#still counts cos it's still school related

[melancholyofautvmn]

panit yg kerja shift cuma setengah jam tapi paling draining... 😔

[raven-at-the-writing-desk]

food likes and dislikes + why

Consider this part of the Twisted Wonderland food lore series, I guess? Part 1 and part 2 focus on compiling food culture and related world lore; I will keep adding to them as new information is released. This part expands on the reasons for why each character likes and dislikes the food that they do. Please note: THIS DOES NOT COVER ALL CHARACTERS, only the characters we have official profiles for! The staff do not have least favorite foods listed + other characters like Neige and Che'nya lack profiles, so they are not addressed here.

Additionally, the reasoning behind some likes/dislikes are speculation or implied rather than outright stated as canon. I will indicate when these instances crop up.

Riddle

Favorite: strawberry tarts

Riddle has been fascinated with strawberry tarts since he was a child, as he would see them in the window of the local cake shop. He lovingly describes the bright-red fruit on them as "[shining] at [him] like forbidden jewels", as his mother would liken the sugar content in sweets and pastries to poison.

He tastes his first strawberry tart after meeting Trey and Che'nya. Trey is the one who offers him a slice from his family's bakery. Riddle is entranced by its look and taste. "A bright-red strawberry tart on a white plate. To me, it shined more brightly than any gem could. That first bite was so sweet. It tasted like nothing I'd ever eaten before. With each bite, I became more entranced..."

SPECULATION: The implication, as I read it, is that strawberry tarts fulfill a desire he has long since had but has seldom acknowledged. They are also tied to the positive experience of the intimacy and the first friends Riddle ever made, as well as a symbol of his own agency.

He seems to regularly offer and eat cakes and other sweets at unbirthday parties, as they are a must-have at these events. Other foods he intakes typically adhere to the rules of the Queen of Hearts, even if he has different preferences (such as preferring honey to sugar cubes for his tea, and preferring milk tea over lemon tea).

Riddle thinks that food must be nutritious. He calculates what he eats and ensures that he makes up for any deficits at the NRC cafeteria's buffet.

SPECULATION: His idea that food must be nutritious may come from seeing food as fuel for the brain. It's something he may have picked up from his mother, who is seen giving him food that will (according to her) help his developing cognitive functions.

Least Favorite: junk food

SPECULATION: While we aren't given an explicit reason for Riddle's stance on junk food, it's implied that his mother ingrained in him a sense of which foods and amounts are "right" and 'wrong" to have. He likely still takes her teachings to heart.

Riddle tried fast food for the first time at age 17 and declared that he doesn’t like it and won’t have it again. This supports the idea that he has avoided this kind of food for a long time—again, something instilled in him by his mother.

He tends to get the daily special at the NRC cafeteria not because he likes them but because it’s easier him to calorie count that way.

Trey

Favorite: candied violets

Trey started eating candied violets before he started elementary school. He was so impressed by the concept of edible flowers that he went around trying to eat flowers and weeds he found in the wild.

Trey states that he loves how the flower's aroma overtakes his senses and makes him feel as though he's lying in a bed of violets. He cites this as being the "real appeal" to him.

Trey also says that he gets bad cravings for candied violets and would even snack on his parents' stash (which they prepared for their bakery's cakes). This however did not stop Trey, so it led to his parents setting aside some candied violets specifically for him. In fact, they still send care packages to NRC which contain candied violets. Trey snacks on them on study breaks.

He suggests using candied violets as a sugar substitute. It changes the color of the milk, and he finds that interesting.

Trey also enjoys the NRC cafeteria’s hamburger steaks. He says they’re so good he could eat them every day. He also eats many sweets made with pie dough.

Trey thinks it is important to have foods that require chewing. This is because chewing is important to maintain the health of one's jaw and teeth.

Least Favorite: mustard

Che’nya and Trey played Russian Roulette with six cream puffs. Five had regular cream filling and one had mustard.

Trey had bad luck and ended up biting into the one cream puff with mustard inside. There was no water to wash down the flavor, and Che’nya was of no help because he was laughing too hard at his friend’s demise. Trey reports that he “seriously almost cried”. It is this bad experience that bred his dislike of mustard.

Cater

Favorite: spicy ramen

Cater says that a "capsaicin kick" from spicy food "lights a fire under [him] when [he's] feeling out of it" or feeling down in the dumps.

Additionally, ramen pics are "GREAT for [social media] engagement". He usually places a lot of importance on a dish's appearance when judging it.

SPECULATION: Our body interprets spiciness not as a flavor, but as a pain reaction. Knowing that Cater is secretly very gloomy and sad, he may eat spicy food as a way to just “feel something”.

Least Favorite: anything sweet

When Cater was 10 years old, his mother and two older sisters were into making sweets. Back then, Cater was actually excited for extra desserts. However, they continued to make more sweets every single day. It got to a point where Cater started to have a hard time eating them.

According to Cater, his sisters in particular made things worse. They would pile more sweets onto his plate and tell him there's plenty more where that came from. If Cater said he didn't want any, his sisters would give him puppy dog eyes and he would relent. This would ruin Cater's taste for anything even remotely sweet.

He loves visiting cafes, but the most photogenic items tend to be desserts. Cater has the dilemma where he will order something cute but then can't eat it because of his aversion to sweetness. (The problem is solved if he invites someone to come with to be his human garbage disposal.)

Trey is, so far, the only person who has been able to immediately sus out that Cater doesn't like sweets. Cater usually has to dance around this fact about himself and find roundabout ways to avoid eating sweets (such as suggesting to Trey that he show us UM to the first years so Cater can avoid tasting a sweet chestnut tart).

Ace

Favorite: cherry pie

Ace says cherries are his favorite fruit. There is no further explanation given for why cherry pies in particular are his favorite.

He prefers fresh fruit in his pies as opposed to the “canned stuff”. Ace finds the flavor to be a lot more robust in the former. He also likes his cherries "nice and tart".

SPECULATION: The meta reason for Ace's favorite food may be because the Drink Me potion from Alice in Wonderland is said to taste like "cherry tart, custard, pineapple, roast turkey, toffee, and hot buttered toast". The "tart" was probably changed to "pie" to help differentiate Ace's favorite food from Riddle's favorite food (which also involves a red fruit in a crust).

Least Favorite: raw oysters

When he was a kid, Ace read a book that involved oysters. He can't stand raw oysters because they remind him of that story.

SPECULATION: This is likely a reference to the story of "The Walrus and the Carpenter", which involves a walrus tricking and eating sentient baby oysters in Disney's Alice in Wonderland. It probably traumatized kid!Ace xnsbdkwbiwcnks

Deuce

Favorite: anything with eggs

Deuce comes from a single parent household, so their budget is usually tight. Eggs, being a cheap staple food, was something his mom often prepared for him. They are also simple and versatile enough for even his mom and himself to learn how to cook a variety of ways.

Deuce remarks that he likes his omelets "extra fluffy". It's how he always orders it at the NRC cafeteria.

Least Favorite: pepper (ie the more bitter green ones; JP)/bell peppers (ie red/yellow ones EN)

No matter how small they're chopped, Deuce has never been able to eat (bell) peppers. He says the flavor and the smell are too overpowering for him.

SPECULATION: Pepper is a commonly disliked food among young children in Japan. It’s similar to how broccoli is disliked by children in the west. The implication may be that Deuce is still immature like a little kid that hates peppers.

Leona

Favorite: meat

The only reason Leona provides is pretty vague; he says he needs the protein so he can perform to the best of his abilities in magical shift/spelldrive.

Least Favorite: vegetables

He claims that if a carnivore is eating greens, then it's sick. Therefore, there is "no reason" for him to eat any. He's perfectly healthy!

SPECULATION: Given that Leona also refers to others as "herbivore" in a derogatory sense, it's possible that he views those who eat plants as weaker than him. He, with the DNA of a carnivore, is technically "above" them in the food chain and doesn't deign to "lower" himself to their status by eating vegetables. This implies that a lot of his tastes essentially boil down to "I'm a lion, lions don't eat vegetables (heavy sarcasm)."

Ruggie

Favorite: donuts

Ruggie's family struggled to put food on the table, so they couldn't afford birthday cakes. Instead, Granny Bucchi would make simple donuts for him. He loves the warm and fluffy insides and crispy outsides.

Once Ruggie started earning income through various part-time jobs, they could afford ingredients to make fancier donuts with different toppings such as chocolate dip and almonds. Even though Ruggie can now afford to get himself a birthday cake, he still craves his grandma's homemade donuts.

Least Favorite: anything rotten

When Ruggie was younger, he got a nasty stomachache from eating old bone-in steak. He learned from that experience that if food rots, it's ruined and he can't shouldn't eat it for his health and safety.

He will basically eat anything as long as it isn't rotten though. This includes bones, as hyenas have strong jaws and are able to munch on them.

Jack

Favorite: pear compote

The pear is Jack's preferred fruit. He specifically likes compote because it is sweet. Jack says that a good compote will help melt exhaustion and restore lost carbohydrates after a workout.

Least Favorite: green onions

While Jack does not comment on green onions in particular, it is implied that he does not care for them because they are smelly. He comments that the cafeteria's soup has too many onions in it and that it messes with his sense of smell. Being a wolf beastman, his senses are heightened, so he is sensitive to smells.

Azul

Favorite: fried chicken (EN)/kaarage (JP)

No special reason is given in-game. Azul enjoys fried chicken but does not allow himself to eat it often as he is aware of how unhealthy it is.

He has tried many recipe substitutions to make his favorite food healthier for his consumption, but the flavor and texture always fall short of the real thing. Some methods he has already tried include using cooking methods other than deep-frying and using soy beans instead of meat.

SPECULATION: It can be inferred that fried chicken is a favorite of Azul's since childhood, and something that his mother served him in high amounts during celebrations. This may be led to his overweightness as a child, something which he holds a lot of lingering insecurities about.

Least Favorite: healthy foods (EN)/nutritionally balanced meals (JP)

Azul recalls a period of his life when he would eat mostly health food since it is an easy way to count calories. After a while, he began to dislike health food for this very reason.

Jade

Favorite: octopus carpaccio

No special reason is given in-game.

SPECULATION: The meta reason for this being Jade's favorite food is likely because moray eels (which the twins are) eat octopus. Carpaccio is a dish that is served raw, just like how real moral eats consume octopus.

Jade also enjoys tea; he brews his own blends using plants he collects while on hikes. He tends to do with same with mushrooms.

Least Favorite: conger eel

Jade says that he dislikes conger (saltwater) eels because "the texture simply does not live up to [his] tastes".

Floyd

Favorite: takoyaki

Floyd likes to put unusual stuff inside takoyaki instead of the typical octopus filling. It keeps him from getting bored. Fillings he has tried before include cheese, shrimp, sausage, oysters, tomato, broccoli, strawberries, whipped cream, chocolate, anchovies, potato salad, and konjac.

He gets a real kick out of seeing who can make the worst tasting takoyaki. No matter how bad the odd fillings taste, Floyd eats every last one. He doesn't want to get told off by Azul for wasting food.

He has plenty of practice flipping takoyaki in the pan, so it isn't difficult for him.

Floyd likes candies, though his tastes change depending on the day. He enjoys peppermint candies, a week ago, it was melon soda-flavored gummies. Yesterday, it was almond biscotti. He says he tends to go for textures over flavors, but unusual candy flavors are cool too.

Floyd says he likes "stuff you can only eat on land."

Least Favorite: shiitake mushrooms

Jade puts shiitake mushrooms in "pretty much anything". Because of this, just seeing a shiitake mushroom pisses Floyd off.

Kalim

Favorite: coconut juice

There is no clear in-game reason provided. However, Kalim likes coconut juice to the point where it's not unusual for him to order 100 coconuts from a fruit vendor in Silk City.

SPECULATION: Aside from being a refreshing beverage, coconut juice has historically been used to reverse the effects of poisons and drug overdoses in both India and Africa. We know that Kalim has had multiple attempts on his life, including intentional poisoning of his food, so this may be why Kalim has acquired a taste for coconut juice.

Least Favorite: curry

Kalim's dislike of curry originates from an incident in which Jamil, his dedicated food tester, fell into a two week-long coma after tasting poisoned curry intended for Kalim. He has not been able to stomach curry since.

Jamil

Favorite: curry

Despite going through a traumatic experience with curry, it remains Jamil's favorite food. It hasn't really deterred him.

He usually cooks his own food rather than eating in the cafeteria. It’s just easier for him since he is already typically cooking food for Kalim anyway.

SPECULATION: Jamil expresses interest in sampling curries from all over Twisted Wonderland, as it is different in every country. Therefore, curry may be a dish that Jamil sees as "international" and sates his yet-to-be-achieved desire of being free to travel and see the world.

He doesn't care how food looks (except when people criticize how plain and brown his own cooking is); he states that what is most important is flavor.

Least Favorite: dates

Jamil used to love eating dates as a child. One day, the dates he had bought from a fruit stall had a bug on them. He freaked out and set off a spell, setting the fruit stall on fire. Jamil has not been able to eat dates since finding that bug on them.

Vil

Favorite: homemade smoothies

Vil likes the customizability of homemade smoothies, especially seeing as he is a model and actor who has to watch his figure. Green smoothies are particularly appealing since they can be chock-full of nutritious fruits and vegetables. It's also easy to alter the flavor to your liking.

Least Favorite: mayonnaise

Vil used to have mayonnaise on his salad when he was younger. This was done almost on a daily basis. He got three pimples from this diet, which were painful and not photogenic for a child star. Vil eventually learned that mayonnaise "doesn't agree with [his] skin". Now he usually takes his salads with salt, olive oil, or vinegar.

He doesn't mind the flavor or the texture of mayonnaise. If he is given mayo in a meal, he won't let it go to waste. He just does not enjoy eating it because of the pimple trauma.

Rook

Favorite: liver pâté

Rook describes it as "a delicacy" that is "both rustic AND refined at the same time". He says he was first captivated by its smooth and creamy texture that melts on your tongue. Rook attributes the appeal of the dish as being dependent on its freshness, so he enjoys it only on rare occasions.

Least Favorite: garlic

He calls his dislike of garlic a "professional aversion". Garlic is smelly and tends to linger after consumption, so Rook worries that the aroma will alert others (whether wild animals or other people) to his presence. He wants to be able to blend in with his surroundings!

Epel

Favorite: yakiniku (JP)/grilled meats (EN), macarons

Epel loves grilled meats because he has fond memories of it from Harveston. His family and neighbors would arrange gatherings where they take big hunks of meat and grill them on a charcoal fire. He admits that it's not fancy, but it makes for a "mighty fine meal". Epel also loves the fresh veggies that you eat with the meat; they have a natural sweetness to them. The veggies can be eaten straight off the grill without sauce and still be perfectly tasty.

Epel says he likes macarons "more" than even grilled meats, but this information is pretty dubious since we learn in his Ceremonial Robes vignettes that Vil seems to have instructed him to make this claim. It's sliiightly confusing because Azul seems to believe Epel does like macarons and questions if his sources were wrong when Epel looks surprised that he knows that (which seems to contradict the idea that Vil told him to lie about his tastes).

When asked why he likes macarons, Epel responds with, "They're... cute. And sweet! And they come in lots of different flavors. They're not very filling, but still." He makes a similar comment about macarons not being very filling in Glorious Masquerade.

Least Favorite: nashi pear (JP)/apple pear (EN)

Epel says that while the flavor of nashi pears is not bad, he dislikes them because "they're jist pretendin' ta look like apples"! Indeed, if you google "nashi pear", you'll see that they visually resemble apples.

In Port Fest, he and Jack get into an argument over what would be a better topping: apples or pears?

Idia

Favorite: sweets (ie candies; JP)/snacks (EN)

Idia says that he likes snack foods and candies because they're easy to eat while gaming. He particularly likes brightly colored candies like gummy worms.

He also says that he loves DIY candy kits, where you can make your own cute little sweet treats using water and powder packets. "It turns snack time into a game! It's easy to get totally absorbed, too." Idia likes the idea of being able to change the color and shape of the snacks himself. He insists (unprompted) that these DIY candy kits are NOT just for kids.

Idia mainly eats junk food in general, as well as "efficient" foods like jellies, powders you dissolve in water, commercial snacks, and instant noodles. This causes his peers to worry about his health.

SPECULATION: This is just a funny thought I had while reading Idia's dialogue, but I wonder if he would also pull out the L (Death Note) style explanation of "I'm a genius, so I use a lot of brain power! So the logic follows that I should eat a lot of carbohydrates/sugar to refuel."

Least Favorite: raw fish

Idia dislikes raw fish because "it stinks, it's lukewarm, it's all slimy and clingy and sticky..."

Another large part of why Idia dislikes dish is because "real" food like that requires proper tableware to eat. He thinks this just adds "pointless busywork" to meals (and has a similar attitude when it comes to cooking). "Who cares how you get nutrients, as long as you get them? Just eat an energy bar with vitamins and minerals! Bam, EZ."

Idia has also indicated that he is averse to rich foods (juicy meat, thick sauce, large portion sizes) like hamburger steaks, saying that thinking about it gives him indigestion.

Ortho

Favorite: nothing

Least Favorite: nothing

Ortho does not require nutrients to live, being that he is a technomantic humanoid. He is, however, capable of taking pictures of food and analyzing ingredient makeup.

Idia has made an Oral-Energy-Intake Gear, which allows Ortho to eat food like everyone else. It's not clear what happens to the food Ortho eats though.

Malleus

Favorite: ice-cream

Malleus likes frozen desserts! When he breathes fire, the inside of his mouth gets very hot. Eating something cold like ice-cream helps to cool the temperature of his mouth--and this temperature contrast helps to enhance the flavor of the ice-cream.

Malleus shares an instance when he had frozen a castle and some servants in a tantrum; Lilia was able to salvage the situation by using his magearm and flavored syrups to make shaved ice, which he shared with everyone. He then used this opportunity to teach Malleus to use his powers wisely. This isn’t ice-cream, but it’s still another positive memory Malleus has related to cold desserts.

He likes to try different varieties of frozen treats and compare their flavors and appearances. Malleus doesn't seem to understand all the different nuances though. For example, he has a popsicle stick that declared that he had won something, but didn't know he was supposed to claim a prize. He does, however, understand that it is highly valuable and has it stored somewhere. He plans on bringing it home to Briar Valley when he graduated.

Least Favorite: whole/full-sized cakes

He doesn't have anything against sweets, but rather directs his ire at excess. Malleus never has people to share cakes with, so he ends up trying to eat the whole thing by himself on special occasions. He never finishes them in a single sitting and says they give him heartburn.

Malleus says he may see whole cakes in a better light once he has company to split them with.

Lilia

Favorite: tomato juice

There's not a lot in the way of the tomato juice lore. The best we've got is Lilia remarking that he has recently been into drinking and comparing different tomato juices. He claims the tastes and textures can be very different.

Lilia is also fond of berry juice, which he says is a specialty of Briar Valley. He encourages the guests at his farewell party to indulge in it.

SPECULATION: Some fans headcanon that Lilia likes drinking tomato juice because it resembles blood, and Lilia behaves in very bat-like ways. This could be the specialized traits of his species of fae.

My personal speculation is maybe the reasoning is similar to what is typically given for Jamil's love of curry; Lilia is someone who is worldly and well-traveled, so maybe he just likes tasting the local produce in an easy-to-go-down way.

Least Favorite: marshmallows

Lilia does not like the taste. Additionally, he thinks it's boring that, despite how bulky they are, they disappear as soon as you put them into your mouth. He feels like he's eating air!

Silver

Favorite: mushroom risotto

Silver says that risotto was the first dish he ever cooked himself. He likes the simplicity of it.

SPECULATION: Silver may have a preference for mushroom risotto because it includes an ingredient that is easily foraged in the forest (well, granted you can tell which are edible). Recall that he spent most of his days there and had to take care of himself for unspecified stretches of time when Lilia was off on his travels. Simplicity and ease of access was a big deciding factor in what Silver prepared for himself.

Least Favorite: Lilia’s cooking

… Does this even NEED an explanation? We all know how bad Lilia’s cooking is, and poor Silver somehow grew up on it 😭

What is sort of sweet is that Silver tries to convince himself to get over the poor quality of Lilia’s food by saying that what matters the most is sharing that time with loved ones.

Sebek

Favorite: salmon carpaccio

Sebek has a memory of going fishing at the lake by his grandfather's house with his older brother and sister. His siblings helped Sebek pull a large salmon out and then prepared carpaccio from it to serve for dinner. He loved seeing how delighted his parents and grandpa were to see it at the table. His grandpa even smiled, an occurrence which Sebek notes is rare. Now when he has salmon carpaccio, it reminds him of home.

Sebek says he could have salmon carpaccio for three meals a day and still never get tired of it. Keep in mind that Sebek also has a large appetite (claiming that eating three helpings for one meal is eating light), so that's a LOT of salmon carpaccio.

He denounces the cafeteria bread, deeming it not filling enough. He does the same of nuts and berries, although he admits they are nutrient dense. Sebek would prefer to have meat.

Least Favorite: black coffee

He cannot so much as tolerate a mouthful of "that muck" because of its bitterness. Indeed, we see how poorly he takes down black coffee when he mixes his order and Malleus's up in Glorious Masquerade.

Sebek is resentful that Silver can drink many cups of black coffee (to keep awake) and that his fellow knight shares a freshly brewed pot with their liege. "IT REALLY GRINDS. MY GEARS."

People have advised Sebek to sweeten his coffee with cream or sugar. He adamantly refuses to do this, since he believes that's something only children would do. "It's mortifying!" Furthermore, Sebek hates the thought of being the "odd one out" taking his coffee differently. "I refuse to let Silver outshine me in a matter so trivial!"

Sebek has been working tirelessly to train himself to tolerate coffee, since he wants to be able to share the same experience with Malleus. Now he is able to take one splash of coffee in his milk.

It should also be noted that Sebek used to dislike vegetables that were very bitter, so it seems that he has an aversion to bitterness in general. He has conquered bitter vegetables and is smug about surpassing that challenge.

He is able to stomach food that tastes bad if he is told it is good for him/training. For example, Lilia has suggested eating red meat, fermented beans, and yogurt as a workout meal, which Sebek happily consumes.

SPECULATION: ... This gives the vibes of a child who is still immature so they hate taking down bitter things. I guess it suits Sebek's "I wanna grow up fast!" behavior.

Grim

Favorite: canned tuna

... Look at him. Is he not peak cat? 🤡

SPECULATION: I'd imagine that Grim developed a taste for canned tuna in part because that's most of what he eats on Ramshackle's measly budget. They likely cannot afford fresh fish or other extravagant meals.

Least Favorite: nothing

LISTEN. Grim literally eats ROCKS. Plus, he literally snatches others' food and is eager to try foods and started his own club that revolves around food!! I don't think there's anything he won't consider shoving into his mouth.

Crowley

Favorite: wild game

Crowley describes himself as an avid connoisseur of meat and will eat any meat: beef, pork, chicken, and wild game (also called gibier). He encourages the other staff members to sample new meats when they can.

He claims to "prefer treats with subtler flavors rather than overpowering ones."

Crowley also appears to like mangos. He was excited to try the mango juice of the southern country that he vacationed to in book 4. Crowley also brought back mango souvenirs for the staff, including a sweet and sour mango tea for Trein. He reminisces about the sweet mangos he enjoyed and the sunny beach he was on back then. Crowley likes black tea as well!

SPECULATION: Crowley probably likes wild game because he is twisted from a crow or a raven of some kind. Those birds are known to scavenge the meat of various dead animals (carrion).

Least Favorite: unknown

While we don’t have a confirmation for what Crowley’s least favorite food is, he doesn’t seem to like spicy foods—or, at least, he does not tolerate spice well. He complains about the tomato stew at the cafeteria causing him to sweat and cry at the same time. Crowley is also hesitant to sample Scarabian cuisine since he has heard that their food is liberally spiced.

Crewel

Favorite: raisin butter

Crewel says that raisin butter pairs well with adult beverages. He finds the aftertaste of raisin butter excellent and enjoys its appearance too--its spotted look reminds him of dalmatians.

SPECULATION: It’s notable that raisins, which are in Crewel’s favorite food, are deadly to dogs. This is ironic, because we know that Crewel is an avid lover of canines—but the character he is twisted from, Cruella de Vil, loathes dogs and is rumored to skin them for fur coats.

Crewel indicates that he enjoys tea; he brews his own blends and frequents a specialty coffee stall in the Foothill Town for its tea. He has known the owner since he was a student and pals around with him.

He also says he likes meat pies, but tries to keep portion control in mind.

Least Favorite: unknown

Sam

Favorite: chicken gumbo

SPECULATION: As far as I'm aware (and believe me, I looked everywhere I could), there's no given in-game explanation for why this is Sam's favorite. The best I've got is that chicken gumbo is a regional dish from New Orleans, the region from which The Princess and the Frog is inspired by.

Least Favorite: unknown

Trein

Favorite: vichyssoise

Trein finds the texture of the vichyssoise served by the NRC cafeteria smooth and pleasant. The students don't have the same appreciation for it; Trein says that he is the only one that ever orders the dish.

SPECULATION: Like Sam, Trein is not provided with a clear reason why he favors vichyssoise. But!! If we think about the composition of the dish, it's made with very cheap and accessible ingredients--even a peasant could afford them. Vichyssoise, then, could be representative of the story of Cinderella, where a kind-hearted girl's beauty was able to shine even when she was covered in cinders. The beauty of even simple vegetables is able to shine in vichyssoise!

He tries to go for foods and portions that won't weigh his stomach down.

Least Favorite: unknown

Vargas

Favorite: raw eggs

Vargas reports eating large amounts of raw eggs (roughly 60 for a single meal). He was told by the cafeteria ghosts that it would be troublesome if he ate so many of their eggs every time he dines there, so he has since started to bring his own eggs.

Sam tries to avoid stocking perishables, but the one exception is eggs. That's because Vargas always buys his entire stock.

SPECULATION: A meta reason for why Vargas eats an absurd amount of raw eggs is that this is a clear reference to Gaston from Beauty and the Beast. In his villain song, Gaston says he eats 5 dozen eggs, which is exactly 60--the same amount that Vargas eats. He needs a lot of protein to maintain his muscles!

Least Favorite: unknown

Rollo

Favorite: grapes

Rollo eats the same lunch 365 days a year, and prefers to take it in an area away from others. (Presumably, he does the same with his other meals.) This lunch consists of 2 croissants, a cup of café au lait (coffee with milk), and exactly 16 grapes.

He says that, with a strict routine like this, he can forgo unnecessary desires. Rollo finds it refreshing and recommends that others try it. The exception seems to be special occasions; he says he has an extra croissant on those days.

SPECULATION: No canon reason is given for why Rollo loves grapes (many fans actually thought croissants were his favorite before his SSR came out). What I believe is that Rollo likes grapes because they're easy to count and limit one's consumption of (because of how small they are). It fits perfectly into his stringent life.

Least Favorite: savarin

SPECULATION: Again, no canon reason is given. If I had to speculate based on what I know of him and how he takes his meals, then... I'd wager he doesn't like savarin because of how overly indulgent it is. It's a ring-shaped cake soaked in flavored syrup and then topped with cream and various fruits. For someone who regularly has bread and one type of fruit (grapes) for his meals, savarin is basically a sin.

Fellow

Favorite: apples

SPECULATION: This may be a reference to his character inspiration, Honest John. In the scene where he meets Pinocchio, he steals the apple Pinocchio is carrying and eats it. Notably, Playful Land also offers apple-flavored items.

Least Favorite: potatoes

SPECULATION: Potatoes are a very starchy (and thus filling) and easy to raise staple crop. I believe the implication here is that Fellow had to eat so many potatoes when he was low on other foods that he eventually became sick of them.

[buddierecs]

infidelity buddie fics

this list has different rated fics, so please look at the rating make sure to kudos/comment on these amazing works :) (also i don't condone cheating/infidelity, but i am eating these fics up oops.)

three strikes and you're out by: eightpackdiaz "buck's soon-to-be-ex-boyfriend chooses to ignore him every time the kiss cam points in their direction. eddie does the opposite" word count: 3.1k rating: teen and up important tags: cheating, tommy kinard bashing, kiss cam, jealous!eddie diaz, first kiss, getting together i slept with someone from 118 and all i got was a broken nose (eddie diaz can't relate) by: sterrenhemel ".....still, he punches tommy square in the fucking nose." word count: 4.4k rating: general audience important tags: non-graphic violence, cheating, protective!eddie diaz, tommy kinard bashing, chronic pain, getting together, first kiss counting pulses by: tinydancerr "eddie diaz’s life is going great. he’s in therapy, he’s got a great girlfriend, a great kid, his friend is getting married to the woman of his dreams, and his best friend just came out to him. now his best friend is dating their new friend. things are going great. he promises." word count: 63k rating: teen and up important tags: eddie diaz centric, catholic guilt, ocd, co-parenting, emotional infidelity, therapy, slow burn, jealous!eddie diaz something touched me (like a knife-blade) by: kithmet "eddie self-implodes. christopher, seeking refuge, flees to buck—whose priorities amount to, in varying order: take in the kid, get eddie to talk to him, and keep the three of them afloat in the process. (oh, and tommy’s there too. he thinks.)" word count: 42k rating: explicit important tags: co-parenting, emotional infidelity, possessive behaviour, sexuality crisis, mutual pining, getting together, anal sex, masturbation what if i can't have us by: woodchoc_magnum "in which eddie is dating marisol; buck's dating tommy, and eddie has feelings about that, which he simply does. not. understand." word count: 47k rating: explicit important tags: emotional infidelity, mutual pining, catholic guilt, getting together, team as family, eventual smut oopsie daisy (never knew that was your boo, baby) by: ameliahart "five times Buck cheats on Tommy with Eddie, and one time he doesn't." word count: 5.4k rating: explicit important tags: 5+1 things, cheating, sneaking around, sexting, blow jobs, anal sex, getting together mixed messages by: coldbam "eddie accidentally receives a text meant for buck's boyfriend." word count: 2.6k rating: explicit important tags: cheating, phone sex, sexting, getting together, love confessions how could you not know (all this time) by: deadsapphicssociety "in which the 118 holds a movie night for chris's school, buck's boyfriend is a flaky loser, bobby knows too much, and eddie suffers. greatly." word count: 5.7k rating: mature important tags: cheating, pining, making out, hand holding, frottage, tommy kinard bashing nothing wrong with me loving you by: cranberrymoons "buck and eddie watch red white and royal blue together; one thing leads to another (aka: the sexting fic)" word count: 4.4k rating: explicit important tags: cheating, sexing, dick pics, masturbation, praise kink, dirty talk, dom/sub undertones no place like by: clytemnestra "buck and eddie and the many paths home." word count: 51k rating: explicit important tags: cheating, angst, hurt/comfort, mental health issues, getting together, love confessions drink up (you're wasted on me) by: okanus "eddie and buck hook up at the bachelor party. difficulties ensue." word count: 9.5k rating: explicit important tags: cheating, flirting, sexual tension, drunk sex, hand jobs, possessive!eddie diaz, jealous!eddie diaz, praise kink mask over my eyes and arrow through the heart by: youbetsya "buck is getting married. he is." word count: 35k rating: explicit important tags: emotional infidelity, angst, idiots in love, coming out, jealous!eddie diaz, hand jobs, blow jobs, come eating

[jorblesandco]

Bunny commentary

Bunny only became a full-on asshole after he was excluded and figured out they killed a guy - obvious

Bunny and Henry matching glasses,,,,, besties

TSH is written after Bunny's murder and richard's characterization of him is most likely an attempt at justification

of the greek class, the only one outsiders seem to like Is bunny (and richard but he was an outsider first so he doesn't count as much)

the dog (the greyhound charles rescued) liked Bunny and went on his sunday hikes with him and richard,

he is extremely fond of henry and it shows when he talks about him - perhaps henry is his only real friend in the greek class, the others tolerated for the benefit of henry, and their friendship seems to be that of familiar bickering but obviously takes a turn after bunny is excluded and finds out he(and co) murdered a guy in the woods

one thing i am desperate to know is whether it was henry or bunny who laughed at the end of chapter two . it could be either because it haunts him . but also it could be henry because richard (and francis, for that matter) are both at one point haunted by henry after his death . and bunny was the only person who could make henry laugh . which one of them laughed . maybe both? why does it haunt richard .

bunny writing richard an awkward apology and wrapping it around a paperback of poems and a box of junior mints,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, :(

Bunny woke everybody in the country house up at like 5 in the morning the first time it snowed by running around and jumping on their beds screaming "first snow! first snow!"

he is a good artist . mentioned that he drew himself and henry as little cartoons in roman togas with their matching eyeglasses on a postcard he sent to richard

look . i am just saying that if i found out my friends murdered somebody and they didnt even bother to tell me i probably wouldve blackmailed them too . not bunny's fault they all went along with it . of course i have a better personality than bunny but that is neither here nor there

finding quite a bit of evidence that bunny's parents were neglectful while still keeping up their rich happy family persona . bunny not reading until he was 10 is one of them, but that could also be the dyslexia, but also if his parents put in any effort apart from sending him off to learning disability schools i am fairly certain bunny would've been reading sooner . this is because i did not have a proper reading level until i was about 7/8 maybe even 9 either and it was largely because my parents weren't reading with me . that age is when i switched schools and they started teaching me phonics

he was wearing hand me down almost threadbare too short tweed most of the time . "…the shapeless, tweedy rags he generally wore…"

bunny only knows one card game (go fish)

bunnys reaction to finding out his best friend 1.) called him an annoying rabbit in his diary and 2.) murdered a man was mostly reasonable . he was angry at being excluded , angry that henry, his Best Friend, didn't tell him about it . really i think if henry had just told bunny about it this might have been avoided . all he wanted was to be included . i mean they were Best Friends . henry makes a point of saying "i know him better than you" to richard when relating what went down in italy . francis says he's known about this since november but that's not true because he didn't think they had actually murdered a guy until late in the italy trip, probably sometime in late january or february, whenever it is that henry came home early .

incredibly funny to me that he ry and bunny, best friends, are the ones who die . they are the ones who consistently haunt Richard's narrative . richard says he doesnt think about bunny that much but then why did you write a 600 page memoir about him and the aftereffects of his death then huh????? henry and bunny wear matching glasses in the underworld .

he was possibly in love with henry (and obviously hated the fact as he was extremely homophobic) because how else would you explain your best friend blowing up at you throwing chairs etc and then climbing into Your bed and crying himself to sleep

he treated henry (outside of the outbursts) "with deference" aka polite submission according to our notably unobservant narrator richard . very interesting . but i guess imagine you find out your best friend in the world murdered a guy and then didn't even tell you about it . i suppose that warrants deference of a sort . but he was horrible on a daily basis to the rest of them

btw how much of Bunny's behavior was over-exaggerated??? this is written After the murder, how much is Richard exaggerating in order to justify to himself the murder of his friend. richard says "even today i cannot muster anything resembling anger for bunny". richard narrowing in on and exaggerating Bunny's jerkishness and bigotry to the point that the behavior was in and of itself unforgivable in order to justify Bunny's murder to himself is such a Richard move. unreliable narrator at his finest

"how quickly he fell; how soon it was over" . he didn't deserve that . he didn't deserve for it to be henry, his best friend, to ultimately push him over the edge and watch as he fell

bunny is objectively a not great person but . again Richards unreliable narration makes me question How bad especially bc they all genuinely cared for and mostly liked bunny. none of them are Good really. but richard "if theres one thing im good at its lying" papen is telling us bunny sucks . also judy thinks bunny is hilarious. hates henry though. i trust her judgement more than the greek class

bunny sees little trinkets around says is anybody gonna take that doesn't wait for an answer and swipes it for himself . "these he hid around his room in jumbled little nests" as he should tbh

bunny was their tie to reality i think . he made that comment about "common crackers more like" when julian was talking about tribute . he didn't take the bacchanal too seriously . everything he did connected them to the reality of it .

[multimousenette]

bkdkbk longfic recs

for @miss-multifandom-mess, who wanted fics that are:

Long & completed ☑️

Good balance of genres: angst, comedy, romance, the package deal

Accurate bakudeku (as a pair and individually)

Great dynamic 👍

Izuku is not ‘feminized’ or made uwu

I'll give title (linked to the fic) & author, word count, rating, dynamic if relevant*, content warnings, major tags and a synopsis.

I'll also put them in the following categories:

Canon compliant: this does not disagree with canon in any way (eg. character study of Kacchan during dark hero arc, anything during the 8 year time skip that has Kacchan saving up/Deku teaching)

Canon consistent: yeah that could more or less be canon (eg future pro heroes especially where deku keeps OFA)

Canon divergent: something during canon actively changes, but the world is the same (eg. becoming friends in middle school, one of them is on a different course, pro heroes but my gut says it's too far away to be really canon consistent)

Canon adjacent: feels like canon except for one Major Thing (eg. omegaverse, (non-quirk related) hanahaki but still heroes)

Alternate Universe (AU): completely different universe (eg fantasy, sci-fi, or no quirks)

*it ended up being mostly either bkdkbk (ie switching) or dkbk -- I've highlighted these red just in case, but I've included them cos people tend to use bkdk for the ship generally if they don't have a preference, and I couldn't see anything saying you were fixed bkdk on your acc

... and I'll put them below the cut cos this is already so long oh my god

In order of word count (high -> low):

I Will Find You by Purple_Insomniac (174k, T, canon consistent)

CW: Alt universe character death

Major tags: Parallel universes, angst w a happy ending.

Deku disappears in the middle of a rescue mission. Turns out, thanks to some OFA weirdness, the person who sent Izuku into an alternate universe… doesn’t know which one he’s in. Somehow, Izuku and Katsuki can speak in the OFA Vestige Realm, but it’s still a total nightmare trying to find which universe Izuku’s in — let alone bringing him home.

For it is Something That We Lost by TheGraveyardChild (160k, E, top Deku, canon divergent)

CW: past domestic abuse, past child abuse.

Major tags: Kidfic, angst with a happy ending.

Number four pro hero Dynamight returns to his hometown, but — to (number five pro hero) Deku’s surprise — he’s kind of flaky now. Turns out, this is because he has a daughter, and they’ve only just escaped his abusive ex. Slowly, Katsuki and Deku grow close again, but everything’s complicated when they start work on a child kidnapping/trafficking case — especially when Katsuki’s daughter is caught up in it.

Halfway to the Moon (But the Sun is So Bright) by Catsired (105k, T, canon divergent)

CW: Graphic depictions of abuse and self harm; depressed & suicidal Izuku; physically, financially, emotionally and verbally abusive Hisashi; bullying; mild homophobia.

Major tags: Middle School AU, Slow burn, hurt/comfort, angst with a happy ending.

Izuku has a lot on his plate. It’s his final year of middle school and between his training with All Might, the part time job he’s picked up to help his mum with bills, and Kacchan… being Kacchan, he’s about ready to drop. And then his dad comes home, and his mum is so happy he can’t bear to tell her that Hisashi hits him. Meanwhile, Katsuki notices there’s something up with Shitty Deku and somehow decides it’s his responsibility to fix it. And maybe, as they grow closer, he finds that doesn’t hate Deku so much anymore. Maybe he never really did.

Surprise Reunions and Childhood Rekindlings by ladyofsnails (90k, G, AU)

Major tags: Slice of life, no quirks AU, uni/college AU, mutual pining, FLUFF.

Izuku and Katsuki haven’t seen each other in five years, but it turns out their friends are friends — and incredibly shocked (and concerned) when the first thing Katsuki and Izuku do upon meeting is start roughhousing. The two of them fall straight back into their chaotic childhood dynamic… and in love. Obviously.

After All We’ve Been Through (You get turned into a fucking rabbit) by TigerLilies64 (88k, E, switching, canon consistent).

Major tags: crack treated seriously, fluff, hurt/comfort.

Pro hero Deku gets hit by a quirk that turns him into a rabbit hybrid. To make matters worse, he shapeshifts into an actual rabbit when his heart rate gets too high. Kacchan... helps. 

Tidal Hearts by macksmilesback and SamIsNotLegend (83k, T, AU) 

Major tags: h2o just add water/early 2000s mermaid AU, high school drama, mild angst, fluff.

Izuku and Katsuki were best friends as kids, but that all changes after they nearly drown while swimming in the ocean and Inko moves her and Izuku away. Years later, they reunite, and after Katsuki saves Izuku from a nasty hazing prank, end up… growing a tail any time they get wet. Well, that’s one way to spend their senior year of high school!

The Spell in Her Name by MerryWeatherWeather (62k, E, top Katsuki, canon divergent)

CW: Past OC teacher/student relationship, past minor character death, past child abandonment.

Major tags: kidfic, domestic fluff, mutual pining, angst. 

Pro hero Katsuki returns from working in the US and due to some complications, has nowhere to live, so pitches up at Deku’s house — and is shocked to discover that Deku has a child. Turns out, she was abandoned on his doorstep as a baby, and he took her in. When her mother initiates a public custody battle, Deku will do anything to keep his daughter — and Kacchan will do anything to help.

just for your love (I’ll give you the world) by thwnderpoint (52k, E, top deku, canon consistent)

Major tags: idiots to lovers, (light) angst with a happy ending, mutual pining.

Katsuki confesses to Izuku, and Izuku doesn’t want Kacchan to suffer or feel like he has to hold back his feelings. So he tells him not to. Kacchan takes this offer and runs with it. Izuku quickly realises that while he hadn’t considered Kacchan as a romantic option, he is in fact absolutely in love with him… but Kacchan thinks Izuku deserves better than him. Izuku, of course, can’t let that stand. And now they’re engaged in some sort of psychological flirt-off, much to the dismay of everyone around them.

Photo Op by whitetail (50k, M, top deku, canon adjacent)

CW: transphobia, gender dysphoria

Note: I LOVE the characterisation of Deku, he’s an absolute disaster, but I can see that it might be love it or hate it as the author does exaggerate his social issues a lot. This Deku is explicitly, intentionally autistic and it's a close third person POV so we're very much in his head... which is kind of a mess.

Major tags: trans izuku, autistic izuku, massive simp kacchan, comedy of errors, miscommunication, light angst.

Pro hero Deku has PR crisis after PR crisis and now the whole world knows about his Dynamight thirst blog and he’s newly insecure about his bottom surgery. And for some reason, Kacchan won’t stop asking him (him!!) to join him for a photoshoot, as if Deku’s stupid ugly face won’t ruin everything again. Still, he can’t say no to Kacchan… 

In Another Life by hollyandvice (44k, M, canon consistent)

Major tags: Parallel universes, grief/mourning, angst with a happy ending.

While fighting a villain, Kacchan disappears. Turns out, the villain has a parallel universe swapping quirk, and he was aiming to swap number one hero Deku for a quirkless civilian. Except, the only world the villain could find where Deku isn’t a hero is one where Kacchan is dead — so when Katsuki took the blow, no one swapped with him, and now no one knows how to get him back. Meanwhile, Katsuki discovers a dystopian world where half his friends are dead or injured — not to mention this world’s Deku, who is all sorts of broken up over meeting an adult Kacchan. Will he be able to fix the problems with this world before he gets home? And which world will he choose to stay in?

last days of war by antisora (44k, M, AU)

Major tags: Pacific Rim AU, Sci-Fi/Dystopian, angst with a happy ending, hurt/comfort, misunderstandings.

Note: I've never watched pacific rim and had no issues with understanding what was going on. Author said there were lots of references, but you don't need existing knowledge to enjoy this.

All Izuku’s ever wanted is to save the world with his best friend… but his life doesn’t seem to be headed in that direction, especially when he doesn’t make it through the physical entrance exam for the best Jaeger pilot training school, UA. But after seeing him ace a Kaiju simulation, the world’s greatest ranger, All Might, intervenes, and Izuku is able to enrol at UA after all. Unsurprisingly, Kacchan’s there too — and their drift compatibility is through the roof. Much to Izuku’s dismay, even piloting a Jaeger together isn’t enough to regain their close friendship as children. Will almost dying (twice) be enough for them to finally be truly honest with each other?

The Time Between Our Lives by Fitzrovia (36k (56k inc. sequels), E, switching, canon divergent and AU)

Major tags: Hurt/comfort, angst w a happy ending.

Deku and Kacchan are sent back in time by a villain’s quirk and end up in an abandoned temple, quirkless. In order to escape — and return to their old lives — they must rake the gravel in the garden into a design that shows the beauty of all life. It takes a very, very long time.

Spacewalk by SamIsNotLegend (35k, M, AU)

CW: Major character death

Major tags: Sci-Fi/Horror, angst w a happy ending, grief/mourning.

Astronauts Izuku and Katsuki are set to co-lead the first manned mission to Jupiter… but a year and a half before launch, Izuku is hit by a car and dies. Katsuki has to lead the mission — their mission — alone, and sure enough, everything goes wrong. And keeps going wrong… until it starts going right. 

and a bonus totally-not-a-longfic-but-it-slaps:

Vertigo by Cyhyr (15k, T, canon adjacent)

Major tags: hanahaki, angst with a happy ending.

Pro hero Deku has hanahaki. He makes a plan to run away and just... die (when it gets too severe to keep working), but he didn’t account for Kacchan. 

[siryouarebeingmocked]

https://x.com/RepSlotkin/status/1795249021763932310?t=FGjz7RVjfP1Ki9csHNo3iA

I know at least one version of this “stat” was sampled during lockdowns, where kids weren't going to school, so their risk of car accidents was a lot lower.

And other than that, car accidents are still the leading cause. Even with seatbelts and child seat laws.

Also, I love how every single person I've seen using this "stat" never has a specific proposal.

They're stanning gun control as an ideal, not even a hypothetical.

CDC links past the cut:

According to the CDC, accidents are the leading cause of death for children and adolescents.

The claim would only be true if children under 1 are excluded and 18 & 19 year old co-combatant gang members are counted as children.

https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/fastats/infant-health.htm

https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/fastats/child-health.htm

https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/fastats/adolescent-health.htm

Incidentally, there were a few replies saying she accepted AIPAC money to fund “Zionist hate” and the “Gaza Genocide”. No actual relation, of course.

And, of course, people said that as a Jew, she should not be in America. Again, not relevant. Just racist. She was born in NYC, and grew up in Michigan.

[lizard-on-a-window-pane]

so, i started writing this fic, and i think i'm going to continue it, but i would love to get some reactions to the idea i had so much fun adapting a romcom to the marauders in my 10 things i hate about you fic, then i was rewatching life as we know it for the first time in years and was surprisingly still into it and thought it could be a fun one cos of some of the parallels, so here is the set up:

in an au where voldy is destroyed, sirius never sent to azkaban, and reader and sirius have to raise harry together after james and lily die even though they hate each other... initially ofc

pairing: Sirius Black x reader word count: 1.9k

You’re surprised to hear a knock at your door this late. Exhausted after another Order mission, you resent whoever is on the other side of it. When you open it, lowering your ready wand just behind the door with an exasperated sigh, the feeling heightens. 

“What the hell do you want?” you ask a smirking Sirius Black leaning on your doorframe. 

“What kind of a greeting is that, love?” he retorts seemingly unfazed.

You say nothing, glare harder. 

He rolls his eyes and begins, “Dumbledore wants you to tell me about your mission. He has something he wants me to do soon — won’t tell me what exactly yet, you know how he is — and he thinks whatever intel your mission provided will be relevant.” 

“Can’t it wait till tomorrow? I’m exhausted, Black.” 

“He told me to come tonight,” he says firmly, shrugging. “Look, I don’t want to be here any more than you want me to be here, but there are more important things right now than resting” — he gestures to you — “or keeping good company,” he finishes, gesturing at himself.

“Oh I’m bad company? Have you met yourself? And you’re one to talk about important things, Black. All you ever do is joke around. And —” you go to continue, but he cuts you off, gently pushing his way past you and into your flat.

“Choose a line of attack, L/N. You’re rambling.”

You groan but follow him into your living room. He’s making himself comfortable, putting his boots up on your coffee table to settle in. 

“Fucking hell, Black,” you whine as you kick his legs off. “I know there’s a war going on, but I’d prefer for my home not to become a pig sty, thank you.” 

“Leave it to you to worry about shit like this now,” he sighs, rolling his eyes at you for the second time in mere minutes.

His critical comments are nothing new. The two of you had gotten into it over nothing since your school days, your best friends eventually getting together doing nothing to make you hate each other less. Lily had been your best friend since first year, James his. 

With your current exhaustion, even this little comment had you practically seething. Knowing him, though, you knew anything you said back would just give him more ammunition to mock you somehow. So, you just stood and stared angrily at him. 

“Well?” he looks at you infuriatingly nonchalantly. “The faster we do this, the faster I’m out of here.” 

“Fine.” You sit next to him begrudgingly and relate the events of the last few days to him, falling into “official” mode the only thing that made dealing with Sirius Black any easier.

~

This message wasn’t right. There was no possible way it was right. It had to be wrong. A mistake. A trap. A cruel joke. Anything but the truth.

You’re standing there, staring at the spot where a fellow Order member’s Patronus has just vanished after delivering its message to you. Your jaw is slack, your eyes wide and quickly brimming with tears. Tears at the mere idea that your best friend and her husband were dead, not the reality. It couldn’t be reality. 

After what might have been several minutes, though your mind is stuck, your body moves to action and heads immediately to Order headquarters. 

When you get there, you’re surprised at how many people are here. Such gatherings are usually reserved for the most important of meetings only; it’s too dangerous to have so many members together in any one place, lest the enemy find out and root out what little resistance remains. 

Oddly enough, it’s in crowds like this that you most notice the absent. You miss them when you are alone, too, of course, but there is something about looking around and not seeing Marlene’s beautiful — even if haunted toward the end — face amongst the others. Not feeling Dorcas’s head coming to rest on your shoulder. Not hearing Alice’s sweet giggle at something Frank has just whispered to her, bringing joy even in the darkest of times. Their voices are devoid of joy now, shut away at St. Mungo’s. 

Lily can’t be gone too. Please not Lily too. 

You’re not sure how to gauge the expressions of your friends and comrades around you. There is such a strange intermingling of emotions lingering on their faces. James and Lily couldn’t be dead if there was a look of such relief on Emmeline’s face, if Elphias was busy chattering away to a few other members. 

But then you see him. You see Sirius Black, and you know.

He’s sitting in a corner. He isn’t crying. He doesn’t look sad. He looks hollow. There aren’t tears in his eyes because his eyes are dead. 

You gravitate toward him without thinking, and when you’re close, his empty eyes meet yours. Sirius stands. You look at each other for a long moment, understanding crossing between you, and without a word from either of you, you embrace.

A few long, shaky breaths later, with Sirius Black’s warm, firm arms around you, you break down. You can’t see his face from where you have yours burrowed into his chest, but his arms tighten around you as your sobs shake your whole body. He holds you through the entire episode, until your body has drained itself of all the tears it could possibly produce in this moment. Only when you’ve been still for a minute does he loosen his grip, stepping back slightly.

You already know the answer, but you ask anyway, “Both of them?” He just nods. You immediately follow with, “Where’s Harry?” Fear shoots through you at the thought, but before you lose yourself in it, Sirius grabs your shoulders and says, “Harry’s fine.” Another bout of fear oozes through your body, but this one is slower, eerier. It takes you a moment to discern its cause: it’s Sirius’s voice. It’s never sounded like this before, and you hear in its dullness a pain you’d think unimaginable if you weren’t feeling it too. 

You nod slowly and ask where your godson is. Sirius tells you he’s with Remus. 

“What’s going to happen to him?” you whisper. 

“I don’t know,” he responds. “Dumbledore said he’d talk to us once we were both here.” 

~ 

It’s much later in the night, almost morning you reckon, when you find yourself and Sirius sitting across from Dumbledore, finally alone. He’d had to handle a million and one things already, the scope of the night’s events incomprehensible to your grief-stricken mind. 

Dumbledore doesn’t wait at all before saying, “I am truly sorry for the loss you both have experienced tonight and will continue to experience for the rest of your lives. The loss of someone so close is a loss from which one never truly recovers.” 

You both nod, saying nothing, and he continues. 

“I’m certain both of your main concern at this point is Harry. Firstly, let me provide you the comfort of informing you Harry is perfectly safe. How exactly, none of us know, and perhaps will never know. But young Harry survived Voldemort’s attack tonight, and somehow destroyed him in the process. Harry is currently with Mr. Lupin, but you can sort for yourselves how you wish to go about the transition in the following days. I have not spoken to either of you about it personally, but I imagine, given the arrangement, that you will be moving into the Potter’s home in Godric’s Hollow?”

You’re sure your face betrays your utter confusion, and on instinct, you look to Sirius for some sort of clarification. The look on his face tells you he’s as lost as you are. 

“Arrangement, sir?” you finally manage after some awkward silence.

“Yes. It was Lily and James’s wish that in the event of their deaths, Harry should be raised by his godparents.” He looks between you and Sirius. “You, of course.” 

A pregnant beat. 

“I’m sorry, what? ‘You’ as in who? ‘You’ as in me? Or him? Not ‘you’ as in us?” you ramble. 

“‘You’ as in both of you, yes. You and Mr. Black.” You give a mirthless chuckle. 

“There must be some kind of misunderstanding, sir. We,” you gesture unnecessarily aggressively between you and the man sitting next to you, “are not together. We’re not a couple; we’re not even friends; how are we supposed to raise Harry together?” 

“There is no misunderstanding. And I do feel the need to add that this is in fact one consideration in bestowing — and accepting — the role of a godparent, I’m sure you know.”

You turn toward Sirius, who is just sitting there completely dumbstruck. You smack his chest and urge, “Say something, for Godric’s sake.” 

“Ummm… I… Well… I… She…She…,” he looks to you briefly, “I and… and she… I and she… she and I —” He can’t string even a phrase together, and Dumbledore gently raising a hand mercifully puts an immediate stop to his ridiculous attempt.

“It is unfortunate that your friends did not discuss this decision with you before its effect was rendered necessary. I imagine they dreaded such a conversation and suspect they never found it the ‘right’ time. However, I am certain it was what they wanted. After all, it was at my behest that they made a decision at all. Few of us ever want to think about our own deaths, but when I realized what danger the Potters were in, I knew it was a necessary consideration. I am devastated to have been proven correct.” Dumbledore was always calm and collected, but you know him well enough to know he meant those words.

“If you choose to reject this arrangement, we can see about other options. Though, as I have said, it would be going against his parents’ wishes. There is of course his aunt and uncle, the Dursleys I believe they are called. Alternatively, there are orphanages for such occasions, but they are dreadful places, and I would wish that fate upon no child, especially if he could be raised with family.” 

“The Dursleys aren’t his family,” you say immediately, a strength to your voice that had not been there in the entire conversation thus far. Dumbledore looks at you. “They’re not, sir. I’ve met them. They’re horrid people. They hate wizards and witches, were terribly cruel to Lily. I can’t imagine how they’d treat her wizard son.” You grimace at the thought. “They’re not his family… We are.” This sits heavily in the room for a moment, and it is Sirius who speaks first. 

“We’ll take care of Harry,” he whispers. His voice is quiet but certain. “We’ll figure it out.” He looks to you inquisitively, and you nod. 

“I’m gladdened to hear it,” Dumbledore says. “You don’t have to stay there long term, but I imagine it will be good for Harry to be in a familiar place as he adjusts to such change, so I will have him brought to his house in a few hours. Can you collect yourselves and meet him there?” 

You both nod; he adds a curt, “Good,” and before you know what’s even happened, you’re left sitting in a room with Sirius Black, a man you’d always hated, a man who is suddenly your co-parent to Harry. 

[ash5monster01]

I Can See You

Pairing: Charlie Dalton x FemReader

Warnings: fluff, mentions of smut, language, lust, mentions of heart break

Summary: Based on Taylor Swift’s Speak Now vault track I Can See You. In layman’s terms, you can’t deny your attraction towards Charlie despite your best attempts not to and you can’t seem to stop yourself from imagining the two of you together.

word count: 2,506

Masterlist

Welton had a strict rule against relations between male and female students. Ever since Welton had become co-ed there was absolutely no tolerance for any funny business between the students or the school will no longer allow the different genders intermingle. Yet that never stopped Charlie Dalton. He still did his best attempt at flirting with each and every female student in his age range. It was Gods gift when they allowed female students his freshman year. Nothing like being at the butt end of puberty and having a sea of females to choose from.

You had been the first to catch his eye, he liked how you had long hair that swayed across your entire back despite Nolan having a rule of three inches past the shoulder and nothing more. The long hair a clear sign of disobeying rules and he adored you for that. Even more when you went without pantyhose and Mr. Mcallister had to give you detention. As much as you hated to admit it you liked Charlie Dalton too. You had become friends after telling yourself to avoid him at all costs.

Charlie wasn’t ever really a friend though, and everyone knew it. You’d study in the library, knees touching even though you had an entire table of space. Nolan may of had a rule of no relations and you had followed it, truly, but if anyone saw the way you two looked at each other they all knew not a thought behind those eyes went along with that rule. So you had to settle for soft glances, quick brushes, and all the words you wanted to say wrapped up into a single look, and pray to God that the other knew exactly what you were saying when your eyes met.

It was like this for a while, that’s was until Molly Kepler. You were on your way to study with Charlie, excited to pass him a pencil so your hands could touch, yet you were met with an empty table. So you dropped your things and began to search the stacks for the boy when you saw a flash of the short blonde curls, and manicured hand wrapped possessively around your Charlie’s neck. A small gasp met your mouth and both heads snapped towards you, tears filled your eyes but you knew it was no use letting them fall. After all he was never really yours because it was against the rules. So you ran away, grabbed your things, and never studied with Charlie Dalton again.

It hurt that Charlie never tried to speak to you. It felt as if he had given up completely because he found someone willing to go against the rule despite mucking it up for everyone if they got caught. The boys never said anything either, you figured they knew he would mess it up at some point. So you went back to the way life was before him. You tried to get over him, really, but no other boy in the school had yet to cast your attention. So when he passed in the hall, eyes locking with yours, your heart would clench every time, even though it had happened Freshman year. Going into Junior year you told yourself it wouldn’t be that way, you wouldn’t allow him to have that affect

Then you saw him, but his eyes never met yours, they ignored you completely, and suddenly his shoulder was brushing past you, an electric touch igniting you and seemingly doing nothing to him. You figured he thought you couldn’t see him. Turning you watched as he walked away, immersed into a conversation with Knox, and even though everything between you had been unspoken you could still see him. You still knew exactly who he was, and longed for the things you wished the two of you could share. You wondered what he would do if you tried to touch him now, wondered what he would do if you could guarantee they’d never catch you, what he would do if you both never made a sound?

The students in the hallway cleared out, moving into classrooms, hustling to avoid demerits, but Charlie and Knox had stopped, their conversation flowing freely as Charlie leisurely leaned against the wall, a demerit not even on the forefront of his mind. Before you could stop it an image of you two pressed up against that exact wall, his fingers curled through your own, hot breaths fanning across each other, quickly you closed your eyes and moved into a classroom, missing how Charlie glanced down the hall and noticed your departure. He wondered what you would do if you knew he could see you too.

You had tried to keep thing’s professional between you two. You really did, that’s why you never made a move freshman year. Now you were older, the attraction clearer and more desperate. You worried you couldn’t fight it any longer. Something had changed and you liked it, which made it so much harder to avoid. Thing was you were never really good about following rules. Now Charlie was in your head, consuming you completely, and you weren’t sure you could pass the semester like this. It had already been a month, him ignoring you every time you passed, and it was all you had thought about, schoolwork not even a concern.

So you went for a walk, trying to clear your head, while the other students studied together or in the library. The quiet halls once a safe haven before you had an image of you and Charlie pressed against the wall to taint it. As if you summoned him he appeared in your sight, about to brush past, and avoid eye contact at all costs. Yet as if you weren’t in control at all your hand gripped his wrist, stopping him in place. Maybe it was just because you were alone, or you were crazy, or maybe you just needed a reason to get him out of your head, but you stopped him anyway.

You both stood there for a moment, facing directions of where you should just walk away, play it safe. Yet the part of you that lusted after him made you turn your head and for the first time this year you locked eyes, heart thumping quickly. As you searched each others eyes you both saw it, the longing for one another. You could still tell exactly what he was saying with just one look. You figured you were about to get an answer to the question of what would he do if you touched him now?

“Are you sure?” his raspy voice asked, deeper than it was freshman year and hungry with need for you.

“It's best that we move fast and keep quiet” was your only response and he nodded, tucking his bottom lip in as you tugged him down the hall. You knew the teachers kept a watchful eye over you but it was possible. There was the 5% chance you could sneak away into a room without getting caught.

“I thought you didn’t want to risk getting caught?” Charlie always assumed despite your feelings you’d never do anything with him, you needed to stay at the school more than you needed him. He was wrong.

“I thought you weren’t worth the risk but now I know I was wrong. I can’t stop seeing us together, you won't believe half the things I see inside my head” you earnestly told him as you tugged him into the coat room. Luckily the weather was still warm enough in Vermont, the chills of October bound to come by the end of the week, but still warm enough to not need a jacket.

“Wait 'til you see half the things that haven’t happened yet” Charlie said, shrugging his uniform Jacket on the floor. Your head tipped back against the wall, you tried to calm your heart rate because you had imagined what that looked like and now it was happening right in front of you.

What would you do if I went to touch you now?

What would you do if they never found us out?

What would you do if we never made a sound?

“I’m interested in what you saw in your head?” Charlie asked, sauntered towards you until he pressed flush against you. You let out a soft hum, trying not to let your thoughts run wild as he asked you this question.

“I saw you waitin' down the hall from me and I could see you up against the wall with me. I could see you throw your jacket on the floor. I could see you make me want you even more. I could only see you” at your admittance a sly smile crossed the lips of the boy, his hands curling up behind your head as his pelvis leaned his full weight against you on the wall.

“I can see you too” then suddenly his mouth was on yours, a sharp inhale between the two of you, breathing in the others air like it was the only way you could properly breathe. Your hands tugged him by his tie closer as his own ran through your hair. His lips were softer than you expected, brushing across yours light as feathers but their touch heavy with pleasure. You took a moment to experience each sensation, the soft press of his hands on the back of your head, the small hums of contentment that left his mouth, how his uniformed shirt scratched against your own. You should’ve broken the rules sooner.

You had imagined kissing Charlie hundreds of times. Back when you were just two innocent kids in the library to now. If you asked Freshman you she’d never guess it happened hidden away in the coat room with tension you could cut with a knife. As Charlie’s tongue dipped inside your mouth a small squeak left your lips and he promised he’d memorize it, because you were the only girl really worth kissing around here. The only girl he ever really planned on kissing. He wished every day he could tell you that Molly Kepler had come into him, that he was looking for a book Neil told him you might like. That what you saw gave you the wrong idea, but how could he when he wasn’t really sure if you two were ever a thing.

“I never thought this would happen” Charlie muttered, pulling back, his lips trailing down your throat. You gave him a small slap as he nipped a bit to hard, you were nervous he’d leave marks. He only chuckled at the action, enjoying it a bit too much.

“Me either” you finally told him, your hand leaving his neck tie to run through his champagne brown locks.

“What made you change your mind?” Charlie asked, pecking small kisses on your face, finishing at the tip of your nose.

“You ignore me in the hall. You used to look at me but now you just brush past as if I was nothing. I don’t like how that feels” you told him, his hands leaving your hair to hold you by your waist.

“I don’t look because it hurts too much. I hate myself for still missing you after all this time. I told myself that if I stopped longing after you I could start to move on” each word wrapped tightly around your heart, squeezing it in a hug, warming your bloodstream.

“They’re watching us, so keep quiet, don’t get caught, and keep your hands off other girls” you told him after the words finally settled and you seared them permanently into your heart.

“Are you claiming me as your own?” the boy teased, face moving towards yours.

“You always were Charlie” you grinned at him and at that he had all the more reason to kiss you again, loving how you tasted like strawberries but smelled like roses. His forbidden fruit in the Garden of Eden, and he was going to do anything he could to keep you.

Suddenly the bell rang and quickly you unlocked your lips from his, eyes wide. Charlie admired how your lips were swollen pink, eyes slightly glossy, and hair a bit frazzled. He wished he could take a picture and keep it forever. Then you were rushing out his arms and towards the door. “Wait”

“Charlie the bell rang, we’ll get caught” you whispered and he groaned, hand holding your wrist.

“Please, one more minute?” he pouted like a child but you shook your head, removing his grip from your hand.

“We’ll be caught, until next time” you quickly pecked his lips, hands straightening your hair and uniform, and slipping out the door before he could protest anymore.

Finding alone time without getting caught was deemed impossible. At least you had started to study together again, your knees brushing having to hold you over. You weren’t as daring as Molly Kepler to make out in the stacks. So you had to settle for even the shortest of moments, a small peck when everyone’s head was turned. Then Friday rolled around and as Charlie walked into the classroom, handsome as ever in his uniformed suit and tie, a note slipped onto your desk. You looked up to see a devious grin as he continued to his seat as if he did nothing at all.

‘Meet me tonight

coatroom

-Charlie’

Your heart sped up, nerves prickling at your skin, but excitement bellowing in your stomach. You hadn’t expected that reaction. The risk of getting caught giving you an adrenaline rush. It made you regret not doing this sooner. The excitement surrounding sneaking around was more fun than you had read in your books. So you kept the note on you all day, anxiously waiting for lights out so you could make your way to the coat room. You worried how Charlie would sneak out considering the boys had to get past the watch dog. Yet he still appeared, quiet as a mouse in the darkness of the coat room.

“You made it” you whispered, a smile covering your face. Charlie smiled right back, hands curling around your own.

“Wouldn’t miss it for the world” then he was kissing you and he knew you would never tell, a secret pair of lovers.

“I could see you being my addiction” you whispered, eyes still closed from the perfect kiss. “It’s like I’m your secret mission”

“As long as we hide away I will start behaving” Charlie told you, taking a step towards the door. “Do you trust me?”

“I always have” and then he was pulling you out the door, into the hall, smiles and silent laughs shared between you both as you ran outside. Heading in the direction of the Indian cave you smiled because you were so thankful you could see him.

Thankful that he knew you could see him, because you knew that what he would do was claim you as his own.

[leaves-lilies-and-esther]

Anne with an E didn't invent feminism in the Anne of Green Gables series

I just saw a post on tumblr about how AWAE has feminism (as opposed to the original series, which apparently doesn't???) and my reply went past the word count, so here it is:

Firstly, I think that Anne is an incredibly well-done feminist character in her own right, and that's what offers her enduring popularity. She literally smacks a slate over the head of a boy who comments on her looks, publishes stories, is the first girl from Avonlea to go to Redmond, succeeds wildly at Queen's, is principal of a school, refuses to marry at all unless it's for love, etc. Moreover, she does all of this while being interested in fashion and typical 'girly' things, as well as remaining a flawed character who still feels completely real. She doesn't reject femininity, but she does as she pleases.

It's not like the books push sexism under the rug, either. The mathematics professor at Redmond "detested coeds, and had bitterly opposed their admission to Redmond". The older women of Avonlea don't particularly approve, either- Anne gets plenty of discouragement that Gilbert and Charlie Sloane never receive, and some even admit that they don't find it particularly proper for a girl to receive so much higher education. Specifically, she's told that she's only going to get married. Later in the books people inform her that she will never be married because she's "too particular" (Mrs. Harmon or Jane's mom), and that she should just settle as soon as she can. This is only in Anne of The Island alone, btw. In either the first or second book I think she even voices support for women being ministers, which isn't even a position to be taken for granted today.

There are loads of things I love about AWAE- Ka'kwet's storyline was amazing and added so smoothly, the casting is superb, etc. But they didn't introduce feminism to the series. In effect, I've also heard the argument that AWAE is less feminist. They take out so many of Anne's accomplishments at Redmond, as principal, actually getting published, etc. They remove her conviction on marrying for love. They end her story when she kisses Gilbert as if that's the end of all things lovable and Anne-related (although I know that's more the fault of Netflix than the directors). We never see the town's canonical reaction to going to Redmond, staying a single pringle for as long as she did, etc. In fact, quite the opposite, because the show kind of rushed Anne and Gilbert together, and as a result missed huge chunks of their friendship and romance. Again, not the fault of the directors, but I can only react to what we actually got... which is the removal of everything feminist about the original series. Yes, they added other points, but still...

Idk, I adore both but it still irks me when people say "if Anne was alive today/written more recently she'd be a huge feminist!!!". Yes, but she already was... in her own time. Anne-girl was a rebel from the start!

All hail Queen Anne 👑

[lemonnsss]

Moral of the Story Chapter 4

Gif by: @celebritiesandmovies

A/N- I’m so sorry for the late update! I’ve had some issues with my health recently that have led to some related issues in school; but, I’ve been feeling a lot better and tried to edit this up quickly.

It’s not my best work, but I had no idea what to do with this chapter, please forgive the nonsense.

MotS Masterlist

Taglist: @vicmc624 , @mostlymarvelgirl , @yvonneeeee, @beetlejuicesupremacy , @moonlightreader649 , @whattheduckisupkyle , @chrisevans-realwife, @nekoannie-chan , @mrsbarnes32557038 , @imyourbratzdoll , @weallhaveadestiny

Word Count: 1.2k

I couldn’t believe what I was seeing. The thought that Scott would leave never so much as crossed my mind. How could it? Jean and Scott had been dating since the seventh grade.

I must have reread his email half a million times, each time hung on the words “I’m leaving the mansion too.”

I was pulled from my shock as I heard the door shut behind me. I put my phone away, internally prepared myself for the interview questions, and turned around, standing from the chair. I began to talk before I saw the figure, “Hello, again Ms. Potts. That was quite the situation-” I stopped. I had expected to see Ms. Potts. Instead, there stood Tony, who seemed equally shocked to see me there.

“Why hasn’t Pep sent you out yet?” He moved from the door to the desk, “The last person to make it this long had a mental breakdown a week later.” He passed my side, slipping onto her desk. He kicked his legs slightly before he appeared to remember I was still present.

“Regardless, where is Pepper? She usually never leaves interviewees unattended,” He leans back, bracing himself on one of his arms as he reaches to the top of the shortest stack with the other quickly lifting the top sheet and, while scanning it, says, “and most certainly never leaves them around confidential company information.”

“Technically, the interview hasn’t begun.” An uncomfortable pause fell in the room as he waited for me to elaborate, “Her regular assistant is on maternity leave. Her fill-in accidentally double-booked her- she’s in a meeting right now.”

He let his head fall back dramatically as he scoffed, “Shame, I had wanted to tell her something in private. Do you know who’s all in there with her?” A cocky smirk plastered on his face.

“No? Why, Tony?”

He slipped off the desk, similarly to when he hopped up, “Oh, nothing. Just have a bit of information to share with the class.” he was almost halfway across the room when he turned back to me. His smirk was now a shit-eating grin.

“Wait,” I ran to the man, grabbing his wrist, his expression turning amused, “if the information is so important, would it not be better to share it with her privately as you originally intended.”

I suppose I had a stern expression as I said that as Tony burst out laughing, “What am I? A schoolboy scolded by his teacher?”

“Not far off on the teacher part.” He stopped for a moment before a small smile came across his face.

“Really now? When was that?” He leaned against the table again, his interest shifting to the current topic more and more.

“It was my last job. I taught at a private academy outside Salem for almost three years.”

“Interesting. And what provoked the sudden career change?”

“I don’t believe I owe you that information, Mr. Stark, unless it pertains to a crime.”

A silence passed as he tilted his head one way and then the other. “Fair point. It doesn’t apply to California's laws, but sure, plead the fifth. I won’t judge you.”

“Oh no,” I said sarcastically, “how could I ever go on with the great Tony Stark judging me!”

“Ha-ha, very funny.” He moved his hands in an almost childish manner. Playing to exaggerate his point, “You don’t seem like the type to leave such a luxurious position for any old reason. And given that you didn’t have a job lined up, you left quickly. Why is that?”

“... My long-term partner and fellow teacher at the institution cheated on me with our co-worker.”

I looked up, his face seeming to wander between holding back a chuckle and ‘Oh shit’.

After quickly stiffening his laugh, a voice rang out behind, “Well, that’s quite the loss on their end.” Ms. Potts said from her place, leaning on the doorframe. Noticing her, I stood up, “You were a great help today, and from the small glimpse I’ve seen with you and Tony, well, I think he’ll be in good hands.” 

By the time she finished her sentence, she was standing in front of myself and Tony. He still placed his weight on the desk but now he stood with his back straightened. I couldn’t help but let out a light chuckle, watching how much his demeanor changed when trying to maintain a good image around her.

“Please, Ms.Potts-“

“-Call me, Pepper. Please.”

“Alright… Pepper. Thank you, but you’re too kind. I just did what I could to help. That’s nothing to be hired over.”

I watched as she placed a hand on her hip, looked at Tony, then looked back at me.

“Hun, I mean this in the nicest way I can,” she says as she placed her hand on my shoulder lightly pushing me to sit, “do you want this fucking job?”

"Yes?"

“Great! You’re hired. Tony is scheduled to attend an event in Milan later this week so, I’d recommend you get ready for it. You’ll be at the convention for four days, not including travel days, please keep that in mind while packing. Now, if you don’t mind,” she moved her arm in front of her covered desk, “I have a few rather large stacks of paperwork to get to. Tony will show you to your office, once you’re done you’re free to leave,” she moved around the desk to type something on the computer, “I’ll have the receptionist send the order out for your ID badge, we’ll most likely have it tomorrow, otherwise it will be the day after that.” She moved up to Tony and me pushing him off her desk and casually shooing us to the door, “Congrats on the new secretary, Tony, don’t fuck it up. And to you, good luck.”

And just like that, I was standing outside of Ms. Potts' office with Mr. Stark. He led me over to his office, the room was rather cluttered but, inside and to the left there was a door. He looked over his shoulder, I guess to check to see if I was still there. He then opened the door, which, led to the secretary’s office.

“There’s another door leading in from the hall, so, please, don’t feel required to come through this room every morning. If you have any other questions, you have my number. Otherwise, I have better things to do.”

“I’m good Mr. Stark.”

“Mr. Stark was my father, call me Tony.”

“Okay then, Tony.”

“Well, I’ll be seeing you then.” He gave a slight wave and walked out into his office. The sound of his door closing let me know he was either leaving or heading back to Pepper’s. 

I took another look around the room, it was well-furnished and fairly clean. There was nothing I could see that needed repair either. I wouldn't need to bring anything in.

We boarded the plane about sixteen hours ago and finally reached our destination. We were about five minutes from landing. I got up to wake up Tony, who had been asleep for the past four hours.

I walked over to his chair, slightly nudging his shoulder, “Mr. Stark, wake up. We’re about to land.”

“Fuck you”

“Apologies, sir.” I sat across from him and buckled my seatbelt.

After I had finished the pilot sent the message over the intercom. Tony begrudgingly followed the instructions. The landing was a bit bumpy, but far from the worst I’d felt.

Once we were given the all-clear to start unboarding we started walking down the airplane's staircase. I started walking towards the car that was waiting when I heard a loud bang. The unmistakable sound of a gunshot rang out. I turned around and saw Tony writhing on the ground.

[winterfireblond]

Is it too late?

Principal Larissa Weems X GN Reader

ANGST ANGST ANGST

Warning!!: Use of Vulgar words, age gap (all beyond Legal). etc

A/N: wanna try something new, and dump this idea from my head that I kept for some time now. English is not my First language so bear with me.. Hope you'll like this. Constructive Criticism is highly encourage<3

(Expect for Typo and grammatical error)

(Word count: No Data)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

You and Principal Larissa Weems's relationship is almost an open book, well to her assistant; Maria. The relationship as Headmistress and as one of the teaching staff as well as relationship behind closed doors if you can call that a relationship , after all no label was ever talked about just pleasure. A better term is Friends with benefits. Principal Weems is older than you, you got hired at Nevermore Academy just after graduation at the age of 19 years old, and now you are turning 24 years old in just few months.

Your agreement started in your 2nd year at Nevermore, you thought that your connection is getting deeper, that you realized you wanted to ask her out on a proper date. But unexpectedly, barging to her private quarters you saw her having intimate actions with the normie teacher; Marilyn Thornhill, who just got hired few months ago as Principal Weems project connected to the Outcast-Normie relations she has in mind. The scene broke you to pieces. And it seems that they didn't even saw you or felt your presence until you left in a hurry. On your way out of the office you were met by the Principal's assistant with an apologetic look, you tried to hide the pain you are feeling by showing a little smile and tried to passed by Maria but you stop and turn around and told her not to tell Larissa that you came that day. You didn't tell Principal Weems, you left her bedroom and returned to your quarters. When finally in the comforts of your own room, just after closing and locking the door, your tears started to fall one after the other. You're catching your breath, you are almost fainting of too much crying.

This is not how it was supposed to be, she is your everything, but the fact that she is fucking your co-worker, it seems that you are really nothing but a fuck-buddies, a call-thing when things gets too stressful for her or for you. She is married to her job, always wanting to climb up the ladder of success and making money for the school. Her dream for the school, for the Outcast-normie relationship, for the gifted children at Nevermore but maybe you were not in her dreams. You could only feel disappointed at that moment.

The next day Principal Weems went to your classroom after your class dismissal, asking how was your day and why'd you didn't go to her office yesterday for your nightly routine of red wine and some chitchats, and some pleasures after since it got a little stressful for the planning of the outreach day. And since you didn't need to have an invitation since her assistant already knew of their activities, also apologizing for forgetting to call you since she got caught up in a call with some of the parents of the students ( what a terrible liar you think to yourself) You only answered her with simple "Everything's under control, Principal Weems" with a cold tone, not that you intended. She reminds you to call her just "Larissa" when it's just the two of you, but you just hum in agreement. She felt the tension between the two of you but dismissed the thought as due to the stress, you replied to her that you also forgot about last night since you also got caught up grading students paper's. She tried to make amends with you and even asking if you want to go out for dinner but you declined her offer saying your excuse that you still have to prepare the examination paper for your other class, but in reality you are just too hurt to see her without remembering what you saw last night in her quarters connected to her office. It seems that her feelings for you has gone cold or just really none existent and that you will never be important to her as you once were if you ever did.

You still love her but you don't want to be in a one sided love. You blame yourself for falling for the Principal, who wouldn't? She's perfect in your eyes, no sins, untarnished, Goddess walking among mortals.

The following invitations, you keep on declining making different excuses so as not to have to time to meet with her. So you two started to drift apart, no more meetings outside work hours or even talk to each other at work only about and during weekly staff meetings. You thought that you were being strong and doing the right thing by cutting ties with her. It seems that it all did was more favorable for the Principal, days to week you never received any call from her directly only from her assistant if she needs you for something or if you will need to submit some papers, you will left the papers to Maria and fetch it again later. You don't know how, but the updates about Principal Weems keep making it to your knowledge despite not asking about it, the rumors about Marilyn and Principal Weems late night talks in her office. Marilyn sneaking out from the Principal's office early in the morning. You saw that one morning and immediately turn some corner to not be seen.

You couldn't believe your ears when you heard Marilyn, passing by outside talking to one of the parents of a student during one of your classes, saying that Principal Weems has a "Girlfriend", she just said it so casually.

You felt sick to your stomach, that you needed to vomit but you can't.

It's been months now since the last time you talk with Principal Weems alone, and without contacting her assistant; Maria first.

You didn't attend any of the faculty parties, knowing that Principal Weems will be there. You just wanted to be alone, drink some alcohol or get stoned in your own room. The other staff didn't seem to mind you becoming more introverted since that's you personality with them, and they are used to it.

You couldn't sleep that night, the memories of you two together keep coming back. You don't know why. You wanted to scream, yell, cry, break some glass, but you didn't. You just laid there in your bed. You saw your alarm clock, telling you it's 4:30 am. You decided to take a shower and after a cup of tea and some snacks, you decided to read some books that you will be asking for your students to read. You are now teaching the senior years.

It's now 7:30 am, the sun has risen high in the sky, the birds are chirping happily, but the world is a different story, for you. You just woke up in the comforts of your bed, the light of the sun is blinding, the birds are singing their songs. You got up from your bed and look at the window. You are seeing the snow covering the ground, the trees are bare and the winter wind is howling. You didn't hear it last night since your room is sound proofed, but it is quite relaxing.

You are sitting on one of the stools by the window reading one of your books when you heard your phone ringing. You quickly got up to answer it and saw it is Maria calling. You accepted the call and she said "Good morning" You greeted her back "Good morning" you can feel that she is smiling on the other line. You felt that this is going to be a good day, but you know that is just wishful thinking. "I wanted to confirm for you if you can come for our meeting at Principal Weems's office today at 1:00 pm. I am going to give you the notes of the meeting from last week" You told her that you can do that. She asked you if you have to grade papers to finish. You said yes, she asked you to make sure that you don't forget them.

"I will see you then, have a good day" you said goodbye and told her the same. You felt good to talk with Maria, she is like the sister you never had.

It's 10:00 am and you decided to make your breakfast, you made yourself scrambled eggs and toast. You ate it while reading a book. You decided to make your usual cup of tea for your coffee. You sat on the stool near the window looking outside the snow. The cold breeze is making you feel good, the quietness of the snow is soothing.

At 10:45 am you took your tea with you to your classroom to grade papers, while the other teachers were at the faculty party. You are now finished with your papers and decided to take a nap after reading your book. You went back to your room and took a shower and light lunch and prepared to meet with Maria. It's now 12:45 pm and you decided to go to the Principal's office, and the halls are empty, Maria wasn't in her desk just outside the Principal's office. You thought it is weird but dismissed it, maybe she went to the powder room and as students are attending their club activities, you contemplated to knock on the door and come face to face and alone with Larissa whom you'd never spoken with directly for the last months. You have always been in Maria's company when you are here, but now she isn't and you have no excuse to enter without being rude. You knocked and didn't get an answer, so you told Maria that you are here.

The door opened and standing there is the person you're not ready to talk with since that day, you both are looking at each other in surprise, you haven't seen each other up close for the longest time, the air became thick, you felt the tension between you. She's the first to recover from initial shock.

"Can we talk?" She asked. You said "Sure". It's now or never.

"Please come in and sit down" she said while gesturing to the sofa. You took a deep breath before stepping in the office and closing the door behind you.

You told her that you prefer to stand. She looks at you with concern in her eyes and asked "How have you been?" You just shrugged and told her that you have been fine, she looked at you for a moment before asking you, "You seem a little pale, did you had a fever?". You just told her that you're fine and the sudden movement of the school has you in a little disoriented. She nodded and looked at the table in front of you, you were waiting for her to tell you why she wanted to talk to you but she just kept quiet.

You told her that she could tell you now what she wants to say, you said you are here, she can speak and you'll listen.

"I miss you" she said, you didn't expect that.

"I know what you saw" she said as she look at you with a sad expression on her face. Even remorse?

You just remained standing not uttering any words not even showing any emotions or reaction.

She looked at you again "I know that I hurt you deeply, I did not want to hurt you, but it was necessary" you felt yourself getting angry and your patience wearing thin, she still didn't make sense to you.

"For what? What is necessary? And what you did, that was not necessary for anyone, it was unnecessary, cruel and disgusting" you said, trying to control your anger and not yelling at her.

"I know that what I did was wrong, I should have never done that to you, I wanted to explain everything but I couldn't do it to your face, but I am sorry. I don't know how many times I have to say that before you understand, but I am sorry. I shouldn't have let it happen that way and I am truly sorry" she said, you knew that she is sincere. But you are hurt, even if you really wanted to forgive her you just can't do it easily. Instead you answered her " Actually, you don't have to apologize, Principal Weems", " We just give and take what we want from each other, it's not like we are in a relationship" But deep down you really wanted more, both of you actually.

"That's not what I meant" she said while looking at you, she is getting upset with your cold tone.

"Yes, it is true. I mean, look at us, I am a teacher at the school, and you are the Principal, I mean we are from different social status, and I am sure that I don't deserve someone like you" you said, you are getting angry, "You're wrong" She said "You deserve better than this".

"You're too good for me" you said, "No, you are too good for me, you deserve someone better" she said.

You felt something is breaking inside you, it seems that the wound is getting bigger and deeper, the pain is more painful. Also get's confusing to you where this talk is heading.

"Don't say that" you said "I love you" she said "I love you too...but" you said but she interrupted you and added "...but I guess it's too late for me to make it up to you, isn't it?".

You now have tears in your eyes, emotions getting the best of you.

"I think I should leave" you said, "You know where the door is" she said with a sad expression on her face. You quickly turn around and open the door and run away. You didn't want her to see you crying.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Tada!!!!!! cliffhanger????

part 2???!!!!

[youaintnothinbuta]

hello i am back ! thank you sm for your last post, i really enjoyed it!! anyways i have fallen down the jd rabbit hole. could i request a jd x reader where reader is very affectionate but jd is hesitant bc of veronica (he saw her suicide but moved before he knew it was fake and feels super guilty) then reader starts to get a little more distant because of the lack of reciprocation on jd's end. anyways this is gonna go on for too long, could u make it end with reader finding out what happened and reader comforts jd, and he just suddenly melts from the affection. (IM CRYING THIS DOES NOT MAKE SENSE I'M SORRY )

Summary: ^^

Pairing: Jd x reader

Warnings: mention of suicide, pretty much all warnings that come with anything heathers related. also probably typos and grammatical errors cos I’m tired

Word count: 774

Request something here !

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

Relief washed over you when you heard the familiar creak of your window opening. Looking up, you found your boyfriend, Jd, gracefully climbing into your room, a mischievous glint in his eyes as always. He got comfy beside you in your bed, snuggling up as he pulled your diary towards him, trying to peek.

“No.” You snapped it closed and popped it on your bedside table, telling him off.

“You’re really never gonna let me read that thing?”

“Maybe one day, when we’re 40 and I randomly find it after having forgotten about it for years.” You replied.

Jd laughed with a little shake of his head.

The evening went by much per normal, him climbing back out your window to head back to his own home, “I’ll see you at school,” he says as you shut your window behind him.

You let your body sit heavily on your bed, sighing. He had never been the most affectionate, you figured that was just the way he was. But lately he’s been even less affectionate. He’ll still let you be touchy with him, cuddling him and kissing on him but everything on his end has pretty much dissipated. Not even an arm around you as you walk together anymore. It felt like this big wedge was being driven through the middle of your relationship, and he -for some reason- wasn’t noticing it.

Another week or so passed, and the distance between you two had grew exponentially. You couldn’t entirely blame him, for you somewhat adopted this mindset of ‘if he wants to be distant, fine, I can be distant too.’

But it had gone on for too long now, and had gotten worse than you ever thought it could. You barely even talked at school, you just sort of sat together in this weird unresolved silence.

You had had enough. One evening you got yourself out of bed and marched yourself over to Jd’s house, not planning on leaving until you figured out what his deal was.

“Jd, I can’t do this anymore.” You wasted no time, immediately speaking as you crawled though his window, startling him.

“Y/N—”

“What are we doing?” You stood in front of him, arms crossed.

“What?”

“What are we doing? You and I. What is happening?”

His confusion was evident, his voice a mix of curiosity and bewilderment, “What are you talking about?”

“Jd, don’t be a dick. You're distant. We barely talk. You haven’t even held my hand in a month. I feel like I've lost you. Have I done something wrong?”

Jd's sigh carried a weight, his figure rising from the bed. “Y/N, I…” he hesitated, the words escaping him reluctantly, “My ex— she hung her herself in front of me. It haunts me. I just feel guilty and I'm terrified that I might drive you to the same point.”

The room fell into a stunned silence, your mind grappling with the enormity of his confession. Your mouth opened to speak, only managing to stutter incoherently. Before he could continue, you closed the gap between you, enfolding him in a heartfelt embrace. Silence enveloped the room, broken only by the sound of your steady breaths. “I had no idea,” you whispered softly, your voice carrying a mixture of sympathy and understanding “I’m sorry.”

“It’s fine.” Jd choked out, unsure exactly of what the emotions his brain was trying to process were. You shook your head against him slightly, still holding him in a hug, “I can’t imagine how heavy that must feel.”

Jd winced, beginning to cry into your shoulder, tears starting to flow without reservation. That was the first time anyone has ever acknowledged how much pain he has experienced, ever. Your touch was a silent reassurance to him that he could let his guard down.

Amidst his quiet sobs, you murmured calmingly to him, “Shh, it's alright, Jd. You're not alone anymore. I'm here for you.” Your voice was a steady presence, comfort in a way he’d received from no one except his mom when he was a kid.

As his tears subsided, you held him a little tighter, your fingers tracing soothing circles on his back. “You don't have to be afraid with me,” you whispered, your words carrying the weight of your sincerity. “I'm not your ex, Jd. I just want to see you happy.”

His grip on you tightened, his vulnerability a testament to the trust he was beginning to place in you. He gave you a watery smile. “Thank you,” he managed to whisper, his voice raw, “you wanna just stay here tonight?” He asked. You nodded, getting comfortable in his bed.

A/N: LMFAO I’m so sorry this is SHIT but I had already left it sitting in my inbox so long and I didn’t wanna keep u waiting any longer. I kinda gave up with the end so sorry I hope it’s okay I tried to stick as closely as I could to the request 😭🫶🏼

[fiercynn]

bad buddy fandom getting-to-know-you meme!

since there are both recent newcomers to bbs fandom and people like me who are new to bbs tumblr, i thought i'd create a getting-to-know-you meme for people to introduce themselves if they want! all questions are optional

note: i consider "fanworks" to pretty much everything people create related to a fandom, including but not limited to meta/analysis/discussion, gifs, fanvids/edits/fancams, filk, fanart, fanfic, fan food, fan crafts, etc. please include this note with the meme unless you have a different definition!

name and whatever you want to share about yourself

hi i'm deepa! i'm indian-american, in my 30s, queer, and agender – please use my name (either deepa or fiercynn is fine) instead of pronouns when referring to me!

when did you watch bad buddy/join the fandom?

i watched the whole show in the course of about 36 hours just about two weeks after the finale had aired, in february 2022! i joined bbs fandom on twitter soon after and have been there ever since, but i’ve only really been interacting on tumblr in the last few months

favorite ship(s)

patpran and inkpa…i'm a traditionalist ig lol

favorite character(s)

it’s so hard to choose but i think it has to be pran! i love his pining and his cockiness and his anxiety and his kindness and his grumpy faces. really channeling pat right now aren’t i

favorite episode(s)

episode 5 for obvious reasons; my second-favorite is a tie between episode 3 and episode 8 i think

favorite scene(s)

rooftop kiss, episode 3 bus stop scene, episode 8 backstage apology scene, and episode 9 picnic bench hand-holding scene

one thing you would change about the show if you could

LET INKPA KISS GDI

what are your some of your favorite fanworks made by other people?

ughhhhhh SO HARD TO CHOOSE and i think i'll do a longer rec list sometime but here are some of the earliest fanworks i engaged with that really set the stage for how i think about bbs

dynamic (fic, patpran) by riddles2 on ao3: one of the first fics i read in the fandom, it’s pat’s pov through episode 5 and it’s absolutely seminal imo

international love song (fanart/animation, patpran) by @architectxengineer: science is one of those incredibly multitalented people who writes, makes fanart, and animates?? among other things??? and this animation is sooooooo gorgeous and makes my heart absolutely melt

same page (vid, patpran) by dkyth73 on youtube: such a good fanvid of the show that p’aof himself tweeted about it!!!!

(if you create fanworks) what are your favorite fanworks that you’ve made?

traffic was slow for the crash years (fic, patpran): gotta plug my baby, right? this is my patpran fake dating au which is 80k words and was so fun to create!

we both know you’re my only dream (fic, patpran): on the other end of the length spectrum, this 1k fic is one of my favorite things i've written ever

just being friendly (vid, patpran) co-vidded with @scribescribe: yes i know this is an msp song but we made the vid before msp aired!! i think it’s very cute hehe

a song that makes you think of bbs (the ones in the show don’t count lol)

since “just being friendly” is already obvious from me and scribe making a vid to it lol, i'm going to say “keeping tabs” by niki, which is extremely pran-coded. like. look at the lyrics. doesn't it seem like it was written to be about pran’s feelings at boarding school, where he misses pat desperately and hopes pat’s thinking of him but is also trying to convince himself that pat’s forgotten him and that everything pran wanted from him was just a delusion on his part. PRAN 😭 😭 😭

idk anything else you want us to know?

i have opinions about pran’s sweaters

okay i'm literally going to tag all of my tumblr mutuals that i think are still in the fandom (if i missed anyone sorry!!), but also if you want to do the meme consider yourself tagged! please don’t let this flop lol 🤞🏽

@citystoryscapes @nicolasechs @architectxengineer @mahuhumaling @manogirl @galauvant @miscellar @monamay @dancing-out-in-space @melto @incandescentflower @loveongsa @dimplesandfierceeyes @geonbaeeee @faillen @cinnamonseadragon @inkpaa @yourunwiththewolves @prany @pranpats @teesemomma @iathefurrr @inventedfangirling @sharingfandoms @lamonnaie @maychild @thegayneurodivergentagenda @mistergreaves @dudeyuri @nyttvera @thecriers @threezoz @wontbotherrn @not0nmain

[dairogo]

20 Questions for the Writer

Tagged by @griseldabanks ^_^

1. How many works do you have on Ao3?

Only 18 :O I have a bunch on fanfiction.net that I never transferred over, but they're all an extra 10 or so years older than the Ao3 ones so ... there's some disparity of quality, partly in the writing but also very much in the content present.

2. What is your total Ao3 word count?

168,935

3. What fandoms do you write for?

FMA! I had other things when I was younger, but FMA bit and it's the one that stuck with me.

4. What are your top 5 fics by kudos?

A Bed Too Small (Mustang POV, same bed trope, tongue-in-cheek)

Wayward Youth (Hawkeye POV, learning about crushes and affection from the girls at her boarding school while seeking her father's attention)

Order 3066 (Hawkeye and Mustang POVs alternating, Ishval fic about being broken and coming out of it [still broken, but moving])

Partiality (Mustang POV, post-canon, broaching the topic of a relationship)

The Next Step (shifting POV, written soon after giving birth to my youngest and in a bit of a family-related haze. Mostly fluff.)

5. Do you respond to comments?

I certainly try to! I might have missed some along the way, but I usually get there!

6. What is the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending?

Hurrrghgh, one from my ff.net days: The Manga-ka Has Her Reasons. It was basically saying, hey, they can't get together guys - things will go bad if they do. And so it ended with them both dead.

7. What's the fic you wrote with the happiest ending?

I'd say The Next Step, because it's just fluffy and lovely :)

8. Do you get hate on fics?

Not really. The last time I remember feeling taken aback by a comment it was over a decade ago and it was someone rightly pointing out a factual error I'd made. The FMA community I've found myself in is largely positive, and I don't know if that's about the FMA community in general, or that the stuff I write appeals to people who are just cool about community instead of looking to be jerks. Whatever the reason, I'm very grateful!

9. Do you write smut? If so, what kind?

Nah

10. Do you write crossovers?

I've got a half written FMA/HP crossover that I started in like 2005, resurrected a few years ago, and then haven't touched for the last year and a half. Sigh. It's probably going to be stuck in my brain forever.

11. Have you ever had a fic stolen?

Not to my knowledge.

12. Have you ever had a fic translated?

Nope

13. Have you ever co-written a fic before?

Not a fic

14. What's your all-time favourite ship?

Royai for suuuuure <3 I'm so big on romance as a side-plot, and if that's not the perfect way to explain their relationship I don't know what is. Like, FMA aside, their own personal story is that romance is their side-plot, not their main thing.

15. What's a WIP you want to finish, but doubt you ever will?

Wayward Youth! I have a few really rough drafts of later chapters that need to be edited, but I still haven't written all the way to the end and I'm happily working on another project with all the time/headspace I have, so I don't want to interrupt that flow. But I'm hoping to slowly accrue the last of it, then go through and make it presentable and post it one day.

16. What are your writing strengths?

I think I can write fairly clear action. And I like putting together a lot of threads to tug on as I go - not all big plot things necessarily, but just things that repeat again later to add an extra layer.

17. What are your writing weaknesses?

I don't know. I feel like I can write in a very blunt way sometimes, so I have to be intentional about adding in colour and emotion - that doesn't always come through on the first try.

18. Thoughts on writing dialogue in another language in fic?

I wouldn't do this to show to a native speaker, oh boy oh boy nosirree! Currently reading a book on English idioms and my main thought as I looked at it today is that this is exactly why I'll never consider myself fluent in other languages.

19. First fandom you wrote for?

In year 5 we had to co-write a story and my best friend and I basically wrote an AU of Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time.

20. Favourite fic you've written?

Look, it depends on my mood. If I want something light and short, I can't go past Desperately Hoping He Didn't Look Like an Idiot (modern AU, Royai without angst). But I'm probably proudest of Order 3066, because it took a lot of work and a lot of emotional catharsis to get through that and I ended up with a bit of a deadline for when I had to finish it up and made it! So I feel good about it.

Tagging @scienceoftheidiot and @fullmetalscullyy if you're interested :)

[yakultii]

@alwayschasingrainbows hi hi thank you sm for all the questions <33 I appreciate u sm ik u accidentally asked on my main but I’m gonna answer them here :))) also thank you for sending ur own answers too I loved reading them and learning more about you and found them super interesting!!!!! <3

1. What is your favourite childhood movie and why?

Strangely I’d never been big on movies or tv as a kid or even now (I want to get more into it now but my adhd still says no) my mum even told me that when I was young she could sit my brothers in front of the tv to be entertained but not me, I’d lose interest hella quickly… probs the first time I got into anything tv related was when I was 10-12 and was invested in the drama of the tv series “dance academy” on abc3 Ive actually met the producer! other than that I didn’t mind a reality show as a kid but then most of that wore off after I studied media in school and we went as live audience to “reality” shows and I realised how set up everything was and couldn’t care less afterward -

If I had to pick any movie that I loved and that still strangely brings me some sort of comfort.. it would have to be the 2010 Jaden Smith Version of Karate Kid ahahaha idk why (well I kinda do there’s lots of reasons but then I’d go on another whole tangent so I won’t) I was like 11 when it came out so I think that can count :) I can weirdly watch it over and over whereas most other movies I watch once and never again.

2. Do you have a favourite book or book series and why?

I talked about this in some previous posts on here but my fav book of all time is “Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine” by Gail Honeyman !!!!! I also am very passionate about “The uncaged sky: my 804 days in an Iranian Prison” by Kylie Moore-Gilbert (the audiobook version narrated by Kylie herself) and fav wholesome series has gotta be the Heartstopper graphic novels!!!! AHAHA again I could go on and on and on about why I love them all individually as they are all VERY DIFFERENT from each other, but I’ll literally be writing like 3 giant essays so I’ll stop myself now!! I will say, while it’s important we consume and love media that we don’t relate to to broaden our perspectives of life, it’s obviously easy to consume and love media that we see a small part of ourselves in and think this has a lot to do with why I love these so much!

3. The colour that makes you happy

Probably a dark green which reminds me of the rainforest:))))

4. Your favourite cereal?

I honestly don’t eat cereal and never really have :,) cereals were kinda demonised in my house as a child (almond mum tings?) but then eventually they weren’t anymore but I never rlly enjoyed their taste - this is such a sad answer but probably Kelloggs sultans bran LMAO. I haven’t had it for years but I rlly don’t mind it … I think it’s probably very different to American cereals cause it’s not sweet … one time I went to an American food store here in Aus and everything I tried taste like pure sugar and hurt my stomach so bad LOL never again I’m hoping and praying that Americans have other food options not featured in this store 😭 cos I understand some of it as a one off dessert but like everyday breakfast omg noooo I hope ur stomachs are ok

5. Your favourite gemstone?

I’m ngl I don’t have a super passionate answer about this one off the top of my head (sorry I’m such a boring person!!) I think they’re all so pretty!!! I gave them a google to try decide which I like most but it’s impossible .. I think I love any of the blue ones!! I’ll tell you one thing I rlly don’t love the yellow topaz cos I’m born in Nov and I see it on everything and I swear it’s the worst one imo like liteeally any other one I love! But I can still appreciate it ig :,)

6. Any activity you liked as a child and do you still like it now?

My biggest pain as a child was athletics!!!! I used to be competitive in 100m, 200m, long jump and triple jump :) sadly I no longer do athletics or compete but my passion for running/competitiveness lived on and by 15 I ran my first half marathon.. but from 17 onwards I got quite sick and was unable to run (minus a few little months of getting back into it over the yrs only to have to stop again) and now I’m 24 and finally getting back into it again.. kinda.. cos my health is still kinda shit but I’ll go for a lot shorter runs a couple times a week and hoping and praying my health gets better so I can proper get back into it.. not to compete anymore just for myself cos it’s one of the only things in this life that brings me joy :) I’ve also always loved taking photos although I’m not professional or anything it’s just been a fun little hobby I guess.. I have a few diff cameras but in currently trying (failing) to save for this new different one.. just waiting for my uni scholarship money this tri bc I’m too unwell to use it to go on a holiday atm I’m gonna use it to buy this camera I’ve been wanting oop :,) I’m a much bigger a fan of film photography over digital but the camera I’m planning on buying is kinda a combo of both eg. It produces images of a similar vibe to film photography but is actually digital so u don’t have to worry about wasting film :) it’s also a point and shoot, super small and can be taken anywhere which is much better than my current digital camera which is bulky and has a million settings idk how to use lol.

7. Have you ever read Lucy Maud Montgomery books?

I was about to say no I’ve never heard of her but then I googled it and saw Anne of Green Gables which I read when I was like literally 8… and as I’ve said in a previous post I never remember what I’ve read even if I read it two minutes ago bc adhd tings but I always remember how it made me feel - and I remember really enjoying it! Maybe I should give it a reread cause I barely remember what it was about :,) as for the rest of her books I don’t think I’ve read any! I love so much that you have a fandom page omgggg I wish I was that passionate about something !!!! PLS PLS give me recommendations if someone were only to read 1 of her books .. okay maybe 2 for now!!!!! I might actually give them a read :)))

Thank you thank you again for all ur kinds words I hope u have the most amazing day/night <33333 I appreciate u a lot!

[theclassclone]

Red Handed

Chapter 6

Word Count: 8,267 TW: Medical wounds, lack of medical attention, canon-typical Master List || Previous || Next

“Over the last few chapters of this very special Clone High Fanfiction,” Abe paused for dramatic effect, “clones were unfrozen, and they met a new group of clones. Joan of Arc used to be an outsider with a crush on Abe Lincon, but now she’s a popular girl and she’s dating the hunky JFK. Will it last? Will anything last? Does anything we do actually matter if it will all ultimately be forgotten to the sands of time?” Abe silently welcomed his new co-narrator.

“Enjoy this sixth chapter of Clone High. Or don’t, I would prefer that you don’t and direct all complaints to the complaint box.”

“CJ, you know they can’t see you, right? Also, that’s a trash can.”

“It sure is.” CJ cackled.

“RAUGH—!” She stumbled out of the lab, coughing and hacking. She hung her head and continued to lean forward, clutching her left hand to her chest—the middle of her hand and the joints between her palm and her fingers stung and throbbed, and her entire hand felt like it was on fire from within. “Mm-mph, mph, mph.” She pursed her lips to keep herself from indicating that she felt any such sensations. She inhaled shakily and looked down both ends of the hallway.

The hallway was still relatively empty, save for the few students that were relatively used to her lab-related shenanigans. She kept her right hand wrapped tightly around her left wrist and exhaled sharply after each shaky inhalation. She forced herself down the hallway toward her own locker.

“Hey, CJ—.”

“Not now, Confucius.” She seethed. “Not now.”

“Oh, okay.” He watched her dash sloppily down the hallway and disappear to the right of the building.

She approached the area in which her locker would be and knelt down to her locker and removed her trembling hand from her left wrist, while keeping her injured hand close to her chest. She hastily twisted the lock mechanism on her locker three times to the right to ensure that she can unlock her locker with her code on the first try (unless she magically screws up), she stopped on the number 08 after clearing her previous attempts to open her locker, then turned all the way to the left to the number 23, and finally she turned the dial back to the right to the number 63 and pulled the 0-99 tick marked padlock down. She pulled the padlock through the locker loop and pulled her locker open. Her locker was relatively neat and tidy; her first aid kit was tucked away in the back of her locker, she had a hook on the inside of her locker door for her car keys, a shelf that held an extra reusable water bottle (empty), and a tray for her headphones (dead), several wrapped up chargers, a charging pad, and a portable charger (also dead), and at the bottom of her door was a little magnetic holder that held a travel brush and a few hair ties and bobby pins—she was so prepared, she could live at school.

She dragged the first aid kit out of her locker and pushed her locker closed.

“Oh, wow, CJ, is that you? I didn’t know our lockers were so close together.” Abe called from the end of the hall. He waved excitedly as he approached her. “What’re you doing on the floor?”

CJ looked up at the taller clone, panicked. “Leave me alone!”

“Wait, what’s going on?” Abe asked.

She released the first aid kit for her grasp long enough for her to be able to latch the padlock on her locker again. She curled her fingers around the plastic handle of the first aid kit, struggled to her feet; she stepped forward and tumbled into the lockers. CJ grunted, “I said to leave! Me! Alone!” She ran away from Abe, dragging the right side of her body against the lockers until she pushed herself away from the metal doors; she staggered through the hallway once again, glancing back to make sure that Abe was not following her.

“Wait, CJ! Wait—!” Abe had called after her in near slow-motion.

She barged into the girl’s bathroom and assumed since it was still early, that it was still empty or even mostly empty. She ran up to the sink and ran the water over the grotesque wound on her hand—her hand was bloodied from the large gash across her palm and the several smaller wounds scattered across her hand and was severely discolored from the burns she received from the chemicals. She rinsed the blood off of her hand and tried to multitask with absolutely no counterspace; she used the sink next to her to hold the first aid kit as she rummaged through the plastic container, looking for anything to prevent infection in the lacerations and on the burns, first and foremost.

“Hey, uh, do you need some help with that?” A familiar Bostonian male voice emerged from one of the stalls and spoke over the loud noise of a public restroom. He approached the sink and washed his hands; he glanced over at the hand she had over the running water. “That’s a nasty lookin’, uh, cut you got there. Looks infected. Might wanna get that looked at by a real professional.”

“My God, Kennedy—!” She nearly shrieked. She withdrew her hand from the first-aid kit and hit her hip against the sink she had her left-hand in. “This is the girl’s bathroom, what are you doing in here?”

JFK laughed. “Everyone knows girls don’t go number two, so I use the girls’ bathroom.

CJ blinked at JFK, flabbergasted, and tucked her chin toward her body. She shook her head and removed her stiff and injured hand from the running water. “If you’re going to be a nuisance, at least find me something antibacterial.” She pointed at the first aid kit.

“I don’t have to, er uh, touch your hand, right?” JFK patted his hand dry with the brown, bag-like paper towels. He balled up the paper towels as he watched CJ shake her head; he tossed the paper towels toward the trash like he was trying out for the school’s basketball teams for the first time. He cautiously took a large step toward the sink that previously separated them and searched for something antibacterial—assuming he knew how to spell that or that he even knew what that meant. He shuffled through the different types of bandages, gauze, papers, bottles, and plastics. His eyebrows were knitted together in concentration as he grabbed much more than what CJ had asked him for. His eyes kept flickering toward her grotesque hand injury, trying to figure out what she could possibly use for herself other than something antibacterial. “What’d you, uh, do to yourself?” He bravely asked.

“Tch, you think I purposely did this?”

JFK set two different types of antibacterial products down on the edge of the sink he was hovering over. He held a roll of gauze between his index finger and thumb, surgical needles and thread between his ring and middle fingers, surgical scissors between his ring and pinky fingers, and a numbing agent in his left hand. “It was just a, uh, question. Do you get injured a lot? It, uh, seems like you do with all these fancy medical supplies.”

“I save money on medical bills by doing this.” She grumbled. “My work was… sabotaged; I’ve worked with this formula before. There’s no reason it should have… you know,” she motioned to her wounded hand, “unless someone else...” She mentally accused the only person she knew to accuse. “You can just set all of that outside of the first aid kit.”

She took some of the paper towels and blotted her disgusting wound and gently as possible as she experienced bouts of throbbing and burning sensations in her hand—her hand was extremely sensitive and uncomfortable, the skin itself was unlike to other would she’d ever had to deal with for herself before. It felt so blistered and swollen but it looked burnt, and it flaked in certain areas exposing raw skin. Her lacerations were slightly different, the large one on her palm split her hand and seemed like the two edges were raised (and it was certainly deep enough to require some manual closure and the damage was likely worse than what she was thinking it was), and she had little lacerations on the insides of her knuckles as well that weren’t as deep but were as just as unlikely to close without assistance.

JFK did as he was told; he then stepped away from the sink and turned his back toward CJ. He kept his eyes on the bathroom door and crossed his arms. “You seem to be havin’ a, uh, bad day. Mind if I treat you to lunch? It’s, uh, the least I could do.”

CJ inhaled deeply and shook her head. “Don’t worry about it. I’m sure you’re really only offering because I shared my lunch last week.” She focused most of her attention on taking care of her hand and not so much on talking to JFK, but it was a nice distraction from the pain of the antibacterial substances that she (tried to gently) put on her hand.

“No, let me get you lunch—!”

“No.” She leaned against the wall as she applied the numbing agent to her hand. “Don’t you have a girlfriend?”

“What’s that have to, uh, do with anything?” He tilted his head to the side.

CJ exhaled sharply. “I know you’re not really that stupid, so don’t play that game with me.” She fumbled with the packet containing her surgical tools, trying to open the paper bag with a single hand. “Unless you’re confused on what I mean, then that’s an entirely… different—I can’t open this stupid—it’s paper, why is this hard?”

JFK looked over his shoulder and held his hand behind his back. “Give it to me.”

CJ grumbled and quickly placed the protected tools in his hand. She heard him wrestle with the package for a moment before he swung his arm back behind him for her to take the package back; she grabbed the package. She sloppily fenagled the tools between her dominant hand and her unmovable fingers on her left hand. “You know, it’s kind of weird that you’re standing there with your back toward me.”

“Well, your, uh, hands all gross.” He defended himself. “But I still want to keep you company. And I, uh, still want to know what me having a girlfriend has to do with me, er, getting my friend, uh, lunch.”

CJ inhaled deeply and kept her eyes on the laceration across her palm; she very slowly closed the wound with substandard surgical stitching. “I shared my lunch with you once, we’re not exactly friends. Girls are also fickle creatures, Kennedy.” She spoke slowly, maintaining most of her focus on her hand. “Especially girls in relationships or girls trying to pursue relationships. Your girlfriend might not appreciate your gesture of buying me lunch, she might not have even appreciated my gesture of sharing my lunch with you when you’re the one that initiated that.” She winced as she poked herself in the wrong spot.

“Er, are you saying that she might be jealous?” He asked.

“I’m saying Tubman and Kahlo have mentioned something to make her jealous, but I can’t confirm that myself since I try to stay out of it, and I would prefer that it doesn’t turn out to be true. But I’m also not saying that your girlfriend isn’t the jealous type either, I don’t know if she is, I’m sure you should know that and you should know how to deal with it. I’m not exactly friends with your girlfriend, Tubman, or Kahlo and none of us are on good terms.” She secured her attempt at stitches across her palm. She opened the first aid kit again to see if she had something else, something less pointy and bloody to help the insides of her knuckles close. “Girls are like the movies, I think, they always have been.”

JFK looked over his shoulder. “You, uh, really believe that?”

She scoffed. She pulled a small tube of surgical adhesive out of the first aid kit and put the cap between her teeth to remove it. She used the adhesive on her middle, ring, and pinky fingers rather than trying to attempt a single stitch in each knuckle (it seemed pointless). She spit the cap out of her mouth and dropped the adhesive tube in the sink with the rest of her used supplies with the intention to clean it up when she was finished. “That’s all I see around here, what else am I supposed to believe?” She grabbed the roll of gauze and groaned. “Motherfucker—.”

JFK gasped and spun around to face her with a wide grin spread across his face. His smile faltered when he accidentally caught a glimpse of her hand; he turned back around and pressed his fist against his mouth. “Forgot, uh, about your hand for a second there. Still think you, uh, should’ve gone to a professional.” He coughed. “This is probably the last thing you want, but what if you went to that sleepover Joanie and her friends are having tonight so you could see what girls are like?”

“Wasn’t invited, wouldn’t go anyway.”

“C’mon! Maybe you’ll see Frida and Harriet are pullin’ your leg and Joanie isn’t jealous, and we can be friends.” He tried to convince her. “I’ll—er—I’ll have to try to convince them to invite you, I don’t think it’ll be hard! I can do it.” He grinned, yet again, from ear to ear.

CJ shook her head as she slowly wrapped her hand in gauze. “I just told you that I wouldn’t go and you’re telling me that you’re trying to get me invited to the sleepover? I’m trying to understand what you’re not understanding.” She knitted her eyebrows together and smirked. She secured the gauze on her hand. “My hand is covered, Squeamish.”

“Are you, uh, gonna call me that now?” He spun around to face her and pointed at her; he flashed her a partial grin. He approached the sink and helped her clean up her unethical and unsanitary medical mess.

She turned away from the sink and shrugged her shoulders; she walked away from the sink and tossed her used tools, paper towels, and other biohazard and trash into the nearest trashcan. “It would be funny if I did. But maybe I won’t.”

He shook his head and laughed. He tossed her antibacterial bottles, wound adhesive, and remaining gauze into her first aid kit for her. “Y’know, I haven’t seen anyone do that to ‘emselves, they usually go to a hospital, but, uh, to each their own. So, what do you what for lunch?” He closed her first aid kit and held it out for her.

CJ drew her lips back and raised her eyebrows slightly. She inhaled deeply and shook her head for what felt like the millionth time during her interaction with JFK. She washed her right hand and both of her arms and once more patted her hand and arms dry with the paper towels that were nothing more than folded brown paper; she dropped the paper towels in the trash and spun around to face JFK. She walked toward him and finally grabbed the first aid kit from his hands. She walked out of the bathroom with JFK in tow (which was surprisingly normal for JFK to walk out of the girls’ bathroom). He followed her back to her locker.

“You’re, uh, not giving me ideas.” He spoke up.

CJ grew a little miffed with his persistence on the topic after she gave him what she thought was a very valid reason to refuse lunch. “And you’re not letting it go.”

“I’m trying to, er, be a good friend here.” He insisted. “It’ll be fine. I’ll get you into the sleepover to, er, prove my point! It’ll be super fine!”

CJ rattled the first aid kit in her hand, frustrated with JFK’s continued persistence. She grumbled as she led him through the hallway; she snaked through the crowd of students that had appeared while she took her sweet time with her unprofessional and unethical care of her hand. “Okay! Fine!” She abruptly stopped in her tracks and turned on her heel to face the school’s football captain.

JFK stopped himself from colliding with his fellow student. “So?”

She pursed her lips and crinkled her nose. “Don’t-don’t ask me about lunch until after this sleepover you’re trying to make me go to, alright?” She pressed the base of her first aid kit into his chest to push him away from her.

“So, tomorrow I can, uh, buy you lunch?” He asked.

She inhaled deeply. “On the condition that you successfully convince your girlfriend and her friends to invite me to their sleepover and that this whole jealously rumor that Tubman and Kahlo might be instigating is just a rumor.”

JFK lifted his hands, level to his shoulders, and flashed her two thumbs up and a wide grin. “I’ll, uh, definitely get you an invite before the end of the day and you’ll see that Joanie doesn’t care about us being friends. They’re just fillin’ your head!”

“There she is!” Harriet gasped.

“Hey, Ceej!” Frida shut her locker door hastily and turned her back toward the rows of yellow-ish school storage units. She leaned over and peered around her eccentric friend. “A mutual friend of ours said JFK tried to make a bet with you but you couldn't because you didn’t have a sleepover to go to? That’s crazy, girl.”

Harriet leaned forward and whispered to Frida. “Didn’t JFK tell us himself?”

“Shh.” Frida looked back at CJ. “Hey, are you going to stop walking?”

CJ paused for a moment, briefly wondering what on Earth Frida was talking about. Up until she realized that maybe JFK kept his word, and he was going to convince his girlfriend and her new friends—Frida and Harriet—to invite her to their sleepover and this was the lie that he chose. “No, I have class to attend, and I don’t plan on ‘hanging out’ in the school’s hallway prior to class. I want to sit and be lazy—or rather get a head start on not paying attention to the teacher.” She paused in the middle of the hallway and glanced at the school’s resident skater girl and resident neon academia girl.

“C’mon girl, hear me out, we wanna help you win this bet against JFK.” Frida faced CJ and grinned. “Trick him into hosting a lunch for the entire table, if you catch my drift.”

CJ nodded slowly and grimaced. “So, you’re not only using me, but you’re using JFK. Aren’t you all buddy-buddy with him and his girlfriend? Just ask them to buy you lunch. You’re doing something… unnecessary.” She knitted her eyebrows together and tilted her head—JFK did find a way to convince Harriet and Frida to invite her to their sleepover after all. It was a fairly creative way to do it too. He faked an entire bet between them by using their real bet.

Frida rubbed her hands together. “I can smell a good Tex Mex lunch—uh, what—I mean, he laid it out flat for us. He has to survive one night with Confucius, and he’s never hung out or even had a full conversation with Confucius before today and if he loses, he’d have to buy you lunch. You have to survive one sleepover; he gave us the low down on that, and we decided that we should invite you to ours—.”

“Did you just say Confucius is as bad as three people?” Harriet asked in a low voice.

“What? No.” Frida chuckled. “You might need to change your bet, girlfriend. You’re dealing with three people; JFK only has one. You might owe him three lunches if you lose.”

“Ha-ha.” CJ mocked. “That’s so funny, I told him that I would find someone that I would like to have a sleepover with just as he found Confucius.” She crossed her arms and tucked her left hand into her lab coat in an attempt to hide her gauze wrapped hand. “I told him I wasn’t looking to do something so last minute either, I don’t know why he said something to people who look for last minute plans at every waking moment of their lives. I can’t always accommodate something so last minute.”

“Why not? I mean, you can tell us, right?” Harriet asked; she clasped her hands together and leaned into Frida. “We’re literally in the student council together, you can tell us anything.

CJ drew her eyebrows together. “You must have me confused—. Not everyone has cool foster parents, I don’t know what you’re expecting me to say.” She outstretched her right arm and looked between Frida and Harriet as if they had known better (and in all honesty, yes, they should have known that not every person could join plans on a whim, even if that was not technically CJ’s case), but CJ was also not going to outright tell them that she doesn’t trust them. “I’ve got a newborn dinosaur that I lab-created and there’s no one home to watch him for me, so, no I can’t just join your sleepover.”

Harriet’s irises shrunk; her eyes widened, and her eyebrows rose. “You mean lizard, right? Reptile? Not a real dinosaur?” She backed up into the trashcan behind her, clutching her closed hands to her chest. She laughed nervously.

Frida gawked. “I knew you locked yourself in that lab all the time—.”

“I don’t lock myself in the lab all the time.” She corrected Frida.

“Yeah, yeah, whatever. Did you make the dinosaur here or…?” She learned forward, filled with curiosity for CJ’s prized science experiment.

“No amount of you asking me about the dinosaur is going to change my answer because I still do not have someone to take care of him.” CJ repeated herself. “He’s not a typical house pet, he’s a prehistoric creature.”

Frida hummed and straightened her posture; she held her hands behind her back. “Well, that’s not gonna stop me from at least tryna invite you. I think you deserve to win that lunch. For all of us.” She tried to further convince CJ to come to her sleepover.

“A dinosaur.” Harriet squeaked.

“Kahlo, I’m not going to use my, erm, bet to feed you.” CJ tilted her head to the side and leaned away from the student body president and the student body committee chairperson. She slowly raised her right hand—her hand shook ever so slightly with her unspecified medical problems—and pointed toward Harriet. “You might want to console your big baby though.”

Frida whipped her head around and peered behind her at Harriet, who had since moved behind the trashcan and partially hid behind it. Harriet pressed her body into the lockers and stayed out of the conversation that Frida and CJ were having due to her apparent fear of dinosaurs—which CJ considered to be an odd fear, only because CJ had an affinity for such creatures (and the cloned one). She couldn’t quite understand or gauge the severity of Harriet’s fear, but she heard the rattling of the locker doors against Harriet’s shaking body. Harriet’s eyes were still wide, and her irises were still small and wavering. “I am not a baby.” Her voice even shook and was pitchy as she tried to defend herself against CJ’s comment.

“Nah, she’ll be alright in a bit, she’s not a fan of the idea of dinosaurs.” Frida looked back at CJ. “Find a sitter, girl. You can find one—oh, bring the dinosaur with you. Wait, don’t do that.”

“Yes, don’t do that.” Harriet quivered. “Bad idea Frida.”

Frida stupidly grinned at CJ. “Do you have a picture?”

“Um—?”

“Of the dinosaur.”

CJ nodded slowly. “I assume you want to see what he looks like.” She pulled her phone out of her back pocket and unlocked her phone by typing her password in with her right thumb. She tapped through her phone quickly and pulled up a picture of her dinosaur and flipped her phone toward Frida and showed her the dinosaur in question.

Bones, fresh out of his egg and several days into being alive, was very dark with a glimmer of red where the light reflected off of what were his scales. The top of his head was mostly flat, he had two horn-like bumps where his crest was to begin to grow to full size as he grew. He had black to red gradient and thin frills on either side of his head that he was barely able to control at his young age. His body, albeit small, was shaped like an ostrich body with arms instead of wings. CJ showed Frida several days of photos, and like most animals, Bones’ progress was fast-moving in so few days.

“He looks wicked—he right?” Frida tried to grab at CJ’s phone.

CJ pulled her phone toward her body. “Yes, he’s wicked.” She deadpanned, repeating Frida’s compliment. “He’s not made entirely of Dilophosaurus DNA because dinosaur DNA is never complete, there’s always going to be some kind of gap. I filled his DNA in with chicken and frilled-neck lizard DNA because the chicken is the closest living relative to the dinosaur and the frilled-neck lizard was just to get the desired appearance.” She closed her photo application and locked her phone.

Harriet slid down the lockers. “Oh, my God.” She exhaled in terror.

“Because he’s male, he’s expected to be highly territorial. I’m expecting to see behaviors from the chicken—which was a very specific breed—and the frilled-neck lizard as well.” She put her phone back in her pocket. “I’ve been documenting his behaviors and how I care for him; I plan on creating different types of dinosaurs in the future.”

Frida nodded slowly. “Whatever you said, girl. What’s his name?”

“Bones.”

“I kind of expected somethin’ super nerdy, Bones works too.” Frida drew her lips back and crossed her arms.

“Revoke the invite! Revoke the invite!” Harriet forced the air out of her lungs. “She doesn’t have to come; she has that thing to take care of!”

CJ nodded. “I couldn’t agree more.”

“I don’t even understand why you decided to make that creature! Those-those movies told us exactly why we can’t—we shouldn’t make dinosaurs, and you didn’t listen! You’ve killed us all!” She slowly rose, pointing a shaky finger at CJ and still pressed herself against the lockers; she raised her voice at CJ accusing her of doing something wrong.

“To be fair the movie lore uses frog DNA to fill in the gaps of the dinosaur DNA and everyone knows that frogs can change gender. There are a variety of species that can change gender, I’ve seen cases of female chickens changing gender—though extremely rare. I think you should look up the fascinating literature on that across the different species in the animal kingdom, you’d be surprised at just how many species can just change at the snap of the fingers.” CJ almost gloated over her scientific knowledge.

“A-alright, but what of you dilo-dil-dipo-dipopo-the dinosaur you made?” Harriet aggressively waved her index finger at CJ.

“What about him?”

“Will he change? Will he eat me when he gets bigger?” She asked in a panic. “How are you so calm about bringing a dinosaur back from the dead? Is he slimy? I—what is wrong with you?”

CJ shrugged her shoulders. “The only time that Bones was slimy was when he first hatched because he was covered in the amnionic fluids of his egg—I can’t be certain, but the combination of DNA might have contributed to his embryotic development. He’s somewhere between altricial and precocial—which are bird terms about the type of care he would require after hatching.” She explained, capturing the attention of both Frida and Harriet (despite Harriet’s fear).

“Wow.” Harriet pulled her hand back toward her chest.

“He’s also still young, I have no idea if he’s going to eat you. He might, he is a dinosaur, he is prehistoric, he is primitive.” She emphasized his place in the animal kingdom. “I also don’t really consider this bringing him back from the dead as much as Principal Scudworth brought us all back from the dead. Bones is technically still just a clone of a dinosaur, all I had to do was fill in the missing gaps of his DNA.” She spoke nonchalantly.

“Girl…” Frida exhaled.

“I think I just learned more from you in less than 15 minutes than I did in school in the past 10 years.” Harriet laughed nervously. “And this entire conversation was nothing but horrifying.”

CJ hummed. “Nothing I said will ever be useful unless you go into, I don’t know, birds.”

“You’re still invite—.” Frida started.

“No.”

“Fine by me.” Harriet slowly pushed herself off of the lockers. She stepped away and reached over the trashcan and grabbed Frida’s arm. “C’mon Frida, let’s go before class starts.”

“I’ll text you the address anyway, it’s at Harriet’s house.” Frida pointed at CJ as Harriet began to drag her away. “I want more pics of Bones!”

“No.”

CJ sat on the couch with her feet up on the coffee table; Bones was curled up on her stomach, simply resting after a long day of running around the house. She flipped through the TV channels trying to find something to put on in the background or to actually watch (either way, she was probably going to end up scrolling through the same two social media applications). After what seemed like an eternity of not being able to find anything worthy of being background noise on the TV, she just shut the TV off and yawned. Bones picked his head up and glanced at his creator. He, too, yawned and flared his frills. He shook his head, brushing his frills against her arm; he put his head back down on her stomach and exhaled sharply. She dropped the remote by her side and draped her right arm over her prehistoric pet.

Mr. B rolled into the living room and paused upon seeing CJ and Bones. “Why are you still here?”

“That’s kind of rude.” CJ scoffed.

“I thought you had a sleepover to go to.” Mr. B clarified. “I heard you were invited to your first sleepover, Wesley.”

CJ exhaled sharply through her nose and flared her nostrils. “Heh, and leave the dinosaur with the likes you and Scudworth? He’ll be dead before I see him after school tomorrow, no thanks.”

“Just take him with you.” Mr. B suggested. “I’m sure your friends said you could do that if you’re that worried, Wesley.”

She leaned her head back onto the couch and shook her head. “Yeah, no. Tubman is terrified of dinosaurs, I guess,” she rolled her eyes. “They gave me a free pass to stay home, which I think is bogus, this isn’t something that’s required. So, I’m confused about the entire thing. If I say no, my answer is no and I’m not going. There’s no room for negotiation. I’m not asking for a free pass, and I don’t need one.”

Mr. B rolled his eyes at her miniature monologue. “I think your peers might have just wanted you to attend their sleepover, but your too stubborn and stupid to read between the lines.” He looked at her, with his typical unamused robotic expression. “Is it really that hard for you to trust me to take care of Bones for one night?”

“Mm,” CJ glanced toward the ceiling. “I’m stupid now.” She chuckled to herself. “Anyway, seeing as I’m not dead, I could trust you to take care of Bones, but I also don’t want to go to that sleepover.” She scrunched her nose and squeezed her eyes. “Do you see my dilemma?”

Mr. B hummed. “I see an adolescent that continues to be a pain.”

CJ nodded her head slightly against the couch. “Obviously, I’m an adolescent. And I’m a pain. What else are adolescents good for?”

Bones exhaled sharply and stood up; he pressed his foot on CJ’s injured hand and scampered across her legs. CJ seethed and pulled her left hand away from Bones’ foot as he stepped off of her hand. She placed her hand against her clavicle and pressed her jaw down on her fingers. She bit her bottom lip and glared at the little dinosaur as he tried to nibble at a book that Scudworth had left on the coffee table (possibly with the intention of reading, but it had been sitting there for… months…? untouched…). Bones gnawed at the book, pushing it with his large, reptilian head. He also tried to clamp his mouth around it to lift it (and maybe put it back down, or eat it, or throw it, who actually knew what he intended on doing with it once he was able to get it in his mouth). He kept hitting his nose against the table and bringing his head back up, each time without the book in his mouth (but a few torn pages between his teeth, at least); he opted for the easier option this time, he simply pushed the book off of the coffee table with his nose and peered down at it with a single eye after it landed with a thud against the floor.

Mr. B stared at CJ’s wrapped hand. “Are you going to tell me about that?”

“Are you going to tell me why you took Scudworth’s side?” She scanned the butlertron; she waited for him to answer her and when he didn’t, she continued to speak: “Wait, don’t tell me, it’s because of your long and convoluted backstory.”

He looked down at the ground and glanced in the direction of the TV. “Wesley…”

“Remind me, Uncle B, were you built to be some poor boys twin or were you built by Scudworth?” She pointed a slender index finger at Mr. B. She withdrew her and pressed it against her right cheek.

Mr. B continued to stare at her.

“That’s what I thought.” CJ smirked. She draped her right hand across her body and gripped her upper arm. She smirked at Mr. B. “Don’t ask me about this,” she lifted her head and picked her hand up off of her chest, “if you won’t answer me.”

Bones jumped off of the coffee table and rolled into the couch. He jumped up to his feet and momentarily inspected Mr. B; he tilted his head to either side and inspected the robot’s red sweater vest, three legs and three wheels, claw-like hands, and metal body. Bones stepped forward slowly and extended his nose toward Mr. B. He sniffed him and immediately withdrew himself from the robot. Bones hissed at Mr. B and flared his weak-infant frills, his tail shot straight up, and he backed up under the assumed safety of CJ’s cold, reptile-like half-hug.

“Bones.” CJ kept her arm over Bones and leaned her head down toward his. “He smells weird, I get it, none of that though.” She ran her hands down the sides of his head, pushing his frills down. She repeated this motion several times until his frills stopped popping back up. “He’s not edible.” She cupped his jowls with her left hand and simply patted the top of his head with her right hand.

“Strange.”

CJ hummed. “It’s only strange because you and the other freak of nature like ‘real’ pets—you know, furry animals, animals that are not considered exotic, animals that are not lab created, not farm animals.” She ran her hand from the top of Bones’ head down his back to ease his stress. “He likes rabbits. I don’t understand why he likes rabbits. Just… just look at them.” She stared off into the distance then shuddered.

Bones wiggled free from CJ’s grasp and turned around beneath her legs. He jumped and tried to grab the TV remote in his mouth; he repeatedly jumped and nabbed at the remote with his mouth. He grabbed it with his teeth and dragged it off of the couch. He looked between CJ and Mr. B, with the remote still hanging from his mouth, and scampered off toward Scudworth’s home office.

“Bones!” CJ looked over the back of the couch.

Bones slid across the floor and turned to face the couch. He stomped his feet against the floor aggressively and lowered his body, threatening his creator. He kept his frills down and kept the TV remote in his mouth.

“C’mon, Bones, that’s the TV remote. I’ll need that tomorrow.” CJ slammed the palm of her right hand down against the top of the couch three times in a row to grab the dinosaur’s attention. “C’mon. Com’ere.”

Mr. B watched her and her pet dinosaur. “I really think you should go to this sleepover. You’ve never been to one, this will be good for you.”

“Good for me? Or good for you and Scudworth?” She faced the TV again and kept waving her hand.

Bones began his speedy trek back into the living room, as told by the clacking of his nails against the hardwood floor. He slid into CJ’s view, colliding with the wall next to the TV. CJ stopped waving her hand as Bones was back in her line of sight. Bones trotted between Mr. B and the coffee table and spit the TV remote out of his mouth in front of CJ’s foot. CJ leaned forward and lifted him back onto the couch; Bones immediately began running laps back and forth across the couch and over CJ’s lap.

“For you to make friends.” Mr. B told her.

She exhaled sharply. “Yeah, okay, sure.” She grabbed at Bones each time he passed over her. “You have plans with Scudworth, don’t you?”

“Not exactly.”

“Eugh, you’re doing the thing again—that thing you do.” She exhaled sharply. “You have plans.”

“Well no.”

“Stop that.”

“I can watch your dinosaur, Wesley.” Mr. B tried to assure her.

She shook her head. “I’m not leaving Bones with you—either of you—to fuck off to some teen-girl sleepover that I don’t even want to attend! I’m better off taking Bones and sleeping in the parking lot of the Grassy Knoll!” She began to raise her voice at Mr. B, agitated with his attempts to get her out of the house.

Mr. B blinked at CJ. “You are so negative.”

Bones jumped into CJ and flopped onto the couch; CJ slid onto her side and wrapped her left arm around her curious and playful pet. Bones rolled around beneath her arm. She propped her head up on her right hand and grinned as Bones wiggled and rolled against her. He pressed his feet against her chest, her stomach, and her arm. He bumped his head against hers and her arm. He chirped like a little bird and did his very best to roar like an adult dinosaur (the best he could do was a baby snarl).

“Bones will be in good hands.” Mr. B tried to assure her again.

She glanced over at Mr. B with a flat affect, despite the slight pain of Bones’ claws and the pain sensation from her hand being in such close proximity to Bones’ movements. “Again, I can believe that because I’m certain the only reason I’m not dead is because you live here. We literally have a chalk board dedicated to counting the number of days without incidents in this house. It’s at zero. It’s been at zero for the last six months because it’s always something. Whether it’s me, or him, or… well, to be fair he walked out of the kitchen while he was cooking and set the entire kitchen on fire because he can’t cook and he left the kitchen unattended, so incidents aren’t limited to our inability to get along.” She slipped her hand from beneath Bones and winced.

“You need to stop harping on recent things, Wesley.” Mr. B Rolled his eyes.

CJ huffed. “You need to stop harping on recent things.” She mocked. “Fuck off, huh?”

“I think you need to get out of the house,” Mr. B paused. “Or are you going to sneak out later like you have been?”

CJ glanced around the room, avoiding Mr. B’s gaze. “It’s been, what, a week-ish since school started? You reprimanded me ONCE for not informing you that I would be out and about and past curfew, and you allegedly have proof that I snuck out once since then. Which I don’t believe that you have proof of that.” She clenched her jaw and tried to pat Bones with her bandaged hand; the gauze kept getting stuck on his scales, leaving behind strings and frayed ends. “And you’re trying to give me shit for harping on something. Right.”

Mr. B just stared at her.

“I will dismantle you and sell you for scrap.” She told him.

“You say that all the time, Wesley.”

CJ rolled her eyes. “You say that all the time, Wesley—fuck you.”

“I’m still here, not scrap.” He reminded her.

She groaned and pressed her forehead against Bones’ nose. “If I go to this stupid sleepover, will you leave me the fuck alone for the rest of the year about any and all bullshit?” She asked. “No dumb shit, don’t ask about any bandages or medications, nothing. Don’t even so much as look at me in the morning when I look like death because, yes, I did just crawl out of a fucking 12-foot hole in the ground, thanks for asking.”

Mr. B rolled his eyes at her again.

CJ inhaled deeply and grabbed her cellphone out of her back pocket. She leaned back against the couch while Bones continued to cut the circulation off in the only hand that was able to properly use her phone. She slowly clicked through her phone. “I’ll send you everything I’ve accumulated from my research. He’ll need his least meal of the day, do not over feed him and so help me if I find out that you have given him treats, I’m coming for blood.” She glared at Mr. B through the space between Bones and her arms. “Put him out in his enclosure at 8:30.”

“Any wiggle room?” Mr. B requested.

“What?” She raised an eyebrow.

“Does it have to be 8:30 on the dot?” Mr. B asked again.

CJ glanced around the room. “Um, I guess not. I don’t understand why you’re asking.” She looked back at the butlertron. “He’s a prehistoric dinosaur, he shouldn’t technically have a routine, but he shouldn’t technically be in the house either.”

Mr. B blinked. “I see your point.”

“I still don’t see the point of your question though, but at least one of us gets it. Do not let Bones bite Scudworth, he’s been trying to do that lately. I can give you plenty of reasons why he would try, but I don’t need my dinosaur actually going around with the taste of flesh.” She told him. She slowly sat up and pulled Bones along with her. She scooped him off of the couch and stood up.

“The what?”

“The taste of flesh.” She repeated. “He’s been trying to bite Scudworth.”

“Oh, Wesley…” Mr. B slowly rolled back toward CJ and Bones.

CJ placed Bones on top of Mr. B’s head. “He’s an angel otherwise.”

“I watched you wrestle him.” Mr. B said.

CJ stared at Mr. B with a blank expression; she blinked then glanced at the areas surrounding Mr. B and Bones. “Yes, well, he’s a dinosaur. The term angel is used very loosely. It’s a very flexible term for someone as atheist as myself.” She drew the corners to her lips back. “Dinosaurs aren’t religious either. I’m going upstairs now, this is a test, have fun.” She quickly turned on her heel and walked away from Mr. B and her genetically modified pet.

CJ ran up the stairs and slipped into her room; she slammed the door behind her (although, completely unintentionally). She pulled her closet door open and rummaged through her closet to pull her coffin-shaped weekender bag out. She flung it toward the center of her room. She continued rummaging through her closet for a set of pajamas that she could use for the sleepover—something basic, an oversized t-shirt from her favorite TV show and a pair of shorts that matched one of the colors in the image on the shirt—she tossed the pajamas over her shoulder and onto her weekender bag. She pulled a pair of red plaid pants off of a hanger and tossed them over her shoulder, followed by a white turtleneck body suit and a black silk tank top, and a matching pair of black combat boots (because she can’t wear her Renoirs with the outfit she tossed onto her weekender for tomorrow). She stepped away from her closet and stepped over her weekender to get to her nightstand. She grabbed all of her medication bottles and her glasses case and tossed them on her bed (she believes she has less pill bottles than her clonefather, but she’s not entirely sure). She turned on her heel and stepped over her weekender again to get to the other side of her room; she rummaged through her dresser and threw more things on top of her weekender or bed (including but not limited to a 3-piece travel bag for her necessities because the majority of her dresser is not used for clothes, underwear, socks, and her personal first aid kit for her hand.

She kicked everything off of her bag and threw it open and started packing her bag and grumbling about how stupid it was that both JFK and Mr. B had successfully conned her into going to this stupid girl-sleepover. She made sure her combat boots were in a bag designated for shoes and she packed a bag chosen for dirty clothes. She just had this thing about that. She tossed her first aid kit and glasses case on top of her clothes. She stood up and threw her medication into one of the 3-piece travel bags; she tucked all three pieces under her arm and went into her bathroom and started chucking items into each travel bag without much thought or care—with the exception of her toothbrush, that had to be completely covered or something, she wasn’t going to toss it haphazardly into a travel bag with-with hair product or shower product or whatever travel bag it ends up fitting in. She stared down at the 3-piece set and mumbled. “Meds, brush, conditioner, wash, loofa, toothpaste, deodorant, face wash, serum, face meds, moisturizer, contacts, solution…” Her mumbles trailed. She closed two of the three bags and bent down; she opened the cabinet beneath the sink and looked for something to throw her toothbrush in. She was almost certain there was something there. Unless she threw it out. It has been a while since their last vacation. She cackled and grabbed the clip-on toothbrush protector. She stood up and gave it a quick clean before clipping it on her toothbrush and tossing her toothbrush in her travel bag.

She scooped the travel bags up in her arms again and dashed from the bathroom back into her room. She dropped the travel bags into her weekender; her weekender looked almost entirely full; she had enough room to somehow squeeze her bookbag in there. She pulled her phone charger from the wall and stuffed it in her bag, she pulled her wallet and her car key from her bookbag and jammed it into her weekender. She grabbed the weekender with her right hand and the tips of her fingers on her left and jogged out of her room. She listened to the sounds of Mr. B screaming and rolling after Bones as she slowly and unsteadily made her way downstairs.

She glanced at the living room and tucked her chin to her chest and drew her eyebrows up and together. She pulled the corners of her lips back and realized it really wasn’t Bones that she had to worry about. It was Mr. B and Scudworth. Bones trotted around the couch with Mr. B’s sweater vest in his mouth (or at least part of it) and pillow stuffing stuck to his hand.

Mr. B stopped rolling and stared at CJ. “I don’t know how this happened.”

She pursed her lips and nodded slowly. “Well, Bones seems pleased with himself.” She tried not to curl her lips into a smile; it looked strained, and her eyebrows were still drawn together and pulled upward. “I seemed to have underestimated the prehistoric lizard and overestimated your abilities to survive him.” She tiptoed toward the dining table and slipped her mini bag off of the dining chair that she typically occupies. “Quite frankly, now I wish I could stay and witness the horrors, but I suppose if I don’t see you at school tomorrow, I can safely assume that Bones chewed through your wires.”

“Wesley…!”

“Have fun with that. Uh-BYYYEEEE!!!” She ran for the front door and flew outside.