#you were pretty mean for being the smartest preschooler in class

[meccentric]

I'm really just waiting for the day somebody wants my name for an inconsequential offense that they want to call the police on me for (something stupid like looking gendered and standing too close to a child) so I can tell them my name is Barbara Fischbach. My preschool nemesis... I haven't forgotten...

what if instead of having a fake name for internet personal-life purposes we could have a fake name for professional work-life purposes

[darkstarnight02]

Why the Akuma Class Doesn’t Trusts Lila Rossi

Nino

This dude is a loyal friend

Like, he’s also a loyal boyfriend, so it’s hard when his girlfriend is siding with Lila

But he’s the one who’s like

“Dudes, we’ve known Mari for years there’s no way she would do the stuff this new girl we’ve known for five minutes says she did.”

He and Kim and Mari were besties since preschool, I think we all know that.  

Adrien

I hate it when people say he tries to defend her with the high road crap

When he sees her hurting people, especially Marinette

Because lets be honest, he cares about her alot

He’s less forgiven

Like do y’all remember the “BeCaUsE We’Re FrIeNdS, aReN’t We?”

So he’s not going to try and make her life miserable

But he is going to try to get her to stop

Chloé

Let’s be honest, she never liked Lila in the first place.  

So Imma give y’all bonus “how she figured out everyone’s identities”

So once she became friends with Marinette

Cause they formed a “we hate Lie-la” alliance

(tho since Mari’s still friends with the others its kinda awkward)

Chloe’s pretty smart.  

Like, she totally could have figured it out before they became friends

But she would never have believed back then that Mari-trash was Ladybug, her idol (and lesbian awakening, lesbihonest)

But now that she’s friends with her, it’s way too obvious

And she definitely already knew about Adrien because these guys are besties

And, dudes, she never had a crush on him, she was just an overprotective best friend

And a very touchy one

To her, it’s all pretty obvious.  

She thinks that its just whatever magic thats blinding everyone of the obvious, its immune to (like low-key Rachel Dare here)

But Sabine, Tom, and Jagged probably know to because they’re all Kings and Queens.  

So Chloe figures everyone out pretty quickly.  

Sabrina

She trust Chloe more than anyone.  

But I’m not just gonna use that because its kinda boring.  

Tho Chloe is her bi crush so that definitely helps secure loyalties

Its only when Marinette becomes MDC that she realizes

and yes, Sabrina probably knows because Chloe and she also recognizes the designs from some stuff she has in her own closet.  

So anyway, she realizes Mari is MDC and she’s some famous designer and Lila is not

And Mari also knows Jagged and Clara and a whole bunch of other famous people

And she never brags about it but there’s proof that she knows them

while Lila always brags about it but she’s never been mentioned and no one knows her.  

Alya

I hate it when people say she totally sides with Lila.  

This girl knows that her bestie never lies(or at least thinks)

and some things with Lila don’t add up.  

Like she doesn’t check directly if what Lila says is true

But she’ll be doing research for something else and see’s that it contradicts something that Lila said.  

So she’ll do more research and try to figure more stuff out

And she’s like holy f*ck nothing Lila says is true.

Or, alternatively, for those of you who have watched season 4

She immediately realizes Lila’s a liar right after Marinette tells her she’s Ladybug.  

Marinette

No explanation needed.  

Mylène

Mylene notices when Lila insults one of her classmates one day.  

Even if its subtle, or just piping on the edge of her blaming Marinette for something, she notices it.  

And a good person wouldn’t say something like that,  

Like Chloe, they all expect something like that from

No one every really liked Chloe in the first place

And Mari never says anything rude

Sure, she gets angry at Chloe and Lila sometimes, and she tries to prove what they say is wrong, but she never directly attacks someone.  

I don’t know who Lila was being a bitch to this time, but it cost her a follower.  

Alix

This girl is probably one of the most Gen Z kids in the Akuma Class, which is pretty sad because they’re all supposed to be Gen Z. 

She can smell bullcrap from a mile away

Not to mention the little hints older Bunnyx drops whenever she visits.  

With the mix of her being the future miraculous holder of time and being the daughter of a historian, she’s very aware of history and timelines and cause and effects and chain reactions

So when Marinette starts ‘acting up’ she tries to find when her personality switched over

And even if she seems more like a background character, this aro/ace queen always seems to know your secrets. 

So even before she knew Lila was a phony, she knew that Mari was MDC and that Jagged Stone was Juleka and Luka’s dad

So she definitely figured some stuff out that way

Honestly, next to Chloe, Alix was probably one of the first people to figgure out Mari’s identity.  

She’s a detective to rival batman

Ivan

I think Lila would make some sort of rift between him and Mylene.  

He loves her so much and it would be so hard

And mari and her friends would help him out

and he would see the truth

They wouldn’t like break up or anything

But he can just tell immediately when someone’s being a bad person.  

Kim

Probably something similar to Nino

But I think it’d be a bit more like he’s totally a die-hard fan of some of Marinette’s connections or some of Marinette’s work itself

And when he puts the pieces together its like everything makes sense in the world.  

He really feels super stupid afterwards.  

Ondine probably slaps him for not trusting his childhood best friend before some bitchy new girl.  

Max

This is the smartest dude in class

He made a f*cking robot with emotions you can’t tell me he doesn’t figure Lila out.  

A part of me believes that in the first episode with Lila when they were all waiting on her hand and foot they were probably aware that she was kind of delusional, but were giving into it the way you give into the tales of a six year old.  

Like ‘yeah, okay sweetie.  Sure’.  

I mean, at least that’s why Max went along with the napkin thing, because there’s no other excuse for that whole incident.  

Nathaniel

I don’t totally know how he figured her out, but I love the idea of her saying that she can introduce him to the creator of the Ladybug Comics.  

They actually sit next to each other in class, so he definitely is more aware of her weird behavior than others.

And since he’s an artist he’s very observant, always noticing things like her facial expressions and what seems more exaggerated than real.  

And we all know how kwami-damned done Nathaniel is with the class, so he probably knew all along.  

Not to mention that since the rest of the school is less submissive to Lila’s lies, Marc probably pointed it out to him at some point.  

There’s also the idea that since Nathaniel is pretty much never mentioned anymore, the class forgets about him and he ends up having to spend some time with Marinette and the other outcasts

In which he realizes that they are actually good people.  

Honestly, Nathaniel probably knew all along but he’s just not a drama queen about it so Lila never bothered him.  

Rose

Girls besties with Prince Ali, one of the key components of Lila’s lies

She definitely does not want to believe that someone is capable of so much evil, and she definitely gets Akumatized when she figures it out

She goes through a lot of denial but is eventually convinced.  

Juleka

Her dad is Jagged Stone, also another key component of Lila’s lies.  

After becoming Tigris Pourpre, the holder of the tiger miraculous (that’s canon in the future), she gets a little bit more invested in cat culture

And omfg I just realized that both of our models are kittens and I just wanna DIE because that’s so cute.  

And honestly now that I’m thinking about it if she was a celebrity she would totally take after Jagged and have an emotional support tiger like Princess Jasmine. 

ANYWAY, I’m kinda getting off topic here.  

So she asks Jagged about his cat, and he’s like 

“wtf I’ve never had a cat why would I have a cat I have FANG my CROCODILE”

And she’s like but your cat...

And he’s like “Jules, darling, I wrote a song about how I replaced my family with a guitar and I have three instagrams for Fang, why would I have a feline animal?”

And she’s just like

....

And honestly she probably already knew some sh*t was up before that

Because Luka obviously, despite only having met Lila, like, once, probably, dislikes Lila severely

And also Juleka is more of an observer than a do-er so she probably saw that some stuff was up.  

[kumeko]

Prompt: School!AU SasuIno, fighting for the place of “main bitch of the school” (love/hate, slow burn)

A/N: For @im-a-friend-you-need for the @narutosecretsanta ! Ahaha, Sasuke was a little hard to twist into this AU until I remembered Kare Kano and then BAM, idea.

…

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…

…

Ino knew how to handle fame. Ever since preschool, she’d always been the most popular kid in her year and sometimes even her whole school. And why wouldn’t she be? She was gorgeous, with her cheerleader figure, long blonde hair, and bright blue eyes. With a charming smile, witty attitude, and the generosity to help her classmates, it was little wonder she was the center of every party, play, or even music recital. Every club named her an honorary member, and she’d saved the student council more than few times. Her classmates loved and admired her. Her teachers adored her. People lined up to confess their love. Fanclubs watched her every move.

 In short? Ino was used to attention and knew how to handle the spotlight.

 “Ino-chan!” A girl waved eagerly as Ino stepped on the schoolgrounds. Her ponytail bobbed as she bounced on the balls of her feet. “You look as amazing as ever.”

 And in high school, that hadn’t changed in the least. Smiling graciously, Ino waved back. “Thanks!”

A senior approached her from her left, several papers in his hand. “I know that you wanted to help the student council only occasionally, but something—”

 “I’ll stop by at lunch.” Ino carefully took the papers, making sure not to crinkle them. “We’ll figure it out.”

 “Oh, thank you.” He slouched slightly, relieved.

 Ino hummed as she continued to greet her loving fans. Honestly, what would they do without her?

 A loud squeal behind her answered her question and Ino stopped stock-still at the infuriating sound. She didn’t have to turn around to know why people’s eyes slid past her, why she was suddenly the moon to someone else’s sun.

 She pivoted anyway, fighting the urge to scowl as Sasuke Uchiha walked onto the school grounds, utterly uninterested in the attention he was getting.

 One of these days, she was going to kill the bastard for doing this to her.

 -x-

 “He doesn’t even care!” Ino whined, lying on a bench in the school’s greenhouse. There were very few places where she could fully relax here, the chief too being the greenhouse and the roof. Unfortunately, the teachers kept the key to both.

 Fortunately, her best friend and somewhat nerd, Sakura Haruno, was in charge of watering the plants in the greenhouse. With her key, it was easy for the pair to slip in for a private lunch, away from prying eyes and ears. Finished eating, Ino rested her head on Sakura’s lap as she ran through her daily rant.

 “Like if he wanted it or even cared for it, I could respect that. I’d hate it, but I get it.” Ino crossed her arms, scowling as she remembered this morning. Sasuke had walked past the throngs without so much as looking at them. “But he doesn’t care! And no one is bothered by this.”

 “You are,” Sakura replied absentmindedly, flipping through her science textbook as she listened.

 “No one else is bothered by it,” Ino amended grumpily. “He doesn’t put in any effort and they all just eat out of his hands.”

 “They eat out of your hands too,” Sakura reminded.

 “Not as much they eat out of his!” Ino crossed her arms. “I mean, I get it. He’s hot. He’s smart. He’s a jock. He’s a freakin’ triple threat. But doesn’t anyone care about how he acts?”

 Sakura flipped another page, her response automatic. “I don’t know, he doesn’t seem that bad.”

 “No one looks at me when he’s around.” Ino glared up at Sakura. When her friend just scanned the page, she reached up and tugged her soft pink hair. “You’re not even looking at me now.”

 Sighing, Sakura put down her book. “There. Happy? I’m looking at you now. Why do you even care so much about how popular Sasuke is? You’re still top in the school.”

 “I’m second!” Ino hissed.

 Sakura raised a brow, bemused. “That’s still really popular.”

 “I know you’re a nerd and think you’re above all this,” Ino growled, “But you’re second smartest to Shikamaru and you bitch about that all the time.”

 Immediately, Sakura stiffened. “That’s different!” She scowled, pouting childishly as she thought of their classmate. “He doesn’t even study and he gets perfect grades. I don’t think he even knows what we do in class.”

 “Well, it’s the same thing here!” Ino retorted. “I bet Sasuke doesn’t even have a skincare routine! And he’s so goddamn gruff and abrasive and everyone still likes him.”

 Calming down, Sakura smirked and leaned forward. “You used to.”

 “That was before he stole my position,” Ino grumbled. Suspicious, she squinted up at her best friend. “You still like him.”

 Sakura flushed, her face matching her hair. “Okay, but in my defense, he is really hot.”

 “That’s why you don’t care, you’re on his side!” Ino poked Sakura’s stomach. “Traitor.”

 “Bitch, you used to oogle him with me.” Sakura swatted Ino’s hand away, shaking her head. “Honestly, if anyone saw the real you…”

 “Well, that’s why we eat alone.” The bell rang and Ino sighed, getting up. “We’re going to crush him.”

 Sakura picked up her bento and wiped her skirt as she stood. “We’re?”

 “We’re,” Ino repeated firmly, smirking. “You’re smart, think of something.”

 -x-

 If Ino really wanted to, she could have been the student president. It was a popularity contest, no matter what anyone else said, and it would have been a cinch for her to win it and take the top spot. It was also entirely too much work for her and she was more than fine with letting other people handle the menial tasks while helping out with some of the more visible promotions.

 Actually, she would have been vice president if Sasuke had applied.

 She could feel her brow furrow at the thought and she forced herself to smile. Frowns made wrinkles and she refused to sabotage her skin regime because of that douche. Even worse, she was standing in the school foyer, handing out flyers for the school festival—she couldn’t let her adoring fans see her as anything but their bubbly idol.

 “The school festival’s in a month!” she called out, forcing a cheeriness in her voice. Recognizing a brunette passing by—Tenten, from her math class—she pressed a flyer in her hands. “You should sign up.”

 “Huh?” Tenten looked at her quizzically, then at the flyer. She grimaced. “You know I can’t dance, right?”

 “That’s fine! There’s other things to do.” Ino grinned, slipping into a martial arts stance. “I hear you’re pretty good at fighting.”

 “More than good,” Tenten corrected with a wolfish smile.

 “Well, we’re thinking of having a martial arts demonstration, and it’d be great to have someone who really knows what they’re doing.” Ino tucked a stray lock of hair behind her ear and sighed. “But if you can’t, we’ll just have to find someone else…maybe Neji…”

 Tenten bristled immediately. Good. It seemed that the rumours were true—she couldn’t handle being second to Neji. “It’s fine. I can do it.”

 “Great! Thanks!” Ino internally pumped her fist. Now all she had to do was lure Rock Lee in by using Sakura as bait, and they were all set. As she watched Tenten leave, she heard a set of footsteps behind her. “Hi! The cultural festival is looking for…volunteers…”

 She trailed off as she stared at Sasuke. Judging by the gym bag slung around his shoulders, he must have been heading to basketball practice. A small part of her had to begrudgingly admit that he at least worked at keeping his body in shape; there was a reason girls tried to sneak into the gym when he trained.

 Ino had seen his abs in person a few times and well…if he hadn’t been her (self-appointed) rival, she’d be all over him. He raised a brow as he looked at her impassively and Ino flushed. She’d been staring.

 Stupid.

 “Yeah, uh…volunteers.” Gathering her wits, she pressed the flyer on his chest. If she was lucky, he’d treat this like he treated everything else: dismissively. Maybe he’d even forget that she’d been staring or just shrug it off. “If you have the free time.”

 “I don’t,” he replied bluntly, though he did take the flyer. She tried not to shiver when his hand brushed hers.

 “Oh, that’s too bad.” He was far too close, but she couldn’t take a step back. It’d be showing weakness. “I guess you’re too busy with the team.”

 “Yeah.” Oddly, he didn’t leave. Instead, he lazily scanned the paper. “You’re on this too?”

 Ino blinked. She hadn’t thought she’d even registered on his radar; he showed almost no interest in anyone outside of his teammates. “Uh, yeah. Just helping out a bit.”

 “Cool.” Sasuke looked at her now, and she fought back her blush. His stare was even more intense this close. “You shouldn’t.”

 It was like a bucket of cold water washed over her. Unable to stop herself, she glared at him. “Why?”

 Sasuke shrugged dropping the pamphlet on the ground. “It won’t work.”

 Despite the angry flooding through her, she fought back the urge to yell at him. People were watching. She was in the middle of the school. He was not going to best her. Forcing her smile back, she asked, “Why? You think I won’t do a good job?”

 Okay, maybe she hissed more than asked, but at least her voice was low enough that no one else could have heard.

 Sasuke raised a brow, clearly not expecting this reaction. Maybe everyone else took his insults without arguing, but Ino refused to. “You’d do a good job.”

 “What?” Ino resisted the urge to tear out her hair. What was with this contradictory bastard? “Then why shouldn’t I do it?”

 “You have even less time than me.” Sasuke shrugged. Clearly done with the conversation, he side-stepped her and continued down the hall.

 Ready for an argument, Ino dug her heels, opened her mouth, and—

 “Huh?”

 He glanced at her over his shoulder. “You’re overworking yourself.”

 “Huh?”

 -x-

 For once, Sakura didn’t read her textbook, do her homework, or anything else really as she listened. Instead, she thoughtfully tapped her chin with her pencil. “That’s good, right?”

 Ino shot her an incredulous look. “I thought you were listening. How is that good?”

 “Well,” Sakura slung an arm around Ino’s shoulder with a shit-eating grin, “That means he’s been paying attention to you, right? He couldn’t have known how much you do otherwise.”

 She couldn’t argue with that. Reluctantly, she nodded. “Yeah…but how is that good?”

 “He’s looking at you.” When Ino stared at her blankly, Sakura groaned and ran a hand through her hair. “I swear to god you are so dense sometimes. Isn’t half the reason you keep bitching about him because he didn’t know you existed? Well, he clearly does know.”

 Ino’s jaw dropped. Hackles raised, she punched Sakura in the arm. “What are you talking about? And here I thought you were smart.”

 “Nah, you’re just dumb.” Sakura snorted, rubbing her arm. “I don’t get why you’re complaining. He’s right, you know. You’re in waaaay too many things. You’re going to burn out.”

 “You’re just taking his side cause you like him,” Ino growled, crossing her arms and looking away in a huff. And here she thought she could rely on her best friend. Clearly not.

 “Ino.” Sakura rolled her eyes and got up. “I’m going to toss my trash…just think about it, okay?”

 Ino grunted undignifiedly, refusing to look as Sakura left the greenhouse. She should have expected this, really. Sasuke was a triple threat after all. Even Sakura wasn’t immune to his charms. No one in the school was, really, which was why she had this problem in the first place.

 So what if Sasuke had been a little concerned? Was that even concern? The entire conversation had been confusing and infuriating as hell—did he even know how to speak properly? All it had proved was that she’d been right.

 Sasuke clearly had to get knocked down from the most popular position. Maybe then he’d learn how to talk to people properly. At the very least, she’d be able to oogle him in peace. Hearing footsteps, she stubbornly looked away as Sakura returned. “I’ll forgive you if you come up with a plan to take him down.”

 Sakura didn’t respond.

 Apparently Sakura was just as mule-headed as she was. Ino frowned. “Come on, it’s not that hard. You know Naruto, right? Just use him to get some of Sasuke’s weaknesses and I’ll figure out the rest.”

 Still, Sakura didn’t respond.

 “What, are you angry?” Ino rolled her eyes, turning around. “It’s not like—”

 Sasuke stood behind her, his expression unreadable. In the distance, Ino spotted a panicked Sakura poking her head in through the door.

 How this happened, Ino had no idea.

 “How long were you here?” Ino asked weakly.

  “Long enough.” Even his tone didn’t give anything away.

 Shit. Ino felt the blood drain form her face. Shit shit shit. There was no way she could wiggle her way out of this one. “…what’re you going to do about that.”

 He didn’t reply, only smirked, and she shivered.

 Silently, she prayed that they got struck by a meteor. The end of the world didn’t sound half to so bad compared to whatever he had in store.

[creamywater13]

Bats Not Included #1

Written by @creamywater13

“Ah, to be young again. To not have to bear the burden that is public education.” Richard leaned around his seat to face his little siblings behind him, “Consider yourselves lucky.”

“I like school,” said Jason.

“Okay, nerd.”

“Is there nothing for you to look forward to, Master Richard,” Alfred, butler and chauffeur asked, “Will none of your old friends be attending the same middle school?”

“It’s not really a middle school, Alfred. It’s a fancy-pants academy that none of my friends got into, and you know what they say about first impressions! I’m a goner already, I know it.”

“Well, I’m sure you’ll at least make drama club.”

Richard slumped in his seat as Jason sat up in his, practically flattened against his window. “Alfred, are we almost there?” He inquired eagerly.

“That we are, Master Jason.” Jason gathered up his book bag and removed his seatbelt.

“Can I come with him?” Richard groaned.

“Are you going to find your friends still in elementary?”

“No.”

“Then please remain seated.” Alfred pulled up to the school, and got out of the car with Jason and Cassandra. Tim piped up from the back seat.

“Byeee!”

“Can I come to preschool with you, Timmy?” Richard turned back around.

“No!”

“Aww, why not?”

“You’re too big!”

“Yeah, you’re right. You will have to go without me.”

Alfred joined them back in the car, “I trust your seatbelt is still on, Master Richard?”

“Roger. Can I start riding in the front seat now that I’m in middle school and all? Don’t you have to be at least twelve?”

“If that’s what you would like, I suggest you consult your father.”

“He’ll say no…”

“Then I must do so as well.”

This is when Richard was finally quiet. That is, until reaching Gotham Academy.

“I do believe this is your stop, sir?”

“Yes. Thanks, Alfred. Love you, bye!” And with that, young Master Richard Thomas Wayne leapt into the brand new world that was the seventh grade. His little brother Jason Alfred Wayne was probably just as anxious about joining the second grade, but in a different way altogether. Timothy Lucius Wayne was becoming adjusted to preschool by now, and would do just fine. His sister Cassandra Martha Wayne would now begin kindergarten, finally an official elementary student. Damian Ibn al Xu'ffasch Wayne was still but an infant, and to remain at home with his mother.

***

Much to his surprise, there was somebody in Richard’s first class that he recognized. It was the pretty redhead girl he had mingled with at his father’s galas and other charity events-- the commissioner’s daughter. What was it? B… Barbara, maybe? Gordon, Barbara Gordon. He slid into the seat next to her.

“Hey, remember me? We’ve met before at--”

“Alright, class, the bell is going to ring in just a minute here, and then we’ll get started. I hope you’re ready.” Thanks a lot for the interruption, teach.

“We’ve met before at charity galas.”

“There was one just last month, of course I remember,” Barbara said, “You’re Bruce Wayne’s son, our parents make us talk all the time.”

“I know. But nobody’s forcing us to talk to each other now. Maybe if we try doing it for fun, we’ll end up liking it.”

“You’d better not be hitting on me, Wayne.” This caused Richard to lean away a little. He hadn’t even realized how close he’d gotten to her.

“What? No way, I just don’t know anybody else here. I’ve never been to a school like this.”

“Me neither.”

“See? We have something in common, we’re bonding already. Have you listened to Under My Skin? It just came out a few months ago.” This finally got Barbara to return a smile.

“Some of it.”

“Dude.”

Now the bell would ring and allow class to begin. Though he had finally said something that Barbara seemed to care for, Richard couldn’t help but to worry just a little. What if this was what it was like all day? What if he had to go home for break at the end of the week and had to tell his family that he hadn’t successfully made any friends. He caught himself thinking at one point; “I just miss my dad.”

***

“Okay, class, for this question I’d like to see if anyone other than Jason knows the answer. Got it?”

Jason dropped his aching arm and slumped in his seat. If anyone else cared to answer, wouldn’t they have volunteered already?

“Remember, it’s only the first day, this is just a review, you don’t need to worry about getting it wrong. In fact, if you share your thoughts, you might just find you’ve earned yourself a treat by the time it’s recess.” A few more hands finally made their way toward the ceiling. Jason hadn’t been promised a treat, but he didn’t need one, either. That’s not to say he wouldn’t like a treat, but the experience of learning alone was fun for him. In fact, he wasn’t even particularly looking forward to recess. According to the class schedule written on the board, the getting-to-know-you activities would begin after recess. Jason felt that the handful of students he knew from last year was plenty.

Alfred always encouraged Jason to be friendly with his fellow students, and his father had developed a habit of asking him to at least try and make friends. It never really worked out all that well for Jason. It wasn’t that he didn’t like the other kids, it’s just that making friends wasn’t what got him in the classroom. He wanted an education, he wanted to learn, he didn’t want to play outside with children that spent their lunchtime talking about how much money he had. He looked forward to the day that he’d be able to see Cass at combined lunchtimes and sit with her instead. Just because a butler made his pb and j instead of an older sibling or tired parent didn’t mean that he felt any different from the other children.

Jason remembered how Richard had asked to come with him to second grade earlier that morning. Jason wished it was the other way around, and he could follow his big brother to Gotham Academy. Everyone there was more like them. Nerd or not, was it too much to ask for Jason to feel like he was seen as normal? Bruce knew Jason was normal, but also acknowledged what made him special. Jason couldn’t help but to find himself thinking, “I just miss my dad.”

***

Kindergarten wasn’t all that bad at first. After all, it wasn’t very different from the preschool Cassandra had just graduated from. There was a little more order built into the function of the classroom, but it wasn’t even noticeable to her. The other difference, however, made things a little difficult. In this kindergarten class, there was nowhere near as much one on one time with instructors. For a child as intelligent as Cassandra to be so quiet was frustrating for the teacher. Mrs. Sandoval knew that little Miss Wayne would be one of her smartest students and was excited to have her in class, but upon discovering that Cassie wasn’t really one to share her thoughts and ideas out loud, she was a little disappointed. An entire room for learning set aside only to be filled with adorable little monkeys and a terrifically shy prodigy.

The truth was, Cassie loved her father. Being the man that raised her, played with her, taught her the basics, he was an absolute role model to her. It would be more than fair to say that she was trying to cope with a bit of attachment anxiety. She didn’t want to talk to her teacher, Mrs. Sandoval didn’t understand her. She wanted her dad, someone who did understand. Cassie had had a similar issue when beginning preschool, but eventually adjusted due to being able to learn one on one with instructors. This was different. This was a whole class with one shared subject at a time, and she didn’t really care for it. Of course she would do her best to carry on and participate, but the thought crossing her mind more than any other, was “I miss my dad.”

***

Although Timmy had been at preschool since the summer began, he was still adjusting. He didn’t really listen to the instructors when they were talking to each other, so he didn’t know that they were considering moving him up a class level. They hadn’t gone through with it yet, as Tim was still only three, and the pacing of a three year old’s development are very important.They were now discussing whether to leave Mr. Wayne an email about it, but what would the point be if Timmy actually was too young? They proceeded with their everyday assessment as usual in hopes to reach a consensus.

Tim also carried on with his usual daily activities, participating in simple crafts and games, having little conversations with instructors and so forth. His older brothers and sisters were all at school now, and it was a little different not having Cassie around during the day. It was his sister that he’d chatter to the most, but now that she was gone, he was quieter. He was playing by himself again now, which was a little worrying to a couple of the instructors. Timmy loved his sister and hadn’t really bothered with learning to connect with the other children his age. He missed having Cass around, but also missed being at home with his family. He could learn from his dad just fine at the manor. He didn’t entirely recognize what he was feeling, but little Tim missed his dad.

***

“Are you positively sure about this, Mistress Talia?”

“Have a little faith in me, Alfred. Just watch.”

…

“See? I told you. He’s fine. He’s extraordinary.”

“Yes, well, I must admit that I would appreciate you explaining to me what exactly is going on before you begin tossing infants in the pool next time.”

“If I had actually ‘tossed’ him, he would still be fine. A small child must be taught to swim, but babies at Damian’s age can manage already. It’s not just that either, but my son is an outstanding child. Born for greatness.”

“Yes, I, ah, believe you have mentioned as much, and I must once again concur. All of your children have shown to be fine examples and I couldn’t be more proud.”

Talia didn’t respond.

“Well, then. If I need not be worried, then I shall make my way to the kitchen to put a lunch together.”

“Very well.”

What a strange woman. The mother of Bruce Wayne’s children, Talia Al Ghul Wayne had not gone through this procedure with the other babies. Cassandra was only just improving her beginning swimming level, and Bruce himself may not have approved of this method. However, Bruce’s concerns could not stop Talia. Her only concerns were for Damian, her newest baby. It was clear to see from anyone’s perspective that he was special to her. Perhaps it was because he looked more like her than any of the other children? Maybe because her peculiar old father also had some sort of fixation on him. Damian’s siblings figured it was because he was the baby in the family. They couldn’t remember or process being that young, so they didn’t know any better. Those who were old enough did pick up on the fact that their mother was a little distant with them, even more so than their father, and tried not to let it bother them. If she would be like that with them anyways, why blame the innocent baby? It was easier to get along with dad anyway. Oh how his children missed their father, and how he missed them.

***

They’re already getting so big, Bruce thought, looking into that same strange glass as he did every night. Richard was in middle school now, and Cassie in kindergarten. How fast it all flew by. If he could only keep each and every one of them by his side forever. But the way things were going with Talia and her treatment of Damian, it seemed that Bruce would not quite earn that pleasure in the way that he was hoping for.

“Again, Bruce? Please come to bed, you have work tomorrow.”

“Wait.”

“For what, beloved?”

Bruce didn’t give her an answer. He simply stood there and watched the seconds ticking by on the old grandfather clock. Before Bruce could once again ask himself the question that had been plaguing him for years now, Talia beat him to it.

“What is it about that old clock, anyway? Has it not always been there?”

“I believe it has.”

“Then what is it we are waiting for?”

Bruce tried to remember. He came back here every night, staring that same face down from 10:30 to… Something. He was waiting for a specific minute, but he could never remember which one or why. 10:45 became 10:46 and the deja vu only grew stronger. All the other times that he had come down here and done this, he’d become satisfied upon seeing a certain minute pass and go to bed, but he didn’t ever know what it was until he saw it. 10:47… 10:48. There it was. Bedtime.

“Alright. I’m done now.” Bruce turned to his wife and gave her a soft smile.

“Finally. You need sleep.” She led him upstairs and they called it a night. As Bruce was drifting off, he came to the brutal realization that he couldn’t remember what number he had just waited for, and would surely end up waiting for again. Sometime after 10:30, but… The thought was gone, and slumber arrived in its place.

Elsewhere inside the manor, Richard thought to himself about the people he had met that day. The first day of seventh grade hadn’t been such a failure after all. If he could only keep it up and find a way to cope with several classes a day, he’d be just fine. He had gotten himself into an esteemed academy, after all. He wondered what his dad had done that day. Probably nothing as exciting. It seemed to Richard that the most exciting part of his dad’s daily schedule was that weird clock thing he would stay up to do some nights. Richard didn’t understand why he did it, but figured that he would know if it really mattered. Then his mind drifted and he thought maybe the family would go out for ice cream or something that weekend to celebrate going back to school. After all, they’d be able to afford it. Richard was then swept away into sleep as he dreamt of his frozen sweet treats.

Jason was having a hard time falling asleep that night. He was perfectly comfortable in his bed like always, but there would be a beginning of the year assessment in a week or so at school, new vocab and spelling words taught to the class the next day, not to mention the math facts routine. It was all a lot, and part of Jason wanted to do all of it that very second, but what he probably most looked forward to about being back at school was all of the reading time. He loved to allow himself to become engrossed in any sort of book he picked up and challenge his mind to adapt to new information. He got his imagination working, thinking about favorite stories of his, and let it all fade away into dreams.

Cass wasn’t struggling with sleep quite as much. At first, she didn’t feel very sleepy at all, she just felt anxious about going to school, but as everything came back to her, it all began to tire her out. She remembered what it was like when she learned things from playing with her dad, and how much she loved that time. Memories like this eased her mind and put her to rest.

Although Tim’s day had been a little tougher than average, this also only effectively tired him out more and he was right to sleep with dreams he wouldn’t ever be able to remember.

***

Richard’s 3rd period class had a seating chart, and although whoever sat to his left hadn’t attended the day before, he was here now. He answered to the name “Harper, Roy” during role call. Richard knew he had to introduce himself.

“Hi. Richard Wayne.” He extended a hand.

“Roy Harper.” Roy shook the hand.

“Is all this new to you too?”

“Pretty sure middle school’s new to everyone in this class.”

“I mean the fancy academy scene.”

“Oh, for sure. Bruce Wayne didn’t have you in a place like this for elementary?”

“No. He thought it would be a bit much for such a young child, but that I should start getting a little more ambitious at this age.”

“Fair enough.”

“You?”

“Was adopted into it. Oliver Queen.”

“Really? Have I seen you at any charity galas?”

“Probably not. Ollie doesn’t make me go.”

“Lucky.”

Day two didn’t seem like it would be so bad at all. Richard was already making new friends. He learned throughout 3rd and 4th period that Roy Harper was a loud, sort of cocky kid, but it was a nice change compared to the uptight quiet at home. Richard found Barbara Gordon again and shared lunch with her. She was still sarcastic with him, but it felt more like friendly banter than outright rejection. Barbara had finally listened to Avril Lavigne’s Under The Skin, which instantly got an excited conversation going. Barbara’s new friend Pam joined in the conversation and the warmth and comfort Richard felt surrounded by these fresh faces was something he hadn’t gotten in some time. He hadn’t even noticed how lonely it was at home, but the contrast was hard to miss.

***

Jason elected to spend another recess alone, reading in a corner against the school. It was incredibly hot outside, but the intense sunshine made it easier to see the words under the shade. Jason had found the perfect balance of light in his little hiding spot, and dreaded the ringing of the bell. Usually he didn’t care about recess coming to an end, but this chapter had captured his full attention and interest. The last thing he wanted was for his immersion to be interrupted. However, he heard someone approaching nearby, and looked up to see one of the recess aides eyeing him. What did she want? Did even the grown-ups here think Jason was weird? Could he not escape the prying eyes of criticism even at recess? He did his best to turn his focus back to his story, but couldn’t shake the feeling of eyes on him. Not until the bell finally rang.

***

Cassie and Tim both still missed their families, but were also still having their brains put to the test. Cassie couldn’t go quite as fast as was natural for her, thanks to being stuck at the same pace as the rest of the class, and remained the quiet kid. Timmy was still given slightly more challenging puzzles and activities, and took to them relatively well. Their father would be proud of both of them, though he’d also try and encourage them to cheer up. If Richard could only be with them, they probably wouldn’t get bored at lunch and naptime as they did, as he always had something to say. Alfred understood the two better than anyone else did, and they both preferred his teaching methods. They did their best to learn and grow and participate, but they still just wanted to go home.

***

At home, behind the scenes of all the others’ lives, Talia wasn’t quite as nurturing with Damian as everyone thought she was. Sure, she spent a lot of time babying and coddling him, but she also continued to challenge him. Damian was still but an infant, but to Talia, it was best to start shaping him for his future as early as possible. To Alfred, it seemed that it wasn’t possible to get a baby to be what she wanted, but there was something special about Damian. He hardly ever failed to surprise Alfred. Of course, the other Wayne children were all very fast developers, but none of them had been tested quite this early. Damian clearly meant more to Talia than anything, but more than her other children? Why? Would she continue to behave this way if Bruce was home? Were the other children aware of this special treatment, and how would they feel about it if they were? Alfred couldn’t help his concern. Of course he loved and believed in Damian, but he felt that way with every child. They were blossoming into individuals of their own, as Alfred was well aware of, but all of Damian’s blossoming seemed to come at Talia’s pace rather than his own.

“Ah, Mistress Talia…?”

“Yes, Alfred?”

“You have spent so much time with dear Damian, which I must admire you for, but might I also suggest that you take a break? Parenting is no easy task and you have been at it without rest for such a long time. Perhaps you deserve a day off?”

“I appreciate it, Alfred, but if I was interested in a day off, I would have taken it already. I enjoy nothing more than spending time with my baby.”

“Of course. I shall remind Master Bruce of this for you should he ever consider a date night.”

“Alfred.”

“My apologies.”

“I know you have served for this family for a very long time, Alfred. But that doesn’t make you family. You have no ties by blood. This child is mine, not yours.”

“Of course. If you’ll excuse me.”

“You are excused.”

“Thank you.”

***

10:40, 41, 42… What are you waiting for, Bruce? It’s just a clock, it’s always been there.

“What’s with the clock again?”

“Shouldn’t you be in bed, Richard?”

“I just wanna know.” So do I, thought Bruce.

“Well, see, it’s 10:43 now, which means it’s well past time for you to be in bed, falling asleep. Would you like some warm milk or something?”

“I’m not a baby anymore, dad. I wanna know what you’re doing.”

“Waiting for the right time, I suppose.”

“For what?”

“The right time to go on a hunt for any little nuisances out of bed and destroy them.”

“Oh no.” Sarcasm.

“Oh, yes. Any minute now… 30 seconds to get back in bed or else.”

“Or else you’ll destroy me?”

“27 seconds, 26, 25…” Bruce began wiggling his fingers slowly and menacingly.

“What are you doing?”

“22, 21, 20…”

“My room is all the way upstairs, down the hall…”

“Then you’d better start running before I get to ten.”

“Daaaaaaadd.”

“9, 8, 7…”

“No fair!”

“You’re only safe in your bed now, Richard.” Richard finally took off towards his room. “Not too loud, Richard. The little ones are sleeping.” Bruce pursued carefully, quietly, quickly. Richard leapt over a couple of stairs, only to fall to his knees.

“No!”

“Shhhh.”

“Ah!” He scrambled back to his feet and kept running, as quietly as he could manage. He darted into his room and shut the door. Bruce followed and tried the handle. Richard was holding it from the other side, but Bruce was stronger.

“You’re only safe if you’re in bed.”

“No! No…” After a moment or so, the doorknob went loose and Bruce opened it. Richard pulled the covers over his head.

“Goodnight, Richard.”

Richard peeked out from under the blankets. “Goodnight, dad.”

“I love you, son.”

“Love you too, dad.”

“Get a good sleep tonight.”

“Okay, dad.”

And with that, Bruce left the room, carefully and quietly, and went to bed. Richard giggled to himself as he pulled the blankets back over his head and listened for a moment. Once he determined that it was safe, he pulled them back down to his shoulders and went to sleep.

***

“Hey. Wayne.”

“Yeah, Roy?”

“Wanna sit with me at lunch?”

“Yeah, sure!”

“Sick. Follow me when the bell rings. I’m thinking we’ll go off campus.”

“Really?”

“Sure. There’s a little shop somewhere near here, like down the street. Shouldn’t be a bad walk, we can pick something up there.”

“Sounds great.”

“Cool. We’re totally gonna do it. You have cash, right?”

“Yup.”

“Okay, good. Don’t forget, you’ll follow me when the bell rings.”

***

Jason was almost alone at recess once again. Almost, because that recess aide was still there, practically breathing down his neck, even several feet away. Whenever he looked up, he caught her turning away, and whenever he looked down, he felt her gaze slide back over to him. Jason tried to carry on for another minute or so, but he started getting kind of creeped out. He sighed, closed his book, and finally got up to look for another place to try and read in peace. At first, he thought that he’d managed to properly slip away, as the recess aide now only looked lost. Jason turned back to his reading, but only got a couple pages in before he felt the eyes again. Jason was done. Two could play at that game. Jason closed his book, looked up from it, and met the aide’s eyes with his own. Now it was a staring contest, or, it was until the aide started walking toward him. Jason’s heart was pounding, but he didn’t break. He just sat and waited until she had approached him.

“Kid, what’s your name?” “I don’t have to tell you.”

“Yes you do. I work here and I’m looking for somebody. What’s your name?”

“Jason.”

“Jason Wayne?”

“Yes.”

“Good. Look, they need you for a special program for the school, but I don’t want to bother you all through recess anymore. Just follow me when the bell rings, kay?”

Jason couldn’t answer at first, he had to fight back the tears of fear climbing their way up into his throat and his eyes. Still, he didn’t break. “Kay.”

“Alright. That’s all. Enjoy your recess, Jason, but don’t forget. Follow me when the bell rings.”

***

“I can’t remember the last time I was in a place like this.”

“What, a grocery store?”

“Alfred, uh, the butler, does most of the shopping. I like to come along sometimes, but he usually takes care of it when I’m not around.

“Gotcha. Come on, let’s go see what kinds of snacks they’ve got. I’m thinking pizza, but we’d have to sneak into the place where they keep the ovens back at school.”

“Do you even know where that is?”

“Well, not yet.”

“Let’s do pizza next time, then. We’ve got all kinds of money available, right? We could probably pick up a whole barrel of corn or something.”

“What would we do with all that corn?”

“Dunno. Probably feed a small village.”

“Ha! I like your style, Wayne. Check it, candy bars are buy two get one free.”

“No way!”

“Like we need free.” Roy started scooping varies candies into the shopping cart.

“They’ve gotta have a sale on ice cream, too. Now that summer’s coming to an end.”

“Definitely gotta check that out, but later so that it doesn’t melt if we get any.”

“Duh.” Dick pushed the cart along the candy aisle as though it was a scooter he was riding.

“Whoa. Can I try?” Roy had caught sight of what was going on.

“Sure. Let’s see how fast you can go. I do currently hold the record for highest speed within my family, so we’ll have to see how you do.” Richard hopped off his ride and waited for Roy to get on. In truth, Richard was never allowed to do that, but here with nobody but Roy, he could do whatever he wanted.

“Alright. Check it.” Roy got himself pumping, and he was pretty speedy, but one of the wheels began to twist. “Mayday!” He crashed, and a wide variety of junk foods came raining down upon him like an avalanche. He quickly abandoned ship. “Oops.” The boys turned to each other, and cracked up.

“That was amazing! Look at how much stuff we got in the cart. Might as well just pay for it all.”

“Sure! That was awesome. Now it’s your turn.”

“Oh, yeah!” Richard pulled the cart out of the wall of goods and got it going at a pretty good speed again. The boys went back and forth taking turns and adding fallen items to their purchase. That is, until Richard was barreling straight toward another customer. “Uh oh.”

“Stop, stop, stop stop!” Roy dove for the cart and grabbed as tight as he could. Using his surprising strength, he was able to catch Richard and slow his ride to a stop before this random lady was in any way injured.

“Do you really think you should be doing that here?” She crabbed.

“No.

“Probably not.”

“Sorry,” Richard could feel his face turning red.

“How old are you boys,” the lady demanded, “and where are your parents?”

“Fifteen,” Roy lied.

“Sure you are. Shouldn’t you be at school?”

“No, ma’am. It’s our lunch break.”

“Why would we have our uniforms on if we were ditching?”

“Don’t backtalk me. Stay right there, I’m getting an employee,” The lady stormed off.

“We should go.”

“You think?”

“Quick, let’s check out. They’ll think we’re valued customers and won’t get us in trouble.”

Roy grabbed the cart and began hurrying to check out. “Make sure you’ve got your money ready!”

“Got it,” Richard followed close behind. They got to check out just before the stranger woman could come back with someone to get them in trouble. “I just realized we’re going to have to carry all this stuff back to school.”

“We can stick some of it in our backpacks. Here.” Roy removed his bag and opened it up. Richard helped load the goods into it. “Well, my bag’s all kinds of heavy now, so I think the mission was a success.”

“You said it.”

“Let’s get back to campus before it’s too late.”

***

Dong, dong, dong. There was the bell for the end of recess. If Jason didn’t go over to the aide on his own, she’d probably come find him and bring him in anyway. Was there really any special program being put together on only the third day? Jason continued on, carrying himself across the school yard. What if he just lined up with the rest of his class to go back inside and the aide just forgot about it? It was probably worth a shot. Even if Jason didn’t know exactly why he had such a bad feeling in his gut, he was going to go along with it. He made his way over to line, sweating even more than usual under the glaring heat. The aide followed. Jason got into line, and she came over to stand next to him. She leaned down to his level and spoke softly, “Remember what I said? Follow me.” She took Jason by the wrist, and led him away from what he knew.

“Alright, Jason. Sit tight while I find out where the administrators are that should have been here by now.”

Jason didn’t sit. Though he had been at this school since kindergarten, he wouldn’t say that he knew this woman. He didn’t even know her name, just that he was alone with her in the teacher’s lounge with the door shut for some reason. He had expected to be taken down the office with some other kids, but that hadn’t happened, and Jason’s fear only grew worse. I have to get out of here before I find out why she took me with her.

“I have to go to the bathroom.”

“Sorry, hold for a sec. Jason. I’m on the phone. Please wait a minute.”

“I said I gotta go to the bathroom. Please?”

“Why didn’t you go at recess?”

“I didn’t know I had to. But I really do.”

“Just hang on and read your book for a minute and then I’ll escort you to the bathroom.”

“How long is the phone call gonna be?”

“Look, your story distracted you before, right? Just keep reading and I’ll handle it in just a second.”

“I’ll try, I guess…” Jason finally sat down. His plan hadn’t worked. Now what?

“Yes, I have him with me. You do know how to get here, right?” Why wouldn’t people from the school know how to get there? “Yes, I’m sure. He told me himself. Yes! God, do you think I’m stupid? We’re not going to wait around forever, they’re going to want him back in class soon.” Back in class? Was she going to let him go back to class if this person didn’t show up? “Just get here asap, please. Poor kid doesn’t have all day.” She glanced in Jason’s direction as she said this, which allowed him to ease up a little. That was right, he didn’t have all day, he had classwork to do. He had no time for this stunt. “Got it. Later.” She hung up. “Okay. Let’s take you to the bathroom.”

Jason followed through with his bluff, but still didn’t know what to do. She couldn’t come into the boys’ bathroom, but was waiting just outside the entrance. He could try and just run, but that would be stupid if all of this was really nothing. Now he actually did have to go to the bathroom, so he finished up, washed his hands, and… Kept washing. Was it safe to go back out there? Of course it was, he’d go back to class if the “administrators” didn’t show, right? Right. And if they did show, they’d talk to him about some stupid program and he’d tell them he’d have to go home and ask his dad to join and they’d send him back to class and he’d go home. Right?

“You done?” The aide asked, and Jason responded with a nod. “Good, let’s get you back in the teacher’s lounge to wait for Mr. Steele, alright? He’s in charge of the program and shouldn’t take too much longer.” Jason just kept quiet and followed her. Back in the teacher’s lounge, he picked his book back up and tried to use it as a means of drowning out his worry. It felt like hours were slowly dragging themselves along as Jason waiting with the aide. He still didn’t know her name. She was still watching him. Then, finally…

“Hey, sorry I’m late. I’m Mr. Steele, nice to meet you, Jason.” Mr. Steele held out a hand, and tentatively, Jason took it. After the handshake, Steele continued, “You are Jason Wayne, son of Mr. Bruce Wayne, right?” Jason shook his head and Mr. Steele furrowed his brow.

“He is, don’t worry,” said the aide, “He’s just a little nervous.”

“Oh, I understand. Been through it many times before myself. Your mouth has probably gotten all kinds of dry, poor kid. Let’s get you a drink of water.” The aide went to the water dispenser and did just that. She gave it over to Jason after the briefest of pauses, and he didn’t drink it.

“So, Jason. Rumor has it you’re a clever kid. Is this right?” Steele had his eyes locked on Jason now, too, which made him all the more unsettled. To tell the truth, however, his mouth was getting a little dry.

“Well, I, uh, I like school,” Jason replied.

“Wow. Good kid. Most don’t, they’d rather slack off and have recess all day long.”

“Well. You’re keeping me out of class.”

“It won’t be long, don’t worry. We just want you to take a test. It’s an evaluation given only to smart kids like yourself to see if you need to receive your education differently. I will warn you that it’s sort of a long test, so if you want to go to the bathroom or get a drink or anything, you should take care of it now.”

“No thanks. I already went.”

“Good. Then let’s get started.” Steele pulled out a packet of papers and placed it on a table in front of Jason. “If you’ll sit here,” he also produced a pencil and set it next to the paper, “Then we can begin.”

Jason relaxed a little more and moved into the seat at the table. There was actually a test there, an actual pencil, and actual quiet in the room. That was all. Jason took a drink of his water and started on the test. Lucky for him, it began with a reading portion. Inattentively, he finished his water and proceeded with the test as confidence began to push anxiety aside. He could do evaluation just fine, except… It was more difficult this time around for some reason. Perhaps because Jason suddenly felt so inexplicably sleepy…

***

Bruce Wayne stood solemnly in his home, once again watching that same grandfather clock as the night around him deepened. It was late, but he stayed up… Waiting. This time, however, he knew why. He had something to wait for.

10:48 pm came and went, and there was still no word back from the police about the disappearance of Jason Wayne.

[alfi-ry]

Social Environment

I might as well continue while I’m at it.

“Tell me who your friends are, and I will tell who you are.”

Despite having a barbie doll as one of my first toys, I really wanted a nerf gun. “It’s for boys.” They say.

I don’t remember any problems from a social environment. I was told that I got into kinder a year earlier than most of my peers. I was a sleepy kid then because I stayed up ‘til late night even before I could even turn off the tv on the shelf. It was most likely when I was 3 or younger because the tv was my company. Math was fucking hard, man.

I was awarded as one of the most obedient child and my yearbook says that I wanted to be a nun. They just put that in because I haven’t decided what I wanted.

“Fashion design? There’s no money in that.” “Military! Do you want to die?” “Artist? No money.” “Model? You’re too small.”

My preschool and early elementary was almost none existent. What the fuck.

The only thing I could remember was there was two? three? boys. Four. Two of them were such fucking bullies. 

One of them took my toy ranchu goldfish. I fucking cried over it. He always gets my things suddenly. Then he tells me that he likes me. The fuck.

The other one I was kinder to but he would threaten to always hit me. He never did because our class president defended me. (Who was also rumored to like me. What the fuck.) This guy got sick and puked. I got worried and asked if he was okay but he told me to stfu. He left to go to the nurse’s then everyone near me started comforting me and telling me that he was like that because he liked me. I did not bother confronting him because I know what he would say.

There was also one time where a guy just said that he liked me. I don’t remember my answer but it came to a point where they celebrated because I was peer pressured to hold his hand. [Excuse me while I roll my eyes into oblivion]

Lastly, there was a boy that I carpooled with when going to school. He was a neighbor and he invited me over to his house to play with his sister but then they hid me in the closet because their strict grandmother hates visitors. I was snuck out and I never interacted with them since.

Hmm. Grade 3, I think I could say I was rowdy. I mostly hangout with guys because I could relate to them more. But that gave me a reputation with the girls that either I was a flirt or a lesbian. [Women are fucking terrifying.] Can you blame them? I was able to flirt - joke, talk - with one of the most popular guy in school. Kids, we were kids. What the fuck was that supposed to mean.

A good friend of mine confessed his crush but I only saw him as a friend. I confessed to my other friends but they turned me down because they like someone else but eh. I never cried over it.

My cousin and I went to the same school but they had to migrate. Since we were like twins, [not really, she was more femenine] she told me to look after her best friend so when she did we stuck together and got along better than the other girls.

We’re all still friends. I’m fucking proud of those mother fuckers.

Highschool. Fuck it. I hated my peers. I was still rowdy but that made the boys respect me less so I digressed to silence. I was interested more in writing, arts, horror, politics, and things “a typical teenager doesn’t like” so I was ostracized. Also, I was bullied for acting like a man and smelling like one too.

Sorry, I wasn’t the type to fantasize about getting pregnant by an EXO member.

Most of my insecurities formed from this point of my life. I wasn’t the smartest. I wasn’t the prettiest. I wasn’t the talented. I hated myself. And this was during my grandparents we’re dying. I almost had no one. I kept my emotions to myself no matter how extreme. I couldn’t afford to break the picture I made for myself.

I had friends during these time but I still felt left out. An outcast within the outcasts. We were fucking too weird in some ways and it was cringe in retrospect. I grew out of them.

But thanks to them I was able to form my own opinions.

College. Some of my chains broke off. I brushed off the opinions of other people to get in a college that I wanted. I had the liberty to be more me because this was a place where almost no one knew me. I met a few people from elementary and saw others from my highschool. Not gonna forget that time I got told I was “yummy.” Thanks.

It was a pretty difficult start but I got into a good social circle because of an asshole I trusted. It was the only thing he did nicely. Energy vampire was a good description for him. Pathological liar. He got chased away by the same people he tried to manipulate.

It was a so-so ride. None outweighed the other. My need to move and work got me into an official position in the organization I was in.

One of my greatest achievement in this part of life would be making three guys feel the need to gang up on me.

Of course, I wasn’t the only one who wanted to sit on the high seats of the organization. Though I wouldn’t mind not being there, but these fuckers don’t deserve it. My greed for morality wouldn’t let this slide.

Dick#1: Ugh. He was smart I’ll give him that. Cocky with something to show but he was the type that has the need to be superior? No. I don’t think so. He likes whipping his friends to submission though.

Pussy-- I mean Dick#2: I’ll be kinder to this one because we suspect that he is intellectually disabled [but it was only on social aspects so I doubt it a bit. Wouldn’t be surprised if he is tho] which plays great for #1. He was being bullied for being a lolicon but he denies it. He’s not afraid to say that he would jack off to an anime idol.

Dick#3: The bitch of the two. He’s socially awkward but there was something in me that doesn’t like him and he kind of proved it. He likes for his opinions to be accepted always and hates hearing others’. He’s easily manipulated. Naive, more than me I suppose.

They wanted #3 to get the spot I was getting so they created a spot just for him but it wasn’t enough. I needed to be out of the picture for them to move freely. Too bad, so sad, bitches.

My “friends” were worried for me because I was too emotional, I was too busy. First of all, thank you. But I’m the type that pushes myself a little further. Concerns are welcome but put me down and you’re not my friend. That’s why I had to let go of some of you.

I heard news that #3 was stalking a member so we had to deal with it. It got hairy but we were victorious and I was told I got more balls than my colleagues. Thank you but I’m just really impatient and wanted the fuckers out. My kindness is sometimes fueled by my selfishness.

But that aside, it’s heartwarming to hear that my colleagues saw me as a capable person especially since their mostly men, good ones at that. [Including my ex]

The biggest event here for myself is setting a boundary. I know people with actual psychoses but still, I needed to protect my peace and mental health. I don’t know her diagnosis but she guilt tripped me knowing what I was going through at the moment so I had to shut it down.

Current. I don’t go out much nor do I have a reason to. I made use of quarantine and connected to other people anonymously. Tiktok helped me map my morals. I discovered and rediscovered my interests and I am proud of myself if given the peace.

I used to watch people go by and see their stories as they move and talk but since quarantine is a thing. Social media helped me to sonder still.

Conclusion: My social and partially my public environment mostly helped me shaped my mindset. There are traces of my family’s mindsets and I accepted that but anything that differed from them was a work of mine.

[thearcanawearcrocs]

Thank you @kitmeh18 and @selkispice for indulging me and asking about this au

Nadia:

The smartest. Literally knows everything a preschooler could know and is not afraid to show it

She already knows how to read and it’s one of her favorite pastimes. Sometimes if Portia a classmate that she likes asks her she will read to them

Gets really upset when the teachers compare her to her sisters who were in the class before her

The teachers like her a lot becasue she is very polite and clean

Plays sword fighting and pirate games with Julian and Portia sometimes at recess. Does not like playing house much but will of Portia asks her too

Avoids Lucio like the plague (lol) unless he’s willing to play king and queen with her

Always has the best snacks with her and very good about sharing them

Gave Portia a ring pop and asked to marry her at one point. They held a play wedding and everything (Lucio was not invited but he crashed it anyway)

Lucio:

He is 100% the bratty entitled child who acts out for attention becasue he isn’t getting enough at home

Nadia and his parents know each other so he and Nadia have been to each other’s houses which, to him, now means they are married

Gets frustrated really easily and throws tantrums because he doesn’t know how else to express his feelings

Was a knight for Halloween last year and decided his costume was the coolest thing ever and he was never going to take it off. Lasted about a week before he decided that maybe he would take it off except for the cool armor part that goes on his arm. He wears that to school every day becasue he thinks it makes him look cool

He once ate some paper to try and look cool but then Asra told everyone that goats eat paper and he got stuck with the nickname goatboy which he absolutely hates

Cries when he gets frustrated or confused

Has promised to bring snacks to a dozen or so kids but so far has not followed through on his promises at all nore does he intend to

Draws on himself with marker

Got really sick and was out of school for a week. When he came back everyone pretended he had died and was now a ghost

Asra:

A fucking wild child. Absolute chaos deacon. This kid makes the teachers heads spin

He will nap anywhere at anytime except when it’s actually nap time which is of course the time where he is loudest

Talks to literally any animal he sees? And has such realistic conversations with them that some of the teachers are honestly just like??? I guess we have a student who can talk to animals now. Clearly this is just a whole ass magic child we got here

He has escaped the classroom and booked it home so many times that the school had to hire a security guard specifically to keep him in the building

This kid pulls the fire alarm. He steels the teachers pens and eats the uncooked macaroni off of other children’s art projects

Asra is solely responsible for the ban of glitter at the school

Says he has a new boyfriend or girlfriend every day depending on who gives him the best snacks

Starts “secret” clubs all the time and does not let Lucio join any of them

Muriel:

Muriel is a foster kid and just recently started living with his new foster father the bread man so he joins the class a few months late

He is very very shy and doesn’t talk or play with the other kids really

Despite actually being very nice a lot of kids are afraid of him becasue he looks big and scary

Asra however, is not afraid and pretty much immediately adopts Muriel as his new best friend on sight

The two of them talk to animals together at recess

Eventually Muriel and Portia become friends. They play gardening games together and Portia makes him daisy chains which he keeps in his room at home

Absolutely hates Lucio and avoids him at all costs becasue he’s loud and makes Muriel uncomfortable. Lucio keeps trying to talk to him despite this

He forgot to bring a snack one day and Nadia gave him some of hers which he was really grateful for. After that they become odd friends.

Julian:

Gives almost all his snacks to Asra every day so he can be his boyfriend

Loves to play pretend more than anyone in the class and has a very active imagination. His favorite games to play are adventure games like pirates or Knights. He also likes to play doctor

Fake bug kid. Pretends to like bugs to make friends with Asra and Lucio but is actually terrified of them

Likes to come to school in costume and has at least 20 different capes at home for various occasions

Gets hurt somehow every single day. This kid has single handedly caused a shortage of band aids within the class

Julian doesn’t cry if he gets hurt in fact usually he doesn’t even notice he’s hurt until Portia points it out to him but if he hears a sad story bring out the waterworks. This kid sobbed for an hour straight after Bambi’s mom died

Will do pretty much anything if he’s dared to. He once scaled the fence around the playground and got stuck at the top after Asra bet him he couldn’t

Sometimes the teachers really wish he was more like his sister but usually they like him becasue of how eager he is to help out around the classroom

Portia:

Is actually technically not old enough to be in the class but Mazelinka thought she was smart and mature enough to go in early and she also didn’t trust Julian to be in the class by himself

Do you want information about cats???? Go to Portia. This girl knows everything there is to know about felines and will talk about them for hours

Do NOT let her and Asra spend any time together without strict adult supervision or the results will be absolutely catastrophic

Nadia is her best friend and she has already asked Mazelinka when she is allowed to marry her

She is really good at art. He drawings are always really pretty and she loves making things. Always has the best markers

The teachers absolutely love her becasue of how good she is at making sure everyone is included in games

Actually the queen of tag

Valerius:

Lucio’s best friend

Literally just spends the whole class judging people and drinking grape juice

Not amused by Julian but has a grudging respect for Nadia

I think about my arcana preschool au way to much

[gracewithducks]

Born of Wisdom (James 3:13-4:3, 7-8a)

One of my favorite classes in high school was debate class. Even as an adult, there is something extremely satisfying in winning an argument, in getting in the last word, in being vindicated or proven right, and standing in triumph while your opponent bows their head to your superior wisdom and intellect.

 I love to win a fight, to get in the last word. Just ask my husband.

 I’ve learned something, though, over the years: I’ve learned that it’s possible to win – and still lose.

 It’s possible to win a fight – but to lose so much more along the way. It’s possible to lose a friendship, to lose trust, to lose a relationship, to lose respect – to lose yourself, to lose sight of what’s really important, in that mad rush to win.

 We don’t have to look far these days to see this in action. My own kids recently got into an apocalyptic meltdown because they were coloring paper genie wristbands – it’s a thing, I promise you – and they were fighting over who got to pretend to be the genie with the pink wristbands and who got to have the green ones … and I remember looking at them and saying, “Really? Isn’t your sister – and the chance to play together with her – more important than the color of your wristbands? For that matter, who says you can’t both wear the same color wristbands?” But they couldn’t get it. They both wanted to win – and in the process, they both ended up in tears.

 It plays out in marriages, when couples lose sight of the big picture because of all the little disagreements that get in the way. It plays out in the media and in the court room, when we try to get to the “truth” – which usually means, the preferred version of the truth, usually whichever can be better proven by the team with more power and resources behind them – nevermind the cost or the lives that get destroyed along the way. It plays out in so-called political “debates” – which are usually just shouting matches, where nobody learns anything, nobody changes their mind, and nobody wins. How many families have been divided, friendships ended, over politics – not just over political differences, but by the increasing inability to even discuss the reasons why we disagree, and to look for any common ground at all.

 And I will never understand why politicians live in secret terror – and not-so-secret terror – that someone will one day find out that they’ve every changed their minds about anything. I tell you, I sure hope you won’t judge me by the sermons I preached in seminary. They were fine sermons, at the time; I did the best I could with what I knew at the time – but I’ve changed, and I’ve grown, and my understanding of God and the world and my place in it has changed and grown, too. I sure hope that you’ve learned new things, met new people, gone deeper in your faith, that you’re not the same person you were a decade or even a year ago. That’s not a character flaw: our ability to change and adapt and to grow is a part of what makes us strong. I haven’t always been right. Maybe I’m not “right,” now. But I’m doing the best I can with what I know – and when I know better, I sure hope I’m wise enough to do better, too.

 I love to win. I love to be right. But I want to be more than that: I want to be kind; I want to be courageous; I want to be humble, and compassionate, always willing to grow, to persist when I’m right – and to admit when I’m wrong.

 I don’t just want to be smart. I don’t just want to be right. I want to be wise.

 Knowledge is important.  We owe it to ourselves, to the world, and to God to keep learning our whole lives long.  With everything we learn, our world gets a little bit bigger, and our ability to make decisions gets a little bit better.  But knowledge must also be humble: as I said, the more we learn, the more we realize just how much we don’t know yet.  In 1 Corinthians 8:1, Paul warns his readers, “Knowledge puffs up, but loves builds up.”  Knowledge without humility, without love, can do more harm than good.  If you’ve ever found yourself face-to-face with a know-it-all, you know this fact all too well. True wisdom means that we are willing to share our knowledge, to draw on what we know, but also to admit our shortcomings, to admit that we might be wrong, and to keep listening and learning and growing along the way.

 Knowledge alone is not enough.  Some of the smartest people I know are also some of the most foolish: because smarts aren’t enough for wisdom; we also need compassion and common sense if we are going to live well.  We have to be able to connect what with know – and what we believe – with the reality of the way that we live; if we don’t know what to do with what we know, it does us no good at all.

 Again and again, James emphasizes that our faith has to shape the way we live. And one of the ways that happens is how our decisions depend on the ultimate goal upon which our eyes are set.  If our ultimate goal is old age, or pleasure, or wealth, if what we want most in life is to be right, or to be rich, or to be left alone – then we will see and judge the world through those lenses.  If our ultimate goal, on the other hand, is to love God and to love one another, then we will see and judge the world by asking: what choice will help me to love God more?  In this matter, who is my neighbor, and how can I love my neighbor as I love myself?

 I think this is why James talks about not one but two different kinds of wisdom: wisdom that comes from the world, and wisdom that comes from God.  The wisdom of this world can make a lot of sense – but then, it’s possible to make a passionate and reasonable-sounding argument for just about anything, even if you end up saying nothing at all; just ask anyone who’s ever been in a fight with a politician, or a preacher, or a preschooler. The world has its own kind of wisdom, and it is a wisdom that says: this world is a dangerous and uncertain place; you have to look out for you and yours first, because no one else will; everyone around you is out to get you, so you have to fight for your rights; if someone hurts you, it’s your right to hurt them back; and there isn’t nearly enough of anything to go around, so you have to fight for what you deserve, and fiercely defend what you already have; if it makes you happy, it must be good; whoever shouts the loudest must be right; the majority rules; and the one who dies with the most toys, wins.

There is a kind of wisdom in that way of life: if all that matters is me, then the rest makes sense.  But you and I know, there is so much more to life than just me; I am not the center of the world, nor are you – nor should we be.  James says, that kind of wisdom – the world’s wisdom – comes from envy, and selfish ambition; it is boastful, proud and false, earthly, unspiritual, and devilish, leading to disorder and wickedness of every kind.  Sounds like a pretty good description of the world we live in these days, doesn’t it?  That’s the kind of wisdom that leads business CEOs to approve risky and dangerous investments, because they know they will reap a huge and easy payout, while passing the risk and the consequences down the line.  It’s the kind of wisdom that leads politicians, who enter the public arena for any variety of noble reasons, to kowtow to the pressure to conform to their parties’ platforms and spend more time protecting their jobs and trying to keep their jobs than actually doing their jobs.  That’s the kind of wisdom that says, I deserve that new television, those new shoes, that new car, because I work hard, and I’m a good person, and that’s what credit is for… It’s the kind of wisdom that insists, a little white lie never hurt anyone; and I can do whatever I want so long as I never get caught; and yes, it’s too bad that other people are hungry and homeless and don’t have any work or can’t afford health insurance, but that’s their problem, not mine.  After all, it’s every man, woman, and child for themselves.

 How did we become a world full of such bitter, angry, vengeful, smug, selfish, self-satisfied people?  We got here by following the world’s wisdom, by living out of envy, greed, and selfish ambition, and just as James warned us, it has led us to disorder and wickedness of every kind.  

 In contrast, James says, in contrast, the wisdom that comes from above is pure and peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, without a trace of partiality or hypocrisy, full of mercy and good works.

And so, when we find ourselves faced with a big decision – or with any of the countless little decisions that, together, shape the course of our lives – it is worth asking:

 First, what is pure?  Where does our motivation come from?  Do we have ulterior motives at work?  Are we trying to rationalize and justify our own selfishness, our ambition, our envy or greed?  Or are we genuinely seeking what is true and what is right?

 Next, says James, true wisdom is peaceable.  It doesn’t do us any good to be “right” if that “rightness” leads to anger and division and violent words or violent lives. When we are faced with a hard choice, we should ask: which option will produce peace – which choice will give me peace in my heart, and create peace in my home, in my community, and in the world? How can I continue Christ’s ministry of reconciliation; how can I work for peace?

 Third, says James, godly wisdom is gentle and willing to yield.  Again, it does us no good to be “right” if we lose our heart and soul in the process.  If we are gentle and willing to yield, it means we are willing to listen to other people – even those who don’t agree with us – to be humble enough to admit that we might be wrong, to be confident enough in our beliefs that we do not fear other ideas, and to be courageous enough to entertain ultimate opinions in the search for truth.  Do we feel the need to force others to conform to our beliefs?  Or are we able and willing to recognize and admit that we, ourselves, don’t always get it right?  

Are we ready to learn from others and to learn from our own mistakes along the way?

 Fourth, James says, wisdom from God is impartial, without hypocrisy.  It’s worth asking: as we fair?  Do we treat all people alike?  Or do we secretly care a bit more for those who look at act and think like us? Are we honest about who we really are – do our actions match our words, do our outsides match our insides; do we practice what we preach?  Do we hold ourselves to the same standards we expect of those around us?  And, on the flip side, when we mess up, do we offer ourselves the same level of forgiveness that we extend to others, the same grace that God extends to us?  Are we paralyzed by our failures, or are we able to look around, to learn, and then to let it go, to get up and begin again?

 Fifth, James describes wisdom that is full of mercy.  Do we offer mercy – which is just another word for unconditional love – do we offer mercy, especially to those in need – whether their need is for forgiveness, or encouragement, or food, or clothing, hope, respect, or love?  Does the way we live reflect the gospel that we believe?  

 And finally, James says, wisdom from God is full of good fruits.  Just as you know the kind of tree by the fruit that is produces, we know true wisdom by the fruit that it bears.  Do our choices and our lives bear the fruits of selfishness and disorder, hatred and violence and fear?  Or are our lives full of the fruits of the Spirit, the fruits of God at work – love and joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control?

 I’d rather be wise than right. And if I’m going to be wrong, I’d rather be wrong in the direction of being too gracious, too compassionate, opening the doors too wide – rather than not enough. I want take risks and make sacrifices motivated by love and not by fear; I want to love God more, and love my neighbors more – and then, a little bit more after that. And I want to keep learning, to keep growing, to keep doing everything I can, inasmuch as I can, to live at peace with others and to be a force for good in this world.

 And I hope that you will, too.

  O Lord, you told us: ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find.  So we come today, asking for your wisdom.  Uphold us by your strength as we wrestle with the questions of how we should live.  Teach us when to speak, and when to fall silent.  Save us from false choices; deliver us from the false reason and selfish wisdom of this world.  Teach us to seek that which is peaceable and pure; help us to be gentle and humble; show us how to be just and true; and fill our lives with mercy and with the good fruits of your Spirit.  We thank you; we praise you; we honor you; and we love you.  In Jesus’ name we pray; amen.