#we're four college students that work at the same school

[decoloraa]

Currently in my Val era (I'm annoyed at the people surrounding me)

[apompkwrites]

the school-bound kingscholar || leona kingscholar

masterlist characters: Mwezi Miji Trio (OCs), Leona, Ruggie (platonic) genre: Angst contains: (Brief) Swearing, Possible OOC moments (depending on how you view Leona and Ruggie [mainly Leona]) summary: Following the admittance of Night Raven College's newest freshmen, both Kingscholars begin to come to terms with the newest changes in their lives. notes: I AM SO SORRY FOR DISAPPEARING AGAIN OTZ. Unfortunately, my lapses of writer's block and demotivation have only increased since I last posted. I'm trying to get back into the hang of posting things (as evident by my art account suddenly coming alive again). ALSO! As you can tell by the formatting, I'm actually writing with proper grammar on Tumblr now! Right now, I don't plan to go back to reformat the older chapters, but maybe once I find the drive to do it, I will! Thank you, everyone, for being so patient with me, I really appreciate it <3 parts: [og post] | [previous] | [next]

Leona felt something knock the air out of his lungs. To Ruggie, who stood right beside him in a robe that was a few inches too long, it was hilarious. Seeing the very prince (well, second prince) of the Afterglow Savanna lose his composure was enough to make Ruggie let out a quiet "Shyeheehee" under his breath before he ultimately straightened his posture under Leona's pointed glare.

Nothing could have prepared Leona to see (Name) again. Honestly, he had long since come to terms with the fact that his little sibling was missing, lost to the Outlands and likely a rotting corpse in the middle of nowhere.

He's lying, he could never come to terms with that, no matter how much he deluded himself.

But they were here. They were here and they were walking closer and they looked exactly the same as he remembered them.

Well, obviously, not exactly. But they looked so familiar and yet so different at the same time. Leona didn't even notice the tip of his tail swishing behind him until he heard one of his dorm members complaining about a tickling sensation against his ankles. And that only caused Leona to grumble under his breath and snatch the base of his tail to stop it from moving.

By the Seven, had they changed. They seemed bolder and more confident compared to the last time he had seen them. The way their shoulders were no longer hunched forward and instead rolled back in a pride strut he wished he could attribute to someone who had come to accept their own status or the way their eyes seemed sharper rather than soft and wide with innocence. And their hands. By the gods, what happened to their hands...? No, they had changed severely, akin to the way Leona recalled seeing the royal guards before and after their training.

Something had happened, that much he could figure out. And as much as he wanted to advance the board, reach out, and capture them like a king in a game of chess, he couldn't. Not when they were surrounded by a queen and two rooks.

"Ignore him," Nuru advised, although his words were more of a formality if anything. He knew how well you could handle yourself, but this was a unique situation.

"I know," you replied curtly, flipping your hood back on and sidling up to Nuru's right side. Jabori immediately flanked your other side in turn, followed by Jabali. It was a familiar formation, one that the four of you had cultivated for as long as you could remember.

"It doesn't hurt as much as I thought it would," you whisper. However, the sharp pain lingering in your chest said otherwise.

Student after student soon began trickling out of each coffin, repeating the painstaking process of standing in front of the mirror, listening to its spiel about their innermost workings, before joining whatever dorm they were assigned to. Until finally, finally--

"We're done with orientation and dorm assignments?" One of the hooded figures lamented, his hand perched prim and properly on his hip. If you didn't any better, you'd assume that he was royalty or nobility. But, judging from his scent alone, he wasn't.

"Well, that ceremony was as boring as ever," Leona yawned, covering his mouth with his sleeve as he turned on his heels, facing the mass of hooded figures now under his care. "I'm going back to the dorm. If you're in Savanaclaw House, follow me."

He went to take a step amidst the other chattering dorm leaders before the doors slammed open, the handles banging against the wall from the force at which it swung. Leona groaned in response, pinching the bridge of his nose.

"Psst, Nuru," Jabali called from his spot beside Jabori, leaning forward to actually see him. "Are you sure this is the right place? We're actually supposed to find answers from..."

Jabali paused and motioned out towards the commotion now terrorizing the mirror chamber. The little gray cat scampered around the floor, setting fire to whatever he could in some strange show of physical prowess and magical ability. "...These people?!"

Nuru said nothing at first. From where you stood beside him, you could tell doubt was beginning to creep up behind him. Lucky for him, Jabori decided to take the lead.

"This is Night Raven College," he points out, pulling back the hood of his robe by a hair to peer over at his twin. "Pretty much everyone here, especially the dorm leaders, are adept at some kind of magic. I mean, look."

This time, Jabori pointed towards the commotion, his finger following the way that the redhead shot a spell in the cat's direction, materializing a red and black collar around its neck.

"It's the best shot we have," he concludes, nodding in support of Nuru. That single gesture instantly calmed Nuru down, his shoulders no longer hunched up and his wings relaxing behind him. You merely smiled and patted his forearm in response. Jabali, on the other hand, grumbled under his breath and crossed his arms in begrudging compliance.

"Fine. But I'm not gonna get along with 'em or nothin'," Jabali huffed, rolling his eyes. Jabori laughed lightly at his brother's annoyance while Nuru let out a single huff of air.

"I wasn't gonna ask you too, either," Nuru hummed, glancing at Jabali from his peripheral. "Same goes for both of you, (Name), Jabori."

"Copy that," you nodded, the quiet chuckle that seemed to bubble from your throat disappearing the second Leona turned to face you and the rest of the new Savanaclaw members.

"You heard the headmage. I'm headin' back," Leona grumbled and, without missing a beat, brushed past the crowd and headed towards the door. Another hooded figure, one who had been standing beside Leona the entire ceremony, let out an exasperated sigh before raising his hand.

"Savanaclaw! Follow me," he ordered, earning a few half-hearted "Yes, sir"s from the rest of the huddled crowd.

You had to admit, it was pretty entertaining watching Jabali and Jabori marvel at the size of the campus halls. And Nuru too, if only he'd have more obvious reactions rather than just a single flick of a wing or a tilt of the head.

While the halls were nothing compared to the Kingscholar home, it was still pretty big. If you were any smaller than you were now, you'd probably react the same way.

"No way they need these doors to be this big," Jabali murmured, lightly elbowing your arm and pointing at one of the classroom doors. Your eyes followed his finger and a snicker managed to escape you. He wasn't wrong, those doors were freakishly huge, both in height and width.

Jabali went to comment on something else before he stopped, his eyes drifting over toward the new mirror chamber everyone had been led to. The doors were held open to accommodate the crowd, letting handfuls of students walk towards a mirror and get sucked into it, the glass rippling as if took wisps of bodies and left nothing in its wake.

"Savanaclaw House! This'll be your only way in and out of the dorm," the same hooded figure that led you all here called out. He had hopped up onto the lip of the mirror's decoration, using one of the rib-like sculptures as an armrest.

"Hurry up and get in! The faster you do, the faster you'll get to claim your rooms," he snickered before skipping ahead of the first dorm member and hopping into the mirror.

The prospect of first come first served seemed to spur on the first years, causing a near stampede of people trying to get into the mirror first. Nuru hooked an arm around your waist while Jabali did the same with Jabori, the two of them finding a single break in the crowd to get away, Nuru through flight, and Jabali through scaling one of the pillars by the wall.

Lucky for the four of you, the mirror seemed to accommodate more and more people as the crowd diminished. Perhaps through how many bodies reached a specific threshold, you thought. Regardless of the magical mechanics, it allowed Nuru and Jabali to let you and Jabori down after a few minutes.

"So many people," you grumbled under your breath, earning a quiet chuckle from Jabori. Nuru and Jabali nodded at your observation before the four of you hopped into the mirror yourselves.

Immediately, the four of you felt the familiar searing heat of the sun beating down on your skin. It almost felt like home if not for the increased heat coming from the fire serving as lights just outside the dorm's entrance.

Jabali and Nuru were the first to shrug off their robes, the former because he finally had enough of the stuffy fabric, and the latter because the heat was already starting to congregate around his feathers. You and Jabori followed suit, although the two of you merely hiked up your sleeves and flipped down your hoods.

Nuru shook out his wings and let out a soft grunt, one of his feathers falling into the sand beneath your feet. Turning to look over his shoulder, he shot the three of you a soft, almost comforting smile.

"Off we go, then," he hums, waving for you all to follow. If it were anyone else, you three probably would've found offense to a command as expectant as that. But it wasn't just anyone else. It was Nuru, the Guardian, and your dear friend.

The inside of Savanclaw was nothing really to marvel at like the rest of the school's campus. It wasn't cramped, per se, but it was quite a bit more tight than to your liking. Luckily, the walkway opened up the building quite a bit with the roped bridges connecting each floor.

Nuru scanned the room for a moment before his eyes landed on a room on the top floor, tucked all the way in the furthest corner. You figured everyone else left it since it was so far and their mentalities were focusing on that first come first served promise your leader from before declared.

Nuru unfurled his wings and shot up past the bridges, making a beeline towards the unoccupied room. He didn't have to go that fast, of course, considering only a few students were lingering in the walkways who sure as hell weren't planning on making the long walk up there.

Jabali seemed to share their sentiment considering his frustrated "Damn it, Nuru" muttered under his breath. A long, drawn-out sigh escaped his lips before he trudged up along the nearest bridge, his hands shoved in his pockets and his robe slung haphazardly over his shoulder.

You and Jabori took a more relaxed walk up behind him, appreciating the familiar decorations that reminded you of your hometown. Of course, that appreciation turned into apprehension at the thought of Mwezi Miji now being unguarded by the main four.

What if something happened? What if they had sent word of an all-out war between themselves and the Dens and you hadn't heard of it since you all were knocked out in coffins? What if they were all already--

"On your right," Nuru called to you from the doorway, his hand shooting out to grab your shoulder. Ah, you had gotten distracted. Nuru shot you a concerned glance, his brows furrowed in the same way they always were when you got stuck in your head before he ushered you into the room.

Jabali and Jabori had already claimed their beds on the left side of the room, Jabali near the door and Jabori near the window. This left the entire right side open for you and Nuru.

The winged beastman glanced over at you, patiently waiting for your next move. You caught his glance and mustered up a small smile before heading towards the bed closest to the door. Nuru subtly lit up at your decision, a little skip in his step as he moved towards the window.

You managed to hold back a snort at his hidden excitement. He always loved the window spot. Maybe it reminded him of when he was small enough to fit through them back home.

"So, what's up with you and that new first year, huh?" Ruggie huffed as he walked straight into Leona's room, leaning down to pick up a discarded shirt and dropping it in the laundry basket. "I've never seen you react that way other than with them."

"Watch your words, Ruggie," Leona growls from the bed, his head already buried in his pillow. His back was facing Ruggie who still stood in the doorway, but with the way his ears were perked up, it was fairly obvious that he wasn't even close to sleeping.

"My bad," Ruggie snicked in response, holding up his hands defensively. "But, seriously, who was that? Someone I need to watch the pockets of? I mean, who else would it be if not roy--"

"Out," Leona demanded, his hand latching onto his pillow and launching it backward at Ruggie, the soft fabric turning into dust and scattering across the floor as he muttered the incantation under his breath. Ruggie yelped and scampered out of the room, throwing the door closed behind him before he could see the pillow disintegrate into sand.

Leona took a single breath through his nose before slowly sitting up. He rubbed at his face before reaching over to the desk placed beside his bed, his fingers curling around the drawer's handle and pulling it open.

Underneath notebooks thrown carelessly inside lay a single photograph. It was small, yet free of any creases. He lifted the books off of it before slipping the photo out, nearly cradling it in his palm.

Back when he first found the photo tucked neatly in one of his notebooks, he grimaced. It was an annoying keepsake, one that only served to remind him of the bothersome family waiting for him back home. But now...

Now the sight of his little sibling smiling ever so brightly while his older brother screamed in the background about a bug in his hair brought the smallest twitch of a smile to his lips.

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[am-i-the-asshole-official]

AITA for "bragging" about making the deans list?

so I (19ftm) have a sorta complicated friendship with a group of friends. We're all autistic, and we all have different strengths and weaknesses. Specifically, I am very academically gifted. I graduated high school with a 3.9 gpa, consistent honor roll, APs, etc. None of my friends are even close to this. Of the other four of them, two never went to college because they couldn't do it, one is dropping out after this year, and one is a consistent c student. I don't mind this much, although I will admit it gets frustrating sometimes when I'm trying to talk about what I'm doing and they just don't get it. Recently, I found out that I made the deans list, and I was super proud of myself. I texted our gc to tell them, and one person responded saying "wow that must've been hard" in a way that felt sorta sarcastic but I ignored it. No one else responded. I assumed they hadn't seen it and while I was definitely upset, I tried not to take it personally.

Later, while we were on call, I mentioned it again. One of them, the same person who'd made the sarcastic comment earlier, responded by saying that I shouldn't brag about it so much because I knew they were all struggling academically and it was annoying to rub it in their faces that I could do things they couldn't. I got really upset, since I've had a rough year and was super proud of myself, and left the call. No one's reached out to me since.

Some important background info: everyone else has talents I physically can't do. They're all gifted artists or musicians, which I can't be because of my disability severely limiting finger and hand movement. I have never once told them to not talk about their accomplishments in those fields, even if it made me feel a bit sad. I have also gotten told off for bragging before, but I didn't get those times either. For example, they got mad when I vented about being stressed for my midterms then informed them the next day that they weren't super hard and I was sure I did great, because the friend who has since dropped out failed theirs. (If someone who understands social cues could explain how this is wrong, I would really appreciate that). They've mentioned several times that they feel stupid when I talk about the work I'm doing, as I got into a fairly prestigious university and am doing lots of rigorous work that they don't really get, but does that mean I should just not bring it up? I'm not trying to make them feel bad, I just want to talk about this part of my life and the ups and downs

[theallegedbird]

look this really isn't the kind of post i'd normally make but why the fuck aren't we talking about trans rights in the uk. this is just the latest thing they've thrown at us. it's absolute shit here to be blunt.

on the 19th the uk department of education (DfE) released its guidance for schools and colleges and how they deal with trans kids

its bad. really fucking bad.

but there is some hope in that they are asking for feedback from teachers and school leaders, myself and a friend wrote a document going through why the guidelines are so awful but stopped after focusing on four points since it was. half midnight on the same day this guidance was released. we then gave this to as many teachers as we could before the holiday break and believe me it did a lot, we're working on completing a full version soon

so, uk students, i am begging you to do similar and try persuade your teachers to give feedback (if its safe for you to do so), you'd be surprised how supportive they can be if you break down what this guidance will bring

teacher feedback can be given here, the deadline is the 12th of march 2024

i'm going to go through some of the worst parts of this guidance, keep in mind that according to the education secretary gillian keegan, "this guidance puts the best interests of all children first" utter bullshit obviously

to start off throughout this whole thing they never use the word trans/transgender, just "gender questioning" which feels so fucked up to me

ok so to be blunt essentially what this is going to do is to out any trans kids who want to socially transition to their parents, as well as the fact a school can just. fucking decline any request to socially transition.

"The… guidance clarifies that schools and colleges do not have to, and should not, accept all requests for social transition."

"We are also clear how vital it is that parents are informed and involved in the decisions that impact their children’s lives."

"Parents’ views must also be at the heart of all decisions made about their children – and nowhere is that more important than with decisions that can have significant effects on a child’s life for years to come.”

oh yeah they also connote the whole "trans kids can just get permanent altering medical treatment" bs

on top of that we have this shit

"In exceptional cases where a request to social transition is agreed, children, teachers or staff at a school should not be required to adopt the use of preferred pronouns and there must be no sanction, verbal or otherwise."

so even if you're fucking allowed to socially transition people can straight up misgender you with no fucking consequences. they are legitimately making it so transphobia cant be punished

there is so much more fucked up stuff in this thing as well but you can read that yourself

they are going to kill trans kids if this goes through. they fucking know that. i have the privilege of being out to my parents and them being tolerant but so many closeted trans kids, friends of mine included, wouldn't be able to safely come out even in school. and i know personally how shitty your mental health can get in that situation.

the intent of this guidance is simply put, not in the interest of ‘protecting children’, but in the further marginalisation of an already extremely vulnerable group. they're trying to wipe us out.

uk students, please inform your teachers of what this guidance will do and get them to oppose it in feedback. others just try and spread the word

protect trans kids and fuck the tories.

[00127am]

first of all I’m loving your smaus. they’re so funny and I love the vibe you create between the characters that’s both real and entertaining ♡ I find it really difficult to find smaus with adult characters that feel like adult characters and not just high school students pretending to be in college so hats off to you ! I was curious if you had any recs for any other writers as well. hope you have the best day !!

omg this is so sweet (╥﹏╥) i have the same issue when it comes to smau and fics in general and tried to avoid it in my own works so it makes me so, so happy to hear that i was successful!

in terms of recs here are some of my favorite creators that i feel really capture the personalities of the members and whose writing overall just makes me giggle and kick my feet:

⟢ @nsheetee sadly they closed their blog :( but i love their work to this day! ⟢ @ohmygs-blog her texts make me feel so delusional it's so bad for me ⟢@haespoir SO FUNNY like i'm always cracking up when i read her stuff ⟢ @hugs2doie lore accurate dreamies fr also just so kind?? like i'm so gagged that they keep up with my doyoung fic ⟢ @suzayaaa another one who makes me feel like i'm in a parasocial relationship with ncity ⟢@xrenjunniesx just beautiful writing makes me feel like i'm in high school again (?) like very youthful! ⟢ @jammingjaem fake texts that give me literal butterflies like it's so serious for me, we're actually moots and when i saw that follow notif i almost shat myself fr ⟢ @misted-dream another moot whose work is SO UNDERRATED??? like i scratch at the walls and run around on all fours when i'm reading her stuff also just so sweet! ⟢ @marksmelodies my first fake text love! ceo of mark texts/works!

i hope you find their work enjoyable and i hope mine continues to be something you like! have a great day too and thank you for supporting me! ( ๑ ˃̵ᴗ˂̵)و ♡

[psyoniks]

Okay this has been eating at me while I've been studying. Is the Blade's and Magic academy a high-school, or a college setting?

Neil and Max were in the same year together, assuming Max is in the highest year if we're going by standard four year high-school, so they'd be around the same age. Neil seems a little older than maybe 17-18 imo, but maybe its just because he has a stable job or smth idk. Lasitc has a job too, but maybe its more situational than age-based in this universe. Iirc Rylan was too young to get a job to help out their grandmother, but Rachel was old enough.

So that means Neil is definitely older than Lastic then since Max and Neil were in the same year? This is pretty flimsy logic but I don't have a lot to worth with here. Actually, let me explain how I think classes work out of the way, since it's possible Lastic could be the same age instead of being younger by a large amount.

I actually don't think the classes are necessarily separated by age, like a traditional high-school. Since Rylan and Lastic share a class, unless Rachel is older than the both of them. Or maybe the Blades and Strikers just have shared classes and there wasn't enough for a separate class. It might be technically possible that someone in the same age is in a higher class based on skill level? This is where I'm questioning if the academy is more like a college, in the sense lots of different ages share classes rather than separated by age. Lastic scored the highest ever in the entrance test, I can't remember her exact number but she blew up the fountain. So if it was based off skill, she would still be a trainee, since her amount of magic doesn't equal skill. I don't actually know if its confirmed Blades and Strikers have magic, but I think it only really matters for the entrance exam.

All we know is Rylan is definitely the youngest and he honestly seems around 15-16 imo but this is just all speculation. As long as anyone passes the magic scaling test and has 100 coins, its possible that some younger students could enter if the academy was more of a college setting. I wish we got canon ages or a little more information/lore on the school/what the characters were taught, since I just find it the most interesting.

[bookwyrminspiration]

How does your school work? You've mentioned a lot of interesting things about it, and now I'm really curious.

I'd be more than happy to explain! Though I can't promise to cover every interesting thing I've said because I've forgotten them all. It is a pretty cool situation that works out great for me, but if you have any questions--about my school, college in general, etc--I'd love to answer! (started over explaining, but hopefully it makes sense)

Essentially, it's a dual credit high school. I can't speak to how it works at other high schools, but my understanding is typically they might have a dual credit program where students can choose to participate in dual credit. The difference here is that my entire school is dedicated to that specific concept, built around it. Here, there is no option but to participate; it's why you go here.

Dual credit means that we're earning high school and college credit at the same time, so I've been taking college courses at an official community college since 9th grade. All of it is paid for my district, I don't have to pay for the college education.

The way it works, instead of electives (like spanish, drama, art, etc.) at a typical high-school, our electives are our college courses. These can be things like the normal electives, but they can also be things like philosophy, culinary classes, welding, etc. These classes count double, both towards the high school side of things and the college side of things--hence dual credit!

The only courses the high school offers itself are the basics, like math, english, history. They're condensed into semester long courses to match the college, and everything else is college. As you progress through any high school you need less core classes (e.g., I only had PE the first year, next year it was an open slot for an elective) and can take more electives, so your schedule also gets more free.

Right now, I'm a senior in high school, so I only have one class a day. This semester, I only had English, and next semester I'll only have Econ/Gov. I finished my math credits before 10th grade, and there's no more required science or history. So during the school year I go for an hour and a half (that's the length of one period), do my class, and then go home. (freshman have a full school day, and it gets less with each year).

The time you save you can put towards the college courses you're taking. A certain number are required each semester (with one high school class, 3 college are required. with 2 high school 2 college are required, etc.) so you count as a full student, but you can take more than that. If these classes are in person, then you'll attend them when they're held and do the work like any other homework. I've personally elected to take all my courses online because it's less draining for me, so I just go home and do my work.

My school is structured in such a way that the goal for all students entering is to graduate high school with a two year degree or a certificate, though that's not the limit. I've personally already earned several degrees.

It's also an incredibly small and close-knit school. You get in via a raffle, so you apply then they randomly select students to get in. There's about 60 kids in my grade level (if it was full there'd be 72), and almost all of us have been here since 9th grade so we're all familiar with each other. We've been taking classes together for four years. I will say that unless you're directly involved with student government or something, you won't know shit about the other grades. You only know your own because our schedules don't let us mix. And since it's so small, the teachers all know us pretty well. It's a lax and friendly atmosphere, treating us like adults in college instead of kids preparing for college.

The principal knows all our names and she jokes around with us, same with all the other faculty. The other day the principal and vice principal were standing next to the stairs talking and I passed them by, and they called to me and joked, saying, "Quil, we hear you only have a 104 in english, you better step it up!" and they complimented some of the art they'd seen for an assignment I'd done. My 10th grade English teacher gave me books from her personal collection to read and I gave her a few from mine. Even this one teacher I never had (he's new this year and teaching a grade below me) knows about me (though that may be because I'm an accomplished student, so staff tend to hear about me).

I'm probably missing something, but that's the gist of it! I take core classes at the high school, and college courses that count for college and elective credits. This gives me an incredibly free schedule (that doesn't match the rest of the district) with a personal, relaxed environment. And it's all paid for!

It's definitely not for everyone, but it's wonderful for me because I don't have to be in a place for an extended period of time and all the teachers are more than accommodating when I use fidgets and earplugs. Couldn't imagine going anywhere else :)

[mcalhenwrites]

Rant ahead, because I don't want to reblog a post with a reply, but I'm now shaking and have to direct my anger somewhere. Especially since it overlaps with some other rants I've had gathering over the past few weeks/months. tw for physical abuse

Treating children well in this country seems like a fucking impossibility, and I've noticed a growing trend to assume that college students aren't adults and should be treated like children. Do they not realize that people in their late 20s, even 30s, sometimes well beyond that, GO TO FUCKING COLLEGE? Slapping an adult in the face is assault. These jerks are saying college students need discipline, a slap in the face... for having anxiety and petting cats to conquer it, as if we have to ask the government and F/ox News for permission to be in the same vicinity as cats. I know the point is to gain control of people. Control every aspect, take away all hope and happiness, remove all aspect of autonomy. That's what those churches and cults do when they get people in on beating their kids. The kids then learn that it's okay to be physically violated, so when it escalates to molestation, it's even harder for children to speak up. How can they? Their parents hurt them, their families hurt them, this is just more hurt. It just keeps coming. They can't complain. There's no one to talk to. No one to run to. Works for schools too. Take away the kids bodily autonomy by hitting them. That's why the US is clinging to that, even as we have kids hospitalized and teachers are arrested for carrying it out on students but then you find they got spanking images on their harddrives. Hmmmm. (And I'm unpopular for this, but as spanking is my kink that I discovered when I was as young as four, it's a fucking kink, even if it's a nonsexual one for some. For me, I found it exciting and obsessed about getting spanked, but avoided it because it was the same as just raping me at that point. Mind, I was just more careful not to get caught but I wasn't a GOOD kid. So if you want to touch me, you gotta ask permission. You aren't granted it by being an authority figure. You can't just hug me, you sure as hell can't just HIT ME.) Never mind that punitive measures are counterproductive and it's been shown at all levels, including the penal system. Endless studies show that rehabilitation is a better measure than cracking down on people. OHHH, but we need to crack down on people and shuffle them into for-profit prisons, so we can't have anyone thinking it's okay to live freely or question authority or believe in bodily autonomy...! I'll forgive anyone who loses patience and wishes they hadn't been short with a person of any age and hit them, because if you genuinely want to apologize and do better... we're only human. But if you're calculated and defending your ability to hurt someone repeatedly, that ain't it. Break the cycle. Do better. Please. This is so ugly. America is freaking me out. And I'm so tired. I'm so very tired. Sad and tired.

[basedkikuenjoyer]

If we're just gonna talk trans manga for a bit might as well show a little love to two shorter series that hold a special place in my heart. For being good. Just that, no frills they're just good and have something honest to say beyond the normal "be your true self" narrative. Because who gives a shit about trans folk after the fun part right? A big reason I love Kiku's story in One Piece is being a rare subversion...but even then she's only really like, the next steps after that phase.

Today's example, Kanojo ni Naru hi (lit. "The Day He Became She") goes way further. And it does so by using a light sci-fi touch to great effect. In this world, we handwaved the mechanical part of transitioning by just having it be something that can spontaneously happen to any male. The phenomenon is called "Emergence," it's compared to Clownfish, completely perfect and our protagonist Nao is a rarity for it happening as a teenager. Through that lens, we have a world where it's mostly normalized. Weirdly enough, we do also seem to have like, what we think of as "trans" in modern day alongside that. One of our recurring characters you could call an Otokonoko, they do mention "sex change" procedures...Emergence is a layer on top of our world. Which makes this straddle the line between part tale of someone all this comes easier to but also the crux of sci-fi, the world we're headed towards.

And this is a good example of how the sci-fi element works. Emergence still takes a toll on the body so our heroine here like, lags a few years behind as a result of transitioning. She's also a late bloomer as a high schooler. She wasn't asleep she was in a legit cocoon-type thing, so the bigotry is all bug-themed which is a pretty clever inversion of normal butterfly motifs. I always lose it at the friend who calls Nao "Mothra" as a lark. It's a lighter touch than it sounds, nice stand-in for going away for a while or having a rocky, reclusive period. But that was after the actual Emergence; sorta like Senpai is an Otokonoko the author had a one-volume idea that expanded to four. We start with it spontaneously happening and a high school drama with her childhood friend Miyoshi.

But this works so well and really shows the brilliance in the rear view. When you have what the story becomes...it really shows how Nao was originally going through a distinct phase. One a lot of trans women, especially teens today, struggle with. Your ability to look the part isn't everything. And it can cause its own category of troubles when that outstrips your ability to cope with the changes. A theme that continues throughout the series, but it's important here Nao has a chance to go back and you're still living around the environment you grew up in. People are willing to give you a lot of grace and positive reinforcement. Senpai wa Otokonoko sorta tells the opposite story, how it isn't a bad thing to let someone experiment a little. Past that point of no return though? That's where the real game begins.

That's Nao with her Dad. I love this storyline. Well before Emergence, Nao's mother abandoned the family for another lover. This caused him to have a lot of issues with women, and as a high school boy he was pretty shitty about serially dating girls and dumping them the second it got serious. Something that bites her in the ass a few ways as her and Miyoshi navigate being a college couple for most of the series. A big thing for her is that she looks like her mom now. For the record, Dad's just a workaholic that didn't even notice. His response was that Nao always had the same face either way and a totally different everything else.

But this is the magic. How everyone gets caught up in stupid misunderstandings and it's never something grand and dramatic. That's a story that deserves to be told, it already resonated with me a lot as a college student navigating my first relationship with a guy ten years ago. It does so much more now. Like...it's not hard to get why a newly out trans girl might hang around with a male-dominated hobby group she was already a part of for a bit. But this is a series that goes far enough to show you that type of pull coming up way later. How some little spark can trigger an old side of you, or even just...how hard it can be to rectify old traumas as a normal part of growing up when you feel like a completely different person than the one who experienced it.

Or maybe realizing there's more to this than you anticipated. When "Emergence" handwaves bigotry like acting as if HRT does nothing...that would have been useful. As someone who's always been at least kinda athletically inclined, who do you talk to about the sobering reality you got more than you bargained for there? No one wants to accept they're struggling with physical exertion that would have been nothing two years ago. Even the most open-minded girls don't want to hear about getting weaker from you and most guys just plain will not get how you didn't logically sit down and expect all of that from the jump. And you yourself don't even know if you're just being a defiant girl or a disappointed former guy about it.

I wouldn't expect someone fresh out of the closet to get all that subtext beneath a good romance manga, but Kanojo ni Naru hi hits that note in a way I have yet to find anything else that even comes close. What makes it work is that Nao and her sweetie Myoshi are cool people. Like here with a future in-law trying to expose Nao for being a bad wife. She filets a tuna like it's nothing and the house is spotless. It's very much a celebration on how this bizarre concoction of circumstances can create something beautiful.

Your only option for this one is fan translations, Lord knows I'd love an anime adaptation but that ain't happening. There is a sequel series, Kanojo ni Naru hi Another, that focuses on a younger emergee who is more resistant to the change. I can't relate fully because despite transitioning in the same time frame that only happened because I was well aware and accepted it about myself from an early age. If I lived in today's world without an abusive mom I'd be one of those cases that was well past socially transitioning pre-adolescence. But getting to know some teens today I feel like Nao is great representation for the type of trans girl who figures things out as a teen and maybe has to deal more with pressure to move forward outstripping the speed they personally come to terms with that. Especially if like, social transition comes surprisingly easy for you.

Watching one of the best case scenario teens I knew still hit that inflection point and "cocoon" stage on the cusp of adulthood was a real wake-up call to me that even in the best of circumstances this can be a weird journey with very little guidance. It's not wrong to take the easier path of showing someone dealing with baby steps or discrimination, but man did it make this series stand out for traveling the road not taken. And it makes Nao & Miyoshi's romance honestly just one of the best couples in any manga I've read.

[adonaldson]

Art is from a poor to lower middle class family.

The movie hints at this a few times, and from my own experience being in a lower middle class family where both my parents were laid off at times, and I forewent Christmas many years to keep me in private school, some of how Art presented himself just screamed that type of life to me.

First we're gonna touch on some movie notes that I will then expand further on. So I want to note first on how Art talks about houses particularly Tashi's and Patrick's. Tashi's is noted to be big, but not as big as Patrick's parents. And he credits Tashi for it rather than her parents. Noting that it came from hard work. Patrick's parents he talks about quite honestly how I talked about how all my friends houses were growing up. They were huge, had basketball courts, had staff etc. Art has a reverence for it, but also speaks like he knows Patrick hates that his parents just have that kind of money, but like Patrick still isn't quite aware how blessed he is to be in that position.

Next we have clothes. This one sticks out hugely for me. We see Art in four stages of life in terms of clothing. We see high school, college athlete, pre-tashi as his coach and wife, and post tashi as his coach and wife. We also see Art in comfortable clothes, and Art in tennis clothes, and I promise this will make sense. First let me get the college stuff out of the way, most colleges the athletes typically where college athlete attire, they have college athlete bags etc. Usually its because of practice reasons and whatnot, for Art though I would also argue its clothing reasons as well, which I will get to. But just remember that Art is from a lower tax bracket than the majority of Stanford students. While Stanford isn't Ivy League at all it is the most elite university on the West Coast. So lets talk about his high school clothes, to me they scream a person who buys good clothes once, and takes really good care of them, and doesn't have much else to wear. We see this with his party attire, and what he wears to the girls singles open game. We also see this in what he wears to practice, and what he wears to games, note the same hat, but more importantly compare what he wears to Patrick. After the singles match Art looks pristine compared to Patrick who looks more rumpled, both however in Tennis Academy shirts. Art screams I am trying to fit in, I keep my clothes nice, while Patrick is I know I do, so I don't care as long as I can squeak by and follow the rules. This happens continuously for both Art and Patrick. Like I'm sorry the plaid shorts aint it, though if the point was for them to look like boxers then the look was nailed.

So I want to talk about the uniforms here, the clothes that are clear Tennis Academy clothes. Art is in nice clothes, not something that you would just wear to practice on a day after your recent competition like Patrick. And why this is important is it is very likely some of the only Academy official things he has to wear because he cannot afford to just buy a t-shirt like Patrick. Am I making sense on this front. Art buys probably exactly what he needs to stay in regulation and wear clean things, and likely no more than that. He may by one new shirt a year as he grows or whatever. He probably wears these things til they are worn out, or do not fit any more. From personal lived experience it screams he has his tennis clothes, a school uniform and likely not much else that wasn't gifted to him.

Now talking about his professional career. He still seems to follow the buy clothes keep them nice, wear things il-fitting that he did in high school and college save for the Stanford Athletic attire that is given to athletes. He is newish to the circuit and has not made the huge bucks yet. He did however make enough to buy a nice car. And from experience he probably never had a car, and so he got a nice one, did his research and takes care of it, note how clean it is. When Tashi comes into his life again fully this time as a coach, and this his wife we see he has better fitting clothes, nice quality Tennis clothes and equipment. He even has clothes that aren't branded, that look well worn, that are relaxing clothes the sweats and blank t-shirt, but with that we still see that they are used, and still not the same caliber of carelessness that we see with Patrick's more relaxation clothes in the movie.

I want to briefly touch on the meal credit thing, because this is huge. I know he maybe most likely lied, but not using all your meal credits is awful to someone who has to be careful about the money they spend. It also goes into other things that is for another post. But when I was in college, I would go to the store that had more like in bulk items (ie water and powerade) and buy them out and then give them to people moving out of dorms and stuff because I could not in good conscious let my meal credits go to waste. This problem was the biggest issue my freshman year, we adjusted as the years went on. But I once bought like ten people meals because I needed to use the meal credits. Just something about this being not on an excuse but a very valid one just tells me he may not have been entirely lying about the meal credits bit.

So last movie bit before we move onto more actual headcanon things. Art's grandmother. He mentions her alot. She is the only family he mentions, and we don't see or hear about any other family. Patrick gets his parents mentioned, and we see Tashi's father and mother. Now I know this can be argued a few ways about the role his grandmother plays. But here is how I view it. Art was more or less raised by his grandmother, we don't know if she is his maternal or paternal grandmother. But she is there and supports him. My guess is that on a very base level at least Art's parents are separated for whatever reason, and Art lived with the side of his family that had the grandmother. If I had to guess, Art's parents had him young, and the remaining parent lived with him and the grandmother with the grandmother acting more as his real mother. I would argue that Art probably lives with his dad who is possibly a trucker, or a construction worker so he didn't see his dad very often, and made enough to support the little family but not much else.

Art got into tennis young, but not with private lessons or anything like that. No, the rec center put on a tennis camp at a local high school's tennis courts. Art was enrolled in that, it was cheap for city residents, and it was an all day camp that lasted a whole week. It freed Art's grandma up during the day because she is getting older, and gave Art something to do. So Tennis camp it was. He was enrolled for the entire summer in spouts of week long camps with the only break being over fourth of July. The tennis pro that was hired to coach the camp took note of Art and how he got better, and more importantly got good. By the end of that summer Art was being used for demonstrations, and was given a card for private lessons. Art, who was using a provided racquet, and sneakers that nearly had holes in them, and wore the same five outfits week to week was given a card for private lessons. He threw the card out. When he was enrolled in the same camp the next summer he was more or less just seen as a helper because he couldn't learn any more, from the camp. The pro asked him why he never took up the lessons, and Art had to sheepishly explain why. The pro is the reason he got into the Mark Rebellato Tennis Academy. This pro recommended him for a scholarship, took the reigns and called his grandma who was excited. Art wasn't sure what to feel. He liked Tennis, he was good, but he wasn't sure he was that good. He was that good, and got a full ride scholarship, he also got in with good grades that he had to maintain. If you know you know.

So Art had a very different introduction to Tennis than Tashi and Patrick likely had. It also explains his calculative gameplay and perfect technique. Tennis summer camps aren't about hitting the ball but getting technique down.

So their you have it, a very brief look into why I think Art is from a poor to lower middle class background.

[rayacd1]

Script Writing

A group of four students, EMMA, ALEX, SAM, and TAYLOR, at a table in the quad of a college campus, talking while doing school work.

EMMA: (stressed) I have a million assignments this week oh my gosh. 

ALEX: Same, never ending. 

SAM: (looking at his assignment schedule) How are we not even halfway done the semester yet, it has been years.

TAYLOR: Tell me about it. I feel like I've aged a decade in the past few weeks.

EMMA: (laughs) I'd rather run across hot rocks than present this 2-minute presentation in our next class, our professor is so scary. 

ALEX: Yeah, Professor Smith is something else this semester, it’s his way or the highway, he won't even consider curving our classes test even though almost everyone failed.  

SAM: No way. I've pushed that assignment off so much I might as well not do it.

TAYLOR: Come on, Sam. You can’t fall behind now, we'll help you get it done. We all have to be in this together. 

They all nod in agreement and begin brainstorming ideas for Sam’s project.

EMMA: You know what? Despite the stress and workload, college has its perks too.

ALEX: Definitely. Last weekend was awesome. 

SAM: Oh yeah, I want to relive it again. 

TAYLOR: (smiling) Gotta take the good with the bad, right?

They all share a moment of reminiscing, acknowledging the ups and downs of college life. Silence passes as they work on different parts of the project. 

TAYLOR: (Packing up her bag) Well, we made it through another day.

EMMA: And we made so much progress on that presentation, Sam!

SAM: Thanks for all your help, guys. I couldn't have done it without you.

ALEX: You know, even though college can be tough, I'm grateful for moments like these. We're learning and growing together.

TAYLOR: Oh Alex don’t get all sappy on us. 

They share a laugh as they gather their things and head off campus.

[taiblogcomics]

Her Own Story, Write or Wrong

Hey there, cruelty-free tuna. I think I mentioned we got our backlog refreshed, so we've got a ton of MLP comics to get to. Frankly, we might make it to next year with this amount of backlog. Now, I know normally we start with the main series, then work through all our spinoff books. But we're also big fans of doing two endings in a row around here, so let's finish one of these things we started~

Here's the cover:

Bring it in, girls! I think this is just a nice snuggly way to end the story. All the March sisters in big floofy dresses. And, like… I guess that's it! Yeah, this is pretty much all there is to say about this cover. It's weird that I almost miss having an odd quote from ComicBookResources to dissect. But I guess it all balances out~

So, since it's been a while, who here remembers the plot? Trick question, it was the plot of Little Women, except we merely sent Beth (played by Fluttershy) on vacation. But in short, it's the story of the March sisters and their struggles in growing up. Particularly Jo (Rainbow Dash), who feels like she's been left behind a bit, since her writing career hasn't quite taken off like her other sisters' goals. Even her next-door friend Laurie (Applejack) has found a new thing to persue.

So don't worry about the gap in our reviews. There's been a gap in the narrative of the story as well! See, it was all planned and thematic and certainly not that I didn't get a shipment of comics for four months! I don't think the isolation's been very good for Jo, since she's set up proxies of all her sisters and neighbour friend, and continues to act out their old meetings and life reports. Discord appears to recap the rest of the cast's activities since the last issue, including Marmee (Pinkie Pie) finally coming back from surprising her husband (Cheese Sandwich) at the front lines.

On Marmee's recommendation, Jo decides to take a vacation of her own at a particular boarding house, which is mostly an excuse to give cameos of the Student Six. But the change of scenery has done Jo some good. In fact, she's doing so well, she doesn't notice somepony else in the street until she bumps into them. And to her shock, coincidence of coincidences, the mare she's bumped into is none other than AK Yearling (AK Yearling). This is like if I bumped into the Game Grumps while doing my grocery shopping: theoretically possible, but not likely to happen in a rinky-dink East Coast suburb on a Wednesday afternoon~

Despite Jo's awkward fan-girling and babbling, AK Yearling notes that she used to write for the same paper, then invites Jo over for some tea. Oh, this is like my fantasies meeting the Grumps. Still starstruck, Jo flits about in AK's home until she settles in for conversation. Naturally, she asks how AK came up with such a great character as Daring Do. AK gives this advice: good writing comes from the truth. Sometimes the truth is boring, and sometimes the truth is scary. Write what scares you. Not, like, horror necessarily, but the truths that scare you.

After they part, Jo returns home after a long absence, just in time for Laurie's graduation. She's greeted by snooty Aunt March (Discord), who still thinks Jo's writing will amount to nothing, and so leaves her her own manor home, Plumfield, to… Actually, I have no idea. Neither does Jo, which Aunt March also criticises. And Jo finally reunites with her sisters Meg (Twilight Sparkle) and Amy (Rarity), catching up with them. Since Meg's looking to open a school, Jo decides to give her Plumfield instead, since she can actually make use of it. That was a quick resolution!

And so Jo flits around the party, schmoozing with the other guests until finally Laurie pulls Jo aside into the little meeting place they first met. Laurie's a bit overwhelmed, especially with the whole "well, I graduated college, now what?" concept. As someone who didn't go to college, I can't relate! Like, presumably you went there for a reason, so you could get a specific degree and pursue some field of interest. I dunno what college was like in 1869, though, maybe this post-graduate listlessness was common. I guess we'll never know for sure~

Jo recounts her meeting with AK Yearling, noting the advice she was given is also strongly similar to something Laurie herself once told her as well. And even though Jo is now sure of what she's writing next, she pulls Laurie off for "one last adventure". The pair head out in the dark and goof around a bit. I can't even be sure if these ruins are real, but I'm pretty sure the pit of snakes isn't. The pair come back in, with the group wanting to take a commemorative photo of the event. Even Beth returns from vacation to get in on this. And so the comic ends with Jo starting work on her book, "Little Fillies", writing the very same Hearth's Warming that we opened with…

Well, all in all, I think that was very nice. I don't have any interest in (or experience with) the original story, but hopefully someone reading this comic is inspired to seek it out, if only for comparison's sake. It's obviously not a one-to-one adaptation, goodness knows they lampshade that they're putting their own spin on it often enough. But really, that's the point, isn't it? To not be afraid to tell your own story in your own way~?

[peculiarxafternoon]

pile 1 | pile 2

pile 3 | pile 4

𝙥𝙖𝙘: 𝙮𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙛𝙪𝙩𝙪𝙧𝙚 𝙨𝙩𝙪𝙙𝙞𝙚𝙨

hello everyone! welcome to this reading! today we're going to talk about your future studies (you can set the timeline yourself, e.g. one year from now, six months, etc.). the sections of the reading will be as follows:

1. a general overview

2. what you should focus on

3. extra activities

4. (for college / future college students) what should your major be?

take a deep breath and focus on your goals or studies. then, pick a pile intuitively.

! for entertainment purposes only!

! constructive criticism and feedback are welcome!

! decks used: rider waite tarot deck, mermaid tarot, astrological oracle cards, the universe has your back oracle deck!

pile 1

1. general overview

(cards: ten of pentacles, seven of swords rx, queen of wands x2, the chariot, two of pentacles, the star)

hello, pile 1! wow, right off the bat you guys are giving me such boss energy. let me start by saying your future studies will be great, okay? you may have fire in your chart, with the queen of wands, but either way, i just see you living it up. having a stable routine, chasing after your goals, making sure you are putting effort into what you do, and getting recognition for it! it honestly surprises me because it seems like you're enjoying it very much (and, as a person going through finals rn, i can not relate). whether you're starting a new school year or a new semester, i see you going in with a whole new flare. just be careful of someone trying to steal your credit, or copying off your notes. definitely make sure you are being credited for your work, and start standing up for yourself!

2. what you should focus on

(cards: saturnus, capricorn, taurus, king of pentacles rx, four of swords)

now pile 1, the biggest message i see here is have! a! schedule! that matches your rhythm and what you want to achieve, but at the same time, take breaks. for as long as you need to. humans weren't made for hustle culture, love, we were made to hunt once a day and then bask in the sunlight until the sun goes down. you can't control what your body needs, so try to accommodate it by taking breaks, making sure you're having fun and nurturing yourself, having a nice diet and drinking water. overworking yourself will only lead to exhaustion and that never ends well for anybody. remember what j-hope said: a professional should also know how to pace themselves!

3. extra activities

(cards: the star rx, ace of pentacles, five of swords, "when i learn to love i am led", the universe works fast when I'm having fun!")

i think taking up some extra activities that you enjoy will really help you on your journey, pile 1. whether that is sports, art, volunteering, doing something that makes you feel good inside and breaks from your continuous studying will help lots! if you're one of those people who feel guilty if they aren't on their feet, try to pick up a job or so something you enjoy that will bring you profit. no matter what, don't get too drunk on your academic glory, or you may risk getting hurt. again, overworking yourself isn't sexy, darling. learn to love doing things other than studying, or things that will bring you satisfaction, and a proud smile. don't really seek approval from others, just try to focus on what you like to spend time on, and what makes you happy.

4. what should your college major be?

(cards: scorpio, gemini, cancer, four of swords, queen of wands, king of wands)

well, pile 1. you can do pretty much anything lol. like, if you have the drive and passion for it, you can do it even if it's something as difficult as becoming an astronaut or working for nasa. however, if i have to narrow it down, being a detective or a private investigator popped in my head first. somewhere where you can use your intellect, intuition, and knowledge of human relationships. you could also do great in marketing and advertisement, culinary school, interior design, dance, any kind of sport, and writing. i don't think the key here is what you should study, but more so what you want to study. what fills you with excitement and makes you all jittery. choose that, no matter what. also don't be afraid to put yourself out there, especially if you want to perform! I'm sure you will go far.

thank you for reading <3

pile 2

1. general overview

(cards: knight of cups rx, two of pentacles, the star rx, seven of swords rx, four of cups rx, the world rx, knight of cups rx)

hello, pile 2! are you doing alright? i feel like your future studies will find you or will lead you to not be in the best place, emotionally especially. maybe you feel overworked and burnt out, or you have other issues affecting your mental health. whatever this may be, it's causing you to feel like you're losing balance, or like your wishes are not coming true the way you want them to be. I'm also sensing that for some of you, this is the period when you're graduating and you feel the weight of other people's expectations and your workload a lot more than before. for some, you may have envisioned life to be going differently by that time and you'll be too consumed over "what if"s. even if the cards don't say so, please remember to take care of yourself first, because if you lose yourself you really will have nothing left.

2. what you should focus on

(cards: aquarius, mars, virgo, knight of wands rx, knight of swords)

definitely try to get your mid off whatever is burdening you by doing something creative. i sense you have a sensitive soul, no matter what you show people, so please try to nurture that! i heard reforming clothes, but anything creative will do! definitely pick up something that doesn't overwhelm you and helps you focus on more positive thoughts / restores your drive to do things. staying active can also be very helpful, so if performing is something you enjoy, find a way to do that as well. you guys need to help your mind relax, so please focus on something that doesn't overstimulate your senses, and maybe even helps you relax. organising / cleaning your space could also help lots.

3. extra activities

(cards: page of swords, five of wands rx, the lovers, "i create mindful moments throughout the day, reminding myself that i am love and miracles are natural", "in any moment i can surrender to the powerful presence of love through prayer, contemplation, and stillness.", "my faith has the power to turn trauma into healing, conflict into growth, and fear into love.")

with the last card you guys got, i think you may have some trauma caused by a parental figure that made you believe you or your efforts aren't good enough. while working through resolving that, and its effect on your academics, i think doing activities that boost your confidence will help you find your way. something that is far away from any toxic environment, maybe even frowned upon by your close circle. if you are religious or feel comfortable, prayer and meditation could help you ease your mind and get rid of any negative thoughts. if you are carrying guilt with you, please remember to take some time to be as imperfect as you can, without thinking that you're wasting time or doing something unproductive. I'm thinking of something creative, like painting or dance, but you can apply to your situation and what you enjoy doing. make sure you feel good while doing it, and if you don't right away, fake it till you make it. i believe in you, pile 2!

4. what should your college major be?

(capricorn, cancer, leo, king of swords, page of cups, six of wands)

no matter what you choose, i feel like you guys will make it big. like. leo and the six of swords? come ON! whether you want to study management, law, psychology, anthropology, interior design, or cooking, i see you excelling at it, both while in college and after it. if you want something more showy, follow it! anything in front of the camera or on stage suits you very well! and don't be afraid to show it off, too! also, if you feel like starting a business without going to college, seriously consider it, because it has the potential to be extremely fruitful. i just have this image of a really big office, and you running the place. we are working on the cancer - capricorn axis, so whether you have these signs in your chart or you're meant to be a corporate sentimentalist (that's not a word, ik), you are destined to succeed. dont stand in your own way and go for it!

thank you for reading <3

pile 3

1. general overview

(cards: wheel of fortune rx, the star, ace of swords rx, the star rx, five of swords, ace of swords rx)

hello, pile 3! i feel like your future studies will help you on your self discovery journey. there is a lot of the same cards shown both in the upright and reversed for you, and with the wheel of fortune it feels like a choose your path game. plato's allegory of the cave popped up in my head as well. you're working hard but it seems like you don't have one set direction, and there is a lot of paths you want to pursue. i genuinely don't feel like this energy is heavy as much as it is confusing. "there's so much i want to do, but so little time" vibes. and, if we go back to plato, maybe you have this blind belief that you're meant to follow one path academically, only to realise that your heart wants something else, or you're just really good at something different than what you're planning to pursue. i vote you give that a shot, when the time comes.

2. what you should focus on

(cards: luna, pisces, uranus, the star rx, page of swords rx)

are you guys pisces? there's no way the star keeps popping up so much. do you want to be an astrologer? an astronomer? an astrophysicist? like what's going on!? anyway, i think you should focus on spirituality, and especially your intuition. not only is it going to help you find out what it is that you should pursue, it's a pleasant break from studying and / or being around lots of people for a long time. if you practice witchcraft, do so mostly during the nighttime, work on your moon phases rituals and maybe collect some moon water. also, accept the fact that everyone's path in life is different. yours doesn't have to look like anyone else's. something you should focus on is understanding that, though probably unconventional, your path is valid and, most importantly, yours.

3. extra activities

(cards: page of wands rx, eight of cups rx, queen of pentacles, "hope is the conduct for mirracles", "there is a stream of love supporting my dreams")

save up. that's it lol. seriously, though, if you've gotten used to going out, or spending your money mindlessly, i think it's time you start rethinking your way of living. by no means should you stop having fun just so you can save money, however cutting down some of it could do wonders. your dreams, while supported 100% by the universe, also need financial support to exist. whether that is for materials, classes, auditions or productions, you're going to have to spend some amount of money to succeed. and, if you believe you can, you will succeed. there's support overflowing around you, from your spirit guides or the people in your circle. being able to manage your time and keep organised will also help you so much. you've got this, pile 3!

4. what should your college major be?

(cards: scorpio, leo, gemini, uranus, strength, four of pentacles)

i don't know if it's a major, but genuinely consider astrology. with scorpio here i can't help but take the joke seriously. other than that, strength fell on the leo card, so something that puts you in the spotlight is great. make up artist and stylists also sound nice. other than that, mathematics, chemistry and physics (astrophysics, if you will) could definitely be your cup of tea. i actually don't know much about what majors you can have from them, but you get the point, I'm sure. whatever it is, i see you guys getting good money from it. good for you. don't be afraid to put yourself out there! especially if you're a singer that writes their own lyrics, or a dancer who choreographs their dances! you deserve to be seen, either way. good luck, darling <3

thank you for reading <3

pile 4

1. general overview

(cards: seven of cups, the world, ace of cups rx, three of pentacles, four of cups rx, six of cups)

hello, pile 4! you guys seem to be networking! you will be having so many opportunities and doors opening up in front of you, and you'll possibly accomplish that by hanging around important people. if that's not the case, then your communication and cooperation with the people around you is going to be great. you may be struggling to pick a major or choose which path you want to follow. my advice for that is to look back at what you loved as a child, especially if you had a dream job for a while. figure out why that was your dream, and what that means for you now in case you have tried to move past it or burry it deep inside you. nothing is impossible, pile 4! you're holding the world in your hands and you will achieve anything you want, as long as you make the conscious effort to chase it.

2. what you should focus on

(cards: cancer, scorpio, virgo, seven of swords rx, knight of wands)

there's a lot of orange in the cards, so maybe wearing orange or being around something orange is something you'll need to focus on? probably during your finals or other exams. definitely nurture your emotional state, though. you have grown so much in such a short period of time, and what people knew or know of you will just not align with who you'll have become. and that's okay, you don't owe anyone anything. listen to your intuition and gut feeling, also claresentience? is that how you spell it? you might be getting downloads in the form of sensations on your body, or emotions. please don't ignore them! there's also a message of you going after what makes you feel the most like yourself, no matter what. take care of your health, too. no degree or certificate should come at the cost of your health.

3. extra activities

(cards: king of cups rx, queen of pentacles rx, seven of wands rx, "when i focus on my inner light i see the world through the lens of love.", "the moment i realign with love, clear direction is presented to me.")

i think you'll be working on a special, personal project that nobody will really know about? i don't think you're even letting me see what it is, which is acceptable and valid. whatever it is you'll be doing, please try to be patient with it and watch it grow. instant gratification isn't always the way to go, some things just take their time to flourish and show how great they can be. maybe you're working on healing some trauma, or trying to find what you really want to do in life. love seems to be a keyword. if this is you embarking on a self love journey, remember that neither that, nor recovery is linear. it goes through phases, and though it could frustrate you because it messes with your studies or schedule, always put yourself first and you won't regret it.

4. what should your major be?

(cards: leo, scorpio, capricorn, the emperor rx, two of wands, three of wands rx)

you may need to move countries or go to a different area to pursue your dream major. or maybe it requires lots of planning and travelling. tourism could be great for you guys, advertisement, acting, modelling, law, psychology, anything in which you can be innovative and you can have your ideas heard and respected. I'm not seeing something with a clear hierarchy, though, like management, or any company work. it seems more free and exciting. you may be studying somewhere where it's warm or there are lots of sandy areas. ancient egypt popped up, also? maybe an archaeologist that specialises in that, which instantly sounds super cool! biologist also keeps coming up in my head, but i have zero experience in the field, i wish i could specify it more for you guys. also if you're thinking of pursuing something related to the occult instead, i see it being quite fitting for you! I'm sure that whatever you decide on, you're going to succeed, pile 4!

thank you for reading!

! don't copy or repost my work !

[am-i-the-asshole-official]

AITA for being upset at my mom?

🎵🎵 (to find it)

I know it's not a real big deal, but it's starting to get upsetting. English is not my first language and im on mobile sl sorry about that.

Okay, so my(20f) mother (F mid40s) suffer from long covid. Her symptoms consist of chronic fatigue, short breath, join pain and brain fog. (I still live home because im a college student, and finding an appartment in this market is hell)

We've been really supportive of her :

I drive most of the time, and my sister(16f) has her apprentice driver license, so she drives for mom when im at school; when we go to the mall and she need to take a break to breath, i always offer to go get her a wheelchair, or going to get the car, she sleeps a lot in the day so we don't make noise, i bought her loops earplug for sleeping, etc.

We're are used to it and my dad (mid40s too) work 12 hours a day to compensate for the money we're losing with mom on sickleave (where we live we have job insurance and etc): he starts at 5:30am to 6pm, and i usually only see him in the evening, so the only time we really are together as a family is during the evening meal.

There is where i could be the a-hole:

Since mom got long covid, it takes more time for her to respons us, and her memory isnt as good as it was (shes well known in her workplace, she a well respected manager who takes great care of her employees). It's just, almost every night, when me or my sister or even my dad are telling a something that happened in our day, she always cut us to say something, like :don't forget to put this in that, or just to say something she did that day over our own story, or asking me to bring her water in the middle of my sister's sentences (which she could have waited for after she was done).

So we, someone different each time, always tell her "X was speaking, you just cut them, and you do this often, please let them finish" and, well, when it happens everytime i am (or my sister) is trying to say something, it get upsetting. And she always uses the same reasons: "we're a family and we're cohabiting, sometime we talk over you but still listen to you" (no she doesn’t, i have to tell her a million times the same fucking thing and she always forget) or "you know my mind is a little slow right now, i'll forget if i don't say it" or she gets upset because we're annoyed by it.

But god forbid if you cut her! She'll raise her tone, and still doesn't get why we're upset.

Like, i get it, she got long covid and it's a bitch to deal with the way your cognitive capabilities slow down with the fatigue, but we've been extremely helpful (and im still gonna be, because she's my mother) and her allowing herself to lack respect towards us doesn't excuse her because she's ill. At least this is how i see it?

At this point i dont really know if i can feel upset? Like, she's my mom, and she's ill (and it's really depressing seeing her this put down by the symptoms i don't wish it to anyone) but im just so tired to have to restart the same sentence four or five time because she keep interrupting me

So, aita?

What are these acronyms?

[randomshyperson]

Right answers, Wrong questions - Wanda x Reader - Part One

Summary: The one where you and Wanda are part of the trivia team, and have hated each other since first grade. Or, enemies to lovers in high school (again). / Requested by @abimess

Warnings: (16+), Bottom!Reader, Jealous Wanda (she's also kind of mean? so hot),reader is a total dork, emo wanda, mentions of trauma and familiar toxic environments, minors drinking, kissing, teasing, a lot of cursing.

A/N: I haven't published anything for a while, but here it is. Hope you like it, I brought enemies to lovers again. Good luck with possessive Wanda. By the way, this work is finished! Uploads won't take long (I'll leave it scheduled).

Part Two | Part Three | Part Four | AO3

All Works Masterlist

---//------//------//------//------//---

Chapter One - One Time Things

Biting your lips to keep from sighing, you closed your eyes tightly as you felt Wanda's lips against the sensitive spot on your neck.

She seemed to be finding amusement in your stubbornness, or at least you thought so, as you felt her smile against your skin.

"This..." You tried breathlessly, feeling her hands move up the inside of your shirt. "It's just going to...oh...be a one-time thing."

"Yeah, whatever you say." She murmured against your neck before kissing you again, just as intensely as the first time.

How did you end up in an empty room aggressively making out with your arch enemy since first grade? Well, it all started with a wrong answer.

The national trivia competitions were the most talked-about event at your high school, and awarded many points for college.

Obviously, you signed up.

Being one of the best students in your class, it was to be expected.

The problem was that your classmate, Wanda Maximoff, the most despicable and annoying girl you knew, who seemed to have the pleasure of driving you up the wall ever since you met, was also very interested in the competition.

Things went well though. You casually teased each other between one practice and another, but your other colleagues soon worked it out before it ended in a bigger fight.

The problem was the semi-finals.

In your defense, Wanda was the real culprit for your wrong answer.

Neither of you could get the position of captain of the team, precisely because of the unbiased way you treated each other. The one who got it was good boy Steve Rogers, and he could be fucking annoying, as your best friend Tony would say.

You were hoping to get some more practice in for the final semis, as Steve asked everyone to do. But Wanda came to practice at the same time as you in the library, and before you knew it, you were arguing, and being thrown out by the noise.

Fortunately, Tony was spending time with you, and prevented you from jumping on Wanda's neck.

Studies ruined, you spent the rest of the afternoon complaining about the way the brunette seemed to be everywhere now, and you couldn't stand to see her around anymore.

"Not even when I went to buy a cup of coffee this morning, Tony!" you told indignantly, on your way to the main building for your last class. The boy next to you didn't take his eyes off his cell phone, but you kept talking. "She was there, early in the morning, can you believe it? I think she's following me. I wouldn't be surprised if she was a stalker, the girl won't leave me alone even for coffee. Are you even listening to me right now?"

Tony laughed, putting his cell phone away. "What, listening to you talk about Wanda Maximoff like you have for the last three weeks, every day, without exceptions? Of course I am, I wouldn't miss it." He sneered. "I'm even thinking of starting a podcast and writing down the whole love story of you two."

"Idiot." You retorted, crossing your arms. Tony laughed again, throwing an arm over your shoulder.

"Hey, don't be so grumpy." He asks humorously. "The competitions will be over soon, and we're off to college. You'll never have to think about Wanda Maximoff again, and thankfully I'll never have to listen to so much complaining about her again."

"For a best friend, you whine way too much about my topics, you know that?"

He smiles, rolling his eyes. "Yeah, yeah, I'm sorry. You can complain all you want, it's just that sometimes I'm more interested in hearing about other things besides how much you hate that girl."

You gave a short laugh, and pushed Tony away. "Whatever, Tony. Race to the classroom?"

He ran before conconding. It was effective in getting your thoughts away from Wanda for the moment.

Senior year classes were difficult, and you no longer had time to study for the competition before the contest that took place the same night.

The auditorium was full, you were nervous. Tony brought a little flag with the team colors, and sat in the first few seats, but he seemed more busy flirting with Pepper Popps than cheering for you. Not that you were much affected by this, busy in passive offensive exchanges with Wanda before the competition.

So yes, a million distractions before the contest. And as always happened, Wanda was competing with you on who could answer the most questions, even though you were on the same team.

The judge announced the second to last question, and you were trying to get that cocky smile out of Wanda for answering the geography session practically all by herself, so you pushed the button so fast that you almost got a penalty.

Then you realized that you hadn't even heard the question.

"S-sorry, can you repeat the question?" You said clumsily, the judge didn't mind, but your team was considerably tense.

“How many different combinations does a Rubix cube have?”

Right, mathematics was your specialty topic.

So why the hell couldn't you remember?

Tic tac.

Crap. Fuck.

"It's... forty quintillion?"

The red light on the panel was glowing in your head for many minutes after the contest was over.

Your team managed to secure a place in the final precisely because Wanda answered the last question correctly.

The universe was testing you.

Steve lectured you, and you were trying not to punch someone.

Wanda had that cocky little smile on her face, and thought it was a good idea to comment out loud, "I think we should review our team, Captain." She commented as you all stood behind the auditorium, collecting your belongings before leaving, "Our math competitor seems too distracted, this could jeopardize our victory."

Steve was about to reply, in your favor by the serious expression, but you spoke first.

"Why don't you shut the fuck up, Maximoff?"

"Make me shut up."

"You are so fucking annoying."

"At least I can answer my topic correctly."

You clenched your fists, glaring at her furiously. She didn't flinch.

Your team sighed, leaving the room. Someone commented on "Not that again." And the atmosphere cleared.

You took a deep breath, giving in, and taking a step back. As you packed your backpack, you felt Wanda's gaze burn into your back, but you said nothing.

For some strange reason, on the few occasions you were alone, you usually didn't argue, just exchanged angry glances and moved on to an environment with other people.

And that is exactly what you tried to do.

The team went out first, to celebrate the victory in a pizza place. You imagined that they were in the parking lot waiting for you both.

There were three hallways of rooms past the auditorium exit, and as you walked down the first one, you heard footsteps behind you.

"Seriously, are you going to follow me now?" You commented angrily, without turning your face away. Wanda gave a humorless laugh behind you.

"I'm not following you, this is literally the exit."

"Couldn't you have gone out the public door? I don't want to walk with you through two hallways."

You didn't have to look to know that she had rolled her eyes.

"You are so immature." She commented. "If this bothers you, stop walking and stay back. I'm going for pizza and I don't want to lose my ride."

"You stop walking." You returned stubbornly. "I got out of the auditorium first."

"I don't care."

You rolled your eyes, and stopped walking at once. Wanda bumped into your body, and took a step back.

"You know what, Maximoff?" You started angrily. "I can't wait until this competition is over and I don't have to spend another day around you.”

"The feeling is mutual, now walk." She returned with no emotion on her face, straightening her backpack on her shoulders.

"Don't tell me what to do."

She let out a laugh, rolling her eyes again. "Why not? You seem to love being told what a good girl you are."

You widen your eyes, feeling your face heat up. Wanda seemed pleased to note that she had hit a nerve.

"I..."

She smiled, moving closer, and you instinctively stepped back. "What, are you speechless again?" She sneered. "Is that your thing now? You don't answer when you should."

"Fuck you, I have a right not to know an answer." You returned, much less sure than last time. Your back slammed against a wall, and you held your breath, watching Wanda rest her hand next to your head, leaning her body toward you.

"Not when it's your topic in the game." She returns with bright eyes. "If you spent more time student than fucking Stark you wouldn't get that question wrong."

You blink in confusion, almost unable to formulate a response with Wanda's gaze so intense in front of you.

"W-what? I don't... Me and Tony are no-"

"You're his type." She cuts in with a thread of irritation in her voice. "Sweet and innocent, something for him to corrupt."

"I never..." You started and then frowned, realizing what was happening. "Wait, that's none of your business."

You returned angrily, and pushed her away by the shoulders.

Wanda clenched her jaw, but stood still.

"So you admit it?" She questioned, making you give a short laugh.

"Admit what?"

"That you are sleeping with him."

You shook your head in disbelief. "And that matters to you, why exactly?"

"Just answers my fucking question."

"No."

Wanda squeezed her eyes. "No, as if I'm not fucking Tony Stark or no, as if i'm not going to answer your question?"

You laughed, shrugging. "What do you think?"

Wanda stared at you for a second, and before you could turn around, she pulled you by the collar of your shirt and kissed you on the mouth.

It was so unexpected that you let out an exclamation against her lips. You brought your hands to her shoulders, intending to push away, but surrendered to the softness of her lips before you could.

She moaned softly as you kissed her back and you felt a strong tug at the pit of your stomach.

But she pulled away before you could understand exactly what had happened.

"I don't think so." She mumbled with a cocky little smile. "I know you don't blush like that when you're with him."

Your face only grew hotter. She gave you a wink, and straightened her backpack, walking back as if nothing had happened.

You swallowed dryly, and watched her walk.

No chance she would kiss you like that and just leave with that victorious expression.

You ran to catch up with her, and Wanda didn't resist when you took her hand and pulled her into the first empty room you could find in the hallway.

Before you had even finished closing the door, she was kissing you again, and pushing yours and her backpack to the floor.

And so we return to the beginning of the chapter.

You and Wanda kissing against a door in an empty room on the third floor of the school.

It was unfair how quickly you became a mess of gasps and moans, your legs weak with the feel of Wanda's tongue on yours. And boy, did she know how to kiss you good.

"This... will never... happen again." You warned once more, in a helpless sigh, Wanda's hand tugging at your thighs only to have your legs entwined against her waist the next second.

"I'd better make it worth it then." She mocked against your lips, her fingers busy digging into your uniform.

But before she had the chance, a noise attracted her attention from outside.

The fucking janitor. Great timing.

He was whistling, probably going to lock the rooms. Wanda sighed against your collarbone, and helped you stand properly.

"I..." You started in a hoarse voice, Wanda seemed as affected as you were, but just smiled.

"Don't overthink it." She warned, adjusting her blouse. "We still hate each other, this doesn't change anything. See you around."

And she opened the door and left.

You stood there alone, listening to her mumble an excuse to the janitor before you heard the footsteps driving away.

Swallowing all the confusion and excitement, you picked up your backpack from the floor and left the classroom.

You didn't join the team's celebration, and you made up bad excuses to go home.

Tony thought it was strange, but didn't insist, because he was going to take Potts home.

He was known in school for his short affairs, but he had never made a move on you. You thought it was normal that Wanda thought something was happening, since you were his only female friend.

But still, you couldn't understand why on earth she would even think about it.

Since Tony had complained about the fact that your only business had been Wanda for the last few weeks, you didn't tell him about what had happened.

The weekend passed slowly and torturously. He invited you to the soccer game, but you said you needed to study after the embarrassment you had experienced on Friday.

But studying proved to be quite inefficient as you kept remembering the feeling of Wanda's hands around your body.

And to make matters worse, she texted you.

“Since you missed the pizza place on Friday, you probably don't know this, but Cap had scheduled a tutoring session before the final on Wednesday.”

She was trying to make conversation. Steve would surely let you know about it at school, or send you a text beforehand. But Wanda used that as an excuse, and you felt your stomach give a complete turn.

“Thank you, Wanda.”

It was the first time you ever thanked her. Even though it was only a text, just imagining yourself saying it felt strange.

You thought she wasn't going to say anything else, but she was much more direct than you were.

“I want to kiss you again.”

You dropped the cell phone in your face.

"Fuck." Sighing angrily, you massaged the sore space in your cheek, and stared at the cell phone screen.

Just like that, like it was no big deal, a confession in the middle of a Sunday afternoon. Your heart was racing against your chest.

She told you not to think about it too much. And that's what you were doing, technically.

You started to type, and you deleted it. And you repeated it a couple of times before Wanda sent something first.

“Did I melt your brain, sweetheart?”

You let out a short laugh, straightening yourself on the bed. Gathering your courage, you wrote:

"I was just thinking of the nicest way to reject you."

It took her a full minute to answer.

"Since when do you care about being nice to me?"

You bit your lower lip, typing quickly.

"So you don't mind if I say no?"

A pause. "You won't say no."

You laughed at her self confidence. And then she sent an attachment, and you widen your eyes. "Oh my god." You muttered breathlessly. It was a picture of her, changing clothes in front of the mirror. Wearing open jeans and a black bra.

"Don't drool too much." She typed. You swallowed dryly, and replied.

"You shouldn't send pictures like that, Wanda. People aren't trustworthy."

"But you are, sweetie. No matter how much you hate me, I know you wouldn't share that picture with anyone."

You bit your lip, she was so right, "Maybe you don't know me well enough."

"I know you're a total dork. And you'd be too embarrassed to show it around."

"Fuck you."

"I'd rather you did that."

Okay, so you are really doing this. Taking a deep breath, you typed: "Where do we meet?"

Wanda took two minutes and thirteen seconds to respond. Not that you were waiting for an answer from her.

"I can't right now. See you at school before first class."

And it wasn't a question. You blocked your cell phone, and buried your face against the pillows.

This was the worst idea in the universe, and yet, you couldn't wait for Monday.

----///----

"Was your cell phone off by any chance?"

That was the first thing Tony asked as soon as you met him at the school entrance. You mumbled in confusion, distracted because you were looking around for any sign of Wanda.

"I tried to call you a few times to go to Quill's house, but you didn't even call me back." He clarified. "And I texted too."

"Yeah, it was out of power. " You lied. "Sorry."

No chance you would tell him that you got busy exchanging messages with Wanda and threw the cell phone into the closet and forced yourself to study so you wouldn't think about her.

Tony didn't seem upset though, he began to tell you about his date with Potts on Saturday, and you joined the other team colleagues on one of the outside tables.

They were Tony's friends, much more than yours, but they treated you well, and that was enough. Since Tony had been your best friend since elementary school, you didn't shy away from him despite the differences in interests between you two.

"Are you going, Y/N?"

Hearing your name makes you blink in confusion, and try to pay attention to the conversation. The group was looking at you, seeming to expect a response. Tony spoke first.

"Sorry guys, she's a little distracted today." He commented with a smile. "It's probably because of the final. Bucky was just saying that his birthday party is next Friday, and asked if you were coming, Y/N.

You let out an exclamation of understanding, and ignored Tony's insinuating look. He knew very well that Bucky had a crush on you. The problem was that at that moment, you couldn't be less interested.

"I..." You started, but caught a glimpse of Wanda arriving in the parking lot a few feet away, and controlled yourself not to smile. " I will try. I need to go now, I have to take care of something before first class."

"Oh, right." Bucky spoke a little disappointed. Tony looked at you with confusion, but said nothing. You left faster than he could do after all.

You caught up with Wanda at the entrance to the building, but she kept walking.

"Hey." You greeted, and she looked at you without smiling. You swallowed dryly. "C-can we talk?"

"Sorry." She mumbled. "I'm not in the mood, okay?"

You frowned at the way she behaved. "Wanda, did something-"

"Sestra, hold on!" Someone cut you off loudly.

You stopped walking because Wanda did, and a tall boy appeared beside her, and held out a key to her.

"You forgot this." He said, and then smiled as he noticed you. "Hey, you're on the trivia team too aren't you?"

"Yeah, I'm-"

"Thanks, Pietro." Wanda cut in quickly. "I can't be late for class, I'll see you at home."

The boy let out a short chuckle, "Jezz, Wands, relax. I'm just saying hi to your friend."

"She's not my friend." Wanda clarified between teeth. You frowned. "And papa will get mad if you take any longer."

"Yeah, you're right about that." He commented as he moved his arm away from the girl's shoulders. "See you later then, sestra."

And he left.

Wanda sighed, and looked like she was going to say something to you, but you were so annoyed at the way she treated you, that you turned your back and walked away.

She didn't go after you.

Your awkward interaction with Wanda has bothered you all morning.

Things don't get any better when you had history class together.

"I wanted to congratulate the members of the trivia team on their victory last Friday." Mr. T'Challa began with a smile. "It was a tough contest."

"Especially with certain people answering wrong." Wanda added not so low, making you clench your jaw. The professor didn't hear, but some of your classmates did, and giggled, which only made your irritation increase.

"To match the mood of the competition coming to a close this week, I've brought some questions for you all to answer." T'Challa commented, causing the room to let out a grumble of disapproval. He just smiled, bending down to pick up a piece of paper on his desk. "Come on guys, it'll be fun. And whoever gets more than three questions right will get a point on their final average, what do you think?"

No one was happy, but that didn't make T'Challa cancel the activity.

You weren't really in the mood to participate in the class, occasionally glancing at the chair next to yours, where Wanda had sat and was writing in her notebook something you couldn't read.

Resting your chin on your hand, you turned your attention forward. The professor was almost finished with the questions, and if you wanted a grade you better participate now.

"Okay, who can tell me…" T’Challa continued to read after the last question was answered by one of the girls sitted in the back of the class. “When was the Declaration of Independence signed?”

As if guessing your intentions, Wanda raises her hand before you.

You think if you weren't in the classroom, you would have jumped and punched that pretty face right then and there.

"Ah, Miss Maximoff, I'm glad you decided to participate." T'Challa spoke. "I've been waiting for our competitors to do it. So what's your answer?"

“July 4, 1776.”

You were unable to hold back the soft laugh that escaped your lips.

"Sorry, Wanda, wrong answer." He said, and you had your hand up before he asked if anyone knew. "Miss Y/L/N?"

"August 2nd, 1776" You replied and gave a wink to Wanda, who clenched her jaw, and set her pencil down on the table.

T'Challa smiled, and wrote a correct answer line for you while commenting briefly about this being a common wrong answer question.

“Alright, let me see the next one.” T’Challa said. “What were the names of Columbus' ships?”

You raised your hand. "the Niña, the Pinta, and the Santa Maria."

T'Challa smiled but shook his head. You let out a disappointed sigh, and Wanda held up a hand.

"The correct answer is the Santa Maria, the Santa Clara, and another ship of unknown name." She answered.

The teacher smiled, congratulating her. You rolled your eyes at the smug look she gave you.

T'Challa turned the paper on his hand over and asked: “When did the American Civil War end?”

You and Wanda both raised your hands at the same time.

By then, the whole class had given up on participating, watching the two of you attentively.

"Sorry girls, we don't have a bell like in the games." T'Challa commented.

"That's okay, she can answer first." Wanda spoke, and you frowned at the niceness. But noticing the little corner smile, you knew she expected you to get it wrong.

"Actually, professor, this question usually has divided opinions as well." You say turning your face to the man in front of you. "It would be fairer if we wrote the answer on a piece of paper, that way no one eliminates the wrong answer."

Wanda rolls her eyes, but the professor agrees.

You wrote your answer quickly, and T'Challa collected yours and Wanda's torn paper next.

He smiled as he opened the sheets. " You're both correct."

You and Wanda let out a sigh of disappointment, and T'Challa laughed softly. "Girls, you sound like you're even competing with each other. This is just an activity, no one is winning or losing."

You and Wanda did not contradict the professor. No one needed to know about the silent competition between you. He cleared his throat, and read the next question.

"Why did the pilgrims come to America?"

You hesitated because you thought of a second answer, so Wanda raised her hand first.

T'Challa pointed for her to answer.

"They were seeking religious freedom."

"I'm sorry, Wanda, but that is incorrect." T'Challa spoke, and you were already smiling. "Y/N?"

"Poor Wanda, it happens darling." You sneered, and the whole room tensed up. The girl raised an eyebrow at you. "The Pilgrims already had religious freedom in Holland. They came here for an economic opportunity."

T'Challa seemed to notice that things were starting to get tense between you, especially since some of your classmates let out little giggles and made ironic comments about you beating Wanda in her specialty topic.

"Very good, Y/N. That's correct." He commented half uncertainty, looking at the murderous expression Wanda was casting at you. "Three correct answers, you got your extra point. You don't have to participate anymore. Wanda, do you want to keep going? I have just one last question."

She nodded, finally looking away from you.

"Okay." The teacher continued. “When Was Russia’s “Red October” Revolution?”

“November 7, 1917”

She answered mechanically, almost bored. Part of you let yourself believe that it was because you weren't competing anymore.

Wanda forced a smile when the teacher congratulated her, but soon turned her attention back to the notes in her notebook.

The class didn't take long to finish after that.

When the bell rang, all the students rushed to leave, and you were just finishing putting your things away when Wanda stood beside your desk.

"I want to talk to you."

You let out an incredulous laugh. "I beg your pardon?"

She didn't hesitate. "I want to talk to you."

"I'm busy." You retort, getting up and putting your backpack on your shoulders. But Wanda doesn't give you passage to leave, "Excuse me?."

"Five minutes?" She tries again, making you sigh impatiently. "Please."

"Fine, five minutes."

She gives you a small smile, and looks around. The room emptied and finally only the two of you remained. You stepped back a little, crossing your arms.

"Aren't you going to talk?" you asked angrily. Wanda swallowed dryly.

"I'm sorry I..." She starts with a smile. "Fuck, you're beautiful."

You felt your face heat up, but you didn't hesitate. "Is that all you have to say?"

She smiled, clearly able to see your flushed cheeks. You don't think this conversation was a good idea. "No, I wanted to apologize."

"That's more promising."

She let out a short laugh. "Will you let me talk without making fun of me?"

"Depends on what you say."

She smiled, tilting her head. You bit your lip to avoid smiling as well. Her expression became more serious in the next second. "I'm sorry for the way I spoke to you earlier. I had a lot on my mind."

"That's new." You sneer. "You never apologized for the way you spoke to me before."

"Neither have you." She returns, but then sighs. "I don't want to fight. I'm apologizing now."

"Yes, and what an incredible apology, you should get extra points for that." You return angrily. "It's okay, Wanda. I don't even know why we're doing this anyway."

Her expression falters, and she frowns. "What exactly are you talking about?"

"You know very well." You retort, letting all your uncertainties rise to the surface at once. "What happened on Friday was a stupid mistake. We should never have done that, and we certainly won't do it again. This is weird, we never even talked to each other before. You don't have to apologize for treating me the same you have for years.

She swallows dryly, and puts her hands in her pockets. "Is that what you think?"

"Yes."

"Okay, I..." She continued, and the first time in all the years you've known her that you see Wanda uncertain and fragile about something. "Won't bother you anymore."

She turns around, and picks up her backpack. You swallow dryly, and watch her walk away, not understanding the bitter feeling in your stomach.

---//---

It was the first week since you entered high school that none of your classmates witnessed a discussion between you and Wanda.

The chemistry teacher, Mrs. van Dyne, even commented about missing the fierce disputes that made the classes more fun, but neither you nor Wanda said anything.

Tony noticed on Wednesday that something was strange.

"Okay, I don't want you to punch me, but I don't think I've heard you complain about Maximoff in two whole days and it's strange to say at last." He comments as he finds you studying for trivia in one of the free periods of the afternoon. He was in his game uniform, which means that he was going out for team practice.

You considered lying, or hiding. But Tony even remembered that when you were studying you forgot to eat, and had brought you a snack from the cafeteria.

Before the first bite, you were saying, "I'll tell you something, and you promise me you won't freak out."

He laughed for five minutes once you did. And you rolled your eyes as you chewed the sandwich he gave you.

"I can't believe this!." He commented between laughs. "I should have known Romanoff was right."

"Excuse me?"

"Natasha Romanoff, our quarterback." He clarified. "Red short hair, dates that brunette girl from Mrs.Harkness class-

"I know who Natasha Romanoff is, Tony." You interrupt with a laugh. "What I want to know is what she was right about."

"Oh, yeah. I think the whole team, if not the whole school, it's used to seeing you arguing with Wanda. And well, the other day, I think we were at one of the practices, Nat told me it was because you had a hard-on for each other."

You choked on your snack, but Tony laughed, patting you on the back. "Tony, I can't believe you talk like that behind my back!"

"Hey, I'm not the one who said it." He defends himself still laughing, "Nat said it, I just agreed."

You slap him on the shoulder, but he laughed even harder. "I don't know why you're mad, we were both right in the end."

"No, you weren't." You contradicted angrily. "What happened was a one-time thing, a stupid mistake."

"But I bet you liked it."

"I think you might want that punch."

He laughed, shaking his head. The rest of the team was gradually leaving through the building, and the coach called out to him.

"I have to go now, but we'll talk about this." He warns good-naturedly. "Text me after the last period."

You muttered in agreement before turning your attention back to your book.

Your last period was Arts, but you had a meeting with the trivia team after that.

Steve, Bruce Banner and Helen Cho, the other members of the team, were already in the empty classroom when you arrived.

"Hey, Y/N." The blond guy greeted as he saw you enter. "We'll get started in a minute."

You bit your tongue, but the question slipped out anyway, "What about Wanda?"

"She's not coming." He replied. "She had a thing with her sister."

Sister?

"Okay." You merely replied.

Team practices were usually easy, but this one was quite tiring, because Steve wanted to prepare you for the final that would take place on Friday.

And to make it worse, since Wanda wasn't there, you practiced some of the topics she mastered, and you got a lot more wrong than you got right, leaving Steve a little unsure.

"You know, I think just to be safe, you should go over some questions with Wanda." He suggested as soon as you were done practicing. Bruce and Helen exchanged glances, but said nothing about a possible discussion between you and Wanda.

Honestly, you were tired of this whole thing. "Okay, I'll talk to her."

Steve was surprised at the lack of contradiction on your part, but he smiled, turning to collect some sheets of paper in his own backpack. "I've prepared more questions on her topic. It would be cool if you guys could practice together before the competition. But only if you two aren't going to kill each other during."

You laughed, shaking your head. Bruce commented aloud, "You'd better do that in a public place." Which made the team laugh.

You sighed, picking up the questionnaires Steve handed you, "Okay, cap. See you guys later."

On the way out, you told Tony that you were outside the school, and he replied that he was leaving the locker room.

Before he arrived, you texted Wanda.

“I have a team thing to talk to you about. Can we meet?”

She only answered when you could already see Tony walking towards you beyond the bleachers.

“I'm only free tomorrow. After school.”

You swallowed dryly, but typed. "That works."

Since Wanda didn't answer anything else, you put your cell phone away.

Tony threw his arm over your shoulder, commenting about having invited Pepper to go with him to Bucky's party, and you made a joke about things getting serious between them before your cell phone vibrated again.

"It's a date" She added simply, as if it hadn't made your heart miss two beats in a row.

Tony raised his eyebrow when peeking at the message, a wry smile on his lips as he teased: "One time thing, you said?"

"Shut up." You retorted before walking off ahead, but Tony only laughed.

---///---

Tag list > @imapotatao / @aimezvousbrahms/ @ensorcellme/ @helloalycia || @mionemymind / @abimess / @stephanieromanoff / @yourtaletotell / @tomy5girls / @thegayw1tch / @idek-5 // @helloalycia // @ensorcellme // @aimezvousbrahms // @drpepperobsessed // @sighsam // @olsensnpm // @sxfwap // @table57 // @madamevirgo // @causeitswhatjesuswouldfreakingdo // @emptysince18x // @xastrydx || @yuhloversxx || @ymzki-haruki || @wouldirunofftheworldsomeday || @lostandsearching || @lezzzbehonesthere || @musicinourlips || @chaekhan || @diaryoflife || @nervoustrack || @aquamarinescarlet || @cristin-rjd || @idamaemann || @fortunatelynerdylight || @iliketozoneout || @blackwow34 // @spongebobtentacles || @cyberbonesworld || @stressed-but-a-mess || @ima-gi--na-tion || @dykse || @natasha-belova

[hinatastinygiant]

Chapter Two

Pairing: Bokuto x Fem!Reader

Road Trip Masterlist

FLASHBACK

"So when's your next game?" you ask the four guys sitting opposite of you and Hotaru in the school student center.

Bokuto replies just before taking a large bite out of his sandwich. "Friday, but it's pretty far away. Don't think you two would want to drive out all that way."

"It's so cool you get to go on a trip and skip classes," you sigh. "I've hardly ever been out of the prefecture before, let alone do something like that."

"One day the six of us should go on a vacation together," Kuroo hums as he sits forward in his chair.

"Like hell I'd spend that much time with the five of you at once," Kenma says as he keeps his eyes trained down at his Switch.

You chuckle at Kenma's comment, able to see what he means by that. "It would be fun, though!"

Hotaru nods. "I agree even though it may be more trouble than it's worth... But the four of you do always get to go somewhere fun for volleyball so maybe you could at least show us something cool sometime."

Bokuto beams, answering Hotaru's question but directing it at you. "I'd love to!"

"We're all six broke college students," Akaashi sighs. "How would we afford it?"

"Maybe not right now, but if we save up a bit after graduation it shouldn't be too bad," Kuroo adds.

Bokuto agreed. "And It could be a budget trip!"

"Ooo, we could get an RV!"

"And the six of us could sleep in it instead of spending money on hotels and stuff!"

The two of them begin to spiral down a hill of excitement for this fictional trip. Meanwhile, Kenma and Akaashi exchange looks as they wait for the right moment to interrupt the others' fantasy.

"You're spending way too much energy thinking about this," Kenma mumbles.

"I wish you two would spend this much effort in thinking about school," Akaashi adds. "You'll never graduate and go on this trip if you don't pay attention in class."

"Wait, wait, wait... So you're saying you'll go if we graduate?!" Bokuto then beams towards his best friend.

You smile and exchange a matching look with Hotaru.

"I'm in," the two of you exclaim at the same time.

"Hold on a second, that's not what I was saying..."

"Come on, 'Kaashi. Don't get their hopes up and then crush them. Besides, you have nothing to worry about if you think they won't graduate," you tease.

"Fine," he grumbles. "Only if the two of you graduate on time like the rest of us. No excuses!"

Bokuto and Kuroo beam huge grins across their faces. Their bright, excited eyes then stare down their next prey.

"Alright pudding head," Kuroo begins. "It's all on you now!"

"This is so lame," Kenma groans.

"It'll be fun," you assure him.

"Yeah," Hotaru agrees, "and you can bring your Switch with you!"

Kenma looks between you and Hotaru for a moment before giving in. "Okay, whatever. I'll go as long as Hotaru keeps her promise!"

That little conversation happened two years ago and was unfortunately lost amidst the other failed schemes and plans the six of you concocted before graduation. And then, for some reason, your group went their own separate ways and drifted apart after college.

You talked to Hotaru and Bokuto for the longest time, but Bokuto was always so busy being a professional volleyball player and Hotaru with her own sixth grade classroom to hang out as often as you used to.

It's really nobody's fault, but you all just began to grow apart. Thinking about it does make you sad, but there's really nothing any of you can do about it. Your schedules don't match up and your lives are now completely different.

And what about your day-to-day life? You're a single, twenty-three-year-old x-ray technician who works from eight to four, Monday through Friday.  Nothing interesting happens much; you perform almost the same routine on different patients throughout the day pressing buttons and scanning, typing reports, and repeating.

Today as you scroll through your list of patients for the day, the name BOKUTO KOTARO pops up on your computer screen.

There's no way it could actually be him, you think in your empty room. There's just no way. He's a pro volleyball player. He probably has a professional doctor he goes to. He wouldn't just show up at a common clinic site like mine. Besides, I never even told him where I work.

Despite your thoughts, you spend the majority of your day thinking about it. During your lunch break you hardly ate, too anxious wondering whether it's your friend who you stopped talking to at least twelve months ago.

When the moment of truth has arrived, you walk out to the waiting room and call his name. As movement from the back of the room catches your attention, you notice the unmistakable spiky grey and black hair of the man you used to know. Your jaw almost breaks apart as you gape at him. He was always good-looking, but holy shit his muscles are practically bursting out of that small uniform he's mocking you with. You're not hallucinating, right...?

The man beams as he jumps up from his chair. He practically runs over to you and throws his arms around your arms. Your eyes widen in shock as his touch feels warm and real against your skin.

"Bo... is that really you?" you whisper.

He pulls away, his smile as wide and clear as you remember. "Yep, it's me!"

You peer past him at the patients staring strangely at you from the chairs in the room. Realizing that you've perhaps been a bit unprofessional, you pull him out of the waiting room and down the hall by your x-ray room.

"I can't believe you're here," you whisper. "What are you even doing here?!"

"Ah, well, my manager thinks I broke my leg so I came to get it scanned,"  he sighs.

"Oh! That's right, we should probably do your test now," you chuckle as you usher him into your room.

You complete Bokuto's exam quickly. When you're done, you guide him back out to the patient room.

"You know, my number hasn't changed by the way," he blurts out. "The two of us should hang out sometime!

"I might have to take you up on that," you smile. "My number hasn't changed either."

"Hmm, good to know," he nods as he opens the door. "See ya then, Y/N"

You wave to your friend as you watch him walk away.

Was he always that nice... and good looking? you wonder silently as you walk back to your room to type up your report. However, as you attempt to do your work you can't help but daydream about the encounter you'd just had.

But, suddenly, your phone buzzes. You pull it out of the pocket of your scrubs to find Bokuto's old contact lighting up the screen.

BOKUTO: "When do you get off?"

Road Trip Masterlist

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