#my dads middle school yearbook?

[continuousmeowing]

spent like umm.. two and a half hours going through the attic (i was procrastinating) (i still have two unfinished projects due in two houra) and WOAH. i found some very very cool stuff!!

[oneknightlight]

Something I find funny as all fuck is my dad has this friend, they were in a rock band together when they were young, and when I was born he constantly misgendered me. But like. Not misgendering technically. He always referred to me as my dads son, and used to comment on how much I looked like him. My dad would correct him (under the impression I was a cis girl) and the guy would just blow it off and refer to me as a boy. What did he know. How did he know it. To this day he asks my dad how his youngest son is doing. I haven’t even come out to him, the question is, do I even have to. Bro has the ultimate gaydar. Transdar??? . Took one look at baby me and went That Is A Boy. Period. Referred to me as a guy through my entire life, baby to child to teen to adulthood. Regardless my appearance . What kind of gift of prophecy fuckery

[simplydannie]

Haii pooks!

I know your busy, but when you get the chance, Fanfic about when Veneer and Neena first met? Maybe Nate cameo at the end 🫶🏼

Baii :3

Haii!

Okay so here ya go!

A little context first:

Neena was an OC created WAY before my Under Rageous AU. So this story will not be taking part in that storyline and is completely separate 😊 She was created because I was curious how a HOH character would interact in this kind of world. Also being a V and V fan, my OC befriends them and actually knows them before their fame journey. Her and Veneer had a hard time making friends throughout high school but found each other and became the bestest of friends. Later Veneer would introduce her to Velvet whom she’d befriend as well. Her main form of communication for someone who doesn’t know sign language (like Veneer) is through a notebook which she carries with her everywhere.

A small cameo by @justnat3 OC!

Both drawings for the cover art were done by @skydiverdrawings!

Enjoy!

High school.

This was it.

Elementary school…bust. Middle school…bust. High school was going to be his time to shine…

Velvet and Veneer didn’t want to make a big deal when driving up to their new high school. Instead of the limo, they rode in a black SUV, their Bergen driver up front with his sunglasses up.

“You really think they won't make a big deal out of this?” He asked his sister as he adjusted his beanie.

“Really? This is high school and you're still wearing that stupid thing?”

“What? It was dad’s, it’s my favorite, AND I think it looks good on me.”

”Whatever you say bro…”

Velvet and Veneer Montegue. Their name rang throughout all of Mount Rageous as their father was a renowned businessman and CEO, in charge and overseeing all power industries in the city…basically everything that ran Mount Rageous from the ground up. Since grade school, EVERYONE knew. What made it worse, at least in Veneer’s eyes, was that it was hard for them to make any friends… The most powerful man in Mount Rageous, had the most lonesome children around.

The twins had spent elementary and middle school only amongst themselves. Veneer was the target of bullying, and his sister, well, his personal bodyguard. No one would hang out with her because of how afraid they were. No one wanted to be his friend because well, he was just different, at least in their eyes…

“...People just don’t know how to accept those that are different.” His mother told him one day. He had come home bruised by the beating of the kids at school.

So, all that time, it was always him and Velvet against the world…

“No more playing nice.” Their father had told them as the twins lay in bed one night. He took their face in each of his hands, “They don't like it when you’re nice. Fine. If they want hell, then give them hell.”

”Daddy! You said a no-no word!” Veneer gasped, placing his hand over his mouth.

Vaughn smiled, “Think of it as a motivational word….just don’t tell your mother.”

The twins giggled…

Veneer planned for high school to be his moment to shine…for both him and his sister… This was it. He was going to make friends! He was going to make the yearbook with something more positive on it!

The SUV finally pulled up to the entrance of the school. Both twins grabbed their bags.

“If they want hell…” The Bergen began to say.

“Then give them hell.” The twins replied in unison. They smiled after getting out of the car…The motto their father taught them. There they stood staring at the entrance of Rageous High…

“Ready.” Velvet said.

“No. Not really.”

“Good enough. Let’s do this!”

It has been three months since that day…

….And Veneer had yet to make any friends…

His sister on the other hand was flourishing. She had a whole group of friends now. Velvet would continuously invite him to sit with her during lunch, to hang out with them after school…but Veneer refused. He’d make an excuse; he didn’t want her to worry…For one, when his sister wasn’t around, they would bully him, but they were her friends, so he’d never tell her…He knew she’d choose him over them and he wanted her to have the best high school experience ever. She deserved it after all those years she spent being friendless because of him. He’d even lie to his parents.

“So…How was school today?” Their father asked. Velvet would beam at the time she was having, showing their parents the pictures she took with her and her friends. Veneer could see the relief and happiness in his parents…So when it came for him to speak…he lied.

“Yeah. There are guys from my science class and art class…We sit together at lunch and just kinda have fun.”

“Where do you sit? I never see you.” Velvet declared.

“We rotate. We mainly like to sit outside.” Veneer lied again.

“That's wonderful sweetheart! You are more than welcome to invite them over! Both of you.” Vivian smiled.

“...Well…They wont cause trouble will they?” Vaughn asked.

“Chill dad. You know I'd set them straight if they caused trouble.” Velvet smirked.

“That’s my girl.”.....

…Veneer walked down the hall towards his locker, his head hanging low, hopefully he’d be left alone, hopefully no one would look his way. He made it to his locker only to see the words “moron” written across it.

“Typical.” He sighed, opening his locker.

“Do you need something to clean that with?” He heard a voice call to him. He turned around to see a pale, light- blue haired Rageon standing behind him. He knew him, Veneer remembered, he had him in English class…Nate his name was.

“No…I’ll just clean it later.” Veneer said with a heavy sigh as he grabbed his books.

“….Don’t let them get to you.” The boy smiled, “See you later.”

Veneer waved. Nate was kind, but the people he hung out with weren’t so. He knew what they thought about him, so Veneer never bothered…better to be safe and alone…

Right now his focus was just to make it to science in one piece. A few boys walked by shoving him hard against the lockers.

BANG!

His head collided with the door.

“Freak.” He heard them mumble, giggling as they walked away. Veneer waited till they were out of ear shot.

”Idiots.” He mumbled as he fixed his beanie. Grabbing his books, he closed his locker and ran off to class….

A Rageon girl sat on a chair at the front office, her mother inside discussing something with the principal. The girl had light, pinkish skin with medium length magenta hair. Her feet dangled as she waited…Today was her first day here at Rageous High. Her heart pounded. Would the kids be nicer here than the other schools? Would they have accommodations for her here? She fidgeted with the hem of her skirt. She felt a let tap on her leg, looking up, the girl saw her mother had walked out of the office…The girl adjusted her hearing aid.

”Read for your first day, Neena?” Her mother signed.

“No, I’m nervous. What if they’re mean here too?” Neena signed in return.

“…We have to try. You are strong, brave, and beautiful. Perhaps that one friend will be here waiting for you.”

Neena took a deep breath, “Okay.” She signed with her hands. Her mother bid her farewell as she was shown to her first class…science.

Veneer sat in the back. Out of sight, out of mind, he would tell himself. Today they were to work on some experimentation. Of course the others grouped up, leaving him to himself. He was intrigued in his project, writing down notes when he heard the door of the classroom open. Veneer looked up to see the principal walk in with a Rageon girl at her heel. Veneer had never seen her before, he was sure of it. Was she new?

The teacher signaled her to take a seat in the empty desk in the back. Everyone studied her as she walked, particularly the guys, smirking and smiling at each other.

“Pigs.” Veneer murmured.

She glanced around the classroom with a smile…a little cheerful she seemed to be. Looking at the others, she mimicked their actions as she took out her science book. Confused, she looked around the classroom to see where she could get the supplies for the experiment.

“Okay, Vennie, you can do this…make a friend, make a friend.” He was about to stand up when he saw a group of girls head her way already, “…Nevermind.”

“Hey new girl! Listen we’re going to do you a favor, not everyone in this school is cool.” She coughed and nudged her head towards Veneer.

“….Bitch…” He mumbled under his breath. The new girl stared at the clique in front of her then towards Veneer, she smiled. Flustered he looked away. Great, she’s going to think I’m weird to.

“So as a favor, I’ll let you join our group so you don’t embarrass yourself the first day. How’s that?” The girl smiled….

….Neena saw the lips of the girl moving in front of her, but couldn’t comprehend what she was saying. Nothing but mumbles were escaping the girl's mouth. She saw her signal to a green haired boy sitting towards the back. Neena naturally turned and smiled at him only for him to look away. The girl continued to speak, that much she knew…but Neena couldn’t hear what she was saying…The girl stopped talking, staring at Neena with a smile. Oh no! She must have asked me something! Neena quickly dug through her backpack to look for her pen and notebook, tucking her hair behind her ear…that’s when the other girl saw it…her hearing aid.

“Oh…You’re one of those…Ummm…” The girl said. Neena brought out her notebook and pencil, handing it to the girl with a smile. The girl grimaced.

“…W-w-writtte…” Neena attempted to say, but it must have come out too loud and sounded odd as others in the class turned to face her way. Neena had her mother teach her to try and say some words, especially the word “write”. But being deaf, Neena didn’t know whether she was saying right…or too loud.

“No. Sorry…Nevermind actually.” The girl waved Neena off and walked away… Not, again, Neena thought.

Veneer saw the whole thing happen, he heard the girl utter the word “write” a little too loudly and rather awkwardly. The girl and her clique walked off leaving the new girl with a sad look on her face. Out of all people, he knew what it felt like to be left hanging…

Okay, now is my chance, he stood up from his desk and walked over to her. When he approached her he could see the tears beginning to fall from her face. She quickly wiped it away when she looked up to see him. She gave him a small smile waiting for him to proceed.

You, got this…You got this….

“Hi,ImVeneer, woudyouliketobemypartner!” The words came rolling out like an avalanche, one after the other…word vomit. Crap!

Neena stared at the boy in front of her. He seemed shy yet kind. She saw his lips move ever so quickly, then stopped. Wait? Was he done talking? Did he even say anything? Neena couldn’t make out what he had just told her. It must have taken her a moment too long to answer because she saw his smile drop from his face. Oh no! I ruined it again! She thought to herself. As he began to walk away, she instantly reached up to grab his arm to keep him from leaving. She saw the look of confusion on his face and quickly withdrew. She signaled him to wait as she began to write something down in her notebook.

Veneer cocked his head to the side as she scribbled away. She gave him the notebook and pen with a smile on her face. Taking it in his hands, he looked down to read it…

Hi! I’m Neena. I’m deaf, so I don’t know what you were asking me :( Can you please write it here? If you want.

He looked at her…She seemed to have a hopeful glint in her eyes…Maybe she was like him…Looking for a friend… just someone who would understand her too…He smiled. Taking the pen, he began writing in her notebook…He slid it back to her.

Hi Neena! I’m Veneer. I’m sorry. I word-vomited, that tends to happen when I get nervous. Would you like to be my partner for this project?

Neena read his note, looking at him with a wide smile on her face, she nodded.

“Oh! Um, okay! Give me one moment.” He signaled her as he ran over to his desk to gather his things, moving next to her. Neena kept the notebook in between them so they could write back and forth to each other to communicate…

Do you sign? She had written. A look of genuine confusion crossed his face.

Sign like autographs? He wrote. This caused a giggle to escape Neena’s lips. She shook her head. Instead of writing, she made signals with her hands.

“Oh!! You mean sign language!” He said aloud. She saw the movement of his lips and understood what he had said.

“Yes.” She signed, “Sign language.”

“No.” He shook his head. Neena smiled taking the notebook in her hands once again.

It’s okay! I’ll show you! If you want?

He smiled towards her, “Okay!”

At the end of the day, Neena got into her mothers car…a smile on her face.

“You seem happy. Did everything go okay today sweetie?” Her mother signed.

“Yes.”

“Do you think you’ll like it here?”

Neena looked down at her notebook. For the first time it was filled with notes and silly doodles from a friend…A FRIEND!…. Something she had waited so long for.

“Yes. It’s going to be fun!” She signed.

Veneer waited for his sister out front, a smile on his face…

“What’s with the goofy grin?” She asked as she approached him.

“Vels!” he jumped a little too happily. “I finally made a friend!!”

“...Wait…what do you mean finally…What about those guys you talked about from art and science?” She said.

“......Uuuhhhh….”

“You little liar! So all these months you lied to me about making friends! You lied to mom and dad too!”

“I just didn’t want you guys to worry! You seemed so happy with your group and mom and dad seemed so proud when you finally told them.”

“Gosh Veneer! You’re horrible!” She sighed, taking in a deep breath, “Whatever….who is this new friend…If you’re even telling the truth.”

“I am!! She’s a new girl at school! I have her for my science, gym, math, and art class! Her name is Neena…she’s deaf. Some girls were already giving her a hard time..”

Velvet looked at him. He was always one to sympathize with people who had a hard time making friends, with people who would get bullied…

“So she doesn’t know what a complete weirdo you are yet?” She teased.

“Yeah!!...Wait…” He paused, finally realizing what she had said, “Oh, you’re cruel.”

[sadie-bug345]

I love your headcanons! They’re so goofy but character accurate. Anyway I was wondering if you’d maybe do all the greasers + Cherry with a trad goth/alt s/o hcs? Thank you so much!!! 🖤🖤🖤

omg hiiii and your wish is my command‼️🥰

the greasers (+cherry baby) w trad goth / alt s/o!!

ponyboy: - the second you moved into town he was like obsessed - just cause your vibe wasn’t like anyone else’s he’d really met - so he worked up the nerve to talk to you thinking you’d like shun him (bro was fr going thru ALL the possible rejection that could happen😭) - he was like “…hi🖐️😀” and just stood there sweatin up a storm LMAO - and you’re just like “hello?🧍‍♀️” - LOVE CONNECTION INSTANT - yall are the sweetest together and pony’s wardrobe changes a little so it’s more like yours - just cause he loves the way it looks on you sm.

johnny: - your vibe fits his (and dally’s but that’s later🤫) really well - so when he first saw you his exact thoughts were like “man. she’s cool” - so my guy went thru all of ponyboys yearbooks like just trying to find out anything and everything abt you - clubs, sports, music, voted most likely to’s…you name it johnny found it cause he was too scared to approach you at first - pony walked in on him scavenging last years yearbook and was like 😐 this has gotta end my boy - so after some aggressive encouragement from dally, johnny approached you and you guys really hit it off - you guys are like the gangs power couple FOR SURE - everyone loves your style and vibe but johnny especially, duh!

sodapop: - this is definitely an opposites attract sitch - like johnny he saw you and was like “i gotta find out more” cause he had never dated anyone like you before - he probably went up to talk to you and accidentally spilled about how he knew you were in middle school band and played the clarinet but switched to the flute halfway thru seventh grade or smth😭😭🫶 - yall definitely turn heads when you guys are hanging out together - no one can deny the cuteness😔🖐️

darry: -my guy is a little more conservative when it comes to style - we know he be dressing like a divorced dad out here - BUT he noticed you around town and was def intrigued - totally starts listening to the music you like just to have a conversation starter - this boy PLANS - after a while of you guys dating you give him a lil makeover and it’s very sweet (especially cause he needed the wardrobe refresh🫢)

dally: - your vibe and his is super similar, or at least he thinks he’s as effortlessly cool as you🙄 - anyways he was fr like “now this is the kinda person i wanna know” - didn’t need any encouragement to go talk to you *cough* johnny *cough* - either way he tried to start up a convo all “smooth” or whatever and you’re just like “😳uhm anyways…” - kinda gave him the humbling he needs but you thought his unrealized awkwardness was cute - you guys are birds of a feather but he definitely loves showing you off to his friends - just cause he thinks you’re like, actually the coolest - he won’t tell you how he feels but it’s obvious.

two-bit: - this guy is so goofy - sees you from across the room and starts cracking the LOUDEST and DUMBEST jokes just to see you hopefully smile - and he’s funny so you’re like halfway cringing but also halfway dying laughing - you’re probably like “who even is this kid💀” LMAO - anyways after he saw you laugh my dude just talks your ear off - after you get a few words in about your interests and general style bro was so obsessed - he didn’t really think he’d like a girl with your style but he was wronggg - you guys have probably the most fun together out of the group ngl.

steve: - probably heard abt you from soda - LIVES for your outfits like he’s so obsessed he’s like “hmm i wonder what they’re gonna wear today” - just cause he thinks you’re so cool and unique - definitely frequents the places you usually hang out just in the hopes of “casually” running into you LMAO - you guys are super cute though like no one really expected it - which makes it so much better.

cherry: - being a cheerleader she doesn’t usually date people with your style - her exes just are kinda basic - BUT she saw you and was like “oh. so i’m like in love” - HOPELESS ROMANTIC CHERRY🫶😭 - it was like a rom com she like did an actual double take - after you guys start dating you two do everything together - you give her makeovers like all the time - it’s so sweeeeet - plus you kinda revamp her wardrobe - dw she still has THE cherry valance vibe - but she matches your outfits in the little details - matching rings, necklaces, skirts, shoes, anything.

thanks so much to the wonderful person who requested this!! my requests are always open!🧌🥰🫶

[loveinhawkins]

Part 1 ao3

A series of notes passed during private study periods in Hawkins High School Library, circa January—May, 1985.

A sheet of paper hastily ripped from its notebook, folded over with a crease down the middle.

—Harrington, did you just turn down that girl?

—What are you talking about?

—Hey, you can’t blame a guy for being nosy. You were the one deciding to TALK in a SACRED LIBRARY.

—If you heard us, why are you asking?

—Okay, sound doesn’t travel that far.

—Why don’t YOU tell me what happened considering you know everything?

—Wow. Touchy.

—Fuck off.

—Sorry. Thought we were just joking around. Didn’t mean to be a dick.

—It’s fine.

—You sure?

—I wasn’t ‘turning her down.’ She’s on the Yearbook Committee. Asking for photos.

—Too many pin-ups to choose from?

—Baby photos.

—What’s the problem? Did you come out the womb holding hairspray?

—No.

—Table it or ditch it?

—?

—It’s something my uncle says. If he asks me about stuff I don’t wanna talk about, I can either table it for later or ditch it completely. But if something keeps coming up and I keep saying to ditch it, then it automatically becomes a table it for later.

—That’s smart.

—Yup.

—Table it.

—Okay.

—? Why do you keep scoring out stuff?

—Sorry sorry. I can only think of baby photos now.

—Not against them in general. Feel free to talk about yourself, Munson.

—Uh-huh. I could hear the sarcasm in how you wrote that.

—Ha. No, really. I don’t mind.

—Well, lucky for you, talking about myself is my favorite subject.

—Lucky me.

—I thought I’d lost literally all of my baby photos. When I lived with my dad, the house got flooded and all of them were hit. Water damage. I had to get my books spread out on a radiator so the pages would dry, and that kinda worked for some of them. Photos were goners, though.

—That’s awful.

—Hold your horses, cowboy. But then when I moved to my uncle’s—we’re at the trailer park in Forest Hills—I saw he had all these photos stacked on a bookcase, and I thought they were all really old, like from when he was a kid and stuff, and some of them were, but he had whole entire ALBUMS of me. Way more than my dad ever had.

—That’s cool.

—You’re so verbose, Harrington.

—I meant it. It’s just. I was just thinking.

—About?

—That’s not why I—I HAVE baby photos, that’s not the problem.

—Don’t sweat it, dude, you don’t need to tell me.

—It’s just. Rebecca, that’s who was talking to me, she kept going on about how everyone else has already sent in a baby photo or, you know, a photo from when they were a kid, and she was excited about it, it’s a whole new thing they’re doing for this year. They’re gonna do a special layout, old photos next to current ones, you know what I mean?

—Afraid I’ve never been privy to the wondrous goings-on of the Yearbook Committee.

—She said it’ll look weird if I’m the only one not doing it. But it’s—I don’t know. I know I could just pick any damn photo and send it in, it’d get the whole Committee off my back. But I think I’d feel weird at the thought of the whole year getting to see—god, this doesn’t even make sense, like I don’t mind them seeing at a photo of me NOW, but I don’t. I don’t like looking at old photos, I never have. I don’t know why. Guess I just don’t like looking back.

—Fuck what everyone else is doing. They’re YOUR photos. Forget the precious ‘layout.’

—Yeah, that’s sorta what I told her, minus the ‘fuck.’

—If it’ll shut them all up, you could send in one of mine. See who actually notices.

—No way.

—Yeah, I was just being stupid.

—No. Those are YOUR photos. Save them for your own Yearbook. Sounds like your uncle could fill the whole thing with pictures.

—Wouldn’t put it past him.

—Shit, is that the time? The bell’s gonna ring in five minutes. I’ve done NOTHING.

—The horror!

—I’m blaming you.

—Honored to be considered a distraction, Harrington.

-

A scrap of paper, hastily dropped into the pencil case of an unknowing Eddie Munson as the bell rang.

—Thanks.

[bloodhivelottie]

yellowjackets headcanons dump!!!!!🐝

cuz these mfs are always buzzing around in my brain like the little bees that they are

• the yjs who got into the most shoving matches on the field are tai and shauna but nat talks the most shit just to rile the other team up lol. lottie also talks shit but in a real sassy way🙄

• jackie loves sweet foods but her mom never lets her eat them so whenever her and shauna go to the mall they sneak to get the biggest ice cream sundae known to man and share it :]

• van used to hold movie nights (at tai’s house) for the team and misty came once but she ate way too many skittles and threw up on the carpet and she wasn’t invited again after that😭

• lottie was a school transfer and didn’t have many friends at first which is why she joined the yellowjackets. the coach was crazy impressed with her skill and jackie started out really jealous and everyone was like ohhh we have a rivalry brewing!!! but jackie quickly came around and she was actually the one who started calling her lottie instead of charlotte

• van & nat were best friends as kids and lived in the same trailer park but when they were 14 vans mom moved to an apt and the two of them stopped hanging out and talking as much but they still have a bond with each other

• van and nat love the movie my cousin vinny and they still quote it all the time

• jackie was a HUGE fan of mia hamm and used to have a poster of her in her room but her mom got mad at her saying it wasn’t ladylike so jackie gave it to shauna but it’s been lying around shauna’s room ever since :[

• misty’s parents are rich doctors or something who are never home so she spends all her time either making super over the top collages of celebrity men or making a diary where she writes about literally everything and cuts out her yearbook and draws hearts around the boy she has a crush on. OR she’s up to some heinous shit researching crazy stuff. i just know she’s wayyyy too into serial killer info. and she’s prob dissected a frog or two in her time

• tai was the only one who was still able to enjoy soccer after the rescue. but i think van would’ve tried and maybe she still casually watched the uswnt until the 99’ers retired but after that she stopped watching.

• a lot of them turned vegetarian after they got rescued. i feel like nat’s vegetarian which is why she reacts like REALLY🙄 to misty when she eats beef jerky in s1 lol. lottie is absolutely vegan

• i like the hc people have that shauna’s jewish. jackie’s christian and she tries her best to celebrate shauna’s religious holidays w her but she always gets shit wrong but it’s the thought that counts right? nats definitely catholic but doesnt gaf

• lottie has a pet cat that she literally adores because it’s all she has to keep her company in her giant house cause her dad tells her not to talk to the maids :/

• nat can’t afford to buy her own guitar but kevyn lets her borrow his and he’s in the middle of teaching her how to play during the time she qualifies for nationals so the only song she knows how to play is come as you are by nirvana

• opposing teams HATE yj set pieces cause nat takes corners for the right side and tai and lottie are tall as fuck so they convert from corners a lottt >:)

• when shit got bad with nat or van’s family when they were younger they’d sneak out of their trailer windows and meet at a specific spot just to hang out and they’d talk all night or nat listens to her walkman and watches van practice tricks on her shitty beat up skateboard

• one time in the locker room nat’s putting a tape into her walkman and shauna notices and brings it up and they start chatting a little about their similar music taste for a minute until jackie appears and sweeps shauna away and nat’s just left there with her eyebrows raised cause she didn’t realize shauna was actually cool like that. LOL

• one day it was raining like crazy during practice and the field was muddy as fuck and tai accidentally slipped and got covered in mud. van’s crying laughing cause tai’s pissed about it until she slips and falls into the mud too. she ends up throwing some at the other girls for laughing at her and jackie gets hit and she’s like “oh so that’s how it’s gonna be huh?” and the next second everyone’s soaked and muddy and laughing and they all have to trudge back to the locker room afterwards and when they walk past coach scott he’s just shaking his head smiling

[sarahsmi13s]

I love you, Cowboy

(not my gif)

pairing: rhett abbott x reader (last name: knight)

characters: rhett abbott, fem!reader, the abbott family (mentioned), the knight family, josh (reader’s brother that is mentioned)

warnings: 18+ MDNI, she/her pronouns used, language, angst, rhett being his little insecure self, toxic mother, parental expectations, parents trying to live through their children, if i missed any please let me know.

word count: ~3.3k

a/n: this is inspired by the song ‘ladies love country boys’ by trace adkins, it was supposed to be a little happier than this but the angst the is rhett abbott took over. 

but nevertheless i hope you enjoy

also: rhett calls reader “doc”

**********

You’d grown up in the city, in a neighborhood full of houses that all looked more or less the same on the outside. Both of your parents were well known in your town. Your dad was a successful lawyer and your mother was a housewife that was president of the PTA.

Your parents had always wanted the best for you.

They put you in dance classes when you were younger, but eventually let you venture out into sports. You kept straight A’s, getting ‘most likely to succeed’ in your yearbook ‘who’s who’ section both your freshman and senior year.

Once you graduated high school early, your parents bought you a car and by that fall you were off to college in some southern town that you had no idea existed.

Your mom and dad really wanted you to pursue law, but you nipped that in the bud.

“Mom, Dad, I don’t want to study law. That’s not something that interests me and I would be burnt out before I even started the car. I’m studying sports medicine, and if you have a problem with that, then that’s on you.”

They didn’t have a problem with that actually. If you studied medicine, that gave you a shot at finding a doctor to marry and settle down with. Or maybe you’d find a lawyer, either way it worked.

So, when you came home holding the hand of Rhett Floyd Abbott -a bull rider from rural Wyoming, a country boy on all fronts- they were a little surprised.

**********

You had met Rhett after you graduated and moved to Wabang for work.

One of your friends had told you about a school in ‘a small ass town’ in a ‘tiny ass county’ needing a physician/team doctor. His mother had told him when she came home from a convention.

But without that ‘small ass town’, you would have never met Rhett Abbott and you wouldn’t have been happier to be out of California.

********

You actually had met Perry first, he saw you at a bar and thought you were being stood up. When in reality you were celebrating your new job.

That sparked a friendship with the older Abbott boy and then he introduced you to Rhett when Rhett tagged along to help you unload your moving truck. Which sparked a friendship between the two of you.

A few weeks after you moved in, your golden retriever, Chica, had gotten out through a hole in your backyard fence. Luckily, Rhett had seen her on his way home and picked her up. He came by and dropped her off.

When he asked how she got out, you told him and he didn’t hesitate to offer his assistance. He made a temporary fix for the day and then came back the next morning with supplies.

Rhett completely replaced your fence, taking down the old, rusted chain-link and replacing it with t-post and grid-fence panels.

You wanted to pay him back.

“How can I repay you?” “You don’t have to-” “Rhett, you came up here and gave me a whole new fence. I can’t just not pay you back.” “Okay, then let me take you out on a date.”

And the rest is history.

********

Now here you were, nearly a year later and you were head over heels in love with Rhett. And he was head over boots for you.

You were still the school’s team doctor, but you had also become Rhett’s medical personnel on his bull-riding team. You were the only one Rhett trusted when it came to medical advice at an event.

Currently you were in the middle of Rhett’s truck, singing your lungs out to the Charlie Daniels song playing from the radio. Rhett was laughing and singing along with you.

Then your phone rang.

Rhett turned the music down when you answered it. “Dr. Knight?” … “When is it?” … “Um okay, yeah. Let me talk to him and see what he thinks and I’ll get back to you.” You hung up and faced Rhett a little more.

Keeping an eye on the road, he gave you his attention, “What’s up Doc?” You rolled your eyes, but grinned at the phrase he picked up. “My graduating class is having a reunion at the end of May. Would you want to go?”

Rhett paused, thinking of how to respond, “Do you wan’ me to go?” You frown, confused, “Of course I want you to go, Rhett. I wanna show off my strong cowboy. But if you don’t want to go, we don’t have to.” He smiled at you, “Sure, why not, let’s go.” You grinned and opened your phone, sending a quick text to whomever you had been on the phone with.

“Oh my gosh, Rhett turn it up!” You shouted when the familiar sound of Lynyrd Skynyrd met your ears.

He just smiled fondly at you and turned it up.

*********

You sat in your parents driveway squeezing Rhett’s hand. “Hey, if you’re nervous, we can come back later. We got ourselves an AirBnB for a reason. You don’t have to meet them today.” “Darlin’, I’m not nervous, I’m just-” You arched an eyebrow at him. “Okay, maybe I’m a little nervous.”

You leaned toward him, “Can you tell me why you’re nervous?” He held eye contact with you for a second before chuckling shyly and looking at his calloused hands. “I know I don’t bring much to the table.” “Rhett-” “Let me finish,” he said gently, closing his eyes for a second.

“I know I don’t bring much to the table,” he started over. “I’m not a doctor or a lawyer, or some CEO. I’m a bull rider that’s a lot more trouble than he’s worth.” He looked up at you, “I already know I’m not good enough for you. And that's all they’re gonna see. I just don’t want you to see it too.”

You grabbed his hand, the calluses on it rough against your palm. “Rhett Floyd Abbott. You don’t give yourself enough credit. You are perfect for me. I don’t care what you do, all I care about is who you are.”

He let out a self-deprecating chuckle, “Well, I’m not that good of a man.” “Rhett, I’ve been with you for a year now. You are that good of a man.”

You brought a hand up to his face, nails scratching at the stubble there, “I know my worth, Rhett. And you have given me nothing but what I deserve and then some. I’ve never met a man like you, and I don’t think I’ll ever meet anyone like you again.”

With his free hand, Rhett quickly tilted the brim of his ball cap up and captured your lips in a kiss.

Your lips moved together and Rhett’s free hand pushed the hair out of your face, deepening the kiss at the same time.

When you pulled apart, you nudged his nose with yours, “I don’t care what they think about you. They’ll just have to get over it. Because you make me happy, and that’s all that matters. I love you, Casanova.” He grinned, “I love you too, Doc.”

Rhett got out and jogged over to your side to open your door.

You walked up to the front door and rang the bell.

A few minutes later, your mom answers the door.

She gasps and hugs you, “Oh, Y/N! Sweetie, come in come in!” You grabbed Rhett’s hand again and pulled in behind you.

You followed your mom to the living room, where your dad was sitting and watching some show.

“Who’s this handsome young man?” Your mom asked as she sat next to your dad.

Smiling, you put your arm around Rhett’s waist, his hand automatically falling to your hip. “Mom, Dad, this is Rhett, my boyfriend. Rhett, this is my mom, Lily, and my dad, Tom.”

Rhett shook your parents' hands, “It’s a pleasure to meet you both.” “It’s a pleasure to meet you as well, Rhett,” your dad smiled at him and you and Rhett sat down.

Your dad paused the TV and turned to talk to you both. “So, Rhett, Y/N has never mentioned what you do for a living.” You tense a little bit. You just knew Rhett was gonna take that the wrong way; but it wasn’t like you did it on purpose, they never asked. “What do you do?”

Your boyfriend glanced down at you before looking back at your parents. “My family owns a ranch, so I work there and then I’m a bull-rider.” Your mother’s eyes widened and you were certain the color drained from her face.

But your dad didn’t give the same reaction as your mom. “That’s interesting, you’ll have to tell me more about that later,” your dad unpaused the TV and went back to watching the show.

Rhett turned to you, “Is there a place we can talk?” You gulped, nerves working their way up your throat. “Uh, yeah, we can talk in the kitchen.” He got up first and held his hand out for you to take.

You knew he was upset, and once you were standing, you tried to drop Rhett’s hand and he let you. Yup, he was upset.

You led him to the kitchen and you leaned back on the counter, crossing your arms and keeping your eyes glued to his boots.

“Does what I do embarrass you?” You met his eyes, “No, Rhett.” “Then why did you never tell your parents what I do?” “They never asked, so I didn’t say anything.” He just nodded and wiped his mouth. “Rhett, look, I’m sorry. I should have told them. Because I’m not embarrassed, I love that you’re so passionate about what you do. Do I think it’s dangerous? Yeah, but guess what, I would never ask you to quit.”

You stepped forward and grabbed his hands, and he looked up at you. “Rhett, you could be a rodeo clown and I’d still love you. I’m not with you because of your job, I’m with you because you make me happy. You’re my sweet, sweet country boy and I wouldn’t trade you for the world.” You saw the blush through the tan skin on his face.

“We cool?” You asked, a hint of humor in your tone. He hummed and pecked your lips, “We’re cool.” You smiled and laced your fingers with his to go back to the living room.

******

After sitting and talking with your parents, you all ate dinner.

“Dinner was great Mrs. Knight, thank you,” Rhett said when he finished. “Thank you, Rhett.” He grabbed your plate and his plate and put them in the sink. “Oh, Y/N and I will get the dishes, Rhett,” you mom told him. “Oh, I don’t mind.”

Your dad cleared his throat, “Actually, Rhett, I was going to ask if you could help me with something in the garage?”

Rhett glanced at you and you shrugged, but you stood up and waved him on to follow your dad.

They went out the door in the kitchen that led to the connected garage.

Your dad leaned against the car and crossed his arms over his chest. Rhett took in his body language. “You didn’t need my help with anythin’ did you?” Your dad shook his head, “No, I wanted to talk to you.”

Rhett felt a pang in his chest. Okay, this is it, get ready to defend yourself, Abbott.

“I think it goes without saying that Lily and I were hoping our daughter would end up with a doctor or a lawyer.” Rhett nodded, you had told him that when you first got together. “But I learned a long time ago that Y/N is her own person, and that she knows what she wants.”

Rhett’s brow creased in confusion, but he let your dad continue. “You’re a good man, Rhett. A lot better than the past partners Y/N’s had.” Pride swelled in Rhett’s chest. “Thank you, sir.”

You dad grinned, “You wanna know how I know?” He leaned back on the hood of his car. “You’re the only one she’s brought home. And I can see it in her eyes, and in yours, that you make each other happy. That’s all I could ever ask of you.”

******

Meanwhile, you and your mother were having a very different conversation.

“So, you’re dating a bull rider?” You nodded, rinsing off a plate, “Yup.” You sat it on the drying rack.

“Are there not any doctors in Wyoming?” You stop for a second, “Well of course there are, but they’re not my type.” “And a boy that rides bulls and works on a farm is your type? Forgive me, but I don’t believe that.”

You turned to your mom, “First, he’s a man and he works on a ranch. Second, why is that so hard to believe?” “Well, you’ve always dated med students, nursing students, and you dated that one pre-law student.”

You scoffed and shook your head, “Those relationships lasted all of a few months. I’ve been with Rhett for a year. He’s it for me.”

Your mom sighed, “No he isn’t. He’s not good enough for you. You need someone that can provide for you.” “Rhett does provide for me!” You felt tears sting the back of your eyes as your mother confirmed what Rhett was worried about in the car.

“Not in the way a man with a better paying job can.” “Is that all you care about? Money? Is that the only way someone can provide? Because let me tell you something, mother, Rhett has provided me with more than I ever could have asked for.”

Your mom crossed her arms and arched her brow, “Really? What could he possibly bring to the table?” “He brings everything to the table. He brings me peace, love, security, happiness, and himself; because that’s all I’ve ever needed. He’s it for me and nothing you say will change that.”

She tongued her bottom lip, “You’re so different from what we wanted you to be. You could have been a lawyer, or brain surgeon, or some CEO; but no, you’re goddamn sports physician in a town that’s the size of our neighborhood.”

Tears sprung to your eyes as your mom started just laying it on.

“I thought you were proud of me…”

“Yes, but you could have been so much more. My friends love hearing my daughter is a doctor. But what are they going to think when I tell them she’s with a fucking bull-rider that works on his family’s ranch!?” She threw her towel down and put her hands on her hips.

Your jaw dropped and you scoffed. “Is that all my life is to you? A fucking award? Something to brag about to your screwdriver sipping, bleach blonde bitch squad?” A tear slipped down your cheek.

“Well you can only brag about one thing for so long.”

It felt like all the air was punched out of your lungs.

“You were supposed to be everything I couldn’t be.”

That flipped a switch and you stood up straight. “I’m not some vessel for you act out your fucking fantasies. I’m sorry that you thought I was, but it wasn’t my fault you dropped out because you got pregnant with Josh. But you children aren’t playthings that you can make do whatever you want.”

The door to the garage opened and both your father and Rhett came into the kitchen.

Rhett met your eyes and could see the tears in them, but by the way your fists were clenched and shaking and the redness on your face – he knew they weren’t falling anytime soon.

“What’s going on in here?” You mom opened her mouth to speak, but you cut her off, “Oh, nothing, just your wife telling her daughter she’s a fucking disappointment!”

Rhett’s eyes widened and he stepped towards you, ready to come to your defense.

“You’re not a disappointment, Y/N,” your dad said before turning to your mom. “Lily, why would you say that?” “Because, Tom, from the moment you let her play sports she’s done nothing but-”

“She’s her own person Lilian! How do you not understand that? I never had a life plan for her other than to be happy!”

“Thomas, she’s a physician in a small town and dating someone that can’t give her what she deserves! He’s just a good-for-nothing-”

“Shut the fuck up.” “Excuse me?”

You stepped towards your mom and Rhett’s eyes widened as he tried to reach for you, but you evaded his grasp. He was honestly afraid you were about to swing at your mother.

“You heard me. Don’t ever talk about Rhett like that. Say whatever the hell you want to about me but you keep his name out of your mouth. I told you already that Rhett is more than I deserve, you just don’t believe it because you’re stuck on some idea that just because he isn’t some rich man sitting stacks of money means that he can’t provide.”

You huffed a breath out your nose, “I’d never thought I would say this, but coming home was a mistake.” You grabbed Rhett’s hand and drug him out of the house.

Your dad clenched his jaw and cut his eyes at your mom, “We’ll talk about this later.”

He ran through the house, calling for you and Rhett to wait.

“Dad, look, I’m sorry-” “Don’t be, sweetheart, please don’t be sorry. I just want you to know that I’ve always been proud of you.” You let out a shaking breath and Rhett squeezed your hand. “Thank you, Dad. But we can’t be here…” He nodded, “I understand. What your mother said… it was uncalled for.” You gave him a hug and Rhett shook his hand. “I love you, Dad.” “I love you too, Sweetheart.

Rhett opened your car door and buckled you in before going to his side and driving away.

*******

You were quiet the entire way to the AirBnB, but Rhett kept his hand on your thigh.

He knew you were trying not to break down, but you had zoned out long before you got to the small bungalow. He could see the tears you had no idea escaped.

When he parked, you didn’t move and he went around to your side.

He opened the door and squatted down to unbuckle you. “Darlin’?” He placed his hand on your knee, his thumb rubbing back and forth on the inside of your thigh. “Hey, Sweetheart, look at me,” he gently turned your head.

That pulled you back, and he gave you a small smile, but you could see the concern.

You shook your head, “I’m okay, Rhett.” “No, Doll, you’re not. Don’t pretend you are.” He used his knuckle to wipe your tears away. You broke down then and there, and he pulled you into his lap while sitting in the driveway.

*****

After you calmed down enough, Rhett took you inside and you both curled up on the bed.

“I don’t know why it hurts so much. People are proud of me, genuinely proud of me… But one person says otherwise and I break down.” He played with the waistband of your sleep-shorts, “It’s okay for it to hurt. But that one person is selfish, they don’t deserve to celebrate your accomplishments with you. Those people are jealous of you and wish they could do half the things you do.”

He pulled you on top of him and kissed your forehead, “You, Doc, are the best person I’ve ever met. You’re headstrong, loyal, and can ride a mean mechanical bull.” You buried your face in his chest and laughed, “Oh, Lord.” “I’m serious!” He laughed with you.

Your laughter died down and now you were just looking each other in the eye.

“I love you, Doc,” he kissed your nose. You kissed his lips, “And I love you, Cowboy.”

***********

hi! i hope this was enjoyable!

this is the first rhett abbott fic i’ve written but i’m definitely planning more because i love this cowboy

and i definitely want to write more for rhett and doc

tags <3 (thank you for being here) : @sebsxphia​

[threephantomrey]

IT’S A VERY SPECIAL DAYYYY!!!!🥳🥳🥳🥳

that’s right! it’s the 20th anniversary to my favorite movie of all time and my favorite Scooby Doo movie of all time, Scooby Doo and the Loch Ness Monster!!!!!

so i’ve already explained how much i love this movie in a post from almost two years ago but today, i am going to add MORE love for it in this post.

Scooby Doo and the Loch Ness Monster was probably, if not the first, one of the first movies i ever watched. many parts of it had stayed etched into my brain over the years. it was always my favorite, even through all my hyperfixations over the years and even when i went without watching it for a long time.

whenever i rewatch this movie, it feels like going back home. not just in the sense of feeling like i’m going back to when i was little and standing in front of my gray TV that would play it or going downstairs early in the morning to watch it on the TV we had in the living room and turning up the volume so loud it would wake up my dad. but also in the sense that it felt like going somewhere i belonged, rewatching the movie feels like getting a big warm hug from someone who watched you grow up and loves you. when i rewatch it, it feels like seeing an old friend again for the first time in years and finding out that they’re still the same person you loved back then. it’s a movie that never fails to give me comfort.

when i think of Loch Ness Monster, i don’t just think of the gang or the monster’s amazing design and the sounds it made, i also think of the opening scene, i think of lesbian icon Shannon Blake, Del Chillman the guy of all time and his van, all the beautiful backgrounds, Sir Ian Locksley, Professor Fiona Pembrooke and Velma fangirling over her, Colin and Angus Haggart, Blake Castle, Loch Ness, Duncan MacGubbin, Scooby carving a hole in the fog with his claw, the song Brothers Forever, Shaggy’s Rocky Road ice cream song, the scene where Shaggy and Scooby go to find the kitchen in the middle of the night that scared me when i was little so much i used to hide in my closet, Sir Ian’s submarine, the bad Scottish accents, Fred saying “da bomb diggity,” the ambiguous ending, Daphne’s pretty raincoat, you name it.

when i graduated high school, i used the line “hang onto your friends and you’ll get through whatever, soon you’ll be coming out the other side” from Brothers Forever for my high school yearbook quote. (yes, i actually did this) did anyone i went to high school with know what i was referencing? probably not, but it was awesome, and i have to give 17 year old me points for doing that.

i had even made this video in 2023 about the movie, in which i said i like to think of myself as the #1 Loch Ness Monster stan. and i think i stand by that. to me, it’s a beautiful and fun and lighthearted movie for families to enjoy and nostalgic and is full of comfort and makes you feel okay and safe🥹 (which yes, this definitely applies to Scooby Doo in general, but we’re specifically talking about Loch Ness Monster right now) with a song about friendship (Brothers Forever) that i also view to be a song specifically about Shaggy and Scooby’s friendship and the friendship between the whole gang. this is because of the lines “hang onto your friends and you’ll get through whatever, soon you’ll be coming out the other side” “wherever you go, i’ll be there by your side” “never we’ll part cause we’re stronger than ever” and “when it all falls apart, we gotta keep it together.”

and also the song is just really deep and meaningful in general. the second line in the song is literally “you’ve been hanging onto something, it’s really just enough it seems to me” and we also get these lyrics: “castles may stand but they don’t last forever, save what you can let the rest of it slide” “and this world feels like a monster who weighs a ton” “open your eyes and realize this life is just a crazy mystery” (which is such a Scooby Doo lyric) like BROOOO!!! this song is SO DEEP AND EMOTIONALLLL AND FOR WHATTTT🥺🥺 my favorite Scooby song of all time.

this movie may not be one of those pieces of Scooby Doo media that completely changed the status quo or had major impact on the fandom, (although it does do something different by having that ambiguous ending and the 3 monsters) but it was designed to not be like that. it was designed to be just a fun, traditional Scooby Doo movie with a little bit about Daphne’s family history and to be fun and lighthearted! and it does an AMAZING job at that! and you know what? it also gave us the iconic quote from Daphne “nothing’s impossible when you’ve got Scooby Doo around.” which is SO true and this movie deserves to be celebrated for that reason alone. it’s still important.

fun fact: i first heard about the Loch Ness Monster from this movie.

also the rivalry between Fiona and Ian? PERFECTION. i’d totally watch a movie about just them and their rivalry. and when he starts to believe her about the monster? top 10 sweetest moments ever. this movie just gives off such good vibes like it can really bring some comfort to you. if it was a person in real life, it’d definitely be someone you’d want to be friends with like they’d just be so chill and would cherish their friendships very much. this movie gives off a vibe of just staring out into the sunset over the sea and taking a deep breath, feeling the wind in your hair and the breeze around you and just appreciating everything.

here’s to the dark hallways we walked through while sticking beside our friends, the waters we dived into, the Blake family being danger-proned, the 3 monsters that chased us all around, the rivalry between those who don’t believe and those who do, what we’ve called the bomb diggity, everything that can be possible because Scooby Doo is around, men who are obsessed with the Loch Ness Monster and have a very cool van called the Loch Ness Monster Machine, brothers who will jump into the water when there’s a monster in it, their fathers who wished they would’ve prayed harder for daughters, and men who hold the record the most Loch Ness Monster sightings. may these memories live on for longer than 20 years.

happy anniversary Scooby Doo and the Loch Ness Monster. you are MY brother forever❤️

[futurequibblerjournalist]

Lol dingus is such a good word!!!! I'll be mega short w this bc I have a lot of other curiosities for you but

1 why do you think Igor went from laughing off Sev's 'ooh shut up meathead" stuff to being intimidated? Or whatever you think it was in Gob,,, and um

2 I saw you post Miss Macdonald and I was wondering if you had any rambles abt her :3

Anyway ur my fav lol UMMM bye bye :)

-🍃

Dingus is!!! MWAH!!! Also ahhhhh your fav [insert Debbie Ryan hair tucking emoji]

I think the change was that Severus finally had that upper hand on Igor that he'd wanted(??) but never quite managed because Igor would just laugh it off. Not even in a malicious way just in a sort of "you're so silly" sort of way. Their dynamic changed. Severus went from being a person he trusted to a person he still trusted but also to one he'd deliberately betrayed to save his own skin! That does something to a weirdly sexual pseudo friendship lmao. I'm not sure if I'm explaining this in exactly the right way but they're just jvnfjbngjb they're so complicated for a bunch of losers honestly

MISSS MARY MACDONALD!!!! The way I literally clapped my hands together and kicked my feet!! Yes I have rambles about her oh my gooood

I don't think about her as much as I should but urgh,, the woman that she is alright??

Mary was born Mary Aileen Macdonald in December 1959 in Scotland to muggle parents. She's the older sister of Michael Macdonald who was born four years after she was. She got her first name from her nan on her mum's side and her middle name from her nan on her dad's side. Growing up her dad was a greengrocer and she wanted to be one just like him. I feel like they could have had an English Cocker Spaniel when Mary was growing up though that might just be based off of the fact that I think that's an animal that represents her well

She was born with vitiligo and is mixed (Caribbean descent on her mother's side and Scottish on her dad's.) She's undoubtedly the prettiest girl in all of Gryffindor and she's known to be a bit boy crazy. I know some people hate this headcanon for her because female characters shouldn't revolve around male characters and I completely agree which is why that's not all she is!!! My girl Mary just falls in love easily and she always throws herself into her relationships. She's definitely got a bit of an insecurity about being loved for her body rather than her mind.

She is cherry!!! She owns that cherry red colour, she looks gorgeous in it and idk there's just something so cherry about her. She definitely wears cherry chapstick!! Those really cheap ones that smell lowkey super fake lol. Idk if cherry shampoo is a thing but if it is she's totally got it. I think Mary is a midsize queen and she rocks a fairly soft aesthetic that ends up looking a bit edgy because of all the red. She is the number one stealer of boyfriend hoodies/jumpers/jackets etc

During her time at Hogwarts she was sorted into Gryffindor and shared a dorm room with Marlene and Lily. I think she was a pretty average student. She wanted to be better but also she didn't want to devote more time than necessary to boring stuff like school lol. I do think she did really well in divination tho. She dotted all her i's with hearts and she made both M's in Mary and Macdonald into hearts (I made a little doodle to illustrate lol this is from the yearbook thing and I need to correct the D)

I think she's got a complex relationship with her sexuality. I'm kinda liking the idea of asexual Mary ngl. She's over sexualised by her peers and yet she didn't want one bit of it. She falls in love easily but why does everyone think that means she sleeps around?? She's extremely sex-positive and like,, wants sex for girls to be liberated and stigma-free and all that despite her asexuality and I think part of that comes from how people assume things about her and have no problem slutshaming her but they'd never do it to a guy like Sirius who actually slept around a tonne!! At some point, I'll do a fic or something deep-diving into Mary and her relationship with wanting love without it being connected to sex. Might be my first full-on MaryLily fic, who knows, I think they're cute sometimes

Speaking of Mary and girls I think she's so different with crushes on girls than on boys. With boys she's super out there, flirting, touching, batting her lashes etc but with girls she's much more shy and it's much more confusing for her but she's so sweet about it jnvjfnbjg

Just like how she loves loudly she laughs loudly. Her nose scrunches when she laughs. She makes sure all her friends get gifts from her at Christmas, even if it's just a small keychain or something from her dad's shop.

She spends ages getting ready in the morning and she spends ages in the bathroom in general making sure she smells nice, looks nice, the whole shebang. She loves to paint nails and she will offer to pierce your ears with nothing but an ice cube, a needle and a dream lmaooo

I think she was big into photography and she would run around with her muggle camera (that she put stickers and little sticky gems and stuff all over) taking pictures of everyone. Her patronus is a lamb because Mary had a little lamb!!!!

I don't think her dream of becoming a greengrocer stuck around tbh lol. I think she wanted to do something that could help other people and my Mary-as-a-healer dreams are out there but also my girl does not have the grades and she spent SO LONG sobbing in the girl's dorms when she found out she wouldn't be able to become a healer because of her lacking grades. I'm not sure what she ends up doing instead but I'd be so curious if anyone out there has any ideas!!

There's also the fact that Bruce Mulciber Jr and Edmund Avery Jr canonically assaulted her at some point during her time at school (at a time Severus and Lily were still talking so I'm thinking this went down in their fifth year) so there's also just,, that whole can of worms to look into. Igor Karkarov mentions that Mulciber (thought this could both be Junior and Senior) specialised in the Imperius curse though I doubt he'd have gotten away with assaulting anyone with the Imperius curse without being expelled; it just kinda tells you something about the stuff he's capable of/willing to do. I also believe it's actively Mulciber who attacks her and Edmund is more of a bystander?? I'm not entirely sure but that's how I understood it. I wouldn't be surprised if Edmund was the brain behind the whole thing though and cursed her to hang and dangle somewhere embarrassing by having her touch insert object someone would be likely to pick up off the floor or something like that

anyways that was my long ass starter ramble on the lovely Miss Macdonald now have a moodboard jngjbngjb

[lazypanartist]

Chapter 2

---

A Rose By Any Other Name

Would Feel As Frigid

-

Warnings: mentions of violence, other questionable activities, theft, and the American school system

Notes: a little over half of you said to name Reader, so that's what we'll do!

-

Previous

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Previously, we were introduced to Casey and their fellow delinquents, so here's the rundown:

Jack - jock. Interviewing Blockbuster

Will - Poor guy.. Interviewing Icicle Sr.

Dan - Another jock. Interviewing unknown

Lainey - dealer of some form. Interviewing Devastation

Rachel - got caught carrying drinks to Jack and Dan. Interviewing Shimmer

Olive - hotboxed a school bathroom 🙄 Interviewing Psimon

Adam - yearbook guy. Doesn't like Casey/POV

---

I was handed a checklist of questions to ask Jr. during session one. Things like his name, age, family, hobbies. Y'know, icebreakers.

Bob escorted me to the visitation room I'd be using. He'd called a few more guards over to get everyone else settled, but I was obviously his favorite.

"Nice place you guys have here," I offered, breaking the silence. "I've heard it's the best protected prison in the country."

"Not th' country. The world." Bob scoffed pridefully. "Not even Superman can break down the defenses."

"Really?" Of course I'd heard that one before, but hey, might as well try and get the guards to not hate you, especially with his earlier comments. "How'd that get managed?"

He gave me what was probably a wary side eye, but with his perpetual scowl it seemed more like a glare. Still, he seemed to be in a good mood.

"Lead re'nforced titanium. Tensill and brute strength? Unmatched. 'S not the only stuff, but those're the main bits."

Before I could ask more questions (probably for the better) we made it to the interview room. Bob stopped me outside the door, his hand resting on the handle.

"'Member what I said, how 'e's potentially violent?"

I nodded, now wary.

How could I forget?

"Well, 'e's typically better 'ith other kids than when adults are nearby. Now, because'a that, you're goin' in alone."

He must have seen the apprehension on my face, because he smiled. Still mocking, but it was there.

"Here's yer panic button." He handed me a small block, a red button in the middle. "It takes a lil' force ta press, 'n alerts the guard station. There always someone in th' hall here, so you'll get help soon."

He clapped my shoulder, hand moving from the doorknob. "Get to it."

And he left.

Great.

Steeling myself, I entered the room.

Junior was already there, hands cuffed in front of him, feet kicked up onto the table. When I stepped in he grinned, cuffs jangling as he pulled his feet off the only 'true' piece of furniture in the tiny, cold room.

"Hey."

I blinked. "Hey."

He gestured to the chair opposite himself, and I took a seat.

"I heard I'd be getting some company. What'd they call it.. future inmate prevention?"

"I.." I certainly hadn't planned for him to start the conversation, and with his growing smile, I could tell he already knew.

"Oh, come on! I won't bite, I promise! It'd really ruin this whole thing for both of us."

I sighed. "Yeah.. yeah. Sorry. I have a few icebreakers."

He snorted, and I could feel a smile of my own start to form.

"Icebreakers? Is that really appropriate?"

"According to the staff, apparently."

He rolled his eyes. "Fine, fine. Hit me."

"Okay. Number one, what's your name?"

"Cameron Mahkent."

"Okay.." I scribbled it onto my sheet, the chipping graphite being the only sound for a moment. "Okay. Question two - how old are you?"

He hummed quietly. "Seventeen."

"Oh!" I couldn't stop the quiet exclamation. "So you'd be a junior, too."

"Yeah? I'm a December baby."

"So you'd be sixteen at the start of the school year.." I had already put the number down, but if the goal was socialization.. "How long did you go to public school? If at all."

"Off and on until.. sixth grade, I think?" He glanced to my right before focusing back on me. "Then dad pulled me completely for training."

"Oh." I blinked before glancing back to the sheet. "Brings us to question three - what's your family dynamic?"

"Mom.. left. When I was about nine. She was going to take me with her, but dad wouldn't allow it." He shrugged, cuffs clinking again as he shifted in his chair. "He's harsh, but hey, tough love."

I didn't really believe him, but it wasn't my place to ask. Not yet.

Instead, I must have frowned, because he paused.

"He's typically in charge here at Belle Reve. The Capo. He rules the Pen with an iron fist."

"Oh.." My eyes widened. "So does that give you any special privileges compared to the other detainees?"

He laughed this time. Not a scoff or snort, but full-on cackling, like I had told the funniest joke in the world.

"Are you kidding?! I don't get treated any better than anyone else - in fact, if people try to overtake dad as Cappo, they shoot for me first.

I blinked and, almost instinctively, pulled my clipboard up.

"Question four.."

I left about thirty minutes later, scribbling the tail-ends of answers onto my paper. A guard had come through the back to pull Cameron aside, and told me it was time to leave.

When I made it back to the check-in area, most people looked traumatized. Jack started off immediately about Blockbuster - he'd been flanked by two guards the entire time.

Will was even worse. Apparently Cameron's dad - Icicle Senior - had been allowed to have one of his personal guards - Mammoth. There were four guards between them - which is why Bob had been so nice as to leave Cameron and I alone together.

Laine had liked Devastation, and Rachel was okay with Shimmer - didn't like her cultist attitude much, with Will saying Mammoth had been the same.

Olivia had hated Psimon from the get-go, but from what she said, it sounded mutual. I felt more sorry for Psimon than I did for Olive, honestly.

Dan..

"Who did you even pull?"

He flashed me a grin. "Poison Ivy."

"And?"

He held his paper up proudly. "She shared her thoughts."

I glanced over it. "Except for family life."

He shrugged, wincing when Bob grabbed the paper from him. "Oh well."

I handed mine to him as well, and he raised an eyebrow.

"It looks like Casey here is th' only one who got answers for everything - family life, criminal history, childhood. Congrats."

I shrugged, glancing at everyone else.

"Really?"

Olive rolled her eyes. "My guy didn't want to answer anything - just kept asking his own questions."

"And Blockbuster didn't want to talk about ANYTHING before his transformation," Will piped in.

"Devastation didn't actually give me another name for her." Lainey shrugged.

I glanced back in the direction of the visitation hall.

"Huh."

---

Next

[missionimpossibleburger]

When Art Becomes Industry - The Menu Review

For my elementary school yearbook, I was given a slip of paper that had me answer the following prompt: "What do you think you'll be when you grow up?" These would later be printed just below my name and portrait that would proudly beam on the glossy pages of the 5th grade section of the yearbook, among the other classmates off to do wonderful and ambitious things as preteens in middle school. In short, this was like a high school yearbook quote, but a little more hopeful and earnest.

I answered Probably a comic book writer or a piano player. While the use of "Probably" helped me ease into the idea of letting go of my short-lived comic book writing ambitions, it still amazes me today that, at 10 years old, I knew in my heart that the piano would be a part of my life.

My earliest memories come from the time when I was a toddler who could barely walk, stumbling down the soft carpeted hallway of my childhood home in South San Francisco as I approached the mysterious and booming mid-range tones from the piano in the living room. I'd see my dad's legs, rhythmically pressing on the ornate pedals with the balls of his feet at irregular intervals, like he was operating a weave as he conjured up a net of harmonies beneath his palms. While I might not have fully comprehended it at the time, there was a understanding in our family that the piano is a gene in our household, and I inherited it from my dad, whether I liked it or not.

Fortunately, I did like it. My dad took me to my first piano lesson when I was five years old, in the back of a Chinese-owned musical instrument shop on Clement Street. I never saw that teacher again (maybe the first lesson was complimentary, and my dad just didn't like her enough), but I got to keep the book. At home, with the help of 12 colorful cartoon characters printed in my book, I taught myself all 12 notes in the scale (more if you want to count the treble and bass clefs), simply because I was hungry to learn more notes and more songs. I took great pride when my dad clapped for me finishing Mary Had A Little Lamb, and shame when he reprimanded me for improvising wrong notes. I loved learning new songs, and held myself over with nursery rhymes and folk songs until it was time to take formal classical lessons from a teacher who met my dad's approval. At nine years old, I finally was reaching the next step.

My piano teacher introduced me to the world of music education and the rigors of music training. She was compassionate and warm, but demanded dedication. Through her, I internalized the technicalities of finger placements, metronome speeds, hand compartmentalization. I expanded my repertoire to included Russian contemporary composers whose surnames sounded like Harry Potter spells, but whom sometimes wrote the easiest pieces for my nimble fingers. I reckoned with the performance anxiety that dreaded my psyche before every monthly recital, which eventually bled over to my Certificate of Merit performance auditions. While I changed schools and subjects during the day, music became the constant test that loomed over me.

By the time I became an adolescent, I had nothing to show for it. In high school, it dawned on me that, not only was the piano barely used in any high school ensemble, but everyone knew how to play it better than I did. Everyone knew an ensemble-friendly instrument, whether it was a string instrument for the orchestra, a woodwind for the symphonic band, or a brass for both. All I had was piano, an instrument that's barely heard unless there's a solo, a concerto, or a jazz rhythm section involved. If I wanted to be heard, I had to be perfect. All 4 years of high school, I didn't pass a single audition for piano - not for the school jazz ensemble, not for any of the school musical pit orchestras. I dreaded each audition anyway, and probably flubbed them out of nervousness. I only got into orchestra after I begged the music director and offered to be a TA and a percussionist for the orchestra class, and the one time I did play in the musical pit orchestra was for percussion.

The stress and pressure I felt in the rigors of the music world left me jaded; they were a sobering reminder that I would never be cut for a career in music, or at least as a piano player, as my 10-year-old self prophetically proclaimed. My worth was at the whim of directors listening for every perfect note. The world was telling me that I wasted my time with the piano, a constant reminder of my own inadequacy. I became angry. I lost sight of why I was even spending time and money on these piano lessons, when I had schoolwork and college applications to worry about.

It's this jaded feeling that I think The Menu fully understands. Ralph Fiennes' Julian Slowik is a world-renowned chef who uses his reputation and art to seek retribution for the ills of the arts-turned-service industries. His dishes are the visceral expressions of his stoic hatred and rage for the pretentious, capitalist, and opportunistic subculture that has plagued his beloved art. Having been deeply engrossed in the higher world of fine dining, he manipulates and upends the culture to his own vengeful benefit, usurping expectation and surprising his guests (and by extension, us) by forcing them to confront their dismissive participation and moral crimes against art and humanity. In public reference does he create his own personal chaos, a heaven out of a living hell for those he finds undeserving.

There's a point in the film in which we see Slowik's origins. In one photo shown, he's younger, relaxed, and smiling, holding up a greasy burger patty on a flat and wide spatula, like the kind you'd see in cartoons. It's in stark contrast to the Slowik we got used to seeing, a stoic and terse statue of a man with thunderous claps and a commanding presence, arms crossed. And it's this point in the film where we see it's emotional core, an outlet for our own passionate angst and frustrations. We see a man who was once happy, doing what he loved, now grown into a bitter, spiteful shell.

With nothing else to audition for (save for the slightly less rigorous annual piano tests I habitually studied and trained for), my time with the piano became much for personal. Around my early adolescence, my love and ear for music bloomed with The Beatles, and the piano became the perfect outlet for that rediscovered joy and love of music. Like how I was when I was five, I began dedicating myself to learning more and more songs I loved, Beatles and beyond. I sought new territory and creativity in jazz piano and improvisation, a new language that was previously shunned from me.

When I see Ralph Fienne's Slowik as he is, I am reminded of all of those failed auditions, those nights slumped on the piano bench, those feelings of worthlessness, and if I sat through more of those and eventually found the success I was looking for, I'd come out a shell like him. But, when I see Slowik cooking a burger, I am thrust with nostalgia for the days when I learned Beatles songs on the piano, noodled jazz piano solos over wavy chords, and weaving harmonies out of thin air.

So yeah, I got pretty emotional watching this.

[lilimonarch]

Remember

Haikyuu One-Shot

I wrote this for an assignment

WC: 3958

~

        “We can start from the beginning, can’t we?”

        “I don’t think I have much of a choice. It’ll seem lazy if I don’t say it in order.”

        “You don’t have to feel that way, I am here to listen. Just say it the way you remember.”

        “That’s the funny thing, actually.”

Bokuto was 7 years old. His first day of school, and he wondered how children could be so mean. It’s been a horrid, absolutely terrible first day at a new school; Bokuto watching as the second graders around him had already settled into their cliques from the years prior. Everything was so foreign, at just seven years old. The streets he had walked with his dad to map out their new neighborhood were so strange compared to the home in Japan where he was from. It does not sit too well with Bokuto just yet. The car alarms which would go off in the middle of the night to the train station bells blaring every morning, it was different to say the least. One thing he did enjoy more was the ocean. The beach was only five minutes away! Bokuto bets all his friends from Japan would be jealous if they found out he could go to the beach whenever he wanted.

Unfortunately, the beach being close by seemed to be the only positive. With winter fast approaching, going to the beach and playing in the sand was out of the question. Bokuto could wish with all his might that his family had moved during the summer and not a few weeks after school had properly started, but these were the cards he was dealt.

Autumn was Bokuto's least favorite season, easily so. In summer, he could play outside with all his friends. They could run through the park and go down the slides as their cheeks flushed with the summer heat. In winter, he could play with his friends in the snow. They could build snowmen and make snow angels, coming inside to drink hot chocolate and watch Christmas movies. With springtime, the flowers would bloom, and Bokuto could help his mother prepare the garden (his mom absolutely adored her plants.) Autumn on the other hand, that’s when everything started to shrivel up and die.

        “I never liked talking about death.”

        “You can’t just ignore it either.”

        “I miss her.”

        “Me too, Bokuto. Me too.”

Bokuto adored the playground, but as he stood off to the side with his hand buried into the pockets of his jacket, he found no drive to swing on the monkey bars the way he used to. In the opposite corner of the field, near the trees, was another boy. Another boy also by himself, sitting and picking up acorns and putting them in a pile. The boy had a red jacket on, Bokuto liked red.

Bokuto, at the innocent age of seven years old, slowly crept towards the other boy. “Hey! What are you doing?” Bokuto grinned, the other boy turning with a start. “I’m Bokuto! What’s your name? Aren’t you cold with that jacket? What about gloves?” Bokuto was rapid-firing questions at the boy, noticeably smaller than himself.

“I’m collecting acorns,” the child replied, burying his hands into his own pocket. His hair was dark and ruffled, rosy cheeks from the cold. “My name is Akaashi Keiji. It’s nice to meet you, Bokuto.”

“Akashi? Your name is Akashi?”

“No, Akaashi. A-k-a-a-s-h-i. There's two A's in the middle.”

Akaashi. That’s a cool name, Bokuto thought. None of his friends from home were called Akaashi. It was new, and Bokuto liked new things. “Can I call you Akashi?” He also liked nicknames; he had cool nicknames for all his friends back home.

However, Akaashi did not seem like any of his friends from Japan.

        “I didn’t see a kid named Akaashi in the yearbook.”

        “He was just shy, I promise. He probably just never got his photo taken.”

“Don't,” Akaashi shrugged his shoulders as he went back to his acorn pile, Bokuto crouching down and sitting with Akaashi. The acorns were arranged in different sections by size and the pattern on their caps.

“Do you like acorns?” Bokuto asked. Akaashi nodded and Bokuto scooted closer, picking up an acorn and examining it closely. It was in a separate pile, almost two acorns combined. “Man, this one is cool!”

“I guess so,” for the first time in their interaction, Akaashi smiled. “Do you like collecting things?”

“I have a rock collection at home!” Bokuto was grinning simply thinking about his nightstand drawer full of rocks and a knapsack of pebbles by his bed, a dual use to defend himself if he ever had a hard night. “If you come over later, I can show you my rock collection!” Bokuto jumped up with excitement. Nobody ever got so excited to see rocks the way Akaashi did. “You should come over!”

        “I didn’t know you had a rock collection. I would have tried to get that for you if I knew what I was looking for.”

        “I think my dad threw it out. I didn’t find it.”

Twelve and in incredibly sunny Florida: temperatures way too hot and his father’s heart way too cold for his liking. At least he had a cell phone now; no need for extreme self-defense if he could call 911 all on his own. Bokuto hated the summer, and he hated Florida’s perpetual summertime state. At least during the other seasons, he was in school and away from home. He could hang out at the park in Rhode Island with his acorn friend, and they could watch the sunset together before sneaking back home.

His acorn friend, nothing but a memory now. Bokuto cried for days when he was dragged out of his home, no phone number for Akaashi as the only person who brought him joy the past five years was miles away.

        “No phone? He was twelve and had no phone? Why didn’t you just ask for his parents?”

        “I’m not too sure. He didn’t talk a lot about his family. Besides, my dad said we were leaving quickly.”

Miami was big, busy, and a huge contrast from his smaller city in Rhode Island. A tourist hotspot, but at least there was a beach. Bokuto used to love the beach, but he was not too sure now. It was late, July 19th, his mother’s birthday. Her grave was far long gone in Japan, but he hopes his aunt maintains it for them, brings her flowers and sings happy birthday. His father was out, and he hoped it would be a while before he returned. A good idea to walk along the beach, maybe meet some new friends.

“Bokuto,” a voice made him whip his head around in shock, Bokuto instinctively raising his fists but stopping at the sight. Leaning against the wall of the halls in the apartment complex, his signature red jacket, Akaashi.

        “That’s impossible.”

        “I know! That’s what I said when I saw him.”

Bokuto shook his head as he rushed over to the boy. “Akaashi? Oh my God, what are you doing here? How are you here?” He fell into his friend’s arms and sobbed for a few minutes, an emotional mess as Akaashi helped him back into the privacy of the apartment.

“Since when did you cry so much?” Akaashi commented, getting a laugh out of Bokuto. The good times were back, his safe haven was back. Bokuto could not even think of a good comeback on the spot, simply wiping his tears of pure joy.

“Since when were you so sassy?” Bokuto settled for that at his response, flopping down onto the couch. “Man, how are you even here? Are you going to my school too?” The complexities of the scenario did not seem possible, but Bokuto was never going to complain. “Aren’t you hot? It’s Florida, in the middle of summer. Take off that jacket, I swear you’ve had it forever.”

“I’m perfectly comfortable in my jacket, thank you,” Akaashi muttered before the two went into chaos, Bokuto trying his best to wrestle Akaashi out of the jacket himself. Bokuto pulled on the sleeves and tried to rip it off, failing as Akaashi pushed off the taller boy with ease. “Oh my God, you’re so dumb,” Akaashi chuckled, pulling the jacket close to him as he gently punched Bokuto for his jokes. A punch which was soft, he swears. Akaashi was not strong, and Bokuto was always the more athletic type, so why did he wince at such a soft touch?

“Man, I got a bruise there. Watch it,” Bokuto laughed, clutching his arm. It was soft, Bokuto knew that, but it hurt, nonetheless. “What?”

Akaashi sighed and went to the fridge. “Where do you even get a bruise that looks like that? You should ice it, and where even is your ice?” He shook his head, Bokuto eventually caving and getting up from his spot on the couch to find the icepack Akaashi recommended.

        “Was it your disgrace of a father?”

        “It was years ago, like I remember that. I think it was, not that it matters now.”

Bokuto dug in the freezer drawer, pulling out an icepack and placing it on his arm before getting back to the couch. “I don’t need to tell you where it came from, maybe I got in a fight,” he smirked, wincing as he sat down before turning on the television. “I was going to go out, but now you’re here.”

Akaashi rolled his eyes and sat beside Bokuto; a worried expression painted all over him. “The Bokuto I know would never get in a fight, and you only left Rhode Island a month ago.” Akaashi decided it was best to change the subject. “Say, did you make any friends yet?”

“Friends? You’re funny,” Bokuto smiled. “Not yet, I was thinking about the beach. There is going to be a beach volleyball tournament at the end of the summer, and I was thinking about trying it,” Bokuto's eyes had a certain glow as he started to talk about volleyball; they both knew that was his favorite sport. “We should compete together! We would make an awesome duo; we would win for sure!”

“Absolutely not,” Akaashi rolled his eyes, shaking his head. “I’m horrible at sports, and you are supposed to be making friends. Not sticking just with me,” there was almost a somber tone in the air. “You can’t rely on me forever, Bokuto.”

Bokuto seemed to know what Akaashi meant, at least subconsciously. “Yeah, I guess I should make more friends. Will you at least come to the tournament and watch?”

Akaashi nodded, and Bokuto could not be happier.

        “That tournament sounds exciting, were you able to compete?”

        “I wish, I was practicing late at night, and he found out and… Let’s just say, I was pretty out of commission for a bit. I don’t really want to talk about it.”

First week of being in a new school is incredibly hard, but at least the crutches made him pretty popular. It was just a few bruises and a twisted ankle, but right before the summer volleyball tournament too! Bokuto was very upset he could not compete, but he stayed home, and Akaashi came over all the time, so he supposed it was not too bad. “Akaashi, I’ll see you at lunch?” Bokuto waved Akaashi goodbye as he headed to his next class.

“Bokuto!” A girl ran up to him, startling him quite the bit. “Do you need help with your books? I only have Spanish right now, and it’ll be easier for you.” Bokuto thought she was cute, even if she was trying to get on his good side early before his popularity completely skyrocketed, he could still appreciate the comment.

Wait a minute, Akaashi has Spanish right now too! He told me that, yeah. “Oh, so you know Akaashi! He has Spanish right now too.”

The girl frowned, taking the books out of Bokuto's hands. “Who? You keep mentioning this guy, I have no idea who he is.”

Bokuto loved talking about Akaashi to people, Akaashi was so special to him. “He’s my best friend from when I lived in Rhode Island, but he’s here too. Don’t worry about it, he’s kind of shy. Always has this red jacket on, no idea how he doesn’t get hot in it.” He spent the rest of the walk talking about all the things they have done together, all their adventures. “Thank you for helping me out. I really appreciate it.”

        “You remember her helping you with your stuff?”

        “She was the first person who actually listened to me about Akaashi, it was sweet!”

Fifteen and in the beautiful hazy city of Chicago, Illinois. Bokuto was getting sick of all this moving, knowing his father was simply trying to run from restraining orders on the women he brought home. It all made him incredibly uncomfortable, but Bokuto had learned the best way to save up was to shut up. He had finally gotten his aunt’s number, and he was planning a way to get back to Japan with her. Smoke from cigarettes filled the house, and smoke from vapes were in the school bathrooms, but at least it was really easy to get out of the house in the city.

“At least they have good pizza here,” Akaashi smiled and took a bite out of the pizza he and Bokuto were sharing, the two of them sat on a bench in the park. “I think Rhode Island was still my favorite place out of the three.”

“That’s just cause it’s your childhood home, it’s bound to be your favorite,” Bokuto chuckled, finishing up the pizza. His favorite home was Japan, of course it was. Chicago was fine, Miami was okay, Rhode Island was good, but Japan was his home.

        “Wait, what? How did he follow you to Chicago? Bokuto, kiddo, how did he do that?”

        “He said his older brother was working at a college there, so he was staying with him so we could stay together.”

“Is your dad still smoking?” Akaashi asked, their muggy tone matching the attitude of their circumstances. “Do you think he’ll kick the bucket soon?”

“If it’s with lung cancer, he’s taking me down with those medical bills,” Bokuto rolled his eyes, picking up the now empty box and throwing it in a nearby trashcan. “He’s still smoking, but I think he’s trying to switch to something else. Maybe I’ll get lucky, and he’ll overdose quickly, it’ll get me back home faster.” Home: they both knew where that was. As the years went on, the light in Bokuto's eyes died, and the direness of the situation increased tenfold. “Maybe that’s why he moved here.”

“You still aren’t going to tell anyone?” Akaashi frowned, cleaning up after themselves as they headed back to Bokuto's apartment to do homework. High school was hard, dark, and scary. Well, it was when you were alone in a new city. At least Bokuto was not alone, he had his longtime best friend with him.

“And get CPS involved? You’re funny, man,” Bokuto sighed, and the walk was short as Bokuto shakily reached for his keys with his left hand. It was difficult, his right hand hurt, and he was not to use it for a bit so he could still be on his A-game at practice, but he managed to open the door and head to his room with Akaashi close behind him. “Besides, I got a plan. It’s not like I’m spending so much time at home; we have volleyball practice.”

“You have volleyball practice; I just come and watch them all,” Akaashi chuckled, closing the door and taking out his backpack to start work. It was so much harder than what Bokuto had to work on; Bokuto loved that Akaashi was so smart. “You have a game next weekend, right?”

“You bet I do,” Bokuto, once again, had that small glint of hope in his eyes as he talked about his favorite sport. “They are having me start too, I’m so excited. I think we’ll win for sure, but I have to pass this test if I plan on playing,” Bokuto took out his own geometry homework, working on it in relative silence.

The door creaked open, Bokuto shouted and defended himself well.

        “Did he hurt you that time?”

        “What? No, he was just drunk. I fought him off, it’s fine. He didn’t see Akaashi, so at least he was okay.”

The gym was filled with cheers as Bokuto landed an amazing spike into the opposing team’s court, the ball hitting the floor with a resounding bang. Bokuto jumped and cheered, playing the crowd like a performer. This was his calling; volleyball was the only thing that made him happy in this world. Well, other than Akaashi. Speaking of Akaashi, Bokuto looked around for his longtime best friend in the crowd who was nowhere to be found.

“Bokuto, get your head in the game,” his teammate and friend, Atsumu shouted over the crowds, all in good spirit. Atsumu was the complete opposite of Akaashi, loud and overconfident, but he enjoyed Atsumu’s company when Akaashi wasn’t around. Bokuto could feel a pit in his stomach as his eyes searched the back of the bleachers, knowing that’s where Akaashi would typically sit. “You okay, man? What’s up?”

Worst case scenarios ran through his head as Bokuto got down on one knee, eyes wide as he looked around the gym. His teammate, Sakusa, noticed and got a timeout called so their new star could calm down. “You’re okay, Bokuto. Do you need to switch out?” He asked, Bokuto shaking his head. Akaashi was probably fine, probably somewhere else in the crowd in his signature red jacket.

“I’m fine,” Bokuto forced a smile as he got back to his position on the court. “I was just looking for Akaashi again, he said he’d be here.”

His teammates exchanged awkward glances but returned to their positions and the game continued on.

        “Bokuto, I’m sorry he couldn’t make it to your game. Was he just running late?”

        “Bokuto, kiddo, can you hear me?”

They won, but Bokuto could not find the strength in him to celebrate. He was going to rush to the park where they said they would meet to go to their signature pizza place after the game. He waved to his teammates and ran as the rain started to pour. Running in the rain was a bad idea (his mother used to tell him he’d get sick for sure if he did) but there was no other option in Bokuto's mind.

The park was eerily empty for Bokuto's comfort, except for a single person in a red jacket sitting on a single bench in the park. “Akaashi!” Bokuto smiled and ran over to the bench. “Akaashi, you scared me. Why didn’t you come to the game? Did you get held up or something? It’s okay though, because we totally won and-”

Akaashi sat there mindlessly as Bokuto realized there was a pond of blood beneath the two of them, the crimson liquid flowing from Akaashi’s abdomen. “Akaashi? 'Kaashi, what happened?” Bokuto immediately took off the red jacket and tried to use it to tie it as a makeshift bandage, none of the blood coming on him. Akaashi never had his jacket off, and he sat there horrified as bruises covered Akaashi’s small arms. “Akaashi, speak to me! We’ll get you help, but you have to tell me what happened. What happened!?”

“It was you or me,” Akaashi mumbled, the same quiet boy he was when they collected acorns in elementary school. “I stopped by your apartment; your dad found me. He can’t hurt you anymore, okay?” His words spoken softly, the same shy boy in the mysterious Spanish class in Miami.

        “He knew? Bokuto, I know it’s hard, but you have to tell me. How did Akaashi know?”

“What did he do to you?” Bokuto felt the tears rolling down as he sobbed and screamed. “Keiji, please. What did he do to you?”

“He’s gone, Bokuto. I fought him, I said I’d be there as long as I could.” Words spoken creepily in tune with a dying melody. Slowly, Akaashi got up, pooled blood falling in the motion. “I said you can’t rely on me forever.”

“I’ll kill him,” Bokuto muttered under his breath, a grieving rage in his heart. “But first, to the hospital. I’m going to run to get help, you stay right here!” Tears continued to pour as he ran around the park, an empty park with no one to find. Running from one end of the park to the other, only to find the bench completely empty. No Akaashi, no blood, no body.

        “As if he never existed?”

As if he never existed.

Bokuto returned home and found his father with not a single wound, lifeless on the floor. He called 911, no remorse in his voice. He remembers sitting on the plane home, the words of his father’s death certificate forever repeating. “Cause of death: Overdose.” Overdose? What about the wounds? What about Akaashi’s death? Was it all in vain?

        “Bokuto.”

        Sixteen and finally in Japan, his home. Bokuto sat in the chair, pressing his hand against the dull edges of the kitchen table. His lips trembled as if any word he spoke would bring him to the tears he was so desperately trying to keep down, he stayed silent. “Kid, I don’t think Akaashi was a real person.”

        “He’s real,” Bokuto sighed, eyeing the clock from when he would be free from this prison. “He was real to me.” His voice broke, and it never made sense. He insisted this acorn boy he had known since elementary school was his best friend, ready to bet his life to recount all the moments they spent together, but Bokuto sighed as he realized he didn’t have a single photo of him with Akaashi. “We went to school together forever. Even when I moved, so did…” the pieces started to fall into place. “So did he…”

        “He never appeared in your elementary school yearbook when you lived in Rhode Island. He was never in any of the pictures when you were down in Miami. There is no record of him with you in Chicago on that volleyball team either. No ticket purchases, nothing. I know it makes you sad, but it’s the truth.”

        “What if I didn’t want the truth?” It was an outburst, Bokuto shying away the second the words slipped out of his mouth. He did not want to make his aunt upset, but it was true. “Akaashi was there for me, and my best memories from when I was a kid was with him.”

        “Those memories aren’t real, Bokuto.”

        “Who are you to say my memories aren’t real? If Akaashi was all in my head, he was there for me when nobody else was. He saved me first, before you did.”

        “Because you made him, kiddo. He’s a part of you.”

        His aunt smiled, and Bokuto got up from the kitchen table to stand beside his new guardian. “You saved yourself, kiddo.” He fell into her arms; her hugs were just like his mothers. Bokuto swore his memories were real, even if the little boy he met all those years ago was not. He was safe now, with people who truly loved him.

        Whenever Bokuto would tell the story, he treated it as real. To those who never thought further, Akaashi was real. Bokuto sure thought he was, and so did almost everyone who sat to listen.

[anipologist]

I was thinking today about how long Tolkien's stories have been a part of my life. And I realized that I cannot remember a time before Tolkien. My dad fell in love with his stories when he was a teenager and so naturally passed one of his favorite stories on to his children.

He read the Hobbit aloud to us once we were old enough and even before I could read I remember flipping through David Day's Tolkien Bestiary.

I remember looking with fascinated eyes at Smaug's jeweled waistcoat in the glorious full-color picture of the burning of Laketown or the silver and gold of Telperion and Laurelin.

One of my oldest memories is looking through the section on the Gwaith-i-Mírdain cuddled up next to my dad and discussing very seriously the danger of forging the rings of power and why Celebrimbor thought it was a good idea.

Even my mom who has never read them and isn't very big on fantasy gets the jokes and the quotes we toss around.

But it's not just the memories, it's the impressions that loom so hugely in the mind of a child, honor and tragedy and sorrow and above all hope. I found something new to treasure each time I reread Tolkien.

In middle school I pretended I was crossing the Helcaraxë whenever I was stuck on a longer or more strenuous hike than I wanted to be on. If Galadriel could cross the Grinding Ice then Nienna knows I could struggle on a mile further uphill.

I tried setting Tolkien's songs to folk tunes that I loved at some point in high school and I sang them when I was sad and happy and tired and confused about what I wanted to do in life.

My senior yearbook quote was "above all shadows rides the Sun and Stars for ever dwell: I will not say the Day is done, nor bid the Stars farewell" and it felt right. Because even when it's hard to believe that things will right themselves, when it is most hopeless I needed to remember that there are things that evil will never understand or touch. And good heavens did I need that reminder in high school and college.

It occurs to me that the shape of my life, the people fictional and otherwise that I look up to, the virtues that I value would not be what they are without Tolkien's writing.

He may never know how deeply he touched the minds and hearts of generations that he never saw but I would be a different person than I am if one young British soldier in WWI had been killed with so many of his friends. If he had never developed the fantastic imagination that served him so well, if publishers had continued to turn down his writing, if he had been a bit less pushy about fairy-tales and the beauty of sub-creation.

[medicinelost-a]

hc dump ??? hc dump, these are in no particular order, so! <3

>was visiting extended family w/ their parents in nebraska when the apocalypse hit. holed up in the house until the military safe zones were set up a few weeks in. met vitali and buricko there. >unfortunately, arvo and natasha were separated from their family during a raid a month or so later, eventually escaping with the aforementioned duo, plus a few others. namely, a pregnant mother, her teenaged son, and another man. >the man left fairly early on with an armful of their supplies, the teenaged son ending up getting bit, and his mother, not able to handle it, went soon after.

>is sick, along with his sister. he has type 3 ehlers-danlos syndrome, hence the leg brace, obviously, and natasha has sickle cell anemia. ‎‎‎ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤ >burnt out gifted kid. his parents, particularly his dad, was a determined overachiever, and pushed arvo to be perfect. he always held him to an un -reachable standards, esp when it came to school + extracurricular activities. his older sister grew up much differently, and came out fairly rebellious and free-spirited, which their dad didn't like, hence the sudden shift in parenting. >basically, he has 'i speak six languages' from putnam spelling bee energy. ㅤㅤ >was in the chess club, and the science club at school, partly due to his dad's influences, partly due to a genuine interest in both things. >his specialty in science is robotics, able to make different little contraptions, which does come in handy at times, even nowadays. plus general biology, making him team medic, most of the time. >also has an interest in gardening, and collecting/studying insects. ㅤㅤㅤㅤ >dungeons and dragon nerd……… points and laughs………. (affectionate)

more about his family, and old friends, pre apocalypse:

- iiris izmaylov, maiden name 'võsu', mid-40s, a jewish estonian woman who moved to russia with her family when she was a teen. she works as a wedding planner, and sometimes helps out in the small old-school bakery her sister and her sister's husband opened. - mikhail izmaylov, late 40s, a russian man, a traditional homebody who has never left the town he was born and raised in, he owned a car repair shop, and has since his twenties. always wanted arvo to turn out 'better then him'. - roza and pyotr, arvo's aunt and uncle, and their two kids, zia and luka, they were the family that they were visiting when everything went down/started.

- zakhar vasiliev, d&d club, arvo's childhood / family friend, them practically being like siblings, but also like arvo was this close to strangling him at any given time, asdfghjkl (friendship!) - tamara alekseyeva, science club, met in middle school when they were paired up for a science project which almost blew up the classroom. they, of course, got detention together. - veronika petrova, science club, yearbook club, fellow stressed overachiever and group mom-friend (bonding!)

ok back to misc headcanons:

>arvo's childhood nickname was 'bambi', along w/ being called referred to as rebenok (child), teasingly by the rest of his group. which he disliked. >another song that has him vibes is 'top of my school' by katherine lynn-rose. >arvo may seem like he had his shit together pre-apocalypse, but really, he was a big dumb disaster (affectionate)--some examples:

-snorted the powder from caffeine pills in a attempt to stay awake for a test. -went to make coffee while half asleep and forgot to put the coffee mix in, drinking half of a cup of just hot water before he realized his mistake. -got rlly stressed one time while studying, and not being able to find his glasses made him almost burst into frustrated tears (they ended up just being on his head) -forgot to eat / drink anything other then one (1) singular muffin and like 646954 cups of coffee for like, a week and got confused when he almost passed the fuck out in class.

>due to his fondness for insects/arachnids/bugs in general, instead of a normal pet, arvo had a pet tarantula as a child/pre-apocalypse, her name was zoya. natasha also had a pet, a in-training service dog, a rough collie named bolshoi, and lost him fairly early on. >i totally forgot to add these last time i drew him, so. whoops, but arvo has braces, with rubberbands, too. yes, he is tempted to go at them with pilers somedays. >at one point, arvo found a old journal, and he still uses it tbh, basically using it like a diary. he also tends to doodle in it a lot, nothing rlly good just bored scribbles. he'll also sometimes draw on his arms/skin in general. sometimes when hes bored enough, he’ll ‘doodle' math and science shit in his journal too, like catch him filling up pages with long ass polynomial problems and calculus. he finds it calming, its like second nature to him and he doesn’t have to rlly think about it. >carries around a tape recorder + tapes, he uses alongside his journal to document his days and keep track of things. >though he technically wasn’t supposed to watch them growing up, arvo is kind of a horror junkie ?? like horror movies/books/games are his kinda thing, ok. sometimes his old group used to tell stories to pass the time while traveling, or at night, and arvo highkey got banned from participating bc his stories were always scary. arvo vc: u guys are nooooo fun smh !! >a big reason arvo is into botany/plants and gardening as much as he is, is partly because he was a kid he used to help his mom garden and stuff, which sparked his interest in it. >used to take a bunch of different music lessons when he was a kid, but the only one that really stuck was piano. tho hes a lot better with copying music (playing by ear, sight reading) then he is making some thing new, or making stuff up on the spot. he tends to always think of it more logically / math-like, almost bc that's just what he finds easier. >arvo has a really bad nail biting/picking habit! it’s an anxious tic, he’ll bite/pick them down super short until they start bleeding, and will probs continue to bite them anyway bc hes stupid, asdfghjkl? he’ll also bite/pick at his cuticles until the same shit happens, (someone pls yell @ him 4 it).

>is autistic, because i said so.

[lonelyinkcap]

seven

one

i met you in

third grade

we decorated bookmarks

i dont remember much else

youd walk around the playground

humming to yourself

i tried to talk to you

you didnt want company

i thought it was odd

you said at your old school

you made friends with two kids

by following them around

for days and weeks and months

one of them moved schools

the other

i met at your birthday party

i felt he was

a threat to our friendship

i dunno

i guess that makes eight

i decided i hated him

and that he hated me

he didnt

but i told you years later

he threw a book at my head

it was an accident

i didnt mention that

i thought i had a crush on you

in sixth grade

maybe i did

i wished i didnt

im not sure

now i

call myself gay

say i dont like girls

she got upset

at the beginning of seventh

because i liked you

she liked you too

you had a crush

on her twin sister

shes always been jealous of her sister

it fell apart that year

and the year after

id ignore you for weeks on end

so youd give me attention

yknow its funny

my mom always said i was manipulating her

but

i was

mostly hurting others

i still tried

to sit with you and your friends

im sorry

i was awful

i hope you found

better people

two

you were

around the same time i think

well

i met you later

i thought you hated me at first

you did

yknow

the whole crush thing

we

dated for two weeks

i wish i could forget

there was one time

you thought i was

ignoring you

so you ignored me

and i

got upset

and ignored you back

after

a couple days

we realized

we didnt actually

have a reason

to do that

you fucked everything up at the end of middle school

im not going to deny

that was your fault

i was still

an awful person

to you

i wont deny

i still am

im sorry

three

fuck

i really messed this one up

i hope you found better friends

i know

you probably didnt

i keep forgetting

whether i asked you to sign my yearbook or not

i checked

you apologized in the note

fuck

its my fault

im sorry

four

this one

never really

finished

im glad

youre a good friend

i talked about you

behind your back at a sleepover

they

agreed with me

somewhat

but we couldnt do anything

thought youd

tear apart our group

youre better now

or maybe

i got better

stopped seeing

just the negatives

i shouldnt have

done the things i did

regardless of

if were still friends or not

five

i know other people agree with me

about you

but i still fucked it up

id sit on the third floor so you couldnt find me

during free

you

bully me

but i let you think that was okay

six

i still dont know how this one is going

you asked us to add you

to our group chat

i was

pretty upset about it

i didnt say anything

we had to make another one

because i have a samsung

we never use

the group chat

with you in it

you dont either

i asked

him

what to do

i dont know why

i blocked you?

im not sure you noticed

i

told them

they didnt

respond

i dont know what i expected

i dont know

if youve ever

done anything wrong

i think

my brain is trying

to sabotage

you

seven

this ones

a work in progress

my dad doesnt understand

how were not

closer friends

the things i get upset at you for

are

dumb

pointless

and

accidental

im sure you didnt mean to

you treat me like

im more durable

than

a thin piece

of cracked glass

i fucking hate you

but i wish

i didnt

[chronomally]

My parents went to middle school together and my dad just pulled out his old yearbook and apparently my mom signed it with "It was fun hanging out with you (even though you did bug me)"