#that's also not a very difficult assignment chat /t
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kalied0skull · 1 month ago
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You should do my english project for the first amendment right to assembly instead of drawing
i JUST got out of school, my ass is NAWT doing that work
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tikitakatia · 3 months ago
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Good night everyone, I´m Art (estoy harta) | she/her | 18+ | woso writer.
I´m here because I enjoy #woso and I need to find a hobby to relax and decompress when I have a difficult day, but also to share my love for writing and hopefully make some friends, interact and be part of a community. Don´t be scared to say hi! :D
As requested by a very nice anon, here are my works. I only write for #Alexia Putellas now cause she´s my fave, but maybe I can expand the horizons in the future depending on the demand. I do accept requests or some ideas and etc. And also, I would love to have feedback to improve my skills and also to talk about my writing (or anything else) with anyone who wants to, I hope you enjoy my works! <3
Masterlist is below the cut :)
One-Shot Imagines / Blurbs
Swapsies
Louvre
Wrong Chat Capi!
Multi-Chaps
🎮 Barça: Player Mode— “Built different. Literally.”
Game. Set. Start!
Initial Calibration
Rendering Errors
Unauthorized Access
Session Flagged
Compliance Breach
Manual Export
Medbay_v3.exe
🍹Escape — "I was getting tired of my lady, we´ve been together too long."
Like a Worn Out Recording
Getting Caught In the Rain
If You Have Half a Brain
The Taste Of Champagne
Write to Me and Escape
You’re the Love That I’ve Looked For
If You Like Making Love at Midnight (Smut)
🛠️ Fixer Upper — "She makes chaos look like foreplay."
Not My Circus, Still My Monkey
Headcanons Pt. 1
Couples Therapy
Kicked Out of Pilates
🍵 No Credentials — "Unlicensed. Unbothered. Unexpectedly Yours."
A Soft Place to Crash and Burn
Everybody Wants a Piece
🛡️Under Watch — "Assigned to Protect. Doomed to Fall."
You´re Late
New Neighbor, New Problems
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hinge · 29 days ago
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Hinge presents an anthology of love stories almost never told. Read more on https://no-ordinary-love.co
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mlbigbang2024 · 6 months ago
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ML Big Bang 2024 Fic Recs
Miscellaneous
This collection of fics were recommended by the contributors of the @mlbigbang2024 for their favourite fics of 2024 (posted in between Nov 2023 and Dec 2024)
General and Teen and Up Fics
What If... Ladybug and Chat Noir had to go on a Miraculous scavenger hunt? (Rated: G)
By Booksforthelost
Tags: What-if, AU - Canon Divergence, Turtle Master Fu | Jade Turtle
Summary: When Master Fu is robbed, Ladybug and Chat Noir find themselves in a race against their enemies to recover the Miraculous.
Read on Ao3
What we liked about it: It displays what happens when nobody knows each other's secret identity but work together to stop Hawk Moth. Also, scavenger hunts are very fun!
A Swing and a Miss (and a Kiss) (Rated: T)
By @coffeebanana
Tags: PRPR, mutual pining, canon divergent
Summary: Adrien derails a game of ping-pong with a single sentence: “If I make this next point, my lady, you have to kiss me.”
Read on Ao3
What we liked about it: Just two kids being super awkward and kissy kissy meow meow.
The Terror (Rated: T)
By @gaussiansphere
Tags: psychological horror, la terreur au, using a miraculous has side effects
Summary:
Something is rotten in the city of Paris.
A general lockdown has been imposed as the entire world scrambles to make sense of the images of magic and monsters trickling out. Here, all powers have a price, whether they come from the ring on your finger or the voice in your head.
Read on Ao3
What we liked about it: Based off the Tumblr comic by @sillysiluriforme , La Terreur, of the same name but in English. Fleshing it out and adding more psychological horror. Things are bad (but it’s okay! (I think))
Meditations (Rated: T)
By @bittersweetresilience
Tags: experimental style, poetry, epistolary
Summary: Félix reflects on fathers, and on monsters, and on dying.
Read on Ao3
What we liked about it: I cry thinking about this. It’s so rare we have something so experimental in the fandom. Poetic, epistolary, reflective. It’s a treasure
The Best Worst Day Ever (Rated: G)
By @fandomofone
Tags: awkward flirting, Plagg is so done, fluff and angst
Summary:
Riding high after Hawkmoth’s latest defeat, Adrien’s promising day begins to unravel when he arrives at school and discovers that Chat Noir is apparently a laughingstock following the previous day’s fight against Malediktator- and he has no memory of it. Feeling somewhat hurt and embarrassed, Adrien questions Plagg and is shocked to learn that the source of all his woes may be… his Lady? As if that’s not bad enough, Marinette unwittingly gets roped into his miserable day, and a misunderstanding between them leaves Adrien anxious about the future of their friendship. Can this day possibly get any worse?
Well, there is still patrol duty with Ladybug to look forward to...
Read on Ao3
What we liked about it: This is a cute little Adrienette fluff piece that fits snugly between episodes! It occurs after Maledictator, and I just love the adorable idiots. 
Not Quite Right (Rated: T)
By @ladynoirfanao3
Tags: Marichat, protective Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir, identity reveal
Summary:
When Marinette wakes up one morning, she can’t help but feel that something is just a little bit… off. No one else around her seems to feel the same, however, and she is forced to shake off the strange feelings.
It proves to be more difficult than she imagined, especially when an akuma attack leaves her feeling helpless as she watches Chat Noir and Ladybug arrive on scene.
Read on Ao3
What we liked about it: It's like it's on the tip of your tongue, but you can't tell what it is
Mature and Explicit Fics
Voyage! Tales of the USS Miraculous (Rated: M)
By @uptoolateart
Tags: AU - Star Trek Fusion, But can be understood even if you don't know Star Trek, PTSD
Summary: Almost four years since the brutal battle at Wolf-359, Captain Marinette Dupain-Cheng – one of the youngest Captains in Starfleet history – has been assigned command of the USS Miraculous.
Her first mission with her new crew is to investigate a distress beacon from the most dangerous region of the Alpha Quadrant – the Neutral Zone. But what they discover is just the beginning of an exploration into the strangest world Marinette has ever visited – her own heart.
* A Star Trek crossover written to be understood even if you aren’t familiar with the Star Trek universe *
Read on Ao3
What we liked about it: Such a fun and clever crossover with Star Trek - it fits perfectly in the ST universe, and can also be read fandom-blind. The characters have such different histories but are still so clearly /them/. It's funny and cute, with a healthy dose of angst and hurt, too. There's a very interesting undercurrent of mystery, adventure, and discovery. 
Revealing Commission (Rated: E)
By @katieykat513
Tags: Aged-up, smut, identity reveal
Summary: Marinette: I'm poor! Adrien: I have money! Marinette: I can't take your money! what if I made fanart? Adrien: I can pay for fanart! Marinette: Uhhh what do you want? Adrien: NSFW ladynoir for no specific reason! Marinette: What is my life?
Read on Ao3
What we liked about it: The premise alone is enough said, but it also had some sweet fluff mixed in with the hilarity.
Mamma Mia! (Rated: M)
By @ladynoirfanao3
Tags: Cat Walker, unplanned pregnancy, aged-up, identity reveal
Summary:
When Marinette discovers she is pregnant, she is distressed to realize any of the three men she slept with in the recent past could be the father; Chat Noir, Ladybug’s partner and ex with whom she had gone through a tearful breakup - the mysterious Cat Walker, Ladybug’s rebound - or Adrien Agreste, Marinette’s current boyfriend.
But does she quickly discover all three potential fathers are, in fact, the same man? No, of course not; where would be the fun in that?
Read on Ao3
What we liked about it: What a better way to play with all the different tropes! Identity shenanigans galore. 
What We're Made Of (Rated: M)
By @uptoolateart
Tags: I have spent the last two years thinking of nothing but sentibeings, I'm taking the sentibeing idea as far as possible
Summary:
Humanity has just survived the apocalypse – with a little magic, and the help of several hundred senti-soldiers. Now, they need to figure out what to do with them…and what to do with the news that the Mayor of London is a sentibeing himself.
Meanwhile, Hugo, the twins, and other children of sentibeings have developed magical powers. But with the trauma of the war still fresh in people’s minds, prejudices are forming and tensions are riding high.
Now, Adrien, Marinette and Felix – and some unexpected friends – must band together again to face old demons and find a way to move forward at last.
Read on Ao3
What we liked about it: Cerebral, emotional, inspiring, and always inventive. I love it when a well-written story expands the lore in a creative, yet plausible way. There’s a direct line from canon to what this story and its siblings in the Breaking Free series do, and it’s a gift to the fandom.
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chaos-dumpster-fire · 1 month ago
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ok all my scp knowledge is either eons old or peripheral but im getting so so curious about [DE:O5EO]. please indulge?
Ah my boy, my darling, my strange little bastard.
[DE:O5EO] was a mostly normal college student, juggling too many classes and contemplating dropping out, who ended up going to a rave and subsequently, was subsumed by the anomaly.
Essentially, poor bastard has had his existence become borderline untraceable and extremely difficult to rack, and the anomaly will occasionally transport him without his knowledge or consent (think daily-weekly). Of course from [DE:O5EO]'s perspective, he's a traveling party guy doing whatever random gig work or limited-time shifts he can grab and partying whenever possible. The anomaly's idea of 'anywhere' includes classified, restricted, and inaccessible locations, hence why he lands on the Foundation's radar. He's a party guy and a social-media lover, so the fact that he can post selfies of him w/106 and making bunny ears onto public social media is a horrifying concept, to say nothing of the time he posted a memetic that was on his t-shirt that he thought was 'cool tye-dye'. Since then, he's been reclassified as a high-priority threat in the form of a Type Green that's reached megalomania phases and is toying with the Foundation. Meanwhile, [DE:O5EO] is worrying about how to return his library books and whether or not to paint his nails cherry red.
(ignore Avi's issues popping up in every character that the bastard creates) [DE:O5EO] also has major disassociative issues and long-term psychosis brought about by prior medical issues and chronic sleep deprivation, which has since been worsened by iffy substance use (he's gotten steadier about it over the years but it's not an easy thing) and the disorientation caused by the anomaly. As such, he's firmly convinced this is al the normal world and he's a) tripping balls, b) having an episode, or c) just very good at lucid dreaming.
Part of this is also the fact that the anomaly protects him from suffering major damage most of the time, which it trades off by worsening his mental state (hence the minimal sleep, the constant intake of substances, and the conviction that none of this is real, because otherwise he's trapped in hell rather than partying around the world with a thousand new friends each night). [DE:O5EO]'s links to the world were initially cut off pretty badly because he was in an impaired state at the party, but he's rebuilt some of them (re-memorized his parents' phone number, calls his beloved cousin weekly, sends a check with tax money and forms annually, etc).
(Also for the record, he's not an actual idiot as much as i like to call him one for his continuous use of outdated slang. He reads a lot, he's happy to chat architecture, he'll hold a philosophical discussion but it must be on the dance floor. I wanna make that clear bc while he's pretty irreverent about a lot of shit and is very willing to ask a stupid question in the name of learning, he's actively trying to study and work and party in equal measures through his 'travels'.)
He's seen as such a threat that his name is considered redacted data in all Foundation files ([DATA EXPUNGED: O5 EYES ONLY] shortens to [DE:O5EO], if that wasn't obvious by now) and was put on Clef's list of assigned targets. Increasingly worsened temperament around the fact that they actually met one time and have run into each other a bunch since, and Clef is remembered by [DE:O5EO] solely as 'guy with funky shirts'.
Fun facts:
First Foundation-recorded appearance of him was in footage from a security camera above the airport bar's lounge in 'Clef and Dmitri Hit the Road', wherein he trips and eats shit with his giant fucking suitcase full of accidentally stolen library books (can't return them due to anomaly-location issues) while they have their little story-telling thing.
He lost a leg at 15 due to a car accident. He isn't scared of cars, but he does get phantom pains in the leg sometimes.
He knows far too much about architecture.
He checks out books at libraries, means to return them, and then gets shunted to another part of the world/universe. When he can, he mails the books back or drops them off if he's very lucky, but his suitcase is full of accidentally stolen library books and a succulent.
He doesn't know his beloved cousin works for the Foundation (or even what the Foundation is/that it exists), and they don't know what's actually happening to him bc all he realizes/reports is traveling and partying.
He likes flavored chapsticks
He dresses in a lot of bright colors and geometric party shapes.
Trans guy, post-op on everything and anomaly-supplied with hrt, but he really likes feminine styles. Will cross-dress regularly and has fake boobs that are essentially booze bombs (also a more obviously fake set that he'll pull out if someone compliments his chest "nice tits" "thanks they're falsies! Want one?"). Will also wear almost anything at a party scene to assimilate and be down with the overall vibe
He's a nice enough dude overall, very friendly, very big smile.
Im love him
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nature-nerd-sarah · 1 year ago
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it's your turn! Narrativise your life! Find a moment that has the core of a novel you'd read and then MAKE IT SO
I've thought about it, and barring any stuff that I should really talk through with a therapist first (the Dutch healthcare system is so overtaxed and understaffed that I probably never will), I think my first year of uni could be pretty good.
Get into uni to study biology. My first ever relationship ended in a break-up near the end of summer vacation, and I have pretty bad social anxiety, but whatever. I'm gonna try my best to make a new life in uni.
Rent a room from a private landlord. It's small and has no outside windows. The only sunlight comes from a window into the hallway, which has an outside window. Whatever.
Dutch unis have a thing called "introduction week", where new students get sorted in groups to do activities during the day and parties at night. I start drifting away from most of my introduction group pretty much as soon as introduction is over. We were just randomly sorted anyway.
I do end up becoming friends with three of them, E1, B1, and L1. Too lazy to think up fake names, so you're just getting the first letter of the first name, and a number if there's more than one person with that letter.
Also met a girl at a camping trip during summer, M1, and we kind of stay in touch. I feel attracted to her, but don't realise this is an after-effect of the break-up.
A new housemate moves in, D1. He complains whenever stuff gets to loud for him, which is anything above a whisper after 6pm, and anything above normal talking during the day. He sometimes starts banging doors and shouting because you're too loud.
I hang out with E1, B1, and L1 at uni for a while, start getting closer and eventually start dating M1, and try not to get into D1's way at home.
At some point, B1 and L1 pair up for a uni assignment. Bad idea. They're too different in how they work, end up fighting, and the friend group falls apart.
Start getting second thoughts about dating M1 around this time too. She's... a difficult person to deal with, and I'm not equipped to handle all that.
At some point, the landlord is having some work done to the bathroom. It's pretty necessary work, but very noisy. D1 attacks the workman over this. They beat each other up pretty badly, and the landlord kicks D1 out.
Meanwhile, I start hanging out with another friend group at uni, an introduction group that did actually stay together. E2, D2, B2, M2, E3, L2, and L3. L1 also hangs out with them, because she's becoming toxic bffs with E2.
I realise I can't with M1 anymore. She really is too much for me to handle. At the time I have some weird superiority complex about breaking up with her, in hindsight I feel bad for using her to get over a previous relationship. Such is life, I guess.
I realise a studymate, D3, lives near my house. I greet him in the way to uni one day, and we end up going together a lot. We also meet up for drinks sometimes.
The friend group I'm hanging out with is becoming pretty toxic. L2 and L3 are talked about barely behind their backs for being too lovey-dovey of a couple. Truth is they're both autistic, and L2 has some pretty bad anxiety that L3 is helping her with.
I at some point mention that I'm bi to this group. I didn't think it was even that remarkable, but they do. I feel a real shift in how they treat me going forward. Especially E2 and L1 become much colder towards me.
I end up hanging out with D3 at uni more as well. Also with his friends M3, N, and T. They're all pretty cool. L2 and L3 start hanging out with us more too, because we're not being shitty about them being lovey-dovey.
I go for drinks with D3 and L3, and the friendship is really cemented. We make a group chat, and start doing most of our assignments together.
This all happened in a little over a year. That final friend group (D3, L2, L3, M3, N, and T) has been my stable group of uni friends for 8 years now. They're the ones I recently came out to as trans.
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sasheneskywalker · 4 months ago
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over the two years of my involvement in the dc fandom, i've come across several fantastic stories that i still think about to this day. i'm reccing them here. please mind the tags and warnings, most of them cover dark subjects and unhealthy relationships. happy reading!
Smashing Tail Lights by CunningCrow (@redactedcrow) a mundane slice-of-life of a murdery traumatised eighteen year old getting his life absolutely fucked up and trying to fix it up a bit through more murder
M | Graphic Depictions Of Violence | Dick Grayson & Jason Todd | 87.8k words
this is without doubt my favorite jason todd fanfic ever. the characterization, the plot, the prose, the worldbuilding, the ocs, everything is perfect. i reread it at least once every three months. i recommend it in every single dc fic server i'm in. i love this fic with my whole heart <3
we show off our different scarlet letters (trust me mine is better) by lostandlonelybirds (@runnfromtheak) He gets called things, sometimes. Slut when Mirage tricks him. Cheater when Barbara tells others about her suspicions, her doubts and feelings. Whore when it’s a villain pissed he took out their goons and they’re aiming below the belt. Playboy by magazines, and bicycle by the younger generation because “everyone gets a ride”. They hurt the way most things do, and they each hurt in a different way because he’s broken and he’s tattered and he loves but not the way you’re meant to, because it’s not nature or an inferno or something out of a Greek myth. It’s not possession or jealousy or the need to lock it down.
It’s different. It’s not supposed to be.
M | Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings | Dick Grayson/Jason Todd, Dick Grayson/Other(s) | 3.1k words
beautiful descriptions of love, friendship, and intimacy and what it's like to be aromantic. it captures emotions and relationship dynamics in a gorgeous way.
These Twists and Turns of Fate by Hinn_Raven (@secretlystephaniebrown) To be born is to exist, but to live is something else entirely. Stephanie Brown falls apart, and pulls herself back together. OR Stephanie Brown is assigned a different name and gender at birth. These are the changes that result.
G | Graphic Depictions Of Violence | Stephanie Brown/Cassandra Cain, Stephanie Brown/Tim Drake, Harper Row/Carrie Kelley, Stephanie Brown & Harper Row, Stephanie Brown & Jason Todd, Stephanie Brown & Damian Wayne, Stephanie Brown & Cassandra Cain, Stephanie Brown & Crystal Brown, Stephanie Brown & Tim Drake | 39.3k words
follows stephanie brown's canon story with one change: steph is a trans woman. in my personal opinion, it depicts the trans experience perfectly. i got so emotional reading it, i cried for half an hour (which happens very, very rarely). i love it <3
A hold on me by Anonymous Damian starts thinking about self-identity. Things both are and aren’t difficult. Growing up is hard, you know.
T | No Archive Warnings Apply | No Relationships | 15.6k words
a story focused on damian and her journey of self-discovery. it also portrays the trans experience wonderfully. angsty, but with a hopeful ending. love it <3
something just broke by BeatriceEagle (@flybynightwing) With teams run by a small handful of big names, recruitment based almost entirely on who you know, and unchecked interteam dating, the superhero community is practically designed to encourage interpersonal abuse. When a former sidekick comes forward to say that she was abused by her mentor, the entire community has to reckon with the part they may have played—and with the abuses that may still be going unnoticed.
(A story of systems, told through chats, texts, and transcripts.)
M | Rape/Non-Con, Underage Sex | Clark Kent/Lois Lane, Dinah Lance/Oliver Queen, Dick Grayson & Donna Troy, Barbara Gordon & Dinah Lance, Koriand'r & Donna Troy | 10k words
i love all of BeatriceEagle's works, they're one of my favorite dc fic writers. this particular fic talks about rape, sexual assault, and abuse in the hero community and systems of power that allow it to happen. amazing writing and great portrayal of the subject matter. i also love their fanvids Oblivion Upon Us (about the existential terror of dc's cosmic reboots) and They Give It Away (about the women of dc comics)
I Left My Conscience On Your Front Doorstep by dustorange (@dustorange) "I think I'm leaving," Dick whispers. "I think I'm not coming back."
T | No Archive Warnings Apply | Dick Grayson & Bruce Wayne, Dick Grayson & Slade Wilson, Dick Grayson & Roy Harper, Background Roy Harper/Jade Nguyen | 21.4k words
dustorange has a lot of amazing dc fics. this fic in particular is one of my favorite dick grayson-centric fics of all time. it has enthralling prose and wonderful characterization <3
(you kept me like a secret) i kept you like an oath by gatheringwool Jason always knew everyone would flip out when they found out about him and Bruce.
He just always assumed it would be more along the lines of Jason, you dirty whore you. Not whatever the hell this was.
M | Rape/Non-Con, Underage | Jason Todd/Bruce Wayne | 11.4k words
the best example of the 'unreliable narrator' tag i've ever seen. bruce's actions are unequivocally terrible but because the fic is written from jason's perspective and jason doesn't believe anything is wrong with his relationship and seems convincing, you start to question your own opinion too. chilling. amazing, but chilling.
mutually assured by wingdingery (@wingdingery) Dick’s mom always told him that kissing a wound would help it heal faster.
Somehow, Dick’s not sure that’s ever really worked for him and Bruce.
E | No Archive Warnings Apply | Dick Grayson/Bruce Wayne | 5.8k words
the paper-thin line by wingdingery (@wingdingery) After Dick interferes with Slade’s job in Gotham (which, to be fair, he’d only done because Slade interfered with his first), he decides the best way to prevent future retaliation is to strike a deal: if Slade agrees to leave Gotham alone, then Dick will stay with him alone for one night, and no matter what Slade does, he won’t run.
Though that doesn’t mean Dick is going to go down without a fight.
E | Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings | Dick Grayson/Slade Wilson | 6.7k words
i could put every single of wingdingery's brudick and sladick fics here but i'm limiting myself to only one per ship. their writing and characterization is fantastic. they truly understand these characters and the relationship dynamics are captivating. those two fics are my favorites <3
daredevil cartwheel by cheju (@chejuu) “You wouldn’t,” Dick says. Slade is bluffing, but it’s a damn good bluff, because Dick’s body still hasn’t got the memo—heart racing, breath coming quick, goosebumps dancing down his arms.
Slade leans his solid weight over Dick’s back, breath hot and promising against his ear. “But it would be so easy.”
-
Slade teaches Dick a lesson in self-defense.
E | Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings | Dick Grayson/Slade Wilson | 4.3k words
i could also put every single of cheju's sladick fics here. his prose is delicious and the characterization and relationship dynamics are amazing. he just gets slade and dick. and his original works are awesome too <3
One-Way Glass by wormsin (@wormsin) Dick Grayson—husband, father, hero—is de-aged to his early days as Robin.
There are lots of different ways to look at the past. Sometimes, it's hard to know what really happened.
E | Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Underage | Dick Grayson/Bruce Wayne | 9.1k words
bruce and dick's relationship is so complex and has so many layers. the entwinement of the past and the present makes it a fascinating read.
You are forever in my mind by orphan_account This started off as a simple idea: Bruce installs a new set of cameras in the manor; cameras he doesn't tell anyone about. One night, he accidentally sees something that fundamentally affects him - and the way he looks at Dick.
E | Underage | Dick Grayson/Bruce Wayne | 30.1k words
one of the first brudick fics i've read. absolute classic. the prose is wonderful and the author thoroughly explores bruce and dick's relationship.
Playing with Uranium by BlameTheMachines Slade invites Dick into his study for a friendly chat about Rose’s training. It goes poorly.
M | Rape/Non-Con | Dick Grayson/Slade Wilson | 3.6k words
creepy slade wilson and dick desperately pretending he's a villain. i love their characterizations and chemistry in the fic.
Blurry by MissNaya (@herecomesnaya) Jason and Black Mask play-flirt too much. It's only natural that one day they push things too far.
E | Rape/Non-Con | Roman Sionis/Jason Todd | 98.3k words
the first chapters lull you into a false sense of security and make you think that while this is not a love story, it won't spiral into outright rape/abuse. but with each chapter, roman escalates his actions to the point where it's clear what's going on. it's so believably written, a masterful portrayal of an abusive relationship.
The View from the Ground by Gement (@gement) Batman has had it with Evil Superman AUs. Not on his watch, not in this universe. No matter what it takes. He . . . may have overcompensated.
M | Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings | Clark Kent/Bruce Wayne | 5.4k words
superbat fic with bruce who doesn't hesitate to test clark in unpleasant ways. i love the dynamic between them and how they're characterized.
A River in Egypt by withthekeyisking (@withthekeyisking-writer) Clark's always ignored Dick's crush on him; he's just a boy, after all. A child with too much hero worship. His best friend's kid. Calls him Uncle Clark for God's sake.
But then Dick grows up. And he isn't so much of a little boy anymore.
E | Underage Sex | Dick Grayson/Clark Kent, Clark Kent & Bruce Wayne | 15k words
an exploration of dick and clark's relationship. clark sleeps with dick just before he becomes nightwing. it's told from clark's perspective. deliciously twisted, fascinating fic. q also has a lot of other awesome dc fics, especially sladick ones <3
rules by dexdefyingstunts (@dexdefyingstunts) For the prompt: "Bruce is a pedophile who is sexually attracted to his kids (and probably other kids, too), but actively refrains from giving into those desires because he knows, conceptually, that it's wrong."
NR | Rape/Non-Con, Underage Sex | Dick Grayson/Bruce Wayne, Jason Todd/Bruce Wayne, Tim Drake/Bruce Wayne, Stephanie Brown/Bruce Wayne, Bruce Wayne/Damian Wayne | 2.2k words
four graves, one gun. by projectfreelancer They are his boys, and Bruce has made them this way.
a character study of Bruce Wayne and the Robins.
M | Underage Sex | Dick Grayson/Bruce Wayne, Jason Todd/Bruce Wayne, Tim Drake/Bruce Wayne | 3.8k words
both fics deal with bruce who is attracted to his robins. both are written from his perspective. he doesn't act on his attraction in the first one and does act in the second one. they have riveting prose and delve deep into bruce's mind.
i've been living six feet down (baby, i'm alive right now) by Anonymous (@necrotic-nephilim) Tim is beaten and cornered by Jason in Titans Tower.
Except this time, it goes a little differently.
E | Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings | Tim Drake/Jason Todd | 6.7k words
you cut so deep (but i always loved you deeper) by Anonymous (@necrotic-nephilim) Going after Jason was a bad idea. Putting on a Batsuit to go after Jason was an even worse idea. Tim pays the price for it, bloody and trapped under Jason with nowhere to go, and unspoken feelings to confront. He was always going to submit to Jason, sooner or later.
or
Tim confronts Jason during Battle for the Cowl, but their fight ends much differently.
E | Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings | Tim Drake/Jason Todd | 6.5k
luciferos is definitely one of the best dc dark fic writers and it was very difficult to choose which fics i should put here. in the end, i think two of my favorites are their jaytim fics set during some of jason and tim's post-crisis interactions: titans tower fight and battle for the cowl fight. the characterization is impeccable and the chemistry between jason and tim is delicious. please check out their other works too, they're a fantastic writer <3
what are y’alls “oh my god” dc fic recs. the ones that break and remake you. the ones that leave you staring at the wall after the words have ended and the story is done on the page but not in your mind.
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imjusttpeachy · 4 years ago
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she's a rae of sunshine (c.h.)
okay so this was a request but i completely read it wrong so i’m gonna write it again but i finished this one anyway so here take it
so sorry to the anon who requested it bc u were so fuckin sweet i’ll have it up asap i promise
playlist
ralph castelli - morning sex
crumb - bones
jorja smith - teenage fantasy
summary: balancing college life and wanting to support your best friends online endeavors was difficult, but reader regrets trying a little harder when she finally meets one of her newer stream-mates
word count: 2, 828
WARNINGS: she/her pronouns used, coarse language, lowkey OOC Corpse, that needs its own warning i’m sorry,
•••
“Look you knew I had to stream before I said you could come over ya fuckin idiot.”
“Yea I knowwwww, I just wanted to spend more time with my super-hot best friend forever.”
Being the best friend of an online personality had its perks— the amazing trips you got to hitch a ride on, the adoring fans that seemed to latch on to you as well, the sponsorships that would always send you something along with the original PR package, and especially the way she was able to choose their own work hours.
Well... mostly.
As much as you adored spending time together during the day, whether it be shopping or going out for brunch, those late nights that always seemed to hold the most memories you held so dear were few and far between. Of course, you couldn’t blame her; responsibilities were responsibilities, and fuck if you’d let your selfish wants override the way she chooses to get her work done. You really couldn’t be one to judge either-- having to call off dates because you’d underestimated the time you needed to complete a school paper, or when a last-minute lab was called in and you’d have to leave her sitting alone in those cafes with your half-finished mocha and a promise to Venmo her the money to cover it later. What left you feeling the most guilty, though, was the fact that you weren’t able to watch her content as much as you’d like to. Sure, you’d catch a few minutes of a stream here and there but any time you spent apart was usually spent with your head buried in a book, mind bleary with countless espresso shots trying to keep your tired eyes focused on the seemingly unending work in front of you.
But, a distraction every now and then couldn’t hurt. Right?
Having had enough of your current assignment, any coherent thought was long gone, you’d decided to pay your favourite person a little visit. You knew she’d probably be busy as she hadn’t replied to your previous text for a few hours, but knowing her presence alone and any passing comments would lift the heaviness that had found its home in your head and chest, you shot her a message to let her know that her office couch would be occupied by you for the next few hours. Normally, you’d just show up so you knew she wouldn’t have a problem with it; so when that fateful message popped up on your phone giving you the go-ahead you completely ignored the warning of her work schedule and drove right over.
So now here you were, sprawled haphazardly on her couch clad in sweats and a sports bra scrolling through your phone as you watched her finish her final touches so she could start her stream.
“You’re gonna be in the background of my face cam if you wanna sit there y’know.” Groaning in response to her warning not wanting to move from the comfy spot you just found, you looked over at her with the best puppy eyes you could muster. She chuckled softly, raising her hands in surrender as she turned back to her setup. “Hey I really don’t care, just warning ya bug. The thirst comments and screenshots are outta my hands.”
Scoffing under your breath at her comment, you turned your head back to your phone as a Twitter notification popped up at the top of your screen.
Corpse Husband: streaming among us in a few mins, join in on youtube
Heartbeat picking up slightly, you scrambled for the purse you’d thrown at the base of the couch for your headphones. Ever since you’d found this handsome-voiced stranger’s channel on your late night horror binges, you had fallen completely in love. While you weren’t typically the type to watch video game commentary outside of Rae, his voice got you completely hooked and you couldn’t get enough of it. Yeah, maybe you were a bit of a simp, but that sweet and genuine personality that hid behind that gravelly tone had you melting completely into his clutches. You tried to convince yourself to get over it, you didn’t even know what he looked like. But, y’know, a little crush wouldn’t hurt anybody right?
“Going live in T-minus 30 seconds babe.” Jumping slightly as Rae’s voice knocked you out of dreamland, you mumbled out a small “got it” as you once again got focused on getting your headphones connected to your phone. You’d never been able to watch one of his lives before, his horror commentary videos usually playing as background noise as you did schoolwork or while you were falling asleep. Practically shaking with excitement, you opened your YouTube app seeing the live at the very top and tapping on it immediately only to be met with that sweet laugh ringing through your headphones like music to your ears. You grinned to yourself, grabbing the throw pillow you had previously tossed to the floor and hugging it to your chest while your eyes remained glued to your phone screen, completely forgetting what was happening around you as you zeroed in on the gravelly tone you’d fallen oh-so in love with.
“Hey (Y/N) wave hi.” You startled slightly as the faint voice of your friend sounded from across the room. Glancing up from your phone, you pulled an earbud from your ear and furrowed your brows at her before slowly processing what she said, lifting a hand in greeting to her watchers. She laughed at your confusing antics, turning slightly in her chair to look over at you. “What the hell are you so smiley about?”
“…Nothing..” You grinned widely as her laugh once again resounded around the room, shaking her head at you before turning back to her screen with a scoff, muttering something under her breath so only her watchers could hear. Smile still plastered across your lips, you settled back down into the comfiness of the couch and popped your earbud back in, zeroing in again on the screen in front of you. Watching as Corpse moved his character around the lobby as he waited for his friends to join, a small giggle escaped from under your breath; trying your best to be mindful of Rae’s stream but not being able to hold back the flustered feeling welling up in your chest, mind giddy with the thought of finally being able to see one of his famous live streams, well, live. It had only been a few seconds later when you heard Rae’s voice once again, only this time, not as muffled as before.
“What’s up motherfuckers.” Brows furrowing in confusion, you lifted your hand to your earbud and pulled it from your ear once again, hearing her voice from across the room but from your other earbud as well. No, there was no fucking way. All your questions were answered, though, as you glanced back down at your phone screen seeing a red character move around the game lobby along with Corpse’s, the gamer tag ‘Valkyrae’ floating just above it. Blinking hard at your screen trying to convince yourself that your eyes were lying to you, you slowly pulled your hand to cover your mouth in shock. How… How could you possibly not know they knew each other? With the way they spoke to each other in sarcastic comments, poking fun at the other it sounded like they were close too. Body finally catching up with your thoughts, you scrambled at your phone, shaky hands moving as quickly as they could to pull up your texts with Rae. Your fingers tapped furiously at the screen, anxious to get back to the live stream to listen in more but also needing to know what the fuck was going on.
TO my rae of sunshine: care to explain what the fuck is going on??! how the fuck do you know corpse husband?????!??!
“Oops sorry guys, guess I forgot to turn off my phone ringer-“ Staring up at the back of her head helplessly, you watched as she picked up her phone seeming to read out the text before bursting into a peal of laughter. Tossing a look at you over her shoulder, you looked back down at your phone bashfully, seeing the three loading dots in your message thread indicating that she was messaging you back.
my rae of sunshine: lol what about it? you gotta crush on him or something?
TO my rae of sunshine: …no
Hitting send you rushed back to the stream, anxious to see what Corpse was saying in response to Rae’s absence, not thinking anything about your brief conversation and thinking you would discuss it after she had logged off for the night. Though, as you heard her phone chime again from across the room followed by another bark of laughter, you knew you weren’t getting off that easy.
“What are you laughing about?” Corpse’s honeyed voice sounded from your earbud, hearing Rae’s giggles from what you presumed to be their discord voice chat. Glancing anxiously between his stream and the reflection of Rae’s face cam in one of her monitors, your heart began to sink as you watched that familiar mischievous grin tugging at the edge of her lips.
“Oh just my friend (Y/n) sent me a funny meme”
“Wait, is she the one in some of your Instagram posts?” You swear your heart stopped beating at that moment, eyes glued to the screen in front of you as you tried helplessly to process the conversation happening right in front of you. He knew who you were? You thought you’d always be lost among the hundreds of thousands of his new adoring fans, left in the anonymity of your Twitter tag in his subtweets, or just another subscriber that fawned over him silently behind a keyboard. Knowing that he’d actually seen your face you could feel your own beginning to heat at that moment; you brought your hands your mouth again, unknowingly curling your body tighter around the pillow in your lap as you tried to hide your face behind it as you become more and more flustered from the words nonchalantly escaping his mouth.
“Yea that’s her, pretty thing isn’t she? She’s my absolute favourite.”
That’s it, you were gonna fucking kill her.
“I mean, yeah... I guess..” The timid words followed by a soft awkward chuckle had your breath hitching in your throat. There was no fucking way this was happening. This had to be a dream, that was the only possible explanation. You were just about to pinch yourself when Rae’s voice startled you from your thoughts.
“She’s actually over right now. She insisted on getting wine drunk later tonight because her professor’s been on her ass lately. I’ll get her to come say hi.” Rae had barely turned around in her chair when she was met with your wide-eyed gaze, panic painted across your features as you shook your head wildly. You were in no state to be talking to your long-time internet crush in such a casual setting. But with the look Rae shot you from her chair as she started to plug another headset into her PC, you knew you had no choice and begrudgingly pulled yourself from the couch almost tripping over your own feet as you shakily walked over to Rae. Shooting her another pleading look, she only shoved the headset in your direction in return as she grinned up at you. Finally biting the bullet, you pulled on the headset and leaned down toward the mic.
“Hi, how’s it going?” Cursing at yourself for how quiet and shaky your words came out, you barely had any time to think it over before a chorus of greetings sounded through the headset. A small giggle escaped your lips as you watched the different Discord icons appear and disappear from the top of the screen. You knew most of these people already which made you even more confused as to how you managed to miss that voice from all the discord chats and voice calls. Well, knowing them was a bit of an overstatement anyway; you knew /of/ them, and they knew /of/ you in the other times you popped up in the background or in passing conversation during Rae’s streams. They did know you well enough, though, to know this was not the way you usually spoke around them.
“No way, that can’t be the (Y/N) I know!” The voice you recognize as Sean echoes through your headset, another chorus of knowing laughter following quickly after. Taking a deep breath you managed to force out a few words that would get them off your case.
“…Shut the fuck up”
“There she is!!” As the group erupted in laughter yet again, all you could focus on was the faint deep chuckle that resounded through your headset. Feeling your face start to heat up, you covered your wide grin with your hand as butterflies burst through your stomach; you could listen to that laugh all day. Before you were able to speak again, though, that heavenly voice piped up and wiped all train of thought from your mind.
“Nice to meet you (Y/N).”
“It’s nice to meet you too Corpse. I gotta be honest ‘n say I’m a pretty big fan of your no-sleep work.” And... there’s the word vomit. Fuck, you could feel your cheeks starting to heat up with the ongoing realization of who you were talking to.
“Aha thank you, I uh really appreciate that. I’m sure you just heard, but I guess you could say I’m a fan of yours also.”
No.
No, there’s no fucking way.
Is he...
Flirting with you?
Before you could even think about what to reply to that with, the rest of the group beat you to it.
“Whoa, whoa, whoa, what is happening.”
“CORPSE! You SIMP!”
“Is- Is Corpse really shooting his shot right now?”
You didn’t realize you were frozen in place until you felt Rae’s hand on your elbow, snapping you out of your bewildered trance as you tried to comprehend what was happening yourself. As your thoughts finally caught up to the present, you could feel your cheeks start to burn; pulling your hand up to cover your face you stepped out of the view of the face cam. Rae’s laughter filled the room as she watched your flustered antics, shooting you a sly grin as she started scanning the monitor displaying her live chat.
“Wait, wait, chats telling me (y/n)’s blushing right now?” Sean’s voice echoed through the discord chat, only making you flush further as you tried desperately to find a way out of this.
“Okay, okay, leave her alone.” Corpse’s voice finally piped up amid all of the chaos causing everyone to immediately pipe down. God, you didn’t even want to begin to think of the mess this has already made, you just needed to get out of there before you caused any more damage.
“Yeah, I uh- see- see that the lobby’s full so I’ll just uh- leave you guys to it.” Quietly thanking the stars that Corpse finally got you out of this mess, you went to pull the headset off your ears when that fateful voice piped up again.
“Wait, don’t let these nerds make you leave. You should stay- I mean, only to help Rae y'know? She needs it.”
“I do not!”
“I- I mean yea sure, as long as I’m not intruding,” Cursing yourself again for stuttering before forcing yourself to swallow the knot in your throat, “I mean, she really does need the help.”
“Okay just because you want to flirt some more doesn’t mean you can bully me-“
“Okay, I’m starting the round!” The booming accented voice cut off everyone else in the call as you all stared as the screen began to count down to the game, and before anyone had the chance to say anything else a chorus of laughs resounded, and then the lobby fell into silence.
•••
And it went on like that, the not-so-subtle flirting followed by relentless jabs from the group immediately after. The game was almost forgotten with how much of each lobby was taken up by teasing words and endless laughter, but every audience was just eating it up. You didn’t even want to think about the mess social media was going to be after this stream but right now you were having fun with your friends and that’s all that mattered. The grin was practically plastered on your face as you laughed along with Rae the chat during the gameplay portions and you knew everything from this moment on was gonna be different, but you couldn’t find a single thing within you to care.
Especially when you logged onto Twitter right after the stream and saw that little message right at the top of your requests.
@.corpsehusband: wanna hear some of that no sleep work in person?
•••
beep bop here u go,
376 notes · View notes
onionsoop · 4 years ago
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Late at Night /// Nanami x f!Reader /// (+18)
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Summary: During a class trip to Hokkaido, you find yourself stuck in the same bed with Nanami which leads to some late night events unexpected events :0
Length: 4.5k
Tags & Warnings: Teacher x Student (Reader is 18), exhibitionism (kind of), voyeurism (kind of), fingering, unprotected sex, creampie, stupid “same bed” cliché, praise (kind of)
Authors Note: Hey everyone, I just wanted to let you all know that this the first fic that I’ve ever written and I hope you enjoy! I’m hoping to keep writing and posting more fics to this blog in the future for Jujutsu Kaisen, Haikyuu, and maybe some other fandoms. Anyways, thanks for reading and sorry for any spelling mistakes :) Oh, also there might be a part 2 for this??? idk, ill decide later on, not sure what direction I wanna take it in
The sound of the bus coming to a halt was what woke you up from your long and uncomfortable nap. You opened your bleary eyes to find the rest of the students in your class beginning to stand up and climb out into the cold and snowy outside. It had been a long trip, about eight hours and during that time almost everyone had fallen asleep. You had all left at eleven in Tokyo and due to being so far North, the sun had already set outside despite it only being seven. You picked up your backpack from where it was shoved underneath the seat in front of you and let out a sigh about having to get up and stretch your stiff legs. 
As you filed into the line, you were greeted by a large slap on your back, “Hey Y/N, how’d ya sleep?” Nobara asked, giving you one of her signature grins. 
“Fine,” you said rubbing your eyes, “though I can’t say that the bus window made a very comfortable pillow.”
“Well good thing we’ll be able to sleep soon. Hopefully, Gojou will put us together and won’t ruin our fun,” She said with a wink, receiving a small chuckle from you. Two weeks prior to the trip, Nobara had spent most of her time devising a plan to prank Itadori and Megumi while they were asleep. You knew she was counting on you to help her out with it, but you were a little unsure if you wanted to risk getting caught and excluded from the rest of the trip in order to fulfill one of her silly ideas.
Once everyone finally piled out of the bus, you were all led into the Dining Hall for a nice hot meal, a welcomed contrast to the freezing temperatures outside. You had never been to Hokkaido before and both the piles of white fluffy snow and the different array of hot soups and curries were new and exciting to experience. Dinner was overall jovial and chaotic, you sat with Itadori, Nobara, Todo, and Maki and you had all had a good time arguing about what activities you wanted to do in the next few days and which dish was the best. By the time dinner was over, you felt completely stuffed. During the course of the mea, you had eaten almost everything you could get your hands on and now felt more ready than ever to go to bed despite already sleeping on the bus. 
Everyone was piled into the main lounge area of the dorm building to be sorted into rooms. You could see students shifting around trying to get closer together and counting the number of people between them to try and be spaced together. From the edge of the room, Nobara was making aggressive eye contact with you and beckoning you to come over, which you quickly did in hopes that you wouldn’t be stuck in a room with people you didn’t know. 
At the front of the room, Gojou stood up and clapped his hands to get everyone’s attention. “Now everyone, as you probably know, there are going to be four people per dorm, no more, no less during the duration of our trip. In every room, there is going to be one chaperone and three students. There are only two beds per room, so you will have to share with somebody else or choose to sleep on the floor, it’s up to you. And finally, to your displeasure, we have already assigned who is going to be in what rooms.” 
That final sentence caused a groan to come from the student body along with sounds of protest and arguing. Gojou ignored this though and pulled out a crumpled sheet of paper and began to read names off of them. Students all began to pick up their stuff and head to their dorms as they were called out, and as you all listened Nobara let out a groan as she was sent to a room with Inumaki, Panda, and Mei Mei. You waited on the floor still surveying who else you might be put with. The number of students in the room was dwindling and most of your friends had already been taken which sent a pang of worry into your gut. 
“... and in room 6 there will be Itadori, Megumi, Y/N, and Nanami,” Gojou said. A momentary wave of relief washed over you after hearing that, you knew Megumi and Idatori semi-well, so it wouldn’t be too awkward of a time, but that feeling quickly dissipated as you remembered you were with Nanami. It was a well-known fact that about ninety percent of the female population found him attractive, and you couldn’t be excluded from that group. The pieces of the puzzle quickly snapped into place as you thought more about the room situation. You were the only girl in the group, which meant that there was no way in hell that they would be letting Itadori or Megumi share a bed with you. 
You would be sleeping right next to Nanami. For the next four nights. 
The walk to the room was only a chance for you to get more and more anxious as you thought about the upcoming events. Megumi and Itadori were cheerfully chatting in front of you, occasionally turning back to include you in the conversation or make a joke, but it didn’t help with the looming feeling of Nanami behind you. 
You all arrived in the room and Itadori immediately jumped on the bed, messing up the sheets and knocking off one of the pillows, earning a sigh and displeased look from Megumi. Despite your nerves, you plastered a neutral expression on your face and tentatively walked over to the second bed in the room, setting your bag down and sitting down on the squishy mattress. 
At this point, Itadori and Megumi were starting to argue, Megumi saying that he wouldn’t be able to sleep next to him if he was going to take up that much room while Itadori was doing his best to stretch all his limbs out across the full length of the bed. You pulled out your phone and tried your best to look busy. It wasn’t quite time for lights-out, but you still felt a bit nervous starting to unpack in a room full of guys, especially with one that made your heart race. 
Nanami, in his typical fashion, had not said anything since being assigned to the rooms. You felt him sit down on the other side of the bed and saw that he was beginning to unpack out of the corner of your eye. You shouldn’t be so nervous, nobody else is, after all, Nanami was just going to be sleeping next to you, you had stood that close to him before on other occasions. It still felt different though… You quickly shut those thoughts out of your head as soon as they came in. He was your teacher, you shouldn’t be thinking that way. 
To distract yourself, you unzipped your bag to go and look for your pajamas and toothbrush. You had packed a mix of cold and warm clothing for your trip considering you would be traveling all over the place, but you soon realized you had made a mistake with your pajamas. You pulled out the green shorts and tank top you had packed without much thought, despite never feeling this way about them before, you now felt that they might be a little too revealing for sleeping in a room full of guys. 
You shoved the top back into your bag and opted for a t-shirt instead, which helped you feel a little less nervous about your situation. In order to get out of the room, and to hopefully talk to Nobara, you rushed into the girl’s bathrooms and let out a relieved sigh. This trip was going to be a difficult one to get through. 
You quickly got changed in a stall and spent a large portion of time afterward talking with the other girls in the room. Many of them were complaining about who they got put in a room with while others were whining about not getting to stay with Gojou. Apparently, Momo was the lucky girl of the night who got to room with Gogou, Todo, and Mechamaru, but she didn’t seem to have much interest in her good fortune. Finally, Nobara slammed open the door to the girl’s bathroom and made her way over to you. 
“I can’t believe this stroke of luck, you got a room with both Itadori and Megumi, that’ll be perfect,”  She said with a devious grin on her face. 
“I’m not really sure, do we really wanna risk the rest of the trip?” You said, trying your best to calm Nobara’s excitement. 
“It’ll be fine, don’t worry. Plus, we can wait until the last day too, then they’ll have their guard down too,” she stated, nudging you in the arm after. You continued to happily chat with the rest of the girls and avoid going back to your room for a good half an hour, but, as expected, you heard Gojou come down the hall announcing that it was five minutes until lights-out. Most of the girls quickly began packing up their stuff and rushing out of the bathroom to not get in trouble and you figured you should do the same. 
When you walked back to your room and pushed open the cracked door you were quickly confronted with your nerves coming back and a hyper Itadori. Megumi was in bed doing his best to read a book while Itadori was bugging him through multiple various and loud methods. You went back to your side of the bed and put your toothbrush and skincare away, laser focusing your eyes on anything that wasn’t Nanami. 
The five minutes that you had before bedtime seemed to be over before you could even process it. For the first time that night, at least to your knowledge, Nanami finally said something, “Alright boys and Y/N, lights out.” Which earned a complaint from Itadori and caused Megumi to quickly jump up and shut off the lights, eager to have a chance to get away from him. You could see Itadori and Megumi start to bicker about the blankets and “staying on your side of the bed” as you pulled back the covers and crawled in between the blanket and the sheets. The bed was warm from the thick layered blankets on top and the fuzzy fabric it was made out of and as soon as you sank into it, your tiredness from the long day hit you like a brick. Despite that though, you still went stiff when you felt the bed shift from Nanami laying down next to you. 
“If I steal all the blankets during the night feel free to take them back.” He said, making you jump and answer with a quick “Okay.”
Even after Itadori and Megumi had finally settled down you still couldn’t completely calm down. You were making sure to stay on the very edge of the bed to not accidentally make contact with Nanami, but it wasn’t a comfortable position. You thought he might be asleep already but you weren’t entirely sure, he hadn’t moved much from his original position either.  You could hear Itadori’s snores from across the room and the constant shifting of Megumi who was currently covering his head to try and drown it out. After a while though, you finally felt yourself begin to drift into sleep, and you welcomed it. 
It was the middle of the night. You don’t know what woke you up but you found yourself disturbed and rubbing your eyes in the pitch-black room. As your eyes were beginning to adjust though, you immediately froze. You found yourself facing the chest of Nanami with his arm under your head, you must have rolled over at some point in the night putting you right next to him. 
The slight smell of aftershave filled your nose and you could hear him gently breathing with the rise and fall of his chest, he must be fast asleep. The loud snores of Itadori still echoed through the room but all you could concentrate on was the man in front of you. You had never been this close to him before, or anyone before, and your heart felt like it was about the burst out of your chest. You wouldn’t dare move in fear of waking him up and making the situation awkward, so you stayed frozen in your spot trying not to shake. 
You couldn’t deny that you had thought about things like this before, the thought of being so close to him, having him touch you, and being able to feel him under your hands, but the prospect of having it actually happen was just too anxiety-inducing. You could feel your face going red as you thought about all the dirty things you had done before, and you felt a slight twinge between your legs. 
You couldn’t. Could you? You hated the thought as soon as it entered your head, but that didn’t stop your hand from creeping between your legs and resting on your stomach. It was so wrong, he was your teacher, he was nine years older than you, but you didn’t want to stop. You would probably never get a chance like this ever again. You could even promise yourself to sleep on the floor the next three nights, but just this once, you wanted to risk it. 
Your fingers crept down under the waistband of your shorts and panties and dipped into the slick folds between your legs. You tentatively put two fingers inside, never taking your eyes off of Nanami’s face, and began to pump them in and out. Your thumb found its place on your clit which you began to rub circles on. The sudden feeling of having your clit touched was enough to make you clamp your other hand over your mouth to try and quiet your breathing. Your first priority had to be staying silent.
You could feel your eyes beginning to half close as you gave into the pleasure, and they drifted down to look at Nanami’s chest and the sculpted muscles under his shirt. You began to move your fingers faster feeling your release on its way and you held your hand tighter to your mouth as your head became fuzzy. Small whimpers were beginning to slip out of your throat and you could feel your movements getting sloppier as you continued to speed up. 
A hand wrapped around your wrist, stilling your hand. 
You froze, eyes shooting open to find Nanami looking down at you with a weary expression. You opened your mouth to say something but nothing came out. Your brain was in a frenzy, you wanted to just evaporate into thin air or die on the spot, but you couldn’t do anything. 
“What are you doing?” He asked with no hint of emotion in his voice. 
“I-I’m sorry-- I--,” you couldn’t spit the words out, truthfully you couldn’t even think of what to say. You were caught red-handed and you didn’t think you would ever be able to make yourself forget the embarrassment you felt at this exact moment. 
“Do you normally do this when you’re put next to your teachers?” 
“No, I-I’m sorry, I’m sorry I’ll leave--” you stuttered out, trying your best to make the situation end as quickly as possible.
“So this is a special occasion then?” He asked, holding your gaze and not releasing your arm. 
“N-No--”
“Which is it then? Do you normally do this or is this a one-time thing?” He said, interrupting you before you could spit out another pitiful apology. You tried your best to slow your breathing to get out a coherent answer, but it wasn’t working with the way that Nanami’s eyes were drilling into yours.
“I-Its a one-time thing, I-I’m sorry, I’ll go sleep on the floor,” you said trying to pull your hand out of his grasp but he didn’t let go. You felt sick, you shouldn’t have taken the risk, you knew that the mortification you felt would outweigh the pleasure you got from masturbating if you got caught.
“You’ll be left frustrated then.” He said. Everything he was saying wasn’t registering, all you felt was the panic in your gut and the need to get away as quickly as possible. 
“T-That’s fine, I-I don’t care,” you quickly spit out, feeling tears pricking at the corner of your eyes.
“Are you sure...? ...I’d be willing to help,” he said, keeping his voice low as to not wake Itadori and Megumi.
“I--.., w-wait, what?” You said, the meaning of his words finally hitting you. 
“I would be willing to help, I don’t want one of my students feeling pent up and unsatisfied.”
“I…” you didn’t know what to say, you were so shocked by the whole situation that the thought of answering was even too much. He pulled your hand up from under your shorts and out into the open where evidence of your actions was clearly visible on your fingers. His gaze dropped back down to your face expecting a response. You opened your mouth to answer before diverting your eyes and opting to give a small nod.
Nanami’s hand landed on your hip and slowly made its way down under the waistband of your shorts while the arm that was under you came down to reach around your back and pull you closer. You could feel his fingers brushing past your stomach as they trailed closer to your dripping wet cunt. Your breath was caught in your throat as you felt everything that was happening, you had to be dreaming, there was no way. 
Nanami’s fingers finally reached your entrance and he slipped one inside of you, causing you to let out a small gasp and cling onto his shirt. His fingers were much larger than yours and could reach places that you couldn’t yourself, making you tighten up around him. It was truly torturous as he began to move his finger inside of you, the friction on your tight walls and the adrenaline from the whole situation was enough to make your head fuzzy and cause a small whimper to come out from your sealed lips. 
 You could feel him pulling you closer as you held onto his shirt and arched your back from the pleasure. He was already going at a gentle and agonizing pace inside of you, but when he added a second finger it was what threw you over the edge into a shaking mess. You were no longer able to control your breathing and keep quiet so you threw a hand over your mouth in order to stifle your moans and whimpers. 
“Getting close?” he asked, whispering into your ear making you shiver from the feeling of his breath on your skin.
Without thinking, you whined out, “Y-Yes, b-but I want more, I-I need you inside of me...” 
As soon as you said it you knew you had gone too far. Here Nanami was, fingering you and holding you close to help you cum, and you had the audacity to ask for more. His fingers stilled inside of you and you tightened up at the feeling of them sliding out, leaving you empty. Nanami put his hand under your chin and tilted your head up to look him in the eyes.
“Then climb on,” he said, making your eyes widen.
You took your hands away from their place on his shirt and began to unsteadily move yourself on top of him. At that same time, he had his fingers hooked around the waistband of your shorts and thoroughly soaked panties and was pulling them down your legs. You positioned yourself on top of his lap, your thighs on either side of his hips. You had your hands braced firmly on his chest, trying to hold yourself up, but you couldn’t manage sitting up more than a few inches. Under your bare pussy you could feel his hard-on through his pants and you were trying your best to keep your hips still and not grind on him. 
His large hands began to pull his pants and boxers down and you lifted your hips to make it easier, but when he had finally removed them you couldn't hide your surprise about his size. Apparently, the look was written all over your face because a hint of a smile was on Nanami’s face and he grabbed your hips to keep you steady.
“You were the one who said you wanted more, sweetheart. You haven’t changed your mind right?”
You dryly swallowed and quickly shook your head no. Even if you were worried about being able to take him, it didn’t mean that you weren’t going to try, especially when one of your wet dreams was playing itself out in real life.
Nanami slid his hands around your hips and under your thighs to help position you above his cock. You could feel yourself beginning to shiver with anticipation just by looking down at what you were going to take in your tight, dripping pussy. The need to be filled up by him was becoming overwhelming and he was taking his sweet time with looking at you and lowering you onto him. When the tip finally touched your entrance you let out a whimper followed up by a pathetic “please.”
“Please what? I wanna hear you say it.” Nanami said, bringing a hand up to stroke your cheek.
“P-Please fuck me, I-I wanna be filled up so badly,” you said, your voice barely more than a whisper. Finally, you felt him start to enter you, your walls painfully stretching to accommodate his size, and you weren’t able to stifle the high-pitched moan that escaped your lips when it happened. Your vision was getting blurry and your arms lost the strength to hold you up anymore, causing your head to smack into his chest. You heard Nanami curse at the loud noise you made and you felt his fingers force their way into your mouth and down your throat, forcing you to keep quiet. He continued to push your hips down onto him, earning a few whimpers and causing you to grip onto his arm. Despite your heavy breathing, he didn’t give you much time to adjust to his size, you could feel the painful sensation of him pressing up against your cervix as he held you down along with the feeling of your slick beginning to coat both of your thighs. 
His grip tightened on your ass as he began to lift you up and down, you tried your best to help by moving your hips but you didn’t have much strength left in your legs after being so close to cumming earlier. The feeling of him stretching you out and rubbing against your slick insides would have ordinarily caused you to make moans that could be heard through the walls, but the combined force of using all your willpower and having two fingers shoved down your throat was enough to reduce your noises to just quick and heavy breathing. The wet sound of you bouncing on his dick was the only noise that could be heard throughout the room and it was enough to make you tighten up around him, causing Nanami to shut his eyes and get a concentrated look on his face. 
In a hushed and deep voice, Nanami asked, “Can you keep quiet sweetheart?” which you quickly nodded to. As soon as he had removed his fingers from your mouth, leaving a trail of saliva behind, your hand was back over your mouth and you were biting your lip hard enough to draw blood. His free hand brushed a piece of your hair behind your ear before making its way under your shirt. You felt him grab your chest and begin to pinch your nipple between his middle and index finger, making your job of staying quiet much harder than before. The feeling of having your chest played with sent waves of pleasure down to your crotch, only causing you to feel yourself get wetter and closer to orgasm. The pace he was fucking you at wasn’t ruthless, but it was slow and powerful enough to make you feel your release building up inside of you, every thrust made it a challenge for you to hold on and not completely give in. You could feel that he was close too, his movements were getting more erratic and you could see the sheen of sweat on his face in the dim light of the window. 
You took your free hand and moved it up to his face, brushing your fingers past his cheek and sliding them into his hair. You didn't feel like you would be able to hold on much longer and your eyes began to cross as you let yourself fully give in.
“Cum with me sweetheart, okay?” He said, looking up at you through lowered eyelids. You nodded with what little energy you could and prepared yourself for what was next. His hand moved from its spot on your chest and went down to help fuck you faster on his dick. The pace quickly picked up and you could feel that your pussy was going to be bruised in the morning from how hard he was going. He reached his thumb down to your clit and began to move it in circles like you were doing before, causing you to gasp and grip onto the hair that was in your hand. 
It took all your effort to keep in your moans and whimpers as you reached your climax, feeling your cunt spasm around him and the words “good girl” falling from his lips. Your vision went blurry as he continued to fuck you through your orgasm and cum inside you, filling you up with his hot sticky liquid. 
When you regained your focus, you were both a gasping and sweaty mess under the covers. His hands had moved to rest around your back and hold you against him and his cock was still sheathed inside of you. You didn’t have any energy to move and simply let your arms fall limp on the bed, savoring the afterglow and the feeling of his cum starting to drip out of you. 
You felt immensely tired and could feel your eyelids wanting to close. You felt Nanami place a kiss on top of you head which caused a faint smile to form on your lips and you wrapped your arms around him, ready to fall asleep exactly where you were resting on top of him.
As you gave one last look around the room though, the last thing you saw before you drifted to sleep was Itadori staring at you wide eyed from the other bed. 
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peralta-guaranteed · 4 years ago
Note
What abkut mafia!jake au
Stop giving me awesome AU ideas that I cannot write the fic for! 😭
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- due to some really, really bad choices after high school (did he ever make other ones? who knows), Jake Peralta has ended up as a grunt for the Ianucci family. He doesn’t really do much - he’s mostly someone who gathers information and new areas for them to work in, because he’s good at randomly befriending people and milking them for all it’s worth. He’s done a few ‘deliveries’, too, but has never had to really get physical.
- (he was at one family meeting that turned into the ‘farewell’ of a mistrusted member and he still has nightmares about it)
- he’s never been arrested for anything and thought the police didn’t even know his name, so imagine his surprise when he’s approached by one of their higher-ups (as if he knows the rankings, psh, pigs are all the same) and subtly but definitely asked if he would be willing to work with them
- his task seems simple: bring one of their cops into the family undercover, the same way he has ‘recruited’ several bodega owners and other ‘low-skill’ workers that turned out to be useful for the family. Maybe keep an eye on the cop as well and help her out if she’s struggling
- she? oh yeah, it’s a woman. A frankly gorgeous woman, he realises when they meet up with her and some FBI dude who obviously pretends he’s not FBI, to discuss it all further. Her name is ‘Dora’, and he knows that’s a lie from the second she’s introduced, but the less he knows, probably the better. The rules are set, he gets a special cellphone number of a ‘cousin’ to contact if something goes wrong, and two weeks later Dora Perez is steadily working her way up the ranks with the Ianuccis, who are very proud of Jake for bringing in this brilliant new talent.
- He might or might not be looking out for her a little bit too much. He might or might not get involved in far more shady dealings with the Iannuccis so he can work closer with her. He might or might not be in deep, deep shit.
- ‘Dora’ is grateful for it, though, he learns every time he drives her home after a more difficult job. She used to be withdrawn and quiet with him, which he tried to equalise by cracking more and more stupid jokes and doing random silly stuff during their drives, but then one time they drive in absolute silence while she cleans blood of her hands, and he says something, he doesn’t remember what, but it’s the right thing apparently, because she starts to talk. She talks to him during every ride after, telling him about the stress and the constant guard she has to keep up and how none of her research binders prepared her for this, and at some point she tells him about nightmares and seeing death around every corner and she can’t wait for this mission to be over.
- (for her sake, he can’t wait for that either. For his sake, he wishes it would go on forever.)
- They’re sent out for a big job together once, because Jake has already become ‘connected’ to Amy in the Ianuccis’ eyes, and they both end up with blood on their hands, and some of it is hers.
- he gets out of the car after that drive home, and gets up to her tiny, fake apartment, and helps her clean the wounds (nothing too big, just cuts, because thank god that guy only had a knife before he beat it out of his hands and then beat the living daylight out of him after he injured her) with the softest fingers she’s ever felt. Then the cleaning alcohol is swapped for drinkable stuff, and they talk, and they talk about everything and nothing, about how a dead-beat dad and an absent mother make a Mafia goon, and how family pressure and a sense of constant duty make a detective who so badly wanted to say no to this assignment but couldn’t.
- “For what it’s worth, Dora, I’m glad you said yes. I mean, not that- not that I want you to do this kind of work- and I want things to be over for you soon, because- but- I’m glad it’s you.” “Amy.” “Hm?” “My name is Amy. Amy Santiago.”
- He wakes up in her bed the next morning, with her in his arms, and he kind of doesn’t regret a single thing, even as his smart-brain is screaming at him. He’s pretty sure he would’ve willingly died for her even before this night, but now, he realises... that he probably will.
- Amy (Amy, not Dora) does freak out a little more than he does when she wakes up. She can’t get involved, she says, this is a job, a dangerous one, and she has to focus on that job and getting the mafia gang and not- okay, okay, let’s not overthink this then, Jake says only to calm her down, we don’t do anything ‘involved’, we’re just... having fun. Keeping things light and breezy. Helping deal with the stress.
- and so, despite how much it hurts and how much it makes him happy at the same time, Jakey the Jew becomes Jakey, Dora’s Loverboy. It helps, he supposes, because it means the Ianuccis won’t suspect them hanging out so much, and send him along to most of her jobs now so he can watch out for her, and he gets to be with her in a way, even as she constantly reiterates ‘light and breezy’ to keep him at a distance no matter how close they get.
- it doesn’t feel very ‘light and breezy’ when they spend time together in front of the TV, though, to get their minds to relax after doing whatever the Ianuccis needed them doing. It doesn’t feel ‘light and breezy’ when they joke around in the bodega getting ice cream on a particularly hot day out doing jobs, or when she shows him around the library after meeting her ‘cousin’ there for a chat. It doesn’t feel ‘light and breezy’ at all when she sighs into his arms when he’s holding her in bed, neither of them even wanting to take the night any further than soft hands under tshirts, because all they really need at some point is the comfort of each other.
- and then one day, after a few months of this ‘light and breezy’ and ‘Dora’s Loverboy’, Jake gets invited for a ‘Talk’ by the family. With a capital T. And he’s not been that high up in the ranks at any point, and he’s not really done much for the family, but he’s not an idiot. He knows what that means. So of course he doesn’t tell Amy, writes her a short but succinct note instead that maybe ends with the L-word somewhere in it, and goes to have a Talk.
- The Ianuccis know that there is a rat, but they don’t know who. And they know that if Jakey is good for one thing, it’s information. So The Talk doesn’t end as quickly as it usually does, and the way he’d expected. It hurts a lot more, for one thing. Jake thinks of offering up some other goon or lower family member as the rat, if only to make the torture stop, but his brain is too broken in the moment to figure out a convincing story. And when the name ‘Perez’ suddenly drops into the conversation, there’s really only one other name he can still think of clearly to blame. Peralta.
- he doesn’t remember much after that - he’s pretty sure he heard gunshots, but none of them hit him, so what’s the deal with that? Everything else is pretty much a blur of pain and cold, and lots of shouting, and then warm soft hands on his face and a quiet voice saying his name amidst it all, and when he wakes up the next time he’s in a hospital bed.
- He’s in that hospital bed for two weeks to recover, and no one visits him. Not that it should be surprising - Nana is dead, his mom doesn’t know about anything he’s done since the age of 18 for a reason, and there’s no one else who in their right mind should care to visit him. So imagine his surprise when a detective shows up, introduces herself as Rosa Diaz, and explains that she’s Amy’s partner at work, but she’s not here for official business.
- “She wanted to come see you. Hell, she fought tooth and nail for it. But she had to be debriefed, stupid FBI assholes, and then it turned out two of the Ianuccis got away, so we had to find them first to make sure they don’t go after her for revenge” (well that explains the constant patrols in the hospital for him, as well) “and we had to hide her for her safety, but, Jake, she wanted to come see you. I swear.” “It’s okay.” Jake says, and it’s really not, but he’s been a brilliant liar for years now. “You can tell her... it’s okay. The job is done, and I’m, I’m glad she’s finally got it over and past her. Really. Tell her it’s okay.”
- He’s debriefed by the FBI after he gets discharged, as well. They tell him ‘good job’ and ‘thanks’ and pay him a surprisingly large amount of money and cover his hospital bills, so that’s good. They also advise that he move, not far, but far enough that any possible leftover scragglers of the family don’t remember his old place for a ‘visit’. So he moves, a few blocks only, enough to get a new favourite bodega and deli and discover that the library is actually nearby and that there’s this community college that Amy kept talking about for some reason, and if he takes a few classes to finally get a degree, it’s not about getting a proper job at some point, it’s more about not thinking about anything else. About maybe forgetting, even if it was her that basically got him where he is now.
- (it does not work)
- she knocks on his door a month later. She looks strange in her professional outfit instead of washed out jeans and a tanktop with a stupid slogan on it, but also so perfectly her. That’s Amy, he thinks, not Dora anymore. That’s Amy, and he still loves her just as much as he did when she was ‘Dora’ in his sweatpants and tshirt. Maybe more.
- “You’re a hard man to find, Peralta.” She says, and he knows that’s a lie, but she smiles with a scared look through it and he takes it for what it is - an attempt at saying anything, really, after 1 1/2 months of silence, when she’s probably got a speech all prepared in her head but needs to get there first. “That’s such a bad, cheesy movie line.” He helps, and she laughs and yeah, that’s all he needs in life. “Well we never watched any good movies, did we.” “Hey, we watched Die Hard. That’s the best movie there is.” She rolls her eyes but nods, and opens her mouth, and Jake thinks that the speech is coming now, but he has no idea what it might entail. Thank you and good bye, maybe. Good job, great work, can you sign this official statement for me so I can add it to my paperwork? possibly. “Screw light and breezy.” She says instead, and then she’s in his new apartment, which is much nicer and cleaner than the old place was even after she worked her magic on it, and she’s kissing him, and he’s never, ever letting her out.
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maybemire · 1 year ago
Text
chat im gonna add onto this because yes
obvi the Administrator is the main principal
They treat Pauling (the office secretary) like shit (which is not too far off from canon i think)
They're always pushing work onto her (as per usual)
who would be the counselors? idk
also Scout's Ma also teaches physics there, i don't make the rules
ranking the teachers (mercs) from who has the hardest to easiest classes:
9th - Pyro:
good luck trying to understand what they're saying
it's not that the class is hard, it's just difficult to understand them
this (usually) causes most kids to fail their classes
idk how they haven't gotten fired yet
8th - Spy:
really harsh grader when it comes to assignments and stuff
forget a detail about a character? that's 5 points off your assignment buddy
choke up during a performance? oops, that's another point off
people are scared to take choir and theatre bc of him
but he just wants D E P T H
after all, how're you going to do things accurately if you don't know everything about it?
7th - Soldier:
Okay, when it comes to history with this dude, throw all prior knowledge out the window
he is going to skew your worldview like never before
students mainly get things wrong bc they hold onto things from previous classes
but there's very few written assignments anyways
most of one's grade comes from performance in hands-on activity
oh, your team lost the battle? immediate 60% on the grade
but if you try, you physically CANNOT fail his class
the worst you can get is a 60
6th - Medic:
his class isn't hard, per se
it's just- full of stuff that might make one uncomfortable
he also is very chatty during lessons, which could be distracting
but sometimes, it could be useful to listen, because you can blackmail use the information for later assignments
also, hope you don't mind handling actual organs
5th - Sniper:
i put him here bc he's wildly inconsistent with difficulty
it's mainly dependent on what class he's subbing for that day
but in the classes he actually teaches, he's really laid-back
but in SAT prep, good luck, cuz he treats every day like the day before the test
some people say it's worth it tho
4th - Demoman:
actually pretty good with chemistry (at least, practically)
he teaches it in a way that prevents nerves, which prevents shaky hands, which prevents accidents, which prevents fires, explosions, death, etc.
just don't get blown up
also the textbook is your best friend because it's hard to hear him sometimes
also, he doesn't demand perfection, which is good for those in his band classes
he encourages growth
3rd - Heavy:
generally slow-paced, in-depth
he's a little lax on due dates, mainly because he understands if people have to handle things outside of his class
genuinely likes reading what his class writes, provides excellent constructive criticism, which gives students an incentive to actually care about the class
he also really cares about the students in general, he worries a lil too much if a student's regularly absent or when someone who is almost always there is missing, or if they look like they're having a bad day in general
very strict about cheating, though. they will face no mercy
so, if you're authentic and willing to learn, you're golden
2nd - Engineer:
i don't care what anyone says, this man can TEACH
i think he likes mixing elements of different classes together sometimes
there are several construction projects throughout the year
some of which he kept
he knows how to teach practically, so nobody can really say that 'math is pointless'
only odd thing is that he has a poster like this:
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1st - Scout:
yeah, it's gym class, what did ya expect
he ain't the most well-liked gym teacher at first (mainly bc of mandatory participation unless you're hurt, sick, or otherwise absent)
but he genuinely likes his students and wants the best for em
and, as a coach, yeah, he ain't the best
but he cares. a whole lot.
and almost everyone who's had him as a teacher/coach has known him on a personal level
sorry guys im not normal about these people
tf2 mercs except they’re teaching classes at my high school for no reason whatsoever other than that i’m feeling self-indulgent
Scout:
I know his ass would be a gym teacher
either that or a coach of some kind
health class might work too
i’ve seen teachers teach both so it might work out
he might not be the best teacher though
but the class likes him methinks
Soldier:
he’d be a history buff i think
i can just imagine him teaching US history his own way
barely abiding by the curriculum
i think it’d be a lot more hands-on than most history classes
a lot less written work and a lot more reenactments
because yes
he might also be a coach too
but idk
Pyro:
Financial algebra, statistics, and economics :thumbsup:
Demoman:
First thought would be chemistry
but then i was thinking about how he could teach stuff like concert or marching band
i think he’s good with music
not me with the baseless headcanons again
but idc
Heavy
i think he’d be a good English teacher :]
slow-paced, but in-depth
he wouldn’t move on unless everyone got something
i don’t think electronics would be used in his class period
so get ready for some writing
a lot of writing
either that or library science
or Russian (if the school offers it)
Engineer:
okay
engineering is a low hanging fruit
so that’s an option
but have you also considered guitar, geometry (or any core math class really), physical sciences, and/or speech?
i think he could do any of those tbh
he reminds me of my current geometry teacher kinda
he prolly talks to the other math teachers in the hallway about video games and stuff
he’s a dork /affectionate
Medic:
Health, biology, anatomy, sports medicine, forensic science, medical technology, ORCHESTRA
his ass is teaching ALL OF IT
bro has his schedule BOOKED
he’s bouncing around the school
rushing from class to class just like he’s a student himself
he’s an old man, how does he handle it?
cocaine the extra organs he had sewn into himself
how did he pass the background check?
idk
Sniper:
he’s giving substitute teacher
no but imagine your teacher not coming in one day and having fucking MICK MUNDY there instead
he’s either a sub or he teaches stuff like small animal care or herpetology
also SAT prep
i think he’s surprisingly good at taking tests
Spy:
i think he teaches piano
and choir
and theatre
bro is stressed out bc these are such performance-heavy classes
but it’s his fault for taking up all these classes
maybe he needs a bit of Medic’s help with management
he’s out for a couple days and winds up with a bunch of extra organs
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chatonne-rousse · 4 years ago
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The Importance of the Black Cat
Adrien has a lot on his mind - concerns, questions, doubts. And right now, he has only one being to confide in. There is not enough cheese in the world to make Plagg want to handle this situation, but his holder needs him, and he knows two things with certainty: his very important place in the world, and that no one hurts his kitten. Not if he has anything to say about it.
Read it on Ao3 here.
The Camembert he holds in his paws is aged beautifully, gooey and perfectly pungent. He knows it was expensive, purchased with his holder’s allowance, and therefore tries to at least do the kid the honor of enjoying it. But as he mulls over the day’s events, the first few bites sit like a brick in his tiny stomach.
Tonight, Plagg eats his cheese for sustenance only. It’s hard to find the usual joy when his holder hasn’t spoken since they arrived home.
The light in the closet switches off as Adrien shuffles out into the bedroom, dressed for bed in black pajama pants and an old white t-shirt. The departure from his usual red and black spotted look doesn’t escape Plagg’s notice, but he chooses not to comment.
Plagg discovered long ago that his devotion to his holders is inversely proportional to his ability to counsel them. He knows he’s not good at advice beyond cheese and chaos. He wasn’t made for emotions and heartfelt chats.
A sure and confident holder didn’t usually open his heart or seek his kwami’s counsel, and Plagg liked that. They did their jobs, they shared their lives, but they didn’t share their hearts. They didn’t need to, because his holder needed his power more than his presence.
But once in a while, he’d materialize in front of a human whose eyes shone with innocent kindness, and he knew immediately that they would need him. If he’s honest, Plagg will admit that these are the best wielders of destruction. It’s all about intention, after all, and a pure heart rarely destroys with disregard. These holders, however, always seemed to come with a price - they saw their kwami as less of a means to an end and more of a friend.
He loved these holders. He would level cities and wipe out species for them. But oh, did he ever dread having to talk to them. Really, really talk.
Plagg knows his kitten will break the silence soon. It’s only a matter of time. He isn’t sure if it will be to talk about being stuck in the elevator with his very good friend, a monologue that will no doubt be punctuated by sighs and soft eyes that will be quickly denied if his kwami points them out.
One undeniable fact from the day, however, is the racing pulse and rapid breathing of a boy terrified of being locked up and feeling increasingly helpless in the situation. Plagg knows very well that it happened, because he was tucked inside Adrien’s shirt listening to his pounding heart. He hopes his holder doesn’t want to talk about that, because it’s way above Plagg’s pay grade.
He also hopes his holder won’t ponder why only he was dragged through the portal to safety, or why Rena Rouge was the one to do it.
Plagg gets down almost two full wedges of cheese before Adrien sits down on the edge of his bed with a heavy sigh.
“Hey, Plagg?” His voice is quiet but doesn’t betray any emotion yet. That’s actually more worrying.
Steeling himself, Plagg swallows the last big bite of cheese and zips from the desk to perch on top of the globe, facing his holder. “What’s up?”
He heaves another sigh before looking up into Plagg’s eyes, emotions still unreadable.
“How important is the black cat?”
Oh. A wave of relief makes Plagg’s whiskers perk up. The question is unexpected but definitely not unwelcome. He’s lousy with advice but an expert at talking about himself.
He puffs up his tiny chest and grins a fanged grin. “Only the most important, kid! Everything has to end sometime - except me, of course, but,” he shrugs, “we can’t all be perfect.” He hopes that will garner a smile, but realizes a moment too late that he’d started his speech talking about death to a boy who lost his mother at thirteen. Oh no, he thinks, panicking. He’s bad at this, too.
He barrels on. “I mean, creation is nothing without destruction. The very concepts go together, always. Can you imagine a world where flowers never wilt and people never die?” Adrien’s eyes widen and his brows furrow. Shit, Plagg thinks. I did it again.
“Plagg, that sounds...really nice, actually.”
He shakes his head. He can get this back on track. He’ll fall back on pragmatism like always. “It does, but that’s not how the world works. Your planet can’t sustain an expanding and eternal population. Everything grows and lives and dies and starts over again. Everything has a beginning and an end.” Plagg’s eyes shine with pride. “Only I, and my very lucky holders, get to harness that inevitability into a real power, and use it for good. Tikki and her bugs can create, but we destroy,” he pitches his voice lower, his tone serious, “so they can create again.”
Adrien’s eyes are still wide, but Plagg sees wonder and a bit of pride there. He lets his tiny shoulders relax.
“I never thought of it that way. You really are amazing, buddy.” He reaches out to scratch Plagg behind the ears with a soft smile that his kwami would see doesn’t reach his eyes if his own weren’t closed with pride and delight.
The hand retreats, and Plagg opens his eyes just to watch Adrien’s face fall.
“But I meant...how important is the black cat to the ladybug?”
"How...what?" Plagg splutters, taken aback. "I just told you, kid. Every beginning has an end. Creation and destruction are perfectly equal. You don't want to know what happens when they're not."
Adrien's eyes snap to his, clearly on the edge of a dawning horror. Oh no. Not again.
Plagg waves his paws. "What I mean is, you need each other. Tikki is never activated without me, and I'm never called up without her. We're two halves of a whole. You've never seen the inside of the miracle box," he scowls, "which is bullshit, by the way, but if you did, you'd see that the center is a circle, split perfectly in two. Tikki and I go together, and so do you and Ladybug. You can do this without each other, but you're not meant to."
Adrien's shoulders droop. "Yeah, I know she can win a fight without me. She's had to do it before." He sighs. "A lot."
"Sure," Plagg agrees, and can't resist adding, "but she wouldn't need to if you didn't throw yourself in the line of fire every chance you get."
"I have to protect her, Plagg! You know that! Ladybug is more important than me."
"Kid!" Plagg bursts out in frustration, "I don't know how else to tell you this! You. Are. Equal."
“Then…” Adrien’s breath catches and he blinks several times. “Then why doesn’t she need me anymore?”
For just a moment, in the time it takes for the words to register and translate and pierce his heart, Plagg’s ire flares white-hot and livid. No one hurts my kitten and gets away with it. But he looks into his holder’s eyes, sad and achingly lonely, and his anger slips away as quickly as it came. He’ll deal with his own feelings on the matter later.
Besides, it’s not Marinette’s fault. She’s doing the best she can. He’d still relish giving her an earful, but piling on the heartbreaking guilt about his holder’s situation wouldn’t really help and might just snap what Tikki has insinuated is a currently-tenuous grasp on stability. Plagg knows she’s making decisions based on the mentorship of a flawed man, a failed guardian who ran from his mistakes for the better part of two centuries.
Fu never understood Plagg and never tried to. None of the guardians did. Beyond knowing the basics of his power and the importance of the ring of the black cat in relation to the earrings of the ladybug, Fu never saw Plagg as anything more than a liability. Which is honestly fair, but Plagg doesn’t have to like it.
He definitely doesn’t have to like it when the rules of secrecy leave his kitten in the dark and feeling useless. Especially after what he now suspects from the clues he got today.
He looks into his holder's tear-filled eyes and sees a soft innocence rare among the long line of black cats who've worn the ring. This might just be his most difficult assignment yet, but it's also one of his favorites, and he'll protect his kitten no matter what it takes. Even if it means talking about feelings.
Once his stomach is settled, he's going to eat so much cheese to make up for this.
Plagg takes a deep breath. "Who spotted Optigami in the elevator today?"
Adrien blinks but says nothing.
"Who made sure Ladybug didn't tell her secrets to Truth?" He waits another moment, watching Adrien's blush rise and letting his words sink in. "And who protected her identity when she was hit by Kwamibuster?"
"Okay, but—"
Plagg steamrolls his holder shamelessly. "You were the key to defeating Gorizilla, Stormy Weather, Lady Wifi. I have a long memory, kid. Do you want me to keep going? Because I haven't even gotten to the times you kept your bug afloat with all those pep talks and disgusting feelings. A nice piece of Brie would've perked her up, but I have to admit that your methods worked, too."
Adrien sniffs and chuckles. "Okay, buddy. I get it." His eyes still betray an ocean of hurt, but Adrien's soft smile seems genuine.
Plagg has never quite understood human emotion, though he's seen it all in his many centuries among humanity. He's also seen the myriad ways humans cover up one emotion with another (and another, and another, and sometimes destructive behaviors and very dark paths). He doesn't much enjoy dealing with human feelings, but he when it comes to masks, he prefers the very stylish ones he manifests on his holders' faces, changing with the times and his whims and his holders' thoughts. It's been a long time since he had a holder whose civilian life necessitated so many different masks. No wonder he eats so much Camembert to recharge - it's exhausting just watching it.
"What I'm saying, kitten...er, kid, is that your bug needs you. Paris needs you. And I know that because creation always needs destruction." He snorts a laugh. "That's a fact that's bigger than both of us."
"Yeah, you're right. I know you're right." Adrien sighs and stands to pull back the covers and turn out the light. He climbs in bed and heaves another sigh as his head hits the pillow. "I just wish she'd let me help her. I...I know she's going through something."
Plagg settles on the pillow next to Adrien's, in the Camembert-infused spot where he sleeps. "Being a guardian kind of sucks. It used to be a whole big thing - years of training and ceremonies and shaving your head in a weird pattern..."
Adrien breathes a laugh in the darkness.
"Did you just imagine your beloved bug with her pigtails cut off and a bald spot shaved into her head?"
"Plagg! How dare you?" comes the reply, but his laughter betrays him. Yeah, he's totally picturing it.
Plagg smiles. "What I mean is, you know her. As much as you can, at least. She's told you over and over how important you are to her. I hear all that mushy crap, you know. I don't think she means to hurt you." A pause. "If she does, she'll regret it," he mutters.
"Please don't threaten my future wife, Plagg."
"Still?"
"Still what?"
Plagg blinks. Adrien blinks, then finally catches up.
"Oh. Well." He takes a deep breath. "I'm...a little upset about some things. But I'm sure we can work it out. People make mistakes. Besides, just because someone hurts you doesn't mean you stop loving them, Plagg."
He wouldn't trade Adrien and his tender heart for the world, but sometimes Plagg wishes he was already a bit more jaded when he slipped the ring on his finger that first day. He doesn't want to witness the moment his holder's gentle spirit is finally crushed by what he knows better than most is a very cruel world.
For a long moment, Plagg considers his answer and finally chooses sarcasm. He shrugs. "You can always just cataclysm their prized possessions. That works, too."
That startles a laugh from his holder, tired and tinged with emotion, but a laugh nonetheless. Plagg considers it a win.
They settle into silence. Adrien's eyes close sleepily. Plagg considers getting another wedge of cheese now that his stomach has calmed down a little, but the thought that this is far from over makes his indigestion flare again. Love is messy and inconvenient, the Cancoillotte cheese of emotions. But, he supposes, looking at his holder in the dark, it's worth the difficulty.
Adrien's eyes open suddenly to meet Plagg's glowing green.
"Thanks for talking to me, buddy. I'm sorry I—"
Plagg zips over to his holder before he can finish the sentence, tucking his little body into the crook of Adrien's neck and starting up a loud purr.
"You're welcome. You owe me so much cheese."
Adrien laughs again, and Plagg purrs louder when he reaches up to scratch behind his tiny ears.
"Reblochon again?"
Plagg stifles a laugh at the fact that he has penance cheese for dealing with Adrien's feelings before realizing how sad it is that he...well, has penance cheese for dealing with Adrien's emotions. Someday, when his holder is on his own and out from under the tyrannical rule of his asshole father, Plagg has every intention of cataclysming Gabriel's entire atelier, including his tablet and any backup drives. He dreams about it sometimes. Just watching the world burn. It'll be beautiful.
He sighs wistfully before answering. "I was thinking Époisses."
Adrien groans. "Plagg, no. It's so gross."
"Plagg, yes. Feelings are gross. Cheese is life."
Another sigh. "Fine. I'll order it in the morning."
Silence falls over them again, this time comfortable and warm. When Adrien's breathing evens out, Plagg heads over to the cupboard for a snack. By the time he's eaten two more wedges of Camembert and thought about the whole situation, he's decided to pay Pigtails and his other half a visit. This can't continue. They're all headed for catastrophe, and no one wants to see what he'll do if this breaks his kitten.
He takes a wedge of cheese for the road and heads for the window, but something makes him stop before he phases through. He turns back to look at his sleeping holder. The moonlight shines through the windows, casting shadows like prison bars across the room, across the bed, across his kitten. Plagg thinks suddenly of Adrien waking up alone, his kwami nowhere to be found, and realizes he can't just leave.
He sighs. He's sighed so many times tonight.
Plagg tosses the cheese in the air and catches it expertly, swallowing it in one gulp, then makes his way back to the bed.
Tomorrow, he'll find a way to phase into Pigtails' bag during homeroom for a much-needed discussion with Tikki. He doesn't want to - he really doesn't want to - but Plagg intends to do his part to fix this. Holders like his come once in a very, very long lifetime. Adrien is worth it.
He settles again on his cheese-scented pillow and curls up, wrapping his tail snugly around his body. Soon his purr matches the rhythm of Adrien's quiet breathing, and peace, however temporary, falls gently over the two of them once more.
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locke-writes · 4 years ago
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A Reunion
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Author: locke-writes
Title: A Reunion
Request: Before Mark leaves for Mars he’s been flirting with someone at NASA, annoying literally everyone around him and the reader simply because neither will ask the other out but both clearly have feelings for one another. It’s reader who ends up discovering that Mark is alive on Mars and as soon as he gets the ability to contact NASA that flirting relationship begins all over again. Turns into the two of them falling in love from different planets and Mark finally asking reader out when he gets back to Earth (and after he showers, has a few press conferences, sees doctors and dentists and optometrists, and you know the general parade of people one has to see when stuck on Mars for over a year) For: Anonymous
Rating: T
Word Count: 2,218
Tag List: @ofthedewthesunlight​ / ask to be added
You'd met Mark when assisting with training for the Ares 3 mission. It was easy to talk to him, easy to bond with him and that went not just for everyone on the training team but for the crew as well. He was the glue that brought everyone together, that made the mission worthwhile because you knew there was a crew that could mesh well, that knew their jobs and wouldn't overstep their own boundaries. They cared for one another and Mark was the reason for that.
Much like everyone involved with the mission you got along well. He was charming, funny, and intelligent. Friendship grew quite easily at the expense of him learning your propensity for terrible jokes. Although what began solely as jokes and him teaching you odd botany facts turned into a flirtatious near-relationship. The reason it was a near-relationship being that neither one of you wanted to admit your feelings. Having just begun a friendship, turning that into a relationship was something that seemed difficult only in the fact of not wanting to ruin that friendship.
Oh and for Mark it was also the fact that even if you agreed to go on a date he was leaving for Mars and would be gone upwards of six months. It didn't seem fair to you that he should ask you to wait until he returned for a second date.
The other crew members noticed the flirting between the two of you and often left you and Mark alone in rooms together. They had grown from finding the two of you tiptoeing around one another adorable into finding it annoying that neither one of you would admit to your feelings. It was painful to be in the same room as the two of you because banter between you would at one point stray from a quick story about what you did over the weekend and turn into bad pick up lines.
You cared for him, in simple terms you had a crush on him. It was mutual, but it would never be acted upon and that was Mark's first regret when he realized that he had been left on Mars.
He never blamed the crew for leaving him, he knew that based on the damages and readings he was getting from his own suit that they would have read him as being dead. It was hard to blame someone for a decision that couldn't have been made any other way. There was no anger towards anyone at all but himself and only because he knew that there was no chance of him ever seeing you again, at least he believed there was no chance because there was, as far as he was aware, no chance of anyone ever finding out he was alive on Mars.
Of course the news of Mark's death hit everyone throughout NASA with some emotion, but it felt more personal than ever to you. You'd worked with him, you'd befriended him, you'd thought about one day having a relationship with him. In one moment there was hope, in one moment you could imagine the two of you laughing over dinner or holding hands in a movie theater, in the next moment you were at his funeral meeting his parents and giving them your condolences. You were given only a few days to grieve as everyone prepped for news conferences declaring his death publicly, then it was back to work. Back to pretending like nothing had ever happened.
Focusing on projects seemed difficult in the days that passed, perhaps it was only such as you were tasked with beginning the next Ares mission. As one ended the next began and you knew it must be so yet it was hard to focus when the last one had gone awry. An opportunity to cover someone in imaging worked well, it was a position that mainly consisted of looking at coordinates something that while important was also the sort of mind numbing work that you needed in the moment.
Coordinates were handed to you, various projects going on, various planets to maintain logs for. You enjoyed being able to view Saturn, view Jupiter in all their glory. In one way you knew that you'd have to look at Mars for some reason, with Ares 3 not completing the mission it made sense to look after the planet, look after the equipment and vehicles left behind. You knew that the request to scan Mars would come in, the specifics of the reason were not what you were thinking that NASA would want to focus on however and it made you sick to think that this was what NASA was working so hard on.
Search the coordinates of the Ares 3 mission and let them know if you could find Mark's body. The reason for their asking was reasonable, you had to convince yourself, it was the only way to get yourself to type in the coordinates. You'd thought that you had been looking at it wrong, typing in coordinates wrong. The first few days there was the HAB and a rover and nothing out of place, everything where it was meant to be, everything as it had been left. Then one day there were tracks, then one day there were solar panels, then one day it hit you that Mark was alive. He was alive and stranded and the images that you were seeing were accurate, unbelievable but accurate.
There really wasn't one person you knew to contact, you called whoever you could think and word spread quickly. Names were tossed about, names you knew vaguely of people so high up on the food chain that you'd never once believed you'd be in meetings disclosing all information to them. It was odd to be on a first name basis with a director in NASA, it was odd to be on a first name basis with anyone higher than your own manager.
It was odd for Mark to be alive.
Time moved quickly after that although your schedule had shifted to the point where there was no real sense of time. You were set to stare at Mars for hours, meant to be predicting what Mark was up to and pass it on in daily meetings. There was nothing to state, nothing really to predict because you didn't know what was running through Mark's head other than the possible idea that he believed he would die on Mars.
Meetings ran longer and were packed into days. Projects were shortened and funds relocated. You were focused on your tasks, focused on everything that had been assigned to you, focused on being the one to break it to the crew that Mark was alive. Focused on being the one to tell them that they had left him on Mars but could be the potential rescue convoy if a way was discovered. Focused on anything and everything but the way that you felt knowing Mark was alive.
In the beginning you knew it wasn't love. It couldn't have been love because you hadn't known Mark for a long enough period of time. It wasn't love now. Not love, longing.
As foolish as it might have sounded to others, you were still infatuated with him, still cared about him a great deal. Even with the lack of hope that he would make it throughout the days on Mars, that he would come back alive, still there was something that made you want to continue to think on him in the way you had when he was on Earth.
When it was evident that Mark had some form of contact with NASA the first person that he wanted to talk to was you. Yes, his crew would be nice as well but he wanted to make sure that you knew he was alive, he wanted to make sure that what he had left alone on Earth because he thought it wouldn't be fair to you was something that could potentially be back on the table.
He wanted to tell you a great many things.
And as soon as he was able you were the first person that he asked to speak to.
Sitting at the computer on another planet you didn't really know what to tell Mark. Didn't know what he had been told before you were ushered over to communicate with him. Had they told him you were the one to find him? Had they told him how worried you had been? What was he aware of and what was the kind of conversation you had with a man who was as far away as was possible?
It would be the worst long distance relationship in the world if you and Mark were actually dating. It would be the worst conversation in the world if it was anyone other than Mark but it was easy.
It was very easy when he started it off with a terrible pick up line about pirates. Mark had a lot to look forward to when he returned to Mars. Not having to eat pretty much only potatoes all the time, being able to wear real clothes, having more music variety, the list went on and on but the main thing that Mark was looking forward to was seeing you for the first time after coming home.
He needed to see you, to speak with you, and most importantly, to thank you. Having not known what you could disclose and what would remain secret you passed on a list of topics that you deemed part of appropriate conversation with Mark. One of which was the discussion about who had discovered him alive on Mars, it would have meant revealing that it was you who had called everyone, who blew everything wide open. Approval had been given on every topic.
And Mark was grateful. He was grateful that you paid enough attention that you noticed the changes he'd made to the HAB. He was grateful that you had been one of the first people to speak with him. And he was grateful that you continued to speak with him.
Most, if not all of Mark's conversations were open to the public but you'd managed to get permission for a private chat with Mark, completely free from the eyes of every person on Earth. Just you, Mark, and nearly all of NASA who wanted to keep an eye on the chat in case he revealed anything to you that he hadn't to the crew or the engineering team in his other chats.
It was easy to talk to Mark, it was easy for him to talk to you. It was easy for the two of you to fall in love with one another. That was something you worried about telling him but as the days passed, as the months passed and the conversations grew it became more apparent that underneath all the shameless flirting there was love, true unflinching love for one another. You loved one another and that was just one of the things that kept Mark focused on coming home.
Daily conversations were one of the only things that you really looked forward to.
Daily recaps of the proceedings that were bringing Mark home were one of the only things you really looked forward to.
Him coming home was something you were looking forward to.
Preparations were in full swing as the crew of Ares 3 had decided to rescue Mark. Preparations were in full swing as soon as Mark had finished 'upgrading' both rover and HAB. Preparations were in full swing with NASA having meetings set for both the best and worst outcomes.
You new NASA was going to be paying close attention to the retrieval of Mark but you couldn't watch. All you wanted to know was that it was successful and when that word had been passed on to you, relief was all that you felt. You'd be leaving imagining and heading back to your own office now, returning back to a life of some normality while Mark was drifting through space all the way back home.
Home, that's what Mark was thinking when he first set foot on Earth for the first time in over a year.
Home, that's what Mark was thinking when he went through multiple medical exams, all doctors poking and prodding and making certain that the time he spent on Mars hadn't caused any long lasting damage.
Home. That's what he was thinking of.
Home, and you.
He knew technically it would be better if he slept first before seeing you. Knew it would be better to sleep in his own bed in his own apartment after watering his own plants for the first time in too long. But he also knew where your office was and he knew (somewhat) what he wanted to say.
You hadn't known when to expect Mark but you had agreed to see him as soon as it was possible. Him bursting through the door and speaking far too rapidly was not what you had thought, even if it was far too fitting for the man you had fallen in love with.
"Would you like to go to dinner with me tonight, can I kiss you, and also I love you."
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seasonofthewicth · 5 years ago
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quarantine questions
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AN: this was inspired by the incredible @highqueenofelfhame ‘s fic everyone’s favourite teacher (which you can find here xxx and I 100% recommend). I absolutely adore that fic and couldn’t help but write my own spin on teacher Rowan and Aelin. 
p.s. one day I will write Aelin as something other than a teacher, today is just not that day. 
p.p.s. this isn’t a proposal fic I just can’t think of titles. Anyway, enjoy!
word count: ~2.2k
part 2 - part 3
------ 
Aelin loved her job, she really did, but Gods did quarantine make it difficult.
Normally she loved seeing the kids, they were great fun, and most of them wanted to learn and wanted to be in her classroom which meant the environment was positive and enjoyable. Even the kids that didn’t want to be there could usually be won over with a few tricks or promises of treats, which was always rewarding.
The interactions with the kids were what made her get up in the morning, the reason she had become a teacher in the first place was to satisfy her desire to help nurture children and to help them grow. But then the global pandemic had hit and the access to her students was reduced.
Not only did she have to adapt to trying to teach her lessons online, working out how the content could be explained using only her voice and a computer screen had pushed her in ways she hadn’t expected. While it was satisfying when she figured things out Aelin knew her lessons over zoom weren’t up to her usual standard.
That was the reason she had let her students know she would be at her desktop for an extra half an hour every day after school usually finished, for them to come to her if they had any problems or anything they wanted her to go through with them. Normally she would have operated her open-classroom-door policy, but a virtual replacement would have to do.
A good number of her students had taken up her offer of extra time to go through problems with her in the few weeks since she had started it, some came in groups for extra explanation for her lessons or some came individually for personal guidance.
As the clock struck 3:30 she joined the zoom call to wait for any students to join. It wasn’t long before a notification popped up telling her a student was requesting access to the call.
“Hello,” She called once the student had entered the call.
“Hey Miss G.” The student on the call was a young girl named Evangeline. 
Evangeline was an enthusiastic student and always tried her best. She sometimes struggled with the content, but her perseverance was what gave Aelin such a soft spot for her.
“Hey Evangeline, what can I do for you today?” She asked, making sure her tone was upbeat enough to invite questions.
“I just have a few questions about your lesson today I was hoping we could go through them?”
“Of course,” She said, grabbing her notepad and pen in case she needed to do any drawing of diagrams to aid her explanation, or make any notes for herself.
It didn’t take her long to go through Evangeline’s list of questions, they were all genuine and thought provoking, and it made Aelin smile knowing Evangeline had thought deeply about her teaching.
“Is that everything for today?” She asked capping her pen. “How are all the rest of your classes going?”
Evangeline took a deep breath, looking down below her computer screen and Aelin’s stomach turned nervously.
“They’re okay…” She started. “Most of them are fine, Spanish is even going well, it’s just Maths.”
Aelin shuffled where she sat, hoping the conversation wasn’t going where she thought it was as her student continued.
“I’m in Mr Whitethorn’s class, and his teaching in our lessons is fine, I’m just really struggling with the assignments. The class is huge too, so I don’t like to speak when I don’t get something.”
Mr Whitethorn.
Mr Rowan Whitethorn.
Aelin’s boyfriend of three years, not that Evangeline knew that, who was currently sitting in the room next door where he had been teaching his own zoom classes for the past few weeks.
She had met Rowan when she joined the school almost four years ago, she was newly qualified and nervous for her first proper teaching job. She had made friends quickly within her own department, the other history teachers Yrene and Elide were great fun and always up for a raucous night of drinking with Aelin. They had taken her under their wings when Aelin first started, which had led to her meeting Rowan.
The school was one of the largest in their district, meaning the different departments didn’t often mix, but one night Elide had brought along her boyfriend Lorcan, another maths teacher, who brought along his co-worker Rowan.
Rowan Whitethorn had not been what Aelin had expected. She remembered seeing him in the halls at school, dressed smartly in his button down and slacks, square framed glasses hiding most of his face.
In the bar Rowan Whitethorn had looked like a god. His tightly-fitted t-shirt highlighting his strongly-built arms and allowing her a long look at his intricate tattoo stretching down one of his arms that had previously been hidden. His silver hair shining in the bright lights as he towered over her to greet Elide.
He had flashed her a grin as he had taken the seat next to her and introduced himself and Aelin had been gone. Hooked on his slanted smile and the twinkle in his shining green eyes.
They had got along well all night, and he had bid her farewell with a chaste kiss on the cheek. The next morning she swallowed her pride and asked Elide if she could pass along his number. Elide had only replied with a phone number and a smirking emoji.
From there their relationship had been simple, but not boring. He drew out her fire and she loved him for it.
They had kept their relationship hidden at school, which had proven difficult once the quarantine kicked in and they had to hide the fact that their zoom lessons were taking place in the same house.
Aelin sighed, her attention only briefly drawn away from her student. “I’m sorry to hear that, Evangeline. Have you tried contacting Mr Whitethorn separately to let him know that you’re struggling? I’m sure he’d be more than willing to help you if he knew.”
She knew her boyfriend would be horrified to find out that a student was struggling and had been too shy to ask for help.
“No,” The young girl started, still blushing. “I’m not really sure what I would say.”
“I could help you draft an email if you wanted?” Aelin offered immediately and let out a soft sigh of relief as Evangeline nodded enthusiastically.
-----
Once her call with Evangeline had finished where Aelin had helped her to compose a draft email to Mr Whitethorn she shut her computer and left her office. She padded into the living room where she found her boyfriend lounging on the sofa, dressed in a pair of light grey sweats and a Doranelle University sweatshirt. 
Seeing him dressed so casually in their home sent a warm jolt through her chest, and an only slightly lesser rush of warmth headed somewhere slightly lower through her at the sight of him.
She flopped down next to him and burrowed her nose into his neck, breathing in his pine and snow scent.
“Hello, you.” His voice was soft as he pecked a kiss onto her cheek. “How was your day?”
She laughed, tilting her head up to face him. It wasn’t like she hadn’t seen him today; they coordinated their breaks to see each other throughout the days.
“Fine,” She said with a sly smile. “I helped one of my students draft an email for her ever so wonderful maths teacher, Mr Whitethorn, to ask for some extra help.”
“Oh Gods,” He laughed, a loud and bright sound, and tucked an arm around her shoulders pulling her in tight. “What a nightmare. He sounds like a great teacher to me.”
She snorted. “And modest.”
He poked her side. “I think he’ll get back to them tomorrow, he’s busy now anyway.”
With that he pressed a more meaningful kiss to her cheek and peppered them all the way down until his lips were pressed against her own. She leaned into the kiss, twisting her fingers through his thick hair to pull him closer towards herself.
It was incredible how he still managed to ignite her blood with a kiss, her skin burned where he touched. He slid his hands down her sides, tucking one into the crook of her knee and hitching her leg up over his own.
After a few minutes she managed to draw herself back for a breath. “He is very busy.” She pressed one last kiss against his lips. “Cooking his beautiful girlfriend her dinner. She’s very hungry.”
He growled, face pressed tightly against her neck and nipped the skin lightly with his teeth, a promise for later, but stood up, nonetheless. He held his hand out for hers and tugged her up to follow him to the kitchen.
-----
She knew Rowan had seen Evangeline’s email, and had arranged his own one-to-one session with her over zoom to go through her questions. They mostly tried to stay out of each other’s teaching, knowing that everyone had different styles and used different techniques, but they shared general pieces of information about their roles and their students.
She knew Evangeline was feeling better about his class now, she’d told her a couple of weeks later in another one of her post-school hours drop ins that she had spoken with him and he had offered her guidance on the assignment.
She also told Aelin that Mr Whitethorn had opened up the chat facility for students who weren’t confident in speaking aloud to ask questions during his lessons. Aelin had to bury her smirk at the comment, hiding the fact that Aelin herself had made that suggestion to a worried Rowan.
She was currently on an extended drop in session with around fifteen of her students going through one of the larger pieces of coursework she was setting for the class. She had tried to avoid setting large pieces of assessed work throughout the pandemic as she knew how difficult it was to work from home and she understood that not all students had a level playing field when working from home, but this one had been unavoidable.
This session had run way past the time she had allocated for it; they were over an hour into the half-hour time slot she normally used at the end of the day for the sessions.
She was listening to her students’ discussions of their ideas for the coursework, she encouraged group work and collaboration as long as the final pieces of work were completed independently.
She nodded along silently, until she heard a voice from behind her.
“Aelin, are you coming—” Rowan’s voice cut off as he froze in the doorway. 
She gasped, whirling in her seat, aware of the students on her call falling silent.
Her eyes flew back to her computer screen to check the small square in the corner that showed what her students could see of her.
Rowan was clearly well inside the frame where he stood behind her, frozen with his hand on the door handle, his mouth hanging open in an exaggerated o-shape.
She turned back towards him, her own eyes as wide as his as they met, neither knowing what to say or how they could explain his presence in her house with anything other than the truth. She knew there were too many students on her session for this to stay a secret too, the news would spread along the student network in no time.
Rowan’s mouth snapped shut and he began to inch backwards to where he had come from, but he was interrupted by a voice.
“Hey Mr Whitethorn.” Evangeline’s voice was clear over the zoom call, and it snapped Aelin out of her stupor.
“Hey guys,” Rowan’s voice was croaky. “I’ll just be—”
“Mr Whitethorn will be going now.” At her raised eyebrows he raised his hands in apology and crept back out of the room, pulling the door closed softly behind himself.
Aelin dropped her forehead to her hands and puffed out a laugh, before glancing back up at her screen.
At least five of her students were visibly on their mobiles, tapping away. Those who weren’t all wore mischievous grins. This was mortifying.
“I know why he was so helpful after our chat now Miss G.” Evangeline’s voice was smug even over the video call.
“Yes, well. Sorry about that, anyway, moving on.” She could move past this; she would move past this.
----
She left the room once the call with her students was finished, most of the awkwardness had cleared by the time the call had ended, but she had no doubt that there wasn’t a single student in the school who wouldn’t have heard about this by the next day.
She collapsed onto the sofa, her face buried in a pillow next to where Rowan sat, looking down at her sheepishly.
“I’m so sorry Aelin.”
She let out a muffled scream before taking a deep breath and looking up at him, a wonky smile spreading across her face.
“It’s not your fault,” She told him. “It’s this rutting quarantine.”
------ 
In regard to tags, I have so far assumed that anyone who has previously asked to be tagged had requested specifically for my new girl au fic, if you want to be added to a general tag list for things like this please let me know!
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avengersapology-vid · 5 years ago
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Avengers: College Edition
Steve: Criminal Justice and Studio Art double major. He doesn't want to torture himself with anything difficult and still wants to study what he loves. He is still an over achiever though. Highkey hates frat parties, saw someone twerking upside down and almost cried but stayed because hes the designated driver (responsible KING). prefers small get togethers with his friends. Roommates with sam and bucky!! Joins Criminal Justice club, jokingly rivals with Engineering (Tonys Club) Everyone on campus loves him including the professors, wins Homecoming king and is very happy. Sam jokingly asks to be his queen, Bucky butts in and says "NO, im his queen". Can be found in the library or art studio, usually with ink or pencil markings on his hands.
Tony: Obvi an engineering KING has physics as a minor. procrastinates to the max "No Bruce I have everything under control" *crams for 46 hours straight on a constant IV drip of Redbull and coffee* Super smart and helps draw the blueprint for the new engineering building. Roomies with Bruce! Tony was in a frat for a bit his freshmen year but hated it and wanted real friends (Throws better parties anyway) met Bruce and all the other avengers during a 1301 intro class. Pulls women like no tomorrow. On the presidents list every semester and tutors math for free on the side. He is basically the Dad in STEM. Tries hitting on Natasha but she is just like :/ nah, when her and bruce start dating tony is surprised because bruce is his "quiet little cinnamon roll." Tony constantly teases bruce and is like "yall fuckin (;" Steve butts in "tONY PLZ I JUST WANT TO WATCH THIS MOVIE" Bruce is thankful for steves intervention. You know how he rivals Steves Criminal Justice club? He butts heads with Business Clubs leader (Pepper) until everyone catches them together at a party. Has a caffeine addiction. Works out with Thor and Bucky one day in the rec and almost dies.
Bruce: Physics and Engineering double major (Hardworking KING) In math club with Vision and Wanda. He loves being roomies with Tony because it helps him out of his shell. Likes to draw with Steve sometimes and enjoys the quiet. Doesn't procrastinate and gets things done in a timely manor. 4.0 icon we all strive to be. Him and Nat already know each other, but bond and get a lot closer while studying in the library and they eventually start dating. He takes her coffee when she works across campus and is always almost late to class because of that (He doesn't care though bc thats his BABY) "Um.. Bruce your class is in 5 minutes" "Okay and?.....Wait I have an ex-" *Sprints to his building* Takes boxing at night with Thor, Bucky, Sam and Steve!!! Loves sparring with Thor and can surprisingly take the big buy on pretty well. Gets his butt kicked by Natasha in a MMA class though.
Natasha: Majors in Criminal Justice and Minors in Psychology. Ballet club AND MOCK TRIAL!! Has a Job at the Criminal Justice Deans office and takes MMA classes on the side. She is on Mock Trial with Loki and they actually get along quiet well once they stop butting heads about the case. Introduces Sam and Wanda to dance and they have so much fun. Coffee dates with Bruce!! Her and Steve become RAs in the following years and are the coolest RAs you know. Prefers night classes, Bruce walks her to all of them. Psychology classes are her favorite and really wants to help children one day. Volunteers at a daycare during breaks. Sis can really out drink Tony and Thor. Puts Wanda under her wing and helps her with fafsa and what not. Her and Bucky get the Russian language credit by simply testing out. Has her sh!t together and while she has a lot on her plate she can take it. She is really the Mom of the group. Can be found dancing or with Bruce. Her and Clint are icons in psychology classes.
Clint: Deaf Studies with education minor! (we stan deaf clint in the comics) In the Archery club and wins nationals for the Uni. Loves to draw with Steve. Helps Bruce ask Natasha out! PRANK ICON! loves to do prank wars with tony, bucky, loki and sam. Was in the same frat with Tony but hated it as well. While he seems to have a more reserved demeanor he is still the life of the party. (Like he knows people at the clubs ya know?) Can get in anywhere and helps everyone rent out a club for the night in celebration of midterms being over. Loves reading in the library and loves morning classes and being productive early in the day. Cracks Tonys netflix and hulu passwords (no tony... tonyr0cks69 is not good enough) Wants to teach at a school for the Deaf. Bruce sets him up with a girl from engineering and that is his future wife.
Thor: Physical Education major and Communications minor! Here on a football scholarship and is in a frat (not the asshole one tony was in) and is a partying ICON. Tries to get Loki to party but Loki just wants to drink wine with the cat he snuck into his dorm. Learns Sign from Clint to prepare for his career in education. Loves working out with Bucky, Sam and Steve. Takes up boxing during football off season and spars with Bruce. Despite being everyones fav himbo he gets really good grades and is a very good writer. Loki dorms across the hall from him. Thor actually rooms with Peter. Peter is the freshman baby and Thor takes peter under his wing and introduces him to everyone and helps him with college stuff in general. Also hooks him up with MJ and brings him to the occasional boxing session. Has a loud booming laughter you can hear in all floors of the library when he sees a funny meme. One time he actually makes a very good point and notices a flaw in one of Tony and Bruces projects leaves everyone stunned. Picks on Loki in big brother fashion. Unironically calls weed the devils lettuce.
Loki: Pre-Law and Criminal Justice. LOVES to argue. (Devils advocate ass) In Mock Trial and Criminal Justice Club. Tony jokingly calls him steves sexy secretary in CJ club. Loves Mock Trial and is the president with Nat as his right hand woman. Sneaks a cat he found at the shelter into his dorm and names it muffin. Stays in the Library writing or going over cases. The one time he was taking Natasha a copy of the Mock Trial case packet and caught her and bruce smooching. (He screeched) "Haha funny joke yall heres the case packet BYE." He automatically texts the group chat "i think nAT AND BRUCE HAVE SOME TEA FOR US HMM". Lets Peter and Bruce come over to his dorm because he knows their roommates can get a little too much sometimes. Loki also becomes an avid twitter user and thats how he gains popularity on campus. (He called the uni out for their awful and expensive parking) Was able to convince the Dean with tony and steve to create a new parking lot. Caffeine addict!!! Him and Tony always bump into each other at the coffee shop. Brings baked goods to meet ups with the gang. Loves to play pranks (especially on Tony) Him and Bucky come up with a genius prank on him and even get pepper involved. Best dressed on campus and is in the fashion club. He is the embodiment of dark academia.
Sam: Criminal Justice Major with Aerospace Engineering minor. Gets introduced to Bucky and Steve during move in and they literally become brothers. Is both in Criminal Justice Club and Engineering Club. In the Historically Black Frat on campus and takes huge pride in that. Parties with tony and thor BIG TIME. Procrastinates by throwing paper airplanes at Bucky until Bucky is like "Um...dude your paper is due in like two hours." At that moment Sam got into work faster than he ever had. Loves gossip sessions with Loki and Wanda. Works out a lot with Bucky, Steve and Thor to get rid of stress. When he and Bucky finish a final they go to loki's dorm and ask "Hey can we see your cat." Helps prep food for friends-giving and decorates the dorm for holidays. HATES 8ams so so so much. Steve promises him pancakes if he gets up and goes. Binge watches shows during weekends and screams when Destiel is finally canon. Loves running and gets a Track Scholarship when Thor gets him to join a sport. Gets Peter to join track.
Bucky: criminal justice major and psychology minor. Buck is also in ballet club with Nat, it really helps him relax and gives him a free space to think (also he runs that shit like no ones business) Criminal justice club as well and LOVES to work out and box. One time Sam accompanies him to ballet and Bucky pushes Sam into a split... the scream was heard for miles. "Sam ballet is good for athletes it helps w-" "Yeah but its not good for my balls" Doesn't willingly procrastinate but once in awhile he will forget an assignment, you best believe his eyes will snap open from his nap and get to work asap. For one of his psyche labs he had to question Steve as if he were Steve's therapist to which Steve responds "Hey bro you dont have to hit a nerve that deep" He also likes to do dance with peter since it helps him get away from Thor for a bit. Not a big partier but once the weight of finals are off his chest you best believe he will go all out. Picks on Nat and says hes gonna steal her man, to which tony interjects and says "Not if I do first" Bucky also has a very comfy dorm, comfy lighting and tons of pillows, the man loves his sleep... and so does everyone else. Sometimes he finds peter, sam, THOR, tONY EVERYONE just napping in his bed before their study time. Overall, bucky is a smart boy and his time in college is kind to him.
Wanda: English Major and Education Minor. After being an orphan Wanda knows what it feels like to not have a parental figure there and she wants to change that for other kids by becoming an english teacher. She volunteers at an orphanage, specifically the one her and pietro were in for a brief moment when they came to the states. She loves to draw as well and takes plenty of art classes with steve. She paints a portrait of the entire gang and gives it to tony as a graduation present (he cried). She loves to do volunteer work for children and also spend a lot of time in the library, She helped Nat calm down before Bruce asked her out. Her and Loki are in constant competition for best dressed. "Loki ill let you win best dressed but you have to let me see your cat" "ugh fine... btw your shirt doesnt match your boots" "hEY" Her and Peter take alot of intro classes together and are constantly running around craft stores trying to get the right stuff for projects. Visits Vision at his Job on Campus and he visits her where she volunteers and eventually they start dating. She is constantly getting visited by pietro at 4am asking "Um do you have milk" "Pietro its 4am what do you ne-" "my OREOS"
Pietro: Track star business major, frat ICON with Thor. poor boy is STRESSED he hates college and is here on a track scholarship, constantly late and running around getting shit done. Queen of late assignments but still gets them graded because he is in Track. Yeah he has alot on his plate but he still parties with thor for hours. When he is drowning in assignments Clint is always there to help him, Bruce also helps him with biology and the more science-y classes. Likes to mess around and race sam at track practice. Not into coffee but will run on all the monster energy drinks you could possibly buy. Seriously is tired of 8 a.m courses, he just wants to nap after practice. Walks into the study room that everyone was in and actually looks more sleep deprived than tony. He gets a lot of tips from steve on how to have an easier time in college and it really helps him.
Vision: Grad student working on a civil engineering masters and a TA. Meets Wanda in the library and she asks him where the biographies are. He mistakenly says they are on the 2nd floor "Uh theyre actually on the third" "Then why did you ask?" "Cause I wanted to talk to you :)" He swooned. Through Wanda he met Tony and Bruce and became their best friend, He helped out a lot with engineering club and got them far. He spends a lot of time doing research for his masters degree, he loves relaxing with the group on weekends and picks on pietro as if he is already apart of the family. Him and Loki bond over intellectual conversations from time to time. Bruce and Nat go on double dates with him and Wanda. Went to a bar once with tony and bruce and had to stop tony from singing Queens entire discography, he had the best night that night. Helps everyone with getting into jobs and into grad school in general while everyone helps him let loose and have some fun.
Peter: Peter is a Physics major and eventually works his way up to biochemistry. (hardworking icon) He is the freshman baby of the group and is introduced to them through Thor. He dances with Buck and Nat sometimes as well. Tony obviously takes peter under his wing and helps him with assignments. One time everyone was in the same study room and him and pietro have a redbull shot gunning challenge. When Peter wins Thor picks him up and almost yeets the poor boy into the ceiling. "VERY WELL DONE YOUNG PARKER YOU SHOULD BE DOING THAT WITH BEER IN NO TIME." "Thor plz" Tony and Thor help him ask MJ out and even spy on them during a dinner date. (Imagine thor with sunglasses and a scarf around his head pretending to be tonys date) He feels so accepted in college because of the gang and gets all his work done on time. Goes out of his way to get everyone christmas presents and is so excited for friendsgiving. Becomes a little stressball during finals and midterms and stays in the library till it closes. He spots loki alot in there and helps loki with science classes while loki helps him with political science classes. He meets MJ through wanda and is obviously blushing the whole time while being introduced. Gets embarrassed when the guys flirt with aunt may. "guys plz stop" This is when Sam earns his "milf hunter" nickname. "Pete hows your aunt?" "She doesnt want you sam i-" its not like that... actually it is like that"
Coulson: Alumni Icon. Is the gangs Intro professor and is the reason why everyone meets eachother. (the class was chaotic indeed) Coulson loved that class so much and he still gets visited by everyone from time to time. He is obviously close with Nick. They were there that night when Tony was signing Queen at the bar and couldnt help but laugh.
Nick Fury: Dean for criminal justice and is heavily involved with criminal justice club and mock trial. He is tired of everyones shit as always. Makes a tiktok account for the criminal justice club and has no idea how to manage social media so gets Loki to help. Has to delete it when Loki commented "hah losers" on the engineering tiktoks page. He looks intimidating but in his office he has a picture with the club and has all the gifts he gets on display. (He even framed lokis comment because it was hilarious afterall)
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argentdandelion · 4 years ago
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How to Speedrun the Infinity Train
How to Speedrun the Infinity Train: Part 1
1. Can you exit the Infinity Train without ever fixing your problems?/Summary of the “Expected Course”.
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“Every passenger is important. Their well-being and progress is what the train is all about. All aboard the growth train! Toot-toot!” (One-One’s note to Amelia)
The Infinity Train’s purpose seems to be quantifying the severity or complexity of Passengers’ problems via numbers on their hands and sending them to a train car so they can progress through cars’ scenarios, which will eventually lead to emotional growth. Commonalities in Passengers’ character arcs suggest one gets one’s number to zero and therefore leaves by a combination of right thought and right action, to the end of giving up, letting go, moving on, or otherwise no longer caring about the particular issue that got them aboard the Train. It seems people are intended to deal with their problems by emotional growth through self-understanding or introspection, not, say, gaining emotional skills in unrelated fields and suddenly no longer caring about an issue for reasons one can’t explain.
In a way, the Infinity Train is like a video game in which the end goal is going home after achieving sufficient emotional growth to deal with one’s “boarding problem”. But is it possible to “speedrun” this game, without ever taking the expected course of going through cars, introspection on one’s problems, and conscious personal improvement?
Absolutely. And the methods to do so can get really weird.
2. Can You Ignore the Infinity Train’s Resources?
“The Train is filled with all sorts of things that can help you learn about yourself and grow as a person!” One-One, in an informational video
Judging by what One-One says and the commonalities of different passenger arcs, it seems it’s expected Passengers will travel through cars, have a denizen companion, interact substantially with Denizens, and know that their numbers exist and their function. However, it is possible to ignore or bypass these expectations and still get one’s number down to zero. Indeed, it's likely: if One-One's description of how people are assigned numbers ("numerical algorithmic judgment") also applies to how they lower. After all, algorithms can be tricked.
Skipped: Going Through Cars
It seems Simon stayed with The Cat for months in just one car and his number got very low. It may be that just being in one car for the entire time can lower one’s number to zero if just one car can provide sufficient opportunities and incentive to deal with one’s problems. For example, if Simon’s initial problem was something simple, like some low-level manifestation of “fear of abandonment”, it could be treated by having a dependable parental figure who always came back. In such a case, it seems plausible that living in Le Chat Chalet and waiting for The Cat to come back after her lengthy trips outside would gradually lower his number. (Since little of Simon’s backstory is shown, it’s unclear whether he boarded with a small number, his number gradually went down just by being in one car, or his number went down rapidly after a short time period of traveling through cars)
Skipped: A Denizen Companion, or Any Denizen Interaction
"Always remember - there are lots of denizens along the way to help you on your journey! Don't be afraid to reach out!" One-One, in an informational video
Judging by One-One, the Flec Mace, and observing the episodes, Denizens and especially “companions” (friendly denizens who travel with Passengers), seem to exist to help passengers with their emotional growth in some way. They can help by being friendly, presenting challenges, or even being outright antagonistic or threatening: Marcel of The Map Car could have been designed to give people the courage to stand up to harmful people or dangerous situations, for example.
However, in Tulip’s case, one of her companions was One-One, who’s surely not a denizen as the Train’s Conductor, and some of her number-dropping can be attributed to interactions with him (e.g., in “The Unfinished Car”). It’s also probable Grace’s number dropped prior to “Le Chat Chalet” because of the time she spent being friendly with Hazel, a denizen, despite not knowing Hazel was a denizen at the time.
Most convincingly, interactions between passengers can lower numbers. Amelia’s number drops when she thanks Grace for her help, Grace’s number drops when she confronts Simon in “The New Apex” and when talking with the Apex kids, and the Apex kids’ numbers change (likely dropping) when Grace tells them they can’t be Apex anymore in the aforementioned episode. Given how quickly a number can increase within seconds (e.g., Tulip walking away from Ghom-Atticus), Grace’s rate of number increase between meeting Simon and the memory flashback in her memory tape is actually very low, and it only progresses past her palm and later to her elbow some time after founding the Apex.
Keep in mind numbers can go down just for doing basic nice things (e.g., Amelia thanking Grace for help), though numbers going down for basic nice things isn’t guaranteed. (At age 10, Grace’s number is 148 both before and after comforting Simon.) It’s worth mentioning they would still have to deal with their problems, not just live a comfortable and stable life: if just having a dependable friend would have been sufficient for Simon to deal with his (probable) abandonment issues, Simon’s number would have gotten to zero long before he was 18.
Skipped: Knowing the Numbers Exist, and Their Function
Tulip’s number was 89 during the first DolphWorld flashback in The Cat’s Car. It’s last seen in that episode at either 45 or 15, depending on the length of the vertical line in the first number, which isn’t fully seen. By the time she checks on it by the end of The Chrome Car, it goes down only briefly, and ends at 3. Judging by how the number flickers only briefly by the end of The Chrome Car, it’s probable Tulip’s number lowered during The Unfinished Car and The Chrome Car, strongly suggesting passengers don’t need to know their number values for them to lower. The fact Simon’s, Grace’s, and Amelia’s numbers are so incredibly large would make it difficult to recall the exact numbers, anyway, and yet Grace and Amelia did get number drops.
Jesse's number doesn't increase when he supports the “new Alan Dracula” or orders Alan Dracula to laser away the vines (not expecting him to actually do it).
This would suggest not every instance of behaviors or attitudes away from emotional growth or fixing problems causes numbers to go up. That might explain the very slow pace of Simon’s and Grace’s number-raising, despite being on the Train for years.
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b-else-writes · 4 years ago
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the tiger shark and the sun
New chapter posted for my Star Wars/Avatar the Last Airbender-RebelCaptain fusion AU! Feat: Jyn calls Obi Wan an old fart, Jyn tells Luke and Leia to stop being melodramatic about becoming evil, dragons, and me ranting about the “evil sexy matriarchy” fantasy trope. 
Read on AO3 | Read from start
Pairings: Jyn/Cassian, minor Han/Leia and Baze/Chirrut, random minor background pairings
Rating: T
Summary: Star Wars/Avatar the Last Airbender fusion AU. The Fire Nation, under  Fire Lord Palpatine and Lord Vader, has been at War with the world for  the last twenty years. When Jyn Erso lands on his doorstep the day  Cassian, last southern waterbender, is assigned to protect the Avatar,  she seems just another obstacle in ending the War. An obstacle he would  willingly remove. For exiled firebender Jyn, the Avatar is her last way  home - and to her hostaged father, never mind her own conscience. But as  their paths keep crossing, and the Avatar needs all help in saving the  world, Jyn and Cassian find they are more alike than they ever thought  possible.
Snippet under the cut!
Jyn woke with a start, rapidly trying to figure out where she was. She was lying on a straw mattress in a stone room. The early morning light filtered in through a low window. On the ceiling were carvings of circling sky bisons.
Slowly, her memory returned. Jyn sat up, taking in the small room in Hynestia, the Western Air City. Cassian and Kay were nowhere in sight. He had removed her bracers and her boots sometime after she’d fallen asleep, and left then. But there was a dent on the mattress from where he’d been. She could still smell him – and his horrible lizard – and she gave herself a moment to imagine a world where someone like her…
She hastily shoved the thought aside. Another, more pressing concern than her unrequited feelings had emerged. She was supposed to teach. Jyn buckled on her bracers and slid her boots on quickly. She combed her fingers through her hair, repining the bun, and set about finding Enfys.
It took her a surprisingly short time to get around: the entire city seemed to have been developed and built for easy accessibility, with lifts, railings, and maps everywhere. Enfys, after she’d shown Jyn her room, had said she was going to the temple. Jyn found her and Luke curled up on the temple floor, fast asleep.
Jyn crouched and poked her. “Wake up!” she hissed.
Enfys groaned, red braids falling in her face. “Jyn, it’s only dawn…”
“Enfys, I need your help.” Luke made a noise but continued to snore. Jyn pursed her lips. “I’ll make you those wheat pancakes with dates and honey you love,” she said in her sweetest voice.
Enfys cracked one eye open. “We don’t have honey or dates.”
“I brought a jar as a peace offering,” she admitted. There was a pause. With a groan, Enfys extricated herself from Luke’s arms, pulling her cape on. Luke made a little grumble and rolled over. Jyn refrained from commenting as Enfys trailed after her to the central atrium. Enfys was perfectly liable to turn it right back on her.
As Jyn got the ingredients out from her satchel on the war balloon, Enfys asked, “So, what’s the issue?”
Swallowing her pride, “How did you teach the twins?”
There was another long pause. “You didn’t think this through at all, did you?” Enfys said, covering her mouth with her hand. Jyn glared. “I’m not laughing, I’m not!”
“I hate you,” Jyn said, swatting the date jar away from Enfys’ grip.
“No, you don’t,” Enfys said happily, dipping one finger in the honey jar and licking it. Jyn crouched to light the cookfire. It took a moment for the flame to appear on her fingertips. She frowned, but Enfys continued to speak, refocusing her attention. “Well, for me it was simple – I just followed how I was taught by my mother and aunts and elders. I already had a lesson plan ingrained in me.”
Jyn shook her head, feeling her pulse race, though it had been a decade since Master Jorus had backhanded her to perform better. “That…is not going to work.”
Enfys’ face clouded over. She stood from her perch and began to help Jyn, brushing her hands against hers. “Well, then, start simple. Like how to produce fire. And go from there. Basic punches and blocks, you do that a lot, don’t you?”
“They’re called fire fists.”
“My mistake,” Enfys said, her eyes sparkling with mirth, “Fire fists and fire kicks and fiery-ness and aallll that.”
Jyn bit back a smile, extending the plate with honey-drizzled wheat pancakes. “For her highness, the Queen of Mon Cala.”
Enfys immediately grabbed it, digging in with a moan of delight. “One of the few things from the Fire Nation worth saving,” she said, her mouth full of food.
“What’s the rest?”
“Don’t fish for compliments,” Enfys said easily, making Jyn grin. As Baze and Chirrut came in, Enfys added, “Just remember to be patient.”
“I am a beacon of patience.”
Enfys laughed. “I meant with yourself, Jyn. You’re doing something new and difficult. So be kind to yourself as you figure it out.”
She sighed, resting her head against her best friend’s shoulder. “And yet you won’t share your portion with me?” she asked, fighting down her own rising panic.
“You’re impossible,” Enfys laughed, giving her a kiss on the cheek. “Now eat up for your first big lesson, Master Jyn.”
Jyn stretched and popped out her muscles. She, Luke, and Leia stood in a beautiful courtyard of cream and white clay and wood. She imagined it must have been a communal space when Hynestia had still housed Air Nomads. She didn’t like dwelling on that too long. She could still feel…something clinging to the place. Fire child, they whispered, stroking her face and hair, this is what your people did.
She would have preferred pure hatred, but she felt that was not their way. It would have been easier than guilt. Especially when she saw the sadness in Enfys’ eyes.
Jyn focused back on the twins. Both wore expressions of trepidation, Leia in particular throwing her suspicious looks. Jyn tried not to take it too personally. “Have either of you ever firebent before?”
They exchanged a look. “Once,” Luke said, shifting a little, “We… we burnt Cassian by accident.”
Multiple statements immediately became clear in Jyn’s head. She pushed aside her own empathy for Cassian – and her instinctive urge to get angry on his behalf. Cassian held no grudge about it. Patiently, she said, “Most firebenders accidentally burn themselves or others when they’re starting out as children. It’s…normal.
“Alright then, let’s see what fire you can produce,” she said, folding her hands behind her back. Keep patient. Don’t be like Master Jorus. Don’t be what the Air Nomads know you could be. The summer heat touched the scars on her arms.
Exchanging another uneasy glance, the twins sank into a low hot-squat, good form, and punched.
A puff of smoke came out.
“That’s it?” Leia glared. Jyn resisted the very powerful urge to groan. “Let me demonstrate,” she said. Her muscle memory was so honed that Jyn didn’t even need to think. She sank and punched, sleeves billowing.
She produced a tiny gasp of flame.
Leia began clapping. Jyn scowled. “Don’t patronize, you know what it’s supposed to look like,” she grumbled. Jyn punched again. She slid into various forms, again and again. Only wisps of flame. “What in the…”
“Maybe you were never as good as you thought you were,” Leia said, grinning slightly.
“Oh, you’re hilarious,” Jyn snapped, trying in vain to produce more flame.
“Maybe it’s the altitude?” Luke suggested, though he didn’t look convinced. Jyn stared at her hands. Her inner flame felt cold and dull in her chest, despite the sunlight pouring over her skin. Sól, give me power, she thought, but none came.
Her firebending was gone. Somewhere, she could feel Master Jorus laughing.
The group sat around the cookfire, eating and chatting. The summer days were long, Chirrut knew. He could still feel heat despite the dinner hour. Baze had passed him his bowl, their fingers brushing. He smiled, gripping Baze’s fingers momentarily and grounding them both.
He heard Jyn clear her throat to speak. “There’s…a problem. I’ve lost my firebending. Well, not lost…but it’s weaker now and I can’t figure it.”
Chirrut considered as he munched. Bending was inherently spiritual, something that many had now forgotten, preferring to use as a blunt instrument. Jyn had never struck him before as someone who wanted to look within herself.
“Maybe it’s because you changed sides,” Cassian spoke up. Chirrut’s seismic sense could feel Jyn immediately perk up and orient towards him. Oh, young love. “Your firebending used to come from anger and desperation. Now you have none.”
“So, what? We piss Erso off?” Han asked, poking Erso with his sword butt.
Jyn kicked him in the shin. “Cut that out! It’s not an option.”
“What you need is a new source,” Chirrut said. “And by that, I mean an old one. The original. For earthbending, the first earthbenders were the badgermoles. When I was young, I ran away and hid in a cave. A blind child was better off gone.”
He still remembered the pain and fear as he had fled Jedha’s orphanage, stumbling through the crowds of people out into the scorching, shifting ground he had learnt was sand. Finding his way into the Catacombs. Surrounding by the dead, as he imagined he would soon become.
The Spirits had other plans. There had been a great crunch of rock, and a soft, wet snout had nosed him. They had recognized him as one of their own. “The badgermoles are also born blind. I learnt earthbending as an extension of my senses. Earthbending is not a martial art – it is a way of interacting and moving through the world, and that is the form I taught Luke and Leia.”
The wonder he had felt as he began to feel the world expanding outwards beneath his palms and feet. The grubs and creatures that lurked beneath the desert sand. The hardy plants that nourished from the earth. The secret oases. The possibilities that had exploded to him. His only regret was that it was no help to non-benders and other benders, but Chirrut was nothing if not stubborn. He had tried to help them too, as a Guardian of the Whills.
“Firebending isn’t like that,” Jyn said quietly, standing up and pacing.
“But surely you must know who the original firebenders were,” Enfys said, “I learnt from my Tribe, but the first airbenders were the sky bison. That’s influenced our bending to use gliders to fly, to our culture!”
Jyn walked over to Chirrut. He felt the same turmoil of his childhood self, in her. “It won’t work. The first firebenders were the dragons, and they’re extinct. There’s no other way.”
Baze squeezed Jyn’s hand. “There is always another way.”
Jyn was silent for a moment. When she spoke, he felt the vibrations. There is something she is concealing. “We’re not far from the island of Dathomir. The witches of Dathomir were said to be the first to learn firebending from the Dragons. They were killed off thousands of years ago. You still hear stories, but there’s no proof their society still exists. We might find something. Otherwise…”
“Sometimes the shadows of the past can be felt by the present,” Chirrut said. Several of the group shifted uncomfortably.
“We don’t have much of a choice,” Luke said, “Han, can we borrow the Falcon?”
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hinge · 29 days ago
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Hinge presents an anthology of love stories almost never told. Read more on https://no-ordinary-love.co
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