#I will use these classes as volunteer opportunities and opportunities to learn how others think

[official-virtual-hug-dealer]

Currently entering the Catholic morals section of my education, we'll see how I turn out by the end of it

[another-lost-mc]

discipline

it's all fun and games until mephisto thinks you need to be brought to heel.

pairing: mephistopheles x gn!reader

content: nsfw. sexually suggestive comments and insults. yandere elements (reader) including obsessive thoughts/behaviour, stalking and invasion of privacy. degradation, pet names, slut shaming, hurt with malicious comfort.

word count: 3.1k

Mephistopheles makes it very clear during your first meeting what he thinks of you. His voice drips with disdain and it’s obvious that he has little respect for humans, and even less interest in you personally.

He acts like he’s better than most demons, like he’s more dignified and above his baser instincts, but you can see the truth whenever you manage to catch his gaze. When he looks at you, his eyes betray a primal instinct to kill you or possess you.

Part of you wants to tempt him, to see what he would do to you if he had the chance. You’re fascinated by him and curious about what those dark desires in his eyes truly mean for a human like yourself living in the Devildom. It’s a dangerous game to play with a powerful demon like Mephisto, but the mere thought of it leaves you breathless.

You see glimpses of Mephisto at RAD between classes, but it’s difficult to get close to him. He avoids Lucifer as much as possible; when Lucifer or his brothers are hovering around you, that means Mephisto is usually nowhere to be seen. It’s common knowledge that he’s still very busy working for the newspaper club, even though rumors of his demotion circle widely throughout the school.

Most of the demon brothers don’t care for him, especially Lucifer, so asking them about Mephisto isn’t very useful. However, you do learn a bit more about Mephisto and his family from other classmates at RAD: he’s part of the upper Devildom nobility because of his family’s wealth and influence, and he has close connections to Diavolo. It’s more than you knew before, but it’s not enough.

When the RAD newspaper puts out a call for more volunteers, you don’t hesitate to apply. Mephisto sneers at you when he realizes why you’re sitting in the newspaper club’s office with the advertisement in your lap.

You didn’t expect a lengthy interview process for a volunteer position, but he insists that a lackluster human like yourself might not be a good fit. He asks about your previous experience and for samples of your work, smirking when he knows it’s an unfair demand when you’ve only just arrived in the Devildom.

Mephisto looks too smug and handsome for his own good, and you know he’s about to launch into a scathing rejection of your application (and you personally). Luckily, another demon in the room points out that even humans can still be good for the tasks no one else wants to do, like sorting documents or folding.

You smother a laugh when Mephisto glares at his club acquaintance for interfering. He knows that denying you now would look petty, and word might reach Diavolo that you’re not being treated fairly. He might despise you, but he hates the thought of disappointing Diavolo even more.

You can’t risk losing this opportunity to get closer to him. “Give me a chance, I’ll do anything I can to help,” you say as confidently as you can, and you hope it doesn’t sound too much like begging.

He steeples his fingers under his chin. “Show me how useful humans can be, then.” It’s a challenge, a taunt, and a threat rolled into one drawl of his sharp tongue. The wide smile he gives you is fake and mocking, and all you can see is the tips of his fangs when he licks his lips.

The sight makes you shudder, but not for the reason he thinks it does. He thinks you’re trembling in fear, when you’re secretly wondering what it would be like to run your tongue along those sharp fangs yourself. You’ve never been more aroused in your entire life.

True to his word, Mephisto is determined to make you regret volunteering for the newspaper club. He tells you to do the most boring, tedious chores while barely sparing you a glance. You know what he really wants: he wants you to give up to show everyone that right he was about how useless you really are. You don’t want to give him that satisfaction, and you wear smiles as bright and fake as his own every time he barks at you to do something.

You’re determined not to give up and let him win this little game you’re playing. Unfortunately, you’re no closer to getting to know him better. He avoids spending time with you as much as possible. When you end up in the same room together, usually for club meetings, he gives you orders like you’re his personal servant. Otherwise, he stonewalls all your subtle attempts to lure him into conversation.

You’re at a stalemate, and you’re not sure how to proceed. That’s why it’s nothing less of a shock one night when Mephisto reaches out to you unexpectedly. You didn’t even realize he had your number - he refused it every time you hinted he should have it for club business.

Barbatos gave me your number. There is a mandatory emergency club meeting one hour before class tomorrow to discuss the special edition of this week’s newspaper. Don’t be late.

He doesn’t respond when you thank him, but you don’t expect him to. You save his contact info and go to bed feeling motivated to make a good impression when you see him.

The next morning you arrive at RAD, one hour early like he asked, carrying a box of warm donuts from Madam Scream’s. Most of the demons in the newspaper club yawn and happily accept a sugary-sweet pastry from you. When you offer the box to Mephisto so he can take the last one, he turns his nose up at you and starts the meeting like you aren’t even there.

Feeling slightly deflated, you set the box on a table and take an empty seat while he and the new club president discuss upcoming assignments and deadlines. This week’s special issue is celebrating - well, some sort of holiday in the Devildom you’re not familiar with. As usual, you’re given the tasks no one wants, the ones that will keep you on campus long after classes end. You plaster a smile on your face when Mephisto asks condescendingly if you think you can handle it.

The meeting ends just before the first bell of the day rings, and everyone starts to shuffle out of the office. While you’re gathering your belongings and putting them in your bag, you happen to see Mephisto stroll out of the room after he swipes the last donut from the box. It’s a victory - a small one - but a victory nonetheless.

At the end of the school day, you assure the demon brothers you can get home on your own before heading to the newspaper club’s office. Mephisto wasn’t kidding when he said it was going to be a busy week, for you, anyway. There’s stacks of printouts to be folded, and you know it’ll take at least two nights to get through everything by yourself.

You’re about to sit down at one of the desks and get to work, but you realize someone’s left their computer behind by accident. You think it might be the club president’s, since the laptop is on his desk, but when you look closer, you realize it’s Mephisto’s. The screensaver wallpaper is a portrait of his family, and your first thought is that you think he looks a lot like his mother. It’s the most dignified family photo you’ve ever seen, given the exquisite clothing and jewelry they’re all wearing, and Mephisto has never looked more handsome. 

It’s almost an automatic response to get your D.D.D. so you can take a picture. You’re giddy with excitement and drop your phone onto the desk by accident. It lands on the keyboard and brings the machine out of screen saver mode. He doesn’t appear to use any kind of password protection and you can’t believe how lucky you are. It might be arrogance on his part, or maybe he truly has nothing to hide. Whatever the reason, his poor judgment is your gain and you sit down at the desk and casually browse the contents of his document folders.

You don’t know how much time you have before someone finds you snooping in Mephisto’s belongings, but it turns out his computer isn’t the treasure trove you thought it would be. It looks like he primarily uses it for RAD or newspaper club activities. There are a few random photos of him and Diavolo, or him and other demon classmates you don’t know very well. You take pictures of those with your phone; you can’t risk using his computer to email anything to yourself directly.

When you're finished, you make sure to leave the machine exactly the way it was when you found it. You run out of time, and realize you didn't get as much newspaper club work done as you wanted to. You still consider it a productive evening, though - your phone has several new photos of him for you to crop and admire from the comfort of your bedroom later on.

The next day, the newspaper club president catches you outside of class and asks you about your progress - or lack of progress - with your assigned tasks. He doesn’t seem too upset, but he’s concerned maybe it’s too much work for one person. You don’t want to give him or Mephisto the satisfaction of thinking you can’t handle it on your own.

“Oh, I’m really sorry about yesterday. Lucifer asked me to help him with something so I had to leave early.” It’s a lie, but a believable one - most of RAD’s students know by now that you often end up entangled in the demon brothers’ affairs. The newspaper club president accepts your excuse and seems content with your promise to stay later tonight to make up for it.

You walk into the newspaper club office that evening, fully prepared to fold and sort newspapers until you’re numb with boredom, but you freeze in the doorway when you see Mephisto is there. He’s standing at one of the desks facing away from you, and he seems to be looking through some papers. He doesn’t acknowledge you, but you set your bag down on the floor - loudly, on purpose - so he knows you’re there too.

(Oh, he knows. He could smell you coming down the hallway.)

For all your banter and bravery, you can’t help the way your anxiety spikes. You’re rarely alone with him, and you have no idea what to say. There’s a good chance he’ll find some excuse to ridicule you no matter what you do, but you don’t want to give him any reason to leave. It’s better to let him ignore you, so you can bask in his presence and admire him in secret. At times like this, it’s better that he forgets you’re there.

You decide to stay quiet and attempt to focus on what you came here for. You reach for a stack of newspapers to start folding–

“Did you think I wouldn’t notice?” his smooth voice asks quietly, breaking the awkward silence.

You drop a handful of newspapers on the floor in surprise. You kneel down in an instant, scrambling to pick them up before they’re ruined. “I-I’m sorry, I don’t know what you mean.”

You suddenly feel the weight of his powerful aura and when you look up, Mephisto is standing a few feet away from you, arms crossed and eyes blazing.

“Do you think I’m so stupid that I wouldn’t notice someone accessed my personal documents? I know you were rifling through my computer when I forgot it here. No one else was here in the office last night, except for you.” His voice is sharper now, laced with threat. The heels of his boots click on the floor with each slow, purposeful step he makes toward you.

“Did you find whatever it was you were looking for? Something to try and blackmail me with, or to get me in trouble with Lucifer?” he spits the name like it’s venom on his tongue and there’s fiery anger in his eyes.

You scramble backwards to try and keep some space between you, but eventually your back hits a wall and you’ve no place left to go. You realize at that moment you don’t want to die, but he seems to have convinced himself you were trying to hurt him somehow. He couldn’t be more wrong, but you’re not sure what to say.

“It’s not what you think,” you try to explain, desperate to persuade him that whatever mad conspiracy he’s imagining is false.

“Then enlighten me, human,” he sneers angrily, “because I’ve run out of patience for you.”

Your D.D.D. chimes where you’ve left it on the desk. He glares at you with his hands on his hips. “Oh, is that how you saved copies of my documents to give to your precious Lucifer?” 

“No, don’t–” you say hurriedly, but he’s too fast - he already has your D.D.D. in hand and he’s swiping the screen to unlock it.

“Once I have proof for Lord Diavolo, you’ll wish you never….” His voice trails off, and his brows knit in confusion. You panic when you realize what he’s staring at: the wallpaper you made with the photos you took from his computer last night.

After a few moments, the baffled look on his face morphs into a sinister smirk and he points the phone in your direction.

“It all makes sense now,” he declares scornfully, eyes widening with newfound understanding. “Your annoying persistence, all your pathetic attempts to try and be friendly and helpful.” He leans forward and the lecherous expression on his face makes your stomach roll. “I didn’t take you for a demon fucker.” 

You don’t realize you’ve started crying until he crouches in front of you and flicks away a tear that’s rolling down your cheek. He’s not gentle, and his glove scratches unpleasantly against your skin. Usually he looks at you with annoyance and contempt, but now his eyes are brightened with amusement at your expense; you’re not sure which is worse.

“Now, now, don’t cry,” he coos with false sympathy. “I know you’re only human, but you need to be stronger than this if you want to survive here.” He’s still catching the tears leaking from the corner of your eyes, but you know he’s not trying to comfort you. He’s enjoying your humiliation.

It’s hard to think properly when he’s this close to you. Your emotions are spiraling and you feel overstimulated by his presence. You wanted him, but you weren’t expecting this.

He waits until you stop crying, then he tilts your chin up so you’re forced to look at him. It’s hard not to squirm under his scrutiny. His eyes seem to pierce into your soul, and you can’t look away even if you wanted to. There’s a mean tilt to his smile when he asks, “Are you so desperate for demon cock that the seven princes you live with aren’t enough to satisfy you?” 

Your cheeks are hot with embarrassment, but the implication makes you shudder. You’ve never thought of any other demons that way, and the very idea of it is repulsive. He still looks amused, but his question seems genuine, too. It feels like he’s trying to figure out the puzzle that is you and your interest in him. Honesty might be the best approach, even if he kills you for it.

"I’m not interested in them like that,” you admit shakily. “I don’t want anyone else.” You’re desperate to convince him whatever he’s imagining about you and Lucifer or his brothers isn’t true.

“I assumed Lucifer would’ve claimed you for himself by now,” Mephisto admits slowly, like he’s not sure he believes you yet. His eyes trail down your body like he’s seeing you as a living, fuckable person for the first time, rather than some tedious little insect he wanted to crush beneath his heel.

“I’ve only wanted you,” you whisper, and it’s the truth, your vulnerability exposed because whether he realizes it or not, you’re utterly consumed by him.

He cups your cheek, and he’s surprisingly gentle despite the cruel smirk gracing his lips. “Do you want me to take care of you?” he offers. “I bet Lucifer won’t like that,” his mocking tone warns you.

He’s giving you one last chance to reconsider, but Mephisto doesn’t realize you’re already too far gone to turn back now. When he’s finished speaking, his lips curl against his fangs and you whimper at the sight.

To Hell with it. You lean forward and grab the sleeve of his RAD jacket. “I don’t care about him. Please, I’ll do anything you want.” You sound so pathetic, and it reminds you when you nearly groveled like this to join the newspaper club just to be close to him, but you can’t help it. Why bother denying yourself what you’ve wanted this whole time?

He brushes your hand away and stands up before you realize what’s happening. He’s quiet while he regards you, whimpering and cowering at his feet. When he suddenly grabs your arm and pulls you up too, you lose your balance. He catches you and you melt against him like it’s meant to be.

You’re overwhelmed by the intimacy of being close to him. You don’t stop to wonder why he lets you lean against his chest so willingly.

One of his hands strokes your head, and it would be patronizing if it were anyone else but him. He nods towards the piles of forgotten papers you were supposed to fold tonight. “Look at this mess. You still have so much work left to do, pet.”

The word sounds filthy rolling off his tongue, and you can’t bite back the breathy moan that escapes you when you look into his eyes. They glitter dangerously, filled with the same deadly arousal you saw the first time you met him, and you realize you’ve lost this game, after all.

You were always destined to lose against him, you just didn’t know it.

You watch quietly when he reaches for your uniform and starts flicking the buttons of your jacket open. “Perhaps I can be lenient with you tonight, as a reward for your honesty,” he murmurs as he pushes your jacket off your shoulders and onto the floor.

You shiver when he leans forward, his lips brushing against your ear when he speaks. “Now, why don’t you show me just how useful you can really be.”

read more: mephistopheles masterlist | obey me! masterlist

[allthelovehes]

Field Day Reunion

Summary: Harry agrees to volunteer at his son's school and he is surprised to see the teacher is his long-lost high school girlfriend.

Pairing: Singledad!Harry x Teacher!Y/N

Word count: 3.2K

Warnings: None, this is pure fluff.

Taglist: @justmystyles @bitchybabyharry @harrysslut7 @swiftmendeshoran @lucasandharold @harrysbabycherry @htaylor18 @rose-garden-dreamz @myalovesharry @mellamolayla @hsonlyangelxo @yousunshineyoutempter @heartateasee @blueheisenbergtragedy @bikestyles @bohemianrhapsody86 Let me know if you want to be added to my taglist! 🤗

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A/N:  Just a fluffy little one shot about Harry reuniting with his high school lover. Let me know if you want a part two because I can totally see that happening!

As Charlie comes home from school with a piece of paper in hand, asking for volunteers to visit a local farm, Harry is eager to sign up. His 4-year-old is currently learning all about farm animals, so it seems like the perfect opportunity to see his enthusiasm first-hand.

Harry is a single parent to Charlie, and while parenthood is far from easy, he's found himself becoming an avid learner in the art of parenting as his son is growing up. The last year especially, since his girlfriend had left them both in the dust and moved away.

But while Harry's been focused on his son and their life at home, Charlie's growing up and becoming his own little person. He's also learning more about the world and how people fit into it, and Harry thinks that volunteering at his school is a perfect example of that.

And so, Harry fills out the permission slip and sends it back to Charlie's teacher.

Charlie is very excited when Harry tells him about the trip, and even though he's still very young, Harry can tell he's already forming his own ideas about the kind of person he wants to be. And that means the world to Harry. It's one thing for him to shape his son, but he's determined to give Charlie a voice, as well.

Later that week, Charlie is sent home from school with another letter. One that explains how the class will be visiting the farm, what the schedule will be like and what exactly they need help with from the volunteering parents. With this insight, Harry has a much better understanding of the day, and can teach Charlie about things he might see. Teaching him new words and showing him the pictures in the books that Harry has at home.

On the morning of the trip, Charlie is a bundle of excited nerves. He's practically vibrating as Harry helps him get dressed, and when Harry makes sure he's got his raincoat, he almost bursts.

“It's not going to rain, daddy.”

“Oh yeah? Then what's that.” Harry asks, pointing out the window where the clouds are hanging low and grey.

“It's not gonna rain” Charlie states again. “Promise” Harry huffs out a laugh because of course, the boy is going to be stubborn today

“Okay, little man. We'll see.” As they get ready to leave, Harry puts a light jacket on and grabs an umbrella. When Charlie notices, he pouts, making his father chuckle.

Harry is supposed to drive to school first so a few more kids can fit in the car, and then drive them all to the farm together. Charlie is excited to sit in the front, which gives him a perfect view of the sky and a chance to show Harry how wrong he is.

He's quiet for a while, just staring out the window, but Harry doesn't pay too much attention. He's too focused on the road and making sure the other kids are safe. But soon, the clouds part and the sun shines through.

“See? Told ya.” Charlie grins. Harry hums and nods.

“I suppose you did.”

Harry parks his car on the school grounds. They walk towards Charlie's classroom and when the door opens, Harry sees a young woman standing in the middle of the room, facing away from him. If he remembers correctly, his son's teacher used to be in her fifties, so who is this woman?

“Char? Did you get a new teacher” Harry asks his son as he puts his coat away, but Charlie shrugs.

“No. Miss Green is gone. This is Miss Y/L/N.” Charlie answers, pointing to the woman. At the sound of his son's voice, she turns around and Harry can finally see her face. She locks eyes with him and it feels like time stops.

“Y/N” Harry asks confused, his heart beating faster. She looks exactly the same as she did all those years ago, the only difference being the hair length and a few laugh lines on her face.

“Harry. Hi. Um... I wasn't expecting to see you here.” She says. Her voice sounds a little strained.

“Well, I wasn't expecting to see you either.” Harry chuckles. “How... are you? I didn't know you were a teacher.”

“Oh, I just started this year. And I'm doing great. How are you?” She smiles. It's a little awkward, but it's real.

“Good, good.” He smiles back, scratching the back of his neck. Y/N used to be his girlfriend in high school, until they broke up because of college. They've only seen each other a couple of times since then, mostly when their paths crossed in their hometown. He always knew he loved her, but as they grew older, the distance between them had grown too, and now they're basically strangers.

“Daddy, are you okay?” Charlie tugs on his jacket, looking up at him. Harry blinks and shakes his head a little.

“Yeah, yeah, I'm good, little man.” Harry says and runs a hand through his son's curls.

“Daddy?” Y/N asks, sounding amused. Harry can feel the blush spreading on his cheeks.

“Uh, yeah. Charlie is my son.” He tells her, putting a hand on the boy's shoulder.

“He's a lucky kid to have you, Harry.” Y/N smiles, and for a second, he's a teenage boy again, completely infatuated with her.

“Thank you.” Harry clears his throat.

“Are you ready to go to the farm, Charlie?” She asks, kneeling in front of the boy.

“Yep! Can we see the horses?” He asks excitedly, jumping a little. Y/N giggles.

“There aren't going to be any horses on the farm we're going to today, but I'm sure we can find a different animal. Okay?”

“Okay.”

Harry is a bit distracted for the rest of the day, and Y/N's eyes keep meeting his over the children's heads, making him blush and smile. He can't believe she's back in his life, and a teacher no less. He really hopes he'll see her more often, now that his boy is in her class.

“Okay kids, gather 'round!” Y/N calls as she stands in front of the pigpen. Charlie and his friends hurry over, giggling and talking excitedly. “Can you all say 'hello' to the pigs?” The children repeat her words, and she gives them all a warm smile. “Great job! Now, if you all take a step closer, you'll be able to pet the pigs. Remember to be gentle, okay?”

Harry can't believe his ears. Y/N was never a fan of animals, especially when they were close to her. Yet here she is, standing in the middle of the mud, smiling and laughing. It warms his heart to see her so fond of the kids.

As the kids pet the pigs, Harry steps next to Y/N, who smiles and waves.

“This is incredible, Y/N. I can't believe you're doing this.” Harry laughs.

“Yeah, it was a little weird at first, but the kids seem to love it. It's nice to see them all together and have fun.” She admits. “And it's also a great learning experience.”

“It really is. I don't think Charlie will be able to talk about anything else but pigs for the next few days.”

“It's great though, isn't it? Their little minds are constantly absorbing information and figuring out how the world works.”

“Yeah.” Harry smiles and nods, looking at his son, who's happily petting the pig with a huge smile on his face.

“Okay guys, I think it's time for lunch. Can we all thank the pigs?” She calls and the kids cheer.

“Thank you, pig.”

“Thank you, piggy!”

“Thanks, pig.”

They all wave at the pig and walk towards the picnic area, where a couple of parents are setting up the food. Y/N instructs the kids to wash their hands, and they all run to the bathrooms. Harry joins her, and they fall into a comfortable silence as they wait for the children.

“I'm really happy to see you again, Harry.” She admits, glancing at him from the corner of her eye.

“Me too, Y/N. It's been a long time.” He nods.

“Yeah.” She says, but doesn't elaborate. There's so much Harry wants to say to her, but the kids are coming back and he knows it's not the right time. He'll just have to find another opportunity.

Lunch is a fun affair, filled with laughter and the occasional mess. Afterwards, the kids play in the meadow for a while before heading back to the farm building.

“Okay, let's all sit down on the floor and I'll tell you a story about the farm.” Y/N instructs, and the kids all follow her. Harry sits with the parents, keeping an eye on his son and watching the woman he used to love.

Y/N talks to the kids about how the farm started, who built it, and what happened over the years. She has a way with words, and the children are hanging on to every word she says. After the story, they head over to the goat pen and watch as the baby goats jump around, chasing each other and bleating.

“Daddy, can we get a goat?” Charlie asks.

“Maybe, buddy. But I don't think we'd have a place to keep one.” Harry replies.

“Aww, but it's so cute.” Charlie whines, and Y/N can't help but chuckle as she picks up on their conversation.

“It is very cute. But maybe you can come here and see the goats, instead.” She suggests. Charlie nods and smiles, he walks back to the adorable creatures.

“Thanks, you just saved me there.” Harry laughs.

“Don't mention it. I'm glad I could help.”

“So, um... Charlie's mom. How's she doing?” Y/N asks, and he can see the hesitation on her face.

“Oh. She's fine, I think. We haven't seen each other since she left.” Harry answers.

“Sorry, I didn't mean to pry. I was just curious.” She says, wringing her hands together.

“No, no, it's okay. I just didn't expect it.”

“Oh. Well, that's good.”

“Yeah.” He smiles. They look at each other for a moment before someone calls for Y/N, and they're pulled out of the moment.

The rest of the day passes quickly. There are many games and activities for the kids to try out, and lots of running around and laughing. Charlie is completely worn out when it's time to go, and he falls asleep in the car.

When Harry pulls up to the school, he lets the other kids out of his car so they can go home but makes sure to let Charlie have his nap. 

“Thanks, Harry.” Y/N says as she walks up to him.

“For what?” He asks.

“For being such a great dad and helping me out. I had a lot of fun today.” She explains, smiling at him.

“Anytime, Y/N.” He replies, giving her a small smile back. They look at each other for a while, both hesitant.

“Well, I better get going. See you around!” She asks.

“Definitely. See you.”

With that, Y/N walks away and Harry gets into his car. As Harry watches her go, he can't help but wonder what the future will bring and he realises he's not wanting to wait for it all to happen. He quickly opens the door and calls her name, stopping her in her tracks.

“Yes?” She asks, confused.

“Can I please have your phone number? I'd love to catch up.”

“Oh, yes. Of course.” She says, pulling her phone out and giving him the number.

“Great. Thanks.”

“Sure thing. Have a nice evening, Harry.”

“You too, Y/N.”

He watches as she walks away, feeling a sense of calm wash over him. It's like he's found something he didn't even know was missing, and he can't wait to explore the possibilities with her. ***

Ever since the field trip when Harry would drop Charlie off at school, he can't stop thinking about Y/N. She's always been on his mind, but this time, it's different. Now that they've reconnected, Harry can't help but notice everything about her. The way she smiles, the way she laughs, and the way her eyes sparkle.

He hasn't dated since Charlie's mother left. He was too busy raising his son and working, and it wasn't really a priority. But now, as he watches Y/N interact with his boy, he can't help but want more. He wants her, and he's not sure what to do about it.

One afternoon, as Harry is waiting in the parking lot after picking up Charlie, Y/N approaches his car. She gives him a small wave and a smile, and he quickly gets out of the car.

“Hi.” She greets him, a slight blush on her cheeks.

“Hey. What's up?” He asks, leaning against the car.

“Um, I was wondering if you'd like to grab a coffee with me? You asked for my number but never called, so I thought I'd ask you in person.” She asks, her voice laced with nervousness.

“Oh, yeah. I'm sorry, I've been... I got kinda nervous.” He admits.

“Really?” She asks, her eyebrows raised in surprise.

“Yeah.” He says. He doesn't explain himself further, and they just stand there, looking at each other for a minute. “Let's change the coffee for dinner and you've got yourself a deal.” He smirks, making her laugh.

“Deal.”

They agree on a time and place and then Y/N leaves, her smile growing wider with each step she takes. Harry watches her, his heart beating faster with every passing second. As he's driving home, Harry can't stop smiling. He's finally going on a date with the woman of his dreams.

He decides to make an effort and dresses up a little, putting on a nice pair of jeans and a shirt. It's not much, but it's more than he usually wears. He even brushes his hair. When he's done, he goes into the living room and finds Charlie sitting on the couch, watching TV.

“Hey, little man. Are you hungry?” Harry asks. Charlie shakes his head. “Are you sure? I'm going out for dinner and I can pick something up for you on the way home.”

“Can I come?” Charlie asks, looking up at his father with big, puppy eyes.

“Oh, um... Maybe next time, buddy. Grandma is coming over to watch you. This is kind of an adult thing.”

“What is it?”

“I'm having dinner with a friend.” Harry explains. Charlie frowns, and his brows furrows in concentration.

“Do I know her?” He asks, his voice curious.

“Yes, you do. But you can meet her another time, okay?”

“Okay.” Charlie says, seemingly satisfied with the answer. “Daddy?”

“Yes, little man?”

“Do you have a girlfriend?” He asks, tilting his head to the side. Harry almost chokes on the air, his eyes going wide.

“What?” He manages to squeak out.

“I heard the other kids talk about it at school. They said you're supposed to have dinner with your girlfriend.” Charlie explains.

“Oh. Well, no, buddy. I don't have a girlfriend.” Harry says. “Not yet.” He adds, thinking about Y/N.

“Oh. Okay.”

Charlie's questions stop and they sit in silence until his grandmother comes. Once Anne arrives, Harry leaves the house, and heads towards the restaurant. The place is busy, but not packed, and Harry manages to find a table easily. He orders a drink and sits down, his leg bouncing nervously. He's not sure why he's so anxious, it's just dinner with an old friend. He has no reason to be worried.

Y/N shows up a few minutes later, and when their eyes meet, she smiles. She looks beautiful, her hair loose and a soft dress hugging her curves. Harry feels his heart rate speed up.

“Hi.” She greets him as she approaches the table.

“Hey.” He smiles, getting up to hug her. “You look gorgeous.”

“Thank you. You look good too.” She blushes.

“Thank you.”

They order food and talk about anything and everything. They talk about the past and how they've changed over the years. They talk about the present and their jobs, their likes and dislikes. They also talk about the future and their hopes and dreams. It's a nice, easy conversation, and Harry is glad she had the guts to ask him on a date.

After they finish eating, they go for a walk, taking in the fresh air and talking about the most random things. Y/N talks about the kids and the crazy stories she's heard and Harry laughs at her tales, especially when she imitates their voices. He can't believe how easily they fall back into a rhythm, and he finds himself hoping this will continue.

After their walk, they go back to his car, and Harry drives her home as she took the bus on the way here. He parks outside her apartment building and they sit in the car, neither of them knowing what to say.

“Well, I had a really nice time tonight, Harry.” Y/N breaks the silence.

“Me too.” He says, a soft smile on his lips. “I'm glad you asked me out.”

“So am I.” She says.

They sit there for a few moments, just looking at each other before Harry finally pulls her cheek to the side so their eyes meet. They lean in slowly, their lips almost touching.

“Thank you again for a wonderful evening, Harry.” Y/N whispers.

“It was my pleasure.” He replies, his voice low and husky.

Their lips meet, and a fire ignites within him. They kiss deeply and passionately, his hands exploring her body. She moans into his mouth, her fingers tangling in his hair. Harry knows he shouldn't do this, not on the first date, but he can't help himself. He needs her. They kiss until their lungs scream for air, and they have to break apart. They stare at each other, both panting.

“Wow.” Y/N whispers, licking her lips.

“Yeah.” He replies, his heart racing. “I'm sorry, I didn't mean to-.“

“No, it's okay. I wanted this too.” She interrupts, a soft smile on her face. “Can I ask you something?”

“Sure.”

“How do you feel about dating with Charlie around? I can imagine it's not easy, especially since he's only four.”

“Well, I've never dated anyone, so I'm not sure.” Harry shrugs. “But I can't stop thinking about you.” He adds, looking into her eyes.

“Really?” She asks, surprised.

“Yes. I've been thinking about you ever since I saw you again.”

“Me too.”

They lean in again, their lips meeting once more. They kiss until their bodies ache and their lungs burn, and then they part. Harry can't believe he's doing this, but he knows it's right.

“Let's just take things slow.” He says, his voice husky.

“Okay.” Y/N smiles.

They kiss one last time before saying their goodbyes. As Harry watches her go, he can't help but smile. He's not sure where this will lead, but he can't wait to find out.

[idk6123]

Unlikely Allies (Peeta Mellark X Male Reader)

It’s the 74th Hunger Games. 12 men and 12 women are fighting in the arena for their survival and to win. If you’re not sane or not in difficult circumstances, you would not volunteer to be a tribute. There are some in rare circumstances however those who would volunteer, like Y/N. He’s from District 5 and is trained from the very start to fight in the games. Whether it’s fighting, booby-trapping or any general survival skills, he is taught. It was only a matter of time for him to participate, and when he turned 18, he volunteered, intending to bring his family away from debt and in the lower class.

Times flashed by for Y/N as he got to the Capitol, do what he got to do and learn his opponents, and finally start the games. Once he realized they’re in a forest, he considers himself very lucky the area isn’t something extreme. Though for his liking, it’s colder then what he’s used to it, since he lives in the west coast.

The games start, and Y/N intends to loot as much as he can. Carefully, he avoids any contact with the Careers, grab what he got and get away. Once in the forest, he continues to gather loot and even got help from his sponsors. His sponsor count is higher then the Average, but less then the careers and those in District 12.

The next day, that’s when Y/N starts his plan. He set up traps around the arena and patiently wait to trap something or someone. He puts nets and rope trap in unexpecting places. If he got a career, he would just ignore them since he knows they probably use one of them as bait.

He got everything set in his mind. Now just to put it true. As he puts the traps around, he hears one spring nearby when he hears a yelp. Carefully, the guy gives up on the trap and goes to the spring trap. As he sneaks through the bushes, he spots who’s hanging upside down, Peeta Mellark. He tries desperately to get out, however once Y/N reveals himself, he looks defeated.

“Please. Let me go.”

“Why? Will you stab me later?” Y/N questions. He looks around, very observing he isn’t going to get jumped on. As the man grabs his knife, Peeta looks extremely panicked.

“I can help you! H-How about I give you my stuff?”

“Looting exists.”

“I have loot somewhere else!” Peeta quickly says right before Y/N slit his throat. “Let me go, and you have it all.”

“Depends. What do you got?”

“Food. Medical supplies. Water.”

Y/N thinks about it for a second. Peeta knows he’s in the clear when the other teen put his knife away. He first begins frisk Peeta to check whether he has weapons or not. Once cleared, he begins untying the rope. With a thud, Peeta falls on the ground.

“Try anything funny, consider yourself dead.” Y/N gets down to grab Peeta by the arm. He put his back facing him with a knife in front of his throat.

“I won’t.”

-

“Here we are.”

Peeta looks up at a tree. Y/N follows his eyes, seeing a backpack in the tree branches. It’s getting dark, causing Y/N to get impatient. Since Y/N knows it’s risky to climb a tree and get a bruise or something, the 5th man tribute let go of Peeta.

“You get it. Once you give it, you’re a free man.”

Peeta looks unsure at him, before turning back to climb the tree. He wonders if Y/N would kill him once he gave him his loot. But it’s not like he got another choice. Once he climbs up the tree, he grabs the bag. Being up high, he got an idea in his mind. He throws the bag to the ground, with Y/N capturing it.

“Deal done. You’re not going to kill me, and you got my stuff.”

Y/N quickly looks in the bag to check if he got everything. Peeta wasn’t lying, but this opportunity is too good to pass up, since Y/N wants just a couple of things. “I don’t have everything.”

“I-I gave you everything.”

Y/N looks up. “You’re clothes.” He gestures with his hand which has the knife to gestures it to come to him.

Peeta mouth hangs open. “I’m going to freeze!”

“I’m already freezing. Compared to the west coast, this place is a tundra. Now strip!”

With a frown, Peeta complies. He first removes his jacket and drop it down to Y/N, who’s quick to put the cloth on. Then he removes his shoes and socks. Like the jacket, he drops them down as well. Afterwards, he removes his shirt and throws it away as well. With a sigh, he unbuckles his pants as well. Carefully though, he balances himself on the tree branch as he removes his pants. Then he drops them as well.

On the ground, Y/N got all of the clothing and put most of them in the bag, folding them quickly. He then looks up. “No need to be shy.”

“You’re serious!?”

“It’s either goodbye boxers and hello party wear or goodbye life and hello heaven.”

Peeta frowns even further, feeling extremely extorted by Y/N. As he grabs his underwear, his eyes spots something away a couple of feet away, but it’s coming. Y/N sees Peeta’s behavior changing and look at where he’s looking at, seeing the Careers in the distance. With haste, the 18 year old climbs on the tree. Peeta is surprised by the speed, as a matter of 4 seconds, he joined him on the same branch, only to grab him again, cover his mouth and put the knife in front of his throat.

“Make a noise and consider me joining you in the afterlife.”

Peeta calms his breathing as he panics inside. If there is a chance for the careers to spot them, he can only hope it will end quickly. He even closes his eyes, though his apprehend patiently and calmly observes the Careers as they happily chat away. It takes a couple of seconds for them to hear the voices decrease. For insurance, Y/N waits a minute for allow the coast to be clear.

“We’re safe.” Y/N removes the knife from Peeta, allowing him to sigh for relieve. “Because you spotted them, you’re allowed to keep the undies.”

Peeta looks back. “What are you going to do?”

“Go back and sleep.”

Right before Y/N get off the tree, Peeta grabs his wrist. “Please let me come with you.”

“Look Baker Boy, I already spent enough time with someone here far more than my liking. You’re probably a sweetheart, meaning you die. I have no use for you, but you have far more use for me. I can already tell when it’s down to the last 3 or 2 a knife on my back. I’m going.”

“Please.” Peeta stops Y/N again. This time he’s begging. “I know I’m going to die. It’s only a matter of time… but I’m scared. If I come with you, I can teach you to disguise yourself with your surroundings. I also be an extra eye for you when you’re asleep.” The blonde tries his best to convince Y/N. “I don’t need a weapon. I don’t even need my clothes if you want to keep them. Just let me come with you, please.”

Y/N hesitates. Having a companion would be nice, just to have someone look behind your back. He also has a good number of sponsors. Still, that weights down with a potential backstabber and deadweight, since Peeta won’t be allowed any weapons. After considering the choices and seeing the consequences, Y/N made a choice. “Fine, but I’m in charge.”

-

“You don’t trust me at all, don’t you?”

Back at Y/N’s area, the two guys are up on another tree up high, intending to go to sleep. Both guys are tied up against it, though Peeta’s hands are tied up as well.

“Nope. Don’t like it, you’re free to leave in the morning. Otherwise, deal with it.”

Peeta frowns a bit. He begins to curl up, shivering from the cold. “Can I at least get something warm?”

Y/N rolls his eyes and grabs the T-Shirt from his backpack. “Have fun using it as a blanket.”

“Thank you.”

There is a silence between them. With their position, they can’t see each other, since both guys are on other branches. Still, despite the circumstances, Peeta wanted to get to know his new friend a little better.

“Didn’t you said during the interview you trained for this your entire life?”

“Yep… Guess you didn’t.”

“No.” Peeta looks up at the sky. “I’m a bit surprised you weren’t with the Careers.”

“Just because we volunteered for this doesn’t mean we have anything in common.” Y/N responds back. “They’re ignorant. People like that will only bury their own graves.”

Peeta then wonders what differentiate him with them. “You’re not doing this for glory or something?”

“No, this is just mere practical.” Y/N answers. “You see, my father got an idea to have him rise from poverty. Screw with many women, get children, and put them in this crap and hope one of them get home with money.”

The blonde is surprised at hearing that. “How many siblings did you lose…?”

“As for now, none. I’m the first one to do this. And hopefully the last one. …If I fail, then it’s up to my younger brother… then my younger sister… right until all my 16 brothers and sisters are gone… and any future ones.”

“16, huh?” Peeta can’t imagine sharing a house with that many people. “I guess you have a lot in common in Katniss. She does this too for her sibling.”

“Now that is someone I can respect.” Y/N smirks. “She isn’t a whiner, nor some narcissist. If things were different, I imagine us being friends. Speaking of which…” Y/N turns his head around to talk to Peeta. “If there in any chance we cross paths, who’s side are you going to stay? Isn’t she your girlfriend?”

Peeta chuckles. “I’m not sure, but I try to not get things escalate.” He looks around. “There is something I got to say, but I need to whisper it to you.”

With camera’s all around, Y/N knows the lack of privacy. He moves his body to have his head towards Peeta. “Yes?”

Peeta then begins to whisper. “About my love confession. That is just a mere act. …I actually like guys.” Y/N chuckles, making Peeta look confused. “What?”

“Nothing. I didn’t expect you to be. That’s all.”

-

Days has passed, and so one tribute after another die. It’s now down to 9 tributes, however that day, they heard 3 cannons. In the dark of night, Y/N and Peeta enjoy their dinner inside of the cave. They await at the entrance to see who died. During the past days, Peeta slowly gained Y/N trust, granting him his clothes back.

“Let’s hope the careers die. If they do, that leaves Katniss and Thresh as the most dangerous.” Y/N comments right before the truth get revealed.

And so, the music starts, and, in the sky, they see those who died. The first one makes Y/N very happy. It’s Marvel. That leaves those in District 2. The second one, however, does sting in both teens hearts. It’s Rue, the girl from District 11. They never interacted with her, but knowing a 12 year old died in these events is always heartbreaking. That’s when also Peeta’s heart shakes. Knowing that the tributes get showed from male to female and each district, he realized that the last one who died is Katniss. He doesn’t even needed it to be confirmed she died as her face shows in the sky.

As the announces begins to stop, Y/N looks back at Peeta, who looks a bit hallow. He put a hand around his friend. “I’m sorry.”

“Thank you…” Peeta sighs, looking upset. He doesn’t continue talking and merely stands up to walk away to sleep.

Y/N looks concerned at him. He stands up as well to cover the entrance with some branches with leaves before getting to some sleep to. Once he lay down, he looks back at Peeta, who looks like he’s tearing up. So, Y/N get closer to him to hug him.

“I’m with you.”

It takes a couple of seconds before Peeta speaks up. “I’m just scared… Katniss was supposed to be the best here… and she died.”

“She was one of the best, but the competition is tough. Cato and Clove are well trained. Thresh as well. My friend is sneaky-”

“And I?” Peeta looks afraid at him. “I just work as a baker, helping my parents.” He let out a nervous chuckle. “We both know my time is ticking.”

“Don’t say that.” Y/N sits up. “Even dark horses have won this game.”

“Let me put it this way. Even if I somehow made it with you to the finale, we both know who survives.”

Y/N frowns sadly. He doesn’t even know what to say. He just wants to say the truth in order to give Peeta hope, but he doesn’t know what to say. “I don’t know what to say… I wish there were a way to win for us both… Even if you don’t believe in yourself, I believe that I’m able to help you.”

Peeta let out a deep sigh. “I know you do that, but that won’t happen.”

Y/N looks at Peeta, who looks back at him. To the blonde surprise, Y/N leans forward and begin to kiss him. Peeta doesn’t even know how to process what’s happening, but kisses back. All the while, in his head, he wonders how the audience is going to react after seeing him kiss another guy after his suppose crush died. However, that won’t let him bother him right now.

Both teens pull back, with Y/N smirking a little. “I know I won’t let your worries disappear, but I’m with you, until the end.”

-

The next day, Peeta and Y/N both wake up to see them holding each other from when they were still asleep. They know there is something more between them that isn’t just some friendship. But in this situation, it’s hard to admit their feelings for each other. Still, there is hope, as an announcement is going to play.

“Attention all Tributes! The Games makers have instituted a rule change. From this point forward, if two Tributes are the last to survive, both will be declared victors of The Hunger Games! Good Luck! And may the odds be ever in your favor!”

Within an instant, both teens completely wake up to hear the good news. With smiles on their faces, they look at each other.

“We can both win!”

“But… why?” Y/N can’t believe the news, finding it too good to be true. “What would they gain from doing this? They wouldn’t just break the status quo for the sakes of it.” He begins to think of the reasons. “As far I know, we and the careers are the only ones to be teamed up.” Thinking of that, and remembering the hype between Peeta and Katniss, he wonders if that carried over to Peeta and him, now that Katniss is dead. Whether it’s negatively or positively, Y/N knows they are the talk right now. So perhaps with the game makers doing this make the games more engaging.

Despite with the doubts, Peeta doesn’t look effected. “I don’t know. But we need to win now that we have a chance.” He walks over to Y/N to kiss him on the lips.

Y/N takes his words to heart. “True. Let’s do our best to survive.”

[sanctum-of-ramshackle]

SCP-TWST-2020

[TWST AU]: An MC/Yuu from the SCP universe

[Synopsis]: In this timeline, a scientist named MC/Yuu who works for the SCP Foundation was looking into a case where people claimed they found “Wonderland.”

Gender Neutral MC/Yuu

[(A/N)]: Surprise! This is the unknown MC/Yuu mentioned from the 100 Followers Celebration. I have been watching multiple of SCP videos lately. Thought it would be fun if the TWST world was treated like an anomaly.

On their usual shift at the SCP Foundation, MC/Yuu was writing down a report about their previous case they handled. The SCP-3640 a.k.a. Escape from the House of Mouse.

Then one of their colleagues came by and told them there were reports of people who claimed they all found a portal to another world.

This got MC/Yuu hooked on since they never worked on this kind of case before. So they decided to take this opportunity to learn more about it.

MC/Yuu and some agents arrived at an abandoned funeral home where people who explored in rundown buildings had reported they saw one specific coffin that lights up with colorful blinding sparks.

SCP!MC/Yuu: *Pulls out their gun* I’m ready. Everyone, scout out. If you see something odd, call me over.

SCP Agent 1: Roger that.

Everyone split up with a partner and starts searching for any anomalies, with caution.

An hour passed by, they radioed MC/Yuu.

SCP Agent 1: *BZZT!* Dr. MC/Yuu, we found something. We need you over. *BZZT!*

SCP!MC/Yuu: *Calls back* I’m on my way. Don’t touch anything and stay five feet apart of the anomaly.

The next minute, MC/Yuu arrived to the other agents who found a coffin which started lighting up through the cracks not long ago.

MC/Yuu volunteered to observe the object before bringing it back to the foundation so D-Class subjects could test the object. The agents were concerned at first, but they decided to trust them.

As they opened the cover, blinding lights emerged out, causing MC/Yuu to loose focus and fall into the portal.

Then they arrived to Twisted Wonderland and flew out of the portal onto Crowley, who was checking in.

They freaked out and points their gun at Crowley.

Crowley: What are you doing?!

SCP!MC/Yuu: Stay away from me! I have a fucking gun in my hands and won’t hesitate to shoot your head off, anomaly!

Oh, one more thing: They can act so unhinged after working with such dangerous anomalies.

As it seems they’re stuck until the portal opens again, they’ll just collect information about the place called Twisted Wonderland.

SCP!MC/Yuu: *Starts recording the interview with their recorder* Alright, let’s get started. Could you state who you are and what do you do?

Riddle: Of course. I’m Riddle Rosehearts, the Dorm Leader of Heartslabyul Dormitory and an honorary student of Night Raven College.

SCP!MC/Yuu: I see. So, what classes Night Raven College provides compare to what doesn’t exist in my home world?

Ace: There’s Alchemy, P.E. with flying broomsticks, and what not. I bet historical events from here aren’t accurate to your world’s history moments.

SCP!MC/Yuu: Does Night Raven College function like any other universities such as admissions and career consulting?

Deuce: Wait. Your universities work like that? We have magical assortments to help us with our years.

SCP!MC/Yuu: Hmm. Do you realize many people accidentally found your world through a coffin? Like a pocket dimension.

Trey: Really? Well that explains why there are many unfamiliar faces back in my family’s bakery. They even looked more surprised after witnessing magic like it’s their first time.

SCP!MC/Yuu: Uh huh. I see your world’s technology looks advanced as the ones back home. The smartphones and tablets.

Cater: Really?! Does your world have something similar to MagiCam?

SCP!MC/Yuu: Similarly, yes. Minus the magic properties. In Twisted Wonderland, could you name and describe each countries?

Leona: I think you got the wrong one to ask an annoying question.

SCP!MC/Yuu: Okay, never mind. Could you tell about how you grew up before attending NRC?

Ruggie: All I can say is a rough neighborhood, a not-so-easy childhood and working many jobs to support myself and for others. Oh, doughnuts. Can I takes these with me after the interview?

SCP!MC/Yuu: Oh, sure. I brought them in if you were hungry. What other animalistic features beast-people were born with? If the question is uncomfortable to answer, you don’t have to say anything.

Jack: No, I’ll answer for you. There are many with great strengths and abilities you would know. If you want to learn more, the Savanaclaw Dorm has many beastmen you can interview, if they cooperate.

SCP!MC/Yuu: Sounds like a field day, but next question. What is the currency used in Twisted Wonderland?

Azul: The currency used in our world is Madol, Dr. MC/Yuu.

SCP!MC/Yuu: That’s interesting. Could you explain to me how the environment works in this world?

Jade: Oya? I’m glad you asked. In fact, I can use my terrariums for demonstrations.

[An hour later]

SCP!MC/Yuu: That took quite a while. So what is your strength level scaling from 1 to 10?

Floyd: An 11 if I squeeze hard enough. Do you want one~?

SCP!MC/Yuu: Impressive, yet terrifying. So how many siblings do you have?

Kalim: Around 30 siblings!

SCP!MC/Yuu: That’s a lot of names to remember. How are you associated with a snake?

Jamil: *Cringes while covering half of his face* It’s a long story. In short, my Unique Magic is able to hypnotize anyone with direct eye contact.

SCP!MC/Yuu: *Writing down on their notebook* Hypnosis and “Unique Magic”. How are you able to balance school with outstanding careers?

Vil: Well, it was all hard efforts and not missing great details to enhance my skills as an actor, an influencer, and being a Dorm Leader of Pomefiore.

SCP!MC/Yuu: Wow. That’s quite a lot and working at the foundation seems easier now. Is “observing” students of Night Raven College the only thing you do for free time?

Rook: Oui! I also do photography.

SCP!MC/Yuu: Uh huh. How are you able to handle situations when others mistaken you of the other gender?

Epel: I yell anyone accusing me as a girl and sometimes beat ‘em up.

SCP!MC/Yuu: Looks are deceiving…Hey, why is your brother not here? I told him I need to interview everyone in this school.

Ortho: Sorry, Dr. MC/Yuu! Nii-San can’t come because he’s anxious of leaving his room. He usually talks through his tablet.

SCP!MC/Yuu: Then I can’t proceed if he is not physically present for the interview.

Ortho: *Sighs* He will not like this.

[Half hour later]

Idia: *Scared shitless*

SCP!MC/Yuu: *Stares blankly at him* So, Idia Shroud, what family curse people rumored about? I’m not judging you based on groundless words. I only need answers. That’s it.

Idia: *Practically shaking* W-W-Well…You see…

[2 hours later]

SCP!MC/Yuu: That’s…quite a lot to take in…Again? I can’t proceed if he isn’t present.

Lilia: Oh my! My apologies on behalf of Malleus, doctor. I’ll be the one to answer his questions since I raised him. Of course, I’ll answer my questions as well.

SCP!MC/Yuu: *Suspicious* Very well. You may answer.

Silver: *Fell asleep during his interview*

SCP!MC/Yuu: （−＿− ) …

Lilia: I’ll answer his questions too.

SCP!MC/Yuu: …Right. Could you try speaking in a calmer tone?

Sebek: WHAT DO YOU MEAN?! MY VOICE IS CALM, PUNY NINGEN-

SCP!MC/Yuu: *Points their gun at Sebek’s forehead* I have a gun in my hand and I’ll pull the trigger if you talked this fucking loud again. Got it?

Sebek: *Closes his mouth and shrinks down* Understand…

[The next hour]

SCP!MC/Yuu: Could you tell me more about yourself?

Grim: Would I? I, The Great Grim, have always been trying to enter to Night Raven College…

SCP!MC/Yuu: *Writing down their interview log*

[Hours later]

SCP!MC/Yuu: Holy shit. I can barely think of other names for these anomalies. Maybe I should just call this world SCP-TWST-2020, and use their actual names.

Crewel: Pup, why do you work for such a dangerous job?

SCP!MC/Yuu: Funny story. I was actually taken in by the SCP Foundation and they thought I was one of the many anomalies since I was still in my elementary years and pretty intelligent. In reality, I’m just knowledgeable in many fields from reading in too much (And was tutored by Miss. J). They offered me a job and education since they thought I would be a great asset after things cleared up. It was a surprisingly rare opportunity, from other co-workers’ words.

Crewel: Then are you not scarred for encountering such vile creatures?

SCP!MC/Yuu: Only the first few times, and my job has benefits like psychiatric check-ups or using amnestics. Do you have guys have therapy in this school, or world?

Crewel: *Side glares at Crowley*

Crowley: *Clears his throat* We are working on that…

[Visiting the SCP Foundation]

SCP!MC/Yuu: Okay guys. I relocated the coffin in a safe chamber room since we can’t risk any lives trapping themselves. Who knows what troubles could cause.

Deuce: Ah, understand. You’re pretty diligent of everything.

SCP!MC/Yuu: Oh it’s nothing. Everyone here just wants to keep the world safe from any anomalous objects and maintaining the world from insanity. Also I got special permission from the higher-ups after collecting data. You present harmless natures, but with some mischief and childhood trauma that you’re allowed to interact with others within the foundation which is why you’re all classified as Safe, for now.

Riddle: What do you mean by “for now”?

SCP!MC/Yuu: Remember the times you and the others overblotted during my stay?

Riddle: *Nervous* Yes.

SCP!MC/Yuu: I even showed the higher-ups about the phenomenon and convinced them to let me handle these occurrences. I’m not afraid to use extreme measures to secure, contain, and protect.

SCP!MC/Yuu: Wait, stop! Do not touch the duck.

Ace: *Yanks his hands away from a purple rubber duck* What?

SCP!MC/Yuu: Oh thank god. You almost killed yourself.

Ace: Why would I be killed by some bath toy?

SCP!MC/Yuu: That’s SCP-6868, Bubbly Bobby the Rubber Ducky. The risk class is DANGER.

Ace: A toy duck? Dangerous?

SCP!MC/Yuu: Just read the reports about this anomaly. *Passes the file to Ace*

[Minutes later]

Ace: *Hides behind SCP!MC/Yuu as they’re holding the duck with gloves on* Why does your world have to be fucked up?

SCP!MC/Yuu: *Squeals of happiness* My baby!

Grim: Wait! I’m not a baby!

SCP!MC/Yuu: *Rushes over* Move, Grim! *Pushes Grim aside and hugs SCP-999 a.k.a. The Tickle Monster* I missed you, buddy! Work was hectic! Are you and Kairos doing okay?

SCP-999: *Happy noises*

Grim: *Jealous* Hmph!

💫Reblogs help creators✨

[triptychgrip]

I love reading/writing Yuri!!! on Ice stories that center around Viktor's insecurities around his "worthiness" of being w/ Yuuri.

The fandom has (understandably) created tons of content around Yuuri's insecurities, but I find it really compelling to ideate around this "Living Legend" superstar athlete -- who, prior to finding love, built up pretty much his entire life around his career -- and his worry that the love of his life will one day tire of him, especially the closer that Yuuri approaches retirement and no longer needs Viktor to be his coach.

It's the subject of an ongoing post-canon, married Viktuuri story I've been working on, which currently has three chapters out (of five total, but that chapter count could very well increase, lol). You'll see it's part of my larger series, but IMO, you can still enjoy/understand it without reading the other works.

It's a Viktor POV fic, whose premise is that Yuuri (who has now achieved certification to teach group pole dancing classes) one day gets approached by a fellow instructor around teaching one-one-one classes. He mentions this idea to Viktor, but appears underconfident around it, so Viktor volunteers to become his "trial student" in order to help his husband get used to the idea around someone he already knows/is comfortable around.

While the overall story might appear light-hearted (especially b/c this arrangement gives these two ample opportunity to be all flirty and eros with one another), a big theme in the story is Viktor's insecurity around being a beginner/bad at something. It's a concept that he's still not used to, post-retirement: not immediately being an expert at things, and having to accept that he can be bad at something, and still entirely lovable, anyway.

The other element of the story that's been exciting to explore is the idea that Viktor is approaching this arrangement with a somewhat ulterior motive that taps directly into his own insecurities. While, yes, he is ultimately hoping that being Yuuri's student will boost his husband's confidence in his own teaching skills, he also believes that he needs to find more and more ways to "hold" Yuuri's interest, especially given his student's approaching retirement (after the 2022 Beijing Olympics). Once Yuuri retires and no longer needs Viktor as his coach, what could Viktor have to possibly offer him? Maybe if he learns how to pole-dance, his husband will still find him sexy and inspirational and interesting.

It's easy for an outside observer to be like "Viktor, you idiot...Yuuri has been obsessed with you since he was twelve, he's not going to suddenly think you're boring when you're no longer his coach", but that's the thing about insecurities: they're rarely rational, or based in logic. Mine certainly aren't. 

As accomplished and impressive as he is, Viktor still needs reminders that who he is, inherently, is absolutely enough, whether that means he is an expert pole dancer like Yuuri, or a complete novice. A lot of this also taps into my headcanons around Viktor's childhood trauma and strained relationship with his parents, which has given him significant abandonment issues.

Gah, thinking about it really gets me in my feels; I can't wait to finish this WIP up, and hope you all would consider checking it out, now or once it's completed. 

[finnickyslut]

More of the Truth-warping Cattonquick au because I have to get it out.

Oliver's sisters

His older sister is 29 and the younger one 26. They're both booksmart like Oliver (one studied law and the other psychiatry) and very close to each other. They grew upper-middle class. The older one has a cushy job as a barrister and the younger one is still studying. They both live in London.

They live close enough to Oxford that the older one volunteered to be added to his emergency contacts list when Paula started fussing about her baby so far away from home (the Quicks were chuffed). When Oliver privately asked about appointing her primary contact she was moved but alarmed.

They never lived together and saw him only a handful of times a year. This became even less as they grew older, using their studies as an excuse. They were tepid at best whenever Paula and Oliver were involved, and not much warmer about Jeff. Paula didn't want Jeff to pressure them and risk alienating them even more. Jeff himself was a fool for his daughters.

They saw Oliver as a bother and "that slag's child" for a long time, even if they knew he wasn't really at fault for anything. Never wanted anything to do with him until they were both uni age. (12-14 y.o. Oliver)

Several things coalesced around that time, including an incident where Oliver got his arm scar, their mother happily remarrying, them finally having certain conversations with her and each other... Mostly just maturity.

Although they apologized to him and actively started trying, they had their own lives and Oliver was too wary by then and still hasn't truly opened up. All the same, they did connect, mostly through their love for literature, drive, their feelings about Jeff and Paula, and later when the girls advised him regarding uni and career choices. They each have scheduled calls with him at least once a month.

(Oliver will never tell, but it was a conversation with them about "making your own opportunities" that led to him puncturing Felix's tire)

Oliver has incredibly conflicting feelings about his sisters. He admires, resents and envies them. He appreciates their sustained effort to connect and make things up to him, but he can't fully trust it. He can't bring himself to think of them as his sisters neither give them up. He realizes they were kids too but is bitter about getting the short end of the stick.

All three siblings share dimples, wavy hair, a pale complexion and impressive lashes. (Felix feels shivers at the hospital seeing Oliver's gaze on his older sister's face.)

His sisters gifted him his necklace and a few other things once they started trying to get close (other gifts include tutoring for uni exam preparations, some favorite books, a nice shirt that he has since outgrown, a fancy scarf and gloves, tickets to a play...).

He keeps most of the physical ones in a box, tells himself he just can't throw presents away or his parents would ask (Just the once, he ripped apart a book in a fit, ended up crying like a baby, desperately trying to put it back together)

The girls have a good amount of correct suspicions about Oliver's mental problems. They have tried to have "general" conversations around mental health and therapy but anytime things got too close to home he shut down and deflected. Given he seems high-functioning they've focused on showing they're non-judgmental/a safe space and learning how to be a good support system.

They know from experience that talking to Oliver's parents about any of this would be counterproductive.

Oliver was originally planning on spending part of the summer with them to avoid home. They were looking forward to it but were happy for him once they'd asked around and checked Felix Catton was a real, non-psycho person who actually hung out with their baby brother.

[eyeslikewatercoolers]

Reminders of Her -Sashnetra (Part 2/3)

From the poll I posted a couple days ago, this is now going to be split into three parts instead of two! Here's part one if you missed it.

Thank you to @puppywritesthings for being my temporary beta for this chapter

read on ao3

Sasha didn’t see Anetra in class for the first few weeks. Instead, a tall blonde named Marcia brought Jace to and from class. Sasha assumed that Marcia was Jace’s other parent, while Anetra would be busy with work and unable to take him. 

At the end of the class, all the parents lined up in the studio behind their respective children. Sasha held a stack of papers and placed them on the fold-out table her teaching assistant had set up. 

“We’re having our photographer come in next week and take pictures for our programming. So I need parents to sign these releases so he can take pictures of the kids,” she explained as the parents started filling out their paperwork.

Except for Marcia and Jace, they stayed put where they both stood. Jace looked up at Marcia, and they shrugged “I’ll talk to her about it. Maybe she’ll let us take it home for your mom to sign.”  they said to reassure him. 

Sasha walked over to them with a copy of the release in her hand, “Did you not want to sign this? If not, it’s not going to upset me or anything.” she said.

“Oh, I would love to, but I can’t. I’m not a parent or guardian,” they explained. They looked at Jace, “Why don’t you wait in the lobby while I talk to your teacher?” 

Jace nodded, “Okay, Auntie Marsh.” he said before walking out of the studio to sit on the bench near the door. 

Marcia turned their attention back to Sasha, “Anetra has been a single mom since Jace was born. We’ve been close friends for years, and I’m just trying to help her whenever I can.” they explained. 

“Really? I didn’t know that.” Sasha said, her tone softening. She’s seen single parents struggle to balance everything outside the dance classes. “Could she come in any other time? I’d love to tell her how well her son is doing in class.” she smiled, glancing at the curly-haired boy in the lobby. 

Marcia nodded, but their eyes seemed apprehensive. “I can ask her tonight, no problem.”

As Sasha greeted parents and kids coming in for the pre-ballet class, she felt her heartbeat quicken when she saw Anetra walk in alongside Marcia and Jace. She hoped that this might mean she would get to see Anetra more often.

“You needed me to sign something?” Anetra asked her, eyes looking anywhere except in Sasha’s.

“I do. Would you like to stay for the rest of the class to watch? I’m sure Jace would love to show you what he’s learned.”

Anetra took a deep breath, “Of course I can.”

During the class, Sasha stole glances toward the observation room to seek any look she could get at Anetra. She noticed that Anetra’s eyes never left Jace during the class. Towards the end, she and Marcia looked at each other, and both smiled at the woman enjoying watching her son dance.

Sasha just remembered about the photographer in the studio with them when it was time for the group class photos. Once the children were allowed to break apart from being lined up for the posed group photo, they ran to their parents. 

Anetra was kneeling as Jace ran into her open arms, “You did so good, J. I’m proud of you.” she said as she ran a hand through his curls. 

“Do you think she’ll come back next week?” Sasha asked Marcia quietly as they both stood a few yards away.

“I don’t think she would ever want to miss seeing her son so happy in your class.”

Anetra returned during the following week’s class without Marcia this time. She even kept coming to class with just her and Jace. 

Sasha continued to sneak glances at Anetra’s astounding facial expressions during class. It was the only time that Sasha saw her face change from her usual bored expression when talking to the other dance moms.

A few weeks into her seeing Anetra during classes, parent volunteer opportunities opened up for the season. Parents of older children already in the studio signed up immediately for the ‘good’ spots (like selling T-shirts and organizing bake sales). 

This meant the only spots left were the more mundane tasks, like organizing the music library and measuring for costume sizes. But Sasha was pleasantly surprised that Anetra’s name was first (and only) on helping Sasha organize the costume closet. 

Anetra came into the studio in the late morning on a weekday when there were no classes. She arrived alone, the first time Sasha had seen her without anyone else. 

“You didn’t bring your son?” she asked Anetra as she led her to the costume closet in the back of the building. 

“No, I dropped him off at my dad and stepmom’s house earlier. He loves going over there, they spoil him every time they see him.” Anetra said with a slight smile. 

After about an hour of creating a plan to organize the closet, the two women found themselves in light conversation as they worked.

“What do you do for work?” Sasha asked from the corner of the costume closet that she was working on. She showed Anetra how everything got organized by style, size, and color. 

“I’m a medical coder for a neurologist's office,” Anetra said as she folded tights from her side of the room.  “It’s boring, but it pays the bills.” she shrugged. 

“How did you get into doing that job?” Sasha asked. If she was being honest, Sasha had no idea what a medical coder was, but at least she could try to make conversation about it. 

Anetra softly sighed as she moved the pile of tights into the storage box. “It was never my original plan. I was training to be a professional in taekwondo, but then when I found out I was pregnant, I had to throw away that plan.”

Sasha moved to sit closer to Anetra, placing spare hangers on the rack. “That must have been a hard decision to make.”

Anetra nodded, “At first it was. But I’m really lucky I had Marcia my dad and stepmom, and my other friends to help me out.” she said with a small smile. “I didn’t want to believe this when I was 21, but Jace is the best thing to happen to me.” 

Sasha gave her a warm smile, “He is a special kid.” 

“Even if he looks nothing like me.” Anetra laughed, as the two continued to work and chat throughout the rest of the afternoon.

Cleaning the costume closet soon became Sasha’s favorite chore to do in the studio. It wasn’t because it was something that she liked doing, but it was the only time she could spend with just her and Anetra. 

But the closet was nearly fully organized after a few weeks of Anetra coming to the studio alone to help on various days. Despite being great for the closet, Sasha still wanted to spend time with her. 

As she waited for Anetra to arrive to help do the last-minute touch-ups on the closet, Sasha was racking her brain for another volunteer opportunity for her and Anetra to do together. 

“When’s the last time we waxed the floors?” Sasha asked out loud as Kylie was doing computer work from the other side of the small office. 

“You know we have a guy that comes in to do that,” Kylie responded without looking away from the screen. 

Sasha thought for a moment, “Well, what about-” before she was cut off by the blonde turning around. 

“You know you can hang out with her outside of here, right?” Kylie suggested and ignored the look of shock that Sasha gave her. “I’ve seen you two in that dusty old closet, it’s okay if you want to be friends or something more with her.” 

“Something more? What do you mean by that?” she asked but heard the electric bell on the lobby door chime. “She’s here, I gotta go,” Sasha said before bolting out of the office. 

After a few short hours of finishing the costume closet, Sasha and Anetra stood in the doorway, admiring their hard work. Even if Sasha knew it would look trashed again in about six months. 

“I’ll see you in class next week, okay? I’m glad I could help you out with this.” Anetra smiled and started to turn to walk back down the hallway. 

“Wait a moment,” she said and saw the younger woman turn around. “Are you free on Saturday?” she asked, trying not to not choke on her nerves. 

Anetra looked surprised, “Oh, was there something I missed from the calendar you gave us? I thought the recital practice was the week after next.” 

“It still is, don’t worry,” Sasha reassured her. “I meant just you and me this Saturday.”

“As in, like a date?” Anetra asked for clarification. 

Sasha nodded after a moment. She didn’t plan for it to be called a date, but maybe being something more could be a good thing for them. “Yes, like a date.”

“Let me find a babysitter first, then yes.” 

Sasha only had a couple of small dates with Anetra before the recital season kept her busy. But after the winter recital was over and the pre-ballet class finished its last session before the small in-class celebration, Sasha’s attention flew back to Anetra. 

The two had met with each other at least once a week. Sometimes they would be with each other’s friends, other times it would just be the two of them alone. 

Sasha enjoyed spending time with her new friend but noticed something was slightly off about Anetra. 

“I need a favor from you.” Sasha walked swiftly into the studio office, sitting in the rolling chair opposite Kylie. The computer screen showed the edited pictures in a programming book from a few months before.  

“Yes?” 

“Do you find it weird if a woman in her twenties doesn’t have social media?” Sasha asked. 

She tried asking Anetra for her Instagram (or any social media), but the younger woman would change the subject. She couldn’t ask Marcia or any of Anetra’s other friends since she didn’t feel that close to them yet. 

“Depends, is it your new little date friend?” Kylie asked with a lifted eyebrow, already knowing the answer.

“Yes, it’s Anetra. But I looked up her name on everything, and I can’t find her.” Sasha said as she watched Kylie type on her phone for a moment.  

“Found her.” The blonde said as she turned her phone screen to Sasha to show the Instagram profile. 

She squinted at the screen, looking at the username, “But I tried that one.” she sighed, pulling out her phone to check again. 

Kylie tilted her head, holding out her hand for Sasha to pass her the cell phone “Let me try something.”

“Okay, but I don’t think that-”

“You blocked her.”

“What? Why would I block her when I have never met her before?” 

Kylie shrugged, passing back the phone, “No idea. But I unblocked her for you.” 

“Thanks, I appreciate it.” She smiled as she pressed the follow button, before scrolling deep into Anetra’s profile. 

Soon she was looking at a picture of a younger Anetra, in a taekwondo uniform, with bright red hair.

The image of the younger woman with cherry red hair stayed in her mind for the rest of the day, wondering where this sense of familiarity came from.

Had she and Anetra met before?

[solarpunk-0possum]

since moving out west i've had a lot of opportunity for hands-on experience in progressive communities. the types of community i didn't really have access to in Iowa. i've also had opportunity to learn from Indigenous people through my Indigenous holistic health class.

The professor in that class facilitated a zoom call between our class an a Canadian 2-Spirit activist. I got the chance to ask a question. I identify as non-binary and I feel a strong solidarity with 2-spirit people. As part of decolonizing my own experience with gender I've found listening to Indigenous people yields genuinely good advice for finding healing.

I asked them what we, as white queer and nonbinary people, can do to be good allies to 2-Spirit folks. Their response was "address the racism in your communities."

One volunteer group I am in is almost entirely white. There are people of color involved but the leadership is predominantly white. the org is run by white people. now these are white people with decent values, in my opinion. they've been good to me, i feel safe with them, and i do feel like they have a good intention with the volunteer work. However, I am white. I fit in in that sense. I have cultural background that allows me to fit into this community, for better or for worse. I've had discussions with another white friend and we both are wondering what the experience of a Brown person might be in this org. We concluded there's a high chance it's uncomfortable. The people of color i've met that come by don't stick around very long.

This week was the first week I didn't go to our weekly outreach. I usually go and carry water down to folks living along the creek in town. I'll shoot the shit with people, play with dogs, talk about plants, pick up sharps, etc. I want to be clear- I think the work this org does is a net positive. I do think people appreciate what we do. We recently helped someone access an abortion, which felt very profound to me. I've really loved my time working with this org.

But to be fucken honest I just. I can't stand how white it is. I grew up in the whitest parts of the midwest and it drives me crazy. White American culture is kinda rotten even in progressive circles and we have a lot of fucking work to do.

I am going to stick around, but instead of going every week, I'm going to go every other. This just makes logistical sense and nobody will be upset with me about that. But that also gives me some emotional distance from the org, which I definitely need right now. I have this sneaking sense that there's going to be emotional conflict and drama. I fucking hate that shit. It's triggering tbh. The way that people communicate with each other in this org is kinda fucked up sometimes. It's very jokey, but it's jokey to an extent that can definitely get hurtful. That's the way my family communicates with each other and it's miserable.

I think it's a good idea to stick around, though, because I can make change in my own ways. I've been going every week since November, so I've built a certain level of trust. I can speak up about how white this org is. I'm not fucking around with the anti-racism. If that's what I can do to be a good ally to my 2-Spirit siblings than that's what I'm going to do. I don't care if I upset some fragile cisgender millennials. I'm going to do the right thing.

I mentioned earlier that my cultural background helps me fit in with these folks. I mean to use that! While I think the culture is rotten, I grew up where I did and I can't change that. I might as well use that cultural literacy to make positive change.

But I'm also wondering as to the longevity of this organization. We shall see. I'd really like it to last, because they definitely do good things.

[kxowledge]

The university ghosted me, which I tried to rationalize at first, but honestly, whatever. I’ll get the mass rejection email in some weeks, and it’s fine. I felt so incredibly heart broken for the last week, as I’m coming to terms with the fact that I didn’t get in. Despite trying to restrain myself, I had imagined the life I would lead if I had gotten in – the food I could afford, the furniture I’d get, the course I could teach, the pottery studio I’d join, the timing around buying a house & building a family.

However, I talked with my boyfriend about options and I’m happy with how things stand. I feel more clarity and it’s good. I am going to apply to one other PhD position this round, but otherwise I’m taking some time to work on things, for which I’m so excited about. I’ll retake the GRE to boost my scores (aiming for a perfect 170 in the verbal this time around!) and I’ll take my time working on research proposals and applications in the next cycle (this time aiming for around 8 universities). I’ll also apply to teacher training (for 2025/26, three different programs) and an agroecology program. I can then dedicate some time to volunteering once my applications are in – don’t know 100% where but I have two or three options in mind.

For the time being, I will stay here, which is a great relief – I don’t think I could cope with moving. I’ll work at my current job until they let me go (the company is closing down) and afterwards I’ll look for a kitchen job, which actually I know I would enjoy to a certain extent and would bring in a similar amount of income anyway as Norway has a good minimum wage. I’m going to extend my degree by one or two semesters and work on the thesis – perhaps try to refine it into a publishable article as well. This gives me also time to finalize the dissertation for the bachelor in theology and close that chapter of my life as well. Another big focus will be learning Norwegian – I should use my opportunity to be here and practice.

And in the meanwhile, to keep things interesting, I’ll focus on various low-stakes projects for fun, which I feel like I missed so much during the past two years as I was razor-focused on getting into a PhD program. I’ll try making my own sourdough! I’ll take a cooking class! I’ll help my dad with his kitchen reno! I’ll take many hikes! I’ll take an online agroecology course! I’ll focus on refining my cooking! Who knows, maybe I will even take the pottery course. And for extra, extra fun – to make me excited about the more immediate future: I’ll travel to Bath (always a good choice when in despair) & I’ll organize a longer trip in September.

Getting in would have maybe made my life easier, but this will make it more interesting.

[etenvs3000w23]

Unit 10: Nature Interpretation's Role in Environmental Sustainability

If I were to be totally honest with myself, the only reason I took this course to begin with was to fulfil a credit required to earn a certificate of environmental conservation when I graduated. There were very few options as to what credits I could take, and this one was available so I jumped at the chance. But I could not have been more lucky in taking that chance. That is because from the start of my university career I have consistently asked myself ‘what if I went the other way?’ I ask myself this because when I graduated highschool I was at a pretty big crossroads. I had spent my years in highschool volunteering as a student journalist in addition to taking the required science credits to go on one of two career paths: that of the scientist or that of the journalist. I of course took the route of the scientist, but again, what if I had gone the other way? This thought persisted, and as a result I have always valued the chance at learning how to integrate what I learned in science with that of communication, unfortunately I haven’t had as many chances to build these skills as I would have liked. Enter: this course.

In taking this course I unknowingly received the perfect opportunity to do what I’d always wanted, interpret what I’d learned in my zoology major and gain the skills to present it to a larger audience. Over the course of this semester I have learned way more about nature interpretation than I could have predicted, and I am definitely leaving this class a better communicator than when I began. So then, what have I learned?

I think one of the most important things I learned within this course was the importance of ethics while communicating. I’ve always tried my best to consider my audience when creating a project, but at the end of the day I am just one person with one point of view. Something that stood out to me while taking this course was the emphasis placed on privilege and the part it plays in experiencing nature and the lack of opportunities faced by those who lack it. In my own personal ethic I have always strived to be empathetic, honest, and responsible for my actions. But, what this course has allowed me to do is see the ‘invisible backpack’ described by Gallavan (2005) that many people carry with them. In considering my own code of ethics I need to be responsible in not making assumptions about certain groups, and know that not everyone has had the same opportunities as I have. Like many people I have felt the guilt of having these opportunities when others don’t, but rather than continue to think that simply feeling bad about my place in our society is enough, I know I have to strive to do better and make personal goals for myself. In other words, in order to be a good communicator I can’t just provide for one audience, but all audiences. It is so easy to tell people that if they want to experience nature then they should just go outside and touch the grass as they say, but this is not as easy as people think. There are hundreds of invisible barriers people with privilege who perceive their norm as the cultural norm simply cannot see. Economic barriers, cultural barriers, communication barriers, and so much more. It is learning about these barriers, and working with the people who face them that we can find ways to overcome them and provide less privileged people with interpretation catered to their needs rather than the same run of the mill experience that may be equivalent to others experiences, but not nearly as impactful.

I mentioned before how I once wanted to become a journalist rather than a scientist, and how I am still striving to be a better communicator. Communication is a broad term that has many different definitions. If I wanted to communicate with someone, I could do so using visuals, or music, or writing, or even through dance. Over history, different cultures have found different ways to interpret nature and communicate lessons learned from it to the next generation. For me, my skill set lends itself to utilising writing as the best approach to nature interpretation. Not only am I more confident in the written word, I am creative as well, or at least I try to be. Both the textbook and Strauss (1996) describe the importance of anecdotes and imagery to engage the audience. I know that throughout my life the lessons I have remembered the most were the memorable ones that had a great story behind them. It's part of the reason I can recount twenty hours of lore for major sci fi franchises and yet can barely remember my first year chemistry class. What sticks with people are experiences, and if you can engage people with nature through an immersive and creative experience, they will take that lesson and repurpose it for themselves.

Next year I plan to take a year off science and pursue a graduate certificate course in creative writing. I am in no way giving up science, but what I am doing is trying something new, and something I have always wanted to do. I have learned that influencing people to learn science through media such as fiction and other forms of creative writing can be just as impactful if not more so than discovering the facts in the first place. I hope to one day use what I have learned in this class and the rest of my undergrad to not only continue to be a responsible scientist, but a scientist who can communicate creatively with the next generation and inspire them to consider not just their own needs, but everyone's needs when it comes to nature.

Beck, L., Cable, T. T., & Knudson, D. M. (2018b). Chapter 5: Guiding Principles of Interpretation. Interpreting cultural and natural heritage : for a better world. (pp.81-101) Sagamore Venture.

Beck, L., Cable, T. T., & Knudson, D. M. (2018c). Chapter 7: Serving Diverse Audience. Interpreting cultural and natural heritage : for a better world. (pp.105-123) Sagamore Venture.

Gallavan, N. P. (2005). Helping teachers unpack their “invisible knapsacks.” Multicultural Education (San Francisco, Calif.), 13(1), 36–36.

Strauss, S. (1996). The passionate fact : storytelling in natural history and cultural interpretation. North American Press.

[whackdreamer]

Broom Lessons

Summary: Morgen and Claire were sent as lecturers for their squad’s ‘Youth Broom Lessons’ volunteer program. Yami and Nacht tagged along as well. 

Word count: ~3.4k words 

Note: Odette Dumont and Sister Margaret are @hybridanafrost OCs. Claire Polaris is mine. 

Morgen thought there couldn’t be a better day for their Youth Broom lessons. He looked up at the blue sky and smiled. The weather was a perfect balance of sunny and cloudy. 

Morgen was filled with excitement as he carried a bundle of broomsticks with a skip in his step. Claire followed him while also carrying a bundle of broomsticks. Both were headed to the orphanage where Odette was.  

Captain Julius confidently assigned the two Light mages as lecturers. He believed they could easily handle the task. 

Morgen and Claire arrived at the orphanage right on schedule. Sister Margaret promptly led them to the classroom. She introduced the two Grey Deer knights standing before the children to be the ones leading today’s lecture. The children had their eyes wide and mouths gape with amazement. It was a special opportunity to see a magic knight up close. 

The two light mages introduced themselves formally again. Morgen was as bright and cheerful as ever. He happily greeted the students and told them that he looked forward to the time they’d spend together. 

On the other hand, Claire was stern. Not a curl on her lips nor a pleasant tone in her voice. She introduced herself as straightforwardly as possible. 

The children attuned well to Morgen’s vibrant energy. Meanwhile, Claire gave the kids an impression of a strict teacher type. But at least they found her voice soothing to listen to. 

Yami and Nacht came to the class as well. Overlooking all that was present in the classroom, they both leaned on the wall far behind. 

Odette was shaking on her seat. She had been overcome with joy at the sight of both Morgen and Claire as her teachers. 

Morgen began his lecture by introducing the basics of broom flight and emphasized the safety precautions before diving in. He gave a fair warning of the risks of flying unprepared but assured the children he wouldn’t let anything dangerous happen to them. 

“All in all, you must be able to grasp controlling the movement and speed while flying on your broom,” Morgen explained. “For the next part of our lecture, I’ll have Claire take over.” 

Claire stood in the middle. Her eyes swam across the classroom as if having a grasp of each student present.  

Yami quietly observed and read Claire’s ki. Unlike her composed manner on the outside, her ki was in a state of unease. He interpreted that Claire was actually quite nervous. 

“Has anyone had any experience of flying on a broom by themselves before? Even for a little?” Claire asked. 

The kids turned to look at each other, trying to find if someone did. 

One boy shyly raised a hand. “I have. I borrowed Sister Margaret’s broom and used it. But I stopped because I got too scared.” 

Sister Margaret raised her brow at the boy. At the very least she thought the boy had courage in a different area. She took a mental note to keep an eye on where she leaves her broom behind. 

Claire smiled reassuringly at the boy. “I see. And thank you for you’ve raised a good point.” 

The boy pointed at himself. He didn’t know what she was talking about. 

“Fear. It prevents us from overcoming our weakness. It hinders our ability to think clearly. Just as Morgen said before, control is the most important thing in learning how to fly. But because of fear we end up thinking of failure, or the worst that could happen.” 

The rest of the students fell into silence. Odette listened intently to her words. 

“Once you see yourself finally high up in the air, you might think ‘I’ll fall’ but a better approach would be to think, ‘I finally did it and I can keep doing it’. 

Sister Margaret observed the newbie lecturers from the room’s doorway. Claire was good with her words. On the other hand, Morgen easily captivated his students with his cheerful personality. She commends Julius’ judgement in choosing those knights. 

“Before we head out to practice, allow me to explain the concept first.” Claire continued her lecture. Her intent was to give the children an idea of broom flight so they wouldn’t fall into anxiety. 

The kids kept listening. 

“Do you know what’s so special about flying using a broom?” Claire raised a hand indicating she wanted to hear an answer from the crowd. 

Several students raised their hands to answer; 

“It’s easy to use?” 

“It’s convenient?” 

“It’s common?” 

They answered. 

“So, so close! Any more answers? Come on,” Claire turned around, waiting. 

Odette felt a tap on her shoulder. She saw it was Nacht’s shadow hand that did it. The hand went to her desk and wrote using the pencil and paper on it. 

“Say ‘Efficient’.” The shadow hand wrote. 

Odette turned back to see Nacht who winked at her in response. 

Odette raised her hand. 

“Yes?” Claire called her. 

“Brooms are used because it’s efficient.” Odette answered but not before looking back at Nacht once more. 

Claire followed Odette’s line of sight. Nacht had his eyes turned to the side playing dumb to Claire’s suspicions. 

“Very good, Odette. That is correct.” 

Odette sat back down and grinned widely. 

Confusion was the apparent reaction from her students. 

“You see, only a small amount of mana is needed to make flight possible using a broom. It’s special because through appropriate mastery, you can conserve energy by controlling the circulation of mana around your broom. That’s what makes it ‘efficient’.” Claire picked up a broom and showed it clearly. “The force produced due to the circulation of mana around the broom is what allows you to fly. Think of this broom as becoming an extension of your own body. Like if you were a bird, the broom is your detachable wing.” 

Some kids chuckled at the thought of having detachable wings.  

“If you want to fly faster, you pour more mana into it. If you want to change directions, you also control the direction of mana. After grasping that, it's all about practice.” 

“Can we now get to the actual broom flying?” Yami yelled from the back. 

“This class is getting boring. All I see is broom and no flying,” Nacht faked a yawn.  

The two boys at the back snickered and it ticked Claire. 

Taking a deep breath, she gripped the broom tightly and threw it at them like a spear. It flew past the class of kids and landed right in between Yami and Nacht. The tip of its handle was stuck on the wall like an arrow to a target. “If you interrupt again, I’ll send you flying instead.”  

Yami and Nacht nodded simultaneously, “Sorry, ma’am!” 

The young students, save for Odette, were now terrified of Claire. 

Sister Margaret breathed out a heavy sigh at their childish behavior. It appeared that these knights needed as much supervision as the children under her care. 

“I was done with the lecture anyway,” Claire huffed. 

Morgen clapped to catch the students’ attention. “Alright! Then let’s go out to practice!” 

The children collectively cheered. 

What came next surprised Sister Margaret. The reason for Nacht’s presence in class was because he would use his Shadow Magic to transport the kids, taking them as far as into the Forsaken Realm. She could understand their choice of venue. This was a wide-open field. The breeze was refreshing. Perfect training grounds for broom flight practice. 

They found themselves in a farming village at the Forsaken Realm called Luin. And this was where Claire grew up. 

This happened because Morgen asked a favor to Nacht.  

Nacht agreed to help transport the kids, stating his simple reason that he would get to watch Claire teach kids and laugh about it. Choosing the village of Luin was something he discussed with Claire beforehand. Claire agreed to it and even helped him find an appropriate location to place a Shadow Marker in. 

“Whoa!” A group of kids gaped at the sight before them. 

Some kids couldn’t help but run around the vast stretch of grass. 

Claire and Morgen went back to their lessons and had the kids try out their brooms. They provided each child with one broom that they brought with them. 

They watched and observed the kids find a comfortable sitting position on their brooms. Most kids had their brooms go between their legs. Some sat with both legs on one side. One kid dared to do it while standing which he immediately stopped doing when he kept falling out of balance. 

“So… How do you sit on your brooms?” Odette asked. 

“I do it like this.” Yami bent down to a squat, and easily kept his balance on the broom. 

“What the heck are you doing? You look like you’re about to drop your shit,” Claire said. 

Nacht snorted. Morgen looked away, his hand covering his mouth. Without saying a word, the twins agreed with Claire. 

“You’re just jealous because you can’t sit like this!” Yami yelled at Claire. 

Odette copied Yami’s squat. But as she tried to fly up, she wobbled on her feet. “This is hard.” 

“Just stick with the basics and have it between your legs,” Nacht advised. “Or do it like Morgen and Claire.” 

Nacht meant that both Light mages preferred to sit with both legs on one side. Claire did so because of the long skirt she wore, while Morgen had his long tunic. 

Odette followed Nacht’s advice and placed the broom between her legs. She shakily gripped the broom’s handle with both hands as she focused on pouring her mana onto it. Remembering what was mentioned in their lecture, Odette controlled the flow of mana. 

She struggled to make it work. Seeing her having difficulties, she heard Morgen and Yami providing her with analogies to help her visualize. Hoping it would make her attempt easier. 

Morgen compared it like it was having the wind fly a kite. Yami said it was like having the waves carry a boat. 

Odette waited for the broom to finally push her off the ground. She grew slightly nervous with every passing second. But it instantly dissolved when she could no longer feel the weight on her feet. 

“I did it!” Odette said proudly, repeatedly kicking the air with her feet. 

Morgen and Claire clapped happily at her while Yami and Nacht had a grin on their lips.  

Odette would forever remember this moment. 

Time passed and some kids continued to practice on their brooms. Some kids had taken a break and sat on the grass. Claire, Morgen, as well as Sister Margaret kept their watchful eyes on their students. 

Yami went off shortly after Odette’s first attempt at flying. Then he came back carrying a table and placed it down on an even surface. He put a large basket on top of it. Something he had been carrying even at the time they were still back at the orphanage. He took the lid off and smiled proudly at the contents. 

Odette also took a short break from her flying practice and laid down on the grass. Her eyes were straight up and admired the skies. 

“Psst!” 

Odette sat up and turned to the sound. She found Nacht gesturing her to come closer. The girl tried to confirm that he was trying to get her attention specifically and glanced around. 

“Come!” Nacht called. 

Odette stood up and jogged to his side, her broom in hand. 

“I’ll show you some tricks,” he grinned. 

Her eyes sparkled with joy and flashed a smile back at Nacht. 

Claire and Morgen focused their attention on a group of kids flying on their broom. They kept a close eye and guided them when- 

“Ahh!!!” A scream came from far above. Claire and Morgen whipped their heads around only to find Odette falling. Her broom was out of her reach. 

The rest of the kids suddenly stopped what they were doing. The class came to a halt. 

“ODETTE!” Both light mages screamed. 

Reacting swiftly, Morgen opened his grimoire and flew towards her with his arms reaching out. While Claire summoned a palm-sized firefly with a flick of her hand. 

Claire’s firefly caught Odette first and it safely carried the girl back down. 

There was a frown on Morgen’s face. ‘She was faster.’ 

Claire almost slumped to the ground in panic at the sight of Odette falling. She gathered herself with a shaky breath. “Oh, thank the heavens.” 

Yami roared a laughter, “She went pretty high up!” 

Sister Margaret smacked the back of Yami’s head. “Fool! The girl almost died!” 

Odette bowed her head, feeling guilty for causing worry to Claire and Morgen. “I was trying to do what Nacht taught me.” 

Sister Margaret glared daggers at Nacht. 

“Just what on earth were you thinking! Didn’t you listen to the lecture earlier? Do you have any idea what might’ve happened to you had Morgen or Claire weren’t here to look after you?” Sister Margaret scolded Odette. 

“Sister, please. It was my fault. I shouldn’t have taken my eyes off my student.” Claire stepped in between Odette and Sister Margaret. 

“No! This girl needs to learn her lesson!” A brewing rage was apparent in her voice. 

“I had it under control. I was about to catch her.” Nacht rolled his eyes. 

Sister Margaret marched closer to Nacht. She was planning to shove a handful of salt down his throat. 

Morgen called out to stop her. “Sister! Everything is alright. We managed to save Odette in time!” 

“Don’t take this lightly! He endangered the life of that young girl,” Sister Margaret said with a raised voice. It was obvious she was furious about what happened. 

Nacht snapped back, “She wasn’t in danger! You’re overreacting, old hag.” 

Sister Margaret took out her grimoire.  

But a sniffle was heard. They all stopped and turned to see tears trailing down Odette’s cheeks. 

“I-I’m sorry.” She then curled down and whimpered, “Please don’t hurt me.” 

Nacht shifted in discomfort. He now had no idea what to say to her, nor how to comfort her. 

Claire froze on the spot. Morgen kneeled to Odette’s side to wipe her tears. 

Odette had her eyes tightly shut. Her mind had recalled bitter memories. She waited to hear a disappointed roar. Or the pain that would come from a brutal blow. 

But instead, what she felt was a hand lightly touching the top of her head. 

It was Yami, who gave Odette a reassuring pat on her head. “Hey, take a breath. No one here is gonna hit you. So lay off the waterworks.” 

Odette looked up at Yami. “You're not?” she croaked. 

“You think we'd save you from your ass of an old man just to hit you like he does? Give us some credit. We're magic knights after all.” 

“You're right. I'm sorry for crying.” She wiped her tears away, “I should be strong.” 

“There's no shame in crying. You're still a kid. You just got to remind yourself that you have people that want to help you now. So don't be afraid of us.” 

Odette nodded, “Kay.” 

“Everything’s going to be fine.” 

Sister Margaret glared at Nacht with narrowed eyes. “Continue with the class.” 

"I have a better idea,” Yami walked closer to the table he set up earlier. “Let’s all stop for lunch.” 

The kids were released from all the tension when they saw Yami take out the contents of the basket. 

The children ran over to him. 

“Hey! Fall in line you little brats!” Yami called out, rice balls in hand. “Hey kid! I saw you cutting the line. Get back in line!” Yami scolded the kid and huffed back at him. 

Sister Margaret sighed at the foreigner’s attitude but was grateful for his effort to keep the orphans in check. 

Morgen sat beside Odette, they were both currently eating Yami’s riceballs. “Are you feeling better now?” Morgen took a closer look at Odette’s eyes. It was no longer puffed since she stopped crying. 

Odette nodded while her mouth was still busy chewing. She took another bite of the riceball. The texture of the rice was perfect, and the fish filling was savory. It was delicious. 

Morgen saw Claire talking to Nacht. But they were far away that he couldn’t hear what they were saying. Although he could see Claire’s disgruntled face and Nacht wearing a scowl. Morgen could only guess what they were discussing. 

Yami silently sneaked behind Claire and shoved a piece of riceball straight to her mouth. 

Claire faced Yami and he could swear he saw her eyes glow in anger. 

Just like that, Claire went for Yami’s head as Nacht stood there confused at the turn of events. 

The day went by so fast, and Sister Margaret knew they should return to the orphanage soon. The sun steadily sank its way down the horizon. Many were still enjoying their first time flying a broom. Some kids raced with each other. To which she cried out at them to be careful not to crash into anyone. 

Morgen focused on flying with Odette as Nacht’s so-called tricks scared her from flying too high up. 

Nacht was warned to stay away from the students or Sister Margaret would bind him with her Salt magic. 

Claire flew with the kids, and she showed them tips on how to maneuver the broom. 

This time, to prevent any accidents from happening again, Claire used a spell that stationed fireflies around them. Should any student accidentally fall off their broom, their designated firefly would catch them. 

Some kids were in awe at the glowing fireflies that loomed around them. Others were fascinated by it and tried to catch it, but it would always slip out of their fingers. 

“We should try this again next time. But we play a game on who could catch Claire’s fireflies the most,” Odette suggested. 

“That is if she’ll let you catch them,” Morgen hummed, remembering how her firefly beat his own speed.  

“It’s almost time to head back,” Sister Margaret said. 

The kids frowned at that. They were having so much fun. 

“Now, now. There’s always a next time,” Sister Margaret reassured. 

When it was decidedly time to head home, Nacht opened his shadow portal again and brought the kids back to the orphanage.  

Finally putting an end to today’s class, Morgen and Claire waved goodbyes to the children. Although exhausted from practice, the children called out and loudly thanked them. 

As the Grey Deers plus Nacht left the orphanage, Odette chased after them. 

“Don’t forget to teach me how you made those riceballs,” Odette reminded Yami. 

“Sure thing,” Yami replied. 

Nacht awkwardly stood behind Yami as he couldn’t bring himself to look at Odette after what he did. 

Claire elbowed Nacht’s arm. They stared at each other, but it was Nacht who looked away first. 

Nacht rubbed where she hit him and knew she wouldn’t let him off the hook. 

“Uh- Odette? About what happened earlier…” Nacht had a hand at the back of his head. “Sorry about that,” he apologized. 

Her eyes widened. She didn’t expect to hear that from him. “I’m sorry too. I fell off my broom because I wasn’t being careful.”  

“You were doing great for your first time. Don’t let it get into you. And you were courageous to even attempt advanced broom techniques after seeing it from me once.” 

Odette felt a creeping warmth in her cheeks. “Will you still teach me your broom tricks?” she asked. 

“As long as there’s proper supervision,” Claire said. “We don’t want you breaking your neck.” 

“Alright. Thank you for catching me earlier, big sis.” 

Claire tensed, “That- Uh- I.... did it on reflex. Don’t scare us like that again. Okay?” 

Odette nodded. “Thank you for helping me out, big brother,” she glanced at Morgen. 

“I’m glad that you’re feeling better now. There’s no need for you to feel scared whenever you’re with us. Remember that.” Morgen bent down and gave Odette a warm hug. 

Sister Margaret walked out and told Odette she should go back inside. 

Odette nodded at Sister Margaret. “Bye!” She waved at her adoptive siblings. 

They waved back after a promise of them returning to her again. Morgen looked like he hesitated to leave. 

The group finally made their way back to their personal quarters. They felt the exhaustion sink in the moment they laid down their soft beds.  

It might had been a great experience for all of them. But teaching kids was extremely tiring. 

Meanwhile, back at the orphanage, Odette comfortably tucked herself in bed and recalled all the earlier events. Her sleep was filled with happy dreams. 

[END] 

[fiapartridge]

have you already posted your stats, if not what we’re they? congrats!!

i think i did but i can’t find it anymore 😭😭 so i’ll post them again here HAHAH (also thank u!!!)

gpa: 3.94 (uw), 4.25 (w) but i think ucs look at ur 10-12 weighted so i had a 4.4 w gpa

tests: i went test-optional! and then i submitted all of the ap exams that i scored a 3+ on

ap classes: i took 10 aps (ap world history, apush, ap chem, ap lang, ap comp sci, ap lit, ap bio, ap gov, ap econ, & ap stats)

awards: LITERALLY JUST HONOR ROLL LMFAOOO like that’s all i had 😭

extracurriculars: i was senior class president, junior class vice president, i founded and was the president of a women’s rights/menstrual equity club, i did competitive karate for a bunch of years, i taught karate to kids, i volunteered for spread the love (we wrote notes + letters to kids diagnosed with autism), i wrote for the school’s newspaper, and i was the team manager of my school’s badminton team

essays!! these r muchh different than the common app essays! (there’s 8 prompts and then you pick 4 essays to write! here’s what i chose!)

1. describe an example of your leadership experience in which you have positively influenced others

i wrote about how i stopped doing karate competitively after the pandemic because all of my friends stopped and how i kinda lost my love for the sport. then i started teaching & it made me love karate again

2. what would you say is your greatest talent or skill?

i talked about creative writing LOL. i (very lowkey) talked about my fics that i used to write for someone and how they blew up and i had a bunch of readers LMAO so if i ever see this person i wrote about irl ill be sure to thank them for getting me into uc berkeley haha

3. describe how you have taken advantage of a significant educational opportunity or worked to overcome an educational barrier you have faced.

i wrote about how i didn’t have teachers for a lot of my academic journey. like i had subs coming in and out of the classroom and there was never the stability of having a teacher so i had to learn how to self study and teach myself these things from a young age

4. what have you done to make your school or your community a better place?

i wrote about my women’s rights/menstrual equity club and how we put hygiene products in different classrooms around school & how we eventually got dispensers in the bathrooms

so i didn’t have the highest stats, i didn’t get straight As throughout high school (i think i got like 3 Bs), and i def wasn’t valedictorian but i still got in! schools like uc berkeley look at each person holistically so it’s really like do they see who you are thru ur essays; it’s not just grades and extracurriculars. so def try if you’re considering!!! u never know!!

college decisions is such a gamble tbh. like i got waitlisted at uc irvine but accepted to uc berkeley. like it might seem like everything is going wrong but it’ll be okay!!! it’ll all work out in the end!!!

[brightgnosis]

Hagging Out 🕯️ Venerating ... A Candle?

On Halloween last month I got together with my old Covenmate from High School and we did some separate rituals at her house. I'm unsure of what she did for hers, but for mine I chose to install an Ancestral Spirit into a Gargoyle Candle that I purchased years ago at a semi-local-ish Metaphysical Shop (or about as "local" as you can really get, living where I am).

During the ritual I asked that the Spirit volunteer themselves for the task, since I didn't just want to yank an Ancestor from the otherworld and force them to be our Home and Familial protector ... But when asked them for a name, they remained weirdly silent. I trusted that the ritual worked, however, and figured I'd just get to know them later, then --- and that's exactly what I've been doing this last month.

Every Monday since the ritual, I've anointed the candle with Reverence Oil, and then anointed myself ... And nothing more than that ... No prayers. No offerings. Just a very simple action of "hello" and strengthening of the bond; a quiet message, and one that I think is straight to the point: We are connected. We are one.

Then, shortly after Modrana (which is my holiday for the Foremothers of my ancestral lineage, and fell on the day after Thanksgiving this year) I sat down and had a session of "Tea and Tarot" with whatever Ancestor had installed itself in my Candle; I figured it'd been long enough I could probably say hello at this point and maybe get a real response from them.

Using the Lo Scarabeo 'Harmonious' Tarot that I wound up buying pretty much for my Ancestor Work, I pulled four simple cards during the short session:

The Ancestor.

How to Honor Them.

Their Legacy.

How to Honor Their Legacy.

The results were absolutely fascinating to me- and completely unexpected from an Ancestor that had remained so staunchly silent after the initial ritual, even when blatantly invited to make themself known at the time.

They were excited to serve in this capacity, and to do something new; to grow into this role I had allowed them the opportunity to serve in ... But they were also frightened about getting it wrong because it was new to them; no one in our lineage had ever asked anyone in the Ancestral Court to step up like this, and they were scared of "screwing the pooch" so to speak.

Their lineage cards indicated that this self doubt was common for them; that they had spent their life questioning themself and having others constantly question them as well, until eventually their faith in their own capabilities had dwindled to nothing. And s, as a result, they had ignored their own calling in life and chosen the "safer options" available for them at the time.

The cards indicated that in order to make this new relationship work, we were going to have to be open to growing together; to acknowledging differences of opinion and viewpoints, and sometimes compromising with one another. Which is honestly fine by me- especially knowing that they had never served as an Ancestral Guardian before.

But we will also have to be open to seeking solace in one another about our doubts- and I will have to remember to seek solace in the living as well if I want to break the cycle of their remaining lineage in life. And that, I admit, is going to be much harder to me.

All in all, though ... I'd say my path towards venerating the proper Ancestors (now that I finally know them correctly after a decade of searching) has been going quite well; I'm very excited for my 'Embracing Grief and Vulnerability' ritual with Dr. Daniel Foor this afternoon, and potentially expanding on what I've learned so far- not to mention my 'Reclaiming Your Slavic Heritage and Magic' class with Vlasta Pilot on Saturday.

Obligatory ping for @graveyarddirt / @msgraveyarddirt for Hagging Out 💜 🥂

[rewritingtrauma]

The Oxford Real Farming Conference 2024 (ORFC24)

I have a sort of love-hate relationship with conferences. On the one hand, I always get swept away by the initial rush of excitement: a gathering of people, coming to exchange knowledge around a field we are all passionate about. On the other hand, for someone like me, the reality of conferences tends to be strange, isolating experiences dominated by academic, white, middle-class, cis people who speak a different language, with different values, and operate in a different world to me. Though I enter them full of excitement and curiosity, I usually leave feeling somewhat untethered, overwhelmed by theory and findings but bereft of community and thirsting for actionable, solutions-based approaches. I was delighted, therefore, when ORFC24 opened with a plenary of 10 speakers, all of them landworkers, from around the world, all of whom were extolling - in their own words and ways - action; solidarity; active hope; and calls for food, land, and sea sovereignty. It was clear from the outset this wasn’t going to be the ‘usual’ kind of conference (an abstract exploration of ideas and record of projects past) but a gathering of an international, multilingual, grassroots movement, rooted in an ethics of care and equality; working directly with the land on fairer systems of food and farming. 

During the opening Plenary, Charlotte Dufour from Conscious Food Systems Alliance (CoFSA) invited us all - speakers, volunteers, and delegates, in Oxford and online - to take a moment to connect with the land, with one another, and to set an intention for the conference mindfully. In a busy programme of 45 sessions, featuring over 150 speakers and a busy stream of projects, opportunities, and conversations inundating social media, this invitation felt like a precious opportunity to gather focus, mitigate overwhelm, and ground ourselves. Sat at my kitchen table, some 330 miles away from Oxford, I set my intention: to seek out and learn from those at the frontlines of the struggle for Land, Food, and Environmental Justice. It didn’t take long for my intentions to be realised… 

In the Thursday lunchtime session Colonised and Coloniser Transforming Relationships through Food and Land Stories Loa Niumeitolu, a displaced Indigenous Tongan, now living and working on Lisjan Ohlone Territory, California and Jessica Milgroom, a descendant of settler families, who grew up on Ojibwe reservation land in Northern Minnesota, held a conversation that aimed to “...break down hierarchies…to ask how we relate… how can we walk forwards together healing the wound of colonisation through food...” (JM). The conversation was one of honouring, compassion and bearing witness. As a white person living in the UK, for me it was also one of humility and unlearning: of coming to understand how our Western food systems are designed, founded and run on the violent displacement of indigenous people; the erasure of indigenous food systems; the severing of indigenous identity and everybody’s connections to the land. In some of her closing remarks Loa Niumeitolu invited the attendees to think differently about our identities and interconnectedness: “The sacred site IS the land… the land is an extension of our bodies… and we are all from indigenous people… we all have great great great grandparents who cared for, and stewarded, and loved the lands that we’re on…”. The session left me thinking about how it is people like myself can find our way back to our indigenous selves, to our ecological identities, and to the essential interbeing with the lands we live on. This conversation, conducted across the divide of coloniser and colonised, offered hope for how stories, conversations, and gatherings may start to unravel the systems of oppression and exploitation that industrial agriculture (aka the food arm of imperialist white supremacist capitalist patriarchy) extends around the world.  

On the Friday morning session Building a Global Peasants Movement: 10 Years of Land Workers’ Alliance (LWA) and 30 Years of La Via Campesina (LVC) we heard from Jyoti Fernandes, Morgan Ody, Chukki Nanjundaswamy, and Paula Gioia themselves all land workers, farmers, peasants and indigenous peoples from around the world working both at the grassroots and international levels to oppose the neoliberal programme of WTO whilst also building international food sovereignty and land justice movements. It was a moving and eye-opening session led by women who - though it was never named - are all doing the vital repair work of rematriation.

Chukki Nanjundaswamy (Executive Chairperson of the Karnataka State Farmers Movement and co-coordinator of the All India Coordination Committee of Farmers Movements) traced the history of La Via Campesina (aka “Our Way” in Spanish) from its origins to the movement today which branches almost 100 countries and hundreds of local and national organizations “...fighting all kinds of imperialist and capitalist forces… for the right to food sovereignty”. She described how LVC is organised from the bottom up, constantly learning and evolving from the experiences of its members and other allies including the decision to ensure men and women were represented equally and at all levels of the movement. “LVC is not just about denouncing what we don’t want but also about building hope…across all sectors of society”. 

Jyoti Fernandes (Campaigns and Policy Coordinator for the Landworkers’ Alliance) described “the family” of LWA, itself a member of LVC, and her reasons for co-founding LWA in the context of the UK where inequality and access to land have been yolked since the time of the enclosures. She explored the organic origins of the movement from pro-nature, anti-GM protests; to creative expressions of hope, solidarity and resistance; a shared belief in rights for natural home building, self and community sufficiency, and a collective realisation that “...there was this huge network of unorganised people… the neo peasantry returning to the land… and smallholder farmers… all facing evictions … and struggling to survive in the face of the neo-liberal paradigm the UK government was pushing onto farming…”. She described, with infectious joy, how LWA now regularly consult with DEFRA who recognise that LWA’s impetus of “Matching food production with biodiversity and looking after the climate…” is in everybody’s interests. 

Paula Gioia (Facilitator of the Smallholder Farmers Constituency in the Civil Society and Indigenous Peoples Mechanism - CSIPM) talked about the intersectional work members of LVC had to undertake to develop a movement of radical change “… to fight against Capitalism and to fight against Patriarchy…this begins with self-reflection: how we reproduce Patriarchy in our daily lives… and this self-reflection begins with space… ” They described the women’s strike at of 1996 in Tlaxcala, Mexico during the 2nd International Conference of LVC in, which challenged the dominance of men, patriarchal ideas and attitudes in the movement whilst demanding; acknowledgement of the role women play in agriculture, farming, and society; 50 - 50 representation of men and women at all levels of LVC; a campaign highlighting and fighting violence against women and; the creation of spaces - now women’s assemblies - necessary for women’s ideas and voices to be supported by, and come forth through the movement.  

Morgan Ody (General Coordinator of La Via Campesina, member of Confédération Paysanne and of the coordinating committee of ECVC) wearing the Palestinian keffiyeh around her shoulders spoke with clarity and passion about LVC's global accomplishments:  

“… it is still illegal to crop GM crops in Europe, we fought for that… In Columbia, LVC is one of the main guarantors of the Peace Agreement… We have been the first to call for food sovereignty and now everybody is calling for food sovereignty…We have been pioneers of peasant feminism and now peasant feminism is growing everywhere…  We have been able to negotiate the UN Declaration on the Rights of Peasants and other people working in rural areas (UNDROP)...”  But Morgan’s talk didn’t end in the past, she spoke about how, in the face of multiple overlapping global crises, LVC offers alternative ways of being, of hope, of solidarity now and going forward “...Peasants…and all who are taking care of Mother Earth are the future...”. 

She expressed grief and horror at the genocide happening in Palestine and the complicity of governments: “This is not acceptable and as La Via Campesina, we stand against this barbary, we stand for human values, we stand for human dignities, of whoever, of women, of non-binary people, of people whatever their religion or the colour of their skin. We are equal and we are equal in dignity...” This was a powerful reminder that land and environmental justice are inextricably intertwined with social justice and that we are all responsible for decolonising ourselves, for calling out and resisting imperial violence and oppression, wherever it happens in the world. But this session also spoke to how we are all responsible, not just for fighting the old, but also for cultivating the new: through solidarity, active hope, compassion, and creativity. As Morgan said in her closing comments “We are all responsible...for building a culture based on human rights and equality, intentionality, solidarity, and cooperation.”  

The session was bookended with calls of “Viva La Via Campesina! Viva!” 

In reflecting on these sessions of ORFC24, I started to think that healing is not the same as forgetting, but equally, it is not about flagellating ourselves or one another with past and current traumas - healing comes when we slow down, take time to sit with the pain and discomfort, to listen, learn,  notice, and accept. This applies to ourselves, to those we have harmed, and to everyone (humans, land and more than humans alike).  What both these sessions taught me is that when we share space and stories, when we listen deeply to one another and bear witness with compassion and empathy, we slowly start to arrive at a new understanding and to do the slow, gentle work of cultivating regenerative cultures based on reciprocity, healing and solidarity. 

What I didn’t expect to happen as a consequence of volunteering at ORFC24 was that I would go away from the conference knowing more about myself…As someone who grew up in the English countryside but with no rights to access (we were a poor/working-class family living on a former miner’s terrace, surrounded by Grouse Moors and a large, tenanted estate) my relationship with the land was schismatic: though I felt a deep connection with the fells, moors, and rivers, I was also - according to the farmers, landowners and agents - an outsider. Worse, I was an illegal trespasser. I was surrounded by land which felt like home, like an extension of myself, only greater, deeper, older, more complex, more loving than I could comprehend. And yet, if caught swimming in the tarn, making dens on the fells, walking on the moors, or trudging through the heather, I would - at the very least - be shouted at and oftentimes, be warned away by the crack of shotgun fire. What ORFC24 and the incredible speakers made me realise is something that has taken me 30 years of unlearning to only start to understand: the necessary return to the land, the rediscovery of land-based life, something that I always yearned for but could never allow myself to imagine is not just a fantasy, it is a right. Listening to speakers on colonized lands, to those displaced by colonization and capitalism, to the LWA and LVC, I started to understand the violent inequality at the heart of our UK land and food systems. These speakers helped me see that I have the right to be on and with the land. Because there is no separation between us. I have always known, since I was a child, that myself and the land are one and the same, it was just educated out of me by our systems of inequality, land ownership and education. What the speakers at ORFC have helped me see is that my healing, and the healing of the land, are not separate but wholly, inextricably intertwined.  

So now, to begin again, with gratitude and humility… The work of reconnecting and healing all our wounds… 

Viva La Via Campesina! 

Viva!

Iris Aspinall Priest, Tyne Valley

10.01.23

Word Count: 1985

[mareenavee]

Hi first time sending in an ask but I always love reading your replies to others! I wanted to ask, How did you get involved with Skywind? It’s such an amazing project!

Hello! Good to hear from you (:

I agree! Skywind is a ton of fun, and a huge labor of love. I've learned a lot from the time I've been on the project, which in the grand scheme of things, hasn't been that long. The people I've worked with and written with have been stellar and supportive, and I'm so lucky to have stumbled into this opportunity!

How did I get involved specifically? Well. I was taking a Javascript class and one of the co-teachers suggested we look for volunteer opportunities to skill-build. I did look through to see what I could find, and saw Skywind. I applied both with some web dev basics (super basic, so that didn't fly lol I still need more practice) and with my writing, because...why not? I love writing. It was before I started my fanfic, and most of what I had on hand for samples were flash fiction and things I'd written for Dungeons & Dragons games.

It took a bit, but eventually a lead contacted me and told me she really enjoyed my written work and had me complete a few tests. One of which was a critique and a discussion of an example quest. Another was to create an example NPC (which was probably my favorite lol) and another was to write example item descriptions. I managed to pass! I was pulled onto the team to write more item descriptions and did for a couple weekends.

Then there was an opportunity to review an old quest and make some changes. I volunteered to edit that and help with proofreading. It kind of morphed into this whole new quest with the help of my amazing cowriters and leads on this particular quest team. Now I'm writing dialogue for a famous NPC and creating written material for enemy journals and thinking through sequence breaks... and most of all learning what it takes to put a quest together with a team for a video game. I'm over the moon, really. Writing is such a lonely sport most of the time, but in games writing, it's all collaborative, all the time.

I know this is just the surface of what I could say about such a project. I'm thrilled to be a part of it, thrilled to have met some wonderful, talented people I hope to stay in contact with moving forward, and absolutely cannot wait until you all get to see how much love has gone into this mod.

Honestly? If you think you might be able to help us out, there's plenty to do. All of it is volunteer based, and the more hands we have with the skills that we need, the better we can be. So if you're curious, here's the page where you can check out how to apply.