#so is he only a visiting phd student :(

[caffeinatedvigilantewriter]

So Damian is in college, and he’s continued being a vigilante, but people are starting to get a bit suspicious when he leaves during a rouge attack. He needs someone to be his alibi, and it has to be someone he can realistically be around alone for long periods of time.

Enter Danielle Jane Masters. She’s an archaeology major, and is currently looking for a place to live that’s not a dorm. Quiet enough to to slip by, but is also a presence that’s impossible to fully ignore. She’s also pretty and smart enough for their ‘relationship’ to not be a total shock

Damian offers his apartment in exchange for her to be his fake girlfriend.

~

Dani’s attending GU, and after her roommate infested her dorm with mutated cockroaches, she decides that she’s done with the dorm hall.

She can’t exactly find a place to stay with roommates willing to overlook her halfa oddities (doesn’t eat much/at all, eyes glow, etc) and she can’t afford rent on her own (and she would not be asking Vlad for money). Jazz and Danny have enough on their plate, with Danny taking his rightful throne and Jazz getting a PhD in Star City.

Dani also is keeping a low profile, partly due to the GIW and partly due to the bats, who might run her out of town before she finishes her degree.

So having a fake boyfriend to keep her cover as a normal college student is perfect. All she has to do is be a good fake girlfriend until she graduates and she can leave town.

Why Damian needs a fake girlfriend is none of her business, but she suspects hes involved in crime.

They mostly ignore each other, but over time they develop a small friendship and a ‘friends with benefits’ type of thing even though they’re already ‘dating’.

Shenanigans in no particular order:

- Damian notices Dani doesn’t eat much, and gets pretty concerned, especially after he realizes she also doesn’t sleep (halfa stuff)

- Dani gets the flu, and Damian goes full doctor mode. Turns out Dani not only hates being cared for, she’s also clingy when she’s sick

- Dani doesn’t come back one night, so Damian goes out to look for her and finds her as a sacrifice for a cult meant to bring ‘peace and harmony’ to the world. They take her blood and before they add it to the circle, all the power cuts out. Damian heads back to the apartment to find Dani waiting for him, saying she was ‘so worried’ (She was. She sensed he was near during the ritual and caused a city-wide blackout and slipped out invisibly and intangibly)

-the Waynes are entirely convinced that Dani and Damian are actually dating, and Damian goes: ‘these fucking idiots. I wonder how long we can fool them.’ Surprisingly, Danis up for the challenge, and Damian invites her to a gala, where they pretend to be the most in love couple then can be without making it obvious they’re faking. Has Dani always stared at him like this?

-Jon visits, and even he’s convinced. That’s when Damian realizes that he actually wants to date Dani

-Something happens to Dani’s room/bed (maybe it’s flooded, the frame snaps, etc) and suddenly it’s just one bed

-that same night, one of Damian’s sibling slip through Damian’s window bc they’re injured and just see Damian and Dani and it’s just really awkward, especially if one of them wakes up.

-if it’s Dani that wakes up, she just sees a shadow at the foot of the bed, realizes Damian’s sleeping right next to her, and she grabs the nearest lamp and throws it. The person crumples to the ground and Dani finally turns on the light to see a vigilante on the ground unconscious.

- if it’s Damian, he’s just really embarrassed while the vigilante thinks it’s cute. Damian ends up trying to get his sibling to leave while also trying to not wake up Dani, who eventually smothers him with a pillow trying to get him to shut up.

-it turns out they sleep way better when the others there, so they make excuses to stay

-Danny stops by for an hour and is promptly not fooled by their charade and accuses Damian of holding her hostage. Barbara or Tim decide to hack into his apartment’s security camera and catches the part of the conversation where Danny threatens Damian

-one of them gets partnered with a member of the opposite gender, and the other is wildly jealous about it

-one of them gets a stalker and they spot the stalker in public, and in order to ward them off, they start making out with the other. The stalker posts the photos on the internet

-a talk show wants to have an interview with them, and they play a game (“what’s their favorite color? “What’s their biggest pet peeve” etc). They answer every question correctly.

-they have a public pretend fight that gets a little too real

-Jason or Steph finds out and they help Damian plan an apology date

-someone insults Damian too Dani’s face and Dani snaps. There’s yelling, video recordings, and a whole bunch of shit and Dani doesn’t even realize Damian’s standing right behind her, approaching her to ask her out on that apology date.

-Dani gets invited out by some of her friends and they ditch her and Dani’s drunk, has no ride, and is feeling extremely uncomfortable, so she calls Damian, who drops whatever he’s doing to come get her

-Damian gets home late after a rough patrol and Dani fell asleep at the counter waiting for him because she was worried

-fake proposal. Even better if it’s not planned at all, and they’re just like “do you to marry me?” “Ok sure.” “👍”

Any more ideas? Not sure how it’ll end, so i want to see your suggestions

[melaninm0nster]

need to not have a crush on my tutor because it makes me not want to speak in class

[alsofoundinpeas]

(Trying) to Teach an Old Dog New Tricks

Summary: You convince Spencer to do a TikTok trend with you.

This was inspired by this TikTok :) <3

CONTENT WARNINGS: 18+ MDNI!! This fic is intended for adult audiences. Alcohol consumption mentioned. Age gap relationship (reader is 25, Spencer is 38). Reader is Spencer's student (only for a bit). No smut, lots of fluff (K posting strictly fluff?? Shocker ik).

Pairing: Professor!Spencer Reid x fem!reader

A/N: I've been busy with moving and such but I missed writing so I decided to work on this cute lil idea and came up with this :) I very very rarely write fluff only so I hope you guys like it LMAO :') As always, please let me know what you guys think and if you do enjoy it then please like, reblog, and share it with your friends. <3 Thank you and I love you all!! :)

Spencer had always felt older than those around him. It wasn’t surprising, considering how quickly he’d advanced through school and then started a career that would age anybody well beyond their years. Even so, he’d tried to hold on to whatever scraps of youth he had left. 

He was notorious for his baby face (earning him the nickname Pretty Boy the moment Morgan had laid eyes on him all those years ago). He still clung to hobbies he loved as a teen, such as magic or anything Sci-Fi related. His socks were typically mismatched and colorful, with one usually having a silly pattern. And yet, no matter how many times Spencer convinced himself that 38 wasn’t old and that his bones weren’t beginning to ache when he got out of bed each morning, you’d somehow always inadvertently find a way to make him feel downright geriatric. 

You, with your bright smile and enthusiasm for his class, had him entranced from the first moment he laid eyes on you. He’d never met a more radiant person in his life. You were like sunlight personified. A walking Van Gogh original—at least in his mind, which had become a muddled mess of bleak grays after everything he’d been through over the years. 

Spencer had put up a fight—albeit a weak one—against his poor heart every time it thrummed to life in your presence. Wanting you felt wrong considering the whopping thirteen years between your ages. Not to mention the fact that you were his student. But he was helpless to the magnetic pull you had on him. Completely, utterly helpless. 

It started with the looks. The lingering stares during his lectures. You’d make sure to sit front and center, hanging onto his every word as he tried (and failed) to stop meeting your gaze. 

Then came the touches. Brief, fleeting touches to his hand when he’d pass out assignments or graded paperwork. Touches he was convinced would send him into cardiac arrest. Touches that made his cheeks flush and his breath stutter as he tried (and again failed) not to think about how soft your skin felt against his. 

Lastly were the office hour visits. Sometimes you’d have genuine questions, sure. But a majority of the time you just wanted to be around him without distractions. You’d bring him coffee or something sweet, plant yourself in the chair across from his desk, and spend as much time as you could getting to know him and letting him know you in return. 

And now here you are. Six months later, standing across from him in a dress that made him forget how to breathe with the patience of a saint as you explain for the third time how to do some TikTok trend. 

It should have been simple, really. All Spencer had to do was rush into the frame, sweep you off of your feet, and then spin you. He had three PHDs for crying out loud. A five second video shouldn’t have been so hard to do. But he kept missing his cue. 

To celebrate your graduation, he’d taken you to one of D.C.’s most elegant restaurants (he’d have to remember to thank Rossi again for pulling a few strings to get the place reserved for just the two of you during their final hour and a half). The night was a perfect blend of intimate conversation, candlelit charm, and mouthwatering meals. Spencer didn’t drink—he’d only had water and a mocktail, coaxed into it by your soft “Spence, we’re celebrating. Please?” and fluttering lashes—but his flushed cheeks and dizzy thoughts made it feel like he’d downed every cocktail you had. Alcohol wasn’t needed for him to feel that way. You were intoxicating enough. 

Thankfully, the parking lot was empty save for his car and the few parked cars of the remaining employees that were closing. That meant no one could witness his bumbling attempts at this trend or the way your head tipped back and laughter bubbled from your lips as you’d restart the countdown timer each time he messed up. Chuckles flowed from his own lips, giddy from the sight of you so happy despite his own embarrassment. 

“Okay, okay! Anddd…go!” 

You giggled, pressing start on the timer before stumbling back into place and spreading your arms. Spencer shook his head fondly, waiting for the music to play. 

“You better lock your phone…” 

At your small nod, Spencer rushed into the frame, picking you up and twirling you underneath the lone street light. He heard the audio looping vaguely in the background, letting him know the video was done recording, but he didn’t care. He kept twirling, fueled by your delighted squeals. When you slapped lightly at his shoulders, he placed you gently on the ground, wrapping his arms around your waist to steady you. Your hazy grin up at him while you placed your hands on his shoulders had his heart melting in his chest. 

“I’m so in love with you, my darling girl.”

His voice was filled with reverence, heavy with a yearning he hadn’t thought he was capable of before meeting you. That was something that both terrified and fascinated him about you—your ability to make him feel again. After every devastating thing that had ever happened to him, he had felt so battered that he thought he was damaged beyond repair. But then you came along and proved to him over and over that he was worthy of a life he thought he didn’t deserve, and for that, he vowed to give you the world. 

Your eyes crinkled with the bashful smile you offered him, your fingers tangling into the hair at the nape of his neck as you met his gaze. “I love you too, my old man.” 

His offended scoff was swallowed by your lips, the sweetness lingering on your tongue distracting him from the teasing remark. He’d get you back for it later (maybe). But right now, he decided to savor the feeling of you in his arms, stealing the air from his lungs with giggly kisses and filling his veins with warmth.

And in that moment, he knew that he'd finally found his forever.

Continued A/N's: Thank you for reading!! :) Again, feel free to let me know what you think :') <3 Also, I'm 15 followers away from 500 sooo be on the lookout for my 500 followers event soon!! :) I love you all MWAH!! -K <3

REMINDER: I do not give permission for my work to be re-uploaded to any other platforms (c.ai, Tiktok, ao3, etc.) under any circumstances. If you'd like to translate my work, then please just ask me before doing so. I know it sounds whiny, but I (as well as many other fanfic writers) spend so much time on these and it's genuinely not okay to take credit for work that isn't yours. It's insulting and completely unnecessary. If I do see my work uploaded anywhere without explicit permission, I WILL say something.

[1dmonthlyficroundup]

— 1D Monthly Fic Roundup —

Hi, and welcome to the 1D Monthly Fic Roundup for April 2025! Below you’ll find 1D fics that were all published this month. We hope you’ll check out these new fics! If you would like to submit your own fic, please check this post on how to submit or visit our blog @1dmonthlyficroundup​. You can find all our other posts here.

Happy reading!

＊ Hold on to the memories (they will hold on to you) by nevermind_991 / @nevermind991 [M, 8k, Louis/Harry]

From the story:

“So, Mr Tomlinson, still think I’m a weak witch?”

“Make it stop!” Louis shouted. In his entire existence no one had ever dared to inflict such agony on him. He had never experienced anything like this…

Harry chuckled darkly, “Or what?” he taunted, throwing Louis’ own words back at him. Another flick of his wrist, and the pressure intensified.

“Jesus, fuck!” Louis gasped, agony rippling through him. Through the pain, he looked up at Harry, standing over him with a dark smirk playing on his lips.

With all the strength he had left, Louis lunged and then grabbed Harry’s ankles yanking him down. Finally, the noise stopped. “You fucking miserable witch! Count your minutes.”

Louis’ eyes turning red, his canines fully extended ready to sink into every last drop of Harry’s blood. “You said you can snap my neck in a blink of an eye,” Louis growled, voice low and deadly. “So can I… with my bare hands.”

Or- Louis Tomlinson, a thousand-year-old vampire and English literature professor at Cambridge, finds his life disrupted when his new PhD student, Harry Styles, arrives. Their meeting uncovers hidden secrets and forces them to confront their past and future.

��� Till Death Do Us Part by Larry_you_know / @larryyouknow [M, 68k, Harry/Louis]

Louis was living his ordinary life right until one day, when he woke up in a world that wasn't his. He doesn't know how or why he got here, but one thing is certain: he must find a way back home. Trapped in dangerous underworld where power is everything, and trust is a luxury, he is determined to escape. Meeting Harry changes everything and Louis is faced with an impossible choice — will he fight to return to the life he lost, or surrender to love he never saw coming?

＊ All Of You For Eternity by @signofcomfort [M, 29k, Louis/Harry]

A beat passed between them, the curtains fluttered, and Louis could still hear faints of Harry's heart, stuttering, trying to keep the pace with Louis’. But Louis’ own wasn't slowing down. It had never stopped screaming and shouting since the day Edward turned to dust. The only love of his life. The only sacred thing that had decided to leave Louis behind. And Louis had learned how to be with that reality. He was breathing it. It had made it so much easier to let Harry go, so much easier to let his hurt onto Harry. And maybe Harry was indeed born for that. To take the pain that Edward had passed onto Louis. Didn't hurt people hurt people? And Louis was broken, cruelty didn't seem fit to describe him, not when he had watched so much of what life had repaid him before he went out in the search, knocking on Martha’s door.

OR Meet the walker of the night, aka, vampire, aka Louis Tomlinson, who is dwelling between the lovers from the past and the present!

＊ Mountain Investigation by babyhoneyhslt / @babyhoneyheslt [T, 35k, Harry/Louis]

As a plane crash investigator, Louis has handled his fair share of strange cases, but something is different about the crash of British Airways flight BA278.

Crashed into the Brecon Beacons, over the Pen Y Fan mountain, very few survived.

One of them being the pilot, Harry Styles.

While evidence is pointing to a pilot error, something isn't adding up with Harry's story and Louis is determined to figure out what exactly happened that night and why Harry isn't all that keen to prove his own innocence.

＊ All I've Ever Known by @haztobegood [E, 34k, Louis/Harry]

The disruption was small, but mighty. It came hitched to the back of a black Dodge Ram pickup truck one sunny spring afternoon. With its shiny metal siding and sparkling windows, it stood out like a sore thumb. It was a Tiny House. The brand new tiny house was delivered to the empty lot at 28 Longbourn Lane, drawing a small crowd around the mailboxes. Gossip was a hot commodity in Princess Park and it had been ages since the neighbors had seen something so novel. “It is a truth universally acknowledged that anybody that wants to live in a tiny home must be lacking in both taste and sense.”

A Pride & Prejudice AU

＊ Springbrooke by skipper / @skipperxao3 [M, 27k+, wip, Harry/Louis]

Springbrooke is a small town, rich and filled with perfection. 

At the start of his senior year, Harry, an omega with no desire to fit in, meets Zayn, an Alpha with no desire to stand out. With him, he makes a pledge to survive one year, his final year at Springbrooke High, and he’s determined to make the best of it. He struggles through new relationships along with the old, discovering the true meaning of love and friendships in ways he never expected. 

To Harry, each day that passes is one day closer to breaking free and his chance to leave without looking back. Though he soon learns, in the end, it’s not leaving that matters, but what you take with you when you go.

＊ Let Us Be Lovers by @lululawrence [NR, 27k, Louis/Diego Luna]

Louis and Diego were only supposed to have a one night stand. When Diego's parents unexpectedly turn up the morning after, Louis finds himself getting a crash course in Mexican culture and Diego's family, and quite possibly the healing he didn't even realize he still needed.

Follow along through the entire chaotic and surprising day from the moment Louis wakes up to the time he goes to sleep. It could just be a day in the life... but it turns out to be so much more.

＊ Become the strangest days by louisismycat / @liminalkittyfics [M, 40k, Louis/Harry]

Harry, Louis, and Shiloh uncover small miracles during the festival of Passover and find a way toward a new future. Part 2 of Find a light

＊ In This World (It's Just Us) by we_are_the_same / @so-why-let-your-voice-be-tamed [T, 33k, Harry/Louis]

Louis is searching through his drawer, trying to find some lost pennies, maybe a buck or two, anything that means he doesn’t have to starve for the next week and a half, when he comes across the flyer that he’d haphazardly shoved into it the last time he had a guy over. Louis isn’t sure what had compelled him to pick it off the noticeboard when he’d first seen it, though if he’s honest with himself, that isn’t entirely true.

New study, the flyer claims, financial compensation up to £3000.

It had sounded too good to be true, at the time. Yet he’d kept the flyer, because £3000 is a lot, especially for a 22-year-old college student. Which is probably why it had been posted at a uni noticeboard in the first place, which he knows should probably give him pause, but well.

Desperate times, and all that.

Which is how Louis finds himself in a sterile looking white room, one that he figures is usually used for important - boring - meetings, sitting opposite a young looking bloke in a white lab coat.

Or: Louis participates in a scientific study, but everything is not what it seems.

＊ Honey on my lips by Worldsofdreamers / @defences-down [NR, 2k, Zayn/Niall]

A soft morning at home and questions they both need answers to

＊ Lost In Your Love by Worldsofdreamers / @defences-down [T, 1k, Niall/Zayn]

He's been having weird dreams for weeks where nothing makes sense, he chalked it up to being on the road, but what if it is more than that? Part 3 of How It Found Us

＊ What If We Were Penguins? by Worldsofdreamers / @defences-down [NR, 1k, Louis/Harry, Niall/Zayn/Liam]

A late night question turns into the strangest dream... or is it?

＊ Let Life Take Its Time by Worldsofdreamers / @defences-down [T, 1k, Harry/Louis]

Ever the doting best friend, Louis has been looking after Harry for a few days, when Harry lets a secret slip.

Can their friendship survive?

＊ give me all of this (that's what I do) by Worldsofdreamers / @defences-down [E, 2k, Zayn/Niall]

Tour has started up again, and now that they are back touring as a five-piece, the frustrations from the outside world begin piling up.

Luckily, they have each other. Part 4 of How It Found Us

＊ but i could be your obsession by staybeautiful / @harruandlou [E, 45k, Louis/Harry]

Through the windshield he could see a maintenance road up ahead. “Turn in there.”

As Harry was pulling off, Louis pulled open the glove box, dropping both their phones in the cup holders and rifling through the inside of it.

“What’s wrong?”

Finding the lube, Louis tossed it in Harry's lap. “You’re hot. It’s annoying.”

It’s the summer before Louis' senior year of college and he’s spending it getting drunk with his friends, working an internship he hates, and hooking up with Harry, the ‘straight’ frat boy he met in January. There’s only six weeks until school starts.

＊ Ephesians 5:21 by @wishingforloushair [E, 24k, Harry/Louis]

Louis snorts, flicking the cigarette butt onto the floor and stomping it out with the toe of his leather boot. “Do you think Jesus regretted it? Once he was up on the cross in fucking agony surrounded by criminals, I mean. Do you think when he wept he was full of regret and anger? When he realised in that moment no one gave a shit about him? The clouds didn’t part, God didn’t come down to pull him from the cross. God, his own father, left him to die. He didn’t even comfort His son while he died. Let him die all alone in fucking agony, didn’t he? Do you reckon he regretted it? Do you think he looked around at the fucked up world and realised we weren’t worth all that pain?”

College Freshman Harry has a perfectly normal relationship with God. He's gone to church his whole life, prayed when he's needed to, and God always listens. After signing up to Theology 101, for the easy A, he meets Louis Tomlinson, an upperclassman who wears leather jackets with a chunky black crucifix. Louis is also religious, so Harry of course agrees to go to the college's Bible Discussion Study Meeting. But Louis has fucked up views on religion that Harry can't possibly understand until one day, he does.

＊ Two, He's Kissing On You by @louislittletomlintum [E, 10k, Louis/Harry, Louis/Harry/Zayn]

“There’s no way you’re this professional,” Louis accused quietly, adjusting his grip on his cock that felt like it was throbbing now from not getting the friction it wanted.

“I’m not,” Zayn shrugged and mumbled back, still snapping away. He almost sounded bored but his words betrayed him. “Your partner is literally right there though,”

Louis instantly grinned at that, because if that was the only issue, it could be easily resolved.

“He likes to watch. Don’t you Haz?”

or the one where louis' a life model, zayn is a photographer, and harry is also there

＊ shameful company by @blueskiesrry [E, 40k, Harry/Louis]

Harry remains impassive as he says, “I never said we were sleeping together.”

“But you have, right?”

He sighs heavily through his nose, figuring there’s no use in hiding it. Not if it means as little as he says it does. “Yeah. Sure. We’ve slept together.”

The smug grin is evident in Pippa’s voice. “And are you seeing other people?”

“Don’t see why we can’t. It’s not like it’s anything serious.”

Pippa hums. “Interesting.”

in which louis has always had clear intentions, harry has always been a bit of a brat, and it seems like everything yet nothing has changed since they broke up a few years ago. except now they're fucking.

[hahahafangirl]

is sugishita a big silly stupid dumdum?

my staunch belief is that sugishita is NOT DUMB. hes pretty smart, actually. somehow i fell into the illusion of sugishita being a dumbass, which, of course he is, but, like, hes not dumb, or super naive, or an idiot (an archetypical baka) (affectionate) the way sakura is. see: sugishita not falling for suo's bullshit

extremely unimpressed

but he gloats a little too much about this... maybe hes usually pretty baka stupid but not as much as sakura.

his favorite subject is chemistry! dumdum heads like sakura or kaji either have 0 or have PE as their favorite subject. even if hes interested in it because of gardening, he knows the material.

so heres what i think: i think he gets average grade. ok grades. which is great for somebody who go to bofurin and sleep through class since the 2nd grade. in a normal high school, he would be a good ole just-below-average to average to barely-above-average student. in furin, this would probably put him at the upper quartile of his class. being quiet and socially awkward doesnt mean hes a big dumdum in everything else. hes not good at expressing himself, yes -- i think sugishita's development will likely center around him learning how to express himself and may end with him helping somebody else articulating their feelings, or (framed as unexpectedly) stepping up to a leadership role temporarily, like in a fight -- but, like, that doesnt make him dumb. a stereotypical teenage boy is bad at words but good at science, for example.

heres my headcanon/fanfique(tm): it would be so funny if sugishita is the only one to go to college after graduation. he scores perfectly average in every subject, except for chemistry, which hes solidly miles above average. not genius, not once-in-a-lifetime talent, not award-winning even, but he starts off college already knowing two years worth of a chemist education.

which confound everyone who sees his grades and read his applications. suo and kiryuu passionately discussed and strategized on how sugi can get into college, from local ones to travel-to-tokyo ones, and suo even flirted with the idea of sugi getting into utokyo (too far from home, sugi absolutely cannot be left to his own device in a metropolitan area, chance of getting in ~1%). their homeroom teacher and guidance counselor almost went bald deciding how they should write his recommendation letter (quiet but helpful? righteous anger? he-looks-scary-but-hes-a-good-kid-we-promise?). they werent even sure if he was at college-reading level going into third year (nirei helped. a lot.) at the end, they settle at the nearest college in town, which is fine and decent enough that they harbored some doubt if sugishita is going to get in. umemiya encouraged sugi to apply to several places (just in case).

to the surprise of most (but not suo, kiryuu, or umemiya), sugishita got into college. its a fine one. its close enough that he still lives at home, go to college full time, and work part-time at whatever establishment umemiya now works at (my headcanon is that he starts a farm. kiryuu uses his nepo baby money to be the primary stakeholder). sugi's grades in college is good enough that he contemplated getting a phd at some point. but then he decided, nah, and follow the agricultural science track, graduate, maybe get a masters, and work at the farm with ume-senpai. sometimes, when the local elementary school go to visit, ume pressured sugi into giving them a chemistry-focused tour.

andddd this is basically a fanfic. maybe i'll write it someday.

[tvchi]

Veiled Intentions: The Hunt, Prt 3

Disclaimers: DO NOT COPY OR REPOST MY WORK. DO NOT TRAIN AI WITH MY WORK.

Warnings: Mature Audiences ONLY: 18+, Minors DNI- Nudity, Female receiving fingering, Profanity

Pairing: black male x black female Words: 3,884k

A/N: Here is Part 3 of this series. I'm proud of myself for meeting this week's deadline. No real smut here. I'm so sorry, you're gonna have to wait for it. However, the suspense is building. Once again if suspense, thrillers, and espionage are not you're the thing, I get it. Please scroll.

Summary: Terry lets Y/N know that her Mark may be on to her and there are things that she may not be considering in this case. When she finds out that Adrian may not be completely forthcoming, how will she react?

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

Terry

I walked into the building and made my way down the hall. I had to let Director Moore know I was being watched, and most likely, she was, too. Once I got to my office, I began getting intel on this Adrian guy. As soon as I got past his birth records, there was a knock on the door.

"Good morning, sir. I just wanted to know if you wanted some coffee because I made your fine ass some," said Brooke. I chuckled and smiled.

"Thank you, Broooke," I sang back.

"You say my name like that again, and we go together!" she retorted, gently laying the cup of coffee on the table before turning around to leave.

"Hey, I wanted to ask you something. Maybe you could help me out. I've looked through all the files and there's not much about the Mark, Adrian. You've been on this case as long as Y/N has. Maybe you know something."

"Yeah, well, he went to Pembroke but got his master's in art history at NYU. He took some time off to travel. Went backpacking in Europe and then visited Columbia, Panama, and El Salvador. He stayed in Okinawa for 3 months before coming back to the States. He submitted a proposal for a PhD, but it was denied. I think I remember him getting a collections manager job for a small-time museum in Miami before coming back here. Why?"

"You keep giving me answers like that, we might just actually go together" I grinned mischievously, sipping the now warm coffee. 

"Stop playing with me before this whole office catches an early morning show; you hear me?"

At this, I couldn't help but laugh. 

"But seriously, why are you looking into him? Should we all be?"

"Yes, why are you looking into him?" said Y/N from the doorway. I hadn't noticed when she came in, and I always noticed.

She wore a cropped hoodie, an oversized blazer, dark-washed jeans that just kissed the bottom of her hoodie, and Air Jordans. Her braids hung freely down her back. Her lips were outlined in a soft chocolate, accentuating their plump center. I wondered what they tasted like. Trying not to let my eyes linger too long, I flashed my attention to her eyes. Hers met mine and quickly darted to Brooke and then to my desk. This was the third time she's averted her eyes from mine. I stood and walked around my desk.

"Brooke, thank you for the coffee and the intel. If I need anything else, you're my girl," I said, winking.

"You're too fine to be winking at me like that, sir. I'm going to mess around and pass out," she replied, giving me a wink of her own. I smiled. Grabbing my coat, I walked out of my office.

"So you're not going to answer me when I'm talking to you?" Y/N said, stalking down the hallway after me. 

"I speak to people who greet me in the morning and look me in the eyes when they're speaking to me. You do neither. If you want to run that question by me again, I'll be in the cafe for the next half hour." I threw over my shoulder.

When I finally got to the cafe, there was a line. I took everything in. The college students huddled around their different groups. All animated. All full of life.

There was this couple in front of me. The girl was trying to decide whether to get the scones or a croissant while trying to convince the guy to drop out of human sexualities because it's for "perverts" and join her in a sociology course. She was giving him good arguments, too, including the point about men only joining to learn different positions and not how to get better at pleasure. Most people who take that course never actually get around to knowing where the clit is. I chuckled.

As I looked around, I wondered if this would have been the life Mike had been living if he were alive. Whether he'd be love-struck, chasing some girl all around campus, listening to her world views, or convincing him to drop courses. I wondered if he would have felt more at home here than the cells he saw.

I placed my order and occupied a free table by the windows. I stared out of the windows, not really taking in the sights but riddling myself with guilt about all the things that I could've done to keep Mike alive. It was a once-a-week misery date I kept with myself so I would never forget that I am living as penance for what I wasn't able to do– nothing else.

A sweet smell filled the air. I turned my head slightly to see who or what it was coming from, and there she stood. She took the seat across from me and peered at the table momentarily before bringing her eyes to me.

"Good Morning ASAC Richmond. I don't want to bother you, but I wanted to know what the reason was for looking into my Mark. We ran background checks months ago. I placed everything in those files."

“Good Morning SA Olisa. You're not bothering me. To answer your question, I wasn't looking into him at all before he stopped me this morning and told me that he was looking into me." Her gaze lowered, and her brows furrowed. 

"What do you mean he's looking into you? How does he know you?" she said, confusion littering her face.

"It doesn't seem like he knows me. But it does look like he's keeping tabs on you while you're away from him."

"This is Adrian we are talking about. He's charming and doting. He also forgets his keys every other day, calls me for help when he accidentally trips the alarm at the museum and is actively boycotting Apple for handing over user data to 'The Feds'. I'm pretty sure he's not tailing me."

"Well, I don't know how else to explain him curb-side siding me on my way to the Box, asking me what I'm doing here and telling me that he's never seen me before." She laughed.

"I'm sorry, but there's no way you could be talking about Adrian."

"Okay."

"Okay?"

"Yea. Okay."

"What does that mean?"

"It means that I'm going to continue gathering intel on all members of this case, including the ones who actively seek me out, and you can continue maintaining that the Mark is incapable of any wrongdoing."

"I didn't say he was incapable of wrongdoing. I said he isn't a guy capable of surveilling me."

"Okay."

"I think I would know. I've only been—"

"Sleeping with him for the last three months," I finished flatly, attempting to hide my contempt with boredom. 

She inhaled deeply and slowly before speaking again. "I was going to say that I've only been at his side, living with him and monitoring his habits for three months. I'm not sure how anything else I do is any of your concern."

"It is if you forget that he's a mark," I replied too quickly.

"Forget?" she said incredulously, her eyes squinting and lips flattened into a line. Her head tilted to the side in smoldering anger. For a moment there, I was distracted. Even in her disdain for me at that moment, she looked incredible. Not wanting to escalate things, I quickly thought of a way to disarm her. 

"I just mean, when was the last time you did a sweep? When was the last time you tailed him? When was the last time you listened to the bug in his office? The last time you looked into the new clients he was purchasing for? Did you do a deep dive into his overseas contacts when he was backpacking in Europe and parasailing in Panama because I didn't see any details in the files?"

"Are you suggesting that I can't or didn't do my job?"

"I didn't say that. I think that we have a limited focus, and we need to broaden the net. He approached me. We were never seen together except for in the Box. So unless he's also a part of the case, I'm not sure how he would know me."

She pursed her lips. Her forehead creased in pensive thought or inner turmoil; I couldn't be sure. 

"If you need proof that he approached me," I started, chuckling, "There are thousands of cameras around this campus. Ask Brooke." With that, I stood and walked out of the cafe with my coffee in hand. 

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

Y/N

He has no reason to lie to me, and he's technically my boss. He has nothing to prove. I've been studying Adrian's tells since he first asked me out on a date. I know him. He hasn't been lying to me. I also haven't been asking him very many questions lately. Nothing that would need him to tell a lie.

You sat at the coffee shop on campus, thinking for a long moment. What if Richmond was right. What if you haven't been paying as close attention as you should have. This is the part of the job you hated— the second-guessing. Being the first African-American female on the shortlist for Assistant Director was without its fair share of imposter syndrome.

Having to conduct meetings or manage briefings where everyone's eyes are constantly questioning you. Their perpetual state of disbelief or random inquiries on work that you've triple-checked always got to you. No matter how iron-clad your work has been over the years, there's always someone else who doesn't think that you should be here. Someone else looking to point out your mistake and hang you for it. Someone needs to find hard data to prove that you should've never been hired. Today, it's him.

The pressure in your chest starts to build as you begin to put into words a feeling that has been ruminating in the back of your mind for weeks. Always knowing you're alone in this world and seeing the hard proof of it are two different things. I know that if it were him or me, his connections or my word, his status or my truth, he'd always choose himself. I'm not entirely sure his sole purpose of coming here and shortening our deadline isn't because the hire-ups don't trust me to run point on this. You closed your eyes, hoping to dull some of the pain circling your temples. After a deep breath, you opened your eyes again.

"Ma'am, I'm not sure if you wanted to order anything, but if you did, you have to do it upfront," the waitress interjected.

"No, I was just leaving. Thank you" you replied and headed out of the shop and towards your car.

Driving back home, you tried to think about the case and what you could be missing. Adrian being into play was far-fetched but if Richmond was right, it may be the answer to why they've been behind for so long. That thought made your stomach turn. 

"Hey, Siri. dial Brooke"

"Dialing. Brooke. Now," Siri responded.

"Two days in a row. I must say, ever since Mr. Fine Ass showed up, you've either been calling the office or showing up way more than you have been. You tryna get perfect attendance in his class, heifer, 'cause he's mine." You laughed. Brooke always had a way of making you smile.

"Brooke, you know HR and IA exist, right?"

"I know. I also know that I'm the head of surveillance around this muthafucka, and won't be no evidence for them to find!"

"Lol. You got that."

"So, wussup?"

"I need some footage of all the library entrances and exits from early this morning till about now."

"Why, what's going on?"

"I haven't heard any chatter, but I wanted to double-check that I'm not being followed."

"Okay. I'll send those right over. Today's encryption code is 4761."

"Thanks, girl."

"Anytime. Oh, girl, I gotta go. Here comes Mr. Fine-Ass now. Heeeeeeey ASAC Richmond"

As the call disconnected, you wondered whether Richmond was in the Director's office right now telling him how he doesn't think you're fit to lead this operation.

After you got home, you headed straight to the den. You opened the government-issued laptop and typed in the code. An entirely new interface comes alive on the screen. You navigated emails until you landed on the one Brooke sent of the footage. Quickly, looking around the den to make sure no one else was there, you clicked on the video and began to watch.

Around 6:15:35am, there is a man approaching Richmond on the steps with a knitted hoodie and black denim. The face is obscured by a fitted cap, hoodie, and Richmond's frame.

Then, at about 6:17:45 am, he changes positions, placing his back to the camera. He continues to do so throughout the entire video. He must have known this camera was there. This could be anybody.

At 6:20:29 am, he turns to leave down the stairs of the library. Once down the stairs, he walks off to a vehicle that is out of frame. You rewind the video back to 6:17 and watch it again. This really could be anybody, I mean — you spot it.

[At a cookout last month, Adrian invited you to meet some of his friends. The park was teeming with bodies, from those who were well-known in the county to those who were just happy to be there. The DJ played all the Top 40 hits and mixed some 90s jams throughout. You spotted a friend and joined in a line dance on the grass. Finally spotting Adrian, you ran to him. 

"Wait, wait, wait girl. I will give you the world, but I will throw you somewhere if you get those muddy ass boots all over these 1s."

"What is so special about them damn sneakers that you'd risk your life like that?"

"Wouldn't be the first time"

"Now you gotta tell me."

"It was 2017. My first Mardi Gras experience. My brothers took me to the All-Star weekend festivities because their friends had the hookup. We were going from the games to the clubs. There was liquor, titties, and ass everywhere. That same weekend, they dropped these. There was a line down the block at every Foot Locker and Finish Line in the state of Louisiana damn near. I left the club early and stood in line all night and all morning. I finally got to the store, and there were only 3 left in my size. As soon as I placed my hand on the shoe, this other guy placed his hands on it. I looked at him and tugged the shoe away. The next thing I know, this guy is swinging at me. We fought, and security had to break us up. I told them that they had to go to the back and look at the footage of who got the shoes first and who assaulted the other first. I was not leaving there without those shoes. One of the employees and one of the security guards left together to watch the footage. I snatched the other sneaker out of the man's hand and walked up to the register to get my shoes. I got to pay for them, and I noticed that my wallet was missing. I called everyone I knew to either look for my wallet or come pay for the shoes. Eventually, my second oldest brother came and bought the shoes for me. Turns out, I had left my wallet in our section at the club, and he picked it up."

"Oh, you really went to war for these."

"Sure did. That night, we went out to celebrate.]

The special edition Air Jordan 1 Retro High OG All-Star with the iridescent detailing glistened into view on the computer screen. There was a white tag that he linked through one of the holes. You stared back at the shoes missing from the case and back to the video. Shit.

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

Y/N

"Babe, you home? Adrian's voice boomed from the front entrance.

"Hey. I'm here. What are you doing at home?" you quickly shut down the laptop and closed the lid as you heard his footsteps make their way toward the den.

"Got done early today, so I thought I'd pop in and get dinner started. I didn't want to order out again."

"Oh well, aren't you thoughtful"

"What are you doing at home? I thought you said that you'd be working a little later tonight. Something about moving up a deadline," he probed.

"Right. Well, you know me…I thought I would focus more if I was on campus like every other collegiate student. I kept getting distracted," you lied. "Then I tried my office, but I wasn't comfortable there," that wasn't entirely a lie. You wouldn't have been able to focus in the Box. Not with him there. "In the end, I just gave up and came home. But there is still very much a deadline that I have to meet," you finished.

"Sounds like you need some productivity. Lemme get out your way" he concurred, pecking you on the lips twice and then moving to the empty case.

"Oh, I see you brought out the big dawg today. What was the special occasion?" you asked, hoping that this would be the start of something enlightening.

"Oh, you mean the shoes. Nothing. I just felt like wearing them today."

"Mmm, well, what did you do all day today looking fresh."

He chuckled. "Nothing. I went by the office, spoke to a couple of clients who were interested in some pieces, stopped by the store, and then came home."

"You should've stopped by my office so I could show you off to those hating ass hoes at my job if you just wanted to look fresh running errands."

"I'll do that next time," he joked. "Alright, I'm really gonna leave you alone. Get that work done!"

"Sir, yes, sir."

He turned back and smirked. "Hold on to that. I may need you to say that to me again later." He turned and went up the steps. When the door shut, you exhaled. He was lying to you.

When did this start, and why didn't you notice? You started retracing your steps with Adrian to see if there was something you missed or maybe a change in behavior. When you couldn't pinpoint an inciting event, you left that task and adopted a new one that required you combing through his file piece by piece.

"Did you do a deep dive into his overseas contacts when he was backpacking in Europe and parasailing in Panama because I didn't see any details in the files?"

As Richmond's words echoed through your head, you started going back to all of the places that he had been seen and confirmed vacationing in. You worked all into the night.

A soft knock on the door alerted you to the fact that it was late. Adrian walked down and stood at the doorway. 

"Come eat, Alana"

"I'm coming. I just need to jot down one more thing." You changed your interface back to the default Microsoft interface and powered down your phone before he could get the chance to look at it. You climbed the stairs, wondering how you were going to muster the energy to withstand tonight's dinner conversation. You sat and ate dinner, slowly pondering the day's revelations. It must have shown on your face because Adrian stood up and asked. 

"Everything okay?"

"Yeah, just thinking,"

"Talk to me"

"It's really nothing. I guess I just didn't realize I had so much to do behind this project."

"Yeah, I get that."

A moment passed, and you finally finished the last bite of your salmon when you heard some music playing in the distance.

"Dance with me," Adrian commanded, hand held out to you.

"Adrian? Right now"

"Yea. Dance with me. C'mon, woman", he repeated.

You took his hand, and you two danced to the sounds of Sweet Lady by Tyrese. His hands slowly trailed your spine as his head nestled into your neck.

It was the strangest thing. Feeling at home in the arms of someone you knew was lying to you, knowing that you were lying to them. Your bodies swayed together in tandem as you both held each other. It was everything you wanted. It was what you craved. Why couldn't this be…real?

After a couple of songs, he led you to bed. He slowly undid your jeans, helping you out of them one foot at a time.

Then, after applying short kisses up your happy trail, he stood up, removed your cropped hoodie, and undid your bra. Your breast spilled out of them. He took the left into his mouth as you moaned. Interchanging between nibbles and kisses, he stimulated the small whimpers you tried to stifle deep within your throat. After a few moments, he turned his attention to your other breast.

A trail of kisses slowly went up your neck and finally to your mouth. You took his lips in yours desperately. You hungrily sucked his tongue, hoping to salvage the last night you would be this version of yourself with him. He tugged at your thong until his hand found what it was searching for.

He traced circles around your pearl. You waited for a moment to feel that release. That dampness that never had to be beckoned. That exhilarating plummet in your stomach makes way for the honey coating that ruins the sheets. It never came. 

"Is something wrong?"

"Mmm, no, why?"

"Your panties are usually done by now."

"Maybe I didn't drink enough water today."

He looked at me intently. His eyes darkened with intensity, then softened slightly. 

"I took you to Cali for three days. All we had were shots of Tequila and a couple of Coronas. I had your legs behind your hand, and we had the sheets changed four times one of those nights. Water has never been a problem for you. Talk to me," he said sternly.

"I'm not sure what's going on, Adrian," you lied.

"Are you sure there's not something you want to tell me?"

"Like what?"

He paused for a moment. "I don't know. I'm just asking. Maybe you're upset or worried about something?" he probed.

"The only thing I've been focused on has been the deadline. I'm okay with that, though. I'm sorry."

"Don't apologize. It's okay. Let's go to sleep."

"Or or or…maybe we can try some lube," you suggested, trying to lighten the mood.

"So now we're lube people?"

"Hey, there's nothing wrong with lube."

"No, but something is going on with you, and I'd rather we get to the bottom of it than throwing some lube on it,"

"But...but," you pouted as you looked at his erection.

"He'll be fine. Let's go to bed."

"You sure?"

"Yea, come here," he said, lying down on his side and pulling you close. Unable to fall asleep, you wondered how you were going to salvage this night. You needed to find out who the new buyer was going to be and fast because, at this rate, it would only be a matter of time before he found out the truth.

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

Check out Part 1 and Part 2 if you haven't already! Please hit the comments with your feedback, give suggestions on what you'd like to see, and let me know who you like and don't. Talk TO ME!!! Part 4 coming soon.

Tags: @thecapodomme @writers-of-tmblr @melaninpov @spaceslutsworld @nahimjustfeelingit-writes @mymusicbias @the-black-label @master-builder42 @miraculously-dumb-bitch @megamindsecretlair @hopefulromantic1 @tranquilfandomer @thadelightfulone @vivalaorgasm @hotgrlcece @planetblaque @blackgurlnhermoods @andriaharris @theblacklewinsky @kumkaniudaku @lovelyflames @girlbeblogging @toiadeenovels @longpause-awkwardsmile @sweettea-and-honeybutter @sirenmouths @almostelectroniccheesecake @liquorlaughslove @meleekabenjamin @19jammmy @thoseprettywords @nahimjustfeelingit-writes @stellarxfresh @noirelyfe @moooonluvr

@kinginwithbreezy-blog @bunniibooooo @sk1121-blog1

[sincerelyamee]

So I just read your reply about nine-tailed fox Spices and Istg I’m gonna cackle.

Let’s not pretend we don’t all know Gojo is gonna try his absolute best to cha-cha real smooth into the DMs of the really pretty widow of the King of Curses. And obviously the poor grieving madam deserves something (coughsomeonecough) to take her mind off such sad things. Like c’mon, the guy’s been dead for centuries, who could blame Gojo if, in his boundless benevolence, he wanted to make a beautiful lady happy after spending that long guarding a grave?

On the other hand… The elders are gonna have a conniption when their prized weapon of war starts courting the wife(???) of mother-flipping Sukuna.

Alright, so operating within the premise we’ve set for this new AU, the power dynamic between Gojo and this version of Spices would shift completely. In the main timeline, no matter what happens between them, they’re still fundamentally teacher and student, savior and the one being saved. That imbalance shapes their interactions in a big way.

For example, early in the prequel, Spices was deeply insecure, always worried that her actions might disappoint Gojo or make him stop liking her. She still did what she thought was right, but the fear lingered. And that same imbalance kept Gojo from making any moves too. He was afraid of scaring her off, or worse, making her feel obligated to reciprocate. So they danced around each other for seven whole years.

But in this AU, where Spices is a Nine-Tailed Fox Spirit, the entire dynamic is flipped. According to folklore, nine-tailed foxes grow more powerful and cunning with age, so by the time she and Gojo meet in the modern era, she might be the closest thing he's ever had to an actual equal.

Imagine: Gojo strolls into this mission like he always does, ready to one-shot some ugly special-grade curse, as usual, only to find a very pretty young woman lounging on a couch, casually reading or typing away on her laptop. Because of course Spices is still obsessed with learning in every timeline. Now that she doesn’t age or die, she’s making the most of it, devouring knowledge, keeping up with modern science, writing research papers like she’s on her 13th PhD.

She’s lived through the rise and fall of empires, watched revolutions unfold, witnessed scientific breakthroughs firsthand. Maybe she’s even befriended a few historical icons along the way - why not? She’s contributed where she could, lived countless lives, fought Kenjaku once a century just for tradition’s sake, and is now besties with Tengen.

So when Gojo shows up to “exorcise” her, she just gives him one look and goes, “Ugh, another insufferable Sugawara. Go home, boy. I’ve got a research paper due in three days and I don’t have time for this nonsense.”

Maybe Gojo tries to fight her anyway. After all, a job’s a job. But he’s too bewildered to go all in right away. Besides, he probably thinks he doesn’t need to. She, on the other hand, actually has a paper to finish, so she lightly kicks his ass, pulls a few clever tricks, and sends him packing.

Now intrigued, he keeps coming back. And every time, she’s got a new surprise waiting for him, just enough to outmaneuver him, never enough to hurt. Slowly, Gojo starts to realize that she’s not bloodthirsty, doesn’t eat humans, and isn’t causing any harm. In fact, the local people love her, whether they know what she really is or not.

So with every visit, he drops more of the “exorcist” act and starts poking around her life instead, asking questions, pestering her about her research, being his usual noisy, shameless self. Not in a hostile way, just… Gojo being Gojo.

She absolutely cannot get rid of him. Eventually, she’s so fed up she writes to Tengen like: “There’s this loud, obnoxious boy who keeps bothering me. He’s distracting, he talks too much, and I’m falling behind on my research. Order him to leave me alone.”

Tengen, unhelpfully but wisely, replies: “Well, it has been a while since your last relationship. Maybe it’s time to let someone in again.”

Spices is unconvinced. Determined to avoid Gojo, she starts working in other places—libraries, cafés, random rooftops—but he shows up everywhere. (Reverse roles, baby—he’s the one following her around now!) And before she even realizes it, those encounters start feeling a lot like dates.

Meanwhile, the Council possibly under Kenjaku’s influence takes advantage of her distraction. They break into the tomb to steal Sukuna’s remains… only to find absolutely nothing. Because of course she had accounted for that risk ages ago. The remains were never there to begin with.

She just likes living in that particular place because it used to be their home.

Now, though? Someone dared to wreck her sanctuary.

And that... That was a mistake. Now it's personal.

[auyuyu006]

Johnshi HCs

I'm sorry most of these aren't explicitly romantic I just have so many HCs about the two of them it's driving me crazy.

Johnny holds Kenshi by the waist, Kenshi holds Johnny by the shoulder or the bicep. After some time Kenshi starts to go for his hand instead.

Johnny is on his phone all of the time. Kenshi will either avoid the internet for a week or plays chess on the computer at the kitchen table for a day straight without talking to anyone (secretly uses Sento for this).

Kenshi has good spirits (literally) when it comes to his blindness, but can get very defensive when others pity him for it. Johnny is the only other person he will let touch his blindfold, take it off, or wash it.

Kenshi doesn't love the name "Johnny Cage" and thinks that "John Carlton" suits him. Johnny thinks that it sounds like an "old man's name"

Kenshi would visit Johnny on set sometimes but not say or do anything but sit in the background and watch him in silence until he was done.

Speaking of that- Kenshi had a good time filming in Outworld for Johnny's movie (made him feel like an action hero), but absolutely refused to watch the parts he was in.

Kenshi thought Johnny's movies were mostly cheesy before and after meeting him. However, he ended up rewatching all of them and got excited when there was news he got cast for a new one (before they started to officially date).

Johnny was a pretty good student growing up who made A's and B's as per expectations of his parents but hated school because he got picked on. He got into a decent university where he ended up falling in love with physics. He accidentally became famous around the time he was 20 (maybe he got street casted and went viral?) and had to balance acting with school to get his pHD. He is that school's most famous alumni.

Kenshi was mostly homeschooled by his parents and did not show much attention in academics in his youth due to his intense upbringing in the yakuza. This is something that he regrets but accepts that it wasn't really his choice to begin with. However he is quite knowledgable, knows broadly about history and literature, and can speak multiple languages (Japanese, Chinese, Korean, English, Spanish). He also learns braille relatively fast after losing eyesight.

Kenshi thinks it's so hot that Johnny has a pHD but also thinks its so strange he doesn't do anything with it. (It's a backup plan so he can write textbooks if his career tanks)

Johnny is great at drawing due to it being a hobby growing up stemming from him being a major comic book fan. Kenshi isn't very artistic however used to be able to do mediocre calligraphy (a skill he learned from his parents) before he became blind.

Kenshi breaking into Cage Mansion the second Cris left was admittedly pretty awkward for him (but he was too distracted by Sento to rly care).

Kenshi tries to not let it get to him, but he is saddened by the fact he cannot read properly anymore. Johnny tries to support him by buying him every audiobook in every language he understands. Kenshi will sometimes ask Johnny to read to him mostly because he loves the sound of his voice.

At first, Kenshi tried to get Sento to help him with daily tasks (cooking, cleaning, etc.), but after talking to Kuai Liang he tries not to rely on Sento on anything non-kombat related.

Kenshi has a slight lisp (I'm sorryyyy this isn't rly a hc but you can hear it in his intro dialogues he still sounds like a badass tho i think it's super cute thank god for Vic Chao)

Johnny makes their home a "smart home" a.k.a 30 Alexas in every room of their place, and a Samsung fridge he can live tweet from while making green juice.

Kenshi sometimes used to drive with Sento in the back seat and got arrested for it one time. Now he gets told off by Johnny for it every time he tries it again.

Kenshi will only drink milky coffee (lattes, cappuccinos, etc.) and prefers tea. Johnny hates coffee and tea and pounds red bull in the morning.

Kenshi used to care a lot about his personal style and mostly only wore suits and dress attire. After losing his eyesight, he didn't care as much anymore and just focused on wearing things that were comfortable (sweatpants, sweaters)

Johnny buys Kenshi soft fluffy things to wear all the time. Kenshi always says it's unnecessary but ends up wearing it anyway.

In MK1 Johnny is 32, and Kenshi is 39 (I like the idea of Kenshi being old it just makes sense to me). It both amuses and horrifies Kenshi that he's dating a white man 7 yrs his junior.

Johnny calls him "old man Takahashi" and Kenshi just goes along with it and says "get off my lawn you punk" or something LOL

I think Kenshi was more of the brawny "tough guy" of the yakuza than the suave, seductive type. He has more of an awkward and stony personality. And the fact that he was desperate to get out makes me think he wouldn't entertain the "flirty" role of the job. (a.k.a Kenshi is BAD at flirting unlike a certain someone)

Johnny sometimes helps Kenshis clunky azz samurai gear on before he engages in kombat. Johnny is also the reason Kenshi sometimes gives up and just wears a suit.

Kenshi shops like an old Asian dad. LOVES Costco, will eat all of the samples. Will buy everything on sale even if he doesn't need it. Will not take Johnny with him because his megastardom ruins the peace of being unrecognized. Has taken Raiden with him though. Will use Johnny's credit card. Johnny is dismayed that he hasn't taken a liking to Erewhon and Whole Foods

When Johnny isn't there with him at night Kenshi will play his movies and fall asleep to the sound of his voice

Kenshi will have sex with the blindfold on. He will fall asleep next to Johnny with it off.

Kenshi doesn't like sleeping with the blindfold on, but was worried it would scare or disgust Johnny in some way. It doesn't and it never did. In fact, Johnny appreciates the intimacy that it creates.

[cyanidesouffle]

Anderson's backstory - headcanon

Warning: CW real life abuse story as inspiration/light bulb moment. Some real medical horror. Tons of Spoilers, obviously.

This is the headcanon that I’m using for my fanfics. I thought I’d share before Watch me drops Anderson trivia that would upheave everything I ever worked for :')

Some backstory to the backstory headcanon:

When I read Imagine me and I understood that we were going to be spending a lot of time with Anderson, I was stoked. Finally, would we be getting some backstory to him?!

Then we got to this bit:

“My mother used to force bleach down my throat. Ammonia. Whatever she could find under the sink. It was never enough to kill me”, he says, […] “Just enough to torture me for all eternity.” […] “You might say that I lost my appetite.”

It horrified me (and kind of excited me, because ANGST). It reminded me of The child called ‘It’ (which is a completely made up story apparently, in case you didn’t know, but still pure nightmare fuel). I didn’t really think about the implications though. I made Anderson put a padlock on the cupboard beneath the sink in all my contemporary fics. That was it.

Then, in 2023, there was a child abuse case in the news here in Sweden. The short version is that a young girl had been forced by her parents to drink vinegar. The strong kind. The damage was so severe her stomach has had to be surgically removed.

And that’s how I found out how truly horrible this injury is. In case you didn’t know (And I'm warning you again, real life medical horror): If you drink acid (what have you, bleach, vinegar), it can literally melt your esophagus all the way down to your stomach. And if you survive, you don’t get a new one. Instead, you have surgery to have your small intestine connected to your esophagus. Apparently people can usually eat normal food after recovering, but in small portions and more often.

So here’s what I came up with for Anderson:

Paris Anderson is raised by his single mother. He has two siblings, one older and one younger. The eldest, a sister, is favorized by the mother the point where she abuses Paris and the youngest sibling, but thinks the eldest is perfect in every single way possible.

Paris' mother forces him to drink bleach and ammonia regularly. At first, it doesn’t hurt him enough to require a hospital visit. At school, his symptoms can be passed off as a cold. But one day, Mrs. Anderson goes too far, and Paris is rushed to the ER.

It’s there that the years of abuse come to light. His esophagus and stomach are so badly damaged that he needs extensive reconstruction surgery. (That’s what I talked about further up.) He’s placed into the care of social services and never sees his mother or siblings again.

Paris grows up in foster care, bouncing between homes for a while. Eventually, he ends up with a strict foster father—let’s call him Johnsson. A military veteran who runs a bootcamp for all the boys in his care. Unlike some other foster parents, Johnsson treats Paris no differently than the others despite his medical condition, and Paris thrives. He loves the routine, the discipline, and the way he and the other boys are constantly pitted against each other. Paris isn’t the biggest nor the strongest, but he is fast and calculating.

When he turns of age and is forced out of foster care, Paris, following Johnsson’s advice, applies to the military. Training is the only life he knows, after all. But his medical history gets in the way, and he’s rejected.

Undeterred, Paris applies for an experimental study aimed at improving transplant success rates. (They clone organs. That's it.) It’s there that he meets Maximilian, a PhD student in genetic engineering from New Zealand, who’s in the US because of the country’s more lenient laws regarding experimental treatments. As they work together on the project, they become close—arguably best friends. (But Paris would never admit to that…!) Thanks to Max’s genius, the treatment is a success, and Paris receives a new esophagus and stomach.

Paris doesn’t give up on his military dream. With his new body and renewed determination, he reapplies, excels in training, and rises through the ranks. He makes the right connections and becomes an elite soldier.

But despite his success, Paris hasn’t confronted the trauma of his past. Now that the physical marks of his abuse have healed, he finds himself turning to alcohol. In a strange moment of reflection, he realizes that the burn of alcohol on his throat reminds him eerily of the ammonia he was forced to drink.

He keeps his relationship with Max, and is soon allowed into the world of the RE, where he quickly proves his worth by finding the classified files of the military. He becomes their attack dog, taking care of anything (or rather, anyone) that will stand in the way of the success of the RE.

It doesn’t take long before he is matched/eloped with Leila Warner. They have a son, Aaron. They allowed the baby to be genetically modified by Evie. (Which is why, later in life, Paris is convinced there’s something genetically wrong with Aaron. That Evie somehow programmed him to fall in love with Juliette.) Paris is ecstatic. His son will never experience the hardships of his own childhood. No, Paris will make sure he is strong.

However, something is still missing from his life. Paris wants to be loved. He doesn’t love Leila. She’s a means to an end: a son; an heir. Somehow, somewhere, he meets Ms Kent (I like to name her Catherine in my fics). The romance is intense. Finally, Paris feels completed. Ms Kent is his other half. He doesn’t want kids though, because as it was decreed from his own childhood: You cannot love more than one child. – Because at the end of the day, Paris does think that he loves Aaron. In his own twisted way.

We all know what happens once Ms Kent dies. Paris goes off the rails in grief. He becomes an alcoholic. - Before he drank to cope with his childhood trauma, but Catherine's death sends him into a new kind of darkness. - He starts abusing Adam. Continues his work with the RE and they get into office, then once Juliette accidently kills that child Paris orchestrates the most dramatic love triangle known to mankind.

And that's it. What do you think? :)

[cookiecandy22]

What would the sins do as adults in a modern setting?

Or well, at least in my modern au fic

(+Eli of course)

Meliodas: I think he would’ve been pressured by his family to get a business degree. He wanted to dropout but Elizabeth convinced him to continues as she knew that Meliodas dream was to open a tavern/restaurant/bar and the degree would help him know how everything works to run it smoothly and not end up in bankruptcy.

Ban: I don’t think he’d be interested to go to college or pursue higher education. I headcannon him as being really smart but without the capacity to sit still in a classroom (he hates studying things he isn’t interested in). So after finishing secondary school he starts working everywhere he can but without abandoning his passion: cooking. He keeps practicing and self teaches himself different techniques until Meliodas reconnects with him (they lost contact for five years:( ) and sets him on trial to see if he’d be able to work as the main cook in his bar/tavern/restaurant. Sales go up thanks to Ban’s cooking.

(Fun fact: Meliodas and Ban used to love watching Hell’s kitchen when they were younger and sometimes they’d talk about how cool would it be if Gordon Ramsey visited their future restaurant and that Ban’d be one of the little people who could impress him with his cooking skills)

Elizabeth: I think Eli’s always dreamed to be a doctor, specifically a pediatrician. She’d be very dedicated to have excellent marks at school but medicine is a career that a lot of people try to apply for, and her grades are good but not enough so she doesn’t get to enter at first. Her grades are good enough for nursing school though, so she goes for it while still studying and looking for a way to get into medicine (her awesome boyfriend Meliodas supporting her in the long process ofc). After two years she achieved it!

Diane: I headcanon her to be that kid who has a million of extra curricular activities all related to sport or dancing. She loves the latter and I think she tries to study superior studies for choreography and contemporary dance, but after getting her degree (I looked it up it’s like 4 years omg😳) she couldn’t find work so she starts working at her aunt Matrona’ gym. (She has a social media for her dances and’s been popular since she was 15. That helps her getting a job as a choreographer for broadway productions later don’t worry).

King: he’s a fashion designer, and a pretty good one. He specialises in costumes for movies or theatre but has gotten some of his more public-oriented clothes in fashion shows. He and Diane reconnect after King is tasked to design the costumes of one of the shows Diane is working as a choreographer.

Merlin: the only one who knows something about her is Gowther, she hasn’t communicated much with the rest of the sins. She works at a university in the research area for biochemistry (she has two pHD in physics and chemistry). She has to teach some hours to university students and has taken a promising student to help him with his thesis, Arthur, as an intern/assistant for her.

Gowther: I think Gowther would’ve studied medicine to be able to study psychiatry. Not because he wanted to, even though he’s always had a curiosity for the brain and how it worked, but more because it was one of the things his father had studied and didn’t know what to do with his life. He completed his studies early, go accepted into medicine first try (hard pill to swallow for Elizabeth, Meliodas had to reassure her that it didn’t matter if she needed more time to get accepted as long as she fulfills her dreams) and after he ended his studies and worked as a psychiatrist he realised that it was too much to him so he opened one of those spiritual retreats and has been conducting similar workshops. He also tried to work one year in a high school as a counsellor but he left after 1 year.

Escanor: he’s dead.

Nah jk

Escanor’s a part time poet full time spanish/english philologist. He’s worked both for Oxford dictionary and for “la Real Academia Española” in Spain (yep my Escanor is from a spanish family who migrated to England when Escanor was young but he’s been two years in high school as an exchange student in Spain). He moved there after his final heartbreak with Merlin. He sometimes messages Mel, Ban and Gowther but it isn’t very common

Hope you liked it:) maybe I’ll do this with the holy knights or other characters, if you want me to do any specific character please write it in the comments!

[therealcocoshady]

Recovery - Chapter 15

In the following weeks, you saw Marshall often. You made a point not to avoid him, even though you were still a bit heartbroken over the fact that he was dating someone else. However, you tried not to let it show, and he probably didn’t notice anyway. You didn’t have too much information on Nicole or that date. To be honest, he didn’t seem too keen on sharing those details, and you weren’t really in the mood to ask either. Of course, if he decided to share, you’d be a good friend, but you didn’t really see the point in putting yourself in a position of being sad. You were only thankful that you hadn’t confessed your feelings to him. That would have been awkward to say the least. You got to spend time with him whenever you hung out at the studio (which was rather frequent) , when he visited Jamal and Talia or when you were invited to anything anyone from the group organized. The only thing that had really changed was that you were never alone and that you made a point of not being too close to him physically, but he didn’t seem to mind. You weren’t even sure he noticed any difference anyway… You thought it would be best not to be all over each other all the time. Once again, there was no point in setting yourself up for heartbreak. If he had asked that woman on a date, it clearly meant he didn’t like you as much as you thought he did, or as you hoped he would. On a Sunday afternoon, you joined everyone at Marshall’s to watch the latest Lions’ game on TV. Initially, you weren’t too keen on going, but Marshall had convinced you to come. For some reason, he was really intent on turning you into a football fan. You weren’t the sporty type and couldn’t really care less, but everyone would be there, so you figured that even though you may not really enjoy the game, you would enjoy the company. 

When you arrived at his place with Talia and Jamal, you were greeted by Hailie, who you recognized from pictures Marshall had shown you. 

Hi Hailie ! Talia said before giving her a quick hug. 

Hey guys come in ! The game is about to start, she said. 

She looked really good and, as you quickly looked at her, you could see she had inherited some of Marshall’s features. They looked a lot alike. 

Hi, I’m Hailie, she introduced herself. I’m the daughter. 

I’m Y/N, you replied politely. I’m Talia and Jamal’s roommate, you explained.  

You entered the house and greeted everyone. Marshall was dressed casually, with black sweatpants and a Lions hoodie that brought out the blue in his eyes. He was painfully attractive and you tried not to stare too much. Everyone was sort of matching his outfit, as they were all wearing some Detroit Lions merch. You were the only one who didn’t. You were actually dressed in leggings, UGG boots and your hoodie from University. 

You went to uni here ? Hailie asked as she saw the logo. I actually have the same hoodie !

Yeah. I’m a PhD student here, actually, you explained. 

What are you studying ? 

Communications. It’s my last year ! 

Are you kidding me ? She asked. One of my best friends is a PhD student in communications too ! His name is Josh. Do you know him ? 

I do ! You said with a smile. We worked together on a paper last year. He is amazing ! 

The guy she talked about was very nice. He started his PhD work in the same year as you did and you had a blast working with him. He was by far one of the smartest persons you had ever met. And it didn’t hurt that he was really attractive as well. You and Hailie spent some time talking in the kitchen. As it turned out, you were the same age, born six months apart and had graduated the same year. You actually knew some of her friends and had attended a few of the same events and venues on campus, though you had never talked or noticed each other. 

I can’t believe we never actually met before today, she said. We have probably crossed paths hundreds of times without knowing. 

I know right ? That is so weird. 

So, how come I have never seen you around here if you hang out with Dad and the whole team ? She asked with curiosity. 

Well, I only started hanging out with Marshall and the studio crew recently, you explained. I moved in with Talia and Jamal a few months ago, after I broke up with my boyfriend. 

It’s crazy, everyone seems to be breaking up, these days, she said. Josh broke up with his girlfriend of six months a couple weeks ago. 

Oh ? I hope he’s ok, you said with a smile. Although I wouldn’t be too worried for him. He probably won’t be single for too long… 

I know, right ? Do you guys get along ? She asked. 

Yes, you said. I mean, we don’t really hang out too often, but we’ve worked together in the past and it was great. He is really nice too. I really like him. I think he might actually be the person I talk to the most, on campus. 

We’re going for drinks to cheer him up tonight. You should come ! She offered. 

Oh, I don’t want to intrude, you said with a giggle. 

You won’t ! You guys know each other and… I’m not going to lie, you are totally his type, she added. 

Good to know, you said as you blushed a bit. 

I could gladly set you guys up on a date, she offered. If you’re single, that is. 

Uh… sure, I guess that could be fun, you said. I think drinks tonight might be a good start. 

The two of you kept on chatting for a while, and you couldn’t help but think that, if you had met earlier, you would have been the best of friends. After all, it wasn’t too surprising. She was a lot like her dad, only more cheerful. He entered the kitchen and smiled at you. 

Glad to see the two of you are getting along, Marshall said with a smile as he grabbed a couple of drinks in the fridge. 

We’re actually going for drinks tonight, Hailie said. 

So now you’re stealing my friends, uh ?  He asked his daughter. 

Well Y/N and I do have friends in common, Dad. And I’m sure she’d rather hang out with people our age instead of old crones like you, she joked. 

You have no idea, you said jokingly.

Very funny, Y/N, he said as he rolled his eyes. You girls better get to the living room, the game is about to start. 

You sat down next to him as you watched the game. He tried to explain the rules of football to you and you tried your best to understand, but it was all a bit blurry to you. You understood what a touchdown was, but there was something about the yards that didn’t make sense to you. You silently cursed the Americans for their misunderstanding of the metric system. Still, you had to admit that the game was entertaining, as well as everyone’s passion for it. They seemed excited about every move the players made, and they were so involved you could have sworn they were part of the team, especially Marshall. He promised to take you to see an actual game, in person, so that you would finally get the hype. You agreed but didn’t really count on it. In a matter of weeks, he probably would take Nicole instead… 

After the game, everyone hung out for a while. You were talking to Talia when he came to get you. You went for a walk in the garden. 

So, you finally met Hailie, he said with a smile. 

Yes, you said happily. Your daughter is really cool. 

I knew you’d get along, he chuckled. Are you sure about going for drinks with her, though? 

Do you have a problem with me hanging out with her ? You asked. 

No, not at all, he said. It’s great you’re getting along. But, you know, you’re sober and she and her friends… they’re not. They’re responsible but still, I want to make sure you’ll be ok. 

Worried much ? You said jokingly. 

Well, yeah, he admitted. I know this shit can be hard. Plus, you know… I’ve been worried about your sobriety when we weren’t talking. 

Really ? You asked surprised. 

Of course. I mean, me talking about you overdosing… that was a shitty move, he said sheepishly. Especially a week after a relapse. 

Well I think I did pretty well, you said with a smile. I don’t want you to worry. I think I’ll be ok. Plus, I’m often around alcohol, you know ? When there are events at university, stuff like that. So, really, I’m good. 

Good then, he said before kissing your cheek. I’m proud of you, Y/N. 

That evening, you joined Hailie and her friends for drinks. Josh was happy to see you and reconnect. The two of you talked a lot about your respective research and the struggles of being PhD students. The conversation was easy going and you really enjoyed the moment. Hailie and her friends were so nice too. For the first time in weeks, you found yourself forgetting about Marshall, even though it was ironic since you were hanging out with his daughter. 

The night came to an end and you said goodbye to everybody, especially thanking Hailie for the invite. Josh walked you out of the restaurant to get a cab. 

We should hang out more. I had a great night. Can I see you again ? He asked. 

Sure. Feel free to come by my office on campus, you said with a smile. 

I meant, like, on a date, he added. 

We can grab coffee on Thursday if you want, you said before kissing him on the cheek and getting in the cab. 

It’s a date, then.

He closed the door for you with a charming smile and you stared at him as the car started. You couldn’t contain your smile, on the way home. 

From M :  Having fun tonight ? 

Reply to M : Yes. Made new friends and drank mocktails :) you ? 

From M : Good. Hanging out in the studio with Dre. Working on a couple of songs. He flew in tonight, he’s going back to LA on wednesday. 

You smiled as you read Marshall’s texts. Even on a weekend night, he was working. You couldn’t help but admire his work ethic and dedication. 

Reply to M : Can’t wait to hear them. 

From M : You can come to the studio on Thursday if you want. I’ll play them for you. 

Reply to M : Can’t. I have a date :) Friday ? 

Josh took you out for coffee and a walk for your first date and it was as if you were in a movie. The conversation, the hand-holding, the flirting and the kissing… it was perfect. You were giddy as you got home and told your friends everything. Talia was nothing but supportive. If anything, she was just as giddy as you. Jamal, on the other hand… he seemed unimpressed. 

What about Marshall ? He asked. 

What about him ? You and Talia asked at the same time. 

You know damn well what I mean, Y/N, he said. There’s something between the two of you. You like him.

Yeah, I do, you said. I mean, he is amazing. But we’re good friends. That’s it.

Bullshit, Jamal said as he rolled his eyes. You aren’t fooling anyone.

I don’t know, Babe, Talia said. I mean, I thought there was something there too but don’t you think Em would have made a move by now ? 

Right, you said. 

Obviously, you hadn’t said anything about what happened between Marshall and yourself. Talia only knew what had happened during the first movie night, but that was it. The only things your friends knew, they got from watching your interactions. 

I’ve known him for a while and he’s never cared for anyone like that, Jamal said as he shrugged. And you, Y/N… I’ve seen you around him. All… cuddly, and flirty and shit. Everybody can see it. 

I think we’re missing the important question here : what do you want, Y/N ? Talia asked. 

Look… maybe I was a little flirty, you admitted. But there’s NOTHING between Marshall and I. He doesn’t like me like that and that’s fine by me. On the other hand, Josh IS interested in me and is taking me on a dinner date on Saturday night. 

It was true. As soon as your first date had ended, Josh had booked the next one. He seemed interested in you and not afraid to show it. It was something you liked, as it left no ambiguity as to whether or not he liked you. And you could definitely use some of that, instead of dwelling on Marshall...

On the next day, you visited Marshall at the studio after you were done with uni work, as planned. He was alone in the room when you arrived. Everyone else had already gone home. 

Am I too late ? You asked after you greeted him. 

It was unusual for you to see him alone in the studio. 

All good. I wanted to stay a bit longer to listen to all of the tracks anyways, Marshall said. We have produced about thirty so far and I’m not sure about some of them. 

You sat on the huge leather couch and listened as he played some of the tracks for you. You closed your eyes as you tried to focus. 

Thoughts ? He asked after he had played about ten tracks. 

I don’t have any, you said. 

Well that’s not good, he mumbled. 

He rolled his eyes and put his head back as he sighed. 

What do you mean ? You asked. 

I mean I played you about a third of what I have and it doesn’t even make you think of… anything ? Like, are they that bad ? 

No, you said with a laugh. What I meant to say is that I know nothing about music. I wouldn’t know how to differentiate a good song from a bad one. That’s kind of your job, you know ? 

Mmmh, he sighed, still not satisfied with the answer. 

There are some tracks I like more than others, you said. But that doesn’t mean anything. What matters is your own opinion. 

Which ones do you like ? He asked. 

Do you really want my input ? You asked in disbelief. 

It can’t hurt, he shrugged. 

You went over the songs together, as you gave him your opinion on the beats or the lyrics. It was kind of haphazard, as you didn’t know the right words to use. He sometimes proceeded to correct you with a chuckle. 

No, that’s not what « reverb » is. 

No ? You asked in disbelief. You know… that kind of … sound and the way it goes ? 

Yeah, no, I see, he said as he laughed lightly. 

It’s crazy. It seems so easy for you, you said. 

As you said… it’s my job, he replied with a smile. Like I probably wouldn’t know shit about your work. 

Maybe, you said with a chuckle. I think you’d find it a bit boring. 

Probably a bit, he admitted. But I know you’re crazy smart. 

Believe me, as I’m writing, it feels like I’m unable to string two sentences together, you replied. 

Maybe Jack could help you with that. 

Who ? 

You know… your date, Marshall said. You guys do the same thing, right ? 

Ah. Josh, you corrected. I take it that you talked to Hailie ? 

Josh, he repeated. Right. Yeah, Hailie might have told me a few things. You guys work in the same field, so maybe he would be able to help you ? 

I don’t know about that. I have worked on a paper with him before but showing him my own work and for him to critique ? It’s kind of… 

Intimate ? 

Yeah. 

He smiled in agreement. 

So. Are you going to tell me how it went ? He finally asked.

I didn’t realize you were interested in my date, you replied with a smile. 

I care about you, Y/N. You know that, Marshall said with a serious voice. 

Well it went great. We went for coffee and a walk. We had a great talk. He held my hand. And he kissed me, once. 

Once ? He asked in surprise. Just once ? 

Yeah. It was a goodbye kiss. 

He nodded in understanding. It was a bit weird for you to talk to him about your date. He looked in your eyes as he waited for you to say more. 

What ? You asked with an awkward laugh. Want me to describe the kissing for you ? 

I’m good, thanks, he said with a grin. 

He’s taking me out tomorrow. 

So soon ? Damn, he must really like you, Marshall commented with a chuckle. 

Well, I am kind of a catch, you said jokingly. 

Of course you are, he said with a smile. 

He looked in your eyes and he got closer to you. It seemed as if he was about to add something when his phone rang. He looked away as he answered it. 

Hey… thanks for calling. yeah, tomorrow is great for me… 7:00 ? … good. Me too. Bye. 

He looked back at you. 

Sorry, he said. 

All good ? You asked. 

Yeah. It was Nicole, he simply said, with a casual tone. 

You stared at him and tried to prevent your emotions from showing. 

I told you about my date. Do you want to tell me about yours ? You asked carefully. 

I’m not sure there’s too much to say, he explained. Hailie set it up. 

You let out an involuntary laugh. 

Your daughter should really start matchmaking business. 

You have no idea, he replied as he rolled his eyes. Ever since her mother and I got divorced for the second time, she has been meddling. I can’t count the number of times she tried to set me up with her friends’ single moms. I usually don’t let her but well… who knows ? 

He laughed at the memory. 

So… want to tell me more Nicole ? You asked. 

Actually, I know her from… way back. Her daughters used to go to the same primary school as mine. I hadn’t seen her in years when we ran into her at the hospital. We ran into each other again a few days later when I was out with the girls and somehow Hailie got her to call me. She’s nice. 

She’s really hot, you said. 

I’m not commenting on that, he said as he rolled his eyes. Is Jack hot ? 

Josh, you corrected. 

Right. Is he ? 

I’m not answering that, you replied with a grin. 

You stared at each other and burst out in laughter. Somehow, it felt good to be able to talk to him about it. 

So… you like this Nicole ? 

She’s nice, he said. 

I mean… she must be kind of cool if your own daughter thinks she’s good enough for you right ? You asked. 

I guess. We’ll see how it goes. How about Ja- Josh, sorry. You like him ? 

I do, you nodded. He is really smart. Kind, too. And… he is really hot, you added with a wink. 

Oh yeah ? 

Yup. 

That’s cool, he said with a smile. 

The both of you chuckled. 

For real though, how do you feel about dating ? He asked. 

What do you mean ? You asked back, puzzled. 

Recovery isn’t an easy time. Are you sure you should be dating ? I mean, I don’t mean to be an ass, or tell you what not to do, he said. But maybe you should focus on yourself a bit ? 

You stared at him and said nothing for a second. It seemed pretty ironic for him to say that when he had asked you out a while ago, shortly after your relapse, no less. 

I like him, you know ? He’s really nice, and, at least, it keeps my mind busy, you said. I think I’m ready to date. 

He nodded and smiled softly. 

You know… this son of a bitch better be nice to you, Marshall said.

And what if he isn’t ? You wondered. 

I’ll make sure he regrets being born, if he ever hurts you. 

He’s a gentleman, you reassured him. And Hailie likes him. 

Right. Must be a nice dude, then. 

You looked at each other, smiling. 

You know, if Nicole ever breaks your heart, I can make sure some hair removal cream ends up in her shampoo, you said with a smirk. 

What if I’m the one who fucks it up ? He wondered. 

I’m sure you won’t, you said. Though if you do end up being an ass… I’ll probably have to dye your beard green in your sleep. Or shave it. 

I’ll remember the warning, he said with a chuckle. And I hope it doesn’t happen… It took forever to grow this thing. 

You laughed as you gently scratched his beard. He pulled you in for a long hug. 

It’s good, he said under his breath. 

Yeah. It really is, you confirmed.

[writing-whump]

Been here for a while, enjoying your fics. ❤️

Could you consider to write something including post - concussion emeto? Maybe with Matthew, because who else would be hit 😅

Greetings,

A.

Hello A.! I'm so happy you are enjoying yourself, that's super sweet! ❤️ Thank you so much for the request! Ran away from me a little but includes what you wanted :D I'm very honoured.

This one's crying, the other's sick

Seline is upset and crying. Matthew comforts her, when it turns out he came home with a concussion.

There will be no direct trains because of construction work. You can take the bus and the train connection, but we can't guarantee your way if either is delayed.

Just great. Exactly what she needed for the travel home to see her parents.

Seline knew she was freaking out for no reason. This fact didn't make it any easier to not do it.

Her life has always been divided into two places. Bratislava and Vienna. Home and school, parents and friends, Slovak and German.

She knew and her parents knew that her life was heading into the direction of Vienna - more money, more prestige, the use of languages. Slovakia was a nice home, but everyone who had any sense, ambition and knew just a bit of English moved out for college and never returned.

But Seline doubted as many people had such a good relationship with their parents. That's why she wasn't moving out even after 10 years of travelling. She even felt sorry for all her classmates and colleagues, many of which had to move to Vienna at 18 for university. Without parents and roots and childhood friends. Independence and adult responsibilities. Or were they proud of it? Was it a good thing they couldn't be children for that long?

When she asked her friends from countries farther away, like Bulgaria or Italy, they said it was fine. That they couldn't imagine living with their parents again or still. That it was nice to live alone.

Maybe they just didn't like being around them as much as Seline. Having such close relationship with your own mother was from what Seline could see, quite the exception. Her mother was her most trusted friend, her confidante, her idol and advisor. Seline's friends didn't call their mothers for two hours a day and they didn't visit every weekend and they didn't...

Seline wouldn't have moved out if it wasn't for the fights with her younger brother. And because she got good work at the university as an assistant, but that was running out. Every year was a risk of not getting the contract prolonged. She considered studying another master degree, cause as long as she was a student, they were more likely to keep her. Graduated non-students were more expensive because of taxes. PhD students were the most risky, cause they go no funding without an actual job at a project or faculty. And those were all temporary, only for a limited amount of years. Not to mention the law in Austria that you couldn't work at the same university more than 8 years on temporary contracts, which was supposed to protect university staff. Except the universities, instead of employing people without temporary contracts, didn't employ them at all, until they came with a few years of foreign experince. Go for a two years to England. Or France. Or anywhere else. Uproot yourself and maybe we will get you back.

Very family friendly.

So it somehow happened that Thursday morning she found out that her train for Friday to visit her parents would take 1.30h instead of 50 minutes and because the bus could be late and the train that you should change after wouldn't wait in the case it was, meant she would be straned somewhere in Parndorf.

So she would have to take the train before, that was direct and safe, which meant she would travel for an hour earlier, miss the connection she would have if the train were normal, wait two hours at the main station in Bratislava to get to her parents house. Her house. Whatever it was.

This would normally not anger her to the point of tears, but it was about a week before her period, so PMS was hitting her hard.

She didn't want to go to the train sooner. Or wait at the station because she missed the direct beautiful train that would get her to the home town near Bratislava.

She could take a taxi and pay more. Or take her own car. But Seline hated driving. It was stressful and fearsome and horrible responsibility and each bigger car or faster driving car made her jump in her seat in deadly fear. Her father would scoff at her for being so panicked about it. That she should drive more to get rid of it.

Well. Because of the fear, her main goal was not to drive.

Either with time with the train, with money with the taxi or with effort and nerves with the car. Nothing was for free.

She left her car at her parents anyway. Didn't need it in Vienna with all their great public transport connections. It was a relief she didn't gave to consider going with a car and no one could guilt her into using it.

She had two roomates who liked driving and cars. But she couldn't exactly ask them for a 1 hour long drive on the highway to Bratislava to see her parents.

Isaiah didn't complain about her visiting her parents during weekends. Since their schedules at university weren't packed, they had most Mondays free and other days during the week with only one seminar or online class here and there and could be together.

Seline loved not having to commute. To stay in bed until 11, talk with Isaiah over lunch, take a walk in the park or by the river and go to a seminar at 5 in the evening, meet with friends after or a bit before. Leisure nice days. Working 8-5 terrified her. She loved the flexibility, the way she could rule her time, do homework or write essays whenever she felt like, write stories and her poems whenever she was inspired, listen to music till 2 in the morning or binngewatch series all evening.

Though evening were usually reserved for movie nights with the whole trio. She loved those too.

Standing between two worlds was always a trait of hers. Something she was at peace at. But deciding between one home or the other, one city or the other and the time between pained her still, or even more so, after 10 years of back and forth.

If she could just buy that two generational house somewhere close to Vienna, on the fringes of the city and have them all there. Travel would take 20 minutes with the subway, her parents and her pack would be at the same place and they could have a view on the fields and not on the people and noise filled buildings of the city...

Except her parents still worked in Bratislava, and her grandmother and her uncle lived there and their families lived there and...and her parents didn't even speak German.

She could go back and live in Slovakia. She would get a high paid job just for speaking German and English so well. Lots of her friends from primary school did that. Those that didn't leave for France, US, Belgium or as far as Australia, that is.

She never saw her future in Bratislava. Not with the communist looking buildings and shabby streets and corrupt government and horrible health care. But she grew up around fields, open sky and on the train. City life was culturally shocking.

Seline walked back and forth on her floor, stamping her feet in anger. She let the frustrated tears loose, no one was home. Updating her train app if the connections didn't change after all didn't bring any new results for the 5th time.

She ended up in the hall, by the stairs, leaning against the wall. Today was a good day to wallow in self-pity as any. Hugging her knees, she cried quietly, half-realizing she was just being dramatic and the situation wasn't half as bad as her riled up emotions would have her believe.

"Whoa, hey. Are you crying for real?"

Seline almost jumped out of her skin at Matthew's tone, shooting up to her feet. "W-what are you doing here?!"

Matthew stood on the last step of the steps next to her. His knuckles were still wrapped in white bandages, so must have been boxing and returned sooner. He was gripping the railing tight and looked pale and tired, but the sarcastic tone and raised eyebrow chased her worries away. "I live here. Duh."

"T-that's my floor." She hurriedly rubbed at her face to get rid of the moisture. "I didn't hear you arrive."

"You were...preoccupied," Matthew said dryly. "So what's up? Did something happen? Should I go beat someone up?"

Seline chuckled despite the tears and her emberassment for him to catch her like this. "No. That's really sweet, but not at all necessary."

Matthew gave her a dubious look, then crouched down on the ground next to her, sliding down the wall slowly. "Something must have happened."

"Nothing happened. I'm just being silly." She waved his concern away, trying to smile.

"Uhm. Do you want me to call Isaiah?"

"No!"

Matthew blinked at her vehemence.

Seline ran her hands through her hair and sat down back next to him, back against the wall. "Nothing happened. It would just worry him."

"If he could comfort you, I'm sure he would be happy to worry. Maybe I just can't say what you need to hear."

"It's fine. Seriously. I'm overreacting because of hormones. Nothing is wrong." She flushed a little, realzing she said hormones, but when Matthew didn't laugh or say she was a hysterical girl, her shoulders slumped in relief and she relaxed a little.

"I didn't realize you two were so similar. Always such a put together front," Matthew commented, looking away with a sigh.

"You really want to hear my stupid reason?" She showed him the screen of her phone, too quickly for him to focus without realizing. "The trains won't be running at the time I wanted to go home tomorrow. I will have to leave early and wait up till my parents come home for them or take a risky train-bus connection that doesn't have to work out."

Stunned silence. "Can't you just drive?"

"No, I can't just drive," she said, annoyed. "I hate driving and I don't have my car here and you can go and say how this is my fault for not overcoming myself with the car and-"

"Fine, I give up." Matthew put his hands up in surrender. "You have a total right to hate driving. You want me to drive you?"

"I-" Seline spluttered for air. "I-I can't ask that of you-"

"Well, you aren't asking, I'm offering," Matthew said with a shrug. "I can drive you to your parent house and then go back. Your trains will work on Sunday, right? I can pick you up at the station."

Seline crossed her arms on her chest, avoiding his gaze. "It's just this one time. I can take the trains normally, the timing fits well, with them coming home and all. Just this once." Shouldn't she invite him over when he drives her that long? She didn't invite him or Isaiah to meet her family yet.

"It's no problem," he said tiredly. "Stop defending it like I'm moving a mountain for you. If you told this to Isaiah, even hinted at it, he would offer the same."

Seline nodded, eyes overflowing with tears again, this time from how touched she was. Seriously, today was such a stupid day. She was crying for everything. "Thank you."

"Oi. What now?" Matthew said, a little exasperated. He turned to her, wrapping his bandaged hand around her elbow and then pushed her forward against his chest.

Seline melted at the contact, pressing her crying face against his chest. Matthew enclosed his arms around her, practically dragging her to sit in his lap as he held her. She sat with her side and arm against his chest.

"I'm sorry. I'm sorry. This is just over emotion. Don't worry," she said reassuringly as his hug tighthened.

He sighed into her hair.

She laughed nervously against his ear, chin on his shoulder, wanting to fill the silence with something. "No way I want Isaiah to see me like this. Giant minus point, to have such an emotional girl on his hands. He would be running for the hills."

Matthew snorted. "But you don't mind me seeing?"

"You won't break up with me," she said with a half-broken smile.

"He wouldn't either."

"Not on the first time. But on the fifth time? Tenth time? I better not give him more difficult times if I can help it, before he starts counting."

Matthew shook his head. She could feel the movement against her face as she closed her eyes. "No one is counting. That's not what couples do."

"Oh really? It's all I'm doing. Counting how much we are giving each other and if it's still ends up in mutual benefit."

She could practically hear the eyeroll in his voice. "I don't think it's supposed to work like that. It's not a business deal."

"It's very similar. I have to be pretty enough, attractive enough, smart and entertaining so when I really really need something, I can get a favour and not waste on something stupid and minor like this-"

"Isaiah would run himself to the ground caring for you and never think of something like that."

"Well, that's just because he is kind and selfless and so self-sacrifacing towards everyone. Doesn't make me any special."

Seline frowned. "I love you."

Matthew leaned forward, his face in his hands, leaving her with the view on his back. "You think emotion doesn't play any role? People aren't just a list of plus and minus traits. You feel something about them too. If everyone was so strick as you say, I wouldn't make the list for anyone."

There was a beat of silence.

Matthew jerked underneath her, looking up, face going all red. "What? Where did that come from?"

"You are right." Seline shrugged. "I'm very rational about the whole dating thing, comparing and counting things, because I don't want the pink glasses to blind me to our compatability. But when it comes to friendships or family or...well, pack, it's all about feelings and I know what I feel. I love you. In the family sort of way."

Matthew rubbed his forehead, unsuccessfully trying not to blush. "You have never said it to Isaiah, you can't blurt it out like that to me."

Seline suspected there hadn't been enough people saying it to Matthew in general. "I love him too. But if we work out as a couple, I have to love him in that other, romantic way too. I'm not sure we are that far yet."

Yes, she was attracted to Isaiah. It's been very hard for her to fall in love, to respect let alone to admire someone else, so she was very happy she found him. And he was intelligent, thoughtful, considerate and he put so much effort into everything and she admired him for many things...but she never had such a long relationship, as she was not interested in dating in her teen years, and the inexperience was making her cautious.

Matthew shook his head, burying it in his hands once again. He was breathing all harsh and fast. She could feel his chest heave underneath her. She wrapped her hands around his neck, suprised at how sweaty he was and how weirdly pale...was he like that from the start?

"Hey, Matt-"

"You two should really," he gulped loudly, shuddering, "have a talk. Being this tense and counting around each other can't be- hrrrk-" he burped loudly, slamming a hand to his lips.

Seline retracted her arms back, putting one gently on his chest and the other on his stomach. He was still breathing so fast and his stomach was heaving, like it shriveled under her palms...and suddenly Matthew leaned to the side and gagged violently over her arms on the floor.

"Matt!" she yelped as his stomach heaved and he gagged again, this time bringing a mouthful of water. Seline rubbed his stomach, feeling it contract as he heaved the third time, this time bringing up a big wave of water. "What's wrong with you? Are you- did you- you were feeling sick the whole time?"

Matthew spat onto the ground, giving a full-body shudder. "Sorry. I just..."

"Is this some kind of flu? Did you eat something bad?" Crisis always brought a calm over her, making her practical. She could feel her mind clearing from trivial concerns, emotions in the backround.

"Not really. My sparrring partner got a really good hit to my head today...I guess I was feeling a little light-headed since then." He blurred his words together a little and he was still that sickly pale.

"Wait, you mean to tell me you are concussed?" She tried to scramble away from his lap, not wanting to add weight to his misery. He was feeling sick and dizzy from a hit to the head and let her blabber on?

He tighetned his hold again, squeezing her against him, hanging his head on her shoulder. "Sorry...can I just...I don't really want to move." He smiled crookedly. "I can't believe I survived climbing up the stairs."

"Matt, you silly fool. You should have said something." She threaded her fingers through his hair, looking for a bump. "Did you heal yourself?"

"A little. Didn't really stop hurting all the way. And my, ehmm, ears are ringing a little." He winced at her touch but didn't pull away.

"Come on, you should get some sleep." His head was basically limp on his neck, barely holding himself up. She figured he could sleep since he healed himself with this shadow. It must have been the symptoms that remained. "You can stay in my room, I can't really help with the stairs like Isaiah can. You will be more comfortable there, okay?" And they would get away from the mess on the floor.

Coaxing Matthew to unwrap himself took another 5 minutes. She held him under the elbow, trying to stabilize him, but they both knew he was too big for her to hold his weight, should he fall. He stumbled the few steps to her bedroom, holding onto the wall and her for support.

He basically collapsed on her favourite pillow, squeezing his eyes in a painful way that cued her in on the light. She closed the curtains on the windows and fetched a wash-basin from the bathroom, then climbed into the double bed with him.

"Hmmmm...Do I have too many minus points for vomiting to get another hug today?" Matthew mumbled sleepily, rolling to his side as she adjusted the covers over him.

"You are such an idiot," she said fondly, wiggling herself under his arm, face against his chest. It was a warm, comfortable position for her too.

"You sure Isaiah won't mind?"

Seline chuckled. "From you, he won't. My guess? He will end up sleeping here today too." She kissed the top of his forehead. "The basin is right next to you. Tell me if you feel sick again. Should I get you a painkiller?"

"Nah. Can't stomach it right now. Just stay."

It warmed something inside her that he wanted her so close, that he might have hugged her the first time for his comfort as well. Or maybe just for her. He was such a marshmellow, it was a shame it only came out when he was feeling sick.

@bellysoupset

[oblivionwonderlust]

I have been a “fan” of W. Somerset Maugham for a while now, a good few years at the very least. I first read The Razor’s Edge sometime in 2022, pretty soon after starting my Master’s degree. I had only just started referring to myself as someone that likes to read books about a year ago, having found it to be a better way of passing the time than watching movies and TV shows during the pandemic. I found that book at a time in my life where I had made a decision that, at the time, seemed so decisive and yet also felt as though I had made the wrong choice.

It is quite natural at the start of any kind of postgraduate course of study to feel that one is wasting his time; or rather, trying to delay that inevitable transition from youth to fully fledged adulthood. Deciding to remain a student for that extra year or two (or five or ten if one gets engaged in a particularly long PhD. programme) does give you a bit of a disadvantage in the shorter term compared to your peers: while you were in school, they got their career started and perhaps even got a couple promotions under their belt. The obvious response to this fact is that someone with a postgraduate degree has a much higher ceiling to one’s career. This is framed as a fair exchange. I suppose that it is for a lot of people, especially to those who see the purpose of education to be a way to make more money and thus gain social prestige. But for the rest, the procrastination is the point. It is a way to buy just a bit more time until one can figure out what one wants to make of himself.

It was at the beginning of my Master’s studies that I discovered Maugham. I had spent the past year, the final year of my undergrad, reading Dostoyevsky and Hesse, and was considering picking up some Nietzsche. I was looking into all of the books on the “read this if you are a man in your early 20’s who has no idea what to do with his life” list. It was while looking into these sorts of lists that I found the Razor’s Edge. I didn’t think much of it when I bought it but I could not have predicted the impact that it would have on me. There is a point in the narrative when Larry (one of the protagonists of the book) is asked by his fiancé what he wants to do after he turns down a job. “Loaf” he answers. The exchange that follows elaborates on how Larry does not care for money beyond what would be required for survival and does not care for the social capital that comes with having, well, capital. This sort of sentiment is the opposite of what a lot of the books that have entered into the “books for lost young men” genre lately proclaim. Instead of coming up with rules that can easily be turned into a 90 second TikTok called “this is what alpha/sigma/ligma males do,” Larry just… loafs. Or he does whatever he wants to do. The book ends with an allusion to Larry having become a taxi driver in New York. Not because he is broke (he has an inheritance to live off), but rather because it would let him visit the libraries in the city. 

Maugham has, in this book, put into words exactly the way I personally feel about the “what will you do with your life” question. Though Larry gets treated by other characters in the book as though he has gone insane for simply stating that he does not want to work (or rather, does not want to have the sort of career that would make him rich or bring him prestige), he is never chastised by the author for his decisions. Reading the book helped me come to terms with the fact that maybe it is okay to not want to play by the rules of society, the rules that push people into jobs they don’t care for working for people they don’t like, all to fit some sort of image of what a man “must” be. There was, of course, the fact that I had kinda already made my choice. Or at least that’s what it seemed to me.

I never did get to loaf while I was in university and didn’t really think I get to do so after I was done either. After all, it would not be long after I graduated that I would land a job. This, of course, did not happen. A four-month wait followed by eight months of unemployment is what happened. There is an impression that people have about the unemployed, namely, that they are too lazy to get a job. Having been through the process, I no longer have that impression. Every hour of every day of my life in 2024 was absolutely consumed with trying to get a job. According to my spreadsheet (which I stopped updating sometime in December) I applied to 1347 jobs between May (when I got my work visa) and December, of which I heard back from 545, got 3 interviews and landed exactly no jobs. Around October, I started to suffer from vertigo from the stress, caused by not being able to live up to this standard of being employed. I did a lot of things but loafing was definitely not one of them.

Around the same time that the vertigo attacks started I was consumed by this strange desire to draw. Drawing, and making art in general, is one of those things that you get told to do in order to help you deal with stress (and trauma). Could it have simply been my body trying to make me do things that could help it? Perhaps. But it felt different from, say, wanting to not put pressure on the leg with the strained ankle. Not drawing or looking for things to draw felt more like the way one feels after an entire day of fasting or holding one’s breath. I had never been good at drawing, nor had I ever expressed an interest in wanting to learn to be good at drawing. It just was never something that ever registered in my mind. 

But there I was, in spring, obsessed with wanting, no, needing to draw.

This is where the quote comes in. I started reading another book by Maugham this week: The Moon and Sixpence. Near the end of the first act, this is what Charles Strickland, a stockbroker who has left his wife to go paint, says to Maugham when told that one needs to be, y’know, good at painting to cut it as a painter:

“I tell you I’ve got to paint. I cant help myself. When a man falls into the water it doesn’t matter how he swims, well or badly: he’s got to get out or he’ll drown.”

It doesn’t matter whether he swims well or badly: he’s got to get out or he’ll drown.

See when you have spent a good three years of your life (or your whole life if you want to look at it that way) trying to get to a certain end because you feels like it will keep you from drowning and it, of course, does not work out, you could be quite content in letting the water take you— or at least it would be easier to accept your fate. But when you have seen a way out, maybe a random pattern of thrashing your body did that momentarily lifted your head above water and you take your first breath for the first time in a long time, “I’m not a good swimmer I shouldn’t even try” just doesn’t cut it. You found a way to keep your head above water and it is only natural that you keep doing that. To give up when there is no way out is logically justifiable. To give up because social convention demands you ignore the way out is not.

But how do I reconcile this with the fact that I have invested so much time (and money) towards an end which brings me neither peace nor joy, and has, for my whole life, done the opposite, only bringing with it an immense amount of despair, stress, and guilt for having not achieved it? 

If I do go out and proclaim at 25 that I wish not to work a corporate job earning the big bucks and instead wish now to become an artist of sorts or to loaf, will I be seen as having had lost my mind, just as Maugham’s characters look at Larry Darrell or Charles Strickland? 

This is what I have spent all of the time thinking about since I read that quote. In this video Steve Huston says that the way he knows that teaching art and “bringing beauty into the world” is part of his purpose in life because of the joy he feels when making and teaching art. One feels joy when one performs his purpose in life. I have finally found something that brings me joy when I do it. Unfortunately, it is not the thing I went to school for. What do I do now? Do I embrace this purpose? Do I keep applying to corporate jobs because it is what I have worked towards? Or do I accept all of the rejected job applications as being a sign from the universe that this is not, in fact my purpose in life and that I am meant, despite my utter lack of skill at it, to be a sort of artist? 

These are questions I do not have an answer to— yet. I have been thinking about all of these things in some sort of abstract space for some time now. Reading that quote precipitated something. I hoped that putting it all into words would have helped me find the answer that would stop my mind from going in circles. I do not think it did that. But it has given me some questions I could try seeking an answer to. The answer, I think, is right in front of me. But I don’t think I have the courage to seek it yet, because it might prove my fears right. I might yet be termed insane. 

[eponymous-rose]

Wednesday!

Looking at my schedule, I figured I'd shower and have breakfast before the fitness class, then jump straight from there to work. Of course today turned out to be a really intense cardio day and I had to take a second shower and wound up sprinting a couple blocks to be able to actually catch the bus to work. Phew. Good exercise, though, and I made it to my office with five minutes to spare before my first meeting! I did wind up riding the bus with a grad student and an undergrad from our department (I love the anonymity of a decent-sized city, but unfortunately taking the bus to work around 9/9:30 at a job where something like 90% of employees don't drive to work is just inevitably gonna mean you run into people you know). We did the awkward "take off the headphones and say an enthusiastic hello but then neither replace the headphones nor keep up a conversation for the rest of the trip" thing. No staring dramatically out the window while listening to music for me. :( I get an e-mail from my first-year Master's student's coadvisor saying he'll be half an hour late to our meeting, but I don't mind vamping while he's gone.

Time to meet one-on-one with the faculty candidate! He asks some good questions and thankfully carries the conversation, since my brain is made of goop at this point. I think this one would be a great addition to the faculty (we're pretty spoiled for choice, though) - we'll see how the last bits of his interview go today! Two more candidates after him coming through - one tomorrow and Friday and another next week.

Next, prepping for class today - I have to switch around some deadlines and lectures to account for my "WHOOPS there's a holiday on Monday" error. I also send a message to a colleague about nominating a student for that leadership workshop. And, after yesterday's hundred unread messages, I pointedly make sure to clear my inbox before starting the lecture.

Lecture goes really well! I've basically made up for the mix-up earlier and caught up with my schedule. There is a continuing mystery regarding a laptop charger that appeared from the ether and has not been claimed in a while, so I send an e-mail to a student who was absent this week just in case it's his. I also get to chat with one of my students as I'm gathering stuff up after class - she's being flown out to visit UCLA tomorrow to interview for a PhD position! Exciting stuff, although we commiserate over how precarious grad student funding is right now (I also get an urgent message from our department chair re: contingency planning for grants vanishing and, aside from the overall frustration and anger, I am very glad I'm not hiring a grad student this year...).

Next up: a check-in with my fellow scientists on this wildfire project that's just getting started! After all that financial stuff earlier in the week, I'm just glad I finally don't have to slink in as the only one who didn't do my homework. I have the call in about 20 minutes, which isn't quite enough time to grab and enjoy a lunch, so alas, time to snack on some random peanuts I have lying around and envy my colleague the fully-stocked snack drawer she was telling me about yesterday. I also catch up on e-mail (I am determined to stay on top of it today!) and watch some silly videos on my phone because brain is goop. I've got a full hour (at least) after this call to grab a proper lunch, though!

The meeting mostly goes well, although none of us subcontractors can be paid yet because one of the federal agencies involved is freezing its funding and communications despite the EO being stopped by a judge... it's a whole mess. We're planning on things moving forward, but we do need to get paid so we can travel to the site at which we'll be deploying our experimental radars, and this kind of controlled burn doesn't come around often. We're all willing to be flexible on this and see what we can do about it in the meantime. One member of the team offers to send me some data and code from the proof-of-concept testing he's done with these radars so I can learn to work with them before we deploy (or if there's a delay...), which is SUPER kind and helpful, so we agree to set up a meeting soon to go over all of it. Just a lovely bunch of people on this project (there are five of us in our little sub-team). I hope we'll get to do it. One team member's sphinx cat wanders into frame, so the rest of the meeting is blessed by a small goblin, which bodes well.

Aha! Colleague agrees that the student I want to put forward for this leadership workshop is a good pick, so I decide to reach out to him and see if he's interested.

But first: lunch! To the coffee shop! I promise myself I'll cook a proper dinner tonight - I've been eating out too often and I have some great salmon and veggies to roast this evening.

Grants manager has pushed our deadline by three weeks as I requested yesterday. Yesssss. That's now a problem for future me (sorry, future me). I deal with some financial stuff and just unwind a bit (brain still goop! it's a goop-brain day!). I also send the leadership workshop info to the student I'd like to nominate - it's possible he has an internship in mind for this summer and wouldn't be interested, but it's worth a shot!

Great meeting with my first-year Master's student - we talk about this summer school program she's applying for and go over the four short essay-style questions she's working on. The deadline for this is Friday, but I offer quick turnaround on comments if she wants and provide her with a relevant grant proposal that a colleague and I wrote - it should have some tables with info she can use to answer those questions effectively. I also realize that she's missing some fundamental radar knowledge, so I send her the powerpoint slides for the radar lectures I use for the undergrads to get her quickly up to speed.

Up next: the chalk talk for the first faculty candidate of the week! He does a great job describing his research and politely declines a handshake at the end because, and I quote, "Oh my god, my hands have never been this sweaty," which gets a big laugh. We have a less formal exit interview afterwards, and he looks absolutely exhausted but is generally in good cheer throughout. Phew. Another interview down, two to go.

Inbox zeroed out! Time to head home and cook that salmon!

[loganwritesprobably]

One Piece Modern Parents AU

Luffy → Garp

Zoro → Mihawk

Nami → Bell-mere

Usopp → Kaya's parents

Sanji → Zeff

Chopper → Hiriluk

Robin → Crocodile

Franky → Tom

Brook and Jinbei are someone's family friends, everyone's uncles

Ace being raised by Shanks, asked by Rouge, and when Ace and Luffy become friends and then brothers at school, Luffy starts looking up to Shanks

Dragon works for some sort of public service and when he finds out about Sabo, helps him get out of his home and simply gives him to Garp or Shanks because Sabo is friends with Ace and Luffy

Robin was just found by Crocodile on the street after O'Hara was burned (rather than an island O'Hara was a block of apartments known to house PhD students) and he just kind of took her in

Hiriluk is old friends with Kureha and so she's auntie Kureha

After Bell-mere is killed in gang violence, her old friend Corazon takes in Nami and her sister, alongside Law who he's been looking after for a while by that point

Zoro's parents died young and when Mihawk heard from his old friend (Kuina's dad) that this young boy who trained so hard at the dojo was in foster care, Mihawk figured a second kid wouldn't hurt

Mihawk also cares for Perona, his "friend" Moria is prone to taking long trips and forgetting his daughter can't fend for herself so several years ago he just gave her a key so she could come over whenever she needed - Moria doesn't seem to have noticed

Yassop got into an injury at work that left him unfit to care for his son. When his best friend and crush's parents offered to care for Usopp for him while he recovered as best as he could, Yassop jumped at the chance. He visits regularly, which is how Usopp meets Luffy, long before they started school

Franky and Robin are a little older than the others, and have been friends for years now. Both were outcast by their peers. Much like canon, despite their age difference, Luffy simply decided they were his friends now. At first they were unsure, since Luffy and his friends were so young, but it turns out Crocodile knows Mihawk and Shanks and so she decides it's okay. It's only by chance that they hadn't met sooner, really

Sanji got into Zeff's care after running away. He was a retired private investigator so with the power of favours and connections, he managed to adopt Sanji. It was always in his plans to go back for the kid's siblings, eventually. But, without them admitting to any harm, he had little to go on.

Brook knew Shanks when they were younger. He'd admired Roger and found out one of his "kids" went to the same school as him. They became acquaintances, and over time friends. He met Ace after Rouge died, and became uncle Brook.

Jinbei knows Mihawk and Crocodile from work. He's a similar age to them, so serves in the uncle role much like Brook does. He's known Robin and Zoro since they were taken in, though never realised the kids hadn't met.

[irish-urn]

There are multiple reasons why the fandom tends to shit on Abby but the big one is internalized misogyny unfortunately.

If she was the man in this situation, he would be praised for being a great dad. He would be doing more than the bare minimum so therefore- amazing father.

As it stands, we have to speculate what happened between Abby and George as the show never goes into it. But here's what we know as objective fact as it's in canon:

Abby does weekly visits to see her children despite living (an hour? Two hours?) away in Toronto.

She regularly calls them.

The second Derek is having trouble in school she's there and tries to help (in fact, she wasn't even there for punishment, but actually just for a parent teacher conference. And while that's awesome and nice, it is not common for a non primary parent who lives over an hour away to show up for these kind of things.)

She spends holidays with them, or at the very least gives her children the option to spend holidays with her. If they choose to stay home, that's okay.

HER. AND. GEORGE. HAVE. A. GREAT. RELATIONSHIP. This is significant for obvious reasons. Even Derek said "Can't you two act like a normal divorced couple and hate each other?" From first glance, one might not see the significant between that and her being a good mom. But I think it gives us insight to their family life and the mutual love and respect that's there.

So, moving into speculation territory:

I think Abby had postpartum depression with Marti. I know you do too fr your fics, but let's just say for arguments sake, she didn't and she chose to be "selfish".

I think Derek may have been an accident. George would have been 24 at the time, and in law school. If we assume Abbys around the same age, a bachelor's degree would have been a starting point for most marine biologist positions, but especially those involving research or higher-level roles, require at least a master's degree, and many require a PHD. (I actually think in the episode where she shows up it talks about how she just got her PHD? So, nearly 18 years after she first started school, let that sink in.)

My point is, they were both in college.

But it was the late 80s, early 90s. You were supposed to have a husband and children and a dog and a white picket fence. Yes, there was a boom in the 80s of 'women can do it too!' but it was always have a career AND your family.

So I think Abby probably just thought, okay, this is happening sooner than expected, but I can make this work because this was always the plan (we can also talk about Casey going through something similar in LWL 👀 maybe they bonded over that)

But, as what happens when you try to do it all– it's hard. It's really fucking hard. And George doesn't have the opinion of being a stay at home dad either.

I think Abby's career probably was put on a hold. And I think that ate away at her until she couldn't do it anymore.

Now. Does that justify leaving? Not really. It's not justifiable for a man or a woman. When you make the decision to have a kid(s) they need to come first. There's no if ands or buts about it. I'm definitely not trying to perpetuate that horrible narrative that women have to lose their identities when they become a mom and just be– mom, but your children need to come first for the mom AND dad (looking at you Dennis)

But. That puts us in a tricky situation where we have to choose the lesser of the two evils. Abby staying, being miserable, flushing her career down the toilet and having all these student loans for nothing, not to mention, she obviously VERY GOOD at her job, they wouldn't have offered her a job on another continent if she wasn't. Instead, being a stay at home mom (there's nothing wrong with that if that's whst you want, but Abby clearly didn't), or some sort of low level dead end job that she could try to get with the degree that she had– it probably would have led to resentment. Not only for George, but for her kids too.

OR, she does what she loves, her DREAM job, and she makes sure to stay as active as possible in her children's life. Who has a great relationship with a man who loves his children and is willing and able to take full custody.

Which is worse?

So it drives me insane that the fandom acts like she's some horrible mother when her have a perfect example of a man doing the exact same thing (Dennis) and doesn't put in half the effort Abby does. Dennis, who moved to another country as soon as the divorce was finalized. Whereas with Abby, she didn't even consider the job at first because she couldn't imagine being that far away from her kids. (Actual canon, not speculation) also, everyone acts like she'll be gone forever when that's very unlikely. She probably did move back to Ontario eventually.

It's internalized misogyny. That simple.

So: I don't have a lot to add to this because I think you nailed ALL OF IT right on the head. But yes, I do HC that Abby had PPD — and if that was one of the reasons she ultimately chose to pursue her career, that doesn't make her a bad person. That makes her a person with really difficult choices to make.

(I also HC that in the LWL canon, Casey had PPD with Kai, not that I have anything to support that. I think we call that a heart-canon? I believe it, so it must be real?)

I also strongly believe that Derek was not a planned baby, mostly for the reasons you list. There's also something about George's personality and the way he interacts with Derek compared to how he's more of a father to Edwin and Marti that... I dunno. I don't have the words for it, but I just feel it.

But yeah: Abby is far cooler than the majority of fandom gives her credit for; Dennis is an ass; divorce, blended families, and adulthood is messy and complicated; and it's February and snow has been falling for 4 days in a row.