#Cafeteria Plan Document

[coredocuments01]

Understanding the Essentials of a Section 125 POP Document

Employee benefits are a vital part of any organization's compensation package. Among the tools available to streamline these benefits, a Section 125 Premium-Only Plan (POP) document is crucial for both employers and employees. Let's delve into what a Section 125 POP document is and why it's significant.

Eligible Benefits

A Section 125 POP document typically covers various employee benefits, such as health insurance premiums, dental and vision coverage, and contributions to flexible spending accounts (FSAs). By allocating pre-tax dollars to these benefits, employees can maximize their take-home pay and employer-provided benefits.

Tax Benefits for Employers

Employers also benefit from a Section 125 POP document. By offering this plan, they can save on payroll taxes, as contributions made by employees through the POP plan are not subject to federal income, Social Security, or Medicare taxes. This creates a win-win situation where both employees and employers enjoy financial advantages.

Ease of Administration

Section 125 POP plans are relatively easy to administer, and they can be a cost-effective way for employers to enhance their overall benefits package. By offering a POP document, employers can provide more competitive benefits without significantly increasing their administrative burdens.

Legal Compliance

To ensure the POP plan is compliant with federal regulations, it is essential to have a well-drafted Section 125 POP document. Employers should work with legal and benefits professionals to create and maintain the plan in accordance with IRS guidelines.

Employee Choice and Flexibility

Section 125 POP plans give employees more control and flexibility over their benefits. They can select the benefits that best suit their needs and financial situation, making it a versatile option for a diverse workforce. In conclusion, a Section 125 POP document is a valuable tool that can benefit both employers and employees. It allows employees to take advantage of pre-tax contributions for various benefits, reducing their tax liability and increasing their take-home pay.

[twice-inamillion]

The Company

Peeping Tom

Smut and Story Building (Blackmail, Deep Penetration, Defloration, Creampie, Rough Sex, First Time, Choking, Light BDSM, objectification)

Chapter 6

3,585 Words

(You encounter a peeping Tom as you have fun with one of your assistants. She tries to use her newfound information against you, but instead, you end up using her. By the end, you found yourself a new toy to play with.)

You return to your office with IU after a business meeting outside the company. The two of you talk about what just occurred during the last few days and how busy it’s going to get moving forward. 

��How does it feel receiving your first private jet, sir?”

“I’m excited; I remember riding on my father’s jet when I was younger and always wanted one of my own. Now I just need to get it customized, and I’ll be able to use it.”

“Before that, we need to hire a flight attendant.”

“That’s true.”

“What about asking your father for one of his?”

“No, I'd rather get someone that has nothing to do with my father. I don’t want them to tell him anything about my business.”

“I’ll try to put a post online to hire an assistant.”

“Sounds good.”

“Any requirements?”

“Someone not too old, eye candy. You know my tastes.”

“Okay, I’ll try my best.”

“Also, any news on Big Hit and JYP?”

“I’ve heard that they are suffering a bit money-wise, so I think they are going to accept your offer.”

“Let’s see what they say. I don’t want to buy them outright, but I do want to hold a good chunk of shares, especially Big Hit. Bang Si-Hyuk seems like a pretty cool guy. He gave me a tour of his small building and even introduced me to his debuting group a while back. I really want to help the guy.”

“I’m sure he’ll be happy with anything you give him, sir.”

“Let’s see how it goes.”

IU then hands you some documents and says, “This is some information I found out about JYP Entertainment. If you look at the third page, you can see that JYP was going to debut a new girl group under the name “6MIX,” but it fell through.”

“Oh, it seems like they had a hard time debuting due to one of their members leaving.”

“Yes, they added another member, Sana. It seemed like they were going to debut, but another of their leader also left the company, so they ended up scrapping the whole thing.”

“Poor girls, so much hard work and training to debut only to have it scrapped.”

“Yes, one in particular has been in their company for a long time. I heard she’s a very good singer.”

“Oh really? If JYP accepts the help, maybe I can ask him to release them from their contracts and send them my way.”

“I’ll keep you posted if there is any news, sir.”

“Thank you.”

“Would that be all, sir?”

“Yes.”

“I have a meeting with one of the girls, so I’ll head to my office.”

“Actually, I’m going to grab a bite at the cafeteria, so I’ll walk with you.” 

The two of you walk towards the hallway, slap IU's ass, and walk the opposite from each other. Little did you know that you were seen by someone, the person IU was going to have a meeting with.

———— 

You get a message from IU that she has received some inflation about the deal with Big Hit and JYP as you are coming from the gym. It’s been a few days since you got any information, so you’re excited to see what’s going on. Without changing, you walk into her office, sit on the couch, and listen to some good news. 

You might not have noticed that Jennie has been curious about the relationship you and IU have since she’s a higher-up than you. She doesn’t know about your real position in the company and only thinks of you as one of the staff members. She was shocked when she saw you slapped IU on her ass and decided to follow you after that. 

Today, she had another meeting with IU and planned on having a light snack at the cafeteria before meeting up with her. Since she finished early, she decided to head up to the administration floor and relax on the outdoor patio before the meeting. She exits the elevator and makes it to the top floor. Jennie walks down the hallway and notices how quiet it is. She wandered around and found Irene’s and the CEO's office before hearing a faint noise coming from the hall. She quietly makes her way to the noises and gets to IU’s office from where the noise is coming from. 

Jennie tries to listen and places her ear by the door. She hears moaning coming from the other side. She tries to make up what the people instead are saying and can only decipher the male voices yelling that he’s going to cum. 

After some silence, she notices that the voices are getting nearer and runs towards the opposite side of the hallway to where the patio is. She peeks her head out and sees you coming out the door and IU fixing her skirt. 

“What the fuck, were they fucking in her office?”

“Omg, he’s getting it on with a higher-up in the company. Maybe I can use this.” 

———— 

Later that night, you get a message from Jennie from your staff phone. You read the message, and it is asking you for help moving some items around the house. You’re not in the mood to message her that you can do it tomorrow, but she is persistent. 

Somewhat annoyed, you put on a shirt and head down the elevator to the floor where their apartment is. You ring the doorbell, and Jennie opens the door within a few seconds. She wears a loose crop top and small shorts that show off her petite body. 

“You said you needed to move some stuff, right?”

“Yeah, it’s in the living room.”

You walk to the living room and see the items she was referring to. You spend about ten minutes moving the things, and Jennie is watching you up close the whole time.

“Is that all you needed?”

“Yeah, that’s it.”

“Alright, I’m going. I’m tired.”

“Okay, but I’ll call you if I need anything.”

“Please, don’t. The stuff wasn’t that heavy. Maybe try moving it between the five of you before calling me.”

You can tell that Jennie got upset by this based on her facial expression. “I don’t know why you’re complaining; it's part of your job.”

“It’s not. I was just doing this as a favor since you all just moved into the apartment, but that was a few months ago. You girls can figure stuff out,” as you grab your phone and head for the door. 

Upset, Jennie yells, “If you’re going to be a douchebag about it all like the CEO, you’re messing around with his assistant.” 

You turn around and see a grin on her face, blackmailing you. “I don’t know what you are talking about.”

“I know that the two of you were fucking in her office the other day.”

“Lies.” 

“I saw smack her ass a while back, and this time, you were leaving her office, and she was skirted and had a smile on her face.”

“If that’s true, how would you know?”

“I heard the two of you doing it.”

“No one is going to believe you.”

“Hmph, I wouldn’t be so sure. I have the CEO’s number.”

“You’re bluffing. You don’t have his number.”

“Yes, I do,” she said, holding her phone out.

“Alright, do it.”

“Okay, I will” and is about to press the call button but then says, “actually, he might be busy with important stuff. I don’t want to bother him.” 

You know she doesn’t have your actual work number, so you tease her, “I don’t think he’s busy. Why don’t we go visit him and tell him the situation? I think he would be more than happy to hear about it.” 

You can see her expression change, and she says, “No, I think we can just leave it like that.”

You grab her waist, “Let’s clear things up. I don’t want rumors that I’m messing with the CEO’s assistant.” You pull her hand, exit her apartment, walk towards the elevator, and press the button for the top floor.

Jennie looks nervous but tries to hide her expression. “He’s going to be upset that we’re bothering him.”

“I don’t think so, plus you’re blackmailing me.”

When you arrive at the top floor, the elevator rings, and you both exit and walk towards the hallway. You ring the doorbell, but there is no answer. 

With a faint smile of relief, Jennie says, “See, he’s not here, so let me waist go.”

“Hmm… let me try something.” You press the numbers on the keypad and hear a ring, unlocking the door.

“How did you do that?”

You pull Jennie and lock the door. “Seems like no one is home. CEO-nim! Jennie and I are looking for you!”

“Stop, he’s going to be made that we’re inside his home. Let’s go.” 

“No, I don’t want to; let’s have a bit of fun.” You walk towards the kitchen, open the fridge, and grab a beer. “He has some good taste, nice.”

“Leave it; he’s going to get mad!”

“No, he won’t.”

“Yes, he is. I heard that he’s mean.”

“Really? They said that?”

“Irene said that he makes them work to the bone.”

“No, I don’t. Wait until I see her tomorrow.”

Jennie’s reaction changes, and she says, “What did you say?”

“Nothing, forget about it.”

“You said something.” She stops, looks around, and walks to the living room. She sees pictures of you and freezes. 

Frozen for also a minute, she turns around and says, “Are you CEO-nim?”

You want to play it off, but know that the gig is over. Instead, you smile and say, “Dang, you caught me. Surprise!”

Many things go through her mind, like how she ordered you around the apartment, teased you, and even tried to blackmail you. 

“So what’s this about having my phone number and blackmailing me about fucking IU.”

Jennie gets on her knees, rubs her hands together, and begs, “I’m sorry. I was just joking around. I didn't mean it.”

“It wasn’t funny. Why did you do it?”

She bites her lip and tries to come up with a reason, saying, “I don’t know. I just wanted to tease you a bit and got jealous.”

“Jealous? What for?”

“You’re my type, and when I saw you and IU, I wanted to blackmail you so you can do whatever I say.”

“You know, that could have really gone bad and gotten someone hurt.”

“I’m sorry.” 

“If you’re sorry, how will you take responsibility?”

“Ehh?”

“You said I’m your type, and you’re pretty cute yourself. How about we have some fun?”

Jennie can’t believe what your words. She knows she said that you’re her type, but that was as a staff/trainer. Now that she learned you’re the one in charge of the company, she doesn’t want to do anything that might endanger her chance at debuting but, at the same time, finds it kind of hot. 

“What did you have in mind?”

“What do you think?” giving her a smirk.

Jennie knows what you’re thinking; it’s not like she hasn’t thought about it herself. You come close to her and grab her small behind, causing her to yelp.

She’s being this close to her. You know that she’s small and petite, “too, like a doll.”

“What?”

Instead of replying, you pick her up, carry her to the guestroom, and toss her onto the bed. 

“Wait… what are you doing?”

“I’m going to fuck you.”

“I’m not ready yet.”

“I didn’t ask you if you were. I’m telling you what I’m going to do to you.”

Jennie is stunned by your words. The image of you has been turned 360 from ordering you around to the other way around. Deep down, she can’t help but feel small and submissive by someone so huge and powerful enough to change her life.

“Okay, I understand.”

“Since you do, then strip. I want to see what I’m going to be working with.”

Jennie gets off the bed and stands in front of you. She slowly begins to undress herself, taking off her crop top and her small shots.

Now in underwear, she shyly takes off her bra, revealing her small, cute breasts. She tries to cover them, “Don’t forget the bottom.”

You smile as she hesitates to pull down her panties and whines, “Do I really have to pull them down?”

“Do you want me to do them for you? Just letting you know that I won’t be gentle.”

“I…I’ll do it then,” as she slowly pulls them down until it drops on the floor and quickly cover her cunt. 

“Take your hands off.”

“But…”

“Don’t make me repeat myself.”

 Jennie removes her hands, revealing her semi-bare cunt. 

“Fuck, you have a pretty-looking pussy and a nice pair of tits. Lay down on the bed and spread that pussy for me.”

Jennie feels embarrassed but does what you told her. She lays on the bed and puts her legs up. She tries to spread her legs, but the idea of spreading them open and showing her pussy to someone for the first time is nerve-wracking. 

“Spread them more!”

She widens her legs until you see her whole cunt in view. With both her index and middle fingers, she slowly spreads her pussy lips, giving you a view of her unused cunt. “How’s this?”

“Hot. You’re making me hard.”

“Really? I’m making you hard?”

“Yeah. Want to see?”

Jennie has never seen a cock before in real life, only on the internet when she would masturbate while in the dorms. Seeing one in real life is making her both nervous and excited, “yeah. I want to see it.”

You undo the bottom and drop your buttons, leaving only your boxers and a large bulge in sight. 

Jennie can feel her heart beating faster as you pull down your boxers, which makes your cock springs out. “Wow, it’s so big. Can I touch it?”

“Of course,” you say with a grin.

Jennie, with her index finger, touches the tip of your cock and throbs, “Haha, it’s likes me.”

“How about grabbing it with your two hands?”

“Okay, but I don’t think I’ll be able to wrap my hands around it.” With her small hands, she tries to wrap her hand, almost touching her fingertips.

Turned on, you ask, “Can I take a picture?”

Jennie looks up at you and smiles, “Sure, you’re the boss, right? I have no say.”

“Glad to see you know your place.”

You grab your phone and take a shoot of Jennie handling your cock. “Try putting it in your mouth.”

“Like this?” as she uses the tip of her tongue to lick the head of your cock. “Yes, just like that.”

You record her slowly licking your length, your shaft, pulling the head in her mouth, and even her trying to take a bit of your cock in her mouth as she plays with her cunt.

“Fuck… I knew you were a slut” you say as she has your cock in her mouth. “Hmmm… I’ll be your slut, Daddy,” giving you a devilish smile. You grab her chin in between your hands and say, “We’re going to get along very well.” 

She stands and lays on the bed once more and willingly spreads her legs for you, spreading her pussy, and says, “Make sure you get a picture of this.” 

“You know how to turn on a guy, huh.”

“I just want to please you, Daddy. Plus, I want everyone to know that you’re going to be my first.” 

You can’t wait any longer; you need to fuck her now. You set the phone down, walked back, and spread her legs. She grabs your cock and presses it against her belly, and asks, “Is all of that going inside of me?”

“It’s going to go right in here and reach all the way up here,” as you trace your finger and her wet cunt all the way up to her belly button. 

“Fuck me already, Daddy. Make me a real woman,” begs Jennie.

You grab your cock and rub your shaft against her wet lower lips, spreading them and covering them in her sticky nectar. “I’m going to put it in; just relax.” She balls up her waist against her chest, “Okay.” 

Jennie nervously watches as you align your massive cock against her small entrance, waiting for you to be her first and only cock she’s ever going to taste. 

You press the tip on your cock and slowly insert yourself until you reach her thin barrier, which separates her from womanhood. You look directly into her eyes, signaling that you’re going to go all the way into it. She nods back and tries to prepare herself for what’s to come. 

You grab her small waist and, without mercy, put your weight onto her petite body and slam yourself into her fresh womb. “Fuck!!! I’m cumming; you’re too big; you’re making me cum!”

Jennie’s body spasms, and she tilts her head back as she feels her orgasm overwhelming her. 

“Haha, you just came from me putting it in? Let’s see how many times you cum.”

You don’t let her rest and put her into a mating press. She groans from not being able to ride off her orgasm, “Daddy, wait. You’re going to make me cum again. Let me rest.”

“A girl like you doesn’t deserve to rest; you’re my sex toy. I get to use you however I want,” slamming yourself inside her once again. 

Jennie cries as she feels her insides being rearranged by your cock, “Ahh, you’re messing me up inside! I won’t be able to with anyone beside you! Fuck…you’re stretching my small pussy out!”

Watching her becoming a mess is getting you more turned on. Even if it’s her first time, she’s a natural. You place your hand on her neck and firmly tighten your grip. Jennie panics when she feels your hand choking her, puts her hands around your arms, and looks at you in terror. “Shh… baby girl, calm down; I’m not going to hurt you, just something the both of us to enjoy. Trust me.”

Directly looking at you, she lets go of her hands and instead focuses on you, thrusting inside of her. “You feel so tight, Jennie; I feel like cumming already,” as you tighten the grip of your hand around her neck. 

You see Jennie trying to speak, so you loosen your grip, “Ahhh… cum… cum inside me, Daddy. I… I want to feel your cum in my tummy.”

You tighten your grip on her neck again as you fuck her roughly, only hearing the sound of both your flesh against each other. Little by little, you feel your peak approaching, a cold sensation in your back. 

“Fuck… I’m going to dump all my cum in your tight little pussy!” 

You feel all your cum shoot deep inside Jennie’s womb with your thick cum. Her eyes roll back from how tight you’re choking her as you pump a large load. Her body starts to go limp from the lack of air, so you let go of her neck and see the imprint of your hand around it. 

Immediately, Jennie gasps for air and comes back to her senses. “You’re such a good girl, Jennie. I think you’re going to be my favorite toy from now on.” 

She gives you a weak smile, grabs your hand, and places it back around her neck, “Keep fucking me, Daddy. I’m your dirty like toy.”

The two of you keep fucking all night long, every time you pump your cum in and on her body. At the end, you take a series of photos and videos of your work, Jennie’s body covered in cum and her cunt oozing out a mixture of both your juices.

—————

You wake up the next day and see Jennie under your arms. You try to get up, but she’s holding on to you. Rubbing her eyes, she turned around and said, “Good morning, Daddy.”

“Good morning, Jennie. How are you feeling?”

“Sore. I can still feel some of your cummies in my tummy. I feel my pussy gaped. I don’t think I'll be able to get married anymore, haha.”

“Good. You’re mine, anyways.”

“Jealous?”

“No. I just got like sharing my toys.” You grab her by the neck with a firm grip and say, “Don’t forget that, okay? You’re mine.”

“Yes, Daddy,” as she feels your strong hand choking her. 

You let her go and walk to the bathroom to freshen up. Jennie looks at her phone and sees text messages from her group mates asking if she visited her mom since she didn’t sleep at the apartment. 

Jennie replies to them and immediately gets an idea that makes her smile excitedly, “Daddy.”

“Yes.”

“Since I’m your sex toy, how about making the rest of us your toys?”

“You mean your groupmates?”

“Yeah, how bout it? Sounds like fun, right?”

“Doesn’t sound like a bad idea; I’ll think about it.”

[puffcap-factory]

Oh, the man he is... (Wriothesley x Reader)

Wriothesley x fem!reader; fluff, shared feelings, implied mutual pining or some sorts + Sigewinne, Furina, Neuvillette appeared as cameos!

You had agreed to extend your work in the Fortress, much to Wriothesley’s delight. However, recently, he found it harder and harder to spend time with you, and it left him feeling restless.

((The story is a sequel of my previous fic here! Although you can always read it separately, the build-up is somewhat connected to the previous one))

Words: 3.1k

Notes: 

I’ve always wanted to do the continuation of my previous stories, but I clearly went overboard for this one since I didn’t plan this to be this long. But, I mean, it’s Wriothesley, who could resist? ;) and don't judge the title pls HELP

Enjoy the story!

•~•~•~•

No, Wriothesley wasn't a jealous man.

As a responsible warden of the fortress, he remained focused on his professional duties, fully acknowledging the demands they entailed.

However, ever since you’ve agreed to extend your work at the Fortress of Meropide—with Neuvillette’s permission, of course, Wriothesley had unconsciously developed a habit of seeking you out—whether it was to hand you some documents or simply to ask about your day. 

Yet, it had been a week since he had a proper conversation with you, since the conflicting work schedules you two had left little time to spend with each other. And somehow, it was starting to bother Wriothesley more than it should. 

Wriothesley exhaled as he stood up from his office seat, leaving piles of documents sprawled on his desk. Despite his usual preference for lunching in his office, he found himself walking towards the cafeteria.

As he approached the bustling cafeteria, his hopes lifted momentarily when he saw you already seated, only to deflate when he spotted you already seated… with another young man in front of you. 

Oh. He thought to himself.

In that moment, he recalled that your latest work involved cooperation with some of the fortress’ members. Right, it was business matters and he’s the Duke of Meropide, he got nothing to worry about, right? 

So, he greeted you, asked about your day, and went back to his office.

•~•~•~•

Wriothesley surely wasn’t a jealous man...

Another day, he discovered that you were done for the day as your work for the day was finished. He was just about to step out of his office to search for you when, to his surprise, you appeared right in front of the office doors. What luck, he thought to himself. However, your sheepish smile hinted at something else.

“Oh, hi, um— I’m here to tell you that I won’t be here for the weekend.”

His plans to ask you out crumbled inside his head.

“Oh, you got called in by the court?”

“No, but I’ve got other things to do,” you replied as you gave him an apologetic smile. “Is that okay?”

Well, he couldn't just outright refuse; after all, you deserved a break too. However, his mind raced, wondering about the nature of the 'other things' you had mentioned. Was it work-related? Or perhaps it was something more private?

"Of course, don’t worry about it," Wriothesley reassured you with a smile, trying to bury his own thoughts as he mentally cursed himself for his train of thought. "I'll see you next Monday then."

You thanked him and went off. He sighed, hoping that you would be available for the weekend so he could at least ask you out. But for now, he would have to wait.

•~•~•~•

Wriothesley definitely wasn’t the jealous type... or so he believed.

But lately, he couldn't shake this nagging feeling of restlessness. You seemed busier than ever, going back and forth between the surface and the fortress. And, to make matters worse, you were spending less time with him compared to a certain assistant. This young man had been assisting you in the latest case at the fortress, and he seemed to be handling it well. In fact, it was Wriothesley himself who suggested you to appoint an assistant in order to lighten your workload—as you seemed to have some business to take care of on the surface, only to find himself now competing for your attention.

It was like his own idea to help you had turned against him, backfiring in the most frustratingly ironic way possible. 

Massaging his temples, Wriothesley groaned as his thoughts swirled in his head.

“Feeling unwell, Your Grace?” Sigewinne's soft and cheery voice interrupted his brooding as she entered his office, carrying documents from the infirmary.

“Oh, Sigewinne, it’s nothing,” Wriothesley exhaled. “Thanks for the documents though.”

“If you’re wondering about y/n, she’s already gone to the surface,” Sigewinne said softly, yet, her tone masking a hint of mischief.

Wriothesley sighed in defeat. “Right, the event tomorrow. I figured she'd be attending.”

“Didn't she tell you?” Sigewinne asked innocently.

Oof.

Wriothesley fell silent, then replied, “No, but I had a hunch.”

“I saw her heading to the surface with Antonio—the assistant, did I get his name right? I heard there’s a ball in the event, right? Maybe they’re preparing for it,” Sigewinne added, her smile widening just a bit, her eyes anticipating his reaction. 

Wriothesley lifted his head to stare at Sigewinne, at a loss for words.

Wait, were you actually planning on dancing together with Antonio?

She giggled innocently at his reaction before continuing.

“But you’ll be there too, Your Grace. And for security reasons, I don’t see any problem,” she chirped, her amusement evident in her voice.

With a grumble, Wriothesley stood up and headed straight to his room. “Security reasons, right… I’ll need to think about tomorrow's outfit then…”

Sigewinne watched him go, giggling softly to herself.

“Racing hearts, rising blood pressure, uneasiness. Yep, those are the physical symptoms of jealousy, alright,” Sigewinne mused to herself.

“Human emotions are truly interesting.”

•~•~•~•

You stared at the dress laying on top of your bed at your dwelling in the surface, mentally preparing yourself up with confidence to wear it for the event tomorrow. In fact, Furina had picked the dress together with you. Classy, beautiful, drop-dead gorgeous; was what she commented. But honestly, when was the last time you'd slipped into something so elegant? 

As you lay back on your bed, your mind wandered over the events of the past few weeks.

--few weeks before--

“A… ball, you said?” 

"Yes, in fact, Lady Furina will be hosting the event. And we are expected to attend as representatives from the court," Neuvillette explained, his tone as flat as ever. Beside him, Lady Furina nodded eagerly. “The ball will pose as the closing ceremony.”

"Ah, I see... so the event about three weeks away," you replied, your confidence faltering slightly. "To be honest, I'm not exactly skilled at dancing..."

"Oh, nonsense! A Fontainian lady must know how to dance!" Lady Furina interjected, her voice brimming with determination. "Fear not! I'll personally train you at least twice a week until the ball. How does that sound?"

You swallowed nervously, anticipating her rigorous training methods. You glanced to Neuvillette, only to found him nodding in agreement. 

"Um... alright, thank you for the offer, Lady Furina. I'll try to make time during the weekends."

"Excellent! It's settled then!" Lady Furina exclaimed with a wide smile, her hand clasped in front of his chest. "Meet me in front of my house this weekend!"

You closed your eyes, recalling the training sessions with Furina as you tried to gather your confidence for tomorrow. Although you could safely say you were doing okay-ish with the training, your mind kept wandering back to a certain man in the fortress, leaving you longing for the interactions you shared with him.

•~•~•~•

The next evening, the venue began to fill with people, the atmosphere bustling with liveliness. You positioned yourself near the Palais Mermonia members, keeping Neuvillette in your sight as you glanced over at Furina, who was already engaged in conversation with other people.

As you talked with various guests, your thoughts often drifted to whether Wriothesley would attend the ball. The idea of dancing with him crossed your mind, but so far, he was nowhere to be seen.

Come to think of it, you hadn’t told him a thing about your secret dancing lessons. 

“You haven’t found a dance partner??” Furina's panicked tone was evident as she approached you, her arm linked with Neuvillette's, signaling that they would dance together. 

“Um, well, not yet…” you mumbled, feeling a bit flustered.

“Oh, my! I won’t allow you wasting your skills today! Let me see…”

Furina pondered for a moment before suggesting a few Palais Mermonia attendees as potential partners. However, none of them really piqued your interest. If you want someone, it would be– 

“Wriothesley is also attending this event too, in case you are wondering,” Neuvillette added suddenly, catching you off guard.

Your eyes widened slightly at the unexpected mention of Wriothesley's presence. You knew Neuvillette must be offering his personal opinion, perhaps based on his own observation of your close working relationship with the Duke, in addition with Wriothesley's request to extend your stay at the fortress. However, the comment had caught you off guard, and you went silent, a faint blush tinting your cheeks as you hid your excitement.

But your reaction had caught Furina’s attention as her smile turned into a mischievous grin. “Ah, the Duke of Meropide! How could I forget?” she exclaimed dramatically, holding her hand up to her face. “I saw him near the gardens earlier. You should go check him out!”

Although you realized her attempt on teasing you, you found yourself nodding hastily and made your way outside to the place she had mentioned. 

“And the ball is starting in fifteen—!” Furina added rather enthusiastically, her voice trailing behind you. 

And so, you went outside. The atmosphere was less crowded than indoors, but there were still plenty of people mingling about. You paced around in search of Wriothesley when suddenly, a young man intercepted you from the side, introducing himself.

“Good evening, m’lady. You're as lovely as a fresh rainbow rose. Would you do me the honor of a dance?”

“Thank you, but I’m actually looking for someone…” you began, trying to politely decline.

“A dance partner, perhaps?” he persisted, holding out a real rainbow rose this time.

“I’m sorry, but I really should— ,“ you attempted to excuse yourself, but he wasn't taking the hint.

“The ball's starting soon. It'd be a shame not to enjoy a dance with such a beautiful lady…”

Feeling pressured but unable to escape his persistence, you were about to step away, but a reassuring hand suddenly clasped your waist, holding you close from the side.

“The lady clearly indicated she wasn't interested.”

Relief flooded through you as you immediately recognized the voice. Looking up, you saw Wriothesley standing with a polite – or perhaps, intimidating – smile on his face, standing rather menacingly in front of the persistent man. The young man went off immediately, clearly taking Wriothesley’s cue.

After the man had hurriedly retreated, Wriothesley released his arm from your waist and turned towards you, his gaze lingering for a moment, a small smile playing on his lips as he took time to admire your delightful appearance. He then bowed slightly towards you, lifting your hand with a gentle touch and pressed a small kiss to the back of it.

“M’lady,” he murmured, his voice low and husky. 

You were stunned by his gentlemanly gesture, as you just felt a flutter of butterflies inside your stomach. “Wriothesley…” You found yourself momentarily at a loss for words, struck by how incredibly charming he appeared in his formal attire.

“You look stunning,” he complimented, his warm gaze met yours, a stark contrast to the coolness of his icy-colored eyes. You shyly thanked him for his kind words, feeling a warmth spreading through you at his sincere compliment.

As the two of you were lost in the brief moment of admiring each other, he cleared his throat, subtly regaining his composure as he glanced around. “…Are you perhaps, waiting for someone?” he asked as his curiosity piqued. 

“Oh, well, I was…”

Wriothesley immediately caught onto your choice of words.

“You… were?”

“Mhm, but not anymore,” you replied with a warm, sheepish smile.

A hint of confusion flickered across Wriothesley's face, his thoughts momentarily jumbled. Wait, so you weren't waiting for Antonio, which meant…

You sensed his slow realization and couldn't help but let out a small laugh as you added, “You, Wriothesley. You’re the one I’ve been searching for.”

Your words came out cheesier than intended, and you felt a blush creeping up your cheeks as you scrambled to explain. But Wriothesley did not seem to care as his smile grew wider. It was what he had hoped to hear. 

But then, before he could say anything, your attention shifted to the direction of the building, with the music began playing from inside the hall, signaling that the ball had already begun as people started flocking into the building.  

Observing the dwindling crowd, Wriothesley turned to look at you. “As much as I want to dance with you, I don’t think we’ll make it in time inside.”

You returned his smile at his eagerness to dance with you. You looked around, taking in the serene atmosphere of the nearly empty garden. “It’s fine. Instead… I’d hate to miss the beauty of the moon tonight.”

He gave you an affectionate smile as he seemed to understood the hint, and extended his arm towards you. “Well then, m’lady, may I have the honor of a dance?”

With a nod, you gladly accepted his hand. “Of course, Your Grace,” you replied, earning a small chuckle from him at your sudden formality.

As the music played softly in the background and the moon cast its gentle glow upon you, you and Wriothesley began to dance. The waltz you had practiced with Furina proved its worth as you both moved gracefully under the enchanting night sky. You realized that you had been longing for his company for this whole time.

As you danced, you became acutely aware of the close proximity between you and Wriothesley. Your faces were just inches apart, and his eyes seemed to be locked onto yours with an intensity that made your heart race. His hand rested firmly on your back, providing a reassuring support, while the other held yours with a gentle yet firm grip. 

“You dance well,” you whispered softly, breaking the silence.

“I could say the same about you,” he hummed, his eyes affectionately locked on yours as you two transitioned into a slower dance. “Have you been practicing in secret? Or were you just naturally gifted?”

You gave a small laugh at his remark. “Actually…” You paused, shying away for a bit. “I’ve been attending dance lessons with Lady Furina these past few weeks.”

“Oh? Is that why you've been going back and forth to the surface?” 

“Mostly, yeah, since I agreed to return her favor,” you explained with a sheepish grin. “But she also roped me into helping compile some data for this event. I must thank you for offering me appointing an assistant to help with the job though. He really did his job well.”

“Wait, I thought he’s also coming to this event?” He stopped the slow dance momentarily, still holding you in his arms as he processed the new information.

“Antonio? No, he’s taking care of my duties today in the fortress, as I instructed him yesterday.”

Wriothesley went silent as everything seemed to click inside his mind, a chuckle escaping his lips, amused by his own thoughts. You looked at him in confusion, but he waved off your concern with a dismissive smile.

“Never mind, it’s not the time to dwell on petty things,” he said, his focus returning to you. “I don’t want to spoil the moment dancing with you tonight.”

You stared at him for a second, before nodding in agreement, letting go of any lingering questions inside you as you both resumed your dance under the enchanting moonlight. It felt like you were dancing without a care in the world, lost in each other’s embrace.

As the song reached its conclusion, you both stopped gracefully, locked in a gaze neither of you wanted to break. A warm smile played on your lips as you looked into his eyes, feeling the warmth of his gaze that he returned to you.

In that fleeting moment, as the night air wrapped around you like a gentle caress, there was a subtle shift in the atmosphere. His eyes began to flicker between your lips and your eyes. You were ready to surrender yourself into the silent invitation as you slowly leaned forwards, feeling his breath brush against your skin as your noses almost touching.

Seeing you responded to his silent cue, a faint smile tugged at the corners of Wriothesley's lips as he too began to close the gap between you, inching closer. Finally, his lips met yours as he kissed you gently, sealing the moment carefully with a tender embrace.

Despite your racing heartbeat, you melted into his soft kiss, feeling his hand cupping your cheek gently that made your heart flutter. As the air around you seemed to grow warmer with the intensity of the moment, you pulled back slightly, needing a moment to catch your breath. Your cheeks flushed with a rosy hue as you met his gaze with half-lidded eyes, the heat of the moment still lingering between you.

He leaned in closer, as if to pull you into another kiss, but then abruptly halted, his body rigid as his eyes widened slightly. He then quickly turned his head to the side facing the bushes, while his hand remained protectively on your waist.

“Who’s there?” he asked, his voice a bit demanding.

Slowly, a small figure behind starting to emerge behind the bushes, revealing Sigewinne who slowly tiptoed out.

“Oh, I’m sorry, Your Grace, I thought I was hiding well,” she said with a sheepish smile. “I didn’t want to bother, so I waited.”

Wriothesley immediately released his hand from your waist, bringing it to his face to hide his embarrassment. “Ah, it’s you…, what brings you here?”

“Monsieur Neuvillette was searching for you, and I happened to spot you here,” she explained, her tone light and playful. 

Wriothesley let out an exasperated sigh, his hand falling to his side. “Right.”

Then, Sigewinne glanced at you with a mischievous gleam in her eye. “Looks like your jealousy was a tad unnecessary, Your Grace,” she teased.

“Huh, where did that come from?” Wriothesley responded with a bemused expression.

You stood there, momentarily stunned, before Sigewinne’s words finally sank in. “…Jealous? Of whom?” you asked, glancing between them in confusion, before it dawned on you as you recalled your lingering questions from your mind.

Wait…could it be? 

A smile tugged at the corners of your lips as Sigewinne continued, “Ah, you see, this big man was actually jealous that new assis–”

“Ugh, spare me…” Wriothesley groaned, turning to walk away, not wanting to hear the rest of Sigewinne’s teasing. You laughed softly as you followed behind with Sigewinne as she started to explain her observationsfrom the past few weeks.

As you walked, you caught Wriothesley stealing a glance back at the two of you, a playful smirk tugged on his lips. It seemed like he was content with how things had turned out.

And so, the rest of the night unfolded with cheers and laughter, with everyone by your side. Despite the lingering feeling of a certain unfinished business, you couldn't wipe the smile from your face for the entire night.

After all, you now know that the feelings were mutual, right?

[the-ace-with-spades]

When Ice and Mav actually moved in together for the first time (after dodging it for about five years) when Mav had to take in Bradley, Ice found pretty soon that Bradley and Mav had no sense of safety --- would always forget to lock the door, either while leaving the house for the day or retiring for the night.

So he installed locks that would lock automatically as soon as the door shut.

Of course, Mav and Bradley didn't remember to lock the doors because they didn't remember to take the keys with them. One can imagine this becomes a problem.

After the twentieth time Bradley biked from school only to wait three hours for Mav, and then another two to wait for Ice because Mav also forgot his keys, Bradley decides to do something about it.

He's very much Mav's kid so instead of doing the normal thing and making key copies and putting them in some secret spots/his locker room, he decides he's just going to learn to pick locks.

It's the nineties so he basically just goes to a locksmith and asks if he can buy some tools off him and the guy is so fascinated by this scrawny thirteen-year-old who wants to learn to pick locks to break into his own house, he not only teachs him basics but also gives him lock picking mags and a book.

So Bradley learns on old locks and bike chains and then one day, he forgets the keys and breaks into their own house. It happens again and again.

Mav finds out when he picks Bradley up from the principal's office one day and arrives at the house to promptly realize he didn't take his keys in the morning. He asks Bradley if he has the keys, he doesn't, and Mav just gets fed up because there's no way they're waiting six hours until Ice comes back so he has to go back to base.

Bradley makes a deal with him. "If I get us inside, you won't ground me."

Obviously, Mav agrees. And Bradley picks the lock.

And like, Mav probably shouldn't indulge this, but it also means he doesn't have to worry about carrying keys again so, yeah, he buys Bradley a new lockpicking mini tool belt. And Bradley gets even better at it.

One day, Ice is supposed to be at home the whole day, brought a suitcase full of confidential documents with himself, the type that has both a lock and a code, and tells Bradley to tell Mav he's only going to be at the office fifteen minutes tops, he'll be home the whole day, please don't blow a gasket Mav. Bradley asks why, Ice explains he forgot the goddamn key for the suitcase and Bradley is like, "If I can open it, can you buy me that keyboard before my birthday?" and for funnsies, Ice agrees.

Before he finishes saying, "This is government property, kid, no way you'll be able to open it with some funny screwdriver," Bradley is reading the top secret mission plans out loud.

He gets that keyboard. Ice is the man of his word.

One time, Slider arrives on base in his new fancy BMW, showing it off and boasting so much he locks the key in by accident.

Ice is like, "Don't call the locksmith, I got it," and calls home and asks Bradley to check if he can open it and Bradley's answer is, "Only if Uncle Slider agrees to teach me to drive in it." Slider, obviously, agrees because there's no way --- he doesn't know what Ice is playing at but Baby Goose is not going to open his car.

Bradley opens the brand new BMW with about twenty Navy guys cheering him on in the parking lot.

Now, when Bradley is all alone at college, it's very tempting to use it for bad stuff --- to steal cars or rob shops, especially when money gets tough --- but the worst he does is breaking into the cafeteria and stealing sandwiches and bags of chips. He knows having a record would kick him out of NROTC, fast, so the lockpicking becomes a bit useless --- he does charge people from his dorms (which all have the same automatic lock on the doors) ten bucks to open them and avoid calling the RA.

Next time it has any significant impact on his life, Jake Seresin just forgot his key to his locker. He's got his flight suit but his boots and a space to leave his bag is behind the closed door.

Bradley only says, "You're not going to ask questions and you're going to owe me one."

He takes out a pin he always has attached to his car keys and within minutes, Seresin's locker is open.

He doesn't know it but Jake stares at him, not because he's wondering how much shit he's stolen (that too, a little bit) but also because apparently he finds lock picking really hot.

Now, Bradley goes about his life and soon enough finds out that Seresin's definition of 'owe you one' meant taking Bradley out on a date. Which, honestly, Bradley isn't that opposed to even if he puts on a face, Seresin is nice to look at and it's hard to find a guy to fuck when you're training six days a week in flight school.

They have a little routine of Jake calling with, "Hey, I locked myself out, can you get your ass here?" and Bradley lockpicking his door and then pinning him to said door as soon as they're inside. He's pretty sure he's seen Jake's keys in his back pocket a few times it happened.

This continues but Bradley keeps on staying longer and longer at Jake's place, more of his already small collection of things makes its way there, to the point that it's more like he's living there too and just breaking in every time, like back at the house in San Diego.

Obviously, he gets spooked, badly, when Jake finally says that when they move to Lemoore after they finish training, he's giving Bradley an actual key. The last time he shared a key with someone, he's been told he isn't enough and isn't ready and had all his dreams shattered --- like hell he's letting Jake chew out his heart, again.

So he requests change of target stations and doesn't say shit until the winging ceremony.

Next time he picks a lock, it's Nat's car in the NAS Oceans parking lot. He doesn't say she owes him one but she offers him a drink at the nearby bar as a thank you. He says no, just not to risk it again.

Nat sticks but nothing like with Jake happens.

Years go on and the second time around Bradley is at Top Gun, with Mav hovering over him like a goddamn shadow, with Nat's judgemental eyes and with Jake's big pretty mouth not knowing what he's saying, he gets a text.

I locked myself out. Can you get your ass here? with a base house location pinned in the next message.

Maybe he's naive but he goes.

"I really did lock myself out," Jake tells him straight away. "Don't think this means anything."

They haven't talked since he took out Bradley's dirty laundry in front of everyone in the debriefing room. Bradley opens his front door and is about to leave when Jake asks, "You wanna step inside?"

It doesn't solve anything. He doesn't know if Jake actually locked himself out or not.

When he and Mav are discharged, waiting to leave the base again, and Mav swears and mutters, "I forgot my goddamn keys," and Bradley knows Ice is currently in Hawaii, Bradley asks, "You got some paper clips on you?"

It doesn't solve anything but he breaks into Mav and Ice's house.

It doesn't solve anything but it's a start.

[greenhouse-studies]

Day 89 • 100 Days of Productivity

i finally got an answer from my macroeconomics professor about how to do my final from last semester (i had taken an incomplete grade because of illness) and instead of having to do a 60 minutes timed multiple choice and four 10 minute timed writing prompts, she’s just giving me a document to do on my own time to answer 15 essay questions. it’s literally not even due until over a month. i am BLESSED. i also have been studying my ass off for biology and it’s paying off because i got a 90% on a lab quiz that a lot of people struggled with. you can see the screen that my study group did some quizlet questions on.

the food pictures are last nights dinner with a philly cheesesteak and this morning’s coffee. i’m completely out of rhythm with my food intake but not in a disordered way just in a too focused to eat and then when i am hungry it’s in classes where i can’t eat. at least i ALWAYS have a structured dinner with my family because we meal plan for the week on sundays. i’m trying to get into eating breakfast before school which is going well, especially because my club sandwich bagel tastes better than anything in the cafeteria on campus lol

anyway, back to studying so i can relax this weekend!

🎶 what a time to be alive - fall out boy 🎶

[lov-eable]

TELL ME  ֗ ˖ ࣪ ᩠ ༉‧₊˚ ✿ #06

━━ a filmmaker decides to follow and document the lives of the worst and best students at your school for a month, unfortunately, those students are you and chishiya, the most annoying guy on earth.

masterlist ◌*ꕤ

word count ✦ 1416

A/N: hellooooooooo! a little bit later than usual sorryyyy <3 not proofread so excuse any mistakes :] im so excited for next chapter hehe hope u enjoy itttt 💗 btw i LOVE reading your comments and mixed opinions about chishiya, i think im fulfilling the purpose i had for chishiya's character :D

06/12/18 12:24

You were sitting between the library shelves, as usual, your small beat-up notebook with childish stickers on the cover in one hand, and your chewed pencil in the other. You weren’t so sure how you were still allowed there, you considered maybe the librarian had begun to care for you seeing you read so passionately, grabbing as many books as you could and always greeting her with a contagious smile. Also, forbidding you to enter the establishment was maybe a bit too much for anyone, not letting you borrow books for a whole month was enough punishment. 

You stared blankly at the page, almost as empty as your mind if it hadn’t been for some scribbles you did at the top, unsure of what to write. Whatever you had written yesterday before ‘him’ -his name was now forbidden- destroyed the paper was wonderful but was absolutely forgotten. You contemplated that maybe you should’ve taken the remaining papers with you, taken them home and put it all together with some tape, but the idea didn’t cross your mind at the moment. So angry you needed to step out of the classroom for a minute, a minute which turned into some hours, you don’t remember exactly how many but you were outside until some minutes before the final bell rang.

Fleeing the way you did had two main purposes, not punching anyone innocent, sometimes you could be pretty impulsive and hasty towards others, and avoiding him. This task did not end there, you made your best effort to evade him completely, but it wasn’t as easy as you thought. You made sure to be at the classroom for roll call before sneaking out, you thought you were so clever by doing but teachers noticed your absence right away as the silence was more prominent than ever. Although it did not disturb teachers enough to search for you because, at the end of the day, it was you, you were always disappearing, and if you were in the classroom by god’s grace, all you did was distract others or bicker with Chishiya.

Sorry, bicker with he-who-should-not-be-named. It was your teacher’s indifference the main reason why your plan succeeded. When the shoot started, you promised yourself you would commit and not escape, again, for Mr. Kyuma’s sake but the conditions did not work in your favour to keep this promise. So now, you weren’t avoiding only ‘him’, you were avoiding Director Kyuma and his cameraman, Mr. Shitara. In fact, you tried to sneak yourself into the cafeteria earlier as you were quite hungry but you almost ran into Mr. Shitara, so you had to stay in the library.

You were deep into your thoughts, trying to find the lost poem in the ponds and rivers of your mind, when you heard how a book hit the floor, most probably on accident. You looked up at whoever dropped the book and there he was, the Dark Lord -you had a dream some days before in which he was Voldemort and you were Harry Potter, so now it was his nickname between you and your friends- looking at you, you had the impression he did not expect you to encounter you there, but you never knew with Chishiya. 

He picked up the book and left it where it was supposed to be to then head towards you, when he was just right in front of you, he knelt down as you were sitting on the floor. You were about to ask him what he wanted when he spoke, “let’s eat something after school, I know you haven’t eaten all day” he handed you a packet of cookies, “I need to tell you something too, you can stay here, I won’t tell Director Kyuma I saw you. Meet me outside the school gates, okay?” you took the cookies puzzled and before any word could exit your mouth, he left you there, extremely confused and with some cookies. Strawberry cream-filled cookies, your favourite ones.

You were not sure why, but you stood outside the school gates as soon as they were open, just like Chishiya told you to. Kuina and Arisu questioned you about your hideaway when they saw you and told you to go with them to get some ice creams, only to deny the offer this one time. They were suspicious about why you had rejected them, and even more suspicious about why you were still standing there as if you were waiting for someone else, but with some glances between them, they decided to keep the interrogation for later.

If they had asked right then and right there, they probably would have left with more doubts than before. Yes, you were waiting for Chishiya, but why? Because he told you to? You were not the kind of person who just did what they were told to do, so why were you there, rejecting ice cream offers from your friends? He hadn’t even apologised for tearing apart your poem, there was no reason for you to be waiting for him. As you were regaining some sense and decided to leave, he stood in front of you, “let’s go”.

You decided to eat in a small shop named ‘Midsummer Noodles’, the walk there was painfully silent but as soon as you took a seat, the owner greeted you, “Oh, Chishiya! Long time no see! Please send my greetings to your father” he smiled with the softness only older people could, “oh, you are Kano's youngest daughter, right?” you nodded, smiling back to him, “you must be Chishiya’s girlfriend…” you did not let him finish the statement by telling him it was not like that right away, your cheeks flushed.

“Sorry, the neighbours recognize me a lot because of my dad” you told him it was okay, town people were always so noisy, as you were checking the menu, “I have never eaten here, what’s good here?” you clearly saw how he thought it for a moment before answering you, “the spicy noodles are really good”, “let’s have them then”. He directed himself towards the owner whose name was unknown to you, “mister, can we get two spicy noodles? Please make one less spicy”.

When the noodles arrived, he told the owner the less spicy ones were for you. It was strange, first, your favourite cookies, then, this. He had noticed your eating preferences. And he also said he would be paying for the food, even if you insisted you would pay for your food. “So, you said you had something to tell me, right?” without replying, he brought his school backpack from behind the chair to his lap and, after searching for a bit, he took out a laminated sheet. He handed the sheet to you and you noticed the paper inside it was all stuck together with tape. You read some words. It was your not-destroyed anymore poem.

“I’m sorry about this, and about the book too. I hope you did not get punished too hard” you smiled delicately at him, “it’s okay, I mean, I’m not permanently banned, the lady just took my library card for a month, but I’ll get it back” he smirked, as usual, “oh, so I get this whole month to read more books than you and finally win” you looked at him with a confused gesture, “what? The library competition?” you seemed disoriented, “oh, god. Don’t you even look at the board which says the students who have read the most every month?” you nodded denying it, “you are the one who reads the most every month, I’m always second. So I’ll win this time” you needed some seconds to process the information, “oh, no! I’ll lose my record!”. For the first time ever, you took the time to talk with each other.

The food was over and he had already paid for it, you were ready to go but he stopped you. “Before you leave, you should keep your important documents safe…”, he took some empty transparent sheets and handed you them, “here are some more, don’t let your poems roam free through the desks” he smirked, again, but you were starting to get used to it. You thanked him and both of you were outside the restaurant, ready to part ways, he had already gone his own way when you turned around and began walking next to him, “my house is this way too, I’m not following you”, you clarified, “didn’t say you were”.

tag list: @surshica @enslique @httpsimmy @elernity @eshtravagent @fishisahappydog @kreishin @vernon-dursley @mhyunri @thenightsflower @madjz @saiewithakatana @yeosangiehwa @xiaoishwrites @seloise @justhere105 @naegisimp @mxbrahms @chlooooop @woodandwaxwings @huachengsbestie01 

[mariacallous]

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — Police on Friday released video of the moments before and after a fight in an Oklahoma high school bathroom where the mother of a nonbinary student says the 16-year-old was knocked to the floor, and in a 911 call their mother made the next day she expressed concern about a head injury.

The teen died a short time later.

Sue Benedict, the mother of Nex Benedict, told a 911 operator that Nex had hit their head on the bathroom floor when the students who beat them up “knocked” them to the ground.

Benedict said during the Feb. 8 call made about 1 p.m. that the teen’s eyes were rolling back, their breathing was shallow and their hands were curled, according to the audio released by police in the Tulsa suburb of Owasso.

She said Nex had complained of a headache, and she had taken the teen to the hospital after the altercation the day before.

“I hope this ain’t from her head. They were supposed to have checked her out good,” said Benedict, who remained calm during the call and said she had been to nursing school. Sue Benedict said in a statement on a GoFundMe page set up to help cover funeral expenses that the family was still learning to use the teen’s preferred name and pronouns.

Paramedics responding to the family’s house performed CPR and rushed Nex to the hospital, where Nex later died.

The video released by police from the high school on Feb. 7 shows students walking into and then out of a bathroom after stacking chairs on top of tables in a cafeteria. Six students are seen entering the bathroom before Nex, who stops at a water fountain and then enters the bathroom along with two other students. A faculty member is then seen going into the bathroom, and the students walk out.

There is no indication from the footage, which only shows the bathroom door and part of the cafeteria, of what occurred in the bathroom.

Another video shows Nex being walked out of the school by a security officer and being picked up by a guardian.

In audio of the call Benedict made to police on Feb. 7 at about 3:30 p.m. from the hospital, she says Nex was “jumped” in the bathroom, and she said she wanted an officer to come so she could file charges.

But according to a police search warrant that was signed the day after Benedict’s death, she told the responding officers that she didn’t want to file charges at that time. She instead asked police to speak to school officials about issues on campus among students.

Benedict told The Independent later that the teen had suffered bruises all over their face and eyes in the fight.

The school district has said the students were in the restroom for less than two minutes before the fight was broken up by other students and a staff member. Police and school officials have not said what provoked the fight.

The family, through their lawyer, declined to comment Friday on the search warrant. The attorney did not immediately offer any comment on behalf of the family on the video and audio released. Earlier this week, they said they have launched their own independent investigation into what happened.

Vigils are planned over the weekend in Oklahoma for the teen.

The search warrant, which was signed the day after Benedict’s death, also shows investigators took 137 pictures at the school, including inside the girl’s bathroom where the fight occurred. They additionally collected two swabs of stains from the bathroom and retrieved records and documents of the students involved in the altercation.

While the two-week-old warrant states that police were seeking evidence in a felony murder, the department has since said Benedict’s death was not a result of injuries suffered in the fight, based on the preliminary results of the autopsy.

The police department, which didn’t respond to multiple messages sent Friday, has said it won’t comment further on the teen’s cause of death until toxicology and other autopsy results are completed.

Owasso school officials, meanwhile, said Friday that they requested police obtain the court order to search the school because of state and federal privacy laws regarding the release of confidential student records.

“We are continuing to cooperate with the Owasso Police Department’s ongoing investigation,” Jordan Korphage, a school district spokesperson, wrote in an email.

Tulsa County District Attorney Steve Kunzweiler, whose office isn’t currently involved in the police investigation, called the death a tragedy but cautioned people against being “swayed by sentiments fueled by the passion of emotions which may be misinformed.”

“A family in our community is grieving and we empathize with their sorrow during this difficult time,” he wrote in an email Friday. “While much has been speculated about this child’s death in social media, we will maintain the integrity of law enforcement’s investigation, and allow them to do their job.”

[sl-newsie]

Behind Masks (Dr. Jonathon Crane x OC) Ch. 3: New Friends

“Wakey wakey, sunshine.”

The guard from earlier pounds on the door and rustles me awake from a restless sleep. All night I've been fighting invisible demons. They're not real but that doesn't mean the toxin leaves no impression. I don’t know how long I’ve been unconscious and no clue at all to what time it is.

“First you shower. Then breakfast. Then group therapy.”

“Can I at least talk to a lawyer?” I ask, even though I already know the answer.

“Afraid not, princess.”

“It’s Prentiss,” I snarl sharply.

“Whatever. Get up before I drag you outta that bed myself.”

I do as I’m told and walk ahead into the hallway in the direction of the shower room-

“What the Hell do you think you’re doing?” The guard asks.

“I’m going to the shower room,” I reply simply.

After getting a closer look I see the guy’s name tag reads “Baxton.” He gives me a funny expression.

“How do you-?”

“Arkham’s blueprints are available to any other mental facility,” I remark as I continue, my shoes squeaking against the clean tiles. “My position in Metropolis encouraged me to study significant documents so I memorized Arkham’s basic files. The shower room is down the hall to the right and then twenty paces north.”

“B- But I can’t-” Baxton sputters.

“I’m not allowed anywhere without supervision,” I finish for him. “I’m well aware of the rules. I promise not to cause a fuss until my patience is worn out.”

“How long-?”

“You’ll just have to wait and find out.” I shrug and slam the shower room door shut, locking me in with Lord-knows how many other maniacs. All I have left to defend myself with is my wits. I take a look around the room and see only a few other female inmates. They’re quiet… for now.

I do quick work to bathe and refresh myself, dressing in clean clothes laid out on the counter. I go back to the door to find Baxton waiting with an irked look.

“The cafeteria is thirty paces north. No need to show the way,” I say nonchalantly and strut down the hall. Every once in a while an inmate catcalls me or shouts for me to talk to him but every one of their shrill cries rolls off like rainwater. I’ve dealt with numerous lunatics. What’s a few more?

The cafeteria looks similar to the one in Metropolis except that this one has one important difference: there’s bars between the inmates and the kitchen staff. 

“This is where I leave ya, princess,” Baxton says and walks away, twirling his baton.

I cringe. “It’s Prentiss.”

“You’ll get used to it,” a woman’s voice says.

The voice’s source is a lone inmate sitting at a corner table with a potted plant. At first I have to do a double-take to make sure I’m not seeing things. But it’s confirmed. This woman is green. Literally green. She’s woven multiple different plants into her prison uniform and even into her red hair. And her skin. Her skin is green. Is she feeling sick?

“Before you ask, no, I’m not seasick. It’s the plant and animal-based toxins into my bloodstream.” The woman holds out a hand and I shake cautiously. “Dr. Pamela Isley. Well, not doctor anymore. I lost that when I was admitted here.”

“How did you qualify for Arkham?” I ask carefully, not wanting to sound rude. “You seem level-headed.”

The woman chuckles. “You’re not too bad yourself. I’m here because my last scheme was ‘overly inhumane,’ if you call wanting to fill Gotham City Hall with venus fly traps inhumane.”

“Um, that’s not exactly a reasonable plan. What do you think is the problem from your perspective?”

Isley’s eyes flash. “That sounds like therapy talk. Did Quinzel send you in?”

Her sudden hostility makes me go stiff. “No, not at all. I am- was a psychiatrist, but now I’m locked up here because they couldn’t keep me quiet.”

Isley calms. “A whistleblower, huh? You’re right. They would lock someone up for something like that. Sit down, sit down!” She waves me over and I join her at the wobbling table. 

I notice her lack of a food tray. “Aren’t you going to eat?” 

Isley snorts. “The food here is far from being considered edible. I get most of my energy from the sun lamps and my babies provide me with all the nutrients I need.”

Her babies? Don’t question it, Calico. Just go with it.

“You mentioned someone named Quinzel. That wouldn’t happen to be Harleen Quinzel, would it? I met her at a convention in Central City.”

Isley nods. “She’s one of the youngest doctors here. Just started last year. You’ll meet her later. Has Crane come to see you yet?”

The name is a slap in the face that refreshes my memory of last night’s events. So far there haven’t been any more hallucinations, leading me to believe the toxin has left my system.

“He did last night. Mask and all.”

“Ah yes, the mask.” Isley rolls her eyes. “Did he try to get you to say your worst fear?”

“If you don’t mind I’d rather not talk about it. I know my fear and don’t want to reminisce over it. I’ve been doing that for the past year.” I look up to face Isley directly. “Have you been dosed yet?”

She snickers and lazily waves it off. “Honey no poison or toxin works on me. Crane doesn’t even bother to test it on me anymore. You’re saying it didn’t work much on you either? That would explain why he’s been in a sour mood all morning.”

Scree! Scree!

An alarm flashes throughout the room and the guards start gathering everyone up.

“Chow time is over, people! Get back to your cells! The rest of you get to group therapy!”

Already? Time must pass differently when you’re in prison. Isley gets up and starts walking to the back door.

“You’re probably in group therapy with me.”

“I don’t need therapy. I need a lawyer.”

She shakes her head slowly. “Ah, I get it. You think you don’t belong in here either. Well here’s the bad news: nobody cares. All anyone cares about is that they get paid and we stay quiet.”

It’s worse than I thought. It’s one thing for wealthy officials to be corrupted but it’s deeper than that. If anything, each and every person in Gotham is under someone else’s thumb.

“Do we go see Crane now?” I ask Isley. “Does he conduct group therapy?”

“Heavens, no. Crane only does personal consultations with patients he finds interesting. He’s sulking in his office right now.”

Baxton has returned. He ushers Isley and me to the door. I follow her down a drafty narrow passage into a small room with fluorescent lights. A circle of chairs has been arranged in front of a whiteboard. We’re not the first ones here. A man wearing glasses is muttering to himself and when he sees me his eyes go wide with delight.

“A new face! Perfect! Riddle me this: I have billions of eyes, yet I live in darkness. I have millions of ears, yet only four lobes. I have no muscle, yet I rule two hemispheres. What am I?”

“Can it, Nigma,” Isley pushes him. “You don’t need to freak the newbie out on the first day with your childish-”

“The human brain.”

Both Isley and the riddle man look at me with open-jawed surprise. Before they can respond the door opens and an older woman wearing a white lab coat enters. Her bob cut and soft eyes allow me to relax a tad. This is my chance to talk my way out!

“Good morning everyone. Allow me to introduce myself to our newest arrival. I’m Dr. Joan Leland. What’s your name?”

This is it.

“I’m Dr. Calico Prentiss, from Hell’s Gate Psychiatric Institution in Metropolis. Please ma’am, you have to let me speak to a lawyer. There is no proof of me ever having poor mental health.”

Dr. Leland sits back with an attentive expression but makes no move to approve my request.

“Thank you for sharing, Calico. Would anyone else like to introduce themselves?”

“B- But what about-?”

“Nobody cares, Callie,” Isley reminds me. “She’ll just sit here with a cheap smile plastered on her face until the hour’s over.”

The riddle man laughs. “I am unpredictable, but you still rely on me. My installments give you the experience of life for free. I offer no refunds, returns, or exchanges. What am I?”

I roll my eyes. “It’s time. Can we get back to the subject?”

But we don’t. Instead Leland makes us write down our regrets. I do what’s expected and write the usual BS- I wish I was more social, I wish I accomplished more goals, blah blah blah. The whole time Isley keeps stroking the potted plant in her lap and the riddle guy keeps asking me questions. At the end of the session Leland has us all play Minecraft, a game that’s incredibly overrated and gives me a splitting headache.

“How are video games group therapy?” I ask, frustrated after getting stuck underground.

“It shows how you can handle anger.”

Definitely a new therapeutic technique. The surprisingly tense game goes on for another ten minutes until Leland ends the session. Once she’s gone Isley pats me on the back.

“Not bad for your first day.”

“Why aren’t there more inmates in the group?” I ask.

“Croc’s in solitary and Tetch is in the hospital wing for food poisoning,” the man with the glasses informs me.

Ivy clears her throat. “Now it’s time for proper introductions, since you’ve earned my trust. My friends call me Poison Ivy.”

Poison Ivy. That’s why she looks familiar. The green skin, the plants, everything. About a year ago there was a news story about a botanist who surrounded the Gotham waste facility with thorns and vines. I should count my blessings. Out of all the Gotham criminals I could run into, Ivy seems like a potential ally.

“My name is Nigma, Edward Nigma,” the riddle man gives my hand a shake. 

“Calls himself the Riddler,” Ivy explains. “For obvious reasons.”

“What belongs to you, but others will use it?”

“Nigma, really?” Ivy drones.

“It’s your name,” I reply in an even voice. 

Nigma’s smile widens. “Exactly! Bravo, princess!”

Another cringe jerks through my body and I flash a warning look. “It’s Prentiss.”

The man gets an ‘a-ha’ moment. “Ah, I see. The use of pet names must trigger unpleasant memories for you. Perhaps abuse? Rape? Neglectful childhood-? Christ!”

Nigma’s guessing is cut off when my fist collides with his nose. I’m almost as surprised as Ivy. Why am I letting this man’s taunting curiosity get to me? I’ve dealt with tougher jabs than this. Crane’s toxin must have taken a bigger toll than I thought.

Nigma holds his nose and patches it up while Ivy can’t stop smiling.

“You had it coming, Nigma.” Ivy shrugs. “She just has the guts to do what we’ve been wanting to do since day 1.”

Nigma rolls his eyes. “It’s not my fault life’s full of questions, Ms. Isley. Apologies, Calico.” He blots the blood off his jumpsuit. “At least this new Batman character seems like a worthy opponent. I shall concoct a glorious cornucopia of riddles for when I escape.”

Batman? What’s he talking about? What kind of lunatic…?

“When?” Ivy interrupts my train of thought. “Don’t you mean if?”

“I know what I said, Isley. It’s only a matter of time.”

She huffs. “No chance you’ll let us in on your little crime spree?”

Nigma doesn’t answer right away. He seems to be deep in thought and after a while he jumps up to scribble something on a scrap piece of paper with a small pen. We’re not allowed utensils so he must have smuggled it in.

“What say you, Prentiss? Ready to get out?”

Don’t hold a grudge, Calico. Remember you’re in a mental asylum. Edward’s just being nice, in his own weird way.

“To quote from Ivy, I’ve been ready since day 1. But I have more personal and sane means of escape.” I stand up and walk back to lean against the wall, my eyes glaring through Nigma’s skull. “Watch your back, Nigma. Pry into my psychosis again and I’ll make your life a living nightmare.”

“Isn’t that Crane’s job?”

I shrug casually. “Who’s to say a few doses of fear toxin won’t go missing and end up in your cologne bottle?”

“While I do appreciate the motive,” the professor of fear himself walks into the room and I feel my heart rate double. “And am honored that you would use my toxin for revenge, I must require that you ask for it nicely, Ms. Prentiss.”

Crane and I lock in a cold stare that goes uninterrupted until Nigma claps his hands with fake enthusiasm.

“Oh, look. Dr. Lunatic is back.”

Crane sighs and looks down at Nigma with annoyment. Clearly a silent battle of brains is brewing between the two. Ivy seems to know it as well.

“Admit it, John. You’re just as sick as the rest of us.”

The lanky doctor pinches the bridge of his nose and goes on to look through the clipboard he’s carrying. “Correction, I use my own unique genius to my advantage instead of creating mindless riddles.”

Edward puts a hand to his heart. “Ouch. What’s got you riled up, sack-head?”

“Have you seen the news?” Crane sees my confused expression and gets a wicked smirk. “Oh, right. No outside sources. Well, there’s a new face in Gotham. A masked vigilante the reporters are calling Batman.”

I set my jaw straight. He can belittle me with my outdated information all he wants. “Another mask? Sounds like your type.”

My comment flies over his head. Ivy and Nigma both share the same muffled chuckle. I’m beginning to take a liking to these inmates. Yes their ideas are insane to say the least but their laid-back take on life in Arkham makes up for it.

[kafi-farigh-yusra]

I'm sure you have lost things like keys, mobile phone, a book, some important document. Some of us are always looking for small lost items. While searching, we often look for them at most absurd places, where we are completely certain to never find them but we still look in the refrigerator for keys, in the drawing room for diary and in the lawn for the documents. When we lose love or warmth or our plans for future don't materialise we look for affection and association at absurd places, making out ideal beloveds from people we never want, ending up with jobs we dislike, stuck in places we want to leave.

You were always careless with things, leaving keys in the grass, and mobile phone in cafeteria, and heart in an unfinished poem but I hope whenever you are looking for love and passion, you only end up at the right places.

-Jasir Shahbaz

[cami-stuffs]

Pushing Towards You

Chapter 8: Outcasts among Normies

"Oh...Hey. Good morning. I didn't know that you would sleep here." Gaia was surprised to see Calista at the breakfast table in the cafeteria.

"I wouldn't. But 'Temis called me while I was having a wine in Larissa's office and asked me to stay the night." Calista sat at the table with Gaia and Ártemis. At that moment, she saw Larissa entering the cafeteria.

"Baby girl was homesick?" Gaia smiled softly Ártemis.

"Aahh... A bit." Ártemis answered without any shame on it.

"Good morning, ladies. May I sit with you?" Larissa approached the group.

"Of course. You don't need to ask. Come and join us." Gaia answered. "Calista was telling me she spent the night here."

"Yeah... Thank to Ártemis." Larissa looked kindly to the girl. "I should tell you that I was trying to convince your mother to stay in the guest room because of the amount of wine consumed. But she was being stubborn. After your call, her opinion changed." Larissa avoided Calista's eyes because she knew it was a blatant lie.

"Really? Now I am the one who drinks and drives." Calista thought in amusement. 

"In my defense, I was not drunk. And the drive to Jericho is fast." Calista stared at Larissa. The blonde woman didn't even blush a little. "How could she?"

"Still, it was a better idea to sleep in here." Gaia stood by Larissa.

"So, what are your plans for today, Mumma C?" Ártemis asked.

"I received an email from the Dean this morning, and he was summoning the staff for a meeting at lunchtime." Calista just came up with the idea. "And before that, I want to start planning my classes."

"Meeting and classes planning? You're on vacation." Ártemis was incredulous. 

"I am. But the activities at a University never stop." Calista gave a glance to Larissa.

"She is right. Nevermore is always working even if there are no classes." Larissa said. "Although it's uncommon for a lunchtime meeting, it can happen depending on the staff availability."

There was no chance Larissa knew about the job application. But Calista felt like the woman was aware that something was happening. 

"What about you, precious?" Calista went for Ártemis schedule. 

"Nothing special. I'll spend the morning in my room. I have to organize my belongings before the beginning of the classes." Ártemis was saying. "Our huddle is still ongoing?"

"Of course. I'll be all yours after my meeting." Calista answered the girl. "And I suppose both of you will be stuck on academic matters too." Calista looked from Gaia to Larissa.

"Yeah... By the way, could you reunite with me after breakfast, Ms. Weems? I'd like to show you some of my ideas and projects for the semester." Gaia's politeness took Larissa by surprise.

"Of course, my dear. Meet me at my office, and we should talk." Larissa settled.

Calista was craving a kiss from Larissa before she left for Jericho, but maybe this idea would have to wait. Little did she know that Larissa had the same desire. One hour later, Calista was heading to her car when she was grabbed by a strong hand and pulled inside a random room. Suddenly, she had her back on a wall and Larissa's lips on hers.

"Leaving without saying goodbye?" Larissa whispered with her lips nearly touching Calista's.

"I thought you were with Gaia." Calista rubbed her lips in Larissa's in response. 

"She went to the greenhouse to retrieve some documents, and I took the chance to say farewell to you." Larissa resumed the kiss, putting one hand on Calista's neck and the other on the waist. Their bodies were close, and they were leaning toward each other, searching for any kind of touch. "I wish I could have more time with you. But I have to go." 

"I know. Go for your Principal duties." Calista stroked Larissa's cheek with her thumbs. "I'll see you later at The Weathervane." Calista pecks a kiss on Larissa's lips.

"See you later, then." Larissa sniffed Calista's neck, giving the latter goosebumps, and left the room.

Calista remained there, panting and aroused. She took deep breaths, put herself together, and left the room. 

At noon, Calista parked her car at the University of Vermont Medical Center in Burlington. She was 30 minutes early for her interview, so she took her time to find the right place indicated in the e-mail. She announced herself, and the secretary asked her for the chairs in the corridors. And there she was. Waiting for the interviewer to have her.

"Ms. Calista Cos'Anto?" A man with a turban called her from inside a room. He was a bit taller than her and appeared at least 10 years older. 

"It should be me. Hello. Good afternoon." Calista stretched her hand for the man. 

"Hello. Good afternoon. My name is Rashid Sharma. I am the director of the hospital." He waved Calista's hand. "Please, you can enter and have a seat."

"I am sorry for the time. It is one of my few free hours during the day." He sat in his armchair and joined his fingertips as in a prayer. "I have to say that I'm impressed by your resumé. For that, I must ask you: Why leave a position at North Carolina University and come to Burlington to be a pharmacist?"

"That's easy, sir. My daughter. She is studying at Nevermore Academy in Jericho. And I want to be near her." Calista decided to be honest as hell. 

"Nevermore Academy? What a coincidence! I have attended there."He seemed genuinely delighted. "I am a gorgon. That is why I use the turban. Well, that and my heritage."

"Wow... It's a pleasure to meet another outcast even more in such an important position." Calista admired the man. "I am telekinetic and attended to Nevemore for about 32 years ago. And now, it's Ártemis' chance. She had a difficult time in normies school. So I would like to be beside her in this new adventure." Calista was feeling confident about this.

"Well... A legitimate cause, I must say. This position has been open for a while now, and you are highly qualified." He was gleaming. "Probably the wage is a bit lower than you are used to at the University. But we can discuss that along with your adaptation and compromise." He finished and waited for Calista.

"So, is the position mine?" Calista didn't believe it. 

"It is. Can you start next Monday? Is there enough time for you to organize your home moving?" He leaned forward, anticipating her answer. 

"Yes. It is enough time, sir. Thank you so much for the opportunity. I'll not disappoint you." Calista was feeling incredibly happy. 

"It is my pleasure, Ms. Cos'Anto. Outcasts must help each other even more if the other is perfect for the vacant." He stood up and complimented her. "I expect to see you next Monday at 8:00 a.m."

"See you next week, sir." Calista shook his hand. "Thank you again. Have a nice day." Then, she was off his office and heading for a place to have a marvelous lunch. Everything was working on.

Ding, dong

"I'm coming!" Calista shouted. When the bell rang, she was back from Burlington and working on her laptop. The resignation letter was being built in that moment. 

"Oh, hello! I thought we were going to meet at the Weathervane." By then, there was Ártemis, Gaia, and Larissa. The latter smirked as she saw Calista in her short-sleeve pajamas.

"Hey, mom. Pijamas? This hour of the afternoon?" Ártemis was having fun at this.

"Well... It is better for working." Calista blushed. "Come on in. I'll change myself, and we'll be ready to go." Calista saw Larissa staring at her butt as she turned around and went to her room. 

Calista and Gaia had an espresso at the Weathervane, and Ártemis and Larissa had their hot chocolate. 

"So, Mumma C, how was your meeting?" Ártemis sat beside Calista in front of Gaia and Larissa in a corner booth at the cafe. 

"Talking about this, I have an announcement to make." Calista looked at all of them.

"Is it a family matter? Would you rather if I leave for a moment?" Larissa was about to stand.

"No! Stay!" Calista held Larissa's hand. "What I have to say can be said before you." Calista looked intensely at Larissa.

"What Is it, 'Lista? Is everything okay at the University?" Now Gaia was worried.

"Well... I don't know about it. My meeting was not with the Dean." Calista explained. They were looking puzzled. "I went to Burlington. I had a meeting with the director of a Medical Center. And now, I am the new pharmacist there." 

Calista looked at them. They were trying to process the information. Ártemis was the first to break the silence.

"Does that mean that you will be staying here? For good?" Ártemis was glaring with hopeful eyes at Calista.

"Yeah, baby girl." Calista stroked her daughter's hair. "I'll start next Monday. So I must return to NC this week and organize my moving out."

"Are you serious, 'Lista?" Gaia was half-smiling, half frowning. "You're going to resign your position as a professor? "

"I am. I was just drafting a letter when you arrived at the apartment." Calista gave a glance at Larissa. The lady seemed thoughtful. Did she not enjoy the news?

"Oohh... I'm so happy!" Ártemis hugged her mother tightly, towering over her. "Wait... Are you sure? I will leave your dream work behind." Her mood changed all of a sudden.

"It hasn't been my dream work for a while now. And, yes, I am 100% certain about this decision." Calista reassured her.

"Well...That being the case, we have to celebrate!" Ártemis came up with the idea. "Family is together again." She was blissful.

"I'm glad you decided to stay, 'Lista. I truly am." Gaia took Calista's hand and caressed it. "It is a loss for the University, but I am sure it is a gain for the Hospital. And for us." She smiled sincerely, locking her eyes on Calista's.

"Thank you, G," Calista answered with a grin and a pat on Gaia's hand over the table. 

Larissa was observing all the commotion without saying a thing. She finally looked Calista in her eyes and opened up the brightest, sincere smile. Even her eyes were laughing. 

"At last, you reacted to it, Larissa." Calista joked. "I was starting to think you didn't like the news. Of course, now, you have both parents of a student in your trail. But we are friends after all." Inside her, Calista was shivering. Larissa seemed happy, but moments before, she was in silence. 

"I confess I wasn't expecting such thrilling news. As a Principal, I thought your Dean was summoning you to return earlier. Your announcement took me aback." Larissa let go of a breath she didn't know she was holding. She was genuinely cheerful. "And yes, I am glad you'll be staying here."

"Thank you." Calista reached for Larissa's hand in a grateful gesture. She decided not to delay the moment and hushed to turn to Ártemis. "Well...that put, I must leave as soon as possible and make the necessary arrangements. I only have one week from now."

"What are your plans, 'Lista?" Gaia asked. "Would you like some kind of help? I can go back with you if Ms. Weems allows me." She side-eyed Larissa.

"Oh... No need for that." Calista answered before Larissa could say something. She wanted to do this alone. Most of her life was spent there. She desired a proper closure. "I already bought a flight ticket for Wednesday morning. Tomorrow, I'll look for a U-haul. I plan to return to Jericho on Saturday and have Sunday to take some rest."

"Wow... It will be a long week for you, Mum." Ártemis let it out.

"Yep. I'll have three days to settle everything. It is not enough time, and I must return to finish some business. I'll do what is possible for now and put up a thought in the leftovers in another opportunity." Calista shared her plans.

The day went smoothly after this. They had an exciting conversation about Calista's moving in. Ártemis wanted to have a dinner party on Sunday, after Calista's permanent arrival and before starting the new job, as a changing of scenes. They distracted themselves for the rest of the afternoon, making plans for this event that should count on only the four of them. Larissa, of course, was included by Ártemis and blushed at the mention of her name as being part of the get-together, undoubtedly. 

Back at her apartment, Calista finished the resignation letter and made some calls searching for a truck to rent. She was planning to stay with the place she was in Jericho and had long-term plans, including buying a house. For that, she contacted the owner of the apartment, who was glad to extend their contract. She had just ended the call with the landlord when the bell rang. She wasn't waiting for anyone and thought it must be some neighbor.  Calista went for the door and was pleasantly surprised as she saw Larissa standing there with a dry red wine bottle in her hands.

"I thought we could celebrate your staying here in Jericho." Larissa raised the bottle, smirking.

Calista put herself aside and let Larissa in, following her next.

Chapter 7 | Chapter 9

[starr-fall-knight-rise]

Something Happy

https://www.patreon.com/empyreaniris?fan_landing=true

https://starr-fall-knight-rise.tumblr.com/post/182501791735/master-post

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1jzEIdDAB4omdO2JcQVMObfrhLJ5kX4ONmSsLypM1ks0/edit?usp=sharing.\

The brochure said they would work with her to find a good match, and they had not been lying. The first day they had eased her into her new life with a gentle hand. She had met the humans, but had not been forced to interact with them. She had been given a room based on her request, somewhere quiet and away from the agitation of too many people. 

This was the least amount of panic she had experienced in several cycles, but that was almost to be expected. Now that she was able to relax from traveling, at least the fear seemed manageable rather than crushing. She had been given an intercom that would connect her to the outside world if she wished, and it would flash if someone wanted to speak with her. Sometimes it simply flashed a few  times before announcing something, giving her a good warning beforehand rather than startle her.

It was a nice change of pace.

Everything seemed to be within her control.

The light blinked to let her know it was mealtime. She had the option to go to the cafeteria with everyone else, or she could take a meal in her room. Of course, the doctor let her know that option would not always be available. Her treatment plan would eventually encourage her to interact with people again.

But that might be a long time in coming.

So she accepted something to eat in her room, cringing away in the corner when the slot in the door opened up and her tray was pushed through on request. She wasn’t stupid, she knew how much it resembled a jail cell, one in which she had self imprisoned herself, but she couldn’t bring herself to be bothered by that fact.

At least now she was safe.

She didn’t sleep very well, her dreams marred by sporadic nightmares of overcast red sky and falling ash heralded by choir of the damned raising their screaming voices to the sky.

It wasn’t something generally conducive to sleep.

But the following day, her light blinked with a request for the doctor to enter her room. She sat with him for a long while. He urged her to talk about her greatest concerns, outline what made her worry, what her fears were. It wasn’t an easy discussion, and there were still some things she couldn’t tell him, but they made headway. She didn’t have it in her to go to lunch, her emotions were to scattered for that, but she did feel well enough to continue treatment after the mid day meal.

The next phase of treatment began with a small room with a door on either end, each half separated by a partition of glass cutting its way down the middle. She was able to sit on one side, while on the other different humans  were brought in to sit on the other side of the glass.

Again she noted the soft shoes, and the mittens.

The doctor might not have known this, but this wasn’t the first time she had seen a human, but it was the first time any human she had known had ever attempted to look unintimidating.

The last humans she had met, seen, had been predators. They had greeted each other by showing their teeth and slapping each other, either hand to hand or hand to shoulder. They had wrestled in the dirt and openly mocked each other for fun. They had been aggressive, and violent.

And then on that horrible night, they had come, encased in metal and whirring  with the roar of machines, pulled apart and put back together again. The thought brought her back to a panic, and they had to halt the treatment for a moment as she hid under the nearest chair and shook in fear. 

It wasn’t the humans that scared her though, not really.

The humans had saved their lives.

It wasn’t even the Drev that scared her.

It was an amalgamation of a bloody sky and the screams and the blood that had spattered the ground. That day she had seen something she could never forget, a cruelty in sentient species that seemed impossible to escape from. How was she to feel safe when she knew what the other species were capable of, what she was capable of, her and her own people. There was something deep down inside all of them that could lend itself to something so horrible, something so violent.

But still she had chosen this, and eventually she was able to sit up again, to meet the humans face to face.

To talk with them a little.

She met the woman with the curly hair and the golden eyes. She spoke with a slim man with dark hair and brown eyes. These were all the ones she had indicated a liking for, and all of the ones she might be wiling to work with. The psychologist had told her to tentatively choose two or three she would be comfortable working with, two or three she might rotate through when the others were on eave or busy with other clients.

“Fiem, how are you feeling?”  This human’s voice was’t anything special as far as human voices go. Generally speaking all human voices have a sort of cadence to them, a sort of sing song quality that isn’t present in most other languages. So, in most cases, human voices tended to be very soothing, neither too high or too low, at least in her mind.

“Honestly,” She said softly, “not well.”

“I’m sorry to hear that, would you like to talk about something else?” 

She paused in confusion.

No one had asked her a question like that in a while. Everyone always just wanted to talk about the war or how she was doing or what she was doing or where she thought her life was going.

Some of them even tried to tell her it was okay and she was safe, but that never helped her to feel better.

“What would we talk about?”

“What do YOU want to talk about. If you want to talk at all.” The human rested his mittened hands on the ledge in front of him smoothing out the white fuzz on one mitten before doing the same with the other hand. He didn’t make direct eye contact with her but still she could see his human irises, the little black dot at the middle expanding and contracting to allow for the amount of light in the room.

Human eyes were jumpy, she had noticed that before.

They were very good at tracking moving objects. They had to be as predators. During the war, she had once heard a rumor that humans used to run their prey to death. She was almost sure that was an exaggeration, maybe even propaganda to make the humans seem more intimidating, but it had at least partially worked, she could admit that.

There was a small closed window in the side of the window. If she wanted, she could open the door from her side. Touch the human if she wanted to. But she ignored it for the time being.

“We can talk about humans.” She said softly, not sure why she had said it, but she had to admit she was curious.

He seemed surprised, “What do you want to know.”

She paused and shrugged, “Tell me something…. Happy about your species.”

It was an odd request, and she thought maybe he might lfind it stupid.

She saw the sides of his mouth twitch. He was trying not to show his teeth.

Sh had to remember that was a good thing for humans, most of the time, “Something happy about humans….. Well there’s a lot actually.” He sat back in his seat and thought for a moment, “You know what music is?” She did sort of, the Tesraki had it to some degree, but she had learned, in her time spent with humans that their understanding of music was far more complex.

“I know of music, yes.” She had even heard some human songs before, but she didn’t bother to mention that. Not yet.

“Well sometimes we humans get together and we dance?”

The word was unfamiliar, “Dance.”

“You know how music has a beat? Right, a pattern.”

She nodded.

“Well, we humans, our brains are designed for pattern recognition, and when we hear music our brain likes to move our bodies in ways that match up with the musical beat. Scientists don’t know why we do it, but it might be that our bodies like trying to create a movement that it believes would create such a sound.” It was hard to imagine, but when the human began to hum softly for her she tried her best to hear the beat, to pick out the pattern.

As he hummed the human began to sway softly, moving his head from side to side, and patting his hands on the table in front of him. The mittens made a dull sort of thud, soft and insistent when he did, and he drummed out a small rhythm for her. His head swaying back and forth, his shoulders moving up and down.

She watched quite mesmerized.

Eventually he stopped and she watched as the skin of his face suddenly changed color. It was a subtle change, the red tones in his face brightening a little, “That wasn’t a very good demonstration. If you do it right, its your entire body, your hands and your feet. We get together in big groups and sometimes we just dance together and it doesn’t matter, sometimes we come up with dances where everyone does the same moves. Sometimes two people hold hands and dance together. Sometimes we hold hands and dance in a circle.” She closed her eyes and tried to imagine that, and found that she couldn’t 

But the thought somehow felt nice.

“What else?”

He paused, “Humans like fuzzy things.” he held up his mittens, “If we can’t find them, we make them, and when we sleep at night we make a nest out of them.”

She had seen a human sleep on one or two occasions, but it had been a soldier leaning up against a rock, or on a thing roll of fabric. The thought of a big scary human cuddled up in a fuzzy little nest was amusing to her.

“We like to make up stories and tell them to each other.”

Tesraki had books of course, and they had stories but she had a feeling that the human meant something different.

“Make up?”

“Yeah like we tell stories that aren’t real?”

“You lie.”

THe human shook his head, “No, not a lie, when you tell a story, a fictional story, everyone knows it isn’t real. Its simply for entertainment. For thousands of years we have had humans whose job it is to make up, or record stories that can be told simply for entertainment. There is no other purpose. We just make things up, even things that don’t make sense, just to make other people happy.”

Those were some nice things about humans, a side of them she had rarely seen during the war.

It was that thought that made her feel brave, and with hesitation she gently opened the little window. A part of her was well aware that the human could grab her, and slam her hard against the glass if she did this, and her heart pounded as she slipped her hand through the opening and rested it atop the humans mitten covered hand. Soft fibers brushed softly against her fingers.

Under the mitten she could feel his hand, thick and heavy, but warm. She could feel the bones pressing up against her hand through the fabric. It was hard to describe the sensation.

She looked up at the human, catching his eyes for the first time since they had begun their meeting, but this time she didn’t look away.

“Maybe you can tell me a human story?” She asked 

Again the human’s mouth twitched, concealing a smile, “Okay….. “ He paused to think for a minute, “If you have some time I can tell you a story about something that happened a long time ago in a galaxy far far away…. “

[coredocuments01]

Cafeteria Plan Document

Are you looking for Cafeteria Plan Document? Cafeteria plans allow employees to choose from a variety of pre-tax benefits. These plans are often more flexible than others. Employees have several pre-tax options including insurance benefits, retirement plans, and benefits that help with life events.

[leviathangourmet]

Notions of American kindness during and after the pandemic have expanded far beyond the Golden Rule.

A friend from Eastern Europe told me she learned about our obsession with “being nice” during her senior year in high school while living in the Midwest as an exchange student. In order to be well-loved in the United States, above all else, you must be kind, she observed. When she makes plans with Americans, she questions if they are asking her to “grab coffee” just to be nice, or if they actually want to meet.

I was skeptical about her observations at first, but then I considered the way we describe the people we like. “She is so nice,” we say. You never hear, “She is honest and direct.” It often seems we prefer being nice over being genuine.

Manipulating Americans en masse is simple if we can be convinced that something we are doing — or not doing — is unkind. Video rental businesses understood this well in the 1980s: “Be kind, please rewind.” So we did.

But during the pandemic, corporate media inundated the public with messages dictating what to do in order to be “kind” — directives much more intrusive and disruptive to life than simply rewinding videotapes or returning grocery store carts to the corral. Many in power pointed to “the science” to argue we had to isolate ourselves, maintain an arbitrarily determined six-feet social distance, keep our children out of schools, wear masks, and take an experimental shot. If we did not comply, we likely were killing someone’s grandmother. And really, what could be unkinder than that? 

Even asking questions became socially unacceptable. When we scrutinized the effectiveness of these policies and vocalized concerns about citizens’ freedom under what was basically martial law, we were called selfish. When some raised concerns that the Covid shot was understudied and could cause severe health complications, they were chastised as “anti-vaxxers.”

President Joe Biden informed us just how unkind it was not to get the shot when he referred to Covid-19 as “a pandemic of the unvaccinated.” Repeatedly, we heard messages from the president and many others that we needed to be kind — Americans must do what they are told, wear their masks, and get vaxxed.

The propaganda to weaponize American kindness was overwhelmingly effective. Meanwhile, the media largely ignored early reports of myocarditis as one of the side effects of the shot. Big Tech even joined the “kindness” crusade by creating algorithms that prevented social media users from seeing vaccine skepticism.  

Many believed Biden when he said Covid-19 was not transmissible with the jab, and many Americans felt comfortable mingling after months of isolation. At certain social gatherings and venues, guests were required to show vaccine cards — few things say “celebration” more than “Show me your medical documentation.” Ironically, this pervasive social requirement was in an effort to seem “kind.”

However, it is clear that one side of these debates has a monopoly on what constitutes kindness. When the students of Fairfax County, Virginia, were allowed to enter schools maskless in March 2022, many were afraid of retribution from teachers and peers.

My son, one of the few maskless students in his school at that time, was bullied for his choice. Another student told him to “mask up and cover your ugly face.” On the same day, my son’s classmate called her mother during school because she was terrorized in the cafeteria for not wearing her mask. This is the type of “kindness” associated with virtue signaling.

As we’ve moved past Covid, many commentators have highlighted the policy mistakes and crackpot “science” disguised as “kindness” throughout the pandemic. One suggested “amnesty” is needed to move forward together. In order to grant a pardon, though, we have to reach a public agreement on what was said and how it was wrong. It’s impossible to offer forgiveness to policymakers who refuse to acknowledge wrongdoing.

I am still waiting for an apology from our school district for illegally suspending my sons for 39 cumulative days on “dress code” violations for not wearing masks. Despite my appeals, the school district refuses to expunge the suspensions from my sons’ records. School board members should know that kindness includes apologizing for mistakes.

Because of our “unkind” advocating for equal opportunity, social justice activists call us “white supremacists.” When we stand up for equal opportunity in admissions to colleges and to Fairfax County’s magnet Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology, followers of the ironically racist “anti-racist” doctrine ridicule Asian Americans as “allies of white supremacy.” The insult is false and manipulative — there are few more effective ways to say someone is “mean” than to call him a “white supremacist.”

Some, such as Fairfax County’s school board members, also believe “kindness” means denying biological realities, or at the very least, staying quiet in their dissent. Males claiming to be women are entering female locker rooms and bathrooms regularly. Many female students in secondary schools feel unsafe using facilities during school hours. Even after the 2021 sexual assault incidents in public schools in Loudoun County, Virginia, American politicians continue to uphold so-called “transgender rights” over female safety.

Former NCAA swimmer Riley Gaines talks about how NCAA officials pressured swimmers to be “kind” to Lia Thomas, the “transgender” swimmer born a male, who was allowed to share women’s locker rooms. Meanwhile, some school districts are changing scientific words in public schools’ sex education curricula from males and females to “assigned males/females at birth.”

If we publicly assert that we have problems with any of this, activists are quick to disparage our character. They call us bigots, or even transgender children killers. Activists manipulate emotions by claiming that if transgender teens don’t get everything they want, they or their transgender friends will kill themselves. In Fairfax County’s school board meeting speeches, we have been told this ad nauseam — nice people don’t kill transgender children. Kind people stay quiet and allow males to enter female spaces.

This is the ultimate weaponization of kindness.

Undoubtedly, we are better served when we scrutinize what kindness entails — and it has far more to do with virtue than niceness. For example, preserving freedom for future generations of Americans is virtuous; protecting civil liberties for our children is the right and kind thing to do. Our kindness in practice must be based on such virtue if we are to remain pensive and discerning.

So when we say to our acquaintances, “Let’s go for coffee,” it would be preferable if we were being both genuine and kind.

[loganofthenorth]

A Snake By Any Other Name…

(A Sanders Sides High School AU)

Ships: Logince (they are dating at the start of the story), Loceit (slow burn, they date after Logince split up), Prinxiety (friends to lovers, they date after Logince split up), intruality (secret relationship, already together at the start of the story)

Just to clarify: This isn’t unsympathetic Roman. He’ll start out as forceful but he gets character development. This also isn’t unsympathetic Janus. Part of his motives are to spite Roman, but he also genuinely cares about Logan’s well being.

Warning: This story will likely contain swearing, Roman being overly controlling/overprotective at first but he’ll get character development, and sexual themes. I’ll try to put more specific warnings for each chapter.

Edit: I’m going to write this on AO3 instead of Tumblr, just to make things easier and so that all my followers aren’t just flooded with a long post. Also I saved a draft for a chapter I was working on and edited it to write the chapter but then lost the whole thing when I saved it without knowing my internet cut out. (Let this be a lesson to write stuff in a document instead of just writing directly on Tumblr 😅)

Description: Logan Croft wasn’t planning on acting in the Drama Club’s production of Romeo and Juliet. While he’s a fan of Shakespeare’a poems, he’s never been one for theatre. The only reason he’s in the Drama Club to begin with is because his boyfriend, Roman Gomez, insisted on him being there. He was supposed to be the tech guy, that was the deal at least, but when Roman discovered that the play was a gay rewrite of Romeo and Juliet, he insisted Logan audition to play the Juliet to his Romeo.

Much to Roman’s dismay, however, Janus Viper, his arch nemesis, is the Drama Club’s director. Surprisingly, Logan does get the role of Juliet, but the role of Romeo goes to Janus himself. Will Logan be able to navigate the difficult situation he has found himself in?

Chapter 1: Auditions

“Roman, I thought we agreed that I would only be joining the Drama Club as the ‘tech guy’ as you call it.” Logan sighed as they entered the cafeteria, where their friend Patton was waiting for them. “But they’re doing Romeo and Juliet! Or, as it’s now called, Romeo and Johnathon! I could be Romeo, and you could be Johnathon! It would be perfect!” Roman cheered as they sat down.

“Hey guys! What’s going on?” Patton asked, seeming as chipper as he always was. He was used to his friends bickering, though it was a bit tiring. He honestly wasn’t sure why they were dating, but he tried his best to be supportive.

“Patton, my friend, would you please tell Logan how great it would be if we were to play as lovers in the greatest love story known to man?” Roman scoffed. “Patton, could you remind Roman that I agreed to sign up for Drama Club on the condition that I wouldn’t have to perform?” Logan retorted. “Okay guys, calm down.” Patton told them softly. “I am calm.” Both Roman, who raised his voice slightly as he said it, and Logan, who said it more matter of factly, informed Patton in unison.

Patton took a deep breath before turning his attention to Roman. “Roman, if Logan is uncomfortable with it, you can’t force him to audition.” He began, causing Roman to pout. “Well, yeah… I know that. I just thought it would be something we could do together… He doesn’t have to, obviously.” Roman explained. “Thank you, Patton.” Logan stated.

“And Logan, this does seem to be really important to Roman. Now that he’s calmed down, maybe you could explain why you’re uncomfortable, so that he knows this isn’t a rejection to him, just to performing?” Patton suggested. “I suppose that sounds fair… I’m uncomfortable with the idea of performing as a character. I have trouble suspending my disbelief enough to enjoy a play, therefore it would be difficult for me to play a character, even if I am actually dating the love interest.” Logan explained.

“That… makes sense.” Roman admitted. “But will that make you uncomfortable? If I end up playing Romeo, and you have to watch me kiss some other guy and remind yourself that it’s not real?” Roman asked nervously. “I… I’ll know that you are simply following instructions.” Logan assured him hesitantly. “Are you sure?” Roman questioned, noticing that Logan seemed uncomfortable with the idea.

“Hmm… I suppose that would be difficult, but I don’t want to prevent you from doing something you enjoy… but I’d also be uncomfortable playing a character, and kissing you in front of so many people.” Logan admitted. “How about this. We audition, if you don’t get the part, we both drop out of the play and I’ll just work on back stage while you work on tech.” Roman suggested.

“And if you don’t get Romeo?” Logan asked. “Then you can drop out and go back to being the tech guy. Besides, I highly doubt I won’t be Romeo. Even with Janus as the director, I’m the best actor there. He has to cast me as the lead.” Roman assured him. “And you don’t have to even try that hard, all I ask is that you audition. If you’re uncomfortable, they won’t cast you. No worries.” Roman quickly added.

“Alright, that does sound fair.” Logan agreed. “Splendid! Oh, Patton! You should audition as the Nurse! Then you’ll be able to support Logan if he does get the role!” Roman decided. “That sound’s like a great idea!” Patton cheered. “Wonderful! We can meet in the Auditorium on Wednesday!” Roman exclaimed, relieved that everything seemed to have worked out.

***

“Alright everyone, quiet back stage. Auditions are about to begin.” Janus announced. He was sitting in the front row of the school’s auditorium, waiting for the chatter back stage to come to an end. “First, auditions for Romeo. Will Farris Becker please come to the stage?” Janus called.

After watching two auditions, Janus waved a hand to dismiss the auditioning actor. “Thank you, the cast will be posted on the Auditorium doors on Friday.” Janus informed him. He then put his feat up on the seat beside him as the actor left the stage, checking his list of people auditioning. “Roman Gomez.” He called, a smirk on his lips as he did.

Roman strutted onto the stage, confident as usual. Janus chuckled as he brought his legs down, sat up straight, and gave Roman his full attention. “Hello, Roman.” He greeted. “Janus.” Roman returned in a bitter tone. “Any day now.” Janus sighed, gesturing for Roman to begin his audition. Roman nodded, clearing his throat before delivering the lines.

“But, soft! what light through yonder window breaks?” Roman began, the lines already memorized as he gazed at the lights above, as if gazing to Johnathon’s window. “It is the east, and Johnathon is the sun.” Roman sang, gracefully raising a hand to the imaginary window. “Arise, fair sun, and kill the envious moon, who is already sick and pale with grief, that thou her maid art far more fair than she: Be not her maid, since she is envious; Her vestal livery is but sick and green and none but fools do wear it; cast it off.” Roman continued, waving his hand aggressively to the side, as if to cut off the moon’s envious light.

“It is my lord, O, it is my love!” He then declared, his expression gentle as he reached again towards the ‘window’. “O, that he knew he were! He speaks yet he says nothing: what of that? His eye discourses; I will answer it.” Roman continued before placing a hand on his chest, his expression one of admiration. “I am too bold, 'tis not to me he speaks: Two of the fairest stars in all the heaven, having some business, do entreat his eyes, to twinkle in their spheres till they return. What if his eyes were there, they in his head? The brightness of his cheek would shame those stars, as daylight doth a lamp; his eyes in heaven would through the airy region stream so bright that birds would sing and think it were not night. See, how he leans his cheek upon his hand! O, that I were a glove upon that hand, that I might touch that cheek!” Roman concluded.

“Thank you, Roman. The cast will be-” Janus began. “Yes yes, I know.” Roman dismissed with a cocky smile. He walked off the stage, leaving Janus to roll his eyes. “Oh Roman, I don’t think you know much at all.” Janus mused, his smirk growing as he read the list of people auditioning for Johnathon. “Next, auditions for Johnathon. Will Logan Croft please come to the stage?” Janus called.

Meanwhile, Roman and Logan stood back stage. Roman had just returned, and he smiled brightly as he held Logan’s hand. “Break a leg.” He whispered, kissing Logan’s cheek. “I would hope not.” Logan murmured. “It’s an expression, Starlight. It means good luck.” Roman laughed softly. “Oh.” Logan replied as Janus called his name again. “Go on!” Roman urged, gently pushing Logan towards the stage.

Logan took a deep breath, then walked over to the stage’s centre. He blinked, his eyes sensitive to the lights. “Logan Croft, I didn’t expect to see you auditioning.” Janus mused, though it was a lie. He knew Roman would convince Logan to do so. It was all going as he had planned.

“Yes, well… Roman wished to audition together.” Logan explained. “I figured. Whenever you’re ready.” Janus then prompted. Logan nodded and cleared his throat. Having also memorized his lines, he began his monologue without the script’s assistance.

“O serpent heart, hid with a flowering face!” Logan began, his fingers starting at his temples before popping way to display frustration. Janus was instantly taken aback. He had expected Roman to have Logan perform Juliet’s, or in this case, Johnathon’s more famous monologue, the one where he confesses his feelings for Romeo, struggles over first love, yadda yadda yadda. Instead, Logan seemed to have chosen this one… One where Johnathon is angry with Romeo, but is conflicted between his love for him and his anger at Romeo’s actions.

Janus couldn’t help but feel intrigued.

“Did ever dragon keep so fair a cave?” Logan continued, pacing around the stage as if irritated. “Beautiful tyrant! fiend angelical! Dove-feather'd raven! wolvish-ravening lamb! Despised substance of divinest show!” Logan shouted, arms angrily tossed into the air as he paced. “Just opposite to what thou justly seem'st,” Logan scoffed, pausing to laugh and wave a hand dismissively into the air.

“A damned saint, an honourable villain! O nature, what hadst thou to do in hell, when thou didst bower the spirit of a fiend in moral paradise of such sweet flesh? Was ever book containing such vile matter so fairly bound? O that deceit should dwell in such a gorgeous palace!” Logan concluded, taking a deep breath to ease his nerves after he had finished.

Janus watched Logan with great interest as he applauded, the sound startling Logan. “Well done, Logan. I’m surprised, who knew you were so talented?” Janus remarked. It sounded like mocking, mainly because such a tone was a force of habit for Janus. However, the compliment was genuine. “Casting will be posted on the auditorium doors on Friday.” Janus then informed him. “Thank you.” Logan replied, giving Janus a respectful nod before walking off the stage. “Not a problem. Not a problem in the slightest.” Janus mused quietly as he watched Logan leave.

“You did amazing!” Roman cheered. “Did I?” Logan asked, genuinely asking. He just did the performance to the best of his ability. It really wasn’t much of a difference to him whether he did well or not. “Yes! I’m sure we have this in the bag!” Roman cheered. “Is that another expression?” Logan questioned. “Yes. It means we’ll surely succeed.” Roman answered, chuckling as he held Logan’s hand and brought him out of the auditorium.

***

“Hey Jannie! How did auditions go?” Remus asked as Janus walked with him to class. “Better than I had even hoped. Logan was there, just as I had predicted, and you’ll never believe it, but he did terrifically.” Janus admitted happily. “Really? I thought he was gonna be stiff as a plank.” Remus replied. “I thought the same. It seems Logan Croft is full of surprises.” Janus mused.

“You sure you’re not just biased cause you want to fuck him?” Remus teased. “Shut it!” Janus hissed, glaring at his friend. “What? Afraid someone’s going to hear? Who cares.” Remus taunted. “If he finds out I… like him… He’s going to reject me before he’s even gotten to know me, all because he’s loyal to Roman.” Janus explained, rolling his eyes.

“I doubt they even like each other that much. Everyone in school knows they fight constantly, hell, they’re more like brothers than you and Roman are. Sure, they’re inseparable, but boy do they have at it when they disagree on something.” Janus ranted. “Yeah, Patty gets pretty tired from helping them sort things out.” Remus confirmed. “But if Logan gets to know me, without Roman there to cause a bias, then I may get a chance. Practicing lines with him will be the perfect opportunity.” Janus concluded.

“Oh so that’s the reason for your big plan. To be honest, I thought you just wanted an excuse to kiss him.” Remus snickered. “That’s just a perk.” Janus admitted, blushing slightly and waving his hand dismissively. “It will certainly be thrilling to practice with him… I really meant it when I said he did well.” Janus sighed fondly. “We get it, you’re a goner for the nerd.” Remus mocked. “You’re one to talk. How’s kissing your boyfriend in the janitor’s closet so your brother doesn’t find out going for you?” Janus countered.

“Okay, okay, listen.” Remus began, stopping in his tracks and pointing a warning finger at Janus. “I’m listening.” Janus stated, smirking as he stopped and turned to face Remus. “Patty and I will tell him… We’re just waiting for the right time.” Remus insisted. “Sure. You’re totally not avoiding it out of fear that he’ll try to break the two of you up.” Janus teased, causing Remus to glare at him.

“Shut up.” Remus complained, causing Janus to chuckle as they continued walking to class. “You’ve had a crush on Patton since Kindergarten. Even someone as idiotic as Roman is going to eventually realize you’ve been avoiding talking about Patton lately.” Janus pointed out. “This conversation isn’t about me.” Remus huffed. “It is now.” Janus mused. “No, it isn’t.” Remus stated before clearing his throat.

“So, you’re gonna cast yourself as Romeo and Logan as ‘Johnathon’ or whatever. What are you going to do if Logan just backs out of acting?” Remus questioned. “If I can’t find a way to convince him without making him uncomfortable or making Roman get too aggressive, I’ll simply warn him that auditioning for a role he doesn’t even want will get him removed from Drama Club for wasting my time. That’s what I’d do with anyone else who did the same thing. Roman will want his precious boyfriend around, so he’ll convince Logan for me.” Janus plotted.

“See, this is why we’re friends. You, good sir, are an evil genius.” Remus declared. “Now now, Remus. We don’t use the E word around here.” Janus told Remus before laughing softly. “But yes, being an intellectual certainly has its perks.” Janus then agreed.

[mia-preston556]

Day 73 -Part 2

I opened the door but to my surprise I didn’t see any of those disgusting creatures on the other side of the fence, I took a step outside holding my hand up to signal to Sebastian to stay put. It was eerily quiet despite the soft breeze and gentle rain I felt as I surveyed the immediate area outside focusing on the fence, an electric fence, after people started turning into “Zombies” despite their ability to talk to lure those not infected to them, so after the military failed, quite quickly I might add. We took up residence in a large, fortified military base and luckily they can’t get in.

No holes in the fence or perceivable threats in the area, good… Not wanting to turn my back to the fence just in case, I motioned to Sebastian that it was all clear over my shoulder.

“There is no way that at least one of those things aren’t near by Henry!” Sebastian hissed trying too be quiet, though it wasn’t working well…

“I know Sebastian please be calm, the scream didn’t sound too far, let’s just do our rounds and if we see one of them we will rush back inside, Deal?” I said my voice calm and collected, though on the inside I was anything but that.

“Deal.” I heard Sebastian grumble in response along with a few curses though I chose to ignore them.

I pulled out my knife ready to attack if need be, well Sebastian pulled out his 92 Revolver he found well raiding houses a few weeks back, he wasn’t going to take any chances. As we started the long walk to secure the base, neither of us said anything.

~2 hours later

The walk felt much longer in the awkward silence me and Sebastian shared, and we continued to say nothing as we entered the main building making sure the door was shut all the way behind us. As we walked down the long hallway to the cafeteria he finally spoke…

“ Hey Henry have you ever wondered how it’s mostly kids and teens that are immune and rarely adults? I mean it’s obvious it’s not an age thing as are immunity hasn’t seemed to change with age, do you think it’s a generational thing?” He seemed genuinely interested in the answer though I didn’t have a concrete answer I decided to humor him.

“Maybe, Michael has been scouring all the documents left in this place for answers so that’s more of a Michael question, though I think if he found something along those lines he would have told me…” After I spoke I really thought about it, maybe this was all planned I didn’t want to believe it though now it seemed more plausible than ever.

Sebastian opened his mouth to say something but was suddenly cut short by a loud bell, almost like a school bell, and then the same voice that spoke every night said…

“Team Dragon please return to your rooms or to the mess hall, Team Wolf please report to your assigned commander.”

Though the voice stopped many other people in the hallway, I wasn’t surprised I was the top of command around here despite my age, so I expected Melody’s announcement as it was on the schedule and always perfectly timed as to not overwork anyone.

I took a sharp turn right towards my room deciding to sleep instead of going to social time, I entered my room after a few minutes and flopped down onto my bed after removing my gear. I laid in silence for what felt like hours until I finally drifted off into my usual restless sleep…

[beardedmrbean]

Hi, it's Dream Anon ! It's been a while, more than a year I think ? But a lot has happened dream-wise.

After the last couple of asks I sent, where I dreamt about being "hired" to be an NPC in other people's dreams, I kept having those "dream filming" moments about every night. No fanfare, not even a discussion with that greek/norse "dream goddess".

Then, around two weeks later, I discovered I had a carbon monoxide leak in my house. You'd think that would be the end of it, weird dream happenings end up being from a CO leak, you fix it and it's gone... except that after a month of having no dreams at all, it started happening again.

That time, I was directly in the white void again, and the dream goddess said something along the lines of "Your presence cannot be delayed any longer" (in my native language). Then it was like a cutscene or autoscroll from a video game, I followed her through what looked like a corridor with many different "scenes" around us, I distinctly remember seeing one of a sort of mountainous plateau, going "Oh, that looks like a Ghibli background", and the scrolling stopping for a moment before resuming. After some time (felt like forever), we ended up in a study, she took a seat, and I did too. She said "the fish closes the laser", and without thinking I answered "Just a different way of dodging". She sighed again and said "Dodging is temporary, the fish or the laser will end. I liked the cake, though.", then I woke up.

While I still don't understand what the hell is up with the fish and the laser, I remember very distinctly the dream it's from, where my school cafeteria gave me cake with a bite taken out of it, and it makes things even weirder. Did this dream goddess take a bite out of my slice of cake in a dream years ago ? Does that mean anything ??

And that's not even the worse part ! I went to sleep pretty late on Friday night, and after waking up to the sunrise (something that usually doesn't happen as I'm not a morning person) and with a killer headache, my computer showed Sunday. To this day I'm not sure whether I really slept for 28 hours, or I lost all memory of my Saturday. I had no plans for that day, so no one could confirm what happened, and my internet history for that day was completely empty, but that's not completely unheard of since there are days where I don't boot up my computer at all.

This time I got worried I might actually have a tumor (it's not everyday you hear a supposed deity in your dreams say that something will end, and then discover you slept for a whole day straight) so I went to the doctor and explained everything, and the doc said something along the lines of "Don't care about the dreams, but we definitely have to check that hypersomnia out". I got the whole shebang done, ended up with a folder full of pictures of my brain, and... nothing unusual. I did learn I have a relatively large hippocampus compared to the average person, though.

Nothing major happened for months after that, every few days I'd get another dream acting as an NPC, sometimes I'd meet the dream goddess (which I've taken to calling "boss") and forget absolutely everything from those conversations. The white silhouette with antlers/lightning crown of thorns never got any more detailed, by the way.

Nothing wild has happened in real life so far either, sometimes when I see a silhouette in a bright light it makes me think about the dream goddess, but that's about it. No hallucinations yet !

Today I woke up thinking about documentation, and immediately remembered that I used to send you asks about those dreams. I stopped because my life got pretty chaotic while I was getting that CO leak fixed, and after that tumblr fell out of my recent websites and I completely forgot about it. I did keep a record, though, that's what I'm using to write this.

Anyway, glad I remembered, and especially glad I could clear up that radio silence after my last ask. Re-reading it, it kinda looked like I died after sending it.

Decided to have a look and see when the last one came in and I had to cheat to get the tag to show.

Dream anon tag

Hello, it's dream anon, here's an update : The same method I used earlier worked, although I feel like I'm becoming better at noticing the dream goddess during NPC time so maybe in a few days I won't even need it. Touching my nose every minute of every waking hour is a bit tiring, and I feel like I'm gonna develop OCD if I keep this up too long.

April 28, 2022 it's been way too long.

Glad you're good, you pop into my head on occasion and I do wonder.

Got a few people over the years that drop in for a random ask here and there, they all pop in occasionally.

Had to stop when I hit the CO leak that was spooky, I'm glad there's no permanent damage from that, and you've got a big hippo camp too, that's fun.

I'm very glad to hear you're well though, that is very good news.

And if you're up for a bit of dream fun,

You want the Blue Stilton, that's the one that does it. 20 grams which is .706 ounces, so not much.