanding. But he still shot you a flirtatious smile and wink which had your cheeks warming. 

It was Tuesday evening and your phone pinged with Bennys name on the screen;

Hey Bunny, wanna hang out on Saturday? I was thinking we could go to the Farmer’s Market 😊

You bit the inside of your cheek and replied; Sorry I have to work at the student center this weekend. I guess I forgot to mention I do that every other weekend to pay for rent.

The phone in your hand felt heavier than normal as you waited for his response. The little typing bubbles soon arrived and replied.

Booo, can you get out of it? I really wanna take you.

Your smile grew a bit at his eagerness, but fell anyway due to the situation, knowing you would have to turn down the handsome man begging to walk around a market with you on a beautiful Spring day.

I’m sorry, I could get out of it, but I need the pay. Maybe we could hang out in the evening?

His response startled you.

What’s your e-tranfser info?

You were taken aback and confused. Why did he need that? You responded with your info anyway and sat down on the couch contemplating the situation.

A notification came on your banking app that you received an e-transfer. You pulled it up and your mouth gapped as $1000 had been sent to you by a B.MillersMuscles.

Before you could comprehend what happened, your phone pinged again.

Can you come now?

Your head spun and your fingers shook. The guy you had been on one date with just sent you $1000. What kind of relationship did you get yourself into? You knew he was rich, he could clearly afford it, but that didn’t make the situation any less familiar to you. Again, you found yourself begging your withered self-confidence to take a leap and accept the love of someone who was giving an honest try.

You typed your response and pressed send before re-reading it, so you couldn’t back out of your decision.

You make a good argument Benny, sounds like a date 😉

Saturday morning was beautiful. The sun shone and the birds chirped, and you could barely feel your feet touching the wood floors as you sauntered into the kitchen to make yourself breakfast before your day out with Benny. Yesterday was your final lesson with Benny before Carlos returned. You were sad you would be giving up him as a teacher, you felt like you had never been more motivated to tone your skills than when you were with him. Your semester would be ending in the next couple of weeks and then you would be job hunting for the summer, deciding to stay in town rather than go back home as your hometown did not have the kind of marketing opportunities you could find in the big city.

Kayla and Tasha were lounging in the living room when you strode in with a cheery good morning to start your cup of coffee.

Tasha was mindlessly scrolling her phone when she suddenly perked up from her laid down spot on the couch, “Did you send me this month’s rent already?”

You chewed your cheek again and finished pouring your coffee cup. “Yeah, I did last night.”

“You’re early. You’re never early. Did you get an advance from the student center for your shift today?”

Gulping your coffee loudly you replied, “Um-, actually no I’m not going to the student center today I have plans with Benny.”

Kaylas interest was peaked, “So how did you get the money? Your grandparents?”

You had neglected to tell them about Benny’s financial situation as you didn’t want any questions on the matter, but it seemed it may be unavoidable after all. “No, I just. Benny gave me some money. It’s not big deal.” You spoke to yourself more than anyone else, trying to distract yourself with the coffee steaming in your hands.

Tasha’s eyes squinted, “He gave you money? Isn’t he a trainer?”

You hummed, “Um- huh funny story actually he uh-, he doesn’t work for the gym. He actually owns it.” You did your best to sound casual and humorous.

Kayla’s eyes widened and she launched herself out of her seated position in the bright red circle chair in the corner of the room, “You have a sugar Daddy?! You bitch you didn’t tell us he’s rich!”

In an instant she was on you, grabbing you by the waist and hurling you up in the air as she spun you with her glee. You stared at the liquid gold in your hand trying not to spill during her excited reaction.

You patted her shoulder and hushed her, “Shhh, he is not a sugar Daddy-,”

“But he gave you money.” She interrupted.

You nodded, “Yes, but-,”

“And he’s older than you, like a lot older.”

Taking a deep breath through your nose you replied, “Yes, but it’s not like that I swear. He really wanted to hang out today and I couldn’t, so he helped me out. I swear it is a one-time thing.”

Kayla gave a knowing look to Tasha who threw her hands up, conceding the situation.

The Farmer’s Market was bustling with lots of people enjoying the day. You and Benny strode hand in hand as you looked through all the vendors and food carts. You finally settled on some freshly made cinnamon rolls for lunch and seated yourselves under a beautiful maple tree on one of the many picnic tables in the area.

“How’s your exam prep going?” Benny asked, licking the icing off his hand that had fallen.

You smiled, “Good, I think I’ve got it all figured out. Can’t wait to be done this semester though. I had some tough teachers.”

He nodded, “Any big plans for the end of the semester to celebrate?”

“No, I don’t think so at least, just job hunting.” You shrugged.

Benny sat up straighter and replied, “What? You’ve gotta do something to celebrate! You worked your ass off you deserve it.”

Blushing you replied, “I guess. I don’t know, maybe we could go downtown again, minus the Tequila of course.” You laughed and pointed at him.

“Hey, don’t blame the Tequila, the Tequila did nothing wrong. But no, you need to do something big like- like-, oh I’ve got it!”

You jumped in your seat at his excitement.

“The Kentucky Derby is in a few weeks. I should get us a box and we can do that. I’ve heard it’s amazing, but I haven’t gone yet since I moved here.”

“Yeah, I mean Benny that sounds incredible I’ve always wanted to go, but uh-, it’s pretty fancy, isn’t it?” You asked, looking down at the old wood below you.

Benny waved his hands casually while finishing chewing his last bite of his cinnamon roll. “No problem, I’ve got it. Oh!” His eyes widened and his smile grew, “Let’s go shopping, right now, my treat.”

“Right now?” You asked, your face turning pale.

“Yeah, right now. You’re busy with finals this week and I have to go to Texas at the end of the month to see my buddy, Frankie. He just got engaged so I’m gonna go and congratulate him in person and meet the blushing bride of course. I think she used to be his daughter’s teacher. So yeah, the next few weeks before the Derby will be pretty busy, but we have all afternoon today so, why not?”

His smile was infatuating, you couldn’t possibly resist an afternoon of Benny treating you to a shopping spree and a luxurious day at the Derby. You smiled, “Fuck it, let’s do it!”

He clapped his hands together with excitement and you both collected your things to leave.

You and Benny found yourselves in the most beautiful store you’ve ever seen. It had white walls with marble floors. The accents were all gold and black creating a luxurious aesthetic. Benny sat patiently on a large cream pouf ottoman holding a glass of champagne.

“Come on Bunny, I wanna see.”

You looked in the mirror, not recognizing yourself. The sales associate had put together three outfits for you, all with shoes and a fascinator to match. You had never worn anything as expensive as this, the price tag almost made you sick. Benny assured you after about 20 minutes of following him around the store, pleading your case that you didn’t need anything like this, that it was all fine and he could take care of it. You finally conceded thanks to that shit eating grin that adorned his face the majority of the time you spoke to him.  

You threw the curtain open of the dressing room and strode out, Bennys eyes widened and his mouth gapped when he saw you. Your first look was a yellow cocktail dress with gold accents. The sales associate had matched it with strappy heels with white and gold and a white fascinator.

“Holy shit, you look beautiful.” Benny said, taking in the entire look you have presented for him.

You fussed with the hem of the skirt, looking up to meet his gaze. “Really? Thanks Benny.”

He nodded, “Oh yeah, this colour is beautiful on you. But I’d love to see the others also, before we make a decision.”

“Oh of course, I do like this one though.” You blushed and he smiled. Spending time with Benny just felt like hanging out with your best friend. It was so easy and effortless to talk with him and he was the world’s biggest hype girl.

You returned to your dressing room, only to come back and agree that the bright mint dress was definitely not for you.

A few minutes later, Bennys mouth fell to his chest as you strut out in a black A-line dress that rested mid-thigh, with an off the shoulder sweetheart neckline and black heels. Benny rose from his seat and met you halfway, his hands finding their place on your bare shoulders. The fascinator upon your head was black with touches of gold. You shivered under his touch and felt yourself warming in your core. He looked you up and down before finally choking out his words.

“I-, uh, this is the one. This is-, you are perfect.”

You swallowed deeply, meeting his intense eye contact, you whispered. “Thanks.”

His eyes flicked down to your lips and leaned in. You met him in the middle, tilting your head slightly to catch his plush lips with yours. His hands travelled down your arms to finally settle on your own, taking them in his and squeezing.

You and Benny pulled apart softly and looked at one another, everything that needed to be said held lustfully in each other’s gazes. After spending what seemed like eternity staring quietly at one another, a sound came from behind his shoulder that broke you both out of your trances.

“Have we decided?” called the sales associate from the corner of the changing section.

Benny released your hands and took a few steps back, putting his hands in his jean pockets. “Yeah, yeah this is it.” He said, still struggling with his words and the volume of his voice. He stood rubbing his bottom lip with his index finger and stealing another look of you.

The sales associate clapped her hands together, “Wonderful, will we be needing a bag or jewelry for the event?”

Before you could say no, Benny’s smile grew once more, and he pointed at the woman. “You know what I like the way you think. Yes, we do.”

“Benny, I’m sure I have a purse and some jewelry to wear. I-,”

“Shh, don’t worry Bunny. I’ve got this.” He said, throwing a playful wink your way and a devilish grin.

Previous chapter - Next chapter

@rmwarn90 @meveispunk

[pastafossa]

*heavy breathing* I decided to try to find a workaround for the long covid brain fog tonight.

Aka a new pot pot strain a friend recced to see if it would help me out with this.

It worked.

Do you know how well?

I just came up from a fucking five hour writing spree.

I'd planned to edit TRT's new chapter. And I did for a bit. But it wasn't enough. I had that itch, one that had been rattling around under my skin for months.

I needed to CREATE.

I NEEDED TO WRITE.

So I turned my eyes to the Raven fic's final chapter, where I'd been slowly working on adding the new scenes I wanted and redoing a few to match the new ones.

I didn't just enter the writing zone. I blew that fucking door off its hinges. I saw the scenes in my mind's eye, and I typed the words that came, and even when the words didn't show up, I waved it off, slapped in a placeholder, and blew past it. My hyperfocus latched on like a gator and did fifty thousand death rolls.

I wrote FOUR. POINT. EIGHT. THOUSAND. WORDS.

IN FIVE HOURS.

I may have forgotten to drink or eat anything so that's familiar too

This proves it. Getting TRT's new chapter written, if not edited, proved the words were still there in my head. And THIS proves I can still enter that miracle zone that makes everything worth it oh god i missed the zone. As best I can tell looking over it, this didn't fix my 'what word did I want here???' problem that I continue to struggle with. I still have a lot of placeholder words. But what it did do was remove my frustration, my anxiety, and my long pauses when I couldn't find a word I wanted. It was far easier to just continue on. It also gave me, for just a few hours, the ability to focus, enough that even as it slowly wore off I'd built enough momentum to keep going for a while.

Now I just gotta find a way to get there more regularly like I used to, without the herby nudge. Tomorrow I'll try the same thing though, only with editing instead, now that my itch has been thoroughly scratched.

And if anyone hears triumphant howling tomorrow evening, just know that it is I, Pasta, summoning the words again.

[beebopurr]

Hi! I'm May! And let me just say, I was not expecting this, but it's happened.

I saw your lighthouse au and was inspired.

I started writing something I thought was gonna be a short story that went nowhere and I wouldn't feel the need to post it.

I ended up with a whole long thing with a plot and a villain or two and a close to death sequence and chapters and I'm honestly shocked I finished it because I don't normally finish things this quickly, if at all.

It took me exactly 8 days to write because I was hyper fixated, though it would have been a couple days shorter if I didn't get sick and have flu brain and couldn't think to write. I've had my brain back literally a day and it got done.

Before you get any ideas of how it might go, it's about the 2003 boys, (because they're my favorite boys), it's not a romance, the new lighthouse keeper is my OC-turned-brand new character because my OC didn't fit the story I ended up creating as the story evolved, and it involves guns. It's pretty much not your story and is only loosely inspired, but it wouldn't exist if it wasn't for you.

Don't worry, the guns aren't a major part until the climax. It does have kind of a message thing going about guns so if you do end up wanting to read it I'm sorry if it sounds preachy I really wasn't trying to make it that way but I've re-read it and it might sound that way. I'll try to fix it in the editing if it doesn't impact the story in any way. This is still a TMNT thing, so no one dies and the guns aren't the point of the story, they're just a minor driving force for certain interactions. I tend to write more serious bad-people-doing-bad-things-to-good-people type stuff so it all just happened naturally. Had to remind myself this is tmnt and it probably shouldn't get that serious and hold myself back.

Since it was inspired by you, I wanted to ask if it was ok if I post it on my writing blog and AO3. It's completely fine if you don't want that, and if you don't, I won't post it. But if you are ok with it, just know it's not gonna be out like tomorrow or anything. It's finished, but it still needs some heavy editing. And I will, of course, credit you with the original idea I was inspired by. Since it came from you, I would prefer to have your approval before making it a public thing.

I love your art and I thank you kindly for inspiring me to write this. Even if you don't want me posting it, it was fun to write and I and my friends can still enjoy it privately. You're awesome and I love your au and the premise behind it and everything. It's really creative and super freaking cool!

Oof sorry for not answering this earlier! Yeah you can post it lol, I don't own lighthouses and it's not like you're just doing a carbon copy of what I've made just in writing form lol (even if you were I'd still give it a thumbs up bc imitation is the sincerest form of flattery 👍)

[notsocheezy]

Brain Curd #365

Brain Curds are lightly edited daily writing - usually flash fiction and sometimes terrible on purpose. This is not fiction.

My car broke down in the turn lane. To be more precise, the radiator exploded as I was on a detour to purchase coolant. We love foreshadowing, don't we?

Anyway, since I'm stuck at an intersection, why not use this opportunity to describe all the wonderful visuals which surround me?

For one, the sky: no clouds. A lovely blue, slightly more saturated than the outfit I'm wearing. Oh, yes, you're wondering about that. I was on my way to a date.

Anyway, we've got sand… rocks… some bushes, trees. Palm trees in particular stand out. Good palm trees. I think I see a pepper tree in the distance. You ever pluck a leaf from one of those and sniff it? One of the best smells in the world. Love that. Next to eucalyptus, one of my favorite-smelling trees.

There are some street signs, too. Not gonna say what's written on them, though. None of your business. One's a lane, one's a road, that's all I'll say. The pavement is slightly cracked, but smooth enough. All the traffic lights appear to be in order.

I'd like to take a detour to describe the aroma of an exploded car radiator, if I may. It's sweet. Sickly sweet. Syrupy, like I imagine the distillation of birch sap may smell like. Not maple, though. It doesn't smell like maple. Breathing this probably took a few days off my life, assuming a natural death rather than murder or genocide or something.

Men keep coming up to me to ask if I need help moving the car. But I'm not budging. This engine isn't starting again until my mechanic sees it. Those of you turning into the Walmart parking lot will just have to deal with the obstruction.

What else… I can see two separate storage unit places. Both the same company, but across the street from one another. I actually can't see any other business from here, just the signs.

Some of these drivers must be illiterate, because they can't even manage to read the hazard lights. It means go around, dipshit. Stop honking at me. I didn't ask for this.

Anyway, I think that pretty much does it without revealing identifying information. I could describe the cars around me, but most of them are pretty boring. Tesla, VW, Chevy… ooh, Dodge Charger. Bright red. I'm not really a muscle car kind of girl, but I'd sure rather be driving that right now.

Tow truck's here! See ya, losers.

Please comment, reblog, like, and follow if you enjoyed - I'd love to know what you think! See you again tomorrow.

[spaciousreasoning]

Back on My Feet

It was extremely overcast today, with the temperature rising from a low of only 47 degrees to a high of 63, a little warmer than was expected. The hills to the south, across Main Street, were covered in mist for the first part of the day. There was no rain forecast, but the sun did manage to peek through for a bit in the afternoon.

My blood sugar this morning was 180, down a bit, but even with very little food yesterday it was still higher than I’d like. Nancy said it’s probably just whatever is making my intestines troubled. And whatever that might have been, there was no trouble today.

After having our coffee and playing the brain games, Saturday Edition, we had oatmeal for breakfast. Then we showered off all of yesterday and got ready to get out of the house.

We started by going downtown to Down to Earth. Nancy got some anti-fungal spray to treat the rose bush in the back yard.

Next we went to the Wild Birds Unlimited store in the shopping center at Beltline and Delta Road for a bird feeder and some food. We discovered another Market of Choice right next door to the Wild Birds store.

Then we drove down to Creswell for a loaf of bread and two breakfast sandwiches. I got my usual chipotle ham brioche and Nancy tried the bacon, egg & cheddar pocket for the first time.

On our way home, we stopped at Walgreens for more Ricola, then swung through Old Crow for a mocha. We got home just before 2 p.m.

Nancy went out to spray the rose bush, but the spray bottle did not work properly, and she had to mess around with it for a while. I went online and did some social media perusing.

After an hour’s nap, Nancy and I went out right before 4 p.m. for a short walk around the neighborhood. We did 1.15 miles in just under 28 minutes, a total of 2,800 steps.

A little after 5 p.m., while Nancy and I were sitting out on the back deck and enjoying the afternoon sun, my sister Deborah called from Virginia. She started by singing “Happy Birthday” to Nancy. Then we chatted with her for nearly an hour. She and our sister Sarah are going to Portugal in July. Deborah asked if we wanted to go to Dallas in October to help our brother Thaddeus celebrate his 70th birthday. We said we would have to give that some thought, and fortunately we have some time for that.

For dinner we cooked up some zucchini, made a pot of rice, and cooked an orange chicken dish. Once again we had a dark chocolate peanut butter cup for dessert.

After cleaning up, we sat down for some streaming entertainment. We started with the first episode of a new series of “The Cleaner,” with Greg Davies playing a crime-scene cleaner. In this one, he finds himself on a job for an old childhood school friend, Justin, who, it turns out, has done rather well for himself. Then we went with another episode of “Mid-Century Modern.”

Next we checked out the third episode of “Leverage Redemption.” The team runs a con on a morally ambiguous CEO who exploits people’s deaths using cryonics. We finished with a “Tracker” that finds Colter Shaw tracking down a “ghost” when hired to find a man who seemingly died in a car accident months earlier. It ends with him also catching a break in an important old case.

Tonight is going to drop to 44 degrees, while tomorrow’s high may only reach 57. But without any rain in the forecast, it could get warmer than expected once again. Other than church in the morning and my Sunday recovery meeting in the evening, we have nothing in the way of exciting adventures planned for tomorrow. We shall see what kind of trouble we can stir up.

[rotfront-cunt]

Update on key quest:

Good lord help agshdh

Ok so. This past session has made me realize that this is going to be considerably more daunting than I originally suspected.

When my friend said impossible I should’ve listened to her maybe but I’m going to try my best to commit.

So taking some-creep’s advice I stopped playing on the new profile and clicked begin anew on the one where I’ve gotten the promise ending. Note here that I am worried that isn’t enough to actually do it properly. I’m worried about having to go through the battle and cutscene again but I have a feeling I may need to do that I’ll try that later today or tomorrow perhaps.

Played through the first floor of the aeon facility and the Penrose and once again got the radio module. This time I thought I had been a big smart girl but it didn’t come up with anything.

Something that’s bugged me since the start is that arianes radio is tuned to a frequency I can’t seem to access. The big number says “14. 195.000” and there’s a smaller number on the bottom “142.000”.

I thought that u had a very big brain moment and went into the Mensa room (which had the key labeled with a 14) and tuned my radio to 195.000. To my dismay this turned out only static. However I did a more thorough sweep of the stations in the Mensa room after this failure.

I have found 4 separate stations all reading out numbers and one that seems to be reading out a small phrase as well.

200.00: an achtung message. This is the most garbled of the bunch I could barely make out a majority of the numbers listed. 7 of the same tone in a row can be heard at the end/beginning of the message and then a small song plays

128.400: a short jingle followed by a string of numbers. An achtung followed by a string of numbers. Also incredibly hard to parse

100.900: seemingly the most clear frequency of the ones found on this floor. I was able to parse a few numbers but will need to listen to it again to actually get everything down. This station is the priority to dechiper as so far it’s the easiest to hear

96.500: this frequency can only be found in a small margin which is sus to me. A song plays and then a woman speaks like usual. I may have been mishearing but as far as I could tell this station held not only a string of numbers but a phrase before them as well.

In regard to all of these they are a bit harder for me in general simply because I am very new to the German numbers. I have trouble distinguishing between some of them and it doesn’t help that the audio is so low quality. I am going to be editing the screen recording I took so I can isolate these and send them to my friend who knows German with hopes that they can tell me the numbers.

Once again I am worried I’m missing something but oh well. This feels like a start but also it was quite discouraging that my testing the 195 in Mensa theory was incorrect. As stated this is going to be a daunting task bluh

[eris-snow]

𝐒𝐮𝐧, 𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐋𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭

Tags: Deku's birthday series 2023, izuku x fem!reader

You've come to appreciate the little things: His nickname for you that never changes, no matter how many times you're edited out of his mind. It's something small, but you take what you can get.

I love the nickname Starlight more than I let on. It may sound a little exaggerated, but I hope you never stop calling me that.

Izuku looks at his phone screen where a Post-it note is stuck and rereads your message over and over again. By the 3rd time, his face was as red as Eijiro’s hair.

Relief sets into his bones when he sees that your messages are no longer filled with cryptic words that he has to read between the lines. That means you’re feeling better, right?

That knowledge puts him in a good mood for the whole morning, a contented smile fixed on his face as his sunny aura makes the people in his perimeter smile too.

Ochaco is the one who greets him first.

“Good morning, Deku! What’s got you in a good mood?” She beams, shouldering her school bag as he joins her outside the dorms.

Izuku greets her with a smile. “Morning Uraraka.”

For some reason, he doesn’t want to explain his feelings whenever it comes to your game of Secrets with him. It feels too personal, something that only you did with him. A selfish part of him wants to keep it that way.

“I had the best sleep in a long while.” He admits, scratching his head. It was a white lie.

His slumber had been dreamless that night, a rare occurrence that—

A thought flies over his head, making him stop short.

Why did he start calling you Starlight?

--

“Your note yesterday was sweet,” You say as you join his table for lunch. “I like your eyes too.”

Tenya drops his sandwich.

Ochaco blinks rapidly.

Shoto looks between the both of you, visibly confused. “Did I miss something?” He asks.

Izuku’s face flares red. “R-Really? U-Um…Thank you…” You cock your head, raising an eyebrow. What’s with everyone today?

Tenya gives him a disapproving stare, which makes him stuff a spoonful of katsudon in his face as the spectacles wearer gestures in the least discreet way possible at Ochaco.

Your brain, which was currently operating at the pace of a decade-old printer, finally catches up to speed.

There was no other way to put it, as you take in the hunger in her eyes and the formation of her blinding grin: Shit.

“What note?!” squeals Ochaco, sounding a little crazed as she grabs both of your hands tightly.

“Where is it? What did it say?” Her hands find your shoulders. “SHOW ME.”

You might as well stamp the word isomic on your head because you had the eyebags of a racoon. The nap in Katsuki’s room might have helped, but that isn’t going to make up for countless sleepless nights dating back to weeks ago. With that little sleep to rely on, it isn’t exactly easy to shake Ochaco off you.

“Uraraka, I think you’re killing her,” Shoto comments idly while he slurps up another spoonful of soba.

“Ochaco, the notes are private,” you insist, gently prying her hands off your shoulder blades. “I’m not gonna show you.”

Accepting Izuku’s grateful smile, you sit down with them and ignore Ochaco’s pout. Izuku’s sparkling green eyes drop down to your tray, and almost immediately, his smile turns upside down. “That’s all you’re having? I thought you’d be starving after class.”

“Not hungry,” You grouch, taking a bite from an apple. “I’m going to the gym to exercise anyway. I’ll vomit if I have a whole meal.”

“Still, that’s not enough!” Izuku protests, scooting closer to you. He pushes his bowl in your direction. “Share with me. You need the energy.”

“Consider this payback from me sharing my meal with you on Sunday,” You sigh, taking a scoop of his rice and putting it in your mouth. “We’re even now.”

“Stop counting,” scolds Izuku, completely unaware of the three onlookers staring at the both of them. “We’re still on for the study session tomorrow, right? I need to get my History notes done before our test, but I have 3 hours of training with All Might and Kacchan—”

“Yes, we’re still on,” You interrupt, nudging him to get him to stop prattling. “Now you eat some too, it’s your food, Zuku!”

“You need to sleep more too,” Izuku rambles on, descending into another round of worried mutterings, “I can’t stand to see you not taking care of yourself—mph!”

You shove the spoon in his mouth while staring at him triumphantly. Looking beyond pleased at yourself for shutting him up, you gaze accusingly at him. “Pot, meet kettle! If sleep at 11, you’ll sleep at 1!”

Izuku rips the spoon out of his mouth, arms flailing in wild gestures. “And if I sleep at 1, you won’t sleep at all!”

“I feel like I’m in the way of something.” Shoto stares down at his soba, and takes another spoonful of it. “Should we leave?”

“You can leave, I want to stay,” Ochaco says dismissively, eyes fixated on the two. Their argument had been traded off for a conversation topic about meet-up plans, so they had obviously missed something. “They were definitely closer than last year. It’s a shame that…well…you know,” The 3 of them share a look.

Biting the bullet, Tenya voices it softly. “That he’s going to forget?”

The trio’s gaze shifts back to the pair.

“She’ll get through it, though. She did last year.” Shoto pipes up.

Ochaco doesn’t know if you notice, but even though she knows that you’re hurting inside, that you’re counting down the days until the 15th like someone counting down the days left to live, your face doesn’t show a trace of that pain.

Your smile is genuine, your laughs are heartfelt and contagious. Whenever you’re with Izuku, your face lights up like a Christmas Tree, contentment and happiness surging into all of your expressions.

Ochaco’s heart swells with sympathy as she nods her head in agreement.

“She will.”

--

1 Year ago

“Tell the class?” Your eyebrows furrowed. “But—”

“Starlight, hear me out.” Katsuki powered through. “Deku’s birthday is coming up again and there’s going to be no other way to explain why he would wake up one morning and not remember you. You’ve already decided that you don’t want him to know, right? One of the idiots is going to slip up or ask him about you and you know it.”

Swallowing back your words of denial, you forced yourself not to wince. He had a point, after all.

“I-” Katsuki placed a hand on your shoulder, features softening. “I can get Kirishima to round up everyone so that we can tell them. I’ll be there to help and everything. Ask Uraraka to get the nerd squad away from the living room so we can talk freely. If you want to pretend like everything’s fine, we need to make sure that everyone is in on it.”

Silence enveloped the two of you for a few seconds as crimson eyes stared at you intensely.

“I’ll tell the teachers for safe measure,” You agreed, fingers wrung and twisted around each other. “We don’t have to tell them about Zuku’s birthday, right? Just the quirk?”

Katsuki nodded, rubbing your back. “I’ll get Kirishima to gather everyone up tomorrow evening. The sooner we meet up, the sooner we get it over with.”

--

Present

“You know, I’ve been thinking,” Izuku says suddenly on your way back to the dorms. The sun was setting, the orange sky lighting your way back. “I started calling you Starlight because you reminded me of One For All.”

Oh? This was new.

Eyebrows knitted together, you prompt him to continue. “You’ve always been so warm and bright. And then the nickname Starlight came to mind instantly, and I don’t know. It just felt right.” He smiles at you. “It really suits you!”

You smile back at him, nudging him. “Thanks, Zuku.”

“What about me?” He asks curiously. “How’d you start calling me Zuku?”

“Mnn…” You look up thoughtfully, trying to find middle ground. You don’t want to lie to the One For All wielder, but you also can’t tell him the truth.

A memory consumes you, one you look back on it fondly. Your nicknames for each other are one of the things that never changed.

--

11 years ago

It was that park again. The one with All Might-themed colours that symbolised the hero’s growing popularity.

It was getting late, evening drawing near. Your mothers were on the way back from their meet-up spot in the cafe, and a five-year-old Katsuki had been tasked to take care of the three of you.

Izuku had fallen inside the sandbox where Katsuki was building a gigantic sandcastle to prove he could make better sandcastles than both of you combined when you had posted the question.

“Izuku, why do you call him Kacchan?”

Before Izuku could respond, Katsuki interrupted with his signature loud voice. “Because Deku’s a stupid loser that can’t speak properly,” He said almost braggingly, sneering like a viper who’d caught its prey. You frowned at him, helping Izuku up, “That’s mean, Kacchan,”

“Why are you calling me that now?!”

“Because it’s cute! I like it,” You smiled gleefully. Katsuki snarled again, but he doesn’t protest.

“Sorry, I knocked down our sandcastle.” Izuku stared at the lump of sand, half of the castle intact, and the other half destroyed.

“It’s fine,” You assured him, a frown etching on your face. “But I don’t wanna call you Deku.”

A light bulb lit up in your brain, and it made you clap your hands together. “I’ll call you Zuku!” You announced, pleased with yourself. “It’s shorter, and it’s nice! Unlike someone.” You glared pointedly at Katsuki, who simply threw you a writhing scowl as he stood up and dusted his hands. “I won!” He smiled proudly, admiring his work. “Take that, nerds!”

“Kacchan’s amazing.” Izuku agreed, before he makes eye contact with you. “I like the nickname. Thanks, uh…” He glanced around, eyes flickering from item to item. None of them felt right-there aren’t a lot of awe-inspiring nicknames in a playground-until he finally stared back at you.

The sun was setting and the stars had come out earlier than usual. “Starlight!” He blurted, pointing out to the shining dots in the sky. It was the biggest one he could see, and it made him grin broadly. “How’s Starlight as a nickname? Do you like it?”

Giggling happily, you nodded your head vigorously and take Izuku’s hand. “I like it a lot! Thanks, Zuku!”

Katsuki stepped out of the sandbox and brushed the sand off his shorts, scowl taking up most of his face, “You guys are lame!” He shouted, eyes narrowing on Izuku. He pointed an accusatory finger at Izuku, who tilted his head in response. “How’d you even come up with that, anyway?”

“I mean, I think Kacchan and Y/n are amazing! Kacchan’s good at everything and Starlight is both street and book-smart, so everyone finds both of you super cool! Kacchan reminds me of the Sun and Starlight reminds me of the stars! I mean, look at you two!” He explained enthusiastically, waving his hands at the both of you. “You both shine!”

Katsuki blinked rapidly, while you process his words in silence.

“Hah?!” Katsuki exploded. “You think I’m like the Sun? Are you saying I’m hot-headed or scalding or—”

“IT WAS A COMPLIMENT, KACCHAN!” You hollered, defending Izuku. “Take it!”

Kacchan was like the Sun, someone that made his presence known and a blazing force to be reckoned with. Izuku looked up to him in more ways than one.

You were like the stars. You didn’t think you were as amazing as people, so you always turned a blind eye to everyone who’d said so. After all, when you were living near to Katsuki, it would always be him who was the talk of the town.

Still, Izuku doesn’t think you know how capable or awesome you are. He doesn’t think you realise that, while Kacchan might be too blinding for some people to look at, you are just as beautiful, and easy to look at, as the countless stars in the sky.

--

Present

“Starlight?”

Izuku shakes you a little, making you snap out of it just in time to see a lamp post mere inches away from your face. Quickly, he pulls you away just in time, worry prominent on his face. “Are you okay? What happened?”

You shake your head and laugh sheepishly. “Sorry, spaced out for a second. Your question brought back memories.”

“Uh…O-kay…?” He raises an eyebrow as a prompt before he repeats, “Why do you call me Zuku?”

Are those-are those tears in your eyes? He blinks again, and finds them gone.

Weird.

Instead of answering, though, you press a finger to your lips and smile mysteriously.

“It’s a secret.”

--

I don’t like Kacchan calling you Shortie. Kacchan’s amazing and all, but he shouldn’t make fun of your height. P.s. I like the nickname Zuku, too! You don’t have to tell me why you started calling me that, I’m just glad you do. I can’t imagine you calling me anything else.

You find the Post-it note staring back at you on the washing machine. Somehow, Izuku timed it such that when he stepped out of the laundry room, you would be the first one who walked in. Huffing, you stuff the note into your pocket and pull out your unwashed clothes, stuffing them swiftly into the machine.

You don’t want to tell Izuku that the whole reason why Katsuki had started calling you Shortie was to make sure he never figured out that you were his childhood friend. You didn’t want to tell him why you called him Zuku because you didn’t want to lie to him.

You don’t have to imagine yourself calling him otherwise because, in less than 2 weeks, you’ll be back to calling him Midoriya, for the 7th time to match his 7th cycle. It’s not going to hurt physically, but mentally it threatens to break you because, once upon a time, you never thought you had to act like a stranger to the person you love the most.

[rocketturtle4]

9 People You'd Like To Get To Know Better

Tagged by @visualtaehyun @thegalwhorants and @ranchthoughts Thanks so much for the tag, sorry I am late life keeps being busy!

3 ships

The lack of specificity is tripping me up here, three ships I like... three ships I hate... three random ships? actor couples? character couples? cannon ships? non canon ships?

I also don't tend to ship much in general, I enjoy the canon relationships in front of me or enjoy the non-canon ships in fanfiction...

I am side tracked

Okay 3 Ships

errr

Nope can't do it, too broad MOVING ON,

(I lost my shit over these two today, does that count?)

(they're not like my current favs or anything, lots of good stuff going around right now, but I am a sucker for a good stare and this was a GREAT stare)

First ship

Again, define SHIP

(I may be too tired to do this my brain has been incredibly focused dealing with supervisor feedback on my 18000 word first chapter of my thesis for the last week and a half, honestly feeling kind of loopy)

Okay definition: first ship I read fanfic about.

Destiel! I read sooooo much fanfiction about these two, they are arguably a key part of my BL journey lol, even if I mostly started reading fanific of them after I mostly fell off the Supernatural Bandwagon. I actually rarely read fanfiction for shows I am actively engaged in, my engagement in the fanfic tends to happen more after the engagement with a show ends.

Last song

I'll check spotify hold on, I have had so many playlists on a loop while I've been editing so it really could be anything

Okay I am most of the way through "Death By A Thousand Cuts" by Taylor Swift in my Taylor Swift only playlist so that one.

Currently reading

Technically I am part way through the last of a long list of papers that came with my supervisor feedback

"Bryceson 2023, The contemporary distribution of grasses in Australia, A process of immigration, dispersal and shifting dominance"

Oh I have also nnneeeearrrrllly finished the HP fanfic "A Place Apart" even if I haven't actually read a word for a couple weeks and a new chapter of one of my favourite ongoing fics "A Beautiful and Terrible Thing" (also HP) got a new chapter so I am really excited to read that soon.

Last movie

Wish (the new disney one) I watched it with my parents last Friday, we often watch something together on Fridays and we all like Disney.

Currently craving

Sleep? not really I am not sleep deprived just brain dead. Just the weekend. I submit my chapter tomorrow and then I am turning my brain off for a bit.

I think I am out of oomf to tag anyone today. But I do love the game.

[lauronk]

fic writery thing

thanks for the tag @ameerawrites ❣️i love doing this kind of thing instead of editing a fic so you have something to read hehehehe

How many works do you have on ao3? 26!

what's your total ao3 word count? 529, 046! (keep an eye out for this to jump by about 25k in the next few hours)

what fandoms do you write for? the last of us!

what are your top five fics by kudos? streetlights pointed in an arrowhead if the timing is right i'll turn back the clock all our memories, they're haunted on the road again (there i go) come tomorrow this will all be in our past

do you respond to comments? no 😅 i will if it's a question, but generally responding gives me anxiety so i don't. but please know, if you have ever left a comment, it has made me giggle and blush at my phone and i always appreciate them

what is the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending? i am tormented (lovingly, i think) by my friends on an almost daily basis for having the gall to kill characters. so it would be either i swear i'll never be happy again or there's nothing surgery can do.

what's the fic you wrote with the happiest ending? i wanna say streetlights, but a bunch of them could also work because contrary to popular belief (cough @stillboldlygoing cough) i don't ALWAYS kill characters and the stories do usually end happily lol

do you get hate on fics? please refer to question 6 re: being roasted

do you write smut? if so what kind? i do not! i love to read it though

do you write crossovers? what's the craziest one you've written? i don't! i wouldn't even know where to start with one

have you ever had a fic stolen? i better not have 🔪

have you ever had a fic translated? many moons ago i had a harry potter fic translated into portuguese. although i don't think they ever finished it.

have you ever co-written a fic before? not yet 👀

what's your all time favorite ship? romantic? elizabeth and darcy from pride & prejudice - we love a man who takes feedback platonic? joel & ellie all day every day

what's a WIP you want to finish but doubt you ever will? i am so stubbornly determined to finish all my WIPs that even if i gave up on one i would never admit to it

what are your writing strengths? i have a good vocabulary and my brain never seems to stop coming up with absurd ideas

what are your writing weaknesses? i am verbose as fuck. but also repetitive - i feel like i start to use the same phrases and words over and over, and the more i write the more i feel like i need to edit so that it doesn't all sound the same

thoughts on writing dialogue in another language in fic? don't just rely on google translate - if you're able, ask a native speak how they would say something so that you get a more authentic feel for the dialogue, you can include slang and informalities that google may not provide.

first fandom you wrote for? harry potter

favorite fic you've written? if you never bleed, you're never gonna grow OR dappled with flickers of light OR a real nightmare (completely aware)

i feel like several people have already done this so i won't bother tagging but feel free to do if you want and claim i tagged you!

[nathank77]

2/19/25

12:30 p.m Edited changed a little 1 p.m

So obviously I did get out of my driveway yesterday but I almost tore my exhaust off the bottom of my car getting over the fucking hump... that won't melt... and it took me 2 hours of rocking back and forth and losing plastic car floor mats to my tires gripping them and then them going all the way under and hitting the garage. It was pure work. It took forever but I did notice as I worked that my back tires had moved noticeably. So I kept trying. And eventually she got out but it actually took about 2 hours and then I ran off to the the gym to do legs and abs. I hurt my knee a little. Its okay now but I am worried i won't be able to do legs for a little. It doesn't really hurt anymore but it did. I couldn't do squats I had to back out on a couple sets of another exercise bc I knew if I kept going I may not be doing leg day for a long time...........

I think by Saturday, maybe Friday I'll be fine... I am parking at the business across the street bc I don't want to tear my exhaust off my car trying to get in and out and I'm terrified I'll sink back into the death hole. It's bad. I fucked up bad the day before... I was turning my wheel and actually digging myself deeper and deeper. Yesterday I went out with a plan and it still took forever but I got out and now i don't even want to think about parking there until it fucking melts...

Unfortunately if it snows I got to get out of the businesses parking lot so they can plow and then I'm worried I'll have to go into my driveway and get stuck again. Or ruin my car going over the unbreakable hump of ice.

I'm worried i balded my tires a little. But idk. Tomorrow it may snow and if it does i got to go back into my death trap..... I guess I'll worry about that tomorrow.... with any luck it won't snow and it'll all melt by Sunday and then I can go back in my driveway.

I did arms today. I might do legs and abs Friday and arms on Saturday but I dont want to go out in this death trap bc the front yard is pure ice. And Saturday it may melt a little but then I got me and connors birthday party on Sunday... so I can't go then I mean maybe i could in the morning but I got to have stupid pooping time cause my life sucks and I have to shit 3 times a day bare minimum. So I prob won't be able to fit the gym in Sunday. Meaning if i do legs and abs Saturday, I can't do arms until Monday. I hate the weather dictating what I can do..

Not to mention i have 400 Dr's appts i have to travel for next week.. so hopefully the fucking ice melts and it's becomes less awful to exist outside.

Anyways I started talking to this girl who has a boyfriend bc she is deaf she has implants. I'm like blah about it entirely. She's just venting about her life. She's just like marcy. If I hung out with her I'd just want to blow my brains out. I guess most girls just do this vent to their guy friends about their life and use them for emotional support..

I'm going to try to talk to guys. I don't have time to be a free therapist. I mean I feel bad bc she's deaf and whatever but I'm not a therapist. I talk to John a lot. Bc even though we talk about games a lot I can talk about what's going on for me..I mean but then we can talk about games and achievements... it's not just blah blah my life sucks blah blah you should be talking to a therapist.

I can't stand it. She really likes me but I'm like how do i nicely get rid of her bc I don't want to meet her or talk to her on the phone or video chat. I'd rather blow my brains out than listen to her whole life story. Idk why more people don't go to fucking therapy. She's on state. She could go three days a week and have normal friendships

But yea end rant.

[humansun]

M O R N I

Written Thursday, July 27th at 9:05AM

Good mornee! Today has been great. I’m learning more and more everyday that your day is usually determined by your own mental and physical output. That means your feelings are valid, but you’re also doing everything you can to be proactive about your emotions and the interactions with the people around you. Ultimately, I feel like I’m in 80-90% control of my days instead of letting the external factors and negative POV determine my day like “I can’t get up” or “I’m too tired” or “it’s x person’s fault that I’m in x situation”. 

By the way, I really hope I don’t sound like a self-help guru. These are simply things that I’m realizing everyday but I’m not certain it would apply to other people.

As for the rest of today, it’s going to be jam-packed. Back to back meetings, another meeting, another meeting, and then another meeting. It’ll be fun though! I’ll do my best to stay mentally engaged and take breaks where I need to, but I’m happy that I started my day focused on me.

While prepping breakfast with my mom this morning, I realized two things:

This was an average, ordinary morning I spent with my mom in the kitchen, but it’s interesting being aware of the fact that that ordinary morning might not be forever. That tomorrow all of this may change. And this mental check-in helps me stay grateful and happy that I even get these mornings with my mom and grandma.

I forgot the second thing. I was calculating my calories most of the morning, hopefully the second thought comes back to me.

Anyways, it was a nice morning and I’m excited to start my day and I hope that things go well. I’m in control, I love being 25, I’m grateful for my wisdom, and I’m excited to get the ball rolling forward in my own creative journey.

Oh! I remember the second thing now. It’s kind of related to the first one a bit, but it has to do with being present and being cautious. I learned that any morning could turn into a scary morning really quick. For example, accidentally cutting myself while chopping fruit or vegetables or someone falling. Even if a morning seems perfectly normal and all will go as planned, it’s important to remember that at any point, anything could happen and to be aware of safety and being careful as much as possible.

Proactiveness is really the key to so many things whether being a good producer or handling preparations for events/sets/family parties/vacations/workflow. I strive to be as much of a proactive person as I can be and to keep my life diverse in terms of my activities and interactions. Woo! Happy Thursday.

Written 9:16PM

Love the high braided ponytail its just a different betty when she has that up

Need to look for old projects on old macbook

Miley cyrus rose colored lenses

Following the good part of me instead of following the bad part is a movement

Hillary duff is also a movement

I miss my fuzzy fish we need to make our couple vision board

I also need to edit my shorts

Today i met with 3+ women who inspire me and changed me even with our small interactions

Intentionally taking pictures helps you stay present

Remembering that everything in life no matter how simple or small can inspire you

That full circle moments ought to be recognized and celebrated

That everyday im in the industry i believe in myself 1% more

That everyday im in the industry the more real it gets and the more real i get about everything i want to do

But above all

I love people and i love earth and im grateful to be alive with those i know

Especially my mom, dad, sister, & grandma

Im tired. I used my brain a lot

[wingmelts]

╰      ┈      [  aaron  taylor  johnson  ,  thirty  ,  cis  man  ,  he  /  him  ]  in  the  time  of  dragons  ,  AEMOND  TARGARYEN  is  entering  the  game  of  thrones  .  said  to  be  attentive  +  calm  ,  we  can  only  hope  that  is  the  case  as  regrettably  they  are  also  well  known  to  be  self  indulgent  +  obsessive  .  when  asked  about  them  ,  people  are  always  reminded  of  lifting  your  face  towards  the  sun's  rays  as  you  glide  amongst  the  clouds  ,  a  bitten  tongue  encased  in  a  warm  smile  ,  soft  swirls  of  smoke  rising  over  lilac  eyes  ,  and  the  eerie  silence  right  after  a  thunderstorm  —  something  is  coming  .  though  they  are  the  PRINCE  OF  STAERDALE  /  SPARE  OF  THE  KING  ,  their  true  loyalties  lie  with  house  targaryen  and  rumour  has  it  that  if  given  the  choice  they  would  support  THEIR  FAMILY  /  THEMSELVES  above  all  else  .  those  of  us  in  the  shadows  wish  them  luck  and  can  only  hope  they  will  survive  what  is  to  come  .    ──  snooki  ,  twenty  ,  mst  ,  she  /  her  .

STATISTICS

FULL NAME:  aemond  targaryen

TITLE:  prince  of  staerdale

NICKNAME(S): the spare

AGE:  thirty

GENDER + PRONOUNS:  cis  man  +  he  /  him

SEXUALITY:  bisexual

LANGUAGES:  common  tongue, high valyrian, low valyrian ( specifically braavosi, lysene, & pentoshi )

FAMILIAL

FATHER:   king lucerys targaryen

MOTHER:   queen visenya targyen nee celtigar

SIBLING(S):   jacaerys targaryen, vasila targaryen, rhaekar targaryen, daenerys targaryen

RELATIONSHIP:   married to daella targaryen nee tyrell

CHILDREN: viserys targaryen ( 7 ), helaena targaryen ( 4 ), rhaena targaryen ( 2 )

PHYSICAL

HAIRSTYLE:   blonde,  a  bit  curly,  kept short

EYE COLOR:   lilac  purple

HEIGHT:   6  feet  0  inches

SCARS + MARKINGS:  a few small scars due to nicks from sword fighting lessons

NOTABLE FEATURES:   soft gaze — looks a bit pathetic :/, fun mustache

PERSONALITY

SOCIABILITY:   high

EMOTIONAL STABILITY:   a little above average

ALIGNMENT:   neutral  good

PHOBIAS:   loneliness + abandonment

TRAITS:   attentive,  calm,  ambitious,  self indulgent,  obsessive, competitive

THE DRAGON

NAME: maerax

COLOR: primarily navy blue with black accents on the webbing of his wings, near his jaw, and along his spine

EYES: steel gray, like looking right into a storm cloud

TEMPERAMENT: just a not — so — little guy. frequent nap taker. kinda grumbly. has met aemond's children ( not rhaena yet, but *aemond vc* soon! ) and greets them with the softest chuffs he can manage. very attached to aemond, when he was still small they shared a cradle. looks intimidating, but is mostly introverted. can get pretty volatile when threatened though as he is still a whole ass dragon.

BACKGROUND

aemond always knew what his position in the world meant. merely a second son, alive simply as a backup in case something were to happen to the true heir. still, that didn't mean he had room to slack off — and he didn't want to. ever the diligent student, aemond worked hard in all of his lessons : history, sword fighting, even learning both high valyrian as well as some low valyrian dialects. he never wanted to be seen as the throwaway prince.

when aemond was betrothed to the then lady daella tyrell, he was just a boy. reluctant at first as anyone his age would be, but with years came budding amorous feelings. as a man, aemond figured if he could not have the throne, he could have his family.

the spare prince has never been one to brood over his status. if anything, it makes him want to be better. besides, isolation just isn't his way — in fact, he hates being alone. aemond much prefers to charm a litany of nobles across the realm rather than sit and mope over a fate sealed in fire.

WANTED CONNECTIONS

coming soon !

[notsocheezy]

Brain Curd #252

Brain Curds are lightly edited daily writing - usually flash fiction and sometimes terrible on purpose.

A lanky Black teen stepped up in front of the table of advisors.

“Name?”

“Uh… do you mean my given name, or my -”

“Your given name will do fine.”

“Tyrone Winters.”

“Is your ability reasonably likely to cause injury?”

“No.”

“Then please demonstrate it.”

Tyrone rubbed his hands together and widened his stance, tensing up his muscles. Slowly, but notably, the light coming through the windows of the gymnasium dimmed to a murky grey. He took a deep breath and stood up straight, then motioned to the windows.

The advisors looked at each other. The one in the middle spoke again. “What exactly was that?”

“I control the clouds.” Tyrone pulled out a tissue and blew his nose. “The only problem is, it makes my nose run like crazy. Pretty cool though, right?”

The advisor on the left leaned forward and leaned on her elbows. “Can you direct the clouds to, say, send a bolt of lightning to the ground at a specified point?”

“Uh… no, no, I don’t think so.”

The one on the right tapped his papers on the table. “Can you do anything with lightning? At all?”

“I really don’t think it works like that, sir.”

The advisors muttered amongst themselves, nodding at each other. They faced forward again and the one in the middle spoke.

“We’ll call you. Next, please.”

Tyrone walked back to the bleachers and another teen took his place.

“Name?”

“Jackie Deacon.”

“Is your ability reasonably likely to cause injury?”

“Not physical injury.”

“Please elaborate.”

“Your egos may be bruised.”

The middle advisor was unimpressed. “Uh-huh. Let’s see it, then.”

“It’s more of something you hear.”

“Go ahead.”

Jackie cleared their throat, and in a perfect recreation of the middle advisor’s voice, said “I don’t think this one is a good fit. Do either of you see how this could possibly be useful to the military. Clouds? Really? What a joke.”

The middle advisor was taken aback.

“I agree,” Jackie continued in the left advisor’s voice. “This is a non-starter.”

Then the right advisor’s voice. “I don’t think we want his kind around, anyway.”

The right advisor gulped. “So what? Your ability is to do impressions?”

“No, no, that’s just a hobby,” Jackie smirked. “My ability is micro-hearing. I can zero in on the quietest sounds in a room and know, for example, exactly how three inept impots can make themselves feel better about not being able to do a cool thing like control the weather.”

Tyrone raised a finger. “I can’t really control the weather, just the clouds.”

Jackie turned around. “It only takes some imagination, bud. You’re more capable than you think.”

The middle advisor furrowed his brow. “This is very inappropriate, young man! Er… woman?”

“No, sir, I think what you said was inappropriate. And all three of you owe him an apology.”

The left advisor crossed her arms. “Next!”

Jackie shrugged. “Your loss, honey. Oh, and by the way, your period is about to start in about five, four, three, two…”

Her eyes went wide and she ran off.

Jackie sat next to Tyrone, who asked, “How did you know that?”

“Told you, micro-hearing.”

“No, about her period?”

Jackie chuckled. “I was bluffing.”

Please comment, reblog, like, and follow if you enjoyed - I'd love to know what you think! See you again tomorrow.