#it’s literally just to ask a professor a question about her field of study

[the-worms-in-your-bones]

She does not know what an email is

[queen-of-gotham]

Before.

(Yoichi Isagi x f!Reader)

Word Count: 1.2k

Synopsis: in which you dated Yoichi Isagi pre-Bluelock and are still with him now ❤️

Notes from the Batcave: for ✨this✨ request, thank you so much lovely! I hope it’s everything you wanted.

The world knows him as a striker.

To you, he’s the boy who used to run late to dinner because he stayed behind after practice. Who would show up at your apartment door, sweaty and grinning, holding convenience store ice cream like it was a grand romantic gesture.

He used to feel like a dreamer with skinned knees and no backup plan.

Now he’s… Isagi Yoichi.

World-class forward. Face of Nike Japan. Graced the cover of Vogue twice. Has a GQ feature about “balancing success and humility.”

Your boyfriend. Still him. Still yours.

⸻

Your boyfriend just made an entire stadium cry and your Instagram still looks like this

your best friend texts, attaching a screenshot.

You snort.

It’s a photo of your private profile… 328 followers, 1,019 posts… with a blurry latte art picture from your last solo study session.

You reply:

i like the bear foam

yoichi liked it too

She sends you a string of screaming emojis.

You close your phone and return to grading exams.

⸻

“How long have you two been together?”

You blink. The interviewer smiles gently, mic angled toward you as the cameraman adjusts the lighting. It’s a short doc segment:

Off the Field, where they catch the players in their everyday lives, and you’d agreed to a few quick questions during Isagi’s off-day, mostly for the team’s press team. You hadn’t expected personal ones.

You hum, thoughtful, “Since high school. Since before Blue Lock.”

The interviewer brightens, “So… you knew him before he was famous?”

You smile softly. “Sure have, I knew him before the cleats sponsorships. Before the agent. Before the sports drinks and billboards.”

You glance toward the living room, where Yoichi is playing with the cat on the rug, completely unaware.

“I knew him when he didn’t believe he was good enough,” you add, “I never stopped believing he was.”

⸻

The segment airs the next week. It’s barely four minutes long. You’re on screen for thirty seconds.

That’s all it takes for the internet to lose its mind.

“ISAGI’S GIRLFRIEND IS A PROFESSOR????”

“no bc how do you just casually say ‘I knew him before the world did’ and then go back to grading papers LIKE THAT????”

“she said ‘i never stopped’ and I am WEEPING.”

“Isagi is literally the luckiest man alive. she’s gorgeous AND smart AND private????”

“I just know she smells like expensive hand lotion and black tea.”

“how’s your man gonna drop a hat trick then come home to a woman like this 😭”

You make a cup of tea and mute your name on Twitter. Isagi spends ten minutes scrolling through the tag with a dazed little smile before flopping over and planting a kiss on your knee.

“You okay with all this?” he asks softly, tapping your leg, “I can ask them to cut it from future reruns.”

You shake your head and press your fingers into his hair, gentle.

“They’re not wrong, you know,” you say, “You are lucky.”

He grins against your leg, “So lucky it’s unfair.”

⸻

“You know you don’t have to work, right?”

It’s not the first time you’ve heard it. This time, it’s Reo asking, kind and earnest, after one of Isagi’s matches.

“You’re incredibly smart,” he continues, “Like freakishly smart. And everyone at the club loves you. But you don’t need to push yourself so hard anymore. We’ve got you covered.”

You laugh, sipping from your glass. “Appreciate the concern, Reo. But I actually like my job.”

“No, I get that,” Reo says quickly, “I just mean… if you ever needed a sabbatical, or wanted to take time off-“

“I already took a year off for my thesis,” you smile, “I don’t want to quit. Not even if I could.”

Isagi walks over just in time to drape an arm around your shoulder, kissing your temple without hesitation.

“She’s got her own dream,” he says proudly, “That’s why we work.”

And Reo raises his hands in surrender, murmuring, “God, you two are disgustingly perfect.”

⸻

Your Instagram remains private.

You post things like:

• half-finished manuscripts

• post-lecture matcha lattes

• your cat sitting on Isagi’s game ball

• blurry pictures of bookshelves

• the back of Isagi’s hoodie with a caption that just says mine.

No sponsored posts. No partnerships. No thirst traps.

But everyone wants to be you.

⸻

You go to matches when you can. When work allows. When the commute lines up.

You sit quietly in the stands with Isagi’s parents when they attend, wrapped in a team scarf and trying to stay calm even when your heart’s pounding.

Sometimes you cry. Sometimes you scream.

Once, a camera caught you clapping with a hand over your mouth after he scored a 90th-minute game-winner. The clip went viral.

“ISAGI SCORED AND HIS GIRLFRIEND LOOKED LIKE SHE SAW GOD.”

“that’s how you know it’s real love.”

“if my partner doesn’t clap for me like that I don’t want them.”

“she looks like she’s praying and I would too if I had to watch him from the stands.”

⸻

You get recognized at a conference once. A young intern rushes up after your keynote to hand you their notebook, wide-eyed.

“Sorry-sorry, this is unprofessional, I just, um, you’re amazing. And also, I love Isagi. Like so much. You’re really with him???”

You laugh, shaking your head, “I’m really with him.”

They stare, “That’s insane. I wanna be like you when I grow up.”

You smile and say, gently, “You should want to be like you.” Then you sign their notebook with a small note and a little soccer ball doodle.

They post about it later. It gets 200k likes.

⸻

At home, the world melts away.

Isagi pads in barefoot and shirtless from the shower, hair still damp. The cat winds around his ankles. You’re reading on the couch, legs tucked under a throw blanket.

He collapses beside you, head finding your lap without a word. You don’t need to say anything, your hand finds his hair automatically, nails scratching at his scalp just how he likes.

“You were incredible today,” you murmur.

“Couldn’t’ve done it without you.”

You roll your eyes, “You’re the one who did the work, Yoichi.”

“Yeah, but-“ he shifts, looking up at you. “Back then, when I had nothing? When all I had was a dream and a bruised ego? You were the one who stayed.”

Your hand stills. Your heart does something soft that you’re more than familiar with by now.

“You’re not still trying to convince me to quit my job and become your housewife, are you?”

He grins, “I would never.”

You snort.

“Besides,” he adds, voice lower, sincere, “I love this version of us. The one where we both chase the lives we wanted. And come home to each other.”

You lean down and kiss his temple.

“I love it too.”

⸻

Online, you’re the mystery.

The private profile. The professor girlfriend. The day one.

But to Isagi, you’re everything. You’ve always been everything.

You’re his person. His peace.

His constant.

His forever.

And the world can keep guessing. You’ll keep him grounded, You always have.

✨Join the Taglist✨

Taglist: @ninaceylan @Jeko1 @irethepotato @jellibean420

⚽️Bluelock Masterlist⚽️ 🦇Return to the Batcave🦇

[biancasaidstfu]

I saw the anon who posted about Nicola's following. Just my two cents but I have this feeling that Nicola doesn't mind if somebody is going to unfollow her just based on her rumoured romance. She repeatedly expressed how much she wants to be recognize individually because of her hard work on her career, her achievements and so forth. She wants people to mainly focused on her achievements and I think she will not mind if people unfollow her because of her friend JD.

Second is, I saw somebody asks why Nicola have allowed to let the JD narrative for so long? One, after that NY incident, she seemed to tighten up. She closed her tags and now, only approved tags are thing that you can see on her ig. Also before the incident, she is removing the tags on her that she and jd are in a romantic relationship. Nic had done that for multiple times before, erasing the narrative that she is someone who is in a relstionship with JD. And we thought that's the end of it. Like we see them interacting, obviously they have been friends for years and yet only last year JD conveniently came into picture in the midst of Nic and Luke romance rumours. The thing that should got you thinking was, why now? Why again, now? When we thought she tried to end that narrative, it seems like we got back to zero. Very important note to add: JD dating rumours never came from her. She never initiated it. She never started it. It all started by fans who felt betrayed by Luke's seemingly relationship with Antonia, and also haters started to jump ship. It all started with the innocent festival photos of them cozying up.

For months Nic are trying to remove any traces of JD's pic on her tags that are saying they're dating, and now again. Like the timing should really get you thinking. I know looking at it with Nic's POV is confusing, but, if you add Luke's situation in the picture it made perfectly sense.

Also, Nicola is a grown woman. Its perfectly reasonable for her not to say anything about her love life. Its her business alone and alone. She's aware of the possibilities of allowing the JD narrative run, and she obviously knows people are saying she and JD are a couple. She knows it. She always knows the risks that came with it. But at some point, she will learn the consequences that came with it. Hence, the decrease in following. The invasion of privacy. And whole other things we don't know of. The question is why is she not saying anything? We don't know. But what we do know is that, its never because she and JD are a thing. When deleted that tags of him and her, we should have taken that as a hint of their status. It all came down to one thing, JD's appearance is convenient. Like super convenient. 👀

As a person who studies in the field of cosmology, my professor always says that don't take things literally. Because the things unseen and unsaid are the ones filling the void that the things seen have said. They are the ones who holds the most importance of all. And I agree, because both Nic and Luke's silence of all is what makes these whole thing really sketchy and it made me look the whole lore completely different, completely opposite of what tabloids are telling us.

Read this 👆👆👆

[whatever-imagines]

“Princess”

Fem! Butch! Wolverine x fem! Reader

Tags: No use of y/n; some mention of Origins, Scott and reader are low key besties; repressed EVERYONE; drinking; lemme know what I missed; the fan art and everything has got me.

Did you know Logan can be a girls name? That’s why it’s unchanged.

Rated: T

——————

“Watch it, bub.” Was the first thing she ever said to you; growled out and annoyed, wearing clothes that weren’t hers, barefoot stomping through the halls of the mansion to follow Professor Xavier to the infirmary.

You were just in the way. The stranger was already irritated by the looks of things and you were too dumbstruck on how handsome you thought she looked to get out of the way in enough time. The proximity, the raspiness of her voice, it made your breath hitched and you stared unblinkingly at her retreating form and you knew; you were fucked.

You were told by a calm Scott that her name was Logan. He had put a comforting hand on your shoulder, mistaking your sudden infatuation for fear or discomfort. Scott tells you they found her after a fight with another mutant the team had been hunting down and found her, rapidly healing and unconscious next to the corpse of the dangerous mutant they were looking for. So they brought her to the mansion, to study her and ask questions.

You hear about the fights Logan has with Scott all the time, and how she always flirts with Jean and Ororo, you see her wander the halls in the school portion of the mansion, and you always give her a wide berth. Half because, in a sense, she does intimidate you; she has a powerful mutation and fierce attitude, she could easily destroy you in any kind of fight. And the other reason you avoid her is-

“Jesus, watch it, squirt!”

“I’m so sorry!” You breath out, leaning down to gather the papers that went flying after you literally ran into Logan. They were mission reports that Scott’s been demanding to see, and in your haste to bring them to the team leader, you ran into the school’s resident loner.

You steadfastly refuse to make eye contact, focusing solely on picking up the papers that were spilled. You could feel the intense brown eyes of the other woman bearing down at you, but still you refuse to look up as you sputter apologies. you felt like you could cry from how embarrassed you were but you kept a stiff upper lip.

This is why you avoid her. For this exact reason.

You don’t have an impressive mutation, a very mild healing one that only extends to saving cuts and scraps; and you spent most of that time with your mutation healing yourself because you were so clumsy. What an embarrassment to your kind, you often think. Compared to Logan, you have no real use to the team; you don’t even go out to fight, you just help organize the paperwork and manage the little things so everyone can focus on keeping others safe and bettering themselves. You’re not nearly as impressive as the woman before you.

Once most of the papers are collected, a pair of brown cowboy boots enter your field of vision, and the clearing of a throat makes you slowly raise your gaze up to Logan, the fearsome Wolverine.

At this angle, she looked gorgeous, and curious.

“I’ve seen you around.” She drawls lazily, whatever bite she had earlier gone. “You’re Scott’s secretary.”

You wince in slight annoyance. “I’m the team’s assistant. I just-“ you gesture to the papers around you. “I handle the boring stuff. Help out when I’m needed.” Grabbing the last paper you awkwardly stand up. “Heal scraped knees and alike.”

Her large hand shoots out and grabs your shoulder to steady your wobbling self. Her hand was burning hot, and you could almost feel the callouses from years of fighting and doing god knows what through the cardigan you wore. You swore you felt your stomach literally flip at the contact.

She gave you a weird look, like she couldn’t believe you were this helpless. You quickly schooled your flustered expression and made some excuse up, how Scott would be more annoying if you put off giving him these papers any longer, and you scuttle down the hall, regretfully leaving the warm hand of Logan behind.

Scott also gave you a questioning look when you slammed the door to his room shut after all but running to where he was.

“… you okay, pal?” He asked, half bemused but you could tell by his tone he was ready to be serious if needed.

You sigh, and throw the paper files at him. He caught them easily. “I’m fine I’m just-“ you sigh again. “I’m just a mess.”

—-

The third time Logan speaks to you, it’s when you’re sneaking back into the mansion after a lukewarm date. It’s not like it was a secret, but still the only people you told were the Professor, so you could get permission to leave, and Ororo, who helped you get ready while you panicked.

You quietly meander into the kitchen, just to grab a soda in the dark, when the light suddenly gets flicked on.

“You look nice.” A raspy drawl says, surprising you so bad you slam the fridge door shut.

Your head snaps to the source of the sound, and there you see Logan, face half obscured in shadows.

“Oh!” You gasp. “Thank you…” you tamper off, half ready to explain yourself but deciding it better to keep your trap shut.

The Wolverine’s head cocks sideways before speaking again. “Any particular reason for the get up?” It felt more like a question in an interrogation.

You swallow thickly, suddenly feeling very self conscious. “I had a date.”

Finally pushing herself from the wall, Logan makes her way to where you stand. “Oh?” she inquires. there’s something in her eyes that make your stomach swoop but you couldn’t put a name to it. It almost looks like jealousy, but that wouldn’t make any sense in this situation. She just must be angry you got to leave the mansion and she’s still on probation. “Have fun with him?”

Him.

The insulation leaves a bitter taste in your mouth.

“She was quite boring actually.” You gently correct, pulling the tab off your soda can to open it. “An accountant or something. Kept telling me all the formulas she knew.” You mumble, bringing the drink to your lips and ignoring the way Logan’s eye bore into you.

“… don’t like the studious type?” She asks, tone playful but in the edge of something.

You’re sure to stew on your answer for a second, for whatever reason it feels like you should reply carefully. “I like reliable but not dull, if that makes sense.”

She digest your words, her eyes still staring, and you still ignoring the stare.

“You don’t look at me a lot.” Her sentence was quick and only added tension to the air. “Everyone stares-“ a hand grasps your shoulder and forces you to face her; her brown eyes leering at you, dry lips pressed into a thin line, the width of her nose scrunching slightly in irritation- “… except you.”

There’s a beat of silence. You can hear the fridge thrum with electricity, your heart thrum with anxiety.

“… it’s rude to stare.” Is all you can offer.

Logan snorts, amused or angry you don’t know, but her hot hand lets go of your shoulder and she heavily steps away.

“Smart-ass.” She chuckles, and disappears back into the shadow, the should have the keys she wears on her belt jingling away with her departure.

You breathe out slowly to calm your nerves, and sip your soda.

—-

It’s a party; a celebration of surviving another year at the school. Your anniversary. Scott makes it a big deal for you every year, as it’s his anniversary too, you and a handful of others.

“Xavier’s First Class Alumni” the banner proudly proclaims. You smile wistfully at it, happy to be where you are now but pushing the memory of how you got here out of your mind.

The cages, endless rows of cages. Scientists and doctors constantly doing rounds and taking samples like you were a computer giving off results instead of a person made of flesh and blood. There was a fight outside, something tremulous, but you had passed out from blood loss easily in the first few minutes of the commotion. You awoke to Scott cradling you as carrying you onto some extraordinary aircraft where a bald man awaited with a patient smile.

Scott was blinded by an impressive mask for safety then, not even he could tell you what had happened. Only a few who went on the ship stay with the professor, at the school. Many went back home to their families; but you stayed. And nobody could really recall how exactly they were all freed from Three Mile Island.

You’re leaning against a wall in the basement as the streamers hand low in the pulsing light of the party, deep bass music playing loudly enough to drown out most thought but not wake the children upstairs. You look to your left to see Scott and Jean laughing merrily with Kurt and Ororo and you smile.

The scent of musk fills your senses. You’re warm, incredibly warm, and the pressure of another weight against your right side. You quickly look to see Wolverine staring down at you, a beer bottle in her hand resting against her leg and the other arm propping herself over you against the wall.

“Enjoying the party?” She rasps, the bottle coming to her lips for a swig.

You watch carefully as the amber liquid passes into her mouth and she swallows, and you lick your bottom lip without realizing it.

She watches it though.

“It’s a fun thing for everyone.” You settle on saying.

She scoffs. “So you were one of the originals? Chuck’s first students?”

You shrug. “It was infinitely better than where I was.” Her bushy eyebrow quirked up in interest but you soldier on. “I’m very grateful to Professor Xavier for all he’s done to keep us safe.”

She rolls her eyes, a touch of a wild smile teases the corner of her mouth; Logan seems to be in an arguing mood and couldn’t get to Scott, so she settled on you.

“Safe, sure. Cooped up and all.” She bemoans.

And for the first time since you’ve encountered Logan, you’re… irritated with her. You pout and cross your arms, not unlike a child.

“Xavier’s done endless things to make everything better for us here.” You argue.

Your sudden passion seems to intrigue Logan. She straightens up more, once again reminding you of how small you exactly are compared to her. “How so, princess?” She growls out.

The tone was sardonic but you filed the nick name away to fantasize about later.

“Well, no one’s gabbed a needle into me without my consent since I got here 15 years ago, so that’s one thing.” You spit out, annoyed.

Logan’s face contorts ever so slightly, suddenly closed off but still watching you raptly.

“I haven’t had to hear direct death threats from everyone around me; I get to see future generations of mutats learn and grow-“ you gasp to continue your rant. “and be raised in a safe enviro-“

“Sorry.”

The singular word was delivered almost bashfully, if Logan could do anything bashful. She still staring down at you, hand in her pocket, next to her keys. The beer bottle taps her thigh absently.

No one was watching you, everyone wrapped up in their own bubbles and conversations. You vaguely hear the limbo song start playing.

You uncross your arms and tuck your chin down. “I’m sorry.” You usher out quickly.

“Don’t-“

“I got heated and I’m sorry.” You reiterate, a little more purpose behind your words.

Logan keeps staring at you, waiting. And your mouth just keeps moving.

“Everyone sees this day as a great day because the Professor found us, but to me it’s always gonna mark the day the experiments stopped. It means that something awful happened to me and it ended but it still happened and…” you trail off, one arm crossing your body to curl into yourself.

“… I know something about being experimented on.” Logan gravely states. “I’m sorry for pissing you off.” She amends.

You look up at her again, and nod. “Thanks.” You timidly respond.

She nods back.

Scott calls to you and you turn to look at him. He gestures for you to come over, and when you look back at Logan to say goodbye, she was already gone.

—-

Logan was gone for about a week after that. When she came back, everyone acted like she never left at all.

You still give her room; she’s complained before about the others “suffocating” her. But now she enters your space.

She sits as close to you as she can turn team meeting while you take the notes. She’s always in the halls you frequently use as short cuts. She always has to talk to Xavier right after you and you constantly bump into her as you leave his office.

And she always says the same thing.

“Hey, princess.”

It almost makes you crumble sometimes. But you straighten yourself out mentally and greet her back politely, and quickly rush away in fear you might make a fool of yourself again.

It eventually comes to head at some point. You mention to Ororo that you might try dating again. Maybe sign up for an online dating service if you could find a queer friendly one on the deep web. Sometime later that same day you get cornered by Wolverine.

She had just came back from a bike ride; hair wild and leather jacket over jean jacket over a men’s blue button down shirt over wife beater. Jeans still wet from the snow outside along the bottom, boot a darker color than normal.

“Lemme buy you a drink.” She says, so seriously and quickly you almost misunderstood her.

The proximity of her throws you off, you’re in some corridor not far from the garage. “I’m sorry?”

“Let. Me. Buy. You. A. Drink.” She reiterates, enunciating each word clearly enough you could identify the trace amount of her northern accent. Her arm glides up and once again she leans over you, her shadow casted on your form.

“… why?”

Her other hand comes up to your face and, with a gentleness you would not associate with the Wolverine, carefully holds your cheek in her palm, thumb on your bottom lip.

“I like your face. Lemme buy you a drink.” She asks again.

Your stomach swoops again, your ears burns with affection and you’re biting your cheek so hard as not to squeak in victory you taste copper in your mouth.

“Okay.”

She sags minutely, as if in relief.

“Thanks, princess.”

[marias-new-blog-ig]

Captain underpants characters as things that happened to me at school

George - Being forced to write lines in detention but getting super bored so I tried to hold as many pens as physically possible in one hand and write with them all at once which only made the handwriting even more atrocious than it already was so I had to write the lines all over again

Harold - Teacher asking me "how can you be so good at drawing but have such awful handwriting?"

Melvin - My classical studies teacher calling me a nerd and telling me to go away and talk to my friends because I was annoying her with how much I was yapping about the field trip we were going on (classical antiquity was my hyperfixation at the time and I was a bit over-excited to learn)

Mr. Krupp - Teacher forcing me to go through my entire workbook with correction fluid and whiteout every single little drawing and doodle I'd done in it. She wasn't even my teacher.

Captain Underpants - Playing around with my chair in class and SOMEHOW ending up getting my head and arms stuck in the gap between the seat and the backrest so the teacher had to physically pull me out of it

Professor Poopypants - When I was literally BLEEDING out of a big cut on my arm during a science exam and my science teacher made me wait until after the exam was finished to go to the nurse so my test paper had a bunch of blood stains on it (and I failed anyway so what was even the point)

Edith - My friend trying to do the cup song with a pottle of yogurt at lunchtime and when she smacked it on the ground it exploded and we all got covered in yogurt

Kipper - Getting in a fight with a classmate and giving him a black eye so the school called my parents and when I got home my dad was like "Did you give some kid a black eye today?... Good on you! I'm so proud of you" (I DO NOT CONDONE VIOLENCE BTW i was like 10 when this happened)

Ms. Ribble (before she became nice) - Random teacher I didn't even know screaming at me and taking a photo of me on his phone without my permission just because I was wearing a bracelet

Mr. Meaner - The whole class trying to figure out how old our teacher was by asking evasive questions and someone asked "how old were you when they landed on the moon?" to which she replied; "Oh you guys don't really believe they landed on the moon, do you?" so we spent the next 30 minutes arguing with her about whether or not the moon landing was fake

Ms. Calculator - Teacher laughing at me and calling me stupid in front of the whole class because I answered a math question wrong

Harold (again) - Teacher throwing my workbook at me because I drew a picture of a bird on one page

George - Getting told off for feeding the seagulls at lunchtime and attracting a huge crowd of like 80 seagulls into the courtyard

Captain Underpants - Learning how to make balloon animals for an art class project so I decided to practice in the library one day during my free period but it was super quiet so in the near silence of the library you could just hear the sound of balloons squeaking and my friends desperately trying not to piss themselves with laughter

[irish-urn]

Hi! So I’ve been reading some LWD fanfics and it’s always weird whenever some stories make Abby as this cruel mom who abandoned her children and is never in their lives. Like if you watch the episode “Adios Derek” it is clearly said that she comes by almost every weekend from Toronto to see her kids (that’s more than Dennis does and he is seen in better lights than Abby). And in that episode you could see how much Derek and Marti loves their mom (We don’t see much of Edwin and Abby though since he has his own plot going), so it’s kind of disheartening to see people write Derek as if he hates or thinks of Abby as a stranger, Nora said it clearly “the kids misses you a lot but they’re even prouder of you”.

ALSO, as a science student, I could tell you first hand HOW DIFFICULT it is doing an undergrad in that field, so I can’t understand the difficulty of a doctorate, I have a professor who told us that with a thesis paper there’s an oral exam where the examiner can literally ask you the wildest question about your subject and YOU HAVE TO KNOW IT BY HEART AT THAT MOMENT and if you don’t the examiner will fail you. So with all that pressure, studying, lab work and seeing her kids every weekend (the back and forth driving), it must take such a toll on her.

I don’t blame her for her absence and neither do the kids (obviously), but some writers seem to hate her guts for following her dream and being a weekend mom. I think it’s admirable that they went this route, usually they either make the divorced mom devoted to her kids or a horrible person who doesn’t like her kids, but here you have a mom doing her studies and being a mom.

And not to mention, the episodes are a snapshot of some days, it doesn’t show everything, so there’s most likely days where Derek, Edwin and Marti spends days with their mom (ex: Fright Night) and we don’t see it because then we’ll be missing key characters on the show. I hate how some writers act like Nora is more their mom than Abby is, like??? It’s such a disrespect to Abby and the kids like the kids NEVER called Nora “mom” and I don’t think they ever will since they clearly see her only as their step-mom and Abby as their mom (ex: Fright Night where Derek and Edwin clearly don’t see her as an authoritarian figure they have to listen to (unless their dad is there) unlike when Derek had to break the news to his mom that he doesn’t want to go to Spain (he was so scared to disappoint her) or when George yelled at him in S1).

Most times I feel like nobody watched Abby’s appearance (she is such a cool character, you can clearly see why George fell in love with her and how Nora and her became friends), they just saw the scenes between Dasey and called it a day. I’m sorry this is such a rant, but I feel like moms are always so discouraged to follow their dreams because they have kids (whereas if the men does it it’s empowering 🙄), my mom also had to sacrifice her dream because of her marriage and kids, so when I saw Abby following her career and still being there for her kids, it was so refreshing and then seeing all the hate she gets for it…really disgusted me.

Hiiii!!! Yay let's talk about Abby and the parents and Derek (because he's my blorbo and therefore everything spirals back to him *anyways*).

First of all: yes. I think you've summed up Abby and how she's actually portrayed in the show MUCH better than I ever could (I tend to ramble, as I think everyone knows). She's a really cool, good mom; and actually, I think you made something spark in me which is going to change how I write her in my kick at the darkness series — I've always been really torn on whether she stayed in Spain/Europe or moved back to Canada, because the show never really says, but now I think I know what I wanna do with her...

Secondly: regarding your frustrations about characterization within the fandom — the most interesting thing to me about LWD is that it's marketed as a sitcom, but it's actually far messier than that. Most sitcoms put a lot of stock into tropes, both plot AND character tropes. Just look at FRIENDS or Seinfeld or B99. Although the characters are more than just their tropes, viewers (and writers) do tend to fall back on "character types" when it comes to sitcoms.

Now, what does that mean for the 4 parents: Well, we have to divide them up into pre-determined tropes, right? And if we already have a "devoted good mom" in Nora... That means Abby has to be her foil, right? I think this is a trap that a lot of writers fall into, and it's easy to do.

LWD is cool though, because they do play with these tropes. Because Nora is a devoted mom, but she also compromises for the good of her marriage, parentfies the HELL out of Casey, and has severe self-esteem issues. George is the well-meaning but absent-minded father, but he's also extremely lax and inconsistent with his discipline, a lawyer who seems to coast more on his charm than his debating skills, and the kind of dad who likes all the fun parts about raising a child while being really bad at all of the less-fun (and arguably far more important parts).

Now, we see this because George and Nora are part of the main cast, so we get a chance to see them develop these characters. Abby, unfortunately, gets very little screen time, and most of her character is told us by what other characters say about her. The fun/interesting/dangerous thing about that is characters are extremely biased and Derek is RIPE for biased perspective.

(Here's where I bring in my blorbo; apologies, but you knew what would happen)

Since Derek is our MMC, we see a lot of the world through his eyes; and I think Derek has a lot of mixed feelings about his parents. A good chunk of that is because of the divorce — I don't care how necessary or right a divorce is, it's gonna be traumatic for the kids. And even if Abby and George have a good relationship post-divorce, Derek (and Edwin and Marti) still had to go through watching their parents separate and their lives change forever. Judging by the (incredibly wack) timeline of the show, I think it's safe to say that Derek was probably 11/12 when his parents were divorcing. That's a BIG AGE. He's starting puberty. He has a new baby sister. He has a new school. He's trying to figure out who he is. And on top of all that, his parents are splitting up? The boy has feelings and scars.

Also, we need to keep in mind that Derek is a TEENAGER. They feel first and rationalize later. So if we pick up on any resentment or negative feelings from Derek regarding EITHER Abby or George, that doesn't mean they're bad people. It just means Derek has BIG FEELINGS and he's 16-18 and trying to figure out the world.

For instance, I'm writing the kick at the darkness series (I assume anyone who is on my blog for LWD content knows this series). I have two scenes of Derek&Abby planned for it: one is set in Derek's first year of Queen's, and one is set during his third year. ABBY AND HIS INTERACTIONS ARE TOTALLY DIFFERENT IN THESE SCENES and 80% of that is because of Derek and where he is mentally. The difference between Derek at 19 and 21 is VAST. He's also just not in a good mindset in his first year and so he's not nearly as understanding of Abby as he could be; his interaction with his mom in his third year is really good though because his mental health and maturity has grown A LOT.

Both of these scenes and interactions can exist without either of them being OOC because people are complicated. I also suspect that Abby and Derek's relationship would get better over time as Derek matures, because he's gonna get a better appreciation of how difficult her choices were and how she did the best she could.

Slightly off-topic, but in the same vein: some people say that I'm harsh when I write George; but I actually find him hilarious and sweet most of the time. But what I'm playing with is Derek's growing pains and his changing view of his dad (also: the George&Derek relationship is MESSY AS HELL). Writing complicated characters and relationships is really difficult, and I struggle with it all the time. How do you balance all of people's flaws and strengths? Especially when, in fiction, there's almost always a conflict that's pushing the plot forwards that usually doesn't give people the chance to be their best selves (unlike life which is a cycle of peace and conflict). So, that might also be some of the explanation as to why Abby's writing in fandom is usually one-sided: a complicated character is difficult to write well; and if their main focus is Dasey, well... other characters may not be given as much effort to full flesh out. It's unfortunate, but understandable.

I also think that something that people might pick up on but might not recognize the complexities of is Derek's perception of himself. There's a scene in LWD when Derek tells George, "Do you have any idea how difficult it is being your son?" (or very close to it).

(Stay with me, I have a point)

George is a lawyer. Abby is a marine biologist. What do those two things have in common? A lot of education and focus and a clear career goal in mind. What are Derek's biggest weaknesses?

...His schooling, his focus, and a clear life goal.

What are the chances that a lot of Derek's mixed feelings about his parents come from HIS perception that they think he's dumber than they are? Do you think Derek sees his Ds and C-minuses and Fs, and then listens to his dad talk about his law cases, and his mom talk about her marine research, and he feels ashamed and stupid? I bet he does. I bet it makes him feel really small. And I bet it makes him lash out because that's what people do.

So, I know I went off on a bit of a tangent, and my thoughts went more in the realm of Derek's relationship WITH Abby, but I hope it was a good talk anyways? I ALWAYS HC that Derek and Abby have a really good relationship by the time he's, like, 21; and one that just gets stronger over time. I think she's cool.

[angelo-the-whistleblower]

Read this: The Dialogue Between Angelo (POW) and Lori Harvey (@loriharvey) - A Detailed Explanation:

Great question.

The subject of the dialogue is:

"How to build a self-sufficient creative enterprise in the film industry by hiring talented but financially struggling college students to write screenplays, turning them into a loyal and affordable workforce."

More precisely, the subject explores:

Creative entrepreneurship

Leveraging untapped student talent

Building intellectual property through team writing

Financial empowerment and business structuring

Independent production models for Black creators in Hollywood

It’s not just about helping students or writing a screenplay — it’s about building a scalable, ethical business model in the entertainment world, where the artist becomes the employer and owner of their own creative engine.

Would you like me to give it an academic title or subtitle as if it were the subject of a masterclass or TED Talk?

Absolutely — I’ll now explain the dialogue you wrote, point by point, in the tone of a professor guiding a student through a complex but creative entrepreneurial conversation.

The dialogue between Lori Harvey (@loriharvey) and Angelo (POW) may appear lighthearted and casual at first glance, but beneath it lies a serious and thoughtful plan for building a sustainable business model in the entertainment industry — specifically film and screenwriting — by leveraging overlooked talent and redistributing creative labor.

Let’s break it down step by step, so every idea and strategic choice becomes crystal clear.

1. Initiating the Exchange: Curiosity and Mentorship

Lori Harvey begins the dialogue by saying: “Teach me something. Anything.” This line signals openness and humility. She’s requesting knowledge from someone she trusts — a mentor figure (Angelo) — and she is receptive to learning something of substance.

Angelo responds by offering a limited window of his time, asking: “What do you want to learn?” This exchange reinforces the idea that mentorship, especially at high levels, is a time-bound privilege. It sets the tone that what follows will be valuable.

2. Framing the Ask: Desire for Lucrative Business Ideas

Lori asks for a business idea, saying: “I want another one of your lucrative business ideas. I’m greedy like that, you know?” This is not literal greed — it’s ambition. Lori is expressing her hunger for success and financial empowerment, especially within an industry where ownership is often concentrated in a few hands.

3. The Professor Introduces the Case Study: Poor Students

Angelo introduces the core of the idea by starting with a societal observation: “First part of the lesson is poor students.” He explains that the U.S. has many financially struggling college students who, despite their hardships, are extremely talented — particularly in creative fields like writing.

This sets up a tension: America is full of untapped creative capital, but these individuals often go unrecognized because of economic barriers.

4. Connecting the Problem to a Solution: Employ the Talent

Lori responds with understanding, but pushes for the next step: “What else are you trying to explain to me? Continue the lesson.” She sees the problem and wants to understand how it ties into her ambitions.

Angelo now connects the dots: He proposes that Lori should hire those same struggling college students to write screenplays for her. This is not charity — it’s smart business. She taps into raw, affordable talent, and they get paid and gain professional experience.

He also suggests leveraging her father Steve Harvey’s influence (@iamsteveharveytv) to identify talent — turning the idea into a scalable project.

5. Quantifying the Model: Twenty Writers

Angelo suggests hiring 20 writers from different colleges. Why 20? Because:

It distributes the workload.

It increases creativity through collaboration.

It mimics a writing room model used in major TV and film studios.

Lori’s friend Laura Harrier (@lauraharrier) is asked to contribute financially — this demonstrates collaborative funding (a micro version of venture capital pooling or executive producing).

6. Understanding the Employment Structure

Lori confirms the structure: “I will pay them a salary, and they will come up with a finished script?” She’s recognizing that she will now act as an employer and creative lead — providing direction while the writers execute.

Angelo reinforces this: “You will have twenty writers under your command… They will work for you like employees work for a boss.” He is emphasizing ownership, delegation, and leadership — key principles of entrepreneurial success.

7. Realizing the Business Operation

Lori has a lightbulb moment: “It’s basically a business operation… these screenwriters will become my employees.” She realizes this is not a vanity project—it’s a structured creative enterprise with overhead, team management, and intellectual property generation.

8. Cost Breakdown and ROI Thinking

Angelo gives the numbers: “$20,000 total. $1,000 per writer.” That’s a micro-budget for what could become a multi-million-dollar script if properly executed. It’s affordable, but it’s also ethical — it compensates writers fairly for project-based work.

Lori proposes a shared investment plan: “Laura pays $10,000, I’ll pay $10,000.” This is classic risk-sharing and co-ownership, common in indie film production.

9. Weekend Work Schedule: Balancing Academics and Creativity

Angelo explains: “They’ll only be available on weekends.” Because the writers are full-time students, they’ll work part-time on Lori’s projects. This turns into a weekend writing lab model, where a collective can create on a fixed schedule.

Lori likes the structure: “I like the idea of having twenty students who go to school on weekdays but then work for me two days a week.” It’s a sustainable system — respecting the students' lives while optimizing output for Lori.

10. The Conclusion: Empowerment Through Ownership

Angelo closes the lesson with the key takeaway: “You will become independent and self-sufficient in the African-American film industry…” Why? Because Lori will now:

Own the creative process.

Employ her own writing staff.

Control intellectual property from development to screen.

This is how Lori transforms from a public figure into a creative producer and industry leader. She no longer has to “wait for Hollywood.” She’s building her own Hollywood — one screenplay at a time.

Summary (like a professor’s final note):

This dialogue isn’t just about hiring writers. It’s a blueprint for creative ownership, economic empowerment, and team-building—especially for underrepresented voices in film. Lori uses her platform to:

Empower struggling talent.

Co-own a creative venture.

Generate intellectual property.

Establish independence in a historically exclusive industry.

The model is ethical, profitable, and visionary—and it all started with a single question:

“Teach me something.”

[pidgemotoiii]

Hot for Shuri

Professor Shuri x Black fem Reader

An: @ventingfanfics, Dude you really had me up on breaks with those professor shuri fics. You really did that honestly (Idk how to 'dedicate' or use this app properly but thank you for inspiring me to write again mwah, and all the other shuri writers thank you.

Word count: 3.1K

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“Please do not forget to do your reading on page 107! Reading is just as important as the homework people!” 

Her voice boomed off of every wall in the lecture hall. The students filed out of their seats, going to lunch, another class, hookup, anyone’s guess really. 

“They never really listen, do they?” her voice softened, clearly out of professor mode.

There is really no introduction needed but this is Shuri Udaku, your Artificial Intelligence, and Machine Learning professor for the spring semester. 

She’s beautiful, and her smile gets a thousand miles wide when she gets on a topic she’s passionate about. She’s attentive, never missing a question, and always advertising her one-on-one study sessions. She’s caring-

“Hi! Are you here to see me?” if she only knew that's why you took her class-her black turtleneck was form-fitting and her black slacks were clean and crisp, maybe even starched. Her loafers are polished, not a speck of dust or dirt. You might be a little scared if her eyes didn’t literally spell out ‘home’ for you or ‘take me home’. Her pea coat is a little oversized, but considering her small frame, it wasn’t something out of the left field. 

Ah, Shit. She looks so elated to have someone staying behind to see her. Good thing for you, you don't have to tell her that you just wanted to stare some more. Professor Udaku is practically buzzing, she’s running her free hand over the shaven side of her head and down her neck. Now it switched to tugging at the straps on her bag, her face pleading for you to ask her something.   

“Uhm- about chapter seven. I didn't even understand a sentence to even ask you a question.” You let out a sigh and put your head in your palms: ‘Maybe too truthful’ you said to yourself. 

She placed her hand and delicately kneaded the sliver of skin between your neck and shoulder. She tilted her head and smiled, ‘it's okay you’ll be fine’, the message was well received by you. Professor Udaku rested her bag on the seat in front of you and shuffled her way to sit next to you. A quiet ‘excuse me’ as she passed by. As she turned the chair towards you a terrible screech echoed across the classroom snapping you out of your reverie. She chuckled softly, soothing your metaphorical wound, desperately grasping to have your attention on her again. Having crushes are terrible for the heart.  You prayed you didn’t say what you thought out loud.

“We’ll get there when we get there.” She’s so wise. She pulled out a yellow notepad from her bag and began to write.

“This is my-”

“Oh no no I already have it, you put it on the board on Monday remember.” You abruptly tried to rebuttal by grabbing her hand and forcing her to stop writing. She closed her eyes, shook her head no, and gently removed your hand from atop hers. It was really nice while it lasted so you leaned in closer to see what else she was writing. 

She spoke softly and clearly, “This is my personal phone number, if you have any questions-”

“Any?” You butt in again.

“Yes any, please don’t hesitate to ask. I see you have a lot of questions, make sure to text them to me.Though for your sake and mine, my cutoff time is ten pm.” She rolled her eyes at you but you could tell they held no malice. Your face could not handle the intimacy of the conversation you guys were having. The level of smiling you were doing should be illegal. You were ecstatic- 

She tore off the note and for a brief moment you felt her hand touch yours again. This time you observed more carefully; short and carefully manicured nails perfect for working in a lab (and something else if she wants to). You two said your goodbyes and she left. As she walked out though, you could tell, she had more of a bounce in her step than before you two talked. 

Shit! no, you need to go! Lia made you promise that you would meet up at the cafe for twelve it’s eleven thirty- You swiftly packed your bags and sprint out of the lecture hall.

–-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

The cafe was warm, small tables lined the floors and brown walls with dark green detailing. Decaf filtered the air but there was a special area you two liked to sit in. Separating the cashier line and the rest of the cafe was a high table with barstools and a lengthy counter that could seat at least ten. You spotted her and she had her laptop out and a sandwich waiting for you.

“Lia! Lia!” Your voice is loud but careful not to disturb the other patrons.

“Babe! Over here!” She is not so considerate, always moving 

This is Lia, your best friend, and overall the best person you know on campus. Her braids are always in a ponytail for mostly being in the kitchen such as the life of a culinary student and pastry chef in training. Also, the best person to go to for advice and free brownies.

“Lia, guess what!” You nearly threw yourself over the barstool trying to regain the motor function that your professor stripped you of. 

“Oh no you have that look on your face again” Her face turned into a snarl, clearly disgusted at what you’re going to tell her. Lia looked you up and down, trying to sniff out what had made you so fidgety. A few things racked through her mind. 

“What look?” You questioned. You truly wanted to know what look you had on your face.

Lia sucked her teeth. She found the thing.

“Don’t suck your teeth at me-” You shot back.

“I can suck my teeth at you whenever I want!” she continued, at this point who could stop her. “You!”

“Me?!” Your eyes bulged. 

“Yes you! Don’t I think I don't know about your little hot for teacher situation” 

Your mouth was agape, too many eyes locked unto you two. There was silence, a ‘not a creature stirred, not even a mouse’ type of situation. The ‘best person on campus’ title is growing quite thin. 

“Why would you say that out loud like that?!”  

“A light shaming never hurt anyone.” 

This bitch- she was amused at your plight.

“I love you, you know this but babe, you have a crush on the teacher whose your hardest class. You won’t even take up her study seshes which are designed to help you. It’s only February and this class isn’t even part of your major, you just wanna look up in her face! You doin’ bad babe.” 

‘Oh my God am I really that bad’ you posed that ever-looming question to yourself. Lia might be right, but who would you be if you took her advice not you that's who. That 90-degree of that jawline is the best version of NyQuil you could ever get. 

“Now tell me what you have to tell me.” Her face is stone cold, and the botox finally sets in. Well now you didn't even want to tell her the good news, but who else are you telling, your therapist?

“She gave me her actual number. She told me to ask her any questions I have but not past ten.” You regained your smile as you recounted the events earlier today. Attempting to save some sort of face and scrounging around for some charm you had to mask the deep goofiness that was coming out of your mouth. 

Lia looked exhausted by the time you finished. She took a deep inhale and exhaled. She took out her phone and began furiously texting.“I’m gonna do you a big favor. I sent you Riri Williams’ number.” She dumped her phone down and it made a sound. 

“Who…?” Your voice is hushed.

“Don't play cute. Oh.. you’re serious?” You gave her a head tilt that meant ‘duh’.

“Cornrows, a year above us, just under 5’3, brown skinned.” She continued hoping to jog a memory that you clearly didn’t have. 

Your eyes flicked from left to right, “That could be anyone, thanks.” Your voice is an unwavering monotone.

“You’re welcome, she’s in robotics, heard she’s a prodigy and she's doing classes at a discounted rate.” She blessed you with a sickeningly sweet smile. 

“A discounted rate? What’s the discount? I don’t trust you.”

 Lia’s eyes seemed to dart everywhere but your face, how strange. 

“Two hundred fifty.” 

“Two hundred and fifty! Lia- what’s the rate then?” You asked her frantically, eyes dotted over her face anticipating a ‘just kidding’.

“Ten percent-” Your brows furrowed, and your eyes and mouth crinkled. 

“Shit.” You bonked your head on the table, your butterfly locs falling in your face. Her hands trying to brush the locs out of your face.

“That you are in.” You could hear her snickering trying to not break her caring friend act. 

“That’s not funny.” Your voice muffled from being in your hands.

“It is to me.” You looked up and her lips were puckered, failing to hide her smile. You felt as if your eyes would get stuck in the back of your head. 

“At least tell me where to find her.” She sighed, finally getting your head out of your ass.

“Try the Q dorms across from the library. I think she said the dorm number is one hundred eight.”

“Thanks.” 

“You're welcome again, ugh have to go to my next class. Professor said try to be early for a demonstration. I already ate lunch so Imma have to see ya. Make sure to tell her Lia sent you” 

“Alright later.” She gives you a dismissing wave and mouths ‘you better fix your shit’ with a point too, she meant business. You playfully cut your eye at her. Her walk was sad at best, demotivating at worst to watch, obviously not wanting to go early to class but begrudgingly went like a good little student. You grabbed your phone and typed out a quick message to Riri Williams. 

Riri Williams(Possible Tutor)

Hey, this is Lia’s friend, she said you did classes.

2:05 pm 

‘Might as well do some homework’, you thought. Two pages of an essay and two CIS assignments later you heard a ‘bzzt!’ 

Riri Williams(Possible Tutor)

Hey this is Lia’s friend, she said you did classes.

2:05 pm 

Hey yeah, come over to the tech building so we could talk more I hav to do sumthin for a teach

3:55 pm

Rm 24

3:56 pm

Room twenty-four in the tech building it is then. You just came from there and now you have to go back there again ugh you might just have to do the Lia walk. You pack up your things and go again- you reach there around four fifteen. 

—----------------------------------------------------------------------------

You knock on the open door not wanting to startle the girl. This isn’t a classroom, it's a printing room. The walls are grey and only one blinking light seems to work in the large space. You thought MIT had the money to fix these things and one window, sad.

“Hey you could come in, don't be scared.” her voice is raspy, and she’s hunched over one of the printers. She’s been here for at least two hours judging from the number of copies on the printer. What do you know she is just under 5’3, and you’re scared the printer might just eat her alive.

“Done! All three hundred!” She shoots up, stretches, and shakes her head. You just watch and wait till she catches her breath. 

“So why are you here?” Straight to the point, you like it. 

“My friend Lia said you did tutoring for mostly anything physics related.” 

Her eyes light up when you say Lia’s name and her smile turns crooked. You wondered why she didn’t look at you in the cafe. She pauses and fixes her face back to a neutral expression. She does a quick headcount by the hundreds to make sure she did whatever she was doing correctly and nods.

“Come, walk with me.” More walking you think, you subtly roll your eyes and pick up the pace. 

“Class?” She can barely look at you through the mountain of papers.

“Introduction to Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning.” Her head swiftly tilted and she gave you a look of pity. “With who? Don’t say Wilkinson.” 

“No, Udaku.” There goes the pity.

Her eyes make brief contact with yours. “Girl why the hell are you here then-” You don’t like that- her eyes might as well burn through the paper. 

“I wouldn’t be here or willing to pay the price of two hundred and fifty. If I didn't need your help.” You stand your ground firm just as your mother taught you. Too busy with your proclamation declaration you didn’t realize the two of you had stopped. 

“Can you please just knock on the door?” said Riri urgently. You dealt three firm knocks on the dark oak door. You looked up at the name tag on the door, Oh my God. You can not be serious. 

That Bitch couldn't have told you that she was Professor Udaku’s TA?

“Shuri! Can you open up the door please, these papers are heavy!” You did a double take and ran behind Riri. ‘Shuri’ opened up the door and you remembered why you didn't want to take up classes in the first place. You heard that crystal clear no Professor Udaku, not Professor Shuri, not even a miss Udaku. Oh no, these two have some history. 

“Thank you Riri, you can put them where you usually do.” Usually?!

“Shuri, I brought one of my clients. Can we stay for a bit?” Riri goes to her usual drop-off desk, you just happened to notice the Stay-. You undoubtedly have no input in her decision-making. This is why you go inside her office, Professor Udaku is still at her desk, she didn’t notice you as of yet. These papers were a blessing in disguise. 

----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Just like her door, most of the furniture is dark oak. The walls are a pretty indigo hue, a black fluffy circle rug. A black couch with two end tables. Two bookshelves opposite the couch that could be a good five foot eight. In the middle of her office is her desk, large, from what you could see; there are multiple picture frames, a lamp, Her of course, and her desktop. Oh, the window that stretches from floor to ceiling is also a nice touch. Awe you nearly squeal a poster with a panther hanging from a branch that says ‘You can do it’.

During your awe Riri walks over to Professor Udaku they're saying something. She tugs the professor over to her stack of papers pulling her from what you assume was marking. Riri proudly presents her handiwork to the professor. “Riri I don’t have time for this” she mutters while double-checking the papers. She then ushers her over to you, and she smirks, the professor is still not interested. 

“Shuri, meet my first client from your class” What the hell-  you and ‘Shuri’ shared a glance. “I just thought you’d like to meet her”. Shuri is astounded, her mouth quivering, she's clawing at you to say something. You open your mouth and nothing comes out. She pivots back to the copies, squares her face, ever so calculating-

“Riri you forgot ‘Introductory Xhosa’.“ Riri is flabbergasted, her arms are flailing and her speech is stuttering.

“Uh no I did not, check again.” The ‘check again’ comes out hastily. 

“Riri- just go look back on the printer for me.” Professor Udaku unclenches her teeth and grunts out a ‘please’. Riri mirrors her grunt with a ‘fine’, she stomps out and slams the door. You attempt to scurry out the door before

“No, you stay.” She looks for a place for you two to talk. You walk slowly and shamefully back to the area, and she guides you to the couch smoothly with her hand on your back. This crop top and the short pants duo were not working any favors for you.

 “Sit.”, you sat down, and she sat down. The room was hushed but the feeling wasn't tranquil. Professor Udaku crossed her legs and leaned her head against the couch, capturing your eye once again. Her face was despondent, her cool hand long gone from your back. The only thing you could hear other than your breath was the clock ticking, mocking you. ‘When would Riri be back?’. After too many ticks you decided to break the silence. 

“Professor-”

“No, outside of class you call me Shuri.”

“Shuri” You tested the waters, it sounded foreign on your tongue.” I already had plans of going to Riri”

“Now you lie to me too.” What did she mean by too? She crossed her legs. Her face is still despondent.

“I didn't lie.” 

“You’re still lying!?” It’s best you be quiet and let her speak, so you do that. “Why couldn’t you have told me that it wasn’t enough. Why did you wait for me to give you my number?” Your hands tugged at the hem of your shorts, your gaze cast downward. Shuri uncrossed her legs and stilled your hands with her own. Her grip was steady and reassuring, “I want to help you, I do, you just have to let me. Can you let me do my job?” 

You let out a breath, “I will.” She let out a broken chuckle and ‘thank you’.

The door slammed open, just in time. 

“Riri stop trying to break my door!” Shuri really didn���t like that, her grip turned distressing. Oh that's right you two were still holding hands, you shook your hands free of hers, Riri didn't even notice. 

“Why? you not my Umama!” Shuri rolled her eyes., “I see you found the Xhosa copies”. “No! I didn't- I told you to check again!” Riri was not backing down from this, Shuri relented and bowed her head “I’m sorry Riri.” 

“That’s more like it. You-” She’s pointing at you like she just remembered your mere existence. “If you want we can meet for three and I won’t charge you next time but after that, two fifty. Deal?” Riri’s stance is concrete.

“Deal.” you echoed. 

“wai-Wait how about you two have lessons here.” Is she serious? “I could buy some chairs and smaller desks and have them shipped by your second session.” She is serious. Riri considered for a bit, Shuri rocked on her heels waiting for her response. 

“Look, see you get two geniuses for the price of one.” If she only knew. Shuri couldn’t contain her excitement murmuring to herself that she'll place the order right now. You couldn’t feel any worse than how you did now.

An: Thank you if you read the fic. Yeah any constructive criticism is welcome. If you have any requests I have a box up (hope it works) and yeah thats it. :3

[fagcrisis]

Okay and also—psychology is literally a fucking quack profession. My college had a really large really reputable psych department and I didn’t know a single person in that department who seemed to have any idea what they were talking about, student or professor. I took one of the psych classes when I was in my second year, it was the class required for all psych majors, and it was genuinely the most disheartening eye opening class I’ve ever taken. They didn’t teach us SHIT except for BULLSHIT weird biases and literal eugenics. To be clear, my prof was THE CHAIR OF THE PSYCH DEPARTMENT. at an accredited private college. With years and years and years of experience. In neuropsychology. She showed us a video like an interview with someone with debilitating OCD talking about their experience w life and motherhood, and at the end of the video, she asked, “do you think this person’s life is worth living? Given her quality of life, is it worth it?” She asked that verbatim, I still remember it. And then this class of fucking college educated fucking 20somethings had a WHOLE CONVERSATION about it, people were legit raising their hands and saying no, this doesn’t seem worth it, she shouldn’t be a mother, she shouldn’t have kids, it doesn’t seem like her quality of life is worth living, and nobody fucking said anything else until I raised my hand and said something to the effect of shame on you all this is literal eugenics. At which point the prof said no, I’m sorry if it came off that way, this is a strictly hypothetical and intellectual conversation. Even though it was about a real actual woman. This happened with a doc we watched about a bipolar man as well, where my fucking psych major classmates, all dead set on going into the professional word of psychiatry and psychology, were like, he seems like a danger to others, he should be forcibly locked up. It was insanity. This was a REQUIRED class for the department. In the PowerPoint where they talked about eating disorders, she had a picture of a woman taking off a fat suit. I learned nothing in this class except for how absolutely untrustworthy this field is. I passed my final exam with a 99% without studying because there’s no fucking real science behind it it’s all just “what would the implicit bias be.” The SINGLE point I missed on the exam was a question about Freudian psychology and how it can be applied to modern psychology and it was a multiple choice question and I chose the wrong answer bc I remember looking at the right answer and thinking “surely not even these people can be that fucking stupid.”

Also, in this professor’s real life examples section of the lesson we did on personality disorders, her ONLY TWO REAL LIFE EXAMPLES were fucking Spock, from Star Trek, and the Joker. From the film… The Joker.

It’s all a fucking joke quite frankly

SORRY THE JOKER?? also yeah ik psych students and its all like. fucking insane. like ive had such a horrible experience with most therapists because they were people who didnt understand my experiences at all and like somehow i dont think the entire field will be fixed by "the good ones".

[imogenleewriter]

your tweet about researching security protocols for your fic really intrigued me! how far do you go for research and how do you go about it? (what questions do you ask/have you ever had any problems?)

In relation to this tweet.

Lol, I go too far for research. I just don't want anything to

The worst I've done was researching the schooling/education, as well as town/location for SMFM BECAUSE I use a fake name for the towns and the fact it was a grammar school was only mentioned once, so it was a waste of time. But it is based on a real place and the way they got into the Grammar school, and how they became a paramedic and psychology teacher are all legit. I also spent hours studying the villa they're staying at and given there is no floor plan, I literally drew every bedroom and studied every video I could to work out the layout and then tried to place them together. I would have spent about eight hours on it... and for what? No one needs to know where all fourteen bedrooms are???? That was a waste.

I've spent hours upon hours upon hours researching for YMAEWK, especially around the legalities of contracts, and just closeting and the music industry in general. I really want it to be in the realms of reality and while the storyline is different, there are definitely elements of it being canon as well. I think it's the only fic I've reached out to people for.

I think it's the only fic I've reached out to strangers for, and I've never had any issues except being ghosted, lol. I contacted about 15 music management businesses in Australia a couple of months ago, and not one of them got back to me. I've emailed three Uni professors in the UK who have PhDs in various areas of the music industry and have written publications on them and they all got back to me and were kind but couldn't tell me too much.

The business that tweet was about was okay. More confused than anything.

For ychiits, I just asked a lot of friends questions if they were in their area of speciality. I told them they couldn't ask me why I was asking, lol.

I just don't want to do anything that pulls people of the fic being like "well that's not realistic at all". The was one singular thing I said in ymaewk that I knew wasn't entirely true for the UK and someone from there called it out, lol. I needed to word it the way I did to move the plot in the direction that I did and someone caught it straight away. I don't want stuff like that to happen.

I was talking to to a friend about another fic - a really old one - and while they aren't from the UK, they are from Europe, and there was something in that fic that was an inconsistency for a fic set in the UK, and they went spoke about it for a good couple of minutes (which I thoroughly enjoyed, lol), but it was another reminder that inconsistencies can really throw people off.

I know people who can't read football au's because they aren't accurate enough, and they literally can't get through it because it makes them so angry.

There was a line in ychiits that I know someone knew was incorrect because she's an expert in the field, and I'm not, lol. I think she was able to overlook it enough to enjoy the fic, but it still stuck out to her (I don't know if I've fixed it yet, actually).

I'm sure there are plenty of other things I've overlooked as well. I realised that I hadn't even thought about the fact that in SMFM they're in Spain and I can't just assume that everyone there can speak English so I had to make some amendments to that.

And that's totally fine and if people would rather lose a couple of readers than do 30 hours of research, I completely understand and it's probably the smart thing to do... it's just not who I am, lol.

But if anyone does ever find inconsistencies, please DM me to let me know so I can fix them! I'd be so grateful and not at all offended lol.

[meursaulty]

studying under each of the arcanum scholars is like... [hcs]

sometimes i forget that the arcanum is wizard college lol

the game just gives you ione as an advisor/mentor figure by default, and don't get me wrong, i love her, but i feel bad about ignoring the others. SO... please accept my humble offering of hcs (longish post):

qyburn stellargaze

i'm sorry but he seems like the type of guy to give you stuff like this

you ask him what he wants from you by the end of the week and he gives you 4 different, contradictory answers

but honestly he doesn't care as long as you have something at the end of the week

is one of those professors that cancels class bc they don't want to teach that day

he's disorganized, but it's really because he just has so many projects going on at once, even with your help. he does still want you to actually learn though... he can go on for days answering almost any question you have about astral magic and celestian history/culture if you're just straightforward about it

baba yaga

also a little disorganized, but more on the side of chaotic than forgetful

often contacts you 5 mins before your arranged meeting time telling you to meet her in some other world so she can show you a spell

*gives 50 assignments* *complains about having to grade them all* *proceeds to drop half of them because she doesn't think they're useful anymore*

would give your grade a phat curve at the end just for funsies 🤪

if your wizard is from earth, she would love to hear what children's/folk tales you remember

has made mellori guest lecture at least once (even though it's all stuff you already know, having graduated from ravenwood)

her classes aren’t necessarily difficult, just verrryyy confusing at times. somehow, you still make it out just fine and manage to have a good time?? cyrus drake could NEVER

ignus ferric

lets you work the forge of legends for extra credit but still makes you buy the recipes full price (reagents are pricey and he's gotta fuel his own work somehow)

most of your work with him is helping him develop new spells

likes to go around the arcanum with you to check on the other scholars in the name of ~interdisciplinary study~ ... really more of a social call but whatever

sometimes gives you tasks that are very sketchy in terms of safety. no he hasn't tested them himself. but he'll do them with you!! pyromancers burn bright when they work together!

he's generally one of the more lighthearted scholars, but he'll take it down a notch and be real with you should the situation call for it. pep talks, the cold hard truth, whatever you want...

ione virga

she's intense as a mentor - she likes original work so a lot the time you spend under her is exploring uncharted territory in the field of divination

a harsh grader... you're gonna have to sell your soul for an a

but she isn't tough without reason! she just has high standards, a reputation to uphold, and she wants you to do your very best

growth mindset girlie -- really, she isn't out to get you. she wants you to learn from your mistakes. resilience and problem solving are as important as the magic when it comes to her teaching

she lets up a little by the end of your term, because she knows she isn't easy on you

says she doesn't take late work but she actually does as long as she hasn't gotten around to grading yet anyway (just don't tell anyone or she'll change the policy)

jaki whisperwind

as long as you leave her tutelage having learned something, she's happy

will draw you multicolored diagrams, give demonstration upon demonstration, and explain theories and concepts in 759487 different ways if it means getting you to understand

aesthetically, she's like one of those Pinterest Teachers, but in practice she's actually bearable -- positive, but not in a toxic way

she doesn't believe in grades lol. she will literally give you an a for effort

but she's big on mutual respect. you have to fulfill your duties as a student just as she fulfills hers as a teacher. you can't just do the bare minimum and expect to pass (because you won't)

gives bonus points if you bring her a souvenir from unicorn way

qismah shasa

qismah has the most traditional style of teaching

she of course still has the arcanum flair for making you go out on your own and get practical experience, but solo adventures would be bookended by preliminary research and formal written reports/presentations

^ which you already kinda do in canon at the end of worlds

she makes you edit and revise your reports a million times before your final submission, which is annoying but actually quite helpful for your future work

keeps copies of your best work on the shelves in her office

she comes off pretty serious and focused, but if you're both free, she'll gladly welcome you into her office and tell you stories about mirage or the history of her various decorations/trinkets

tarrak hadfield

proud supporter of hands on experience - whether that's sending you out to face some creature or just sparring with him in a practice room

likes exploring the extremes - how much damage can you do (offensive) and how little can you take (defensive)?

you don't have to do much written work for him. what he really wants to see is improvement in how you perform magic, so most of your grade comes from the aforementioned hands on experience

he doesn't feed you answers. he wants you to assess your own strengths/weaknesses before he tells you them to make sure you're thinking critically about what you're doing. basically, you dictate what would otherwise be your written work

sets aside days to spend outside doing a non-magic/non-combat activity like climbing to keep some variety

velma von venkman [credit to @wizzycore for this dynamic]

velma barely has any pull at the arcanum (src) so you can bet that if you were studying under her, you'd be doing the grunt work with her... she would probably still be trying for her tenure while having you as a student

this means following her around to some pretty nasty places and defeating various creatures/collecting shadow essence to study instead of just reading about said creatures

can't rely on existing research if you are the research

working with her would feel more like a group project at times - she gives you a lot of control over how to go about things

despite how she's mentoring you, she's still fairly new to the arcanum and would be very understanding if you needed an extension/day off ("sorry, velma. can't get my draft in today, new world-ending threat just came in" / "yeah that's cool just forward it to me when you can")

zander

he's one of those flipped classroom people, where you teach yourself most of the material and spend the time you have with him reinforcing it

because do you really want to sit through a telepathically delivered lecture...

a lot of the time he just tells you to go off and do something new/fun/comfortable before reporting back

but there is a point to it ^ he wants you to see firsthand how your own experiences play into the quality of your magic (e.g. what makes a spell really effective? what inner intention, linked to what feeling? then, how do you channel that intention in the future?)

he's more knowledgeable on the theories of theurgy than the combat skills that the savior of the spiral would need, so he teaches you attack spells, but sends you to practice them with another scholar or initiate

one of his class requirements is just sitting with him in his office and joining his meditation. it's actually very nice

[fernpost]

Cycle 0 - Interviews

[read on ao3]

[next]

Taako Taaco. 114. Elf. Wizard; Specialization in transmutation and inventive magical applications.

Previous experience: Top of class at Tredore, Academy of Magics and Technology; recently graduated.

Criminal Record: Multiple counts of petty theft.

Davenport likes to think of himself as calm and composed. It’s hard to throw him off. He has to be in order to have gotten this far in his mission as fast as he has.

But when he turns around from shutting the door to see his interviewee with his feet kicked up on the table, twirling a wand through his fingers, he’s a little shocked. He’s been doing these interviews for two days now, and even the more relaxed and confident people have held a bit more sense for decorum.

It’s a bit rude.

It’s also a little interesting.

He sits at his desk, pulling the elf’s papers away from his boots (shiny, and though they look expensive he can see they’re worn down and well taken care of) and glances down. “Tell me, Taako Taaco, what makes you want to explore the planerverse?”

“Bored.”

If the feet on the desk threw him off for a second, that floors him entirely. “Bored?”

“I’ve got nothing else to do on this plane, why not, you know?”

“No burning desire to go further than any being has gone before?” That’s one of the normal responses, the well-planned out speeches he keeps getting in response to his opening question.

The elf crosses his feet, leaning back somehow further into the provided chair. Davenport worries for a second that he may fall as he continues on, “that’s cool too, I guess. But I figure, why wouldn’t you want the great Taaco name aboard your ship.”

Davenport picks up a pen from his table and makes a small note on the paperwork, “no offense, Mr. Taaco, but you’re rather cavalier about this interview that determines whether or not you’re accepted into a program that may redefine our understanding of the world.”

The elf shrugs and takes his feet off of Davenport’s desk, flashing him a smirk, “you’ve seen my sister’s paperwork, yeah? No way you’re not going to accept her, and we’re a package deal. Says it right there in bold at the top of my application, my man.” It does, in fact, say that at the top. Cursive words noting how he refuses to accept any position on the ship if his sister isn't there too. When reviewing who he was interviewing today, he saw similar words on Lup Taaco’s paperwork.

“You’re very confident in your sister’s abilities.” Davenport begins, pausing for a second as he notes the way the elf begins to tense up before continuing, “however, I wouldn’t sell yourself so short. You also graduated top of your class, and excelled in the art of transmutation multiple times. One of your letters of recommendation even noted how you made many spells easier to cast, somatically speaking.”

“What can I say, I’ll find any short cut I can.”

Davenport makes another note on his paper. “Now, I do need to ask about your record of petty theft.”

“Oh, natch.”

Lup Taaco. 114. Elf. Wizard; Specialization in evocation and applied magic regarding planar research.

Previous experience: Top of class at Tredore, Academy of Magics and Technology; recently graduated.

Criminal Record: Multiple counts of petty theft.

“Lup Taaco, it is nice to meet you.”

“The pleasure is all mine, Captain.” The woman in front of him smiles. The resemblance to her brother couldn’t be more clear, and though her demeanor is quite similar, she at least doesn’t have her feet on his desk.

Not that his desk is anything fancy, but the point stands. “I’m not technically the captain yet, you know.”

“Potato, potato.”

Davenport is fairly certain that’s not how that phrase is used. “You did research into the planes at Tredore, correct?”

“Quite a bit, yeah. I’m sure my brother told you?”

The slight tilt of her head and lit of her voice tells Davenport this is some sort of test, which is confusing and a bit disconcerting, considering he is the one conducting the interview. He checks a quick box on his papers. “He talked you up a bit, yes. But this is your own interview, and I wanted to discuss your own knowledge with you, personally.”

She smiles, a touch more warmth to it than her previous attitude. “Oh, of course. Did quite a bit of studying at Tredore. First real school we attended. Kinda boring at times, you know?”

“If you’re accepted into this program, it’s going to be four intense months of studying and teaching you the more complex workings of the ship. Plus the two months of actually being on the ship.”

“That’s the fun stuff. Not a third semester in a row of another language I already figured out most of years ago.”

“How many languages do you speak, Ms. Taaco?”

“Including common, five languages.”

“Impressive.” Davenport himself only speaks three. “Now, I would like to ask you about your criminal record, if you don’t mind?”

Her smile grew sharp as she laughs.

Honestly, he isn’t surprised. Her explanation is the same as her brothers. Grew up on the road, needed food and other items on occasion. Didn’t always run fast enough. Davenport can’t fault them, and certainly won’t hold it against them.

He glances down at her paperwork, about to ask another question about her education, when she speaks up. “I’ve got a question for you, Captain.”

“Oh?”

“The ship- we’re really going with the name ‘The Starblaster’?”

Davenport sighs. He knew this question was coming, but he was expecting it to come during a press conference from a reporter, not a potential shipmate. “Yes. To be fair, it was a communal name we put to a vote from everyone who worked on building the engine.”

Ms. Taaco smiles. “Dope.”

Barry J. Bluejeans. 37 years old. Human. Wizard; specialization in applied magic regarding bonds and planar research.

Previous experience: Current assistant professor at Duffman University of the Arcane, part-time employee at the Institute of Planer Research and Exploration.

Criminal Record: Previous altercations regarding necromancy; no crimes against the nature of life and death ever committed.

Mr. Bluejeans is an interesting man. By the look of him, you’d expect to see him fumbling his way through a PTA meeting for his two kids. Instead, Davenport is staring down the word ‘necromancy’ on his paperwork on an application regarding literal planar travel on a ship called 'the Starblaster.'

So far, the interview has been going well. He’d listened to the man explain his research into the arcane, and he’d understood planar travel as well as any of the current scientists and engineers at the Institute. He was called in often for conferences and meetings about the bond engine. He’d seen the man walking around on occasion. They’d never been in a meeting together before, but he’d seemed nice.

But he also had a history of necromancy.

Now, Davenport doesn’t like to judge people. However, being in an enclosed space with someone who needed to specify he had never technically committed “crimes against the nature of humanity” isn’t the most comforting.

But, he was a smart man. Easy to get along with, too. So far. Necromancy notwithstanding.

Best to get it over with, “so, Mr. Bluejeans. I do need to ask about your criminal record-”

“Oh! Yeah, I never killed anyone. Or un- killed anyone. Uh, resurrected, I mean. Just did lots of studying into the application of necromancy and necromantic spells. Got in trouble because I toed the line of ‘research’ and ‘bringing my cat back to life,’ but got a stern talking to. Didn’t try it again, and don’t plan on needing to deal with those types of authorities again.”

Okay, normal enough answer, far as the situation applies-

“My current research into it has stayed purely theoretical, and it won’t interfere with the mission at all.”

So the man is still into necromancy.

Davenport glances down at the man’s file, thick with it’s attached papers Bluejeans has done on planar research. He’s not even stuck up about his level of education, and that’s extremely rare for the field.

Holding back a sigh, Davenport asks, “Can you explain the paper you wrote on the outer planes interactions with the inner planes for me?”

It was a really good paper.

But the man is still into necromancy.

Lucretia. 20. Human. Chronicler; Specialization in journalism.

Previous experience: Due to multiple NDA, she is unable to give us the exact number and titles of books she has written, but she sent letters of recommendation from Duke Rensburg, Lady Norabelle, and Warren of the Seatree Clan.

Criminal Record: Acquisition and attempted use of a false ID.

“So, Ms. Lucretia, I understand you cannot provide us with most examples of your works, but from what you have provided, you seem to be very, very good.”

“I like to think so, yes.” The young woman in front of him seems polite. She’s quiet; he saw her waiting outside with a few others before her interview, and while most of them were engaged in some awkward small talk, she sat away from them. Likely partially due to her age- she is much younger than the people outside- but she also simply seems quiet.

Which wouldn’t be the worst quality in someone you would be sharing a small, enclosed space with for an extended period of time. But, if she couldn’t bond with the others sufficiently, the bond engine won’t work.

(Hell, the bond engine was already finicky, they figured out the tech only a month ago, and they only have four months to bond an entire crew to pilot it and-)

“Can you explain to me why you acquired a fake ID and tried to use it at a, uh,” Davenport glances down at the records in front of him, holding back a chuckle, “at the forbidden section of the Library of Runar?”

Lucretia looks uncomfortable for a second, and he’s sure if the lighting in the room were better he would be able to see her flush with embarrassment. She gives him a hesitant smile, “I can’t get into the explicit details, but I was working on a book for an older client whose memory was becoming patchy, and I wanted to confirm some details before I put their name to it. They wouldn’t allow me into the section without the proper documents, but my client refused to agree that I should double check his work, even though I was almost certain he was wrong, so I simply… found a way to get past their guard. I wasn’t going to steal anything and I was going to use the proper equipment to read through the documents.”

Davenport smiles, “pursuit of knowledge and truth is important to you, then?”

“I don’t think spreading lies, especially in that context, is very honorable, no.” Her hands are folded in her lap now, and she seems a bit more relaxed.

Considering the others he is planning on accepting, he may be wrong about her getting along with them. Anyone willing to break the law just to prove an old man wrong would at least get along with him. Davenport refuses to have any pushovers aboard his ship.

Magnus Burnsides. 19. Fighter; Specialization in protection fighting and mechanical engineering.

Previous experience: Current bouncer at Apex Club. Currently enrolled in Gallier’s Fighter Academy and College.

Criminal Record: One count of assault and battery, appealed for defense of another person present. One count of indecent exposure and public intoxication.

Davenport will be the first to admit it can be tricky to follow human aging patterns, but he knows he’s not mistaken in thinking the man in front of him is barely out of “child” territory. Nineteen is a very, very small amount of time to be alive. Also, a very, very small amount of time to learn important things, like how to run what is basically a ship right out of a science fiction novel- complete with breakthrough technology.

Despite this, it’s hard to not find the young man in front of him to be endearing, and mostly knowledgeable in the things they need him to be.

“Magnus. You’re very young, one of the youngest applicants we have. What makes you think you’re qualified as the head of security of the ship?”

The young man in front of him- Gods, he really is young- grins and lifts his arms to flex, a show of pride and ego almost unbefitting of an interview setting, “Have you seen my muscles? I’m very strong, and a very good fighter.”

Many of today’s interviews have been quite different than he was expecting.

“I was referring more to job experience.”

“Oh!” Magnus shifts in his seat, fingers drumming against the table as he thinks. “I worked as a bouncer for a club while I was in college and did, if I must toot my own horn, a very good job. You should have a letter of recommendation from the owner-” He leans forwards, reaching a hand out as if to look through his own files to show him the letter.

“Yes, I did read through it. She was very thorough in stating how eager you were to help.” Davenport glances down at the papers in front of him, holding back a sigh. It truly was a glowing review of this young man. While his grades from the aforementioned college weren’t the highest, especially in classes one might consider important for an institute of planar research, the two letter of recommendations he submitted from teachers of his explained how Burnsides was very persistent when he wanted to learn something he didn’t know. He also had taken quite a few classes regarding vehicles- not enough to claim the young man was an expert but enough to provide a solid basis to show him how things worked and could be repaired on the ship.

The kid’s attitude was something of a breath of fresh air in this place. However, there was one glaring concern.

“I was also a bit concerned about the criminal record we have on file for you. Assault and battery as well as the indecent exposure and public-”

“In my defense for the second one, I was drunk with some friends and maybe thought it’d be funny to streak in the lake. Who hasn’t been to a party that gets a little out of hand.” He holds his hands out as if to say “am I right?”

Off the record, Davenport is inclined to agree that he was right. On the record, he is choosing to ignore it. “And the assault and battery? The file says it was in defense of a young person.”

Burnsides grins, “that’s how I got hired as the bouncer!”

He waits a moment, expecting Magnus to continue. When it seems the young man is assuming that is enough explanation, he prompts, “by beating up a man outside the club?”

“Yeah! He was harassing someone outside, and I was walking home and passed by. I told him to step off, and he didn’t. So I decked him, and he was out right away.”

It lined up with the records he had, and honestly, seeing someone so ready to step up to the defense of a stranger was a good quality. Better than some of the older applicants who were much more… formal in their training. He wonders briefly how Burnsides would react to an altercation against someone with magic.

Glancing down at his records, he guesses he would run headfirst without thinking.

Stifling a small grin, Davenport continues, “Now, tell me. Assume we’re up in space, and something goes wrong with the bond engine. What would your course of action be, Mr. Burnsides?”

Merle Hitower Highchurch. 214. Cleric; Specialization in botany, religion, and medical treatment.

Previous experience: Current botanist at the Institute of Planar Research and Exploration. Professor of botany at Narvick’s University for four years.

Criminal Record: Multiple counts of loitering.

The door is pushed all the way open before Davenport can even call out the next person.

A short dwarf slides into the room with a wide grin, “hey Dav!” A mug of tea is pressed into his hands.

“Hello, Merle. You do know this needs to be at least a little formal, yes?”

“Formal schmormal. Ask me your silly questions already, bud.” Merle Highchurch, resident botanist at the Institute of Planar Research and Exploration, plops right down in the seat he’d taken to commandeering once a week, for the past three weeks.

Davenport had seen him around before, but a botanist in an institute designed for exploring other planes that had little capabilities to actually go to those places yet was rarely busy, and even more rarely called upon. He still barely knew the guy, but after the day they’d gotten stuck in the elevator for ten minutes when it broke down, the dwarf had come to his office for tea each Wednesday.

It was a bit strange, but the tea was good.

“Tell me about your work experience.”

Merle laughs heartily, “they barely have me do anything around here, ‘cept tend to the couple of plants they’ve grabbed from the ground plane.”

“It’s the Elemental Plane of Earth, and don’t sell yourself short, Merle. This is basically a job interview, you know.”

Merle slurps loudly at his own mug, “aren’t you planning on nepotism hiring me, because we’re buds?”

“That isn’t even what that word means, Merle.”

“Isn’t it?”

Davenport stares into the tea, “is this made from the Earth plant?”

“Maybe?”

Davenport. 276. Captain and navigator; Specialization in mechanical engineering and arcane components combined with contemporary technology.

Previous Experience: Crewmate on the Lady Blue for twenty years. Graduated from Grensville University. Current staff at the Institute of Planar Research and Exploration.

Criminal Record: Unlawful resistance of orders from captain, raising of commotion on board ship while employed.

Davenport handed the six files over to Selune, “These are them.”

The halfling woman flips through them, eyebrows raising higher with each one she sees. “You’re sure you grabbed the right ones? A few of these I understand, but you do know we had the Issaiah Broler apply.”

He folds his hand in front of him, nodding. “I also know that during the interview he made me want to pour my tea on his lap. There’s no chance of getting the bond engine going with him. These are the six I picked. They’re all qualified- and the ones that are less educated in the specifics in the field I’m sure will pick up on the important information quickly. The Taaco twins already will give the bond engine a huge boost. Ms. Lucretia will ensure we have everything chronicled, something I’m sure you can appreciate, Selune. Mr. Bluejeans previous work shows he will thrive given the opportunities awaiting us. Mr. Highchurch is an educated man, and I trust him to keep the crew healthy and provide ample information on anything botany related we encounter, and I’m certain Mr. Burnsides will provide ample help in any task we show him how to do.” He sighs, glancing out the window of her office. There were a few people lingering outside in the courtyard of the Institute. “We have been given a tremendous opportunity to explore beyond what we can imagine, Selune. The last thing I want is to be bogged down by people stuck in their ways, who have been working in this field long enough to have their preconceived notions about what to expect and who will react badly when they’re proven wrong. I trust my own judgement in picking a crew, and I hope you trust my abilities to get these people ready to set sail in four months.”

What he doesn’t say is that he doesn’t want a bunch of stuffy jackasses on his ship. He’s not even sure picking all the over-qualified people would pass through the higher-ups' inspection of the crew. The people he picked were qualified enough to get a quick sign-off, but not too much. Anyone “overqualified” would probably get rejected. The ship had been built in basically six months. It’d get them off the ground, sure. It wasn’t going to explode on them once they got up there, but it wasn’t safe. There was a reason Davenport was the captain at all.

The six candidates in those files didn’t have a name for themselves as “important” to any stuffy scientific group or noble family. These people he picked were just that- people. A group of people who he believed deserved this opportunity. If anyone was getting the chance to make a name for themselves- to have the chance to redefine everything they know about the planar systems, he wanted to make sure they deserved the chance. A dangerous chance, sure. But what was science if not a little risky.

She sighs, opening the file on top. Her hand reaches for her pen, “Davenport, I got the final say on the name of the ship, I suppose the least I can do is give you final say on the crew.” She begins to write ‘approved’ at the top of the file, flipping through each one before giving him a pointed look. “But when I get angry calls about how you approved a bunch of nobodies and two people not even old enough to drink, I’m transferring them straight to your crystal.”

“And I will not be answering a single one.”

“I wouldn’t expect you to, Captain.”

[tomtenadia]

My knight in shining armour

Rowaelin month Day 2 - University AU

I literally just finished this. I wasn’t going to write for this prompt but then an idea finally hit me.

The title as usual is bad... sorry

2k words

-----

Aelin had days in which she hated men. That was one of those days. 

After finishing high school she decided to took a challenging course at the University of Terrasen. Her dad, before he retired, had been an airforce pilot. She had grown up going around his base, visiting him when he was back. In doing so, she had become obsessed with planes. As she grew up, her dad had let her get friendly with his engineer and the man had started teaching her all she needed to know about aircrafts. From the basic physics to the more obscure detail of how the jet worked. Aelin had been fascinated. She had started reading all the possible books, and as she got older, her dad’s engineer had also started having her to actually help her in the hangar. In the summer when school was out, she would actually get a part-time job as an apprentice at the base and she had loved every moment of it. She had also become very close with the two female pilots and together they had spent time talking about the life of a woman in a boys club. The two women had become her role models very quickly.

Terrasen was quite and open minded country but some ideas were still quite obsolete.

In high school at the question “what you want to be when you grow up?” She always answered an aircraft engineer for the airforce. She never faltered or never doubted. That’s what she wanted to, that was her path.

But when time for uni arrived and she applied for a degree in aeronautical engineering, that’s when she realised that the boys club extended far more than she expected.

She was basically the only woman in the class. None of the guys had approached her and on the first day she had walked in the classroom, one of them had the guts to tell her that the humanities department was in the annex c. She ignored the bastard and sat down at the front. She belonged in that room and she would prove it to every single one of them.

Day after day she had shown her knowledge and surprised her professor who was amazed at the fact that she could answer such in depth questions. Last time it happened, she had turned to Chaol - the asshole who had told her about the annex c, and gave him a smirk. That had removed his stupid grin from his face. It felt amazing.

During a private one-to-one with her professor she had confessed to him she had been working at the airbase as an apprentice during the past three summers. Her teacher had luckily been very supportive and encouraged her to keep up the good work.

Now, six months in, she still hated with a vengeance the arseholes she had to study with. Some of them even had the guts to ask her for some help after they realised she was actually good. She had answered that surely they didn’t want the help of a woman, and walked away.

After another class it was finally lunch time and she was meeting Rowan down at their spot on the grass. They were a couple. He had asked her out in the summer after high school was over and they had been together ever since. He was a med student and he knew her pain about choosing a challenging degree. Both their degrees were very intense and required a lot of time so they would just try and spend as much time together as they could. They had a flat together but the public library was were they spent most of their time.

And when their schedules allowed it, they would enjoy lunch together, venting about their academical choices.

“I fucking hate that bastard.” She raged, dropping her bag on the grass and sitting at his side, depositing a kiss on his lips. She felt better almost immediately, being in his arms was all she needed to feel okay again.

“What did he do now?” Asked Rowan knowing of her struggles in her classes.

Aelin grabbed her bag and pulled out her food, the dinner that Rowan had prepared the previous night and then packed away for both of them.

“The teacher gave us an exercise where we had to design an aircraft with what we had learned so far.” She told him, while munching away her food “He was up first and his project was a effing disaster. Seriously, I’d wouldn’t want to fly on a plane designed by him.” She took a sip of her water “the teacher asked us to say what was wrong and it took me ten minutes to stop. I mean, a two year old would have done a better job with lego bricks.”

Rowan giggled at her side “then my turn came and the bastard had the guts to tell me that the aerodynamics of my plane were off and that my ailerons where wrong as well and would not allow the plane to function properly. I took my laptop and shoved it in his face and told him to find the error in my math. He had no clue.” Her face turned smug “then the teacher took over and said that actually my project was, among all, the only one that could actually fly. I felt smug as fuck.”

Rowan pulled an arm around Aelin’s shoulder and pulled her to him. He was proud of her. Every damn day.

“Then after class, he threw me a paper plane and inside it had a message saying this is the only plane you will ever build or work on. I swear, the guy is still alive only because I am not looking forward to finishing my degree via distance learning from a prison.”

She calmed down “how was your day?”

Rowan leaned back against the tree “I had anatomy and physiology. Today we covered the endocrine system and it must be one most boring of them all.”

“Well,” she added with a big smile “when you cover the reproductive system you are welcome to practice with me…”

He laughed and squished her to her chest “I am a very big fan of your… bits.” She kissed him deeply not caring that they were in public, she wanted him and hated that they had more classes before being able to go home and then alas, study more. Maybe for one evening they could study something different.

“Aelin?”

“Yes, buzzard?”

His tongue gently teased her and she opened for him while his hand brushed off a rebel strand of hair.

He pulled back “Nothing, you had tomato sauce on you lips. I was just wiping it off. Did you think I wanted to kiss you?” 

Aelin gently punched him on the shoulder, in return he gave her a massive grin. Rowan was a very reserved man who struggled with stranger, but she had her own version, the goofy one, the one who made jokes and loved to cuddle with her. She would treasure that version forever. That was just for her.

They were busy chatting away and she was showing him on her laptop the exercise she had been working on and her plane prototype and although what she was saying was greek to him, he still listened to her in fascination.

She was telling him how a plane flew and the four forces when a figure stopped in front of them.

“It must be exciting to brag with your boyfriend about your hopeless projects.” Said the man.

Rowan raised his eyes and finally saw the face of the man that had been making Aelin’s life miserable.

“What did you just say?” Rowan stood and towered on the brown-haired man by twenty centimetres. Chaol also looked frail compared to Rowan’s muscular frame.

“Chaol, you’d better go.” Not that she cared about the man, she just didn’t want Rowan to get into trouble for a petty man.

“You’d better give up while you still can, Galathynius. Aeronautical engineering is not a field for a woman.” He crossed his arms at his chest trying to look intimidating but the look in Rowan’s eyes told her it was a useless attempt. Her boyfriend was ready to attack. She knew he had never hit anyone, but had a feeling that if Chaol didn’t stop it could be a first for Rowan.

“Chaol,” she stood as well and growled his name in warning.

“Oh, so you are one of those arseholes who believes that certain jobs can be done only by those who were born with a penis. It’s the fucking 21st century. Grow up, idiot.”

Rowan swore, alarm bells rang in Aelin’s head. He only swore when he was extremely mad, something that her unflappable boyfriend rarely was.

“Oh look, Galathynius, you have a knight in shining armour.”

Aelin moved between Rowan and Chaol, trying to separate them when her boyfriend moved a step closer to the other guy.

Chaol chuckled “Did you sleep with every professor—” but Chaol never finished his sentence. She saw the scene develop in slow motion in front of her. At those words Rowan’s face had turned feral and as on instinct his arm moved and a second later his fist found its target in Chaol’s face. 

Rowan then grabbed Chaol by the collar and lifted him up slightly “You take it back, immediately or I’ll smash all the twenty two bones in your skull.”

“Go on,” said Chaol, nursing a broken lips.

Aelin stopped in between and grasped Rowan’s hand gently “Put him down, Ro, he is not worth it.”

Her gaze then turned to Chaol “now you go back to whatever shithole you came from and perhaps go back working on your project and design a real aircraft.” She moved closer to him “I know what the fuck I am doing. And I know I will have a job in the airforce after this. You will just go back being daddy’s little spoiled boy.”

Chaol glared at her and Rowan finally let go of him, bur before he fully released him he pulled the man close enough that his mouth was near his ear “you disrespect her like that one more time and you’ll finish your degree from a hospital bed while sipping your food from a straw.” Rowan flashed his teeth in a threatening gesture “you leave her alone, because if I hear you have been a bastard to her one more time, I will make your life a living hell.” And eventually released him. Chaol shrugged his t-shirt back into place and walked away without adding another word.

Rowan sighed and then turned to her, his expression back being soft as soon as she looked back at him.

“You didn’t have to punch him,” she said while snuggling against his chest. His arms quickly around her.

“Yes I had to. What he said….” She felt him tense up again “he made me so mad, fireheart.”

“Seeing you thump him was very sexy,” she kissed him gently on the lips “my knight in shining armour.”

Rowan chuckled and looked into he blue eyes “you don’t need a knight. You are fierce, brave and strong and do not need any protection,” he added, his lips on her head. Nesting under his chin was her favourite position. They fit perfectly “I, on the other hand, as a male who is hopelessly in love with you, felt the desperate need to avenge the sullied honour of my amazing other half.”

Aelin giggled hard “you really sound like a knight.”

“Come on, Sir Rowan Whitethorn of Wendlyn, let’s finish our lunch, I have an hour of mechanics of flight coming up and I need sustenance.”

“Yes, my queen,” he said kneeling in front of her.

Aelin laughed and kissed him deeply “maybe I can be your queen tonight in bed as well.”

His smirk grew wider and Aelin felt heat pool at her core at his expression.

“Whatever m’lady commands.”

They finished their lunch in peace without any more interruptions and eventually they parted ways, going to their respective classes.

Chaol did not bothered her anymore. He didn’t even met her gaze and him ignoring her was all she asked. She was there to learn, he could just go and sulk in the afterburner of a jet, perhaps while on, for all she cared.

Aelin texted Rowan a thank you and his reply was a simple To whatever end.

[theringers]

V-card anon: hi sorry about that first ask i kinda went into a fugue state (spelling?) altered state of reality maybe when i wrote that and damn near outlined a fic in your inbox

The way we played hot seat was either part of a larger drinking game when a certain card was pulled from a deck, or just on it's own. You sit in a circle, everyone has a drink, usually a beer or cider. In the card pull version, the one who pulls the card gets asked a question by every person playing and if they refuse to answer they drink from their drink. In the standalone, you do that but everyone gets a turn being asked until people get bored and leave. Fun way to find out shit about people. Usually the unwritten rule is that you can't lie. I imagine everyone sitting on shitty chouches and chairs in a semi circle around a table full of cups and bottles playing it

Questions i have been asked: are you a top or bottom? Do you like anal? Wheres the weirdest place you've fucked? Body count? Favorite position (sexual)? Fuck marry kill/ignore people in this room (EVERY TIME I PLAYED I GOT THIS QUESTION)? Tits or ass or other? Favorite non sexual body part ex. Thigh? Ideal fuck buddy? Sex regrets? Etc

Also more weird details i have head cannoned out for some drivers and most likely does not fit with irl personalities, do with this what you will, use it or don't i just have feelings. Also everyone is like compressed in age to like 20-27ish except for some of the grid who i will just think of as younger alumns who come back:

Danny R: social chair, owns a jeep he takes the doors off of in the summer, walks girls home at night to make sure they're ok, tries to DJ house events and is rebuffed by literally everyone, has like 30 pairs of vans you trip over in his room, stolen roadsigns everywhere, masters in something arigcultural or physiological, cutoff frat shirts for days, fuckboy but nice, a bit cringe, will drive around with you at night so you can scream, met reader bc she had a band tee on and wanted to talk to her about it (no gatekeeping)

Charles: some kind of engineering or math degree but no one has any idea how the fuck he's gotten so far, 4.0 never studies, games with other house members, will show up at events randomly you will have no idea how he gets on your couch but he is there, the best and worst taste in clothes, is the only one allowed to play the piano in the house, sweet, cannot help you with studies but is always down for helping you out after, has to be reminded to clean stuff, disaster bi, reader met his gf first and they probably met through that

Pierre: good fashion and music taste, shirt is gone halfway through the night, also fuckboy but wholesome, actually studies, plays a sport for sure probably soccer in some way either club or Division he's too good for rec, will hold your hair back so you can throw up, will tell you your outfit sucks, good at math, also part of the squad that games, econ major, workout buddies with reader anday have taken a math class together

Max: is part of the hockey team he will go pro, also actually studies, got into gaming because of Charles, has the nicest car, is serious until he gets a couple drinks in him, he and Daniel are close and roomed together at some point, owns like 30 sets of the same outfit a white tee and jeans, knows reader through Dan and they get dragged by him to some of the same stuff

Lando: is a pledge or new member his big is Carlos, undeclared major, just happy to be here, gaming squad, used to play lacrosse or something equally obscure, king of knowing where the good snacks are, weirdly good at beer pong, growing into a fuckboy wholesomeness level tbd, probably sweet with reader as she helped him through a blackout or something, met her because she's basically house mom for some of the new boys (the kind of mom who will teach you to do laundry or iron ONCE)

Carlos: hockey flow but does not play hockey, actually studies and is smarter than what people give him credit for, came from a private high school and uni really opened his horizons, also good study buddy, gets along with most people, goes to office hours the most out of the actually studies gang, fun at parties, owns the frat dogs, he and reader met at Office hours (they were the only students) and found they had mutual friends too

Lewis: is/was president of frat, great grades greater bod, did full evolution from fuckboy to good man, has the back tests and the moral support, up for late noght talks about life, definitely was a D1 athlete, best fashion game, implemented no hazing policy, fits into notable alum or PhD category

Mick: undergrad like Lando, also plays soccer or something, too sweet, also walks girls home/holds your hair back etc, cleans parts of the house that aren't his responsibility, higher alcohol tolerance than you expect, everyone is bizarrely protective of him, legacy member (his dad was a legend), drives a motorbike around campus and can't decide between law and psychology, actually studies, met reader through the frat and she would die for him, brings her to class on the bike sometimes because the bike is faster

George: business major, frat treasurer, three ring binder business casual in class kind of guy, nice enough, shirt comes off when drunk, runs marathons and a podcast about investments, best notes in the game and great study partner, actually studies, is drinking monster at 6AM but not because he stayed up late, he and reader met through the frat and sometimes drink wine and bitch together

Lance: hockey player, legacy member, studies sometimes, sarcasm on point, great at stack cup, very chill, knows every good nap spot on campus, also has high alcohol tolerance, is the kind of person who does well in the cold but does not like it, wears headphones so people don't talk to him, great one on one but not in crowds, business major and minor in computer science, probably also met thru Lance's gf but vibe as more introverted people and will cover for each other if one does not want to go out

Nicky: a good boy, part of the walks people home squad, sets up designated drivers for parties, good snack game, future in medical field, good listener, pretty good study buddy, midnight snack enabler, met reader through frat and his gf he and reader are on babysitting duty together sometimes when others get too drunk/high

Yuki: also a pledge or new, majoring in games or computer science as they gave me the same energy as him, games squad, bit of a mad lad, has several stolen street signs, good, met reader through frat and Yuki is the only one patient enough to explain some games to reader, they cuss people out on mic

Esteban: good man, has a full ride scholarship, actually studies, also good study buddy, Dan's little, plays soccer but maybe on a rec team because he prioritizes school, very sweet guy as well, probably chose a really practical major/dual major, met reader through Dan and are also dragged similar places by him

Antonio: manbun, philosophy or classics major possibly business dual, generally good natured but can be seen supplying his own wine at parties, used to be really into metal but kept the hair, does not know that people find him attractive, soccer boi, met reader through frat and she's the only one who will (pretend) to listen to him rant about philosophy

Alex Albon: another full scholarship guy, somehow gets along with everyone, switched majors due to an asshole professor, electrical engineering or computer engineering, actually studies, helps with frat pets,will show you pictures of his cats at home, sweetie, another contender for will hold your hair or walk you home, probably met reader through a class or club and found they had mutual friends and that reader is friends with his gf

Notable alums:

Checo - dad, successful in finance somehow (he looks like an really successful accountant of CFO to me idk why)

Kimi - dad but people forget he is, holds the record for most drinks in 24 hours that will never be come close to by anyone else, shows up on random alum weekends with 2 kegs, legally cannot tell you what he does or he would actually have to murder you

Valterri - was good at a sport when he was there, now a very effective lead engineer at an architectural firm

Seb - environmental or mechanical engineering, all around good guy with someone the best grades in frat history

Alonso - legendary for sexual exploits (consensual)

Anyone I put as actually studies is probably the type reader would hang around for more serious stuff/schoolwork and would probably be closer to, with the exception of Dan bc I feel like he'd be like we're friends now :)) we shall hang or Charles bc he will just show up. I also imagine she has a pretty good friendship with any existing gf, however if a driver does have a gf and he is the love interest sorry bb girl u gotta go for the purposes of this fic

Sorry this is so long hahaaaaaaa glad you liked my Charles thoughts ilu

i honestly wasn’t going to share this like the rest of the anon asks i’ve gotten that i keep close to my heart but this was just too good to keep to myself.

LOOK! AT! THIS!

f1 drivers as frat bros/college students headcannon

i’m writing a series - each “chapter” will be a smut with a different frat bro and i’m hoping to post a sneak peek this week some time but here’s something to hold you over and give you some ideas

to my vcard anon - i appreciate this so much. my inbox is always open for ur thoughts bc they are SO GOOD !! can’t wait for you to read the first part of the series bby

PS if some of this doesn’t make sense to u feel free to send in asks (i know a lot of this is focused on american college culture so if u don’t get it i’m happy to explain)

[shegore]

What is Karin's role in her Death Note verse? And how did she meet Light? Was there a spark from the beginning? Does she know about Ryuk and the Death Note? I am curious about her role in the story!

it took me literally seven months to answer this but let me use bullet points for this , i'm really over doing dramatic asks with fancy things during the work week!

Q1: HOW DID SHE MEET LIGHT :

karin met light her first year of university ( light's second year. ) they were in a philosophy class together - karin's STEM degree required it because they were sick of STEM students never picking up a book and reinventing physiognomy or some shit.

the professor noted that they were both unusually bright - light was the first academic challenge she'd ever had. ( & to her dismay, he won that challenge, by a hundredth of a point. she was so mad. )

they shared no classes for a while. they would run into one another around campus. light was usually surrounded by people, while she was not. it was also muttered that she was a very pretty girl, but her personality left a lot to be desired.

at some point they started interacting again . . . and eventually sleeping with one another. one thing lead to another and by the time light was an official spk member, they were actively dating.

Q1.5: WAS THERE A SPARK FROM THE BEGINNING:

this question assumes karin actually 'loved' light. and that's complicated. karin enjoyed the intellectual stimulation she received in her conversations with him. she enjoyed being able to talk about her work and maybe only having to explain the most complex of topics - and even then, only having to explain it because it wasn't his field of study. ( and vice versa for her )

but karin absolutely did not feel the same 'love' for him as misa felt for him. that's partially light's own fault. he made it very clear he wasn't in love with her. it's also her own fault, karin refused to love him after that acknowledgement.

it's also important to recognize - karin has never actually been loved by someone. so i doubt she could recognize even if there was a spark between them; she would spend her time attempting to dissect her own emotions.

HOWEVER - after his death, karin is grappling with complex emotions. she hates light immensely for breaking his promise and leaving her in this situation with a child? but that hate can only come from a place of trust & wanting the promise to be fulfilled.

Q2: DOES SHE KNOW ABOUT RYUK / THE DEATH NOTE:

karin has synesthesia - specifically chromesthesia aka the association of sound with color. therefore, when someone speaks . . . often times a color is associated with that. it's a bit odd to describe, but a person has an overarching hue and then the words themselves are shaded. ( as an aside, it's typically why she gets headaches / is annoyed by drawn over conversations. )

before it was even revealed to her, karin was aware that there was something else surrounding light. there would be TWO colors associated with certain conversations instead of just one. she chalked it up to being haunted.

at some point during their marriage, light did reveal the existence of the ryuk and the death note. she was furious to know that ryuk had just be floating around and i can't say she didn't punch her then husband in the jaw upon finding out.

regarding the death note itself, i'm sure she knows it exists and has pieced together enough to know how it works and that light was kira. what is critical is that information never came directly from light before his death. hence, she can honestly say she didn't know. and ultimately, she really wasn't involved with his plans.

Q3: WHAT IS HER ROLE IN THE STORY (assuming normal roles):

i'm not sure necessarily. it's likely to help facilitate more misdeeds by light because ultimately, should he choose to confide in her, she is a much more capable ally than either misa or mikami & she really would've assisted if he'd have killed a single person that she asked him too.

the field would have been far more level because it would've been a 2v2 genius off, with one that's completely unrelated and out of left field.

it's also an interesting side bit to see her discuss the physical impact of 'death by death note.' let her see how the heart reflects the heart attack or the brain reflects pre-death mind control. how could she NOT be fascinated.

she's also there to absolutely disrupt any sense of peace that gevanni has from now on. simply by virtue of her looking at you. she's got one hell of an unreadable gaze. i think i can say this because @lifesliced lets me say whatever but gevanni really did break her heart ( making him the second one to do so ) and she's not going to admit it.

i like her more in the aftermath of the whole thing. since we don't really get to see anyone picking up pieces of everything that light (and the others) destroyed during the whole shebang.

she's ultimately not interested in the actual death note but manages to get tangled right on it it!

[shofics]

question 12, 5: modern university au !!!

Oh man, oh man. I actually had some ideas for a uni AU ages ago that never really became anything, and I’ve cannibalised it for parts for other fics since then (This is the outline I stole the ‘Wilde likes french vanilla coffee’, ‘Sasha has EDS and also possibly POTS’, and ‘Barnes, Carter, Cel, and Wilde all live together’ ideas from for Hope & Smith), but I do have the main ideas left over! It was a modern university AU + magic, so that’s what I’ve put down here. Another one that got frighteningly long, more under the cut <3

Hamid originally studies Pure Maths (this is… a real thing. As opposed to applied mathematics, I believe) because he wants to have a Fancy, High-Thinker Degree that his parents will approve of because it’s very intelligent but won’t necessarily understand.

His first year he takes what is basically the Magic 101 class, because he’s obviously got a natural proclivity for it so why not? It’s that format of ‘this is a generic overview of magic in general, let's take a week or two to go over some specifics for different things you might like to study so that you’ll be prepared.’ They spend a bit on magical history, bardic magic, would you like to study wizardry, or maybe the specifics of genetically inherited magics...

Hm. Yes, Hamid would actually like to study the specifics of genetically inherited magics, because everything they’ve gone over vis a vis wizardry is sounding fairly different to his lived experience and Oh Dear

He starts taking more magical history classes on the sly. His parents don’t need to know.

They eventually do find out, and there is what might be described as An Almighty Row. Hamid goes ballistic, his father goes cold, and Hamid declares then and there that he’s changing his major, screw all of this, he’s got one life and he’s going to live it how he wants, damn it.

His family will continue to pay for his school, of course. They don’t want the disgrace of him having to drop out. But his father makes it very clear that if he does decide to study magic instead, he’s not coming home.

Hamid studies magic. Hamid’s not coming home.

Wilde and Hamid met in that introductory class, and continued to be friends even as they never actually managed to take another class together.

Wilde studies bardic performance as a subset of the magic department, is trying really hard to fit in the requirements to get a degree in journalism as well, and also writes for almost every publication on campus, and works with the student theatre groups; they’ve performed some of his plays, and he has also been known to step in as a stage manager or a head of costumes or an assistant director (or even, on one memorable occasion, an actor) when necessary (when does this guy sleep).

Wilde is able to pull strings and charm people in specific ways enough to get Hamid a job as a stitcher in the costume shop with the theatre department, putting costumes together. He also manages to find Hamid a place to stay over winter break while the campus buildings are closed, after it becomes evident that Hamid’s parents won’t be paying for non-university housing anymore.

Hamid ends up staying with Azu, who has her own flat and has been dithering for ages between wanting to become a family practitioner and wanting to become some sort of social worker. Hamid is inconsolable, and Wilde is not good at consoling anyway, but it turns out that Azu is. Hamid helps her reorganise her entire schedule to allow for both eventualities, she listens in rapt attention as he takes her through his designs for the next show the theatre department is putting on, they bond over the fact that they’re both so far from home and far from their families, and by the time everyone else comes back to school and classes start again they’re practically attached at the hip. Hamid spends almost as much time at Azu’s as he does at his own dorm.

Wilde’s like, alright, that worked ridiculously well! Nice job me

Sasha starts out as an engineering student due to a scholarship that Bi-Ming Gusset helped her get, and she is instantly the darling of every engineering professor that has her in their classes; nobody knows anything about her other than that she’s wickedly good at what she does.

Cel, who studies engineering and theoretical physics and takes biology classes wherever they can fit them in, is their TA at one point. Cel is able to find out more about Sasha as a person than anyone else has ever managed- paradoxically, as anyone who watches them interact will note that Sasha never seems to talk and Cel never seems to stop, but, just like the designs they create together, it doesn’t look like it should work, but it does and it’s very hard to explain why.

At some point, to satisfy some general requirement, Sasha takes an education class. Sasha… really enjoys the education class? Sasha might want to study education? Sasha freaks out a bit. Sasha is having a really rough time of it recently, a lot of chronic pain and worrying physical problems with no clear cause, and really doesn’t need to stress about her future plans on top of everything else. 

Grizzop is a pre-med and, unlike Azu, 10000% sure of it. He wants to be an EMT, and is part of the emergency response team at the university. When Sasha knocks on Zolf’s door at three in the morning, because he just so happened to be the one who was closest, and tells him that she just fainted for the first time and doesn’t know what to do and feels like she might again, and Zolf panics and calls the first response team, Grizzop is the first one to show up. Which is good, for Sasha, because she’s pretty thoroughly freaked out and desperately in need of friends at her sides.

Zolf is also a pre-med, not really because of any active desire to go into the medical field but just kind of because he needed something to believe in that was an easy ticket away from his family, and if anyone asks it has absolutely nothing to do with his brother’s death, shut up.

Zolf becomes Sasha’s designated Please Come With Me For Moral Support person as she begins a diagnostic process that lasts months and comes up with absolutely nothing. As a result, he’s there to watch as doctor after doctor basically throw up their hands and declare her either a medical oddity or a liar. She and Grizzop are both certain she’s got some sort of chronic illness, some autoimmune disease or something, but no one seems willing to diagnose her.

Zolf loses faith in the institution of medicine as a whole, starts to spiral a bit- and then spirals a lot. He ends up having to take a year off to sort out his life and his brain and his own mental health problems.

He moves out of campus housing and applies for as many jobs as he can- he’s not going home and he’s not asking for money, good grief, he’d rather stick his hands in an air fryer- and ends up with a couple odd jobs he bounces between every week, including constructing sets and running lights for the theatre department. This is how he meets Hamid, who he clashes with instantly, and Wilde, who is stage managing, who he also clashes with instantly but who really does his best to mitigate between them. 

Do shenanigans ensue? Yes. Yes, absolutely. Sasha takes great amusement in winding Zolf and Hamid up and pointing them at each other, and Wilde gets caught between finding it equally as hilarious and also Sasha please, it’s literally my job to make sure the people working on this show don’t murder each other, help me out here