#How can I get an International Scholarship

[9jacompass]

MPOWER Women in STEM Scholarship For International Students - Apply Now

MPOWER Women in STEM Scholarship For International Students – Apply Now

Are you a woman in science, technology, engineering and mathematics? Do you want to advance your educational career as a woman? Then apply for the MPOWER Women in STEM Scholarship 2023 aimed at addressing inequality in education. In recognition of the extraordinary potential of women in the sciences, Women in STEM Scholarship was created by MPOWER Financing to equip women. The scholarship focues…

[msdk-00]

do you think if i knock on the embassy door and break down and cry they'll accept me for the gks scholarship. i mean im writing the fuck out of this essay but i fear that might not be enough

[evilminji]

Okay, you know how bird don't ACTUALLY look the way we think they do?

They are far more colorful? But only to the eyes of other birds?

And it has to do with how light reflects off them and how their eyes are shaped etc etc.?

Well..... humans can see the most shades of green, right? But! We sure as shit can't see UltaViolet and InfraRed? Or shades BEYOND those. Ectoplasmic colors. Magical ones. Third eye, need to see with your SOUL type ones.

Danny? Could very well still have lil baby "kitten's eyes who haven't open yet" syndrome.

He thinks the Zone is Green and his hair is white.

But it's not.

His hair is Starlight colored. Frost. His suit is specifically "the void between stars" colored. Which looks... different? Then black? No, no, guys. How can you guys not see it? It looks REALLY different! How did he not NOTICE before?! They're not ever CLOSE to the same shade! It's like calling salmon and hot pink the same. You know... if you were to compare an actual fish and some irradiated, violently glowing version of "hot pink".

......guys?

His gloves are.... guys, these ares stars. Pressed so close together there's no gap. His body is the night sky, all rearranged. He's wearing SPACE, guys.

*continues to stare at his gloves for the next five hours*

Now... why is this relevant? Because! Danny slowly, as all humans do, adjusts! It's like finally having glasses after years of blurry vision. He... forgets, what it was like, not NOT See Zone Colors. Not completely, mind you, but enough he has to be reminded.

And the Zone? A Realm of the Dead. Specifically, the great catch-all and highway of the Dead. They get EVERYBODY. Misfits and vagabonds. Those who don't quite fit. Funky lil dudes. And of course, assholes, but everybody has those! See, Zone colors?

Are DIFFERENT.

They're all of um!

It's like looking at the technicolor, stobe light, multi galaxies in one, Sun. Tingly(tm)!!! You get used to it. What helps? Is that as garish as the Zone is? The painting and grand tapestry of it all? Keeps changing. Like weather. If it's too much for you, you can stay inside your Lair until the current Color changes. Until the designs shift. Vibe changes.

There are even glasses for that! "Temperate" areas for people to set up, that get headaches or are just... kinda killjoys. Too each their own. Though the stormy areas? Those guys are freaks. Watch out for those guys. They're the kind who stare directly are stars until their eyes burn out.

Where was I? Oh yeah! Danny!

No longer a wee baby, smol baby, twig-o!

Sad. We miss it.

But he did get used to Seeing The Colors. Got a handle on his powers. And! Finally worked with his parents on how to safely turn the portal OFF. There was much booing. Cries of "kill joy" and "booo! You suck!". But? Like? Dude DID have the right to protect his home. Go to college. What can you do?

Problem with THAT is? Baby grew into his "built like a brick shit house of constantly running off to literally tackle the Supernatural excellence" Fenton genetics. He Tall. Muscles! And he PUMPING out "somethings fucked up with me" Vibes!

Add in his DEEPLY Sus off hand comments. Weird ability to tell when someone has or is about to die. Basic immunity to the cold. Fuckin EYE GLOW?

Ha ha... *Horror movie screams from his college dorm mates*

Clearly a demon!

He gets kicked out. Well... not kicked out. He's a model student and broken no rules. They'd never survive the lawsuit. But... he's? STRONGLY INCOURAGED to finish his education elsewhere. Repeatedly. By like... 15 colleges.

Sam is not just livid, she's actively foaming at the mouth.

Breathe, Sam! Remember what your doctor said! Your mortal body can't handle that kinda Vengance spiral! Think of your blood pressure! Breathe!!! (Were not for the laws of this land... and the weak, fleshy constraints of her mortal form!)

Thankfully? Tucker's been interning, remotely of course, with Wayne Industries. He asked his manager where he could find some of those scholarship forms. (Since Gotham University is just a touch out of Danny's price range.) Manager wanted to know why. And oh! Oh holy shit. Apparently? Danny is the hot new office gossip.

People in the main office are OUTRAGED. Danny's "too spooky"?! Too FUCKIN SPOOKY!? Are you KIDDING THEM? Even juicier, a Meta kid from some wacky ghost hunters turned scientists. From a line of Supernatural hunters. Wants to be a aeronautics engineer.

Ooooooh how SPOOKY! Better watch out! He'll design an ENGINE at yooooou!

Fuckin casuals. Non-Gothamites are WEAK. "Too scary" their collective asses. Yeah, maybe the kid SHOULD come too Gotham. He can be the weird kid. Mildly unsettling or something. His powers won't be SHIT in Gotham. Just remind him to buy a gas mask.

So! Danny gets his Scholarship! Merrily packs his bags for darker, Gothic hellscape hills. Unaware... that Constantine has been following reports of a "demon" that he's? 80% sure is a Banshee but MIGHT be a winter spirt with a shtick? For the past 13 colleges. He's getting closer. And this sucker is a strong one.

Not "this is going to cause me serious, life imperilling danger" strong. But more? "Man, that cat is HUUUUUGE". Could he still get mauled a lil? Yeah. Scratched to all hell and back? Probably! But DIE? Unlikely.

He just needs to know why the FUCK this spirit his hanging around colleges.

Which is made harder... by the fact that what HE sees? And what OTHER people see? When they look at this guy? Separate things. Yeah, he'd LOVE to give you guys a description! IF HE HAD ONE.

@the-witchhunter @hdgnj @hdgnj @spidori @babbling-babull @nerdpoe @lolottes

[tarotwithavi]

You have been blessed

What blessings are coming into your life/headed your way? How will they make you feel?

＊*•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*˚*•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*˚＊*•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*˚*•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*˚＊*•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*˚˚*•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*˚＊

＊*•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*˚*•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*˚＊*•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*˚*•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*˚＊*•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*˚˚*•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*˚＊

How to choose a pile?

Close your eyes and take a deep breath and ask the angels to show you the right pile for you and open your eyes. The first pile that catches your attention is the right pile for you.

Masterlist

Paid services

I have been scammed recently and am now in urgent need of money. Any help you can offer would be greatly appreciated.

＊*•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*˚*•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*˚＊*•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*˚*•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*˚＊*•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*˚˚*•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*˚＊

Pile 1

This might not be the blessing that you imagined, but this will be something that you actually need in your life. You will finally realize who is actually your friend and who is your foe. This is a blessing in disguise, so at first you may think, "Why is everything going downwards all of a sudden?" But after some time, you'll understand why it all happened.

If you have been having trouble finding a suitable career path for you, you no longer have to worry about this because I see that in the upcoming 2-3 months, you will be offered a job opportunity that will be the most suitable for you.

Some of you will get accepted into your dream college/university. Some of you may even get a full scholarship. If you have not applied to your dream college because of self-doubt, this is your chance to do so. You'll get a positive response.

One of your long-forgotten wishes is going to come true, and I got a vision of somebody dancing around in happiness, so this could be you.

Some of you will be receiving or giving someone a really precious gift. I see some gold jewellery.

July could be an important month for you.

＊*•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*˚*•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*˚＊*•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*˚*•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*˚＊*•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*˚˚*•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*˚＊

Pile 2

(some of you may resonate with pile 1)

Something that you have been working on for a really long time is going to come to fruition; you will finally get the rewards of your hard work. I feel like this is something that you started around 2020-2021.

Some of you will get to meet one of your online friends, or you could be invited to a celebration where some of your own friends will be present, and you will get to reunite with your old friends.

Achievement and success are the keywords for your next 4 months. Something that you have done at the beginning of this year will start giving you results now.

I see that some of you are manifesting your dream relationship, so you could meet your person within the next 3 to 4 weeks, and some could meet them within 3 to 4 months.

I do see that you guys have struggled a lot, and you guys have been through a lot of difficult situations, but I want you to know that the most difficult part is over, and things will start getting better from now on. You will no longer have to worry about your finances because I do see that you will be getting a lot of opportunities to make money.

＊*•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*˚*•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*˚＊*•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*˚*•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*˚＊*•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*˚˚*•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*˚＊

Pile 3

Somebody new is going to enter your life soon. This could be in the form of a pet or a baby because I do see that somebody could be giving birth soon, either you or somebody around you.

If you have been trying to conceive, you may get pregnant.

Some of you will get to travel to your dream place. This could be a place that you have always wanted to visit, and I feel like this could be a short trip. I am not seeing international travel, but this is a trip that will heal your soul.

I also see you having a lot of fun with your friends or family. Someone's birthday could be coming up, or you may get invited to someone's wedding. Either way, you will have a lot of fun, and you will meet really important people there or people that will have a significant role in your life in the future.

Some of you may have broken up recently, and you may be dealing with heartache right now, but I want you to know that this was also a reason, and you will meet somebody who will love you better and treat you better.

You are attracting a lot of good luck and good news. I also see some paperwork getting resolved or you getting results in your favor. You'll feel really blessed in the upcoming months that you may cry out tears of joy.

＊*•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*˚*•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*˚＊*•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*˚*•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*˚＊*•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*˚˚*•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*˚＊

[scholarhunter]

Commonwealth Master’s Scholarships by FCDO to Study in UK

Commonwealth Master’s Scholarships by FCDO to Study in UK

Commonwealth Master’s Scholarships by FCDO to Study in UK: All candidates from low and middle-income Commonwealth countries who want to undertake full-time taught master’s study at a UK university are eligible to apply. Commonwealth The studentships are offered in any area of science or technology, including, for example, agriculture, veterinary science, or forestry. The UK Foreign, Commonwealth…

[honeyydrunk]

nct are such fraternity boy college athletes fuckboys coded it's insane !! everyone i see a video of those men with the homosexual tendencies, vaping addiction, and their athletic garments, it really only cements this theory. their disography and music videos add to this too 😔✋ u know 90's love, universe (let's play ball), alley oop, bad alive eng ver.

can imagine them walking around this elite prestigious campus all loud and obnoxious. they know everyone is looking at them and want to fuck them too. they're chronic drinkers, vapers, cheaters, fuckboys. what would get most students expelled, they do on a tuesday afternoon.

nct are mostly made up of foreigners right? watch them walk around the campus as rich international students, some are here on academic or athletic scholarships they don't need. everything they own is designer. playing the 'sorry my korean isn't so good, can you help me?' card, and what they want help with is you sucking their dick.

the korean members aren't any better. they're every single horrible stereotype you hear of korean hongdae fuckboys. will come up to you all sweet and pretty, but they're horrid.

cw for under the cut: they are toxic males

can literally imagine haechan vaping on the college campus, moaning in the back of the class obnoxiously, and pulling the thing where he jokingly asks for your number ALL THE TIME. going to college parties and getting wasted after 3 drinks idk 🤷 ,,, he'd be so whiny and teasing too. bc obviously he's a rude BITCH but he's so pretty and whiny and flirtatious. he's fucking everything in sight, absolute whore!! his body count is triple his age. he'd genuinely try to suck one of his friends' dick and claim it doesn't mean anything because he has clothes on !! 😔✋ he'd be stroking his dick while you're in the room, whimpering your name. the type to get on his knees and beg for any kind of attention from you..

mark lee starting off being a cute college boy canadian transfer but becomes the NOTORIOUS korean pastor's son fuckboy in like the span of 3 months. he'll act real nice, and that's because he is real nice. being super sweet and asking if you want to get coffee with him and study. and he's so good with his words you'll think that's all it is. but then of course, since he's so good with his words he'll have you blushing and giggling as he takes you back to his apartment and gets your clothes off. talking yapping so much you don't even realise what he has you doing, that you're just another girl he's pulled. he'll still be whispering when his face is in your pussy. telling you how easily you cum. "dang girl, wait a lil' can't you?" implying you're the whore,

YUTA yuta is the entire campus crush. the star football ⚽️ player and the rockstar vocalist in a band. has sex with all the groupies that come to his concerts. he's dragging people up on stage to shotgun them while the guitar break plays. absolute heartbreaker. would definitely kick the ball to your head so that when it hits you, he has to go over check if you're alright, take you up to the nurse and wait with you. he is such a liar, it genuinely hurts. lying all the time and making up words and stories left and right. but he smells like cherries and watery perfume !! he tastes like it too. you'll be coming to all his garage concerts just to see if you'll be the one he takes backstage to fuck after. he's like a god, half the time you don't even realise he's a student like the rest of you. he's just an angel sent to have fun and fuck or smth.

jaemin nah he's horrid. he'll cheat on you, and with his cute smile you'll forgive him instantly. 😔✋ he'll spend a little cash dress you in designer, make you cum until you faint, and tell you how beautiful and perfect you are for him. he will genuinely have you thinking those girls meant nothing to him, theyre just a way to vent his stress and you're the only one he loves. and then bro will say he can't stay the night, as he needs to wake up early for training. you agree, obviously. and he left for another girl's house to fuck her too. when you met him he smelled so sweet, and it was someone else's perfume. each of his girls swear they're his favourite of his, and one day he's planning fucking them all in the same room.

JOHNNY SUH? he would abuse the american transfer student status. he walks around without a shirt, soaking wet, and never get pulled up. he's rich too, got bands on his wrist and multiple cars. going on holidays overseas every chance he get and hosting parties every weekend. when you get drunk at one of them, almost falling off the balcony, someone will come up and help you to a chair. he'll take real good care of you, going above and beyond. so you can't let this guy leave when he's everything you've ever wanted. so you pull yourself onto him and ride him while the party rages on inside. make sure his dick feels so good he'll ask for your number. but you don't know that you're the fifth girl who's thrown herself at him that night.

taeyongie ^-^ he's the prettiest guy you've ever seen. bros too sweet and shy to be handing out with the rest of the neo WHORES. he's the leader of a lot of clubs but he mainly sits in cute little cafes. genuinely he seemed too adorable? to be considered the 'leader' of some horrific ahh fuckboys. until you check twitter and you see someone's reposted his MANY MULTIPLE HE HAS A LOT sex tapes. he's surrounded by ridiculously hot guys and girls, and they're passing him around like a joint, and he's begging to be humiliated. they're making him cum so much he crying. he's stronger than most of them but he's letting himself be thrown around like a doll. absolutely wrecked. looking in the camera with pretty black eyes and a slurred voice before someone shoves a cock back in this throat "am i pretty?" zhong chenle is the epitome of the chinese international student stereotype. he's almost never there, never takes off his sunglasses. he has several of those douyin type baddies trailing after him. "you have nice collarbones and pretty eyes, i like. what's your instagram?" he'll be talking with his friend renjun about what yacht he should buy during class. he can buy your affection simply because he's just that rich. will shove his black card down his pants and tell you there's only one way to get it. buys rolex watches so that he can have it on while he fingers you. dresses you in diamonds and he doesn't want to be paid back in cash. qian kun is there on an academic scholarship, but he doesn't need it. he's just that good, the school begs to have him attend. he's not a fuckboy in the conventional sense but he's just as nasty. he wants to have the perfect girl for him, to bring back to his family. he'll look for the most naive but academic girl he can. he's a manipulator. he's trying to mold you into what he wants. he'll replace your entire wardrobe with designer, but he picked out all the clothes. he'll plan cute dates for you every day, but it's to stop you from hanging out with your skanky friends. he'll buy you a new phone, but he's already added software tech to spy on you. in some essences, even though he's not a fuckboy, he's much worse than one.

jisung, like taeyong, looks so sweet. but he's NASTY. he'll seem too quiet to be hanging out with the rest of the dreamie WHORES. so you don't mind sitting next to him in your lecture. but he's just a mix of all of dream. he's good with his words like mark, and he'll have you agreeing to meet at his place EASY. he's too cute to refuse like haechan and jaemin. and then the renjun part hits, silent and sneaky, he'll be doing everything to make you think you're coming on to him. once he finally has you, he'll make a mess of you like a feral animal, the way you've heard jeno fucks. and you realise he's just like the rest of the dreamies, you shouldn't have thought otherwise. he might actually be worse than all of them.

tell me if u want me to make these like a full post or add more characters IM SO CRAZY DELULU RN SORRY xx !! 💋

[queenie-official]

going with ani to the cafè for pumpkin spice latte only for him to be super nervous since we are so cool and he's some random engineering nerd ☝️🤓

‘Fall In Love With Me’

main masterlist Word count: little over 3k

pairing: modern!Anakin skywalker x fem!reader

a/n: you sending this request in as soon as i mentioned wanting to write fall fics is iconic of you and i love you for it 💋

“come on y/n, this is the only good thing about college! skipping without any repercussions” Honey continued to beg as you walked across campus.

“that’s easy to say when you're skipping a language class you’re already fluent in” you protest as she clings to your arm, pleading like a child.

“you don’t even care about French class, you just wanna ogle your little crush” she retorts before tugging on your arm as she comes to a stop forcing you to stop with her.

“okay that’s only half true, i like French class” you hardly believe your own lie as it tumbles out of your mouth. judging by Honey’s deadpanned expression she doesn’t believe it either.

“you were complaining just yesterday how the Teacher refuses to speak in any other language than French and you had no clue what was going on.” if only you didn’t vent to her about everything maybe then she wouldn’t be able to call you out on your bullshit.

“you’re gonna make me late” you sigh, slumping forward solemnly. she rolls her eyes not buying the act for a second.

“good, if you’re going to be late then it just makes even more sense for you to skip with me.” you let out a groan, gently pulling your arm out of her hold before starting to walk again. “you could at least talk to the guy if you’re gonna keep going just to look at him.”

“he’s too smart for me, i mean he’s a mechanical engineering major for gods sake” did he tell you that himself? no, you and Honey just did a little snooping through instagram after you got his full name and found out for yourselves.

“i have a friend who dated an engineering major and she told me they are not as smart as they think they are.” right but he was, he had all A’s it was a known fact around campus. Anakin Skywalker the college’s golden boy.

academic wise anyway, he didn’t socialize with anyone. you had guessed it was because he was much too focused on keeping his grades as good as they were, he had to if he wanted to keep his full ride scholarship… was it considered stalking if you got this information on a public platform?

“yea well Anakin’s different Honey” you can feel the look she’s giving you and you hate it. she jogs up in front of you now, forcing you to look her in the eyes.

“fine don’t skip but you have to talk to him, you’ve got the confidence and social skills to charm a snake y/n stop selling yourself short” you both stare at each other, a silent challenge that you always lose.

“alright!” you huff defeated and she cheers, throwing her arms up in victory before doing a celebratory dance.

“have fun talking to the boy of your dreams” she teases before spinning on her heel to walk in the opposite direction as you.

“have fun skipping spanish” you snort and she shouts back a quick ‘i will’ as you continue walking towards the building.

your professor was the type of teacher to close the door as soon as class began. ’if you want to waste my time by being late, don't bother coming at all’ was the first thing she’d said at the beginning of the semester, it was the only sentence she’d said in english.

which is exactly why you speed walk past her right as she’s starting to head to the door, keeping your head low when you see the annoyed look on her face as you do. internally counting your lucky stars that you somehow managed to make it before she’d closed it.

Anakin was always one of the first people to arrive in class so it was no surprise he was already there when you get to take a proper look at your surroundings. he was sitting in his usual spot; last row, second to last seat from the aisle.

you take a deep breath mustering all the courage you have as you walk down the aisle past your usual spot and straight to one of the empty seats next to him. he stiffens, hands freezing mid type on his laptop before he forces himself to relax and continue like normal.

you spare a glance at his laptop screen, wondering if it was related to the class. maybe you had missed an entrance ticket or something. you’re met with a shit ton of equations that makes you want to do a double take, unable to even process what you’d just seen.

the sound of your professor starting the lesson pulls your attention before you can. not that you could even understand what she said, all of it going in one ear and out the other. still you pretend to listen, wanting to give it a little time before you possibly ruin this man’s whole mood.

you pretty much dissociate, resting your hand on your palm without a thought in your mind. it’s about thirty minutes later when everyone who didn’t already have their laptops open are pulling them out of their bags that you snap out of it, following their lead you take yours out before turning to Anakin.

kind of a perfect way to start a conversation if you think about it. “sorry, but do you know what we’re supposed to be doing?” you tilt your head slightly watching as it takes a second for it to click in his mind that you’re speaking to him.

“we have to go onto canvas and answer the newest discussion post and then we have to comment on two other people’s answers all in French” he says after clearing his throat, his voice a soft rumble that makes your heart flutter.

you smile warmly at him, a whispered “thank you“ rolling off of your tongue before you turn back to your laptop. you’re about to copy and paste the question into google translate when you realize you could use this as another excuse to talk to him. “don’t suppose you’ve got any clue what this is asking us?”

his attention is on you again, eyes flicker over your face with uncertainty before he looks at your screen “comment prépares-tu la journée?” he reads it out loud in an accent that rivals the professors “it’s basically a formal way of asking how you prepare for the day”

you nod thinking of your answer only to remember a second later you’d have to respond in French. you bite your lip fighting back the urge to ask another question, afraid that you may start to annoy him. you tap on the table lightly locked in an internal debate, and right when you’re about to cave and go back to your trusty friend google Anakin speaks up again.

“do you need help forming your answer in French?” you can’t help but laugh as you turn to him, a shy smile growing on your face.

“is it that obvious i’m struggling?” you joke at your own misery and he rubs the back of his neck, nervously chuckling.

”no, no i wouldn’t say that…” he trails off before finishing with “well maybe a little bit” which makes you snort and cover your mouth to make sure you don’t laugh too loudly.

“help would be much appreciated, thank you” he smiles, wiping his palms on his jeans before clearing his throat again.

“it’s no problem i already finished my work anyway, i was working on homework for another class” he says while closing his laptop “i’m Anakin by the way” he extends his hand and you're quick to shake it. his palms are clammy, his grip gentle yet firm.

he was definitely nervous, even more than you were which somehow helped fuel you with more confidence. “y/n, it’s nice to meet you” you greet back, releasing his hand and turning your laptop screen more towards him.

“it’s.. uh nice to meet you too” it’s almost funny how awkward he is, you’d expected the college golden boy to be more.. well suave. it was endearing though, and you wish you’d made the effort to talk to him sooner.

you tell Anakin your normal routine before leaving for the day and he translates it for you, at first you were the one typing it but when he saw you failing to spell out the words correctly he offered to just do that as well.

of course you agreed, sliding your laptop more towards him. he reaches forward immediately retyping what he’d told you, and you get a front row seat to watch his mind work. so casual and effortlessly translating each thing you told him onto the discussion post. you’d be lying if you said it wasn’t attractive.

thanks to Anakin’s help you’re able to get the discussion post done and comment on two other people’s posts in under 10 minutes, leaving you with nothing to do as the professor waits for everyone to finish before continuing the lesson.

“so do you usually finish all your work early and work on homework for other classes?” you ask wanting to spark conversation again before he gets the chance to reopen his laptop.

“yeah, French is kind of my first language- my mom had me speak both French and english growing up” he answers, shifting in his chair nervously. uncomfortable from the attention you were giving him. “so this is sort of.. my easy pass class, i just took it for the credits”

“i wanted this to be my easy class, and then the first day she spoke almost purely in French and i knew i was fucked- it’s a miracle i’m passing” that miracle was your usual seatmate who would always give you the answers.

“not to be rude but uh.. how are you passing?” you can tell he didn’t want to come off too blunt but there wasn’t really another way to put it that wasn’t beating around the bush.

“lots of google translate and help from peers” he laughs at how proudly you say that, and you can’t help but smile enjoying the sound of it.

“right, that makes a lot of sense” you raise your brow at that unable to resist the urge to mess with him.

“a lot of sense is crazy wording” you act offended and he instantly starts to panic, backtracking his statement while attempting to apologize. you can’t help the laugh that bubbles out of you making him freeze when he realizes you weren’t actually upset.

he doesn’t respond even as you apologize, simply shaking his head with a faint smile. he relaxes in his seat, a look on his face like he wanted to tease back but was still unsure.

once you’ve calmed down and chosen to ignore the looks you were getting from the people around you there’s a brief silence until your professor speaks up, calling everyone’s attention. all of the discussion posts must have been turned in as she now continues the lesson.

it’s not until the end of class that you and Anakin speak again, you turning to him as he packs his stuff away. “hey, we should hang out sometime” you suggest, rather bold for someone who was afraid to talk to him a little over an hour ago.

he whips his head towards you, completely caught off guard. “i- i…” he stutters, his brain trying desperately to catch up with the situation.

you wince worried you misread him, maybe you had actually offended him with your joke or perhaps he had no intentions or desire to talk with you after today.

when he sees you physically pull back he forces an answer out of himself in an almost panic. “no! well i mean yeah- i’d like that..” he squeezes his eyes shut cringing inwardly.

“you’re cute” you giggle, and he reddens. eyes snapping open as he tries to catch his breath, you’re too much for him. like taking a sip of coffee that has way too much sugar and cream in it.

“cute?” he repeats practically breathless, he swallows hard. looking down to his bag for a distraction, busying himself with zipping it closed.

“there’s a cafe i like to go to with my friend that we could go to together?” you offer while pulling your phone out of your pocket. readying it for him to put his number in as you sling your bag over your shoulder.

he hesitates for a moment before taking your phone; typing in his name and number, eyes flicking up to you every once in a while like he expected you to change your mind and tell him to stop.

“i’d love too” he finally responds, handing your phone back with his number officially saved into your contacts. you have to hold in a giddy squeal, doing your best to play it cool.

“great it’s a date!” you cheer singsongy, putting your phone back in your pocket. Anakin looks like he may pass out, every time he thinks you can’t surprise him more you do. “i’ll text you the details later tonight”

his mouth opens and closes, every possible response dying on his tongue. you give him the time he needs, brows knitted together in understanding.

he fakes a cough, rubbing the back of his neck with his hand. “okay, i look forward to it” he says voice cracking slightly which he tries to play off with another fake cough, turning away from you and heading out of the classroom in a hurry.

as soon as he’s out of sight you let out the squeal you’d been holding in, jumping up and down before excitedly running out of the classroom to go find and tell Honey about what happened.

you wait just outside of campus. rocking on your feet as the cold autumn breeze rushes past you making your nose cold, honestly you were far too happy to care.

i’d been two days since your interaction with Anakin and today was the day you’d both agreed to meet up after classes finished. the wait was agonizing but worth it, especially when you see Anakin heading towards you.

he had on a flannel overtop a gray shirt, hair tussled from the wind. palms sweaty which he tried to keep under control, alternating between wiping them on his jeans and trying to fix his hair.

he hasn’t noticed you yet, mumbling something to himself as he walked. you contemplate whether or not to say something, afraid you may startle him if you do but thankfully he finally looks up from the pavement eyes locking with yours. he stiffens mouth snapping shut before standing tall as he tries to look relaxed.

“y/n hey..” it was awkward for sure and you had to bite back a giggle not wanting to make him second guess himself.

“hey, you ready to go? it’s not too far a walk from here” you point behind you in the opposite direction from which he came. he nods, robotically coming to your side as you begin walking.

there’s a awkward silence between you both, Anakin wanting to talk to you but unsure where to start. “sooo…you like coffee?”

you laugh, unable to hold it back this time with how strained his question came out. “i do, it’s a college student's saving grace don’t you think” you half joke, after all there have been many times coffee has actually saved you from passing out and turning in a late assignment.

he smiles, relaxing with your easy going nature. “oh yeah, coffee the holy grail for all college students” he jokes back for the first time and you beam. “you said you go to this cafe with your friend?”

“yep, me and Honey go all the time. they’ve got the best coffee and baked goods. it’s also the perfect environment to do homework or study” you both round the corner of the sidewalk, walking a little ways down to the crosswalk.

“oh that reminds me i’ve been meaning to ask, what’s your major?” well if he was asking that then he had yet to see your instagram account since it was in your bio. good because you’re pretty sure there’s a photo of you from middle school still up on your page.

“i’m an art history major” his brows raise slightly at that, making you tilt your head curiously. “what’d you think i majored in?” he shrugs unsure what to say.

“i don’t know… maybe psychology” this time your brows raise and he laughs. “you seem like the type” your nose wrinkles unsure how to take that but you ultimately decide to brush it off when it was clear he didn’t mean it in a bad way. “why art history?”

“i wanna become an art teacher, i need a bachelors degree for that to happen and art history seemed like the most interesting.” you both slow to a stop as you arrive at the cafe; Anakin steps in front of you, opening the door and holding it for you.

”thanks” you smile, walking in and heading to the usual table in front of the big storefront window that you and Honey sit at, placing your backpack onto the back of the chair. Anakin follows your lead doing the same with his bag before you both get into line.

thankfully it was short, most students preferred the other cafe directly across the street from campus. “ooo they finally have the fall flavors on the menu” you chirp excitedly upon seeing the newly chalked on pumpkin spice latte on the menu.

“are they any good?” your jaw drops dramatically, turning your head slowly towards him in full theatrics.

“you’ve never had a pumpkin spice latte before!?” he smiles, laughing awkwardly while shaking his head no. “oh we’re gonna fix that right now” you don’t even let him respond before stepping in front of him once the person in front of you leaves the line, ordering two pumpkin spice lattes and apple cider donuts for the both of you.

you don’t let him pay either, brushing him off with a “if i’m the one indoctrinating you into fall culture then it’s only right i pay” he only relents when you add “you can pay next time” a content smile on his face at the prospect there was even going to be a next time.

the cashier hands you a bag with the Donuts as well as two disposable cups with your lattes which you take to the table you saved. animatedly sliding the cup over to him as you pull out the donuts placing them on napkins in front of you both. “come on try it, i bet you’re gonna love it”

“a lot of confidence for someone who doesn’t even know if i like sweets” your face falls not having even thought about that, he laughs instantly making you flush when you realize he was messing with you.

still you smile back, it was about time he got you back. really you were just happy he was even comfortable enough to do it. “alright enough teasing, chop chop Frenchie”

“what am i a dog” he snorts, brows creasing together when he laughs this time. it was hardy and from his chest and gods did it make you warm to have been able to pull that out of him. “okay, okay i’m doing it” he says after you nudge him under the table with your foot.

you wait with anticipation as he brings the cup to his mouth, taking a sip of the warm nutty pumpkin flavored drink. you lean in as he takes his time, one hundred percent keeping a straight face on purpose. “..well?”

he pulls the cup away making a show of smacking his lips together to ‘savor’ the flavor. “Anakin!” you groan and he chuckles, holding his hands up in defense before grabbing the cup again.

“you’re right, it’s delicious” you cheer at the success, and he just watches with a smile. taking another sip of his drink before taking a big bite out of the donut you'd given him. his eyes widening as he tries it. “oh this is a dangerous combination”

“addicting isn’t it?” he nods enthusiastically, practically wolfing down the donut in a few seconds and almost completely chugging the latte. “oh my gosh” you laugh, before taking a sip of your own. “it’s not going anywhere”

“not technically true, you said it yourself these are seasonal items” he says and then chugs the rest of his drink. you may have actually just sent this man on a path of addiction.

“well we’ll just have to make it a tradition to come here every fall then. just for the coffee and donuts” he smiles brightly, more than satisfied with your words.

“is the rest of their menu this good year round?” you nod and he leans back in his chair, fiddling with the napkin his donut had been on. he licks the bottom of his lip in thought, bitting the inside of his cheek to hide his nerves before he finally speaks. “well maybe we should make it a year round tradition”

you lean on your palm, absolutely crushing harder on him with each passing second. “year round dates? kind of sounds like you're asking me out” he practically falls out of his chair, choking on whatever sugar the apple cider donuts had left at the back of his throat.

“i-i…i mean..” he stammers and you start to worry you may accidentally be the death of him. “i’d like that a lot.. you know only if you’re into it too-“ he cuts himself off mumbling a ‘she brought it up of course she is’ to himself which makes you giggle.

“why don’t you ask me?” you wait for his answer, not even trying to give him a break. he’s still barely recovered from your initial tease, cheeks a bright red that he’s trying desperately to push down.

it takes him a moment, before he finally works up the courage to speak again. “would you wanna go out with me?” he’s quiet and you briefly contemplate dragging it out more, just to watch him squirm but the poor boy looked tormented enough so you finally grant him reprieve.

“i’d love to” he smiles, relaxing before laughing at himself and you join in. the two of you lost in a fit of giggles, that’s how it is the rest of the date. the two of you getting to know each other better and tossing jokes around.

the more comfortable Anakin becomes, the less awkward and shy he seems to act. no longer as nervous as he was when you first spoke to him.

the cold weather outside is the perfect contrast to the warm cozy bubble around you both that the cafe helped provide. the beginning of many moments to come.

a/n: hope this okay!! im so used to writing Anakin as the more confident and collected one so this is a little different for me but it was so fun to write 😋😋

also how do we feel about Honey becoming a reoccurring character in my fics and oneshots? would you guys prefer me putting ‘y/f/n’ instead?

anyway hope you all enjoyed reading 🫶🏼🫶🏼 have a great day huns!! Xx<3

[ugotcooneycrossed]

have i told you lately, im grateful youre mine • alessia russo

w/c: ~900

alessia doesn't like anyone as much as she likes you- or, how mean girl less is really just a big softie

a/n: i dont really love this but its done so

------------------------------------------------------------

the skies are overcast- the cold wind hitting your cheeks and nose- no matter how hard you try to cover them in your scarf.

it’s raining- small droplets fall down and splatter on the ground, and on your clothes- well alessia’s clothes, but really it’s basically yours anyway.

it feels just like home really.

you had no reason to make the move to america- unfortunately gifted with the burden of two left feet, and asthma so bad your breathing could rival that of a pug, a sport scholarship was out of the question. thankfully your skills in books landed you with endless opportunities, that wouldn’t cause you to fall on your face. you could’ve gone to any uni really- but with an academic scholarship calling, and the promise of much better weather, you couldn’t turn it down.

and it was only ironic that you met alessia when you finally got to UNC- stargirl to the extreme and very- very serious footballer. even thinking about her sport made you breathless- or well, thinking about her playing football with the stupidly attractive captains armband made you breathless.

friday night games are your favourite- all your focus can be diverted to watching your girlfriend play.

and like every other week- your voice is sore from how much you’ve been cheering and screaming for the blonde striker.

they’re winning two – nil, those scored by of course alessia.

and no matter how many games you go to, no matter if they’re here at UNC or somewhere across the world for youth international duties, and no matter how many times she scores. you will always be the loudest one cheering.

you manage to make eye contact with her, beaming at her and sending her a thumbs up-and she smirks back at you, blowing you a kiss. your cold cheeks start to warm and you sit back down when the people around you start to tease you.

everyone and their mothers know who alessia russo’s girlfriend is- she’s quite known for her possessive streak around campus.

there was the time where she poured her drink on someone when they didn’t get the hint, also the time she came to you at half-time at her game to steal your jacket so everyone could see the number on the back of your shirt- then nursing you back to health when you inevitably got sick, and also the time she blew off training and had to run laps- all because she wanted to cuddle.

so, no- she’s not subtle at all.

not that you’d complain of course- her jealousy is very attractive.

by the time the stands clear out- it’s just you left, waiting for your girlfriend to finish her post match routine.

“hey (y/n)!”

you beam at the voice- running down the steps to jump into lotte’s arms for a hug.

“hi! you were so great out there!”

“how do you know- I’m sure lessi was all you could focus on.”

“that’s not true carlotte. i love all you girls equally.”

“hmm well i wasn’t even playing, so i think you’re lying.”

lotte wiggles her eyebrows at you, and your mouth drops I shock- before you rub the back of your neck in embarrassment.

“sorry lotts.”

“just kidding! i really was playing- but you still didn’t notice so ha!”

“go bother someone else’s girlfriend lotte- or, go get your own!”

alessia swings her arm around your shoulder and your hand comes up to hold hers- fingers entwining. alessia presses a kiss to the side of you face and stares at lotte.

“calm down less- i’m just messing around.”

you elbow your girlfriend.

“yeah, yeah. bye now lotte i’ll see you tomorrow.”

you both watch the older girl walk away- and alessia sets off, arm still around your shoulders, bringing you close to her side. you start to stumble over your feet at the awkward angle she’s created.

“less let me go- i can’t walk properly.”

“no.”

-

in the few years alessia’s been here, she’s garnered quite the reputation- a harsh captain with a mean streak, always quick with insults, and never afraid to get into a physical fight.

she’s competitive, and judgemental- and well a mean girl.

but you know better.

you know that she’s a sucker for romantic films- no matter how many times she tells you its stupid, she’ll always end up crying first.

you know that she lets you win- at any game really, ‘miss sore loser’ seems to always forget how to play whenever its against you.

you know that her jealousy is just because she loves you- and despite time, and time again reassuring her that she doesn’t need to be jealous, that you have and always will love just her- she continues to bite the head off just about anyone who so much as looks at you.

you can especially see it in the way she grips your hand tighter, the way her eyes glare at anyone daring to get too close, but mostly- you can tell in the way she refuses to let you go, from whatever party youre at, all the way back to your dorms.

shes a softie really- hanging off you as if you were her lifeline- puckering her lips and begging for kisses.

no one knows her the way you do.

the way you could do absolutely nothing with her and itd still be perfect.  

[writingquestionsanswered]

Character Backstory & How to Explore It

Anonymous asked: I keep seeing advice to "explore your character's backstory," but what does it even mean? It's not helpful when I'm already struggling to flesh a character out due to lacking ideas or not knowing what I want the character to be. Is there a guide on how I'm supposed to explore their backstory?

[Ask edited for length]

What is Character Backstory?

Your character's "backstory" is their past. It's the accumulation of places they've lived, places they've visited, who they've loved, who's loved them, situations and events they've experienced, skills and knowledge they've acquired... basically everything that has made them into the person they are at the start of the story.

Backstory and Internal Conflict

If you're writing a story that is fully or partly character-driven, meaning that who your characters are and what they do is important to driving the plot, you will want to make sure your protagonist and important main characters each have an internal conflict. An internal conflict is a problem in the character's heart and mind that must be resolved by the end of the story. In a story that is fully character-driven, this problem will serve as the story's main conflict. In a story that is partially character-driven and also partially plot-driven, this problem will coincide with the external conflict, which in this case is the main plot.

Fleshing Out the Backstory

We are who we are because of our lives so far, so you can look at who your character is (or who you think you want them to be) and start to look for things they might have experienced in their past that made them that way. For example, if you want your character to be a detail-oriented, goal-driven, ambitious person, can you think of what in their life so far has made them that way? Maybe they were raised by parents who struggled with details, goals, and ambition, and as a result the family was always broke, the house was always a mess, and bills were always unpaid. Growing up in that way was frustrating for your character, so they were driven to be different. They liked school because it was structured and wasn't home, and they strove to do well. This allowed them to get a scholarship to a top university where they did very well and graduated with top marks and a great job offer.

Figuring Out the Conflict, Emotional Wound, and Lie They Believe

If your character needs an internal conflict--which they do if you want your story to be partially or fully character-driven--you can look at your character's life and try to find something that, despite everything, isn't quite right.

For example,using the character from the earlier example, let's say because of the tumultuous situation, their parents had an awful relationship and eventually went through a messy divorce that was awful for the kids. Because this divorce had a profound negative effect on your character's view of relationships, this event caused an "emotional wound" that your character carries with them into adulthood. Ultimately, it gave them the mistaken belief that no relationship can withstand difficult challenges. This is the "lie they believe," and because of this mistaken belief, they can't let themselves get too serious in a relationship. If a relationship is going too well, they break it off before it can be ruined by difficult challenges.

Exploring the Backstory and Resolving the Conflict

Whatever else is happening in this story, part of it is going to be addressing this character's failed relationships as well as helping them to change before they self-sabotage the good relationship they're in now (or that they get into over the course of the story.)

You can do this by exploring the character's backstory, or in other words weaving in recalled memories, flashbacks, and explanations of what that childhood was like, what the divorce was like, and how it drove them to be ambitious and detail oriented. As they start to push their new love interest away, you can then examine the emotional wound of the divorce and the lie it led them to believe. You can illustrate ways in which they see that this thing they believe isn't actually true... maybe they see friends' relationships surviving difficult challenges just fine. Maybe eventually their own relationship survives an unexpected difficult challenge. As the story progresses and they see evidence that the thing they believe is actually a lie, their internal conflict resolves because they see that relationships can survive challenges--even difficult ones--and they can prove this change by staying in their relationship even if there are difficult challenges looming.

I hope that helps! :)

•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••

I’ve been writing seriously for over 30 years and love to share what I’ve learned. Have a writing question? My inbox is always open!

♦ Questions that violate my ask policies will be deleted! ♦ Please see my master list of top posts before asking ♦ Learn more about WQA here

[permanentswaps]

Grindr Swap With A Twink

Read Part 1 from @ghostinthedude here.

Lets just say that college was a LOT of fun. Sure, on the outside I looked like an immature pretty boy with nothing going through his head. But on the inside, I was a self-possessed adult, who knew exactly what he wanted.

From them moment I set foot on campus, I was inundated with attention from upperclassmen guys – and even some of the younger professors – who were eager to get to get me into their beds. I won’t go too much into the details, but I definitely got around that year.

Eventually, I hit my growth spurt. Better late than never I guess. And over the course of sophomore year I had packed on about 20 lbs of muscle, grew a solid 6 inches, and got a haircut. By junior year, I was no longer a slutty bottom twink being plowed by every closeted senior on the football team, I was a sexy vers twunk making my way through the swim roster.  

All the while, I was acing all my classes, leading me to graduate Summa Cum Laude and get a job in investment banking for next year. I knew its going to be a hard path, but it made my parents so proud and it will set me up financially for the rest of my career. This week, I just moved into a brand new apartment by myself in Boston’s Back Bay. I’m due to start work in a few weeks, but I wanted to get settled in, explore the city, make some friends, and maybe even build up a roster (I’m not gonna have a ton of time to meet guys once work starts up).

---

That’s why tonight, I found myself scrolling through Grindr. Here's my profile pics btw:

There’s quite a selection to choose from. Hmmm, the international guys from Harvard seem kinda hot, but I bet they’re super full of themselves. What about a true Boston native, there’s something weirdly sexy about their accents.

I kept scrolling until one guy caught my eye, making my stomach flip. It was my old body, he had tapped my profile. That's weird, I thought he would still be in Cincinnati. But anyway, his profile is kinda super hot:

"Hey, what's up," I messaged.

"Hey cutie, how's it going?" he replied.

"Alright alright, just moved to town, looking for some fun," I joked, trying to keep the conversation light.

"Hahaha, I love some fun," he replied, his enthusiasm evident even through text. "Top or bttm?"

"Vers ;)" I replied.

"I can work with that," he replied eagerly. "So, what's your name?"

I couldn't help but chuckle to myself. "You really don't know?"

"No, why would I, cutie?" he responded.

"I just figured you'd remember your own face after all these years," I teased, adding, "Although I guess it's not your face anymore."

"OMG.”

I quickly sent him my location, to which he responded almost immediately, “Be there in 20.”

---

"Shit," he said as he walked through the door, looking around wide eyed. "This place is super nice."

"Yeah, I mean, it's not totally furnished yet, but it's pretty nice," I replied, trying to downplay it a bit.

"How did you afford it? I know my parents don’t exactly have deep pockets," he asked, genuine curiosity in his tone.

"Yeah, actually," I began, feeling a pang of sympathy for my former self, "I got such good grades freshman year that I actually got a scholarship for the rest of college. And now..."

My old body's expression shifted, a hint of sadness creeping in.

“And now, I’ll be making 110k starting with no loans. So yeah mom and dad didn’t really need to give me anything.” I said, feeling a bit odd that he still referred to them as his parents. “And how about you," I asked, trying to keep the conversation going. "Where are you living these days?"

"Oh, I have a shared flat in Dorchester," he replied. "It's nothing special, but it's all I can afford on a bartender's salary."

"You moved all the way out here for a bartending gig?" I asked.

"Yeah," he said with a shrug. "I didn't really have a choice. I got fired from my last job for showing up late too many times and kinda got blacklisted from all the good bars in Cincinnati. But a buddy who had moved out here set me up with a new gig. It's okay, I guess."

"But anyway," he said, changing the subject, "look at you, you've done really well for yourself."

I couldn't help but smirk as I ran my hand down my toned abs. He wasn't wrong.

"And you," I said, diverting the attention away from myself, "you must still be pulling in all the hot twinks with that bod."

"Hahaha, yeah," he replied, his confidence shining through. "Although none of them are as sexy as you are."

His compliment caught me off guard, but I couldn't help but be drawn in as he pulled me in for a kiss. The chemistry between us was undeniable as we quickly made our way to the bedroom, shedding our clothes with eager anticipation.

He climbed on top of me, his lips finding their way to my eager member. I couldn't help but marvel at how he still remembered all the right moves. Within minutes, he had me on the edge, his skilled hands finding their way to my sensitive nipples, pushing me to climax.

With a satisfied grin, he eagerly swallowed every last drop of my load. Luckily for him, I had a rapid recharge time, and I was ready to go for round two within minutes.

As he whipped out his beer can thick cock, memories flooded back. I remembered that thing—it was definitely fun to top twinks, or twunks like myself, back in the day.

In doggy, he hugged my body tightly, in a way that felt almost nostalgic. It was almost like he was reminiscing about living in this body, even though it didn’t look anything like this when he last had it.

Then, with surprising finesse, he flipped me over into missionary, his eyes locking with mine as our bodies moved in sync.

In a half-whisper, he asked me a question that caught me off guard: "Can we swap back?"

Just then, it dawned on me. To swap back, we both needed to swallow each other’s cum. Panic surged through me. He had already swallowed mine. Shit.

Still thrusting into me, he paused, his eyes searching mine with a mix of desperation and longing. "No, you don’t understand," he pleaded. "This could’ve been my life."

Struggling to fight him through the ecstasy I was feeling from his cock plunging into me, I shook my head. "No, it wouldn’t be," I gasped out between breaths. "You'd never work hard enough for this."

I looked up and saw a look come across his face that I’d know anywhere. He was about to cum. I couldn't let him pull out and risk the chance of him trying to shoot his load all over my face.

Quickly, I pushed him backwards and positioned myself on top of him, impaling myself on his throbbing cock in cowboy. He looked up at me, a mixture of bliss and regret evident in his expression as his load erupted.

Relieved but seething with anger, I stepped off the bed and quickly grabbed his pants, tossing them at him with a firm command. "Get out," I said, my voice carrying an edge of finality. "And don't contact me again."

He silently complied, skulking towards the door where he saw himself out. Locking it behind him, I let out a breath I didn't realize I was holding.

Returning to the bedroom mirror, I faced my reflection with a newfound clarity. Taking a good, hard look at myself, I uttered the words that had been swirling in my mind.

"I am Devin Connors," I declared, the weight of the statement settling over me. "And I deserve everything that I’ve worked for."

Really happy with how this one turned out. Let me know if you have any suggestions for which story I should finish next.

[intheholler]

so @indiestarlight was tellin me about a conversation they were having with an international friend, trying to explain generational poverty in the south and why it feels so impossible to break out of. they asked if they could share with me what they said, and upon readin it i found it so on the nose that i asked for permission to share it here.

of course, education or a lack thereof is only one path we get stuck on when trying to get out of poverty, but i think it does a good job of illuminating a very common appalachian multigenerational experience, in a very human way, and is something interesting to consider if you ain't from here and wanna get a better understanding.

and i think this part in particular here...

and yep alright now even though great-granddaddy was a union organizer your daddy is a republican—and maybe you aren't, and maybe you try to reason with him, but it's hard to get through to him when the objective truth is that yeah, liberal politicians HAVE failed him, and yeah, liberal politicians DO ignore the south.

...deserves an entire fucking post on its own. anyway, enough of me. read their full thoughts under the cut

for many people in the south it's just an endless cycle of. your great-granddaddy was never able to graduate school. so he worked in the mines, or in a factory, or in any other job he could get without a degree. he didn't make enough money to send your granddaddy to college, either. maybe your granddaddy graduated high school, maybe he even got a scholarship and managed to enroll in college—but then his daddy broke his leg and couldn't work anymore, or his ma got sick and couldn't take care of his little siblings, or or or a thousand other issues that could've been solved with money or better access to healthcare or better access to education, but he didn't have any of those things so instead he came home to take care of family and he never got a degree and then he also worked whatever job he could get without a degree. and your granddaddy didn't have enough money to send your daddy to college, and anyway when your granddaddy went to college for a semester everyone treated him like dirt and all the professors acted like he was stupid, so why would your daddy wanna go to college, anyway? and then your daddy thinks that colleges are full of stuck-up snobs, and ohh now fox news is telling him that's because colleges are full of pansy liberals who've never worked a day in their lives, not like him, not like his family who've been fighting just to scrape by for generations, and yep alright now even though great-granddaddy was a union organizer your daddy is a republican—and maybe you aren't, and maybe you try to reason with him, but it's hard to get through to him when the objective truth is that yeah, liberal politicians HAVE failed him, and yeah, liberal politicians DO ignore the south. and now maybe you do want to go to college, but… with what money? with what opportunities? you can't get academic scholarships because the educational barriers you've faced mean that even though you graduated high school, your grades aren't near good enough to get any kind of scholarship on them. income-based scholarships exist, but they can be hard to get, and they'll cover maybe 40% of the cost of attending school, and there's no way in hell you can cover the other 60% yourself. your great-granddaddy worked in the mines, 'cuz he didn't have a degree. you work in mcdonald's, 'cuz you don't have a degree. and one day your own kids are gonna ask about going to college, and you're gonna have to tell them that mcdonalds doesn't pay you enough to pay their tuition. and the cycle continues, and every time you go to online leftist spaces and try to get people to help you organize and make things better, instead everyone just mocks you for your accent, for your "bad" grammar, and they make jokes about how stupid and uneducated everyone in your hometown is, and you realize they are never going to take you seriously and they are never gonna help you

[9jacompass]

2023 New Zealand Scholarship Fully - Apply Now Funded

2023 New Zealand Scholarship Fully – Apply Now Funded

The New Zealand Scholarships for the academic term 2023/24 are now open. And we have shared a List of 5,000 Fully Funded New Zealand Scholarships 2023. The NZ Scholarships are open to international applicants. Currently, New Zealand Scholarships are open to Bachelor, Master, Ph.D., and Post Doctoral degree programs. Most of the Scholarships are Funded by the Govt of New Zealand. New Zealand…

[sweet-creature101]

Envelopes and Punches

Harry Styles, a rich and wealthy boy falls in love with a poor girl who scams the rich for a living and simply does not care of what the world has to say about it.

Warnings: mentions of alcohol, violence and swearing.

Your heart pounded as you ran, your shoes squeaking against the wet pavement. The earphones in your ears blasted songs as you ran. This was your escape, an escape from the life you had at home and school. While running, no thought crossed your head. No thought of how to make money, how to get food on the table or how to get through another day of school full of entitled rich kids.

If there was anything you had learnt in your seventeen years of existence, it was that life has a way of becoming ruthless. One simple law governed your whole life and it was “every man for himself.” Years of living in poverty had taught that the only way to survive is by either scamming the rich or stealing money; food stamps and social security cheques could only bring in so much.

You reach your house after your daily morning run. The small fence gate flung open with a single push. The stench of alcohol and cigarettes reach your nose, it used to make you recoil internally earlier but you soon got used to it. Your mother was lying on the sofa flicking through programmes on the television. You sighed deeply as you removed your earphones and stood in your living room with your arms crossed.

“Mom, it's seven in the morning, stop watching the television.” You took a glass of water and walked over handing it to her. In the distance, through your window you saw a truck unloading boxes and a bunch of people your age handing them out “What's that going on?” You asked your mother.

“Volunteers. Think they can make this shithole better by handing out a few boxes.” Your mother scoffed. “Don’t ya have school?” She added, eying you suspiciously.

“I do.”

**********************

School was awful. Being on a scholarship and poor in a school full of rich kids did not work in your favour. The students here did not express their contempt for you in a straightforward manner but you knew it was there, flowing like a steady undercurrent. You knew that they disliked you from the way they easily dismissed you, averted their gaze from you and simply ignored you. You only had two friends, Angela and Zayn. Both of them were on scholarships just like you.

“Did you see trucks outside your house?” Zayn asked, swirling the spaghetti around his fork, slightly grimacing at the sound.

“Yeah, didn't let me sleep. I almost skipped school because of that shit.” Angela said grumbling.

“You always want to skip.” You pointed out earning an eye roll from her.

“That's besides the point. Oh by the way, y’know who's the new football captain? Zayn just loves him.” Angela said, raising her eyebrows, a mischievous smile on her face. “It's Harry Styles.” Zayn said huffing, “I almost thought of quitting but then I realised that the minute I quit, they send me out of here.”

“What's so bad about him?” You asked, stuffing fries in your mouth.

“He’s a stiff. Too nice. All he does is smile.” Zayn said, rolling his eyes.

“That's what you don't like about him?” You asked, your eyebrows raised at Zayn. He flipped you off and poked his tongue at you.

“I need to get to class, can’t get another tardy slip.” Angela said getting up and brushing down her top with her hands. “I’ll walk you.” Zayn got up and stood looking at Angela. “And they say chivalry is dead.” You remarked winking at Zayn who turned into a deep crimson.

You sigh deeply and pick up your bag, your legs groaning in pain from all the relentless running you’d been doing. Walking out the cafeteria you don’t notice the crowd of boys coming your way. You take out your phone and scroll through your text messages, the last one from your mother telling you that she’ll be late coming from work. Too immersed in answering her text you didn’t notice what was about to happen.

You bump into a hard body, your shoulder bearing the brunt of it. “Hey, watch where you’re going scumbag.” One of the boys warned you. You square your shoulders and look him in his eyes, a challenge etched in your burning eyes. “Why don’t you watch where you’re going, prick.”

Harry saw it all unfurl in front of him. Jason always had a way of letting his temper get the best of him, after getting decimated in practice he was left in a sour mood. But here Harry was, watching a girl half Jason’s weight challenge him as she stared at him, her kohl smudged eyes not blinking. Harry knew who you were, the school did. Perhaps that's why no one ever talked to you or your friends. “The band of exiles” is what his friends called you and your friends.

“Keep moving.” A voice called from behind. Harry knew who that was, it was their coach who could see the potential outcome of this. Jason scowled at you and moved. You rolled your eyes and walked ahead.

“Hey, I’m Harry. Sorry about that, Jason’s never been nice.” Harry said, his hand finding the back of his neck as he scratched it nervously. Harry looked at you and thought you were nothing short of beautiful. He didn’t miss the kohl smudged around your eyes, your thick lashes or the curve of your lips.

“I’m Y/N. It's fine, don’t apologise for him although he could use getting his teeth knocked out once a while just to keep him in line once a while y'know.” You said, smiling a bit. Harry chuckled, feeling a warm bubble grow in his chest.

“Of course I’ll keep that in mind.” Harry said nodding, his smile wide and pearly.

“You are the captain after all.” You said, shrugging lightly.

“You know that?” Harry asked you a bit surprised at your awareness of this.

“I’m in enemy territory, I need to keep my eyes and ears open.” You said smiling and looking down at the ground, suddenly aware of the holes in the sleeves of your tee shirt. You immediately hide your arms behind your back.

Harry wasn’t stupid nor was he oblivious. He noticed what you did and why you did it. The inside of his chest flamed a bit on seeing you hide yourself. “You’re not in enemy territory with me Y/N.”

“We’ll see about that Harry.”

**************************

“You have to come with me Y/N. Come on, it’ll be fun!” Angela said, twirling around her room with a dress in her hand.

“I have no clothes Angie, at least none for parties besides I have to make phone calls tonight.” You said, sighing as you flopped on her bed, the broken springs squeaking under your weight.

“You can scam the rich later.” Angela chuckled. She opened her cupboard, which was covered in splinters and had a broken knob but did the job. Although you weren’t sure if it wasn’t infested with termites.

The room had a low ceiling, a single cupboard, a small wrought iron bed and a dresser with an attached mirror. Your room was the exact same, except the fact that even your wooden floorboards were falling apart in some places although you had decorated it with fairy lights all over.

“How am I supposed to pay for food, electricity or even water then?” You questioned her.

“Tomorrow, make as many calls as you want, hell even rob someone. But tonight you’re a free bird.” Angela tapped on.

“Where are we even going?” You asked her, looking at the cracks in the ceiling. Angela smiled triumphantly at her win.

“Niall's house.” She said, wiggling her brows.

“Horan?”

“Yeah, we’ve been talking on and off so he called me over at this party he’s having tonight.” She said, looking at herself in the mirror.

You thought over it, you needed the money desperately. You’d just have to call your usual clients (rich men who cheated on their wives) at the party itself.

“Fine. Let’s go then.” You said getting up.

“You can't go like this.” Angela said, eying you up and down. You wore a loose white tank top that had a rather deep neck than what you usually wore, a pair of mini black shorts and your dirty converse that were on the verge of tearing apart.

“Watch me.” You said, crossing your arms over your chest.

“At Least let me straighten your hair. And do your makeup. And lend you my jewellery. And-”

“No, that's all you can do, Ang.” You shot back.

“Okay fine. Now sit.”

It took you over an hour and another thirty minutes to reach Niall's house which was across the city. Of course, the rich wouldn’t live anywhere near the faulty neighbourhoods. Which is why you hated being here, standing near the pool, watching the same people you avoided at school watch you. The drink in your hand didn’t have the effect you expected it to.

Might as well get work done. You thought to yourself.

You brought out your phone and opened the list of phone numbers you had smuggled in from a friend who worked in charities and had a knack for observation about who glanced too long at who. Stalking these men outside The Ritz, the most expensive hotel in town on Fridays also helped your cause. You dialled the first number, waiting for the man to pick up.

“Hello?” A heavy and gruff voice answered from the other end.

“Am I speaking to Raymond Sturgis?” You asked, your sweet as if it were dripping with honey.

“Yes, who is this?”

“It doesn’t matter. I know you meet up with Chayenne every Tuesdays, Thursdays and the weekend outside the Ritz at approximately 6:30, maybe even 7:00 depending on traffic. God knows what your wife would think of that? She’d divorce you, claim her share in the company which- correct me if I’m wrong, is a whopping sixty percent. Oh and also claim custody of your kids.” You said smugly.

“What do you want?” The voice on the other end had become visibly strained.

“Four thousand dollars, cash.”

“I could easily report you. You’d go to prison for this.”

“By time the police reach I’d have already mailed your wife pictures of you and the lovely Chayenne.”

“Fine. Where should I drop the cash?”

You told your usual address, a park fifteen minutes away from your house and to drop the cash by midnight. You sigh and sit down at the lounge chair staring at the water.

“You’re knee deep in enemy territory, soldier.”

You heard the familiar voice, a smile finding its way on your lips. You turn your head and find that all too familiar face smile at you, eyes glazed and a lazy smile with two bottles in hand.

“I see you bear gifts.” You said, smiling just as he did.

“That I do. Beer or breezer or whatever is in this cup?”

“I’ll take the cup and beer.” You said.

Harry sat down next to you, your knees and thighs touching. “Been over a week since I last talked to you, although I keep on seeing you everywhere.” Harry said. You almost choked on your drink at his uncalled confession.

“Why didn’t you approach me then?” You asked him, turning your face to look at him. You thought he looked handsome, handsome in a rugged way. You breathed in his deodorant. Maybe it was the alcohol, although it barely acted but you wanted to kiss him.

“Asked myself the same thing every day.”

The last Harry talked to you was when he needed notes in English. He tried to concoct funny if not odd reasons to talk to you and here you were, sitting next to Niall’s pool where Harry had drowned far too many times.

“I wished you did.” You spoke suddenly, drawing Harry out of his trance.

“Talk to you?”

“Yeah.Wait,” You said, downing the whole bottle of beer in a single breath, grimacing at the taste. “I like you Harry, like talking to you. You’re better than most people here, other than me of course. But you see me, not just look at me. That’s got to count for something.”

Harry felt his heart leap at your words.

“Fraternising with the enemy, guess you’re not that good of a soldier after all.” Harry said chuckling, tucking a loose strand of your hair. He didn't miss the way your cheeks flushed a deep crimson nor did he miss the way you quickly averted your gaze from his eyes to the ground. He would’ve found this change in demeanour amusing had he not been harbouring the intense desire to kiss you.

“Shut up.”

*****************************

Days of talking turned into weeks and weeks turned into months. You and Harry had been friends for over two months. Two months of drinking on rooftops of buildings you didn’t know existed, two months of getting to know each other, two months of having the bubble of feelings you had for him grow bigger and two months of still wanting to grab his face and kiss him.

And you never wanted to kiss him as much as you did now, locked in a tiny broom closet at Niall's House. The alcohol in your system didn’t help either. Your self control was being tested with every passing second.

“Seven minutes have never felt longer.” Harry chuckled, breaking the ice. You both were standing close enough that you could feel his hand brush yours, his chest leaving a phantom touch.

“Don’t sweat it Styles.” You mumbled.

“You know, I never noticed how pretty you are.” Harry said, a smile appearing on his face. You blushed furiously.

“Shut up.”

“No, that's a lie. I saw how pretty you are the minute I set eyes on you.”

You quickly averted your eyes to the ground, looking at your shoes.

“Y/N, look at me. Please.” Harry kept a finger under your chin and nudged your face towards his.

“Don’t do this Har.” You said, peering into his clear green eyes.

“Why?”

“Because I want to kiss you and we’re both drunk and then we’ll never talk about it and then we’ll forget about it and then-”

“Shh. It’s okay. I’ll kiss you when you’re sober. Promise.” Harry shushed you, placing a finger on your lips.

“You don’t have to promise.” You mumbled against his fingers.

“I want to.” He smiled at you, hooking a hand around your waist and dragging you closer.

“Okay.” You said, smiling slightly.

“But for now,” Harry kissed the corner of your lips.

“Are you always this cheeky?” You questioned laughing.

“Only with you.”

***************

“Move it to the left.”

“Are you stupid mate?”

“Oh wait, move a bit towards the right.”

Out of all the ways Harry imagined spending his weekend, delivering boxes of essential goods to an abandoned neighbourhood in the south side was not what he expected.

“Ugh when do we go home?” Blair asked, looking up from her phone. Loose strands of blonde hair had escaped her ponytail which now came down to frame her face.

“Not until afternoon so sit tight.” Jason said, carrying a load of boxes.

“Jeez, we have to give them a toothbrush too? Like isn’t that three pounds?” The irritated girl said, peeking into the boxes in front of her.

“Less talking, more work. That means you too Blair.” Harry said checking off boxes in this list he carried.

Harry often found his mind wandering to you. Thinking of you, your smile, your laugh, your eyes and anything remotely related to you. He wondered where you were, what you were doing right now.

“Did I tell you my dad got threatened?” Blair said, blowing a bubble of the gum in her mouth.

“What?” Harry immediately forgot about the list in his hand and diverted his attention to the blonde.

“Yeah. Someone just called out of nowhere and told him to leave money in a park or else she’d leak some information.” She said casually.

“A park?” Jason asked snorting.

“Yeah and it’s not too far from here either.” Blair continued.

Harry merely hummed. He particularly didn’t care about what happened to Blair’s dad and certainly didn’t care that he had to bear a bit of damage. From a distance, he saw a figure running. He thought it looked like you but blamed it on wishful thinking.

Harry didn’t realise it was you until he could properly see you. You were running, your hair was bound in a loose ponytail. He saw you were wearing his favourite shorts, short enough to show your legs yet long enough to just cover your butt. The tight black tank top you wore left almost nothing to the imagination.

“Y/N? What are you doing here?” Harry called out, smiling wide.

You look at him and his friends like a deer blinded by headlights. Your grip tightened around the envelope in your hand, hoping Blair wouldn’t notice that it was her fathers company logo embossed onto it. You silently cursed that man as a fool once you saw that he sent his company envelope.

“Harry, hi. I didn’t expect to see you here.” You nervously chuckled. Harry walked towards you, slinging an arm around your waist drawing you closer. You could feel his hand go lower and lower.

“Are you here to help us?” Blair asked you, eyeing you up and down.

“Oh, no. I went out for a walk.” You replied.

“In this neighbourhood?” She further questioned you, her eyes narrowed into slits.

“I live here.” You stated firmly, waiting for the taunting, name calling or anything of the sort. You felt Harry straighten behind you.

“Oh.” The taunting never came. You couldn’t decide what was worse, contempt or pity.

“Yeah well I better get going.” You said, sensing the shift in environment. “I’ll see you later, yeah?” You told Harry, turning around to kiss him on the cheek.

Harry blushed slightly, squeezing your waist tighter. “Of course”

You begin to walk, half relieved that no one noticed the big logo on the envelope in your hand.

“Hey! Wait”

Spoke too soon.

You turn around to find Blair looking at you, her arms crossed and her expression morphed into one of accusation.

“Show me that envelope.” She demanded, walking closer to you.

You stand straighter, your shoulders squared. “What’s it to you?” You retort back.

Blair came behind you and suddenly snatched the envelope. “You bitch,” She spat at you. “You’re the one who’s been threatening my dad. How low can you go?”

“It’s nothing he didn’t deserve.” You said calmly.

“I knew letting in people like you in our world was a mistake. You’re nothing but scum. We all know your mom gives blowjobs and we all know that you’re going to carry the family legacy.” Blair taunted, laughing dryly at you.

“Shut up you don’t know anything.” You said, desperately trying to hone the storm inside of you.

“No Y/N, trust me I do know. I know that you’re going to be the neighbourhood whore, like your mom. That’s all you’re good for. You’re a nobody. You always were and you always will be.”

The rage you felt in that moment was blinding. You had to fight back, if not for who you are right now then for the five year old girl you used to be. That small timid girl who would flinch at every noise, every echoing gunshot and everything.

You tackled the girl to the ground and punched her. You keep on punching her, swallowing your sobs as you drained out her screams and everyone else’s around you. You feel hands drag you away from the girl and hurl you to the ground.

“Y/N stop. You’re better than this.” Harry looks at you, with soft eyes.

“Is she though?” Jason asked, carrying Blair to the truck. You avert your gaze to the boy in front of you.

“Yeah, what you’ll beat me too? Try me bitch.”

Bitch. Scum. Lowlife. Nobody. Whore.

“I’m not a bitch.” You say, your voice hoarse.

“Can’t say the same.” Jason curtly replied.

You look at him with angered eyes, certain that if you could blow steam, you would be doing so right now.

“You know what Jason, maybe I am a bitch. Maybe I’m a lowlife, scum, a whore, a nobody or maybe even all of those things.” You said, getting up walking to him.

You punch him square in the face, breaking his nose. You wanted him to hit. You wanted him to hit you hard, hard enough to knock you out. And he did. You felt pain sear straight from your stomach upto your eye, like a hot brand marking your skin.

And then everything went dark.

*************

Radio silence. Three days had gone by since your cards had been laid bare, three days since you had beat up Blair, three days since you had gotten beaten up, three days since you last heard from Harry. It was unbearable, this constant pining and anxiety. Which is why, the second you got the text from Harry asking you to meet him, you didn’t hesitate before saying yes.

You sat on your usual bench, waiting for Harry. There were a million things you wanted to say, a million things on your mind and a million more you wanted to ask. You heard the shuffling of footsteps and knew who it was.

“Hey.” You looked over to see Harry. He looked devastatingly handsome tonight.

“Hi.” You said back, looking down.

“Let me take a look at you.” Harry said, hooking a finger under your chin. You refused to meet his gaze. He felt his heart grind a bit at your reaction. “Look at me, please?” Harry asked softly.

Your eyes met his and you felt tears spring up in your eyes. You bit your lip to keep it from wobbling. “Hey hey, don’t cry. I’m not leaving you Y/N. I’m here for you okay?” Harry said, kneeling down so that he was face to face with you, taking your hands in his.

“I’m sorry. I’m so sorry. You deserve so much better.” You sob, completely breaking down.

Harry hugs you tight, holding you until you calm down. “What does a mermaid wear to math class?” Harry asked you.

“What?” You mumble, your face squished against his shoulder.

“An algae-bra.”

You laugh, your head feeling better. “It’s so bad Har.”

“Ah there’s my girl.” Harry said, pulling away, smiling at you. “I like it when you laugh.” He said, tucking your hair behind your ear.

“So, scamming huh?” Harry asked you, sitting beside you.

You sighed through your nose. “Before you call me unethical, I only do that to men who cheat on their wives, it’s easier that way.” You said looking up.

“Well, at least someone’s maintaining the justice system.” Harry chuckled.

“How’s Blair?” You asked him.

“Not as bad as you, she doesn’t have a black eye like you. She’s healing and she’s decided not to press charges.” Harry replied.

“Thank God.” You sighed in relief.

“You wanted Jason to hit you, didn’t you?” Harry looked at you, asking you the question you knew he would.

“Yeah.” You mumbled quietly.

“Why?”

“Because everyone at school calls me a lowlife, scum and what not. It angers me. It makes me want to scream and yell and shout. The only way I escape that anger is when I’m sleeping.”

“So that’s why you wanted him to hit you. To escape.”

“Is that so wrong?”

“No, it’s not but don’t do it again. I won’t let it happen again.”

“Okay.”

You scoot closer to Harry, placing your head on his shoulder and holding his hand. You felt safe. You felt happy. You felt at home.

“Y/N?” He called out your name. You look at him, the moonlight illuminating the crests of his cheekbones. You bring a hand up to trace them.

“Can I kiss you?” You ask him.

“You beat me to it.” Harry said, smiling at you.

He suddenly took your face in his hands and kissed you. He kissed you long and hard, like a man starving for food. The bubble in your chest exploded. The world around you suddenly didn’t matter. A mosaic of sensation exploded around you as you kept on kissing him, your hands travelling around every inch of his body, savouring him slowly.

Harry pulled away, kissing the inside of your wrists, your neck and then your nose.

“No matter what happens Y/N, I’ll always be here for you. No matter what the world says. You can trust me and I swear on my life, I won’t hurt you.” Harry told you. You felt your eyes burn again. “Stop making me cry so much.” You half chuckled.

“Great, I still have to ask if you’ll date me. I reckon that’ll make you cry more.” Harry said.

You squealed in happiness, tackling him down the bench as you both fell to the ground. You kissed him long and hard.

“Yes Harry. Yes”

Authors note: So how are we feeling about this? Let me know in the comments if you liked it or not. Talk to me and interact, I love it when you do.

All the love,

B.

[midniiights-garden]

Modern!Mizu General Headcanons!!

I have so many many ideas for Modern!Mizu omg you don't understand (I wish she was real...)

Ok, so first of all I wanna start out with some HCs about her past and her mother.

I think she probably grew up in rural Japan, her relationship with her mother basically still the same as in the show.

Due to not being exposed to very many foreigners her relationship with her peers was strained because of her blue eyes (ofc. hate discrimination smHHH)

Anyways, although Mizu doesn't have to hide her gender, and I personally headcanon that Modern!Mizu wouldn't hide it, she still has some internalized mysogyny.

This is namely due to the huge issue with sexisim in Japan, sexual harassment and sexualisation of women and so on. Mizu grew up wishing she was a boy because she didn't want to feel like a piece of meat to be eyed up and down and sold.

I HC that she meets the Swordfather when she attempted to run away from home. Probably due to another bullying incident or something.

In my head she actually moves to America or Europe to study something related to craftsmanship or to become a professional martial artist. It makes the most sense in my head at least.

She got into Uni on a scholarship lol. I mean, translated into a modern setting I do think her skill would be enough to warrant a large scholarship.

University was a rough time in the beginning for her due to the many changes that come with moving to a new country, as myself and most other third country kids will know.

Mizu had to juggle learning English, beating racist asshole and school all at the same time.

Due to her reluctance to socialize she also struggles to learn English in the verbal sense. She learned how to read and write in English much faster than to speak it because she had no one practice with. That, and she refused to talk to anyone.

As for how she met Mikio...

Modern!Mizu probably met him because he was a teacher at her Uni.

Long story short when he finds out how she was concieved and how strong he is, well, big strong man gets emasculated and throws a fit and Mizu leaves him (as she should)

And then she realises she's gay lol

I think it'd happen in a pretty similar fashion as to Canon!Mizu but you can look at my headcanons for those if you need them.

I think the main differences between Modern!Mizu and Canon!Mizu would primarily be in how she deals with her rage. Of course, Modern!Mizu isn't allowed the luxury of just stabbing people to get revenge so I believe she may resort to a lot of physical exertion in the gym or just a lot of lashing out towards people in general.

(A/N: Yayayayayya second post for the day!!! As usual, if anyone has any requests or anything feel free to ask!! Happy holidays everyone!!! <3)

[oneshotnewbie]

do you write for greys? if so, could you do something with Amelia Shepherd and teen reader? Whether it's her daughter or a patient, i don't mind. and could the story be suuuper cute and fluffy? or whatever you feel up to writing is fine. Thx! 🥰

Summary: Amelia Shepherd meets a talented young medical student who wants to learn from her. A close relationship develops between the two of you, with Amelia not only sharing her medical expertise, but also acting as a mentor and friend while you help Amelia regain confidence in herself after botching a surgery that she actually knows by heart.

ᕚ---ᕘ

Amelia Shepherd hurried through the busy hallways of Grey Sloan Memorial Hospital, her gown flapping behind her as she was summoned to a consultation. Her mind was whirling as she prepared to tend to a new patient when suddenly a gentle voice snapped her out of her thoughts.

"Excuse me, Dr. Shepherd? Would you have a moment for me?" you asked and Amelia turned around, a young woman with a backpack over her shoulder and a stack of books under her arm catching her eye. Your eyes sparkled at her, and the neurosurgeon could immediately see the glint of curiosity in them.

"Of course," Amelia spoke and smiled. She tilted her head to the side and slipped her hands into her coat pockets before continuing. "How can I help you? Are you hurt?"

You stepped closer and held out your hand. "No. My name is y/n y/l/n. I am a medical student interning and I heard that you are one of the best surgeons here. I would really like to learn from you."

Amelia's smile deepened as she saw the determination in your expression. "It's nice to meet you, y/n. And of course I'm happy to help you. What exactly do you want to learn?" she asked and you beamed with joy, keeping pace with her as she continued walking, signaling you with a hand signal to follow her. "Anything you can teach me! I admire your work and want to learn as much as I can from you."

The brunette felt a wave of warmth in her heart. It had been a long time since someone had so enthusiastically asked to be her mentor. Far too long. "Well then let's get started." she said, leading you through the corridors of the hospital to the consultation she was needed for.

In the following days, Amelia and you spent a lot of time together. She showed you the different departments of the hospital, explained complex medical cases and even let you watch some operations. As you worked together, you began to get to know each other better, and Amelia became more and more impressed by your intelligence, ambition, quick wit, and kindness.

One day, while you were taking a break together in the cafeteria, you turned to Amelia with a shy smile. "Could I perhaps ask you for a favor, Dr. Shepherd?"

Amelia nodded and placed a hand on your shoulder while fishing for her fork with the other hand. "Of course, y/n. What's wrong?"

You hesitated for a moment before continuing nervously. "Well, I recently heard about a scholarship available for promising young doctors like myself, but the application process is quite demanding. I was wondering if you could perhaps write me a recommendation?"

Amelia smiled softly and nodded. "Of course I will, y/n. I'm sure you're an excellent candidate. I'm happy to support you and hope to see you here permanently as a medical student." She answered and you beamed with gratitude and relief, barely able to contain your joy. "Thank you, Dr. Shepherd. You have no idea how much this means to me."

"From now on it's Amelia, not Dr. Shepherd." She interrupted and as she continued to smile at you, she couldn't help but feel warm and fulfilled. In you she saw not only a talented young medical student, but also a friend and a possible successor. And she looked forward to supporting you on your journey, just as so many others had supported her when she was an aspiring doctor herself.

ᕚ---ᕘ

The news of your successful acceptance into the prestigious Grey Sloan scholarship spread like wildfire through the hospital, and Amelia couldn't help but beam with pride as she prepared to teach you everything she knew.

When you came to see her in person the next day, Amelia could hardly contain her excitement. “Congratulations, y/n!” she shouted, walking the last few centimeters towards you to pull you into a strong hug.

You grinned widely with joy and returned the hug as you laid your head on her chest and she planted a kiss on the top of your head. "Thank you, Amelia! I couldn't be happier!"

Amelia stepped back and regarded you with a beaming gaze as she wrapped an arm around your shoulder, leading you with her. "You deserve it, y/n. I knew from the beginning that you would make it."

The two of you walked up to a meeting room before you started talking about the future and how you would work together. You were excited to finally have the opportunity to develop the full extent of your knowledge and skills, and the neurosurgeon promised to support you every step of the way.

In the weeks and months that followed, an even closer friendship developed between the two of you. You continued to spend a lot of time together, both in and out of the hospital, sharing your thoughts, fears, and dreams.

Amelia was impressed by your eagerness and insatiable desire to learn and grow. She recognized that you were not only a talented aspiring doctor, but also a remarkable young woman with a strong moral compass and a warm heart.

As a mentor and friend, she stood by you when you needed support, be it with difficult medical cases that she assigned to you or with personal challenges. She encouraged you to do your best and never give up, no matter how big the obstacles might be.

And while Amelia helped you grow professionally and personally, she also found comfort and inspiration in your close friendship and enthusiasm. Together you went through ups and downs, but through your mutual support and affection, you grew stronger and closer together.

For Amelia, you were not just a student or a colleague, but an important companion on her own path, and she was grateful for the chance to have you on her path. Because in you she not only found a mental heir, but also a friend for life. She was able to lean on you especially in the difficult times, like during the time of her brother's death.

She had thrown herself back into work immediately after the funeral without taking a few days off, and now she was standing in front of the mirror in the relaxation room at Grey Sloan Memorial Hospital, staring at hersel. Her eyes shone uncertainty and self-doubt as she reflected on the events of the last few weeks.

An operation gone wrong. A patient who had suffered. And above all, the agonizing realization that she, an experienced surgeon, had made a mistake. A mistake that could have been avoided. A mistake that haunted her and shook her confidence in her own abilities.

Since her brother's tragic death, Amelia had struggled with grief. She had thrown herself into work to distract herself and numb the pain, but somewhere deep inside her doubt continued to gnaw at her. You had been a constant source of support and comfort during this dark time. As her young student and friend, you had not only supported Amelia with medical matters, but also served as an emotional support, encouraging her and reminding her that she was not alone.

There was a knock on the door that took her out of her thoughts and you walked in, a worried look on your face. "Amelia, how are you?" You asked softly, stepping closer. The brunette sighed and turned to you, her eyes dark with pain. "I'm sorry, y/n. I failed. I should have been more careful, I should have been better."

You moved closer to her and put a hand on her shoulder from behind, giving it a tight squeeze. "Am, everyone makes mistakes sometimes. You're only human." You spoke but she shook her head at your statement, unable to overcome the self-blame that tormented her. "But I should have known, y/n. I should have known better."

You looked at Amelia seriously and then lowered your voice to a very soft, quiet whisper. "Amelia, I know you are going through a difficult time. But I want you to remember who you are. You are an incredibly talented and passionate neurosurgeon. You have helped so many people and saved so many lives. Mistakes don't define your entire career."

Your words slowly penetrated Amelia's veil of self-doubt. She raised her eyes to meet yours, but you nudged her to look back in the mirror. When she had done this, you spread her legs with a light kick of your foot and placed one arm after the other on her hips. "Say it, Amelia."

"I am a superhero, let me fly." She whispered and you made the gesture with your hand that warned her to repeat the sentence. You had her repeat it several times until she realized which reflection she was looking into. "Just one strong and combative personality can make mistakes and still shine as much as you do in your Superman pose."

"Thank you, y/n. It means a lot to me." She spoke much stronger and you smiled softly. "We all need a reminder of who we really are sometimes. You are not alone, and I am here to help you remember."

Amelia threw her arms around you before getting back to work with you. Slowly but surely, Amelia began to regain her confidence in herself. With your support and your regular forcing to pose as Superman whenever she had self-doubts again, she overcame them and returned to her true passion: healing and helping people.

Amelia's journey has not been easy, and there have been many challenges and setbacks along the way. But with your continued support, she found herself back, strengthened by your friendship and unwavering confidence in her.

[sempersirens]

a bird in your teeth, I

masterlist

summary: since moving into the neighborhood a couple of years ago, you've become close with the miller family. as a young woman living alone joel is protective of you, and he intends to show you how much so

pairing: joel miller x f!reader

warnings: 18+, mdni, neighbour!joel, age gap: reader is early-mid 20s, joel early 30s. no break-out. no smut (yet)

word count: ~1k

"Okay, missy. Bedtime!" Slapping your knees, you rise from your armchair to eject the copy of Notting Hill from the Millers' VCR.

You check your watch and curse softly under your breath. 10:06 pm. Joel should be pulling into the driveway any minute.

"Are there really guys like Hugh Grant back in England?" Sarah asks, tossing her quilt over her shoulder and bundling the pillows under her arm.

"If there are, I could never find them."

"That why you moved all the way across the ocean?"

You turned to Sarah, clutching your chest in mock outrage.

"Maybe. I liked the idea of finding a cowboy. Like Clint Eastwood!" You giggled and clapped your hands together. "Anyway, get upstairs before your old man gets home and initiates a Mexican standoff because I let you stay up past nine on a school night."

Smoothing down Sarah's hair, you place a quick kiss on the top of her head before scurrying her up the stairs.

"Goodnight!" She shouted over her shoulder before her bedroom door closed behind her.

Sarah was definitely old enough to look after herself on evenings like these, but since you moved into the neighborhood a few years ago it became routine to watch the teenager whenever her dad was going to be home late. Neither of you minded, you had bonded like sisters over your time spent together, despite your ten year age gap. You got the impression that Joel liked knowing you were both under one roof while he was away.

Ain't no need f'a young woman to be alone too long he would say, always eliciting an eye roll from both you and Sarah.

Living alone wasn't something that bored or intimidated you. On the contrary; independence excited you. The thrill hadn't subsided in the slightest. Texas had been more than welcoming to you since you decided to leave North London for a new life. As soon as you received the scholarship letter to undertake a Ph.D. at UT Austin, your bags were packed and you hailed a cab to Heathrow Airport.

You had, however, been immediately put at ease when you pulled up to your new home and caught a glimpse of Joel and Sarah walking to the truck in their driveway, lost in conversation, wide-eyed and giddy on an inside joke. You watched over time as the two spent their days in a blissful world of their own making, soaking up each other's company as naturally as the sun burns into the tops of your shoulders on a hot afternoon.

It had been an exceptionally warm Friday evening when Joel first knocked on your front door.

"Evening, ma'am." He had spoken, tipping his head slightly with his hands tucked loosely in his jeans pockets. Your palms had instantly turned clammy, internally praying that he didn't reach a hand forward to introduce himself.

"Hey. What can I do for you?" You had just about managed a reply between mediating your quickened breathing and trying to actually speak words rather than babble.

The rest of the encounter felt like it had flown by. Joel had invited you to a barbecue, too many burgers for jus' two people, he had reasoned. No such thing, you'd replied. Like you had needed any incentive to accept his invitation. You spent the evening with your ankles dipped in their paddling pool, belly laughing and wiping ketchup from the corners of your mouth. You'd be lying if you said your stomach didn't flutter every time Joel directed a question or comment solely toward you, or that your breath didn't hitch when you accidentally brushed fingers passing him the bottle opener. But that had been then, and you promised yourself you wouldn't get so Pride and Prejudice about a man you had just met. A single father, no less. As time passed, you spent most weekends together along with Joel's brother Tommy. Barbecues, family get-togethers, birthday parties; you were invited to them all. Weekends bled into weeknights, and you became an extension of their little family, let into their secret language of exchanged glances and inside jokes.

Lines were never crossed between you and Joel, but that knot in your stomach never seemed to fade either. You knew it was just an unreciprocated crush; misplaced gratitude for all the kindness he had shown you. Southern hospitality and charm had that effect.

Pulling you from your thoughts, Joel's truck headlights illuminated the living room. You quickly cleared the bowls of popcorn and bags of M&Ms from the coffee table before heading into the kitchen to refill your glass of water.

Joel's keys turned in the door and you heard his shoes wiping on the doormat. He called your name softly.

"In here." You responded in just above a whisper.

He walked in wearing a smart button-up, the top two undone, rubbing a hand over his stubble.

"Pint?"

"If you'd be so kind, darlin'." Joel sighed, pulling out a stool before tapping the one next to him for you to perch on.

"Date not go so well?"

"Do they ever?" He laughed as you handed him a cold bottle of beer. "Not having one f'yourself?"

"They won't if you keep expecting them to be a disaster. None for me, I need to head out soon. Meeting some friends for a few at a bar in the city."

"They're all fine women. Just got nothin' in common. S'probably me."

It made you feel dirty when Joel came back tipsy. With his guard down and inhibitions numbed, he was so open. It felt like you were taking advantage of him. You had to fight everything inside of you to argue with his self-deprecation. Of course it wasn't him. He was the perfect man. You tried to not show too much pleasure at his string of failed first dates.

"Should've told me y'had plans, sugar. I would've come back earlier so you could get goin'."

You waved his statement away. "It's no problem, the less time I'm there the better. I should probably head off, though." Before you could move to grab your keys, Joel's hand hovered over yours resting on the table.

"Thank you, by the way. I doubt I say it enough." Eye contact with Joel always stirred something inside of you. Those damn brown eyes. You smiled at him, softly.

"You don't need to thank me, Joel. I like spending time with Sarah. You know that."

He shook his head slightly. "S'not just that. I mean for everythin'. If you ever need me, you call. You know that, right? Hate thinkin' 'bout you in that house all alone."

It's not the first time he had said something of the sort. You always assumed it was the over-protective father inside of him, bursting out at the seams. Or maybe his Southern chivalry finding its feet after a couple of beers.

"Thank you, Joel. I appreciate it." You turned your hand in his and squeezed once before making your way to the door. You felt his eyes on you as you walked. You always felt his eyes on you. Sometimes you would be changing in front of your window and be sure you could feel Joel's gaze from across the street burning into you. But whenever you turned around, he was never there.

"I'm sorry your date didn't go well." You said, lingering in the doorway.

Joel scrunched his nose slightly and shook his head.

"I'm not."

a/n: hi guys! this is my first fic uploaded to tumblr lol kind of nervy but hope you guys enjoy. i plan on writing a couple more parts to this! message me for taglist for part two!

dee x