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daisynik7 · 2 years

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A Bento for Kento

Chapter 3: Love Language

Pairing: Nanami x f!reader

Word Count: ~4.1k

cw: none, just fluff and delicious food

Summary: You do some internet sleuthing. Ren visits Jujutsu High for the first time. Nanami keeps a secret in his pocket. And a wild Gojo appears!

Notes: This chapter’s bento is inspired by this recipe: Chicken Meatballs. Thanks for all those that have read, reblogged, liked, and/or commented so far, hope you’re enjoying it!

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A Bento for Kento Masterlist

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This week’s bento features teriyaki chicken meatballs over a bed of white rice with a side of steamed broccoli. You elegantly drizzle teriyaki sauce on the top, the finishing touch is a sprinkle of sesame seeds. Aesthetics matter, you think to yourself, impressed by your arrangement. You repeat the meticulous process inside the Hello Kitty bento box.

When you’re done, you admire your creation. An idea pops in your head, inspired by the many viral videos you’ve watched. As a cute, personal touch, a small note can be included in the meal. It’s usually words of affirmation, sometimes even a funny joke. You take two sticky notes from your desk and write a different message on each, smiling proudly as you insert each one inside the cover of the containers.

Ren comes out of his room, ready for his Monday lesson. He joins you at the table to eat breakfast. “Morning, sis!”

“Morning! Are you excited for your lessons this week?” you ask, taking a bite out of your toast.

“Yeah! We might do one of our lessons out of the office. Nanami said he wants to show me around the school. I’m excited.” He takes a forkful of eggs into his mouth, grinning.

“That sounds fun. It’s nice to change scenery once in a while.” You take a sip of coffee. “So do you like your mentor? Nanami, right?”

“Yup, he’s pretty cool. At first, he seems super serious, which he totally is. But I think we’re getting along well. He knows I’m taking these lessons seriously. I think that’s why he likes me.”

“Is he the grumpy old teacher type?” you ask, jokingly.

He chuckles. “He’s definitely grumpy. But he’s not old. He’s probably your age.”

This sparks your curiosity. You can’t help but wonder what he looks like, just to put a face to a name.

Ren continues. “Anyways, we’re making a lot of progress together. He’s a really good teacher. He’s opened my eyes to a lot of things.”

Part of your smile fades as you say, “Well, it sounds like you’re learning a lot from this Nanami guy. I hope you’re not planning on replacing me with him.” You’re kidding, of course, though there is a hint of actual jealously there.

Smirking, he reassures, “Don’t be jealous, sis! He’s not as fun as you are, trust me. I told you, he’s super serious. Sometimes I wonder what he does fun. He probably reads.”

“Hey, there’s absolutely nothing wrong with that!” you exclaim, throwing a grape at him. “He sounds interesting. I should meet him one day, just to size him up.”

In all seriousness, you actually want to check this guy out, confirm that this man isn’t negatively influencing your sibling in any way. You still have no idea what these “lessons” consist of, or what this Jujutsu High is. This creep could be teaching your baby brother how to be a deviant.

Finished with breakfast, he gets up to retrieve his backpack, bentos packed securely in place. “You have nothing to worry about. He’s a good guy.” He pats you affectionately on the shoulder before leaving.

You sit at the table for a little while longer, contemplating while you play with the stray crumbs on your plate. Minutes later, you text Ren:

You: What’s your mentor’s full name again?

Ren: Kento Nanami

Ren: why?

You: just curious, thanks!

Let the internet sleuthing begin.

~~~

This week, Nanami plans to take Ren on a tour of Jujutsu High. He insisted Gojo visit sometime on Monday to give Ren an overview of the rules and general layout, hoping to prepare his student before he first steps foot on campus. It can be overwhelming for a first timer, he’s well aware of that.

As expected, Gojo does not give him an exact time for when he’ll arrive. Nanami’s attempts at extracting an answer from his flake of a friend are useless. I’ll get there when I get there, Nanamin! I’m a busy man! is all Gojo texts him, after being pestered for the third time about his current location.

The day isn’t wasted, however. In typical fashion, Nanami planned accordingly with some new material to teach Ren, already predicting this type of behavior from Gojo. Lunch time approaches and he still hasn’t shown up. Growing impatient, Nanami decides to take their break now. If Gojo pops in while they’re eating, he’ll just have to wait.

Ren hands the Hello Kitty bento box to Nanami, this gesture becoming a small tradition between them. “Thank you, Nakamura,” he says, walking over to his desk. “I’m going to the break room to make my tea. Would you like anything from the vending machine?”

“Hm, maybe a Pocari Sweat?”

After Nanami brews his tea and a purchases Ren’s beverage, he returns to the room, ready for another delicious treat courtesy of the older sister. As he sets the drink on Ren’s desk, he sneaks a peek at his open container, spotting meatballs and some type of glaze over a bed of rice. The smell is intoxicating, his mouth watering from the inviting aroma.

Surprisingly, the food is untouched. Usually, when Nanami comes back from the breakroom, his student is halfway finished with his meal. He glances over at Ren to see what’s distracting him. He is staring at the inside cover of his bento box, a warm smile spread across his face.

Curious, Nanami asks, “Is everything alright?”

He looks at Nanami and answers, “My sister left me a note.” He flips over the cover to show it. In neat handwriting, the memo reads:

Happy Monday, booger! Have the best day ever!

A little heart and smiley face are scribbled at the end.

Nanami raises a brow, amused. “Booger?”

Ren chuckles. “Just a little nickname she calls me sometimes. Maybe there’s another one for me in your box! Can you tell me what it says when you see it?”

Agreeing, Nanami sits at his desk. For some reason, he’s nervous to open it. As if he’s intruding on something intimate, something personal. He uncovers it slowly, examining the top for a note. In the same handwriting as the other, a message is displayed:

The world is a better place with you in it. Always remember that.

There’s strange tightness in his chest upon reading those words. He glances at Ren, who is now his normal self, devouring his meatballs whole. Focused back on his desk, he quietly takes the note off the cover and pockets it.

Ren, mouth full, asks, “Is there anything?”

Nanami contemplates for a few seconds, then responds, “No, there isn’t.” He starts eating a meatball, which tastes even better than he imagined. Though, his mind is distracted by the fact that he just lied about something so trivial, so insignificant. Why?

“Ah, okay.” Observing his own note again, Ren laughs. “Can’t believe she’s still calling me booger! Ha!” He takes a sip of Pocari Sweat and continues to eat, blissfully unaware that his own mentor is hiding a secret in his pants pocket.

Nanami stuffs more food into his mouth in silence, questioning his own motives regarding this damn piece of paper. His hand slides into his pocket, feeling for it, remembering the words scrawled over it.

The world is a better place with you in it. Always remember that.

He knows it wasn’t written for him. Of course he knows that.

However, there’s an odd sensation coursing through his being. An unusual tightness in his chest spurred by a simple statement attached to the back of Hello Kitty’s face. Whatever this sensation is, Nanami reasons that this is what compelled him to lie about the note.

A few more moments of contemplation, he realizes something as he finishes his last meatball. The true reason why he is acting this way.

He wants to pretend it’s for him.

Gojo finally arrives as soon as Ren and Nanami are finished with their food. “Hello, my dear friends!” he greets happily.

Nanami wipes his mouth with a napkin and closes the box. Just as he’s about to hand the empty container to Ren, his friend squeals, “Nanamin, wait. What is that?!” Even behind the blindfold, it’s obvious that Gojo’s eyes are filled with glee.

“It was my lunch,” he answers, nonchalant.

Gojo’s grin widens, as he squeals again. “I need to take a picture of this! You and Hello Kitty! Nanamin, this is just adorable.” He takes his phone out and starts snapping away before Nanami can hide his face behind his hand.

“Stop it. You are awful.” He slides the bento over to Ren, still trying to conceal himself from his annoying friend’s ridicule.

Gojo turns to Ren, showing him what he captured. “Isn’t this so precious? Little Nanami with Hello Kitty. This day can’t get any better.”

They giggle with each other while Nanami sighs heavily, palm pressed against his forehead in aggravation. “Can we just get on with this, Gojo? And delete those photos immediately.”

“No way. The world is better a place now because of these,” Gojo teases, swiping through his phone, a smug grin plastered on his face.

Nanami begins to blush, remembering the note. He sticks his hand in his pocket and feels for it again, making sure it’s still there. He clears his throat, speaking a bit louder. “Okay, enough. Let’s move on.”

After more snickering between Gojo and Ren, they finally get back on track. As Gojo introduces Jujutsu High to Ren, Nanami takes this opportunity to zone out. He stares at his desk, thinking of food, Hello Kitty, and his dumb friend taking those incriminating photos. Occasionally, he brushes his hand over his pants, rubbing the outline of the note. The one that is not his. What’s the harm in pretending? It makes him feel good. It makes him feel appreciated.

He slyly removes it out of his pocket and sets it inside his suitcase, where it’s safe. The last thing he needs is Gojo having any more leverage against him than he already has. If it accidentally falls into the wrong hands, specifically Gojo’s, he’d never hear the end of it.

~~~

During your break, you decide to investigate Ren’s teacher. You type the name “Kento Nanami” into the search bar. The top result is a blog post from a finance company you’ve never heard of. Clicking on it, you notice the article is a few years old. It features five different employees from the company, each one having a picture with a small blurb beside it. You scroll towards the middle of the page and find what you’re looking for.

Name: Kento Nanami

Age: 23

Position: Senior Stockbroker

About: Kento Nanami is one of our youngest and most successful stockbrokers. He started working for our company straight out of high school and has excelled ever since. Hobbies include eating, drinking, cooking, and reading. He enjoys helping others and has been an asset to us during the onboarding process for new employees. His favorite part of working for this company is the salary because it helps him fund his addiction to bread.

You laugh out loud at the last part. Then, you notice his picture. It’s a professional headshot, probably taken in the office for the purpose of this post. His blond hair is parted on the side with loose strands falling over his forehead. He has a sharp nose and cheeks that are slightly sunken, maybe due to the stress of being a stockbroker. The spotted tie he’s wearing over his navy-blue button up stands out. It’s an interesting pattern, but for some reason, it works. His expression is neutral, neither smiling, nor frowning. He looks serious, just as Ren described him.

You stare at him a bit longer and you smile to yourself.

He is handsome.

But why the sudden change in career? Based on his description, he was doing well as a stockbroker. Why would he leave? And what exactly is he teaching your younger brother? Surely it isn’t lessons on stockbroking. Or is it? Is this some sort of pyramid scheme? They have their lessons in an office building, which is very suspicious to begin with.

You continue your web search and find nothing else outside of his previous occupation in finance. He doesn’t have any public social media pages and there is nothing mentioning current employment. Curious, you search Jujutsu High, only to be redirected to pages related to Jiu Jitsu, the Brazilian martial art. Anything related to Jujutsu doesn’t exist on public record.

Your inner alarm bells are ringing. This is strange. You’ve made it almost a month blindly trusting your brother, not asking too many questions. How much longer can you hold out for? You have no clue what Ren has gotten himself into and the constant mystery surrounding it has you worried.

Also, you know nothing about this Nanami fellow. He could be a creepy cult leader or a shady ex-stockbroker roping innocent youths into a Ponzi scheme, hiding behind an attractive suit and a pretty face. Either way, it’s suspicious.

Retrieving a small journal from your drawer, you jot down questions you want to ask Ren. You need answers to give you peace of mind. The rest of the summer can’t go on like this. If something terrible were to happen to him, you will never be able to forgive yourself. You have to know the truth.

~~~

On Wednesday, Nanami brings Ren to Jujutsu High. He can tell that Ren’s mind is blown as soon as he steps foot through the protective barrier, jaw dropping and examining the campus, speechless.

They walk through the training grounds, watching students spar with each other. Ren observes them carefully, looking away briefly only to scribble notes. They watch for nearly an hour, Nanami explaining their moves and typical training regiments that are expected of first years.

Their tour through campus continues. Ren gazes up at the buildings, appreciating the architecture. It reminds Nanami of his experience as a Jujutsu High student. He doesn’t dwell on the past all too often but being here makes him reminisce, as if he never left.

Currently, there are no classes in session, so they take this opportunity to peek into each of the empty classrooms, ending with Gojo’s. There are plenty of windows, a sparse number of desks, and one big blackboard, displaying the remnants of whatever was taught in the most recent lesson. Nanami takes a couple of minutes to go over this with Ren.

Afterwards, they decide to take their break in one of the courtyards. Nanami is handed his usual bento box with Hello Kitty. He looks around to make sure Gojo isn’t nearby to tease him. With the coast clear, he uncovers the container, finding a note attached to the inside again. He purposefully positions himself across from Ren so that he can read the message in secret. Glancing over at his student, who is distracted by his own meal, Nanami focuses on the familiar handwriting:

Have the best day ever! I love you!

Followed by three hand drawn hearts in a row.

His lip twitches into a small smile, admiring the words in front of him. Once again, he removes it and secures it in his pocket. He’s not exactly sure why he’s keeping them. Maybe he likes having it within reach for a quick pick-me-up. Yesterday, he met with Gojo to exorcise a low-grade curse, and when he was home, he took Monday’s note out of his briefcase to read it again: The world is a better place with you in it. Always remember that.

The words replayed in his head as he soaked in the bath that night. It lingered in his mind as he prepared dinner, even when he was in bed, staring up at the ceiling, trying to fall asleep. That message gives him validation. What he’s doing now as a Jujutsu Sorcerer, and even as a mentor, makes a difference in the world. He is important.

However, this new note offers a different reaction, right in the pit of his stomach. A strange, fluttering feeling. He can’t remember the last time someone told him, “I love you.” In fact, he’s barely heard that phrase throughout his entire adult life.

Is he this desperate for affection? Enough to pretend that these words are actually for him? He’s actually envious of Ren for having someone like this in his life. A person who constantly reminds him how much he is loved, how special he is to this world. When will Nanami experience this for himself? He wonders if that will ever happen.

He catches himself, scoffing as he continues to eat. It’s silly, sentimental, and immature for him to be feeling this way. This is unlike him.

Ren breaks the silence, bringing Nanami back from his deep thoughts. “Hey Nanami, words of wisdom from my sister. ‘In life, we should all aim to be like meatballs: Well-seasoned and well-rounded.’” He flashes a smirk as he lets the joke sink in.

Nanami genuinely chuckles at the corny pun. “Clever.”

“She made huge ones today, just for fun. Wanna see?” Ren offers, scrolling through his phone. He faces his screen towards Nanami, showing a picture of a woman around Nanami’s age, wearing a black apron over pajamas. She smiles brightly at the camera, holding two massive meatballs in her hands, like trophies.

“She was so proud of them she had me take a picture,” Ren laughs, pulling his phone away.

It isn’t the giant hunks of meat that captures Nanami’s attention. It’s her smile, bright and endearing. Inviting and welcoming. The second thing he notices are her pajamas, obscured partially by the apron she wears over it. They are wasabi green in color with different types of sushi as the pattern. It’s cute. As much as Nanami despises using that word, there’s no other way to describe it.

And it’s not just the pajamas. She is cute.

He almost chokes on his meatball upon this revelation. Guilt sweeps over his body, ashamed that such a thought comes to his mind in front of his student. In front of her brother. He doesn’t even know this woman. One picture and he’s already thinking she’s cute.

A blush creeps up on his cheeks as he clenches his jaw, uncomfortable with the flurry of thoughts rushing into his head. He tries his hardest to stop thinking of her, but it’s too late. He imagines her standing in front of him smiling, holding out the Hello Kitty bento box filled with glorious food, reciting the words she scrawled on those pieces of paper.

The world is a better place with you in it. Always remember that. I love you, Nanami.

His entire face is hot, certain that it’s red all over. Thankfully, Ren is distracted by his phone as he munches on a piece of broccoli lazily.

Nanami can’t believe himself. He’s making up scenarios in his head about a woman he’s never even met before. No one should see him like this, so it takes all his willpower to calm down and remove all these ridiculous thoughts from his head.

With perfect timing, Gojo joins them in the courtyard, eating an apple and chatting with Ren. He takes a moment to tease Nanami, Hello Kitty still in front of him, but he doesn’t have the energy to care. Instead, he’s focused on appearing calm and stoic.

He decides for himself that he wants to know more about Ren’s sister, mentally noting what type of questions to ask without giving his true intentions away. Ren constantly praises his sister, it’s only natural for Nanami to wonder what she’s really like. The woman behind the bento.

It’s just curiosity, Nanami tells himself. That’s all it is. Nothing more.

~~~

Friday arrives and you send your brother off with his two bentos. Tonight, you’re going to demand the truth. Not every single detail, but anything to put your mind at ease. You plan to butter him up first by going to the local street food fair and buying him all the Yakitori he desires. Then, maybe after some delicious soft serve, you’ll ambush him.

The best plans begin with food, right?

~~~

Gojo suggests taking Ren on a low-risk mission, which Nanami hesitantly agrees to. He’s aware his pupil will not be the one fighting; he’s only there to observe. Still, he’s nervous. Although more mature than some other kids his age, he is a child that Nanami has temporarily taken under his wing.

On Friday, they stay in the office for the first half of the day, going over every possible detail he can about this mission. They agree to eat before heading out, following their usual routine: Ren distributes the bentos, Nanami heads down the hall to brew his tea and grab a drink from the vending machine for Ren. The two of them sit at their desks, eating their lunch while exchanging casual conversation.

Today, Nanami’s note says: Can’t wait to spend this weekend watching movies and baking cookies with you!There’s a doodle of the Cookie Monster surrounded by chocolate chip cookies. He takes it, sliding it into his briefcase, wondering what movies they enjoy watching together. He smiles thinking of the cookies, how wonderful their house will smell as they bake in the oven.

He looks over at Ren. “Any words of wisdom today?”

Ren shakes his head and responds, “Nope. All she said was ‘Happy Friday to the best brother ever.’” He stares at the note with a small frown.

“What’s wrong, Nakamura?”

He sighs, setting his fork down. “I don’t know. I feel guilty. I haven’t told my sister anything, and she’s been so great and supportive, but I just…” He stops, unsure what to say next.

“I understand where you’re coming from. What we do...well, it’s not easy to explain.”

“Exactly. Like, what do I even tell her? Hey sis, I think my biological parents were involved with some curse users and killed. Then I somehow inherited these strange powers and now I can see curses. How crazy would she think I am?!”

“Well, that is the truth, isn’t it?”

Ren scratches his head anxiously, not responding. Then, Nanami says, “You always talk about how supportive your sister is. Don’t you think you should give her some credit? She might be more understanding than you think.”

Still frowning, Ren replies, “Yeah, maybe you’re right. I just have to tell it to her straight and hope for the best. I mean, we’re going on a small mission today, right? We might be going on bigger ones in the future. What if something happens to me? She’s gonna see my mangled body and not even know what happened. I can’t do that to her. I won’t do that to her.” He goes back to eating his meatball, brows knit in deep thought.

Nanami is honestly impressed. Ren is a teenager, but he’s surprisingly mature and responsible. “So, do you think you’ll tell your sister tonight?”

“I think so. We’re planning to go to this street food festival nearby. Once we’re full of Takoyaki, I’ll tell her.”

Sounds fun, Nanami muses. “I hope your talk goes well.” He gives Ren a small smile, then returns to his lunch.

“Do you like street food, mentor?” Ren wonders, sipping on his drink.

“I do. I like Takoyaki as much as anyone, but I’m partial towards Taiyaki.” Pancake batter filled with sweetened red bean paste and shaped like a fish. Of course it’s Nanami’s favorite.

“Ha, you’re the same as my sister. She loves Taiyaki.”

Grinning, he wonders what other foods she might like. What other things they have in common with each other. Trying to play it cool, Nanami asks, “What’s your favorite, Nakamura?”

“Oh, it’s definitely Yakitori. I love meat!” Ren exclaims. He turns to face Nanami. “Hey, do you want to go to the festival with us? I’m sure my sister wouldn’t mind.”

Nanami’s heart thumps, actually considering it. Street food on a Friday night sounds amazing, but he should decline the offer. Tonight will be important for both Ren and his sister. The last thing they need is a gloomy Nanami hovering over them like a rain cloud.

“That’s alright. You have important matters to discuss, so I don’t want to intrude.” He pauses for a few seconds before adding, “But thank you for the invite.”

Ren smiles politely. “Maybe next time then. I’d really like you to meet her.”

Nanami thinks it at first, then decides to say it out loud.

“I’d like that, too.”

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332 notes · View notes

ideas-4-stories · 8 months

Note

NOOOOOOOO I LOST THE AU I WROTE FOR YOU 😭😭😭 I LITERALLY SENT IT AND TUMBLR SAID "NETWORK ERROR". L FOR THE WIFI. L. Not cool I'm literally crying I thought that AU was genius. It was a Teacher!Buggy AU with Crocomom and Dadhawk. + Shanks co-parenting Luffy with Crocodile. That note was so long I literally spent like 45 mins writing it here on your ask and it was just. Gone. Or I think it did. Why does life hate me. I'm just gonna be brief with this cuz I still think it's golden lmao. Croco and Mihawk work long hours so their kids (Luffy, Zoro, Perona) have to wait for a few hours until they're picked up by their parents. The school doesn't have school buses bc I said so (no I am not cruel it's just out of my budget /j). So Buggy takes the responsibility to keep them comfortable and entertained while they wait. Croco and Mihawk meeting this charming (and clown looking) blue-haired guy and they start courting him. Shanks gets dragged in on the courting bc of Luffy. Also he was already courting Buggy. I didn't write their process of courting I basically skipped and went,, their wedding will take part in a Goth castle. And the design are all sunshine and rainbows (literally). Sanji, Usopp, Nami, Vivi, Zoro and Luffy being in a class along with other kids. Franky, Robin, Jinbei and Brook are in higher classes. Chopper is atom. Not here in the world yet. Perona is like, 2-3yrs older than her brothers so. Yeah *awkwardly shuffles* (I love perona I swear-). Implied Zosan. Some rando: but you didn't imply shi— Me: Shhh I did. *gaslighting*. Law is also there in the classroom with lower grade strawhats. He's suffering. He only attends 3 days a week tho, he's mostly homeschooled bc of his sickness. He's homeschooled by Cora. (You can pry Law and Cora from my cold dead hands. You can separate them when I dissolve into ashes). Don't worry as he gets older his sickness is cured. Ofc he's cured by Cora. He's saved by Cora in every universe. In every AU. Every Era. Every life they will ever live. I will die on that hill– *applies the nobody dies/everyone lives tag on this AU* let my babies be happy pls. Let my man Cora live and travel the world with this emo boy (Law). Doffy isn't real, he can't hurt anyone. Ace is there. Sabo is there. Every One Piece character is out there somewhere. They're like hidden stones and you have 0.02% of finding them. I thought I was just making a Teacher!Buggy AU but then it turns into a Modern!AU for everyone. Let's gooooo. Sora divorces with Judge and remarry with Zeff so now Sanji lives with all his brothers and his sister. They get separate classrooms tho, and reiju is perona's age so she's besties with her. (I do not play by canon's rules with ages bc i live in my own world) They both tease their brothers (Sanji and Zoro) about their crushes on each other. The heart crew is there. Bepo is a dog, a very fluffy one. Kuina is alive. Kaya is there, same classroom with Usopp. I have no idea how to continue this lmao, but I do hope you find this interesting bc Buggy is 100% great with kids and probably teaches well bc he is a big nerd and makes lessons interesting. (Also, the whole reason why I wrote this instead of letting the idea slip through my mind like the others is bc the image of two goth men courting a clown looking mf was funny to me. So here we are lmao. The way I wrote this makes Shanks look like he's the person they let into their open relationship twice lol I'm so sorry 😭😭)

Nooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

That's really sad, I really like this idea (though I see Shanks and Buggy more as siblings, but I understand the idea of Shuggy) It's fine that this became about so many people, I really like this.

Teacher!Buggy sounds so cool, you know that he's the flashiest and maybe one of the craziness of the things he'll do to get his students good things that will boost their learning. He knows that every kid might not have the same learning paths as others.

How many classes does this man teach? Who knows, too many for how much he gets paid. All teachers needs to get paid more.

I would think Jinbei and Brook being other fun teachers in the school, like Tom could be as well!

I really like this idea, and the imagine of two gothic men trying to court a clown-looking mf is really funny to me as well.

49 notes · View notes

digenerate-trash · 1 year

Text

All of my teacher head cannons are based on my experiences with real teachers.

that being said:

More teacher head cannons!!!

(this time I rated them on how well I think they would be as a teacher)

Doren

Lowkey would fuck a student if they got consent.

Gives off “I have a daddy kink” energy but not the cool kind

Calls students Good boy/girl to gauge their reactions.

Will give extra homework to the whole class if one dude pisses them off

Has a ‘I’m the cool’ teacher thing going on but is really the most uncool bitch in the whole world.

Would spit on you if he could get away with it.

Is absolutely a bitch that says “I don’t know CAN you?” when you just need to piss

Will put stickers on your tests that say generic shit like “good job” and “wonderful”

No one gets graded above a 95% because he personally believes that he knows better than every student and even some teacher's real “I'm the smartest man in this school” energy

Will put on movies at the end of the year because he doesn't feel like teaching the last week

Overall 2/10 I’m not learning shit in this class (out of spite.)

Mason

Needs approval from everyone for everything.

Probably just learning the ropes as a teacher

The cool teacher.

Everyone wants a piece of this man and he just wants to swim

Could literally convince him the sky was purple he's a gullible mess

Gym body but puppy personality

Would throw hands at anyone who harassed any of his students.

Gentle teaching methods. Sometimes super effective but some students use it to coast

Super easy to get sidetracked

Undiagnosed ADHD man

Students openly flirt with him and he's got no clue how to respond so he's just like “Haha good joke”

Would not fuck a student no matter what,

Clueless about other teachers and the inner politics going on at the school

Stay in his lane king

Absolutely started off as a lifeguard and doesn't know how his life got here

6/10 I’m a big fan of your class but it's only because it's easy.

River

Virgin.

Has a full life outside of school

Like two years away from retirement

When the class gets too out of hand wants to curl up and die right there

Stressed as hell 24/7

Never married never will be

Teaching style is harsh as hell but will stay after school or give up their lunch break to help out students who are struggling

No days off in this class it doesn't matter if your exams are done. School is school and you will learn as long as you are here

Doesn't play favourites but he seriously should.

Hates Doren (just has a bad feeling about the dude)

5/10 I'm trying my best dude please stop saying you know I can my reach potential if I applied myself. Its math. I'm not gonna apply myself

Sirris

Says she “knows what I'm going through” but I doubt her science teacher was a MILF.

Why are you always wearing low-cut tops???

At least one rumor about how a student fucked her over her desk and it was so good she hentai came.

Gentle teaching style but doesn't take any shit.

Has considered slapping students but never would

Personal stories that tie into the lesson somehow

Talks all the time about how much she loves her kid and how much of an angel he is

Would love to get a tiny kiss on the head from her. Please

She brings a lot of momma bird energy to the class.

Will touch your shoulder very gently

Will then look over your test and say to the whole class “Remember to read the questions on the test carefully”

A student has absolutely called her ‘mom’ by accident and she feels flattered by that

Will put on bill nye on Fridays after a test to give everyone a break.

8/10 Either adopt me or let me make out with you. I'm dealing with confusing feelings!

Winter

Bro if Sirris is a MILF winter is like a super MILF with no kids.

Big BDSM lesbian energy.

Her weekends are booked solid and she has no time for school life to get involved with that.

Wears SFW leather accents all the time no matter the weather.

Has decided that instead of gray hair they want platinum blonde and they are rocking it

Calls her students good boys/girls out of habit.

Absolutely could beat any of the other teachers in a fight.

She's super passionate about history and has several antiques which she considers priceless.

Students who mock her subject are always sorry after she lectures them.

She's happy to help students during lunch. But not after school. She has boundaries

Overall 8/10. Im not confused. Fuck me into the historically accurate pillary with your massive strap. Im fucking ready.

Leighton

Evil.

Will fuck students without their consent

Absolutely blackmails students and teachers.

Dude jacks it under his desk at school while he watches porn after using his admin pass to get passed the website blockers.

Will send teachers an NSFW link and then mark them for disciplinary action for clicking on it. (Mason will fall for this trick every time)

Has never and will never hire an outside consultant or HR representative claiming its a ‘waste of resources’

Dude will rub his hard dick on your back while you're sitting in his office for detention.

Piss kink. Don't ask me for evidence. I just get this /feeling/

Will take a long weekend more than a couple of times a year just for the fun of it. But will never allow the same grace to any other teacher.

Has a file of his favourite students that he meticulously plans to molest. It's like a black book.

Bro obviously watches teacher/student porn or 18yr/old man porn at school.

Teaching style is fucking old school. Reinforcement through pain/ruler. Writing lines. Detention sessions are just holding a penny between your knees and standing in the corner with a dunce cap on.

Plays favourites but if you are his favourite fucking watch your back.

0/10 I’m not learning shit. And also I dread office visits. If you touch me I'm calling the police.

#dol content #degrees of lewdity #degrees of lewdity teachers #doren the english teacher #mason the swimming teacher #river the maths teacher #sirris the science teacher #winter the history teacher #leighton the headteacher

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secretgamergirl · 5 months

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"They Don't Teach Kids About Computers These Days!"

I see variations on this a LOT these days. Sometimes it's people in their teens/early 20s being frustrated at how they're expected to know everything about computers, sometimes it's college professors straight up HORRIFIED when they realize they have students who don't have any understanding that their hard drive, a school's internal network, and on a public website are completely distinct places for a file to be located, and I kinda figure the weird stress a lot of people seem to have about the concept of getting a game and not having it just go into their Steam library specifically is a related issue.

Now on the one hand, obviously, I sympathize with this. I have a series of posts on this blog called How A Computer Works, because... I want to teach people about this stuff. (That's still ongoing by the way, I've just got a lot else going on and need to settle on the scope of the next lesson.) On the other hand, uh... I'm from the generation before the one that apparently has all the computer literacy problems, and nobody taught us this stuff in school... and the next generation up wouldn't possibly have had access. So was anyone taught how to use them?

Now I say "they didn't teach my generation how to use computers in school" but that isn't technically true. I see a lot of people call people my age "the Oregon Trail generation" when this topic comes up. Sort of on the edge of Gen X and Millennials, going through school in that window where Apple had really really pushed the Apple ][ on schools with big discounts. And they did have "computer classes" to learn how to do some things on those, but... that isn't really a transferable or relevant skill set.

Like, yeah, if you're below the age of let's say 30 or so as of when I'm writing this, the idea of what "a computer" is has been pretty stable for your whole life. You've got some sort of tower case, a monitor, a keyboard, a mouse, and in that tower there's a bunch of RAM, a processor, video and sound cards of some sort, and a big ol' hard drive, and it's running Windows, MacOS, or some flavor of Unix going for the same basic look and functionality of those. It's generally assumed (more than it should be, some of us our poor) that a given person is going to have one in their home, any school is going to have a whole room full of them, libraries will have some too, and they are generally a part of your life. We can probably make the same sort of general assumption about IPhone/Android cellphones for the past what, 15 years or so too, while we're at it. They're ubiquitous enough that, especially in academic circles where they're kind of required professionally, people are going to assume you know them inside and out.

Prior to the mid-90s though? It was kind of a lawless frontier. Let's say you have a real young cool teacher who got way into computers at like 5 years old, and now they're 25 and they're your computer class teacher in the mid-90s. The computer they got way into as a kid? It would have been this.

That's not a component of it, that's the whole thing. A bank of switches for directly inputting binary values into memory addresses and some more switches for opcodes basically, and then some LEDs as your only output. Nothing about this is other than the benefits of fundamentally understanding some low level stuff is going to be useful at all in any sort of practical sense if you sit down a decade later with one of these.

This at least looks a bit more like a computer you'd see today, but to be clear, this has no mouse, no way to connect to the internet, which wasn't really a thing yet to begin with, and no hard drive, even. You did not install things on an Apple ][. You had every program on a big ol' floppy disk (the sort that were just a circle of magnetic film in a thick paper envelope basically and were, in fact, floppy), you would shove that in the disk drive before turning the machine on, it'd make a horrible stuttering knocking sound resetting the drive head, and just read whatever was on that right into memory and jump right on in to running Oregon Trail or a non-wysiwyg text editor (i.e. there's no making bold text appear on screen, you'd just have a big ugly tag on either side of your [BOLD>bold text<BOLD] like that). It was not unlike popping a cartridge or disc into an older video game console, except for the bit where if you wanted to save something you'd have to take the disk out while it was running and pop a blank one into the drive to save to.

So when I was a kid and I'd have my "computer class" it'd be walking into a room, sitting down with one of these, and having a teacher just as new to it as I was just reading out a list of instructions off a sheet like, "flip open the lock on the disk drive, take the disk out of the sleeve, make sure it says Logo Writer on it, slide it in with the label up and facing you, flip the lock back down, hit the power switch in the back of the machine..." We didn't learn anything about file management beyond "don't touch anything until the screen says it's done saving to the disk" because again, no hard drives. I guess there was a typing class? That's something, but really there's nothing to learn about typing that isn't where every key is and you only (but inevitably) learn that through practice.

Now, overlapping with this, I eventually got myself a used computer in the early 90s, very old at the time, but not as old as the ones at school. I had a proper black and white OG Mac. With a hard drive and a window-based operating system and everything. And... nobody taught me a damn thing about how that one worked. My mother just straight up did not touch a computer until something like 2001. I didn't really have any techie mentors. I just plugged it in and messed around and worked everything out. Same way I worked out what I was doing with older computers, mostly on my own at the local library, because that computer class wasn't much, and how I was totally left on my own to work out how to hook up every console I ever owned, which was slightly more involved at the time.

That forky bit in the middle was held in place with a pair of phillips headscrews. Had to keep the VCR and cable box in the right daisy chain order too.

Enough rambling about how old I am though. What's the actual disconnect here? How did my generation work out everything about computers without help but the next one down allegedly goes dear in the headlights if someone asks them to send them a file?

Well first off I'm not at all willing to believe this isn't at least largely a sampling bias issue. Teachers see all the clueless kids, people asking online for help with things is more common than people spontaneously mentioning how everything is second-nature to them, etc. Two things stick out to me though as potential sources of the issue though:

First, holy crap are modern computers ever frail, sickly little things! I'm not even talking about unreliable hardware, but yeah, there's some shoddy builds out there. I mean there's so many software dependencies and auto-updating system files and stuff that looks for specific files in one and only one location, just crashing if they aren't there. Right now on this Windows 10 machine I've got this little outdoor temperature tracker down in the task bar which will frequently start rapidly fluttering between normal and a 50% offset every frame, and the whole bar becomes unresponsive, until I open the task manager (don't even have to do anything, just open it). No clue what's up with that. It was some system update. It also tries to serve me ads. Don't know if it's load-bearing. Roughly every other day I have to force-quit Steam webhelper. Not really sure what that's even for. Loading user reviews? Part of me wants to dig in and yank out all this buggy bloatware, but I genuinely don't know what files are loadbearing. This wasn't an issue on older computers. Again, screwing around with an old Apple ][, and old consoles and such, there wasn't anything I could really break experimenting around. It was all firmware ROM chips, RAM that cleared on power cycling, and disks which were mostly copy-protected or contained my own stuff. No way to cause any problem not fixed by power cycling.

Next, everything runs pretty smoothly and seemlessly these days (when working properly anyway). Files autosave every few seconds, never asking you where you actually want to save them to, things quietly connect to the internet in the background, accessing servers, harvesting your info. Resolutions change on their own. Hell emulators of older systems load themselves up when needed without asking. There's a bunch of stuff that used to be really involved that's basically invisible today. The joke about this being "a 3D print of the save icon" already doesn't work because how often do you even see a UI element for saving? When we still used disks regularly, they held next to nothing and would take like half a minute to read and write.

And don't even get me started on launchers and start menus and all that.

So... basically what I'm getting at here is if you feel like you never learned how to properly use a computer, go get your hands on an old computer and mess around. There's yard sales, there's nice safe runs in a browser emulators, hell there's kits to build your own. That or just look for someone wearing like a Mega Man T-shirt or playing a Madonna CD (hell maybe just any CD these days) and start politely asking questions, because again just because everyone who knows this stuff just had to work it out on our own doesn't mean you should have to.

#computers #education #technology used to move fast #yes i used to have a tv like that and it took two people to move if you ever needed to get back behind it or you'd just climb over the top

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multimilfs · 2 years

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Melissa Schemmenti x Fem!Reader: (Friends don't) have conversations with nothing but their eyes

Summary: "Please, stop smiling at me like that. I'm not sure what will happen if you keep doing that."

A/N: This is based off of a prompt that you can find here! This was so lovely to write aaaaaa

Tag List: @ghostsunderstoodmysoul @escapetodreamworld @greenawaysprentiss @multifandomfix

Warning(s): None

Teachers talk. Between the grading and planning and herding of students, it's what they spend the most time on. You learn who to trust and who to avoid pretty quickly, but the only way to get the whole story is by listening to everyone. Unless you can get it from the source.

When Janine slips into your classroom on your lunch and sets down a foil-wrapped plate with a triumphant smile, you lean back and raise an eyebrow. Last time you heard, Janine was an awful cook.

“What’s this?” You ask and can’t help but smile at the way Janine is bouncing in place.

“Unwrap it.”

You do, shaking your head affectionately. When the foil is pulled back and a smell eerily similar to the sacred Schemmenti marinara hits your nose, your stomach grumbles. The look of the spaghetti isn’t as consistent but the smell is similar enough.

“It smells great, Janine,” You say, taking the offered fork, “Where’d you get it?”

“That’s the best part—I made it!”

Thoughts in your mind come to a screeching halt. You freeze, your fork mid-twirl in the noodles. Janine’s smile is bright and she’s watching your every move with a hawk-like sight. She’s too excited to be lying, but there’s no way this is her cooking. Where would she have gotten Melissa’s recipe? The one time you’d asked to see the recipe Melissa reacted like you’d spit in her face.

Some digging was needed, it seems. Barbara would probably be able to tell you what all of this was about. She had a front row seat to everything regarding Janine. You’d know quickly if Janine happened on a curiously similar recipe or if Melissa had lost it.

Janine must have seen the look on your face—or maybe she just wanted to talk—because she launched into an explanation that’d sure to have her out of breath, “Melissa let Jacob and I come over for a cooking lesson last night and we made enough so everyone could have a portion. I never learned how to cook as a kid, so it was really cool of her, and I wanted you to try it even if you’re busy.”

Interesting. Looks like you’d be going to Melissa instead.

You could count on one hand how many coworkers Melissa invited to her house, yourself included. The idea of her teaching Janine and Jacob made you feel fuzzy inside. She was bolder, more crass at home, but just as honest and patient. You’re almost sad you didn’t witness it.

To appease Janine, you take a bite, and close your eyes in bliss. It’s not perfectly Melissa’s—a little bitter, like someone let the garlic cook too long—but it’s great. And for someone who supposedly couldn’t cook beyond cup noodles a few days ago, it’s pretty damn impressive.

“This is great, Janine,” You praise, “I’m really impressed!”

Janine’s face lights up and she lets out a small, but happy, noise. Even with all her apparent joy it’s almost like she’s folding in on herself, shy about receiving the praise and being so eager to hear it. You reach out and take her hand.

“Really, it’s amazing. You got any parmesan?”

And when she pulls a grater and block of cheese seemingly out of nowhere, you let out a bark of laughter, and try to ignore the way Janine’s eyes water.

—

“So,” you announce your presence, walking into Melissa’s classroom, “A little birdy told me you had visitors last night.”

Melissa glances at you over her glasses, looking you up and down briefly. Her eyes return to the papers on the desk in front of her, “I’m not sure what you mean.”

“Mhm. So you didn’t have Janine or Jacob over for a cooking lesson?”

“Nope.”

“And you’re not having them over again tonight?”

The hand holding her marking pen twitches. She doesn’t say a word but her glare says everything. Your smile gets bigger, something like affection swirling in your chest.

There’s a million things on the tip of your tongue, but you bite them all back. It took three years of being coworkers before she called you by the right name. Inviting you to her home had taken another two.

You know how much the gesture means to Janine and the invitation alone speaks volumes on Melissa’s behalf.

“It’s sweet that you’re doing this for them. Janine especially. It means the world to her.” You say softly.

“Yeah, well. I was tired of smelling pork rinds.”

Nodding, you can only smile; it’s not a blinding, full-teeth grin, but something softer—a subtle pull of your lips and barely-there crinkle of your nose. Your eyes drip with fondness as you watch her, trying so hard to focus on her grading, but when she meets your eyes the pen slips from her fingers. Melissa stares back as if caught in a trance. She pulls the glasses off her face and polishes them on her shirt.

“Please, stop smiling at me like that,” Melissa says, trying and failing to give her voice an edge, “I’m not sure what will happen if you keep doing that.”

All of the feelings you’ve tried to dance around must show on your face. Your soft smile turns nervous. You’re under no illusions that Melissa doesn’t feel the same way; you’ve known for a while now—thank you, Barb—that there’s something unspoken in the way she speaks to and touches you.

This is the first time you’ve heard her admit anything.

A flutter of nerves blooms in your stomach as you lean forward into her space. Melissa swallows. Her eyes dance over your face. You close the rest of the space and press your lips to her cheek, heart squeezing at the shaky breath she releases. If you linger, neither of you acknowledge it.

You want more and you know she does too, but you want to hear her say it. And until she does you’re content to linger in her space a little longer than a friend should.

“Have fun tonight, Schemmenti,” You whisper. Her eyes flutter open and you read the want on her face while pulling away, “Bring me a plate?”

“You know I will.”

True to her word, there’s a plate with your name on it the next day, delivered by Melissa instead of Janine. And if she leans in a little too close or her hand lingers on your arm, well, that’s between the two of you. What the other teachers don’t know won’t keep them from talking.

#melissa schemmenti #melissa schemmenti x reader #abbott elementary #abbott elementary x reader #melissa schemmenti imagine #abbott elementary imagine #wlw #wlw imagine #multimilfswritings #oct2022

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dearestones · 1 year

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Muscle Memory Part Three (Azul Ashengrotto and Reader)

Warnings: Exploration of merfolk culture, elaboration on certain aspects of canon lore, bullying, mentions of blood and gore, etc.

@lottieinlimbo Request: Hi Devin!!! Congratulations on the 750 followers :D!! Your writing is incredible, you have more than earned your success!!!! I’m here to steal the final request slot! There were a lot of cool prompts that would have been fascinating with multiple characters, it was hard to choose! But I’m thinking “why did you help me?” With Azul could be really fun, maybe something platonic? I’m really excited to see what you do with this, congrats again on 750 followers!!

To be clear and frank, you were a physical therapist interning at a government facility on a small island not many people knew about. You were not a teacher. You were not meant to be someone others sought out for counseling. That said, you did attend a workshop about empathy and you completed a semester on the principles and strategies of health education. If pushed to it, you could teach a class on how to prevent injury during exercise and what to do after recovering from hospitalization, but you wouldn’t say that you were qualified to settle petty squabbles between teenagers.

The day started out like any other. You woke up, went into the cafeteria after grooming yourself and had enjoyed a meal that was savory and warm. After a cup of coffee, you retreated into the labs to take stock of the recently delivered potions and reviewed your notes from yesterday. The session with your batch of merfolk wasn’t until the early afternoon (mornings usually consisted of lectures on land culture, reviews of previous lessons, and perhaps a few quizzes if their instructors were so inclined), but you wanted to be at the top of your game. You were one semester away from graduating and that meant that you couldn’t tolerate any mistakes.

Soren, an early riser like you, teased you for studiousness until you reminded him that he was the same.

“I always wake up early.” He defended himself. “Unlike you, though, I happen to be spending most of my time playing games.”

He then shoved his phone in front of your face until you were assaulted with images of famous idols dancing and singing to the most popular music. Try as you might, you ended up spending a half hour watching memes and making crude jokes before the both of you finally settled down.

At some point, your supervisor had bustled in, face shiny with sweat and her eyes preoccupied with important matters that you and your fellow intern had refrained from making a smart comment or a joke. It was clear from the beginning of your internship that while your supervisor was nicer than most, there were still limits to her mercy and that if she showed signs of taking her job seriously (not that she ever fully let her guard down since there was always a risk of lawsuits), so should you.

Upon seeing the both of you, she charged forward and set a sheaf of documents upon the lab table. As one, both you and Soren took in the contents and then—

“Damn,” Soren whistled. “You seriously weren’t kidding when you thought one of yours would end up quitting. I thought the second day quitters were a myth.”

Your eyes traced over the letter that she had submitted. It was well written, if a bit hastily scrawled, but there was a hidden strength in your classic mer’s words. It was brief, but Adria conveyed how happy she was to have received this rare opportunity to attend land boot camp, but she realized how much commitment and sacrifice it took to live between two seemingly different, uncrossable worlds. After explaining that she was not strong enough to continue with the rest of the training, she ended up thanking you personally by name.

After confirming that you were done scanning the letter, Soren turned it over to find that there was a signed NDA.

Of course, there was no need for bad press considering nothing bad happened yesterday.

Just a scared little girl who needed more time to process.

“You get used to it, Soren.” You put Adria’s file into a cabinet for future safekeeping. Knowing the bureaucracy and red tape that governments were so fond of, you didn’t doubt that they had already scanned and uploaded the letters and pertinent documents into a virtual archive. “Some merfolk love the idea of getting legs, but don’t understand how much pain and willpower it takes to achieve it for full time use.”

“Yeah, yeah,” he waved you off. “I saw you eyeing the other groups yesterday. What do you think? Other quitters in our midst?”

You shrugged, not wanting to contribute to such negative talk about the merfolk. It wasn’t their fault that accessibility to the transformation was fraught with complications and pain that had not yet been fully circumvented.

“I think all three of mine are staying… and if I’m not mistaken, I think your twins are staying too.”

Soren rubbed the bridge of his nose before shooting you a dark look. “If you say it, you’re manifesting it. Shut up.”

“Isn’t it our job to convince them to stay?”

“Shut up!”

After a brief lunch, Soren, your supervisor, and yourself made your way back to the boardwalk. Today, the three of you were early, which meant that you and Soren were busy splashing each other in the water while your supervisor studied the beach for any misplaced trash or pretty shells. She wasn’t strict, relatively speaking, but it shocked you sometimes to see that she could look so approachable when she wasn’t busy delivering live demonstrations or lectures.

Pretty soon, though, your brief fun was cut short when your students began swimming in from their underwater dormitories. You had only been down there once during orientation: it was a series of grottos and underwater caves that could be lit or kept dark depending on the type of mer’s preferences. The bioluminescence was controlled by magic that could be invoked by a simple incantation. For those who were magicless, they simply needed someone to aid them.

Once again, you stationed yourself upon the far end of the boardwalk, your three mers either floating or trying to wriggle up the boardwalk to paw at the cooler. You gently nudged the interloper away (the angler fish was a tad more mischievous than you thought she would be) as you stated that no one should be messing around with equipment especially provided by the government. Rules were supposed to be enforced, you reminded all three of them. Even if they meant no harm, it was still best to err on the side of caution.

Potions could be volatile if not handled correctly and the risk of drowning was still high even if they were born to swim.

“With that out of the way,” you took a peek at your roster and pulled out the second name on your list, which happened to belong to the angler fish, “since Azul was so kind to volunteer himself to be first yesterday, we’ll have Pacifica as the next volunteer.”

The teenagers snickered amongst themselves as the angler fish mer steadily drew herself up to the boardwalk and held out a clawed hand. Carefully, you gave her the vial and watched as she neatly uncorked it and tipped the contents into her gaping maw.

Like yesterday, it was apparent that she was in great pain. However, while your assigned spotters had to make sure that she remained upright and above water from the previous session, she had enough presence of mind to grasp onto the boardwalk and breathe steadily through the pain. As expected, she had become a little more tolerant of the pain.

“Excellent,” you praised her. She beamed up at you, sharp teeth still on display, but you were confident that you were not in harm’s way. You turned towards the rest of your students and waved them away. “I’ll focus on her for now just to make sure she remembers the basics. Keep to yourselves and don’t bother the other groups.”

At their nods of assent, you retraced your teachings of treading water, which would hopefully lead into learning how to float and swim in the water.

For a while, it seemed that all was going according to plan. It had been almost five minutes and she was already showing considerable growth in both her speed and reaction time when it came to her human body. The angler fish mer was resilient and keen on trying out how to swim and had been excitedly clicking her jaws in delight when she began to sniff the air experimentally.

Most animalistic mers, particularly the predators, had a keener sense of smells than most humans and were on par with both beastman and several species of fae. Of course, with the addition of the transformation potion, you would think some senses were muddled, but every mer that had taken the potion had mixed results concerning what was lost and what was retained.

Even the mermaid princess had lost her voice before her father had given her enough magic to return it to her.

That said, you wondered what had caught her attention. Was it a prospective meal? Or—

She snapped her face towards you and for once, you felt yourself gulp at the serrated teeth jutting out of her mouth in an overbite that could only spell trouble.

“Someone’s bleeding.”

You felt the chill of reality envelope your entire being as you surveyed the area. Every worker at this facility, especially the ones who worked closely with the merfolk, were aware of the risks. Prey could be just as dangerous as predators if pushed, which meant that even the most affable of mers needed to be taken seriously.

You helped the angler fish mer into the boardwalk to keep her out of trouble and so she could start splashing the water to keep her active before you scanned the water for any anomalies. So far, nothing, but you could tell that the other two groups were becoming antsy.

Hurriedly, you approached your supervisor, her aged face wrinkling in dismay.

“One of my students smelled blood.”

She nodded to you, immediately understanding the situation. Her batch of merfolk consisted of the older generation with one other who was closer to you in age. Under hushed tones, she gestured for them to keep themselves and to continue treading water. One of the older male merfolk spread his arms wide, treading the water without holding onto the boardwalk for support.

Your supervisor hurried over to your fellow intern, who was busy trying to stop two—two?—eel merfolk from dashing away to your side. You wanted to check out why they were so agitated, but your own batch of merfolk required your utmost attention. You only saw the brilliant flash of dark green tails diving underwater before Soren began barking out orders to resurface.

Three predators to one prey.

That would make at least nine predators in the entire group and if the eel merfolk were any indication, that would mean at least seven others were going to be just as restless.

Thankfully, your angler fish mer was sitting rigidly on the boardwalk, her feet submerged but motionless under the water. You couldn't blame her for not training her muscles. Her face, while expressionless, was stone cold with concentration and you saw that every time she flexed her fingers upon the wood of the boardwalk, bits and pieces would flake off into the water. It was apparent that she was doing everything she could to not move from this position.

The scent of blood must be close.

As much as her restraint filled you with relief that she wasn't moving anywhere, you were still very much aware that you had three students because one of the classic mers quit. Where was the other classic mer and the cecaelia?

Your mind immediately jumped to the worst possible scenario. Had the cecaelia finally decided to bite back at the classic mer? Strange, you could have sworn that there wasn’t any animosity in the group yesterday, except for the wary tension between the cecaelia and the angler fish mer. The fright from Adria yesterday shouldn’t be an impetus for today’s mishap, right? She was gone and as far as you knew, the other classic mer hadn’t itneracted with the cecaelia at all.

Despite your racing thoughts, you didn’t want to waste time.

Diving into the lowermost portion of the cooler, you picked up a vial that was to be used only in emergencies. It was a potion that helped surface dwellers breathe underwater. This single vial was horribly expensive, but the effects were immediate and could last up to an hour if used correctly. You had no time to recall your training; you took off the stopper, threw back the potion, and then dove into the water once your mouth began to close and gills carved themselves into your neck.

Another thing that was great about the water breathing potion was that it mimicked what it would be like to have heightened senses like a mer. Humans or any land dweller wouldn’t gain fins (not unless they had a true transformation potion), but they could hear, speak, and breathe underwater. Eyesight was also heightened and there were some people who thought that their sense of smell was also strengthened, but there was still research done into this topic.

Because these potions (alongside the transformation potions) were highly regulated, you had only used this potion at least five times before. The first three times were due to practice and to acclimate you to its effects should you need to dive (literally) into an emergency but the last two were because…

Sometimes, the screening for the merfolk was not stringent enough.

It was rare, but sometimes a few bad eggs happened to slip through the cracks. Speaking ill of other land boot camp operations wasn’t a hobby of yours, but during those two emergencies, you knew for certain that sometimes, the stress of adapting to new things combined with basically competing with other merfolk facilitated an environment that could potentially lead to infighting. Most operations made sure to group merfolk based on the zones they came from, but it was most apparent between the pelagic and benthic zones (although, it was rare for mers to come from the deepest parts of the ocean).

Most predator and prey mers had long since learned how to coexist in an uneasy truce (quite like how the different species of beastfolk learned how to live under one rule), but it wasn’t uncommon for fights to become deadly.

Equipped with that knowledge, you allowed yourself only a few seconds to get used to the sudden physiological changes in your body, before opening your eyes and heading towards the source of the merfolks’ discontent.

What you saw shocked you.

Underneath the waves, you had expected to see a trail of red blood drifting like spilled ink throughout the underwater environment. However, what you didn’t expect to see was thin, whispery swathes of royal blue wisps dancing in the water and spreading like wildfire. You gasped, shocked, as you traced the royal blue liquid to the source…

What was even worse than the sight that you held before you, was the shouts and keening whimpers from the two merfolk who were currently locked in battle.

Actually, that was a mistake of perception on your part.

It wasn’t a battle or even a struggle for that matter.

At the bottom of the sea floor, the cecaelia was curled into himself, his limbs protecting his torso and his head. Two of his octopus arms were loosely curled around the tail and torso of his attacker. At first glance, one would think that Azul was squeezing tightly, but it was quite apparent that even if he were doing that, it was out of self defense.

The remaining classic mer, a male, was biting and punching at Azul's arms, his nails somehow piercing through the thick skin that was slick with slime. Azul, was trying to curl into himself while simultaneously extending the arms that held the classic mer far away from himself. Due to his efforts, it seemed that most of the damage was concentrated around those two main appendages, but you saw the same tendrils of blue blood lazily stream from scratches upon Azul’s pale chest and upon his cheek.

You were horrified.

For a moment, your body refused to move, your eyes wide with horror. However, just as you were stuck floundering with what you had to do (your inexperience as an intern inevitably rearing its head for the first time in a long time), your eyes were caught by a pair of bright blue pupils.

Azul, who was trying to curl into a ball and stem the blood flow from his wounds, seemed to shy away from your gaze. Despite the helpless situation that he was in, you couldn’t detect a cry for help or even the same sort of determination that you often associated with him considering how much work he put into kicking and treading yesterday. No, instead, you were stunned into silence at the resignation that lay heavy in his eyes.

All too soon, Azul's gaze drifted back to his attacker, the grip that his arms had on the classic mer gradually slipping from the effort that the other mer was using in order to both escape and attack.

"Stop!"

Without so much thinking of the consequences, you uttered a short incantation meant to incapacitate and another to separate the two mers. Although you didn't often advertise your adeptness with magic, magical proficiency was one of the few skills that was guaranteed to get you far. Technically speaking, you didn't need to know magic to become a physical therapist (be it for the merfolk initiative or not), but it was a boon to have. In fact, with the way you raved about merfolk culture and how much you wanted to help out your dear friend Shelley, your parents and other close friends thought that you would participate in the science of transformation potionology with your ample supply of magic that coursed through your veins.

That was simply not the case.

Potions were one thing, but they were notoriously complicated and it often took years of experimentation and trials before change could be enacted. For someone like yourself, you wanted to be an inherent part of a mer's experience when it came to helping them adjust upon land. You had your eyes set upon physical therapy long before you knew what it meant.

Helping Shelley was the step in the right direction and you had kept walking that same path all these years.

In a way, aiding merfolk this way had become nothing short of muscle memory: unconscious and immediate instinct honed from practice.

The invocation of a third level spell was more than enough to tear the merfolk apart while also simultaneously pinning the male classic mer to the ocean floor. Satisfied that your magic would hold, you furiously swam to the cecaelia, fully intent on scanning him for injuries.

Amidst the shouted obscenities, threats, and slurs against the cecaelia, you heard baseless accusations of Azul driving the other classic mer away from the boot camp. In helpless resignation, you could only watch as the young wounded mer curled into an even tighter ball now that all ten of his limbs were free to protect himself. Had you not been paying attention to him the entire time, you would have thought that he was melting into the ocean floor with the way his skin effortlessly blended in with the environment.

One of the masters of camouflage, you remembered reading from your mother's textbooks. Second only to cuttlefish.

"Azul," you whispered. You tried to speak louder, to overcome the angered yells from behind you. Normally, you would cast another minor curse amid the other spells to shut the classic mer up, but your mind was too frazzled and you were more focused on Azul's comfort than on the other mer's anger. Furthermore, you hadn't seen a reason to bring your magestone with you, often opting to leave it in your dorm room because you rarely used magic. Because of your lack of foresight, though, the sting of blot was only barely noticeable against the backdrop of anxiety and stress.

Breathe, you had to remind yourself as you had so often reminded your students.

In through your nose.

Out through the mouth.

"Azul," you said again, but you were not surprised to note that your attempts yielded no reward.

Before you could beat yourself up, you instead focused on the blue blood steadily drifting from his wounds. Despite the fact that his limbs were tightly around himself to make his body look smaller, you were able to separate some of his octopus arms so that you could assess the damage by gently rubbing and patting his skin, careful not to apply too much pressure or to move erratically.

Of the arms that he decided to loosen around his body, he only obliged with six. For the rest of his appendages, he continued to hide his face away or to wrap his torso and tighter and tighter... almost as if he were hoping that he could become a rock to accompany the rest of the landscape.

As you continued to clinically catalog all of the scars that would have to be noted in his file later, you heard your supervisor speaking to the classic mer while Soren swam up to you, his face lined with worry and in his hands, a medkit.

"That bad?" You muttered.

Soren sighed.

"The paperwork is going to be worse."

Together, the two of you tended to Azul while your supervisor called for security and the immediate removal of the classic mer from the land boot camp program.

Tagging: @missam

[PART ONE] [PART TWO] [PART THREE HERE] [PART FOUR]

If you want to donate a Ko-Fi, feel free https://ko-fi.com/devintrinidad.

TWISTED WONDERLAND MASTERLIST

#twisted wonderland #twst #twisted wonderland azul #twst azul #azul ashengrotto #twst azul ashengrotto #twisted wonderland azul ashengrotto #twst reader #twisted wonderland reader #gender neutral reader #gn! reader #platonic reader #azul ashengrotto and reader #azul and reader #twst azul ashengrotto and reader #twst azul and reader #dearestones #devintrinidad

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covenofthearticulate · 2 years

Note

In relation to your hectic day/week...

How would a Vampire Chronicles Highschool work? Give us your headcanons, oh wise one full of experience, angst and pain 🙌

OH GOD lmfao I mean listen this could go one of two ways...

if we're talking like...the vampires as actual high school teens then I imagine the cliques could be broke down into: Lestat and Armand, the two theatre kids who also bring drama into every situation off the stage (Lestat is cast as the lead in every school production meanwhile Armand is the iron-fisted AD on every show). They have absolutely fucked in the nasty green room backstage.

Louis is the definition of work hard, play hard. He's the kid in 5 AP classes who is insufferable in the classroom because he's smarter than everyone else and knows it, but you run into him occasionally at a house party and he's blackout drunk and everyone is...slightly concerned for his safety.

Daniel is also at said parties a lot— there's a rumor he deals drugs (weed, adderall, you name it) but he actually just likes to hang around parties because he's a weirdo and is endlessly fascinated listening to all the stories his drunk classmates tell him.

Then you've got Marius the Upper Classman who has been captain of debate club the last 4 years and got a full-ride scholarship to an Ivy League school. He is incapable of shutting up about his ex-girlfriend and has on numerous occasions gotten his classmates to pass his paper notes across the entire classroom to her.

OOORRRR...

Louis who teaches senior year Honors English for the serious nerds— his curriculum is somehow more intense than the state requirements and his grading his rigorous, but his class is still incredibly popular because his lectures are intriguing and the kids are so nosy because they're pretty sure he's dating the drama teacher. They make a game out of trying to figure out whether or not they're together— one kids SWEARS he saw them kissing in the teacher's lounge, but when a different kid had the courage to outright ask him, Louis claimed that "I hate that man." and no one could tell whether or not he was being sarcastic so it's still up for debate.

Armand is the cool art teacher who always has a bunch of kids in his room during lunch and after school. The art room is always open to anyone, and he is fiercely protective of it. One time the drama teacher asked to borrow some supplies to help decorate their set for the upcoming show and Armand straight up said "no" LMAO

(they still fuck in the nasty backstage green room though.)

And then you've got Marius the history teacher, obviously, who does that thing where he'll teach a lesson and try to make a reference to pop culture, but it never sticks, so then he ends up oversharing about his personal life as a weird roundabout way to connect to the lecture and it gets kinda weird but the kids still love him because he is still very prone to flattery so it's not too hard to pass his class.

And lastly, Daniel who teaches freshman English and also takes on the Yearbook class. He's nowhere near as tough of a grader as his colleagues— as long as the story has heart, he lets it pass. One student swears they saw him leaving the art room covered in paint and hickeys. When asked directly, Mr. Molloy got all flustered and blushy, but when Armand was asked he looked that kid dead in the eyes and gave him 5 seconds to sit back down in his seat and mind his business, or else he won't be so kind.

#the most ironic part of my job is i genuinely DO NOT ENJOY interacting with teenagers #but i'm out here every day fighting for arts education lmfao #ANYWAY sorry this is a full week late but asdfdgfrtgjvyzsbk sometimes it's nice to unwind on a friday with some vampire crack LOL #;answered #i used to have DOZENS of rp threads with louis and lestat and armand in a college au but never high school...#high schoolers are fucking WEIRD man #headcanons

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gennyanydots · 2 years

Text

The Chase part 1

Rhett Abbott x f!reader (with the last name of Cook)

Masterlist

Summary: It’s summer and one of Cecelia’s friends has a horse for sale so she sends Rhett over to check it out. The horse isn’t the only thing he’s checking out.

“Rhett!” His mother called from the house.

Rhett sighed. He’d just come in from checking the fences in the upper pasture. All he wanted to do was take a shower and maybe lay down some. It’s the hottest day it’s been in a while, and he had worked up quite a sweat just riding around. The sun was high in the sky by the time he made it back to the barn. When he got off his horse you could tell exactly where on his leg came in contact with the saddle from the sweat. Thankfully his mom waited until he was able to cool his horse down in the barn to turn him out before she called for him. He felt absolutely gross but when his mama called, he knew better than to ignore her.

He headed to the house and into the kitchen where he found his mother doing a few dishes at the sink while a sandwich sat at the table, “Yeah?”

“Can you do me a favor?” Cecilia asked her son over her shoulder as she continued her job.

Well, looks like no rest for Rhett. He should have known better. There’s always something that needs done around here. Depending on the ask maybe no shower either.

“O’course, what do ya need?” Rhett asked with his proverbial fingers crossed for that shower. He didn’t shower before heading out early this morning knowing it would just be a waste.

Cecelia finally turned around with a dish rag in her hands, wiping them both off, “Ya know how Amy’s done with school for the year? Well, she’s been askin’ about ridin’ some lately and there ain’t any way I’m gonna teach her and your father doesn’t have the time and I’m not sure about you or Perry teachin’ her. Perry doesn’t seem to have that sort of focus and if I have you do it I’m worried you’ll just stick her on anything.”

“Aw c’mon mom I would never let her get hurt,” Rhett said shaking his head at his mother. Just stick his niece on anything? Doesn’t his mother know him better than that? He would never let anything happen to Amy. He’s loved two women in his life, his mother and his niece.

His mother shot him a look, “Still, I mentioned it at my book club this week and Margaret Cook, you know the Cooks right, anyways she said her sister’s daughter was visitin’ for the summer to help ‘em out. She’s an elementary teacher somewhere up North and so Margaret roped her into doin’ the ridin’ camp for kids this summer on their farm. They normally do lessons but figured a weekly camp would be good for the summer.”

Rhett nodded along, still not sure what this had to do with him.

His mother continued, “Margaret also mentioned havin’ an older mare that would be perfect for Amy. She used to be a trail horse. Margaret showed me a picture and she’s real pretty, Rhett. Named Rainbow. A paint. So, I was wonderin’ if you’d go take a look at her. See if she’s worth buyin’ for Amy. Margaret said they’d keep her there for the summer if Amy went to the camp which would work out real well. I asked your father, but he said he was too busy to check ‘er out and I’m just not sure where Perry is.”

“When do ya want me to go?” Rhett asked. This shouldn’t take too long. Maybe his nap wasn’t off the table.

“Well Margaret said her niece was teachin’ a lesson this afternoon that was wrappin up around 4:30. If you went around then you could see her teach and can check the horse out,” his mom offered. “I would feel better knowin’ about the teacher and the horse.”

Rhett nodded, “That’s understandable.”

“I really appreciate this, Rhett,” Cecilia said with a warm smile at her youngest. “Now eat your sandwich.” She nodded towards the table, and he grinned and sat down and ate while his mother finished the dishes. He hadn’t guessed it was for him but he’s not one to turn down a meal.

Afterwards Rhett headed to his room and got a small nap in and was able to shower before he needed to head out. Rhett figured making it there around 4 would give him ample time to watch the class and be able to judge the teaching. He made sure to let his mother know before he left, so she knew that he was keeping his word to go. She smiled and waved him off as he drove away.

The Cook’s farm wasn’t too far away. Only took about five minutes before he was heading up their long drive towards their barn. Wouldn’t be a bad drive every day to take Amy here. They had a large indoor riding arena next to their barn and a matching outdoor arena next to that. There were five horses in the area with a kid on each. A woman stood in the middle of the arena. There was a little parking lot area that Rhett parked in. Getting out he could hear the woman in the center shouting out a few things to the students. He headed to the arena and stopped before some metal bleachers. Rhett assumes for the parents to be able to watch their students. He leans against them as he watches.

“Alright we’re going to try trotting again, okay? What do we need to remember?” The woman calls out. Clearly not from around these parts. If Rhett had to guess she sounds like she’s from one of them upper midwestern states. Not the Dakotas though. Indiana maybe.

All the horses are stopped along the fence of the arena with a child on each one. Small hands went up in the air at the question and the woman points at one girl, “Yes, Sara?”

“Keep our heels down!” The little girl called out.

“Exactly! What else?” The woman asks then points at another hand. “Yes, Mikey?”

“Keep our hands down so we don’t yank on their mouth,” a little boy called out.

The woman nodded, “Right! So, we have heels down and hands down but what about our legs?”

Little hands shoot up again.

“Yes, Maddie?” The woman calls.

“We keep our legs wrapped around our horse to keep us up,” another little girl says.

The woman smiles, “Yes! Good job, Maddie! Now what do we say when we want to stop as we lightly pull our reins back?”

All the little voices call, “Woah!”

“Fantastic, friends! You are all so smart,” the woman says as she walks over to the white horse in front. “Okay Mikey, are you and Snowy ready?”

Rhett chuckles to himself. Kinda ridiculous name for a horse.

“Yes! We’re ready!” The boy says confidently.

The woman smiles, “Okay push him forward.” The little boy kicks the horse lightly with his heels and the woman walks alongside the horse. “Mikey, now you’re gonna squeeze your legs and say ‘trot!’” Mikey follows the instruction, and the woman stays running alongside the horse. “When you get close to the others bring him back to a walk. Okay now! Give a half pullback and a ‘woah’.” The boy does as she asks the walks the horse to the end of the line and stops with another, “Woah.”

“Great job, Mikey! Was it less scary this time?” The woman asks. The little boy nods, “I felt much better! I didn’t fall!” The woman smiles, “Snowy wouldn’t let you fall, sweetheart. He’s too good of a boy.”

The woman walks back to the front and does the same with the next student until they all have a turn. “Okay, it’s time to cool down. Let’s walk them out and drop our stirrups. Do some little circles with our ankles. Go backwards then forwards. Wiggle your backs out. Wiggle in your seat a little. Give your horse’s neck some scratches. Tell them how good they are.” After a little while the woman helped all the kids dismount and had them heading into the barn to hand off to a ranch hand before they all took off their helmets and went running to their parents excitedly.

The woman was still inside the arena cleaning up cones. Rhett didn’t know who he was supposed to be meeting with, but he figured she would be as good a place to start as any.

Rhett walked towards the arena and called, “Excuse me ma’am?”

She looked up from what she was doing and walked over, she was prettier than Rhett expected. Though he’s not sure why he expected her not to be. He was taken from his thought when she said, “Hi! Did you need help with something?”

Rhett nodded, “Yeah, my mother sent me over here to take a look at a mare for my niece. Rainbow.”

“Oh! You’re one of the Abbotts, right?” She asked. “My Aunt said someone would be by to look at Rainy. You want me to go get her?”

Rhett nodded, “If it’s not too much trouble. “

She smiled. Rhett liked her smile. Made her look even prettier.

“No trouble at all! Do you want her tacked up?” She asks.

Rhett nods, “Yes please. Thank you, ma’am.”

She smiles at him again. God he wanted to keep that smile on her face.

“Goodness where are my manners?” She says with a laugh. “I’m y/n Cook.” She held out a hand towards Rhett.

He gave a little half smile and shook her hand, “Rhett Abbott but you knew my last name already.”

She laughed and nodded, “Yeah, I did. You’re that bull rider everyone’s been talking about in town, right? Some hometown hero?”

Rhett blushed and shook his head, “Ain’t no hometown hero but yeah I ride.”

“You any good?” She asks as she heads towards the barn.

Rhett stands there for a second. Should he follow her? He decides he should and follows behind, “I’m alright. Win some. Lose some. All depends on the day.”

She goes into the barn, but Rhett stays in the large doorway instead. He doesn’t want to assume he can just walk right into someone else’s barn. His eyes look down the row of stalls looking for Y/N. After a minute or so she comes out from one of the stalls with a beautiful brown and white horse on a lead rope. She walks the horse over to Rhett and smiles, stopping in front of him, “This is Rainbow or Rainy as we usually call her.”

Rhett took a step into the barn to look her over. Rainy looked about 13 hands tall. Her mane was split brown halfway then changed to white. She seemed calm even with a stranger examining her. She let him pick her feet up with no problem. Didn’t even flinch when he ran his hand down her neck to her withers.

Y/N watched Rhett closely while keeping a loose hold on Rainey’s lead. After a few more minutes Rhett’s eyes found hers and she asked, “Do you want me to grab her saddle now?”

Rhett nodded and she quickly put Rainy in the crossties and headed towards a room off to the side in the barn. Rhett scratched Rainey’s nose as the two waited, which Rainy seemed to be all about. She even started to lean into his hands for more and Rhett laughed.

“I see you found Rainy’s favorite scratchy spot. She’ll do just about anything for scratches,” Rhett hears as he turns and sees Y/N with a saddle on her hip. She walks over and holds the saddle out to Rhett, “Can you hold this please?”

Rhett holds out his hands, “Oh uh sure.” He barely has time to get the words out before Y/N is placing the saddle in his hands. She grabs the saddle pad off the top of the saddle and slides it on Rainy before taking the saddle from Rhett’s hands and placing the saddle on top of the pad. Rhett went back to scratching Rainy’s nose as Y/N quickly tacked Rainy up.

“Do you want to ride her, or do you want me to ride her so you can watch?” Y/N asks. “Cause if I need to drop the stirrups, I’d rather do it now.”

Rhett thinks for a minute, “You ride her. Then I can watch.”

Y/N nods, “Arena or trail?”

Rhett shrugs, “I don’t know.”

“Why don’t we do both so you can see all of Rainy’s good qualities. My boy is already tacked up from a ride this afternoon so you can ride him if you’d like. Pretty annoying following a horse on a trail,” Y/N offered.

“Sure. That sounds good,” Rhett says, and Y/N undoes the cross ties to take the lead and halter off and put Rainy’s bridle on. Rhett was glad to see Rainy took the bit with no fuss. Rhett then was handed Rainy’s reins and told to take her outside which he quickly did.

A few minutes later Y/N came out with a beautiful sorrel quarter horse that looked about 16 hands tall and brought it alongside Rainy and said, “This is Rusty. He’s my big baby.”

Rhett nodded at the horse, “Hello Rusty. Pleased to meet ya.”

“He’s pretty easy going so don’t worry. I doubt he’ll be anything like those bulls you ride,” Y/N says with a laugh. “He’s pretty lazy sometimes. Only time he gets going is if he sees barrels to race, then he’s running.”

“That what he does?” Rhett asked.

Y/N shook her head, “Not anymore but they’re still his favorite. We stopped that a long time ago but every once in a while I’ll pull them out and let Rusty run his heart out.”

“Why’d you two stop?” Rhett asked looking over at Y/N

“I got a big girl job. Couldn’t spend my time barrel racing anymore. So, we retired. We didn’t do anything big. Just a few fairs once upon a time. Rusty was fine retiring to a life of leisure rides and mints,” Y/N said. Rusty’s ears perked up hearing ‘mints’ and started to nose at Y/N’s hands then pockets while she laughed.

Rhett smiled, “I think he knows that word.”

“Oh, he does. Doesn’t know where I started hiding them from him. Tried to get him to stop biting at my pockets but it hasn’t seemed to work,” Y/N said as she shoved the horse’s head away from her pockets. “Quit it, ya butthead.”

“Butthead?” Rhett said with a laugh. “What is this the first grade?”

Y/N smiled and nodded, “It is and just for that now you’re a butthead.”

Rhett laughed, “Well that’s the first time I’ve been called that since I was like eight.”

“You’re welcome,” Y/N said then stuck her tongue out at him. She then switched him horses and checked Rainy’s saddle before stepping up onto Rainy’s saddle and throwing her other leg over to sit down.

Rhett swings himself onto Rusty’s back and the two were off at a leisurely pace. It’s been a while since Rhett rode without a real purpose. Sure, he was watching how Rainy handled herself, but it’d been a long while since he rode without it being a chore. Just riding to ride. It was nice. Rusty seemed like a mild-mannered horse. Seemed to get along with Rainy.

“Does Rainy get along with others well? We got some at home, so I was just wonderin’,” Rhett said a little louder than normal, so you’d hear him.

Y/N half turned in your saddle, “She does. She’s not one to put up a fight. Just goes with the flow.”

Rhett nodded, “That’s always good.” That’s what Amy needs.

Y/N nodded, “I’ll be sad to see her go if you guys end up taking her but I’m sure she’s going to a good home.”

“My niece’ll love ‘er. She seems like a sweetheart,” Rhett said looking at the horse but he’s pretty sure he meant it for the rider too. Y/N seemed really nice. Going above and beyond what a typical seller would do. She even let him ride her own personal horse. He knew the Cooks had plenty of horses. Heck there were five tacked up from the lesson, but Y/N put him on her horse instead.

Y/N flashed him a smile, “She really is! I’m sure you guy will take good care of her if it all pans out.”

Rhett nods, “Promise we would.” And they would. Rhett would make sure of it.

The two went back to just riding in silence. It was nice, peaceful. The whole ride ended up being about a half hour but felt like longer to Rhett. Maybe because he’s not one to slow down so being forced to felt like forever.

Not that he minded. It was a nice change of pace to his bull riding and who wouldn’t want to ride alongside a pretty girl? Not that he can make a move. This is a business transaction. Or at least it might be. Not between him though. He’s just checking out the merchandise.

When the two horses finally stood in front of the barn Y/N looked over at Rhett, “Did you still want to see her in action in the arena?”

“I prolly should. Make sure everythin’ is good,” Rhett said with a shrug. If he didn’t, he’s sure his mother would ask about some specifics that he wouldn’t be able to answer. Not that he even knows what he’s looking for at this point. Seems like a fine horse to him. Would fit in with the others at the farm. She seems real gentle, would be a great first horse for Amy.

Y/N nodded and swung her leg around and dismounted easily off Rainy with Rhett following suit. They switched horses again and Y/N led Rusty into the barn and came out a few minutes later with a smile on her face as she shook her head, “Sorry I was accosted for some mints. He’s such a ham sometimes.”

“I’m sure he only gets them sparingly and isn’t at all spoiled,” Rhett says with a snicker. She seems like the type to spoil her horse. Like he’s her baby. Coo and fuss over him. Rhett understands. He takes good care of his horse but he's not one to spoil 'em.

“Mr. Abbott!” She says with a fake gasp. “How dare you make such accusations.”

Rhett laughs and shakes his head, “You’re right. I do apologize, darlin’.”

Y/N walked up to Rhett and took the reins from him, “Oh, I’m darlin’ now?” She smirked.

Rhett shrugged, “If you want.” He wants. Pretty little thing like her? He’d be happy to call her darlin' every day.

“I’ve heard about you, Rhett Abbott,” Y/N said walking the horse towards the arena. “The sweet and seemingly shy younger brother who charms the pants off any girl he sees.”

“Now, I wouldn’t say that per say…” Rhett said with a shrug. He knows what he is. He won’t deny it.

Y/N laughs as she opens the gate then brings Rainy inside the arena, “Oh yeah what would you say?”

Rhett thinks for a minute then says, “I’m just tryin’ to practice for my future wife. By the time I find her I’ll be able to blow her mind.” It’s as good of an excuse as any.

“Well, that’s one way to put it but live your best life, I guess,” Y/N says with a shrug as she shuts the gate.

Rhett shrugs, “I am.” It’s how Rhett lives. It’s been fine for him. He’s not interested in anything long term. Hell, anytime he rides could be his last. He doesn’t want to put some girlfriend through that type of panic. He’s seen it. The tears. The fighting to get to her man when something happens. He doesn’t need that. He’s good with his life. Only sometimes does he wish for more. Mostly at night if he goes to bed alone. Someone to hold wouldn’t be so bad. Someone who stayed by him. Who chose him for him. Most of the time women are just interested in Rhett for his riding, for the notoriety - not that he has much. He’s still just Rhett Abbott from Wabang. Sure, he’s a good rider and a hard worker but that’s not too special most men in Wabang were hard workers save for the Tillerson's.

Y/N nods, “Then that’s all that matters.” She steps up into the saddle and swings her leg over. “So, what do you want to see Rainy do?”

“You’re the one sellin’ her, darlin'. Show me what she’s got,” Rhett said and sat on the bleachers by the arena. He spreads out with his elbows on the seat behind him and crossed his ankles.

“You got it, Mr. Abbot,” She pushed Rainy into a walk to let her get used to her footing in the arena. Once she went around a few times she pushed Rainy to a trot with her legs and a few clicks of her tongue for one go around before switching her to a collected trot then an extended trot. Rhett watched the horse’s gait as she easily switched. He may have watched Y/N some too. She looked good riding. He can’t admit to himself what else he’d like her to ride but he’s pretty sure she’d have a beautiful form for that too. Nope. He’s definitely not thinking about that. Would she be able to keep her back as straight? Would she have that same look of determination? She’s gotta have strong thighs to hold on and Rhett would be more than happy to give her something to hold on to. He shook his head trying to rid himself of those thoughts. Y/N literally called him a whore not too long ago. He can keep it in his pants. He can. She’s clearly not that type of girl. Right? He doesn’t think so. She’s more of a take her home to mama kind of girl which Rhett doesn’t want. Right? Even if she’s so pretty and rides like a dream. Okay. He needs to stop. He can handle watching a pretty girl ride a horse. She brought Rainy back down to a walk and stopped her in front of Rhett and reached down and scratched Rainy’s shoulder. “She’s a fancy girl.”

Rhett laughs, “I can see that. I doubt we would ever have her do any of that. Too fancy for the farm.” Focus on the horse. That’s what he’s here for. He’s not here to ogle Margaret Cook’s niece. Maybe some other time. Not right now.

Y/N shrugs, “You don’t know that. Maybe Amy wants to do Dressage.”

“Is that what you taught Rainy all that for?”

Y/N shakes her head, “I didn’t teach her. My aunt got her off some princess who didn’t want her horse anymore. She was over it but she did Dressage. Or so I heard. I just made sure she remembered her fancy footwork for fun.”

“Well, damn. Glad she ended up here with your family then,” Rhett shook his head in disbelief. Who buys their kid a horse then turns around and gets rid of it? Spoiled Brat.

“Rainy’s been well loved here but I’m sure she’ll like going to a little girl who’ll dote on her and spoil her like the queen she is, the way she was meant to be,” Y/a said with a kind smile. “So, does she check out? Not that I’m the one selling her. My aunts just going to ask the minute I see her later.”

“As far as I know she’s perfect for Amy. Met all my expectations,” Rhett walked over and leaned against the arena fence and looked at Rainy. She’ll be a great horse for Amy. A perfect pick.

“Glad to hear it!” Y/N said with a big smile. She took her one leg out of the stirrup and swung it down but her other foot got caught in the stirrup. When she swung down it stayed so she had one leg awkwardly stuck.

“Shit,” Rhett said as he hopped the fence.

“I’m okay! I got it!” Y/N called. She finally got her foot out but lost her balance and fell to the ground with an “oomph.” Rainy hardly took any notice and just took a few steps to the side away from the fallen human.

Rhett was immediately by her side reaching down to help her up, “You sure you got it, darlin’?” He snickered.

“I clearly meant to do that, charmer,” Y/N said with a huff as she let Rhett help her up.

Rhett grinned as he helped to get her steady, “Is that what I am to you, charming? Cause I can work with that.” And he could. It’s way better than thinking he’s just a whore.

Y/N rolled her eyes, “We’ll see.”

“I can be charming if that’s what you want, darlin'. Is that what you want from me? Are you goin' to give me a chance?” He asked with a sly grin on his face.

“If I was to give you a chance, you’d have to be living a different lifestyle and I’m not sure you can, charmer,” Y/N said as she shook her head with a small smile on her lips. She walked over and pulled Rainy’s reins over her head and lead her to the gate and opened it and waited for Rhett to follow.

Rhett followed after the two with his hands in his back pockets and a grin on his face. He just needed to figure out how to convince her to give him that chance. He doesn't usually have to work so hard for this but he’s not one to shy away from the chase.

Rhett watched and listened in the doorway of the barn as Y/N put Rainy away. She softly talked to the horse as she get her situated the walked back towards Rhett.

“So, is there anything else I can do for you?” Y/N asked Rhett as she walked up.

Rhett shook his head, “No, ma’am I should be all set with Rainy. I’ll tell my mama about Rainy and I’m sure she’ll let your aunt know, darlin’.”

Y/N nodded and laughed, “Sounds good, charmer.”

“I’m still charming to you?” Rhett asks.

Y/N shrugs, “Guess so.”

“So, will you let me take you out?” Rhett asks. His hands are still in his back pockets but he has his fingers crossed in them. Clearly if she thought he was charming then she would want to spend more time together, right?

“Take me out where, Mr. Abbott?” She asked.

“Anywhere you’d let me,” Rhett says with a half smile. “Whenever you’d like.”

Y/N seems to think for a minute. Rhett’s starting to sweat, and definitely not from the heat of the day. Would she actually turn him down?

“How about this, I’ll give you my phone number and if after a week you still want to go out in a date we’ll go,” She offers.

Rhett grins, “That’s a fair deal.” He hands her his phone and she puts her number in and hands it back.

“Guess I’ll see you in a week, charmer.”

“Guess you will.”

#Rhett Abbott x f!reader #rhett abbott x female reader #outer range #the chase

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needfantasticstories · 11 months

Text

Zelink post-BotW Fluff: Swimming Lesson

TW: none

Link loved the squelch of saltwater sand between his toes. He couldn’t believe Zelda hated it so much, but he didn’t mind carrying her into the water as she laughed and yelled at him to put her down, to the delight of her students.

Every day he learned more about the princess. Like him, she wasn’t the same person who began a century long pause on life. Yet while he rested and healed in safety, she battled to hold back the full might of Gannon to save what remained of their beloved land.

And he’d never let her forget her strength. He had faith in her.

Link saw her smile and ignored her halfhearted protests. He ran into the cool wave, turning her back towards the spray so it would not splash her eyes.

She gasped and laughed along with the gang of children running beside them, giggling and diving into the waves.

They shouted instructions to her, deftly swapping roles of teacher and student, “Pinch your nose, or breathe out! In one, two, three!” they instructed her.

She held her nose tightly in one hand and held Link’s shoulder in the other.

Link plunged down into the wave. Beyond the thin, swirling veil of white foam shone sunlight spears piercing a world of sapphire blue.

They came up, and she gasped for air. She struggled to catch her breath as Link moved her to his back. He walked just beyond the shallow waves near the shore, then followed the shoreline in the calm, gently pulsing water.

Zelda laughed as she memorized the shape and color of each coral from above, whispering their Sheikah names to herself, connecting them to her texts, Link guessed.

The water-sure children paddled and dove nearby, and led the pair further into the calm bay.

Zelda nervously wiped dripping water from her eyes.

“You’ll get used to it!” one child shouted, “Now you’ve gotta learn how to kick your legs!”

She froze, but Link pulled her down carefully.

“This will be easy. Probably easier than your riding lessons,” he assured her quietly.

“But I broke my ankle…” she said, turning white.

“Oh," He cursed his memory loss again, "Well, easier than shield surfing then…”

“You used three fairies the first day!” She glared playfully at him.

“But you didn’t. It’ll be fine. I promise.”

That seemed to satisfy her.

The children watched as their teacher, Miss Zelda, floated nervously on her stomach, arms forward and legs straining to stay flat, supported by Link’s left arm, and gripping his right arm for dear life.

“I'm not sure I should have agreed to this,” she laughed, but her smile showed both fear and excitement.

“He’s got you! It’s okay, Miss Princess!” Kinov called as he blocked splashes from his little brother, Zuta.

Zelda smiled at Link. He smiled back at her and offered a quick, encouraging nod.

She kicked her legs, as hard as she could, as the students cheered.

It had been her deal to them: if they’d spend a week learning to read Zora script, she’d let them teach her to swim. It meant a great deal more when they realized how much she did not enjoy sand.

The children laughed and cheered at her kicks as she grew more confident in the peaceful water.

“Now swim!” they shouted, and splashed her.

“Stop! The fish!” A girl shouted.

Zelda slowed her kicks. She was getting the hang of the water’s buoyancy, its resistance to her movement and the flowing echoes of her motion, its wide, gentle breaths in and out.

The kids watched the water quietly as they tread or stood in the rocking mass. Slowly, they watched schools of fish return.

“They’re back,” one said with a grin.

“Yay! Fishies!” A young girl whispered.

“Are you ready?” Link asked.

Zelda wiped her eyes, smiled nervously, and gasped, “Just let me catch my breath for a moment. This water is just so… so endless…so bright…” the children did not wait for her, and dove while she scanned the silver horizon, lost in a contemplative trance.

He hoisted her onto his shoulders to see the horizon better. It was all still new to her, this endless sea.

Link recalled his first time seeing it. He didn’t understand who he was back then, or where he’d come from, except what the old man and old woman told him, before he really understood his history with King Rhoam and Chief Impa.

He was just trying to stay alive long enough to recover his scattered memories, standing near the cliffs above the village. He had finished a battle for his life against a gang of blue bokoblins with a rusty soldier’s sword, a long stick, and a few carefully timed bombs as he battled high on a cliff near a shrine.

He recalled struggling to catch his breath after the battle, still shaking from adrenaline, ears ringing. A rare fury had surged in him: the world he’d so abruptly awoken to harbored so much evil, and all because of his failure; one he couldn't even remember.

Then, he’d turned around. Beyond the cliffs near his feet, Link saw the impossible: another world, shimmering like a mirror and made entirely of water. Only a few tiny islands, like small bowls floating precariously, darkened the giant mirror’s surface. The world’s end, he’d thought.

Ocean, came the taste, the smell of a memory.

He’d glided down to look closer at the mirror's cracking edge, white waves, and soon discovered a village with kind people; it was a place of healing, peace, and rest. He slept to the heartbeat of the sea.

For the first time since he awoke, he knew he could find good in the world beyond the Calamity.

He often returned between adventures, especially whenever he discovered a new memory. Here, he’d prayed final goodbyes to sweet Mipha, fatherly Daruk, wise Urbosa, and even the proud, lonely Revali before they faced Gannon together.

“Wow, you’re strong, mister!” one boy said as he looked up at Zelda, the taller princess easily supported on his shoulders. The child dispelled Link’s reflections as they splashed.

“Come see the fish!” The children begged, bored with the pair’s long gaze at the midday horizon.

Link walked closer to them as Zelda slowly returned to the present. He wondered what she thought. Did it change her too?

The children led them a little deeper into the water. Link guided Zelda to his arms and helped her float, as before, so she could look down into the water. He stepped carefully around the coral as swells brushed up to his shoulders. He felt a little unprepared without his Zora armor. I should get used to not relying on specialized equipment so much, he thought.

“Come see!” The children said, and they dove below.

“I’m ready,” Zelda confirmed before he asked.

“Open your eyes,” he said, winking just before he dropped under the surface with her.

Schools of fish swam over the giant purple and pink gardens of coral. Kelp forests swayed in the mouth of the bay, giant fish swimming in and out. Tiny red fish darted all around them.

Zelda made a sound of surprise, bubbles billowing, and he rushed her back to the surface.

“Are you alright?”

“Oh my goodness! Yes, I’m fine. Just so surprised! I didn’t see most of them from up here! I recognize the eels from my texts! Do they get very big?” She asked, looking a little nervous.

“Let’s find out,” he answered and rose up in warning before diving again.

Tiny, ribbon-like eels of turquoise swam nearby. A yellow fish swam by, and Zelda reached a hand out to it. It puffed up like an octo balloon, and wiggled awkwardly away.

The feel of Zelda’s soft hand gently returning to his shoulder made him feel strange: a mixture of peaceful and tense. It was oddly similar to the feeling before a fight, that queasiness, yet his body felt slower, seeking to match her gentleness. He shook it off and intentionally tensed up as he spied a new fish. He mustn’t ever be off his guard.

A child swam over and pointed toward shore.

“Princess, I have a message for you!” Called a male voice as they surfaced.

Link carried Zelda to shore. She wiggled down and, though she winced ever so slightly as her feet touched the warm sand, she still walked with the grace of a queen, in spite of her soaked clothes.

“Who sent it?” Zelda asked, taking the scroll from the Hylian traveler.

“It’s from Lady Riju. She has a request you visit at sunrise tomorrow,” the messenger read, and showed the note to Zelda.

“Very well. Can you confirm to her that we’ll be there?” Zelda said, taking the blanket Link offered and wrapping it on him with a grin. He grinned back and got another one from the children, who had followed them ashore. As the messenger left, they took Zelda’s blanket back, yelled, and chased her with it yelling “Like-like! Zelda’s a shield!”

She ran, and for once, Link did not rush to defend her.

“Caught you!” a little boy squealed behind him and caught Link’s leg. Link recognized him as Zuta, Kinov’s little brother. The poor boy always seemed one step, one instruction behind. He must have misunderstood the others, Link realized.

Link laughed, and tousled his hair, “You did! Clever! Now, let’s catch the teacher!” he said, and picked up the pace to chase the others, Zuta still holding his leg.

TBD (1578 words) by SkipBreaker Chapters: 1/? Fandom: The Legend of Zelda & Related Fandoms, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild/Tears of the Kingdom Rating: Teen And Up Audiences Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence Relationships: Link/Zelda (Legend of Zelda), Impa & Zelda (Legend of Zelda) Characters: Link (Legend of Zelda), Zelda (Legend of Zelda), Impa (Legend of Zelda) Summary: Who is Zelda, without a Kingdom or Calamity? Who is Link without the Champions and a clear mission?

#link #botw link #botw zelda #zelink botw #zelink #lu wild #eventually #lurelin village #I'm not good at romance but I'm trying to figure it out #does this even count as romance? I hope so.#lu flora

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pvccblog · 1 year

Text

AND SO IT BEGINS

Our main events got off to a great start here in Elk Creek! Our team is doing an amazing job here. We've had devotionals based on our theme scriptures for this week and they've been doing a great job living it out. Here it is:

Philippians 2:1-5

So if there is any encouragement in Christ, any comfort from love, any participation in the Spirit, any affection and sympathy, complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind. Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus.

I'm so proud of every team member, they're working together in unity and encouraging each other every day.

We didn't have a huge turnout at sports camp this morning - 6 kids. But it was so cool watching our team interact with them. We said from the beginning that God will bring who He brings and that it doesn't matter how many or how few show up. Those 6 kids had such a great time and were treated so well!

I also have to give a major shout out to Eva. She taught the Sports Camp lesson today and did a fabulous job. Eva's mom teaches Sunday School at PVCC and it's obvious that the apple doesn't fall far from the tree. She is a gifted teacher. She was engaging, clear, and energetic.

For those that have been praying, one of the girls at camp was on the golf cart last night. Then two of the other girls showed up at BARF Night tonight with her! Please keep praying for them, there were some great interactions.

After Sports Camp we ended up eating lunch at the local restaurant and it did not disappoint! The workers there had heard we were in town and said they were expecting us! The service and food was outstanding. We even saw one of the girls there from sports camp with her family and her grandma paid for a portion of our meal. How cool is that!?!?

At BARF Night, we played Nuke 'Em much of the time with Bear Ninja Hunter and The Captain is Coming mixed in. I think there were 10 locals here with our group and we all had a great time. By the end of the night, everyone seemed like they'd been friends for years. It was pretty sweet.

Andrew shared his testimony first and let me tell ya - he preached it! He shared how God drew him in over the past couple years through some circumstances that caused him to just decide to start coming to church. We are so glad he did!!

Andrew was a great example of sharing your story while also sharing the gospel. He was clear in his presentation and also told everyone here that he hopes they can have a relationship with Jesus too. Thanks a lot Andrew, great job! I also loved that when he went up to share he went straight to the pulpit!

Ellie also was a great example of sharing very personally about how God drew her closer to Him through some difficulty. She was diagnosed with a rare type of juvenile arthritis almost two years ago and told everyone that it caused her to rely on God more. He has been with her every step of the way. As difficult as it has been on her, she said that she doesn't know if her relationship with God would be as strong as it is if she wasn't going through this. That's a powerful thing to say!

I watched some of the locals listening to the testimonies and it is obvious that they are connecting with them. Please pray that this will lead to great conversations and that people would receive the gospel message!

Thanks for praying for the golf cart girls, there is one that was with them that didn't make it tonight. There's also another dude that drove his truck around with another girl tonight. They drove past and waved a bunch of times and everyone knew who they were. Pray that they'll come hang out with us too! Honestly, it seems like if these remaining three come to our events then that would mean pretty much everyone in town would be here!

Serenity went out of town today. She's going to a Christian Camp and might be back in time to come to BARF Night on Friday. There are some other youth that live around here that are also out of town.

I fell like we've really made some great connections in a short period of time. Please keep praying. God is good!!!

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stargazer-sims · 2 years

Text

Brothers

Charlie: What's the matter? Don't you like your hair?

Eden: I like it a lot, actually. I'm just depressed because every time I look at it, I'm gonna think about how it was one of the last things you did before you left.

Charlie: Wow... when you put it that way, it is depressing.

Eden: Yeah.

Charlie: You make it sound like I’m dying or something. I'm not leaving forever, you know. This first part of the tour's only going to be a couple of weeks.

Eden: I know, but I’m gonna miss you anyway.

Charlie: We'll all be back for Winterfest, and then there’s two shows in Kyoto before we head out again. Both shows don't overlap with your competition, so you should be able to get to one of them, and maybe you can even stay with me at the hotel.

Eden: Really? Nikolai and I were just going to commute, since it's only half an hour away, and I'm obviously not going to be competing every single day of the event. But, I'd like to stay at the hotel with you. That'd be fun.

Charlie: That’ll be the plan, then. You know, unless Haru wants you to stay with him in his room.

Eden: You think he will?

Charlie: I think you’re in a better position to know that than I am.

Eden: If he asks me, I’m definitely saying yes, but I still want to hang out with you for at least one night.

Charlie: Okay, but are you really going to leave Nikolai on his own for two or three nights?

Eden: No. Anya’s going to be back for Winterfest, remember? I think Nikolai will be totally fine without me.

Charlie: Right. Anya. Remind me again why we agreed to let her stay here.

Eden: Because we love Nikolai and can’t say no to him?

Charlie: Must be something like that. Incidentally, while we're on the subject of Nikolai, where is he?

Eden: At the rink. Yesterday, just as we were leaving, he met a woman who wants her kids to learn how to skate. They just came here from someplace in the UK or something, and she wants a teacher who speaks English, so it's kinda perfect.

Charlie: Good for Nikolai. It didn't take long for him to find new students.

Eden: I'm glad it didn’t. He'd have been too bored if he didn't find something productive to do soon.

Charlie: And what about you? Did you ever hear back from that dance school?

Eden: Oh! Yeah, I did! You've been so busy this past few days that I didn't get a chance to mention it. The head instructor wants to meet with me. She thinks I might be able to teach introductory lessons. You know, for younger kids.

Charlie: That's cool. I actually think you'd be awesome at that. Have you told Haru yet?

Eden: Yeah. He thinks I'd be good at it, too. Can you imagine me teaching? Do you think the kids can call me by my first name, or would they have to call me Mr. Seong?

Charlie: Around here, they’d call you ‘sensei’, but I think it’s up to you whether you let them call you by your first name or not.

Eden: Maybe I should ask Haru about the proper etiquette for something like that.

Charlie: Maybe you should. Are you still planning to go over there tonight?

Eden: To the Hideaway?

Charlie: Yeah.

Eden: I actually love that it's called that.

Charlie: Me too. I like how mysterious it sounds, but like, also cozy at the same time.

Eden: Have you been upstairs yet?

Charlie: No. That's something you're going to do before me.

Eden: I'll let you know how it is. Ji-Soo is picking me up at six o'clock.

Charlie: Okay.

Eden: I’m going to spend the night. Is that okay with you?

Charlie: Of course. I mean, who am I to get in the way of your wild night of passion?

Eden: *laughing* Haru shares a room with Taiji. We might be sleeping in the same bed tonight, but even my standards don’t include fooling around with other people in the room.

Charlie: You can let me know in the morning if you managed to stick to that.

Eden: Okay, fine. We might fool around a tiny bit, but we’re not going to do anything serious with Taiji there. We’ll be gentlemen… mostly.

Charlie: Whatever you end up doing, have fun, but be careful.

Eden: Yes, Mother.

Charlie: You’re such a brat.

Eden: Maybe, but I’m your favourite brat, right?

Charlie: Yeah, you are. That’s why you get away with as much as you do. I mean, how am I supposed to fulfill my protective older brother responsibilities and stuff if I can’t stop you from being so freakin’ cute and constantly manipulating me into letting you do whatever you want?

Eden: So, you’re saying I’m irresistible?

Charlie: I wouldn’t go quite that far.

Eden: Haru thinks I’m irresistible.

Charlie: He’s your boyfriend. That’s his job. My job is to make sure you stay safe and don’t get into too much trouble. You know, if such a thing is even possible.

#ts4 #sims 4 #eagames #snowy escape #sugar valentine #eden seong #Charlie Seong #wearesugarvalentine #stargazersims

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rotationalsymmetry · 1 year

Text

I just have so many opinions on how teaching, specifically, would be way better if we didn’t try to make one adult manage an entire classroom.

Picture an elementary school, kindergarten through fifth grade, with, for the sake of simplicity, one class per grade. The way this is normally done, you have a teacher and maybe a teacher’s aid per class, and if the teacher can’t come in you bring in a substitute who isn’t attached to that school and who only works when someone calls in sick.

This is absolutely wild. That sort of thing makes perfect sense for college students who can manage their own lives, it makes no sense whatsoever for five years olds, many of whom are also going to spend all afternoon in after school care and not actually get one on one adult attention until their parent/s are off work. And if your parents suck or are exhausted after working all day? Sucks to be you!

Kids spend the hours of a full time job plus commute time in these institutional environments. It’s not good for people! People talk as though school is good for kids’ social skills just because they’re in proximity with other kids, but schools are highly artificial environments and it’s not normal or good for kids to not really get attention or advice or emotional support from anyone older who’s got life slightly more figured out. For hours at a time, days at a time. Kids need an adult’s full, caring attention now and then and to get it about things that matter to them, not just things that matter to the adult. And schools as they are now make that more or less impossible.

And of course the working conditions are brutal for the teachers. The work can be relatively rewarding because you’re working with kids and you know it’ll make a huge difference if you don’t show, but it’s demanding as hell and there’s a lot of pressure to not call in sick unless you absolutely have to, and there’s no time and you spend a lot of time being a disciplinarian rather than, you know, teaching.

What if the same school, instead of having six teachers (one per grade), had eight or nine? Six teachers each assigned to a specific class (although I imagine it’d be fun to switch it up now and then, and probably better for the kids so you get some year to year adult continuity) and two or three floaters. One’s with say the kindergarteners in the morning before recess (while the kindergarten teacher does some lesson planning or something, or maybe they co-teach if the kindergarten teacher would rather do that), the first graders recess to lunch, and the second graders from lunch to the end of the day. On a normal day. But maybe the first grade teacher has a headache that isn’t going away, and he could push through it but he doesn’t really want to and he especially is worried the pain might make him short tempered and he doesn’t want to lose his patience with the kids. So the floater goes “cool, what were you planning on doing?” and the first grade teacher either passes on the plan or suggests something else, and gets to go lie down in a dark quiet room for a couple hours.

(Would this cost more? Yes, almost a third again or half again as much. (Not quite that much because under the current system you do need subs sometimes.) Is it not worth it though?)

Now picture this. Two or even three teachers per class. I imagine a lot of current teachers would hate the idea of having to split a classroom, but I imagine there’s way more potential teachers who could work in a system like this who can’t function under the current one. For one, it lets you split up roles more, maybe one teacher is great at getting large groups of kids to sit down and pay attention so that teacher can do that, and the other teacher/teachers can focus on what they do best, which might be eg explaining fractions in a one on one context so that the kid who is really just not getting fractions can understand them. You know, teaching. And it would allow for a lot more diversity in subject matter teaching and style of teaching in one setting; maybe one teacher prefers lecturing but manages to do it in a way that gets the kids to listen and be interested, like the teacher is revealing ancient secrets to a select few. And another one is really good with setting up learning-by-doing situations. And one has a gift for making up silly songs that get the kids engaged and help them remember things.

And maybe you also have one counselor per classroom, one person whose job it is to look out for learning disabilities and the like and to look for why a kid who’s acting up is acting up and to be available when someone’s having a bad day and needs someone to talk to or conversely is so excited and happy that they really can’t just sit still and listen until they’ve had a chance to share why they’re so happy.

And surplus teachers would still be good in the grades where kids go to different classes based on subject. You’re teaching social studies, but you’re the one who really loves getting into ancient Egyptian and your partner teacher is the one who really likes covering current events. You’re teaching math, but you’re the one who loves math conceptually for it’s own sake and your partner is the one who’s good at typing it to the real world. Or you’re good at explaining things in a way that work for some of the students and your partner is much better at getting those other students who are just lost and frustrated with your approach. And any time a student just doesn’t want to be in the class, they can go to one of the professionally trained counselors or one of the community ambassadors who don’t have to have professional training (beyond, like, this is how we do things here/this is our sexual abuse policy/whatever) but can keep a kid company and keep them out of trouble when the kid doesn’t want a counselor but also just can’t stand being in the class another five minutes and also legally can’t be left without some sort of adult supervision. And if the teacher really doesn’t want a specific kid in the classroom for another five minutes because the kid is acting up, the teacher can kick the kid out without it being a disciplinary thing. You’re not in trouble, but you also have to leave the classroom until you stop being disruptive.

and if the teacher has a headache and doesn’t want to be around any kids, well, you have a partner. And if both of you want to be out, well, there’s got to be someone in a different class who can step out for a bit.

This would cost so much more than the current system.

But wouldn’t it be worth it?

And as a society, would it actually cost us more? We have more or less the same number of adults capable of working full-time professional jobs regardless of what they’re doing. If there were somewhat fewer adults say working to add short video features to social media apps or find new ways to squeeze money out of people playing mobile games, and instead in schools working with kids, would that be a bad thing for society?

#And of course child care programs should do this too! More adults and pay them full time even if they only work part time dammit #‘But it needs to be affordable’ it sure does give them public funding #Guess who can afford this shit the government #Spend less on militarizing cops and more on schools challenge

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