#at least i know i can spell elementary

[nadiajustbe]

Underrated HMC moments I've never seen anyone talking about part 2

Howl choosing "H. Jenkins" for the shop's sign wich is the one and only moment in the series he actually uses his legal initials, as "H" can stand for "Howl" and "Howell" in the same time

Lettie being so angry about Prince Justin calling her "a sweet lady" that she said that she would prefer ever Howl over him. Wich is. Telling.

The King assuring that he never pushed Justin off and that everyone who knows them both wouldn't assume that.

Sophie being so RAGED with the whole weedkiller and daffodils situation she wasn't saying A SINGLE FULL WORD for about a page in the least. All of the sounds were like "argh!" and "Sophie gave the wordless glump of range"

The seven-league boots having the funniest description of use ever, as every time someone used it then the effects were simply narrated as "Zip!"

Howl raises the skull and quotes Hamlet directly to it, wich becomes a hundred times funnier when you remember that this Skull is canonically and ironically the only "person" in the room who can understand the reference.

Howl saying "Denmark" in the same sentence. And, again, they're in a fairly tale fantasy word. Sophie has absolutely no clue what to hell is Denmark. For Howl this is the basic knowledge of elementary school level.

Poor Percival being almost KILLED for transforming in the middle of a valley because people thought he's a WEREWOLF.

Poor Percival being STROKED with information of him being made of part of two other people right after experiencing heavy trauma, beheading, physical damages, not really well-planed adopting and moving a house.

Percival describing laying on the shelf and looking at the other parts of himself. What a lovely kids book.

Sophie accidentally making cayenne pepper magical. She would make a great seller-witch career because she doesn't need to know the spell in order to make. She takes random powder. She says it will do the duel fair. It makes the duel fare by making an opponent sneezing uncontrollable (wich is also just a way cayenne pepper affects people lmao)

Sophie's first thoughts after she heard that Howl is leaving the black door knob where it is being "Of course! There's miss. Angorian!'. Sophie, dear, he has a family out there.

Michael, apparently, hiding the money under the same brick Sophie will soon describe in CITA as "the brick where we're hiding money from Howl"

Miss Angorian and Howl acting like the spell in a modern Wales is the most normal thing ever. "That's a spell!!" "Oh yeah of course I suspected that"

“Didn’t know I used to fly up the wing for my university, did you, Mrs. Nose?” “If you were trying to fly, you must have forgotten how,” aka Sophie absolutely not understanding modern world sport terminology

Drunk Howell trying to get through the door MULTIPLE times, bumping on it before "discovering" the door

Calcifer "taking" that huge mention they lived (and almost never visited) in without buying it. It was literally said the owner is just Not Here.

Sophie loosing an acces to her own room. Wich must be really sad.

Witch of the Waste leaning on a swing when literally capturing Howl's family

Additionaly: Howl canonically NOT altering his clothes while rushing to save his family. He was running around in a long-sleeved medieval closes on a welsh playground

Sophie and miss Angorian having a whole fight over the guitar pulling it back and forward while it was making horrible sounds

Sophie literally pushing miss. Angorian off the house using the said guitar

Howl immediatly reacting when someone mentioned that the star Michael tried to catch looks sad.

Scarecrow literally running around with parts of Justin's body on its sticky shoulders for eighty percent of the book's finale

Howl saying he could be "the evil fairy at his own christening" which is probably a reference to the "Sleeping Beaty". Also. rises a question: did Howl HAD a christening. There's a huge chance he actually did.

Ben and Justin just. smiling at each other for enough amount of time for Sophie's narrative to say "If she had paid any attention she would see them". Am I interuppting something???

Lettie hating Howl's courting SO MUCH she asked Percival to bite him several times.

Additionally: Ben apologising to Howl for trying to bite him. That's also probably first time they're interacting

Howl ignoring all of it because sOPHIE HATTER

[wakasaz]

Sinful Affairs

✗♡✗♡ Pairing: Sanzu Haruchiyo x Reader, Ran Haitani x Reader, Rindou Haitani x Reader

✗♡✗♡ Synopsis: You were never part of the plan. Now you're the secret they can't let go.

✗♡✗♡ Warnings: 18+, MDNI, pet names, cheating, age gap, fem!reader, smut, unprotected sex, drugs, talk of pregnancy. I think that's everything

✗♡✗♡ A/N: not proof read, possible spelling errors, I don't know how I feel about this.

Sanzu Haruchiyo

You met Sanzu at the wedding. Your older sister swore they were soulmates and he was the love of her life. You always assumed she ended up pregnant and that's why they rushed the wedding but the baby never came so you started to think maybe she was right—they are soulmates.

At least you thought that till tonight when Sanzu snorted something you don't remember what he said it was off your tits. And you definitely don't think it now that you're pinned between the wall and Sanzu as he thrusts his swollen cock into your cunt telling you how much better you feel than her. “Ain't ever had a pussy this good, babe”

You moan, whining his name “H—H—HARU!” He snickers behind you. “Yeah, princess? Use your words” his hips slamming into yours, the room filled with the sounds of skin meeting skin.

You come undone all over his cock and he finishes shortly after spinning you around and kissing your forehead then giving you his signature grin.

He leaves the party soon after—going back home to be with your sister but not before sending you a text

‘Same time tomorrow babe’

Ran Haitani

“Kids go down at eight, I left money on the counter for pizza, and all emergency numbers are on the fridge” she says walking towards the door. Your neighbor. She's a sweet woman but you never understood how she landed someone like Ran.

“Oh, and my husband is home. He has work to do so he will be in the office all night. You won't even know he's here” with that Ran Haitanis wife leaves, leaving you with the kids for the night.

Everything goes as planned, and the kids go down at eight without a fight just like you were told. You go back to the living room and start cleaning up the mess from the girls playing when you hear a bang. You walk down the hall and it's coming from Rans office. You don't want to bother him but you hear it again and a grunt this time.

You don't even think—swinging the door open you are met with the sight of Ran at his best, pants down, head thrown back showing off his bonten tattoo and him fisting his cock. You stand there shocked about to leave when you hear him whine your name. You gasp and his eyes snap open and he sees you standing there. You're prepared to be told to leave and never be asked to babysit again but instead he smirks—spreading his legs wider “gonna come help me, pretty girl?”

You stand shocked for a moment—you always had a crush on the older man

“C'mere pretty thing”

You don't even hear his wife come back home or her yell through the door that She's going to bed too cock drunk on Rans cock and he bounces you on his lap. “Always knew you’d be a good fuck, pretty”

You whine and moan his name as he tells you he always knew you had a thing for him. “Don't act so surprised, I see the way you look at me. That's why I told my wife you'd be such a good babysitter to our girls”

Rans hand is on your mouth trying to quiet your moans “make a mess for me,pretty girl”

You cum all over his with one final snap of his hips. Ran finished giving you one last kiss and asking if you can babysit again tomorrow while winking at you.

Rindou Haitani

You're a teacher at the local elementary school. It's parent teachers today. You're sitting in your classroom in a pretty little sundress when you see the next parent you'll be meeting with is the Haitanis. It's usually the mother that you deal with so you're surprised when you see a man walk in the room—tattoos—purple hair and probably the most expensive suit you've ever seen.

“This the uh, teacher thing?” He says he's older than you this being your first year teaching.

“Y-yes” he smirks and walks over sitting down in front of your desk telling you his wife usually deals with this but their son's sick today so he came instead.

You talk about his son—his grades and how he is with the other kids. You love his son. He's one of your favorites, always has a smile on his face and is just the sweetest little boy.

Rindou clicks his tongue and his eyes move all over your body “I can see why my son likes you so much” you tilt your head confused “excuse me?”

He chuckles “he, uh, has a little bit of a crush on you and I can see why”

The next thing you know you're bent over your desk—dress thrown up over your hips as Rindou slams into you from behind. “Fuuuck—wish my teachers looked as good as you. Might of actually went to school then”

“R-I-NNN”

“Shhh” he leans down over you, pressing his chest into your back “you want the other parents to hear me fuckin’ you right now? Or do you give all the dads this kind of treatment, hmm?”

You whine as he thrusts into you harder telling you how tight your pussy is. “Haven't had one this good since I was in my early twenties”

You clench around him and hear him groan in your ear “Maybe i should make you a mommy too. You're good with kids and my son has been asking for a sister”

Rindou slams into you one more time—stilling against you as both of you come undone. If it wasn't for the desk you swear your legs would have given out.

You both fix yourself and Rindou goes to leave, throwing a business card on your desk.

“Call me if you offer private lessons, teach” he winks at you over his shoulder as he walks out the door.

Part 2

[16wolke11]

Clumsy - Oscar Piastri

A/N My first one-shot here! Still figuring out the tagging and stuff, but I hope you like it.

Summary: Oscar's girlfriend is extremely clumsy, always managing to get a new bruise or a new cut just a few days apart. One day she falls down the stairs and needs surgery, Oscar drops everything to be with her.

Words: 2139

__________

Being a teacher at an elementary school was always my dream job, and after finishing my master's degree, I am finally able to do what I love; teaching the young ones and laying the first stones on their path to knowledge. Even though it is difficult at times, to manage the fidgeting children who tend to get distracted easily, it's still what I love. Seeing success when another one manages to read a full sentence, solve a math problem, or write a rather difficult word with the correct spelling is priceless.

But being a teacher also means I'm not able to accompany Oscar that often. It's just not ideal to travel over the weekend; landing late on Fridays and having to leave exactly after the race, while also trying to prepare the classes for the upcoming week and maybe even needing to correct work from the previous one. I love summer break because it means I can be with Oscar more often, but in the meantime, we make the best out of the situation. We FaceTime frequently, chat while the other is occupied, and just savour the time we can spend together.

This week is another one when Oscar left for a race, and I have to stay behind. Luckily, I have a short day at school today, allowing me to go before lunch and finish some things. Well, if it weren't for my clumsy self. Oscar always jokes that I get at least five new bruises while he's away, and he's probably right, but I can't do anything about the stumbling, the brushing against door frames, or knocking my little toe into anything. But today, my bad luck took it one step too far, and I slipped on the stairs at school, hitting my elbow on them and feeling a sharp pain shoot down my arm.

I've fallen down these stairs before, but I've never been in so much pain. One of my coworkers found me, and after a quick look at my already bruising elbow, we decided to call an ambulance. Now, hours later, I have a diagnosis and finally some time to tell Oscar what happened. I already have a few texts from him, nothing too worried, just some updates about his day and a question about how mine is going. With a sigh, I call his number, bracing myself to tell him everything while not even being able to fidget with my fingers for distraction.

It doesn't take long before Oscar picks up like he's been waiting in front of his phone just anticipating my call or text. "Hey, Oscar," I greet him and hear some shuffling in the background before a door closes and Oscar speaks up.

"Love, everything okay? Shouldn't you be at work?" he asks, his voice already laced with worry. I close my eyes for a moment. Oscar didn't even know I was supposed to be out of work early today and just assumes I should still be at school teaching or supervising the little gremlins.

"Please don't freak out," I start, and I hear a nervous chuckle in response.

"This is not a great starting point for that request, but I'll try."

He's right, but I don't even know how to phrase what happened easily, so I just start with the simplest explanation I can think of. "Well, I kind of fell down the stairs after finishing my last class."

"Again?" Oscar laughs, and I can't help but smile a little too, though I roll my eyes at the same time, even though Oscar can't see me.

"Hey, I can't do anything about being clumsy," I protest, but I only get another laugh in return. Usually, I would laugh with him, but the light throbbing in my elbow, down to my fingers, stops the light mood I'm in.

"Sorry, but I reckon you don't just call to tell me that," Oscar apologizes softly, and then he gets back to the reason for my call. I take a deep breath, preparing myself for all the questions he's going to have.

"No, I might've smashed my elbow pretty badly, and they brought me to the hospital." I tell him the first facts, and immediately the laughing Oscar is replaced with a worried one.

"That bad?" he asks, and I can almost hear the pain in his voice. As much as he likes to joke about my clumsiness, he also hates it when I get injured, even if it's just a little bruise or a cut.

"Unfortunately, I managed to break it and need surgery to fix the broken pieces back into place. It'll be a long recovery because I was pretty successful in splintering the bone into pieces," I tell him what the doctors explained, just in the simpler version. They explained a lot about how they need to make sure there are no little bone fragments left in the joint and the recovery process I'll have to go through.

"Fuck!" Oscar curses, and I can hear him pacing, probably in his driver's room. I can only imagine the distressed look on his face and how he's probably ruffling his hair while a thousand thoughts swirling through his head. Well, at least he's giving me an insight into what's going on in his mind, because he starts rambling.

"How are you feeling? Are you okay? Do you need anything? I could send Margaret over or someone else if you need anyone by your side right now. Did they say anything about the recovery? Will your arm be able to move normally or will there be any lasting damage?"

"Oscar, stop." I manage to speak up when he takes a deep breath. It's sweet how he's trying to help me from afar, even thinking about sending our elderly neighbour to me, but I need him to calm down.

"Sorry, kind of freaking out right now," he mutters, and I smile just a little bit.

"I could tell." I still remember the first time Oscar rambled that much and how surprised I was by the speed and number of words coming out of his mouth. Usually, he's calm, collected, and limits his words to the necessary ones, but when he's really worried, everything just comes out.

"Don't worry, I don't need anything right now. Just hearing your voice makes everything feel better," I tell him, which is the truth. There's nothing I need right now, except for him, and he just helps me by being here on the phone, even though it's not the same as having him in person.

"That's good," Oscar says, and I can hear that he's stopped pacing, probably calming down a little.

"Is there anything you know about the surgery?" he asks after a short break, now sounding like his calm self again.

"We're currently waiting for a free spot in the OR. It's not urgent, but they'd like to operate before the swelling gets too bad, and luckily, I haven't had lunch yet," I explain what the doctors told me. This isn't an emergency, but waiting too long isn't ideal either, so they're going to squeeze me in as soon as one of the ORs is available.

"I bet you're hungry," Oscar grins, and I can hear it in his voice. I've learned to recognize that tone through the phone—the soft change when his lips are curled upwards.

"Starving," I confirm with a soft laugh. My stomach is already growling, but there's no way to get food until after the surgery. I can wait if it means my elbow will be fixed.

"I promise you your favourite food as soon as I'm with you," Oscar says, and I know he's not lying. He would probably even order food into the hospital for me if that were possible, but they wouldn't bring it to me, so I'll have to wait.

"Looking forward to it. Hopefully, I'll be home by then," I mumble, knowing it will take some days until Oscar will be back home, and who knows, maybe they'll send me home just a few days after the surgery.

"We'll see," are Oscar's last words about my injury before we start talking a bit about his day. I get the feeling he's trying to distract me, and it's working perfectly. At one point, Oscar needs to leave for some duties, and luckily for me, a nice nurse comes in just a few minutes later to inform me that my surgery is starting soon.

The way to the OR and the prepping feels like a blur, and quicker than I thought, I'm with an anaesthesiologist. Drifting into sleep feels like a relief because I know my arm will be fixed. Of course, recovery will take its time, but I'm sure I'll manage it just fine.

Waking up after the surgery almost knocks the air out of my lungs because it feels like my arm is falling off. The nurse helps me take a few sips of water, gives me some painkillers, and then I drift back into sleep, even though I just woke up from a deep slumber.

The night is blurry, waking up from time to time—sometimes from the pain in general, sometimes from the nurses, and sometimes from the pain of a sudden movement. But somehow, I make it through the night and feel slightly better in the morning. Blinking, I try to figure out what time it might be when I spot a familiar figure sitting beside my bed, watching me closely.

"Os?" I ask groggily, not sure if he's really sitting there or if the pain meds are playing tricks on my mind. But just seeing the soft smile on his lips makes me hope that he's really there and not just in my imagination.

"Hi, love," he whispers, fingers reaching for my uninjured hand, softly holding onto it, letting me feel the warmth of his touch.

"What are you doing here?" I ask, slowly realizing that he's indeed here and not with his team for the race weekend.

"Being here for you," he simply states, like it's obvious that it wouldn't even be a question for him if he had to choose where to be right now.

"Your race..." I whisper, knowing how important it is, not only to him but to the fans, the championship, the team, and everyone else involved. I would like to ask him if he's insane, if they made it hard for him to leave, but no words leave my lips.

"You are more important," Oscar states, and my eyes well up. How can he be so perfect?

"Thank you," I try to squeeze his hand a bit, but my grip is pretty weak. Oscar starts letting his thumb brush over the back of my hand, and I relax under his touch. His eyes wander over me before he asks a question.

"How are you feeling? Is the pain manageable?"

My eyes linger on my heavily padded elbow for a moment. Right now, I don't feel anything but a dull pain. But it seems like Oscar's touch makes it disappear with every soft stroke of his finger on my skin.

"You make everything seem better just by being here," I state, my voice laced with tiredness, and Oscar smiles softly.

"So, I guess they gave you some nice painkillers," he grins. I can hear it in his voice, and I can feel my lips pulling into a crooked smile.

"Yes."

We look at each other for a moment, but my eyes are getting heavier and heavier, and I have to fight to keep them open for a few more minutes.

"Can you come in?" I ask Oscar, who looks conflicted at my question.

"I don't know," he says, gesturing to my body, indicating he's scared of hurting me in any way, but I just need him close now for recovery.

"Please."

Oscar sighs softly before standing up. "Okay, anything to make you feel better," he says, gets rid of his shoes, and carefully shuffles into the bed beside me. I need to stay on my back because of my elbow being propped up in some bedding, and he lays on his side beside my good arm, resting his arm over my belly and searching for the contact I need. I rest my head against his chest before a thought comes into my head.

"Did you bring the food?" I ask, remembering what he promised, and even though my mind is hazy, I realize he probably already knew he was coming home early when he promised me the food.

"Yes," Oscar confirms, and I can only hum the following words, close to falling asleep.

"Love you."

"Love you too, my little crash pilot," Oscar whispers, holding me in his arms while I slip into the sleep of recovery.

[orbitsaturn]

"actually?" "yeah, actually."

─ in which you accidentally bump (fall) into someone you might know in an indoor climbing gym

"his arms look really meaty..."

modern au! kinich x reader abt 2.1k words!

final part of part 1 this can be read as a standalone!

your user is sparkling toots in this fic

──────────────────────

"I'M DODGING I'M DODGING!!" you yell over the call, hastily pressing multiple keys and moving your mouse quickly. it's been a while since you played with your friend, almightydragonlord, yes, cheesy username. but still, you enjoyed playing with him as he makes everything easier, really, EVERYTHING easier. he helped you with your builds the first time you met him, albeit much to your refusal (felt insulted when his so-called lizard, 'ajaw' called your characters trash) (it was actually ajaw but you refuse to believe how a lizard can somehow spell out the words l o s e r).

anyways!

the only response you can hear from the other side of the call is loud typing, followed by a brief. "mhm" from the almightydragonlord. he's quiet, the only time he really speaks to you is when he's giving you constructive criticism or the rare times he chuckles when you die during boss fights. which you respond by angrily yelling at him.

"toots, behind you." snapping out of your thinking, you quickly dodge the incoming attack hurled behind your character by the boss you both were fighting. with one more quick setup from the almightydragonlord it was instantly over, the huge numbers brought by his characters becoming more and more like a regular sight for you. welp! at least your daily boss fighting is done for the day.

"dragonlord I'm gonna go now! i'll see you later?"

"mhm, see you"

"as curt as ever i see! bye!!"

and with that, you ended the call. pulling off your headphones and doing your daily routine to hang out with one of your friends later in the day.

───

"hi mualani!" you waved enthusiastically to your friend who was at a distance. she also waved back with the signature smile that she boasts.

as you make your way towards her you feel a sense of suspicion by the seemingly mischievous smile on her face.

"guess what we're doing today!"

"what?"

"rock climbing!" mualani says, clapping her hands together eagerly.

"we're going rock climbing?!" you cried, quickly whipping your head to look over at the outfit you wore today, which was clearly not appropriate for some activity. furthermore, you've never rock-climbed before except for that time in elementary in the local playground.

wait.

you did have some experience in rock climbing. maybe you should just rely on your memories from your elementary school days! but that was years ago.. and your outfit might hinder you from movements that are essential for climbing.

"don't worry. i got some extra clothes in the back of my car." mualani winks upon seeing your worried demeanor "also it's indoors! so we won't be climbing on real rocks! haha!" she pats your back reassuringly.

upon hearing that you breath a sigh of relief. "oh thank goodness" you say dramatically clasping your hands together. you knew you'd actually be fried if it really was real rock climbing. after the brief chat you both share you quickly make your way to her car door, quickly sitting down and buckling up before the car starts.

always. remember. to. buckle. up.

was the mantra you always repeated before getting into a car when you were young. nowadays putting on the seatbelt was just muscle memory for you. whenever you get into a car you put on your seatbelt without thinking. a necessary habit honestly.

the ride was short, it only took a few minutes to arrive at the indoor climbing gym. funny enough you saw a car with the plate "drgnlrd" parked near the gym. who the hell names their license plate like that?! it's also the same name as the username your friend online has.

well, it's probably just a coincidence!

as you both head into the gym with no expectations whatsoever you were instantly baffled by the sheer height of the

fake rock climbing thingy?

you don't know what it's called but you do know you'll be able to conquer it. i mean, you weren't called the ruler of the playground for nothing! you were dubbed "sonic" by your peers back in elementary for climbing super fast on the rock climbing part in the local playground near your house.

it's safe to say you might be the best (worst) one in the room!

as you head your way to the changing rooms in the gym you notice a familiar figure high up on the rock.

"his arms look really meaty..."

"what are you looking at? let's go so we can climb sooner!" a voice from behind you quickly snaps you out of your thoughts.

oh my god. why were you even thinking about how some random dude's muscles look tasty?? get a grip!

as the both of you head inside you remember the time when almightydragonlord sent a video of him skydiving. yes skydiving, falling out of a helicopter type of skydiving. the area he was skydiving at looked really familiar too!

wait.

familiar?

as you retrace back to the video he sent you, the feeling of dread forms in the pit of your stomach.

lush green trees, tall hilltops, and the distinctive sight of saurians.

lush green trees...

tall hilltops.

SAURIANS?!

NATIVE TO NATLAN SAURIANS?!

HE LIVES IN NATLAN?!?

BUT YOU LIVE IN NATLAN TOO??

ugh! you even shouldn't be thinking about him when your supposed to be conquering the climbing wall soon!

"ugh.. let's not think about this today..." you grumble, quickly putting on the clothes mualani handed you earlier. as you make your way outside the room mualani is already there waiting for you,

"hi!! ready partner?" she smirks at you, dragging you to the rock wall (which looks even more intimidating close up) that you have to conquer.

gulp.

NO!! you can do this. you weren't called the ruler of the playground for nothing. you can conquer this. maybe think of it as a necessary level to beat! plus you have a harness attached to you right now! so you won't wall to your death if you fall. and! if the harness fails you know who to sue to get money.

with one more final nervous gulp, you start conquering (climbing) the wall. when you look up you already see mualani way ahead of you. oh dear, looks like you have a time limit to this level.

"wait!!" you cried, starting to climb the wall, with ease actually, this was way easier than you thought!

"heh. I might actually be the ruler of the climbing gym now!" as you smirk to yourself you notice some weird white powder on mualani's hands? "mualani, what's that stuff on your hands?" you yell out above, "oh! this is climbing chalk, it helps strengthen the grip of your hands if they usually sweat." she yells back.

sweat

sweat

sweat

you know that feeling when you're suddenly aware of how your hands produce sweat and it sweats right after? yeah, it's sweating right now when you realize your hands have the function to sweat.

"oh uh! that's fun" you reply nervously, the word 'sweat echoing throughout your head, the feeling of your sudoriferous (sweat) glands activating within your hands right now, it isn't mandatory to lather that white stuff when you're climbing, so it should be fine...

right?

yeah no, it's not fine you can feel your hands sweating right now, loosening your grip, BUT,

it's not mandatory to lather that stuff so...

"hellloooo!! up from above! hurry up!" mualani's voice snaps you out of your thoughts once again as you look up in response, "we're almost to the top y'know!" she yells making you realize that you were really high up.

and that makes you sweat even more.

but you prevail! you grab onto the next wall hold, and the next, but the feeling of your grip getting weaker every second was not concerning at all! (lie) but you were almost there! you're about to beat mualani and claim the title of the ruler of the climbing gym!

"watch i'm going to win," you say confidently, but in that moment your grip was already weak, weak enough to make your hand slip.

the last thing you see is mualani's shocked expression, followed by one of relief and confusion..?

...

..

.

a hand quickly snakes around your waist, making sure you don't fall to your inevitable doom.

"you good?"

a familiar voice brushes against your ear, your stomach dropping. a foreign feeling of heat rushing to your face due to embarrassment.

as you look at the person who saved you, you are instantly dumbified.

a beautiful mixture of green and orange meets your eyes, with long, thick, dark lashes that compliment the brightness of his orbs, creating a stark contrast that makes it difficult to look away.

wait.

beautiful amber green eyes with dark fluffy hair.

no way.

is he..?

"almightydragonlord?" you say breathlessly, staring at his face shamelessly.

"oh?" his arm unconsciously tightens around your waist, a look of surprise painting his face with the utterance of his online username. in a few seconds his face begins light up as he realizes your identity, "sparklingtoots?" a subconscious smile making it's way to his features, which in turn causes you to gawk even more at him.

oh dear. that smile is deadly.

"t-thank you?" you say confused, blinded by his smile. gosh, he was cuter in person, instead of falling to your death maybe you'll die by the brightness of that smile instead.

wait.

shouldn't you be falling right now?

you slowly look down at your waist.

a hand.

his hand.

the hand you complimented earlier without realizing it was him.

snaked around your waist to prevent you from falling, the proximity between you two was worse, your left side touching his right, his fingers gripping your waist tightly to secure you onto him, the feeling of his forearm around your stomach firm.

oh archons, he's built too?

"u-um, aren't you tired?! shouldn't you let go?! uh! I have a harness don't worry! and I must be heavy!" you say nervously, the close proximity between you two was not helping your conversational skills whatsoever!

"oh sorry, it was on instinct, I'll let go if you want to" he slowly releases his hold on you, careful to not make you drop unexpectedly.

wait, wait, wait, wait.

you're still really high up! you might actually faint if you start free-falling!

you instantly grab his hand, positioning it back on your waist again. "wait! actually please keep holding on, i think it'll be terrifying once i start swinging down." you look up at him, eyes that basically read, 'please don't drop me or else I might actually pass out.'

"you think i'd drop you without any warnings?" he looks at you confused, his hand keeping a firm grip on you once again to prevent you from falling. "i mean... you're carrying a full-grown person right now, so you might claim that you won't drop me on purpose but i don't know if your hand is gonna agree!" you say worriedly in response.

"don't worry i'm strong." he replies, trying to reassure your worries "do you see my pocket? there's some climbing chalk in it, use your hand to get some."

"uh, which pocket?! the front or back?"

"any."

you hesitantly reach into the front pocket of his pants, grabbing a handful of chalk which you quickly lather all over your hands. "now use one of your hands to grab onto one of the holds closest to you" he instructs, which you quickly follow. as you grab onto a yellow hold and then grab onto another one until you are free from his hold, you realize just how much your grip has improved, that you should've just slathered on some climbing chalk before you started climbing to prevent this whole fiasco from happening...

"thank you! um, almigh-"

"kinich."

"oh! thank you the almighty dragon lord kinich!" you tease. in response, he lets out a brief chuckle that you've always heard on the calls you had together.

"i didn't know you lived in natlan!" you exclaim, slowly making your way down the wall. "i thought you knew?" he replies confused, keeping watch of you to make sure he'll catch you before you fall again. "shhh.. i know you sent me that skydiving video months ago but i just realized until today! also, do you do that stuff often..? i mean... you had no hesitation jumping off the helicopter!" you ask him in curiosity, it's strange! most people would hesitate for a bit before jumping off! but this dude didn't even look worried at all!

"oh yeah, i do a lot of stuff like that, like bungee jumping, mountain climbing, sky di-"

"HUH?!" you look at him in disbelief. is he one of those adrenaline junkies?!

"i know most people are shocked, but I find extreme sports enjoyable." he says, looking at you with a gentle smile.

oh dear, you don't think you'll get used to that smile anytime soon.

as you both make your way down, you learn more about the almightydra- kinich, how his lizard ajaw was really the one who made the nasty comments about your characters (which you still don't believe), and how many extreme sports he does, which was a lot. and mualani also descended down quickly to make sure you were okay! as you near the start of the climbing wall you swear you're gonna kiss the ground once you make it back down.

"oh my archons." you collapse on the floor, heaving a sigh of relief, at least you know now to make sure you have emergency climbing chalk in your pockets... you really should invest in some if you're planning to climb more in the future...

as you are laying down on the strangely comforting gym floor you feel a cold object against your forehead. "are you free after this?" a voice above you says as you look up to see kinich leaning over you, water bottle in hand, pressing it against you. just as you were about to respond you were quickly cut off by another voice above you. "yeah she's free!" mualani chirps above you, giving a thumbs up to kinich which she then looks down to wink at you. "I'll be going now. make sure to tell me everything after," who then looks down to whisper at you, giving you a mischievous grin before walking away.

kinich then drops down beside you, turning his head to face you.

"lunch with me today?" he asks, which in turn you grin, "are you asking out on a date? the almighty dragon lord kinich! asking me out on a date! can you believe it?!" you tease,

"and what if i was?" he responds, his amber-green eyes meeting with yours.

"h-huh? actually?" you say surprised, taken aback by his forwardness. you knew he was curt but you didn't expect it to translate over to real life! "yeah, actually." he stands up, offering his hand to you. you grab his hand as he helps you stand up before facing him.

"also, don't worry, i don't do extreme sports with my car." he flashes you a grin.

──────────────────────

A/N!! OH MY GOSH HELLO EVERYONE. thank u all for the support from part 1, I hope you guys liked this one as much as the previous one!! I tried really hard to not make kinich ooc... (I hope I didn't..) I looked up his lore and stuff and found out he liked doing extreme sports! and the skydiving from the previous one I wrote was pretty unexpected BUT!! akshually (nerd emoji) "As a core member of the Scions of the Canopy tribe, Kinich is fond of extreme sports, and is said by his companion K'uhul Ajaw to have plunged headfirst off a cliff and lived to see it (LIKE!! THATS BASICALLY SKY DIVING!!)" quote the genshin wiki!! anyways I hope you enjoyed reading this.HAVE A GOOD DAY OR NIGHT!!

[geotjwrs]

Hi mate. Can you please do a Jenna Ortega x Male Reader

Both of them have always had a enemies relationship since they were little kids, they always competed against each other. But couple of years later when they both are 21, they get casted together in the Wednesday show and Emma and Georgie see that they won’t get along so they trap them into a room for the whole day making both of them resolve and admit that they love each other. And you can finish the story with a couple years in the future where they get married. You can pick 🫡

behind our shadows

Pairings ; Jenna Ortega x Male!Reader

Warning/s ; none

From the moment Y/N and Jenna met in elementary school, they were rivals. Whether it was competing for the top spot in spelling bees, racing each other during recess, or even vying for the best grades, the two seemed destined to clash. Their competitive streaks continued through middle school and high school, where they joined opposing teams in every club or activity they were a part of.

Now, at 21, Y/N and Jenna were both rising stars in the acting world. Their paths crossed once again when they were cast together in the highly anticipated "Wednesday" show, with Jenna reprising her role as Wednesday Addams and Y/N playing a new character introduced to shake things up.

The first few days on set were rough. Jenna and Y/N's old rivalry resurfaced quickly, creating an awkward atmosphere for everyone around them. Emma and Georgie, who played Enid and Ajax respectively, could sense the tension and knew something had to be done.

"Those two are impossible," Emma whispered to Georgie during a break. "They're going to ruin the show with their constant bickering."

Georgie nodded. "We need to do something to make them see eye to eye. But what?"

Emma's eyes sparkled with mischief. "I have an idea. But it's a little drastic."

The next day, during lunch, Emma and Georgie lured Jenna and Y/N into one of the unused rooms on set under the pretense of a meeting. As soon as they were inside, Emma and Georgie shut the door and locked it from the outside.

"Hey! What are you doing?" Jenna banged on the door.

"Yeah, let us out!" Y/N added, equally frustrated.

Emma's voice came through the door. "Not until you two sort out whatever is going on between you. We're not letting you out until you can at least be civil."

Georgie chimed in, "We have plenty of snacks and drinks out here, so take your time!"

At first, Jenna and Y/N sat in silence, glaring at each other. Minutes felt like hours as the tension grew.

"This is ridiculous," Jenna finally said, crossing her arms. "Why do we always end up like this?"

Y/N sighed. "Because you're always trying to one-up me. Ever since we were kids."

"Me? You're the one who always has to be the best at everything," Jenna retorted.

"You're just mad because I actually am the best," Y/N shot back, smirking.

"Oh, please," Jenna rolled her eyes. "You wouldn't know best if it hit you in the face."

"Is that so? At least I don't have to resort to dirty tricks to get ahead," Y/N snapped.

Jenna glared at him. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"You know exactly what I mean," Y/N replied, leaning forward. "Remember the science fair in eighth grade?"

"You mean the one I won fair and square?" Jenna crossed her arms defensively.

"Fair and square? You sabotaged my project!" Y/N exclaimed.

Jenna gasped. "I did not! You're just mad because you couldn't handle a little competition."

Y/N shook his head. "You've always been impossible."

"And you've always been infuriating," Jenna retorted.

As they continued to argue, rehashing old grievances and misunderstandings from their childhood, they started to realize how much they had in common.

"Remember the time we both got detention for fighting over who got to lead the science project?" Y/N chuckled, breaking the ice a bit.

Jenna smiled for the first time. "Yeah, we were so stubborn. I think the teacher just gave up on us."

Slowly, the conversation shifted from arguments to shared memories and laughter. They talked about their dreams, their struggles, and how much they had changed over the years.

"I never hated you, you know," Jenna admitted quietly. "I just... always felt like I had to prove myself to you."

Y/N looked at her, surprised. "I felt the same way. I guess we were more alike than we thought."

As the hours passed, something changed between them. The rivalry melted away, replaced by a deep understanding and connection. Jenna looked at Y/N, her heart pounding.

"I think... I think I might actually like you," she confessed.

Y/N's eyes widened. "You know, I've been feeling the same way. I guess we were too busy competing to see what was right in front of us."

They sat in silence for a moment, letting the weight of their words sink in. Then, slowly, Y/N reached out and took Jenna's hand.

Emma and Georgie finally opened the door, peeking inside to see the two sitting close together, holding hands and talking softly.

"Looks like our plan worked," Emma whispered to Georgie.

Over the next few months, Jenna and Y/N's relationship blossomed. They worked together seamlessly on set, their chemistry undeniable. The cast and crew noticed the change, and the show's production ran smoother than ever.

Two years later, Jenna and Y/N stood in front of their family and friends, exchanging vows. The rivalry that had defined their childhood was now a distant memory, replaced by a deep, abiding love.

"I can't believe we started as enemies," Y/N said, smiling at Jenna as he slipped a ring onto her finger.

Jenna grinned back. "It's funny how life works out. I wouldn't change a thing."

As they shared their first kiss as a married couple, the crowd erupted into cheers. Emma and Georgie, standing off to the side, high-fived each other.

"We did good," Emma said, beaming.

"Yeah, we did," Georgie agreed.

Years passed, and Jenna and Y/N's love only grew stronger. They continued to work in the entertainment industry, often collaborating on projects and supporting each other's careers. They built a life filled with love, laughter, and the occasional playful competition, just to keep things interesting.

Their journey from rivals to lovers was an unexpected one, but it proved that sometimes, the person you least expect can turn out to be the love of your life.

As they sat together on their porch, looking out at the sunset, Jenna leaned her head on Y/N's shoulder.

"Do you ever miss those days when we were constantly trying to outdo each other?" she asked with a smile.

Y/N chuckled. "Not really. I like this version of us much better."

Jenna nodded in agreement. "Me too."

And with that, they watched the sun dip below the horizon, content in the knowledge that they had found their way to each other, despite all the odds.

[andhumanslovedstories]

Hi Sarah (or Sara? I remember you discussing the h but don't remember which way it's spelled). I hope you're doing well on your break and enjoying September. I have a question - how much schooling did you have to do to become a nurse? I'm considering becoming an elementary school teacher in Norway, which would require me to go back to school for 5 (additional) years. Seems like a long fucking time and i didnt do great the first run tbh. It would be free though. Investment in the future seems like it could pay off, so i guess im looking for inspiration from other ppl who have perhaps made a similar plunge

Hi, anon! I wish I could give you some straight up inspo. Instead, I navel-gazed for a while. Schooling-wise, I already had a (completely unrelated) bachelor's degree so I was able to do an accelerated nursing program after two semesters of community college doing the prereqs. I did struggle in nursing school. College has always been brutal on my mental health and nursing is a hard pivot from my original degree (double major history and english w a concentration in creative writing) (you cannot imagine how many books I read and essays I wrote). It took a little over two years in total.

You don't have to don't have to worry about student debt which is so so wonderful. I didn't have to either, and that's let me be way more adventurous with my life choices. The cost of your education would just ("just") be your time, energy, and the potential money that you could earn by focusing on work instead. I had to stick around in my hometown instead of going traveling with Cyrus. I worked a lot fewer hours than I would if I'd not been in school. I had to miss the live airing of the Jesus Christ Superstar on NBC in order to study for an anatomy test which was genuinely so distressing to me. 2018 was a hell of a year for me. (I aced that test btw. It was such an improvement over my previous test my teacher emailed me a congratulations note with twelve exclamation points.)

All of this while people were constantly talking about how shitty it is to be a nurse and how so many of them leave the field within six months. (Similar to teaching in that way, at least in America.) I was doing work I didn't enjoy for a job I might not stick with. There were a lot of times I resented nursing school for interfering with my life.

I'm still very glad I did it. My degree gave me a lot. On the very practical side, my degree has given me more financial freedom and a much higher earning potential. On the idealistic level, my degree has enabled me to do work that I find meaningful. The work touches a lot of things that I find interesting. My nursing degree has benefited my life, regardless of if I stay in nursing for the rest of my career or move on to something new. I didn't like getting my degree, but I don't regret that I got it.

Maybe it'll go way easier for you, maybe it won't be worth it. When I thought about becoming a nurse, it felt like my life plan clicked into place because it ticked every single need I had for a job. I didn't know if it would work out, but the rewards outweighed the risks. More than that, it was the first plan I had for my future that made me excited. I liked the life I pictured if I was a nurse. I've found that excitement to be rare and precious. If teaching gives you that, I'd strongly consider pursuing it.

Besides, you can always use my last-line defense against school despair: being like "fuck it I'm gonna drop out after this semester" and then keep not doing that. You can bail on stuff! It's rad.

[eaglet-if]

Орлёнок Demo Release

Finally, the demo is here! It's not exactly January anymore, but better late than never, right?

You can play it right here!

I also made a post on the CoG forums, if you want to check it out: Link

Features include:

Meeting your family! And getting bullied.

Getting executed!

Rising from the dead!

Celebrating life by slaughtering some rebels!

(Being extremely miserable!)

Feedback:

This is, quite obviously, a work in progress. It is made available so that you, the reader, can give feedback that improves the game.

So, while you can - and should - obviously tell me whatever you want, a specific list of what I need most in terms of feedback can be found here:

Language. English is not my first language (actually, not even my second one), and I mostly read non-fiction academic works when I read in English, so my writing is certainly not at the level it should be. If you have any concrete issues, please tell me, and I'll try to learn how it can be improved.

Spelling. I don't expect much in the way of outright errors, but I do know that I mix up British and American English all the time. The intended style is American English, so please point out spellings that are wrong in that regard.

Inconsistencies. There are a lot of variations between scenes, and I'd like to make the story as immersive as possible; so, if a phrasing, a character's behaviour etc. feel like they don't fit into the choices you previously made, please tell me. In detail, if possible, otherwise I won't be able to amend it.

Sensory descriptions. AuDHD makes my brain process sensations, including visual impressions, very differently, which means I often end up forgetting those exist. Please tell me about scenes that lack description in that regard. (My first grade elementary school report card called my writing 'efficient and devoid of feelings', and I'd very much like to move past that.)

Technical problems. The code should be pretty solid, but with how complicated it is, it'd be weird if there weren't at least some problems. If you find them, please try to include as much detail as possible when telling me about it. (CS Quicktest and Randomtest are not usable due to the complexity of the code, lol.)

You liking the story. I remain thoroughly convinced that I am a worthless person who isn't able to, nor deserves to create anything, and currently my only motivation to continue this project is derived from pure stubbornness. So, if you, for some reason, actually like this demo, please tell me. It won't change my mind about how bad I think it is, but it will force me to continue in order to avoid being even more of a disappointment.

Additions. If I like your idea, I'll probably add it right away; if I'm unsure, I'll do a poll. You can get me to do almost anything if you say you're sad if I don't do it.

Formatting. Although I try to playtest as much as possible, it's not that easy with how many variations there are, and in VS Code it's sometimes hard to see how well or badly readable text passages actually are.

CWs/TWs (v0.0.1):

Graphic violence and gore

Attempted sexual assault (against the player, avoidable, f!MC only; also against an NPC if massacre route is chosen (is dealt with quickly))

Suicide attempt (by the player, avoidable; f!MC only)

Loss of loved ones

Massacre of civilians and/or PoWs (avoidable)

General misery

(please let me know if you think this needs additions)

As of yet unfinished content:

Autistic variations do not exist yet for the latter part of the demo

Only one of three locations for taking a walk available for now

Tooltips are incomplete

Asexual is not available yet, as it requires a lot of additional scene variation text

Special (psychopath) routes are missing from some scenes as they were added late in development

Choices that are locked and marked as (WIP) are unfinished

Interaction routes for Semyon/Selena, Mikhail/Marina and Leon/Leah. They are top priority for the first set of updates

It is recommended that you play this with a stable state of mind. If you choose the suffering paths because it's relatable and/or as a coping strategy, please make sure you have support available and avoid triggering yourself too much.

The whole point of this game (apart from the dress-up part) is that, no matter how bad things get, you shouldn't stop fighting. It's your enemies who deserve destruction, not you.

Please keep in mind that I am both literally insane and pretty reasonable, so: if there is anything you find grossly offensive, don't assume I meant anything bad by it. Just explain to me why you think it shouldn't exist, and if I am convinced, I will amend it.

[liminal-therianthropy]

hi!! ^_^ I see that you’re a wolf therian and I’m curious if u have any advice for those that are questioning if they are a wolf or a different wild canine? If u want to share, how did you discover it yourself? personally, I’ve always pretended to be a wolf as a child. I’ve always loved them. I’ve been identifying as a wolf therian for a while. but in a way it doesn’t feel completely right. I’m definitely a dog, but I wonder if I’m still another wild canid. The only other canids that could potentially fit are coyotes and maned wolves. but I keep feeling wolfy and imagining my body as such. I think it’s bc of how exposed and interested in wolves I’ve been lately. I’m unsure of how to shake it. bc I want to experiment with labeling myself as a different canid. when I think about it my traits are more similar to those two instead of wolves. I kinda don’t want to be a wolf. but I don’t have the same connection to them…. Yet. do you have any tips on figuring out which fit beyond research? how do I know what feels right? how do I know when my identity is genuine or if it just bc I want to be something?

Hello hello anon! Good question!!! This might be a tad rambly as im not the best at coming up with summaries or words. Sorry if this goes in circles or doesnt make sense! I'll try to go in a straight line as much as possible. Plus i will make spelling mistakes sorry for that in advance as well! How i found out about theriananthropy was literally i was scrolling on tiktok and found out about that it existed at all and was supportive. I knew about otherkin through my friend {who is dragon kin among other kins}, and i thought nothing of it. I had never looked inward to strongly with myself but i knew that being called human wasnt right in the slightest. Then it happened. My first shift. Well at least my first wolf shift. My first ever shift was that of a rat, but that is a story for another time. My first ever wolf shift is hard to remember due to some memory problems but i remember going straight to my friend about it, freaking out. I thought it was only a one time thing, the shifts. But they kept happening. I wasnt sure what it was and i wanted my friend to help me essentially. I am very close to him as ive know him from elementary school and we told each other EVERYTHING. He then {calmly} explained to me what i was experiencing. And we went on an internet scavenger hunt of sorts. Looking at definitions, comparing them to what i was experiencing, and coming to a hard conclusion. I remember feeling semi lost and in denial for about a week. But i remember having a wolf phantom shift. I knew it was wolf as thats how i mentally addressed myself at that time. I felt ears and a tail. I walked on my toes sometimes as that felt natural. At work. Which was very awkward. When i came to the conclusion i was a wolf, it was more of a gut feeling. I didnt want to be a wolf at the time! I wanted to be a hyena or something else i currently can not remember. But not a wolf!!! My friend told me to go with my gut. See what felt right. Look at images of that animal and compare to how i saw myself in that moment. And thats what i did. I did some research into red wolves specifically as thats what felt correct. And it hit me right across the face! I am a red wolf. It made sense, i pretended to be a werewolf for example as a child, i wore a {fake} tail to highschool as i felt like i had a tail. And i came to accept it. Thats just my wolf experience though, my other theriotypes and kin types each had a different experience but i dont think ya wanna be here all day for that lmao. My advice is to go with yer gut! While research does wonders, you know you better then prob more creatures. What /does/ feel correct? If you have shifts of any kind, what are they? How do you mentally address yerself species wise? When you look inward, what do you see staring back at you? I hope this answered yer question! I love rambling so thank you for asking this!! ^^ {I was wanting to wait till my poll had more answers but i really wanted to answer this ^^;}

[zorilleerrant]

Acting Irregular

@flashfictionfridayofficial Happy 300 Prompts!

It’s easy to sneak out. I should feel bad about that, I think, but David is sleeping so soundly when my socks hit the floor that I can’t help but be jealous of him, instead, and that helps a little too much. But he doesn’t sneak out when I nudge the curtain aside, and he doesn’t wake up when I pull on my clothes, and he doesn’t wake up when I steal his keys from the convenient little dish he keeps on the counter.

Then I’m free. Free to wander where I will. Free to murder anyone I want. Free to meet up with whatever accomplices I might have and plan out all of my atrocities and taking over the world, or whatever.

Free to investigate a murder.

I don’t know. I guess I can’t really blame David for not wanting to get involved. Would I even be getting involved if I didn’t have my suspicions about the killer? The mystery buff in me wants to answer yes, but I think it might be an idiot.

To be fair, most mystery protagonists have to have little idiocy to them. It keeps the plots from getting stagnant. Every mystery needs a few bad decisions, poorly thought through adventures and ill advised places to visit. Places a little too close to the monitoring spells, with people watching who might recognize me. Jumping in without thinking through what happens next, such as. Who the fuck I even talk to.

I don’t exactly have a passel of orphans I can buy off with drugs, so I have to go with the next best thing. Actually, I don’t think sitting at the fountain in the town square waiting to see if random undergrads know anything probably is the next best thing, but I don’t have any other ideas. It wasn’t in the news yesterday, so I don’t even have a name to work with. It could be worse.

I really shouldn’t be spending my time trying to think of how it could be worse.

A random approaching college students in the middle of the night asking ominous questions gets about as much traction as I probably should’ve expected. Maybe I should’ve dressed more like a professor. Maybe that would’ve been creepier. I’m losing my mind. I have no idea what I’m even trying to find out by refusing to let it lie.

“Did you ever consider students might not have the most information?” a stranger asks me. She’s sitting by one of the tables, feet kicked up on a spare chair, watching me. I stay seated on the fountain. I don’t think that’s an invitation.

“At this point, I’m pretty sure I’ve considered all options,” I tell her. She looks like Auntie Ryan, somehow, not in her face or her clothes, but the way she sits. The expression she’s making at me. “There just aren’t any good ones.”

“Yeah? You investigate the crime scene?” she asks me, eyebrow raised in challenge. And who even knows if she has real information?

“I got as much from that as I’m going to,” I don’t quite lie. Shouldn’t set anything off if she can read that sort of thing, and who knows. The sort of person who’s accosting strangers in the middle of the night obviously has something wrong with them.

“Yeah?” she asks, getting up to sit at the fountain with me. “What’d you get?”

There’s no question in my mind it’s one of the aforementioned idiot moves to share information with a stranger. At least I can be sure she’s not the killer, not directly – and I can’t imagine anyone hired someone, not for an undergrad – not with the complete lack of necromantic energy clinging to her. She has the tiniest bit of fire magic hanging around, a smidge of the mind arts, but nothing overtly threatening.

She makes the same assessment of me. I do wonder, not being a necromancer, which of my talents come to the forefront for her. Everything’s been low level spells. Domestic magic. Ironically, I probably look like an elementary school teacher.

“Necromancy,” I say, to head off the assumptions about my life before they veer too far in the wrong direction. “The killer used a necromantic spell.”

“Shit,” she says, raising her eyebrows, and then nods slowly. “You think someone had it out for the kid?”

“I don’t know,” I snap, with a roll of my eyes. Like I’d be out here interviewing drunk kids if I had any definitive proof one way or the other.

“Hey, I’m just saying,” she says, holding her hands up and waving off my reaction, “kid was kind of an asshole, but a good tipper. I didn’t want him dead. Not that, you know, normal people mostly want any kids dead, but you know what I mean.”

“I know what you mean,” I agree, wondering if this is her trying to agree to be interviewed. How many questions I can get into this before she decides the conversation is over. If she’s going to be offended if I ask who the fuck she is.

She stares at me.

This isn’t going well.

“I’m Branwen,” she says, holding out her hand, and I shake it, reflexively, matching her grip. “I work the coffee cart by the dorms.”

“Right,” I say, and clear my throat, trying to figure out if she looks familiar, or if I’m dooming her to some horrible fate, and that’s why I don’t recognize her. Or maybe she wins the lottery! Who gives a fuck. “Do you know a name?”

“Oh, I have no idea,” Branwen says, shrugging apologetically. “I always just called him Flat White Extra Foam. That kid loved him some cappuccinos, and not much else to do but talk to kids when business is slow. He was working on some big project. Earth-shaking, he said. There’s not many students that stay over summer term, especially freshman, so I noticed when they dragged a body away.”

“Why are you telling me this?” I ask her, narrowing my eyes involuntarily.

“Same reason as you, probably,” she says, with a shrug, handing over a business card. It has a little coffee cup on it. “I want to solve a murder. Who doesn’t? So when I find some idiot amateur detective, of course I try to join his team.”

“Its,” I say, distractedly, mesmerized by the steam coming off the logo. It’s actually animated, just a quick one, but very streamlined in design.

“What?” she says, giving me a confused look, and it takes me a minute to remember where and when I am, and to hold in a sigh.

“I call myself it, and not he, because I’m not a man. I don’t really have a gender,” I explain slowly. She purses her lips, and then nods, without me having to bring up terminology like trans or nonbinary or agender or anything else I’d have to define.

“Alright,” she says. Then, brightly, she adds, “actually, I think a gender’s a lot less useful than a private investigator’s license, and I’m damn sure you don’t have one of those. I don’t either! A license, I mean. I have a gender.”

“Yeah,” I agree. She’s got to be a local. No one who moves here ever talks that fast. “You really want to help me solve a murder?”

“Just promise me you didn’t do it,” she says, mock glaring at me.

I hesitate. Just a second too long. I blame the fact that it’s the middle of the fucking night, and I’ve momentarily turned into a video game protagonist.

“Oh, never mind, that’s even jucier,” Branwen says, with a decisive nod, patting my hands where they sit in my lap. “I’ll join your team anyway.”

“I don’t have a team,” I say, patting her hand back.

“Well, that’s a problem, because I have no idea how you figure you’re going to solve a murder all by your lonesome. Especially when you don’t have any of the inside information, like some people.” She raises an eyebrow, and, when I don’t react fast enough, points to herself to be sure I get the point.

“I didn’t murder anyone,” I tell her, point blank, just in case she gets any of the wrong ideas. I feel like logic might not be most of what drives her. Not to judge someone I’ve just met. In the middle of the night. Trying to invent a detective agency.

“Then that’s a delightful little mystery I look forward to solving myself as we get a little further in this investigation,” she says, leaning in intently, like if she looks into my eyes she can figure me out. Given the fact that she dabbles in the mind arts, I’m worried about what she’s going to see in there. “I think it’s one of the professors.”

“With. With evidence?” I ask. Great. Now I sound like a video game character. I wonder which of us is running the tutorial level and which one is playing it.

“No, but it’s more interesting than if it’s another student, isn’t it?” she asks me, making an expansive gesture. She might be plotting a TV show as we speak. “I figure probably he hit on someone else’s girlfriend or what have you, but I never really saw him with anyone except his annoying robotics team, so, you know. Could be a teacher!”

Right. It could be, I guess. It has to be someone. Faculty, staff, students, visitors – it’s not like we have any shortage of potential suspects. And, if it’s true that the victim was kind of a douche, we’re probably going to have trouble shortening that list much.

Also, given the nature of it being the middle of the night, I’m halfway convinced I entirely imagined that encounter. I look up to make sure Branwen is real, and she’s already gone. I reach out for the imprint of magic that another mage should leave before remembering that she isn’t one, and probably doesn’t ever cast magic enough to trail it behind her just to reassure me.

Sneaking back in is even easier than sneaking out. I type in the code, and walk up the stairs, and turn the key in the lock, and then have no idea what to do with any of the information that I have. I spin the keys in their little blue dish, letting the jingle soothe me. It doesn’t.

I can hang up my coat, and take off my shoes, and go back to sleep. I can make myself something to eat, or some coffee, and sit at the table. I can take a bath, if I want, probably. I can’t, no matter how hard I try, solve a murder mystery on my own. That much is painfully obvious, at least.

I take the business card and tuck it under my pillow, the only place David isn’t likely to happen across it, at least until I get a new phone. He’s still sleeping soundly. He hasn’t even rolled over, just nuzzled farther into the pillow.

[tokiro07]

Toki Reads Shonen Jump 2025, Issue #19: Mismatch Week

One Piece: While Luffy attempts to nurse Loki back to health and only makes things worse, Loki compares Luffy's admiration of Shanks to his own admiration of a certain pirate he was too young to journey with as a child; Jinbe manages to put out the fires and remove one of the threats to the children, but in doing so gains Gunko's attention. / The fact that at any time, any two characters can be revealed to have a connection is one of my favorite things about One Piece, as it makes the world feel that much more real; the fact that Loki saw something admirable in Xebec also suggests that he's not a purely malevolent figure as has been hinted thus far, but it's One Piece, so that doesn't really come as a surprise

Roboco: On a camping trip, the group gets up to one of their classic food competitions, and Bondo endorses smoking; upon retiring to their cabins, the group finds that Second Year has been murdered??? / Good This certainly won't stick, this guy seems to get killed every time he shows up

Sakamoto: With killing now easily accessible and decriminalized, the moral barrier quickly erodes as the less scrupulous kill for petty reasons and the more righteous kill in retaliation, resulting in a cascade of murder and the deaths of over 300,000 Japanese citizens; Seba and the JCC team dissect the guns that have been distributed and formulate a way to stop the killing by force-locking them even before the bullets are fired. / While there's no way of knowing if human morality is truly so easily shattered in such a situation, it certainly feels logical and makes for a compelling scenario; that said, 300,000 shots were fired, but that doesn't mean every single one successfully killed its target, though elaborating on that would kind of take the impact away from the scene

EluSam: Regretfully, Tokiyuki takes Fubuki's head so as to reduce enemy morale, and soon after meets up with reinforcements; meanwhile, Takauji finds much more trouble facing his brother than he anticipated. / I feel like I should recognize Tokiyuki's allies, but alas, I do not; outside of the first scene, this chapter really didn't resonate with me, but that's probably just because I'm not invested in war stories

Witch Watch: Morihito is asked to play the role of a mascot that gets hit by a truck in a traffic safety skit, but one of Nico's spells accidentally brings the mascot to life. / A shockingly macabre chapter that came coincidentally as I was thinking back on my high school's drunk driving demonstration, where they staged a car crash, arrest and fatality; I found the experience distressing, but I guess Japanese elementary schoolers are made of tougher stuff, or at least aren't worried about a mascot's wellbeing

Blue Box: Chinatsu allows herself to bask in the rewards of her efforts and wins her team their third game of the Winter Cup, but sadly they lose in the fourth; now the pressure is on for Taiki to win Nationals, to make good on his promise to Chinatsu. / I'm not all too surprised that Chinatsu lost from a narrative perspective, as it raises the stakes for Taiki and gives the impression that he won't necessarily win just by virtue of being the protagonist, but it feels kind of like a letdown to me because I was just as invested in Chinatsu's success as Taiki's if not more so

Akane: Shomei's performance concludes, and Akane realizes that the reason he refuses to teach her God of Death is because their styles are incompatible - his based on rigid consistency, hers on fluid reactivity; Akane resolves to prove she can match his style at an upcoming competition that Shomei is set to judge, which in turn prompts Hikaru to join the fray. / Let's go, lesbians!!! I think Hikaru's my favorite character, so I'm excited to see her make a comeback; I also really enjoy Akane's logic in refuting Shomei's - insisting that she can only be fluid would paradoxically mean that she's being too rigid in her own scope, which ties back to what she said to Issho about refusing to limit herself

Kill Blue: Juzo loses the second challenge to Chisato instantly, prompting Noren to reveal why Juzo is trying to become StuCo President; Chisato gives Juzo one last chance in a serious cooking competition, with a budget of only 500 Yen; Juzo uses the money for train fare and returns with a wild boar that he hunted himself, giving him the edge in ingredient quality. / I did ask for a believable and satisfying turnaround, and this is exactly the kind of Gordian Knot solution that I love to see; it reminds of the bit in Hinomaru Zumo where Hinomaru has to get food with only 100 Yen and uses it to call in a delivery that he puts on his master's tab, so naturally I'm endeared to this solution

Nue: Gakuro's Hollow Weapon unlocks a new ability, Yokaku, a familiar that can isolate and devour specific targets, allowing it to overcome two back-to-back specific scenarios that Gakuro finds himself in - first, removing his own Command Energy from Ishu's webbing to escape it, and then removing poison that Raisei booby trapped Ishu with; having been abandoned by Raisei and rescued by Gakuro, Ishu decides to betray Raisei and reveal that he plans to resurrect the Hyo in three days, prompting Nue to declare that Gakuro and Ishu need to get married for some reason. / I'm glad that Ishu is joining the harem, but I'm a little worried for what this sudden proposal means for the rest of the team's romantic endeavors; I don't hate Gakuro's new ability, but I wish it were more cohesive with either his shadow manipulation OR with Kasuza's abilities since she's the one who awakened it

Kagurabachi: After Kunishige's death, Yura approached Samura and explained the plan to retrieve Magatsumi and use its True Realm to restore the land that had been destroyed by the Malediction; to prevent a second Malediction and protect Iori, Samura accepted an alliance with the Hishaku and had his and Iori's memories of each other sealed; back in the present, Iori has broken the seal and tells Chihiro she wants to see her father, prompting him and Hiruhiko to draw their Enchanted Blades and thus summon Samura to their location. / God damn, that's a hell of an entrance! Also my apologies for something I said last week, I misunderstood and thought Samura sold out Kunishige, but that was just him receiving the news over the phone, and he only joined the Hishaku AFTER they gave him reason to think their plan could work

Chojo: Hanazono makes curry for Chojo, and the feelings she put into making it trap him in an illusion of the ingredients at boot camp. / A bit unorthodox, but this method of showing her determination to make food that Chojo would enjoy was weirdly endearing for me

Astro Royale: Tendo reveals that the Astro Battle Royale was a ploy to gather strong human emotions like greed into one place, and uses the Daybreak Ore to absorb the energy of the audience and become a monster; however, it's also revealed that Shikaba lured Hibaru to join the tournament specifically to betray Tendo and stop his plan; all of the current Yotsurugi allies gather to face off against Tendo. / Perhaps I'm not reading very closely, but it kind of seems like that contradicts everything that Shikaba has said and done so far, like TRYING TO KILL TAIRA! It kind of feels like Wakui is just making an excuse for things to shift in Hibaru's favor and didn't plan it that far in advance, and if he did, I'm not nearly invested enough to understand the groundwork he laid for it

Kiyoshi: The First and strongest Demon Lord, Tonjinchi, descends upon the team that just barely survived fighting Bakku Yoraku, and proceeds to take them all out one by one with no difficulty, though they survive just long enough for Tsurugi to arrive and save the day. / I've said before that this arc feels like a Hail Mary and that Usui is trying to show off the appeal of his cast to get people invested, so hopefully this will play out similar to Undead Unluck where the first half gets us vaguely familiar with everyone and THEN they get fleshed out in the back half; otherwise, this big group clash of people whose names I don't know against a giant wall just doesn't really do much for me

Hima-Ten: Tenichi tries to invite Himari to the fireworks, but due to a work conflict she turns him down; Tenichi goes with Honoka, but his mind is consistently on Himari; Himari laments her choice, only for Tenichi to arrive with some footage of the fireworks and a mysterious prize he won at the festival to salvage the night. / This seems like a sudden development in Himari's favor and admittedly it's got me nervous, but at face value it's a cute moment

Ichi: Ichi manages to regroup with Desscaras and explains the situation to her; she formulates a plan for Ichi to draw the guards' attention, leaving her the opportunity to interrogate Bakugami. / That brief smile from Desscaras when Ichi said he'd made a friend was so sweet, and a great set up for how funny it was that that still wasn't good enough to convince her that Gokuraku was on the up-and-up; while this plan seems fairly straightforward, this is obviously going to lead into the Bad News phase, where Desscaras also becomes a wanted criminal until Bakugami reveals his true colors at the Advent Celebration

Shinobi: Yodaka is invited to have cake at Aoi's condo, which turns out to be in a secret safehouse employed entirely by ninjas that are guarding VIPs; Mimizuku explains to Yodaka that the higher ups want him off the mission for losing his edge, but that he advocated for him to stay because of his emotional connection to Aoi, and offers to train him to overcome his newfound weakness; intruders enter the condo, which Mimizuku sees as a good opportunity for training. / I'm glad that Mimizuku is in Yodaka's corner - Yodaka still has to prove himself to the higher-ups, but at least he has someone guiding him and doesn't have to struggle on his own

Syd Craft: Syd and Elio drop in on the landlady's daughter, lazy genius inventor Hakua, for a visit, but end up in a compromising situation when one of her robots gets a bit too handsy. / She's cute, but...how old is she? She was so small in that five-year flashback, but she's very much not now...

Embers: Despite Haitani's confidence in his research, the moment he gets to the field he learns that praxis is a lot tougher than theory, and he ends up getting in his team's way constantly; when Captain Bugai pulls him aside, he's sure he's about to get benched, but instead gets some sage advice - to focus on his using strengths, not strengthening his weakness. / I'm glad to see Bugai encouraging Haitani, and I really love moments where characters get to really show off their value; it reminds me a lot of Luffy's "I can beat you" speech, as it illustrates how Haitani fits in the team rather than making him a one-man army

Beethoven: Now officially a student at Reiro Academy, Yaso meets up with Kahoin, who introduces him to the head of the piano program, Ai Aigou; despite her friendly appearance and reputation, Ai immediately starts treating Yaso with disdain, as she's actually the granddaughter of his former master, Tsutomu Mikagehara; meanwhile, Lexi and Marsha make their way to Japan and conjecture on what Beethoven and the necromancer are trying to accomplish; while we don't know the necromancer's purpose, Beethoven has begun work on his 33rd sonata. / Ai being Mikagehara's granddaughter is an interesting development, partially because it's a pretty logical inclusion, but also because there's a lot of nuance to why she'd resent Yaso; not only did he more or less force Mikagehara to push himself while ill (so she blames him for his death), he also went against his teachings and played to dominate the piano (betraying him), and then quit the piano entirely (putting the last few years of his life to waste); if any one of those circumstances were different, her opinion of Yaso might be at least somewhat less harsh, but that particular combination of factors serves to paint Yaso as poorly as possible, and turns Ai into a living manifestation of the insecurity that plagued Yaso for the last two years - that he's not worthy of making music anymore

Ruri Dragon: Ruri learns that human and dragon society are at odds and currently in a truce, and Takemoto asks which society she'd prefer to live in; as she's not particularly bothered either way, she chooses to stay as a human simply so as not to make anyone feel responsible for her leaving, on the condition that Takemoto continues to ensure she doesn't hurt anyone; Ruri has a nice little heart to heart with her friends about how difficult she finds it to navigate human relationships and how they want to keep hanging out with her to help her learn better; soon after, a new ice-based ability manifests itself. / It's interesting to me that Ruri never considers the fact that she knows nothing about dragon society when making her decision - this implies that she's so disinterested in society as a whole that she's just accepted she'll be the odd one out no matter what, and only chooses to stay as a human for the sake of the small circle she knows she has any semblance of a connection with; I also wonder if her very existence is the basis of the non-aggression pact, like her birth was the impetus for the treaty and any violence against her could potentially break the agreement; this doesn't seem like the kind of series that would bring up a huge political incident like that, but it suddenly seems like a distinct possibility

Across Akane being a bad fit for learning Shomei's Rakugo style, Yodaka being better at solo missions than guard or team missions, and Haitani ruining his defensive skills by trying to switch to being an all-rounder, there's a lot of analysis on mismatching a character's skills and placement this week. What's more interesting, though, is how they all choose to address it - using it as an opportunity to learn a new skillset, proving the doubters wrong, and refocusing on core strengths. They're all different, and none of them are wrong

This Week's Top 3:

Sakamoto Days for how well it sells its dramatic hypothetical

Kagurabachi for its absolutely gorgeous two-page spread

Embers for Haitani's character moment

Aww, Nue's streak broke! It was really close, too, honestly! The emotional weight of Gakuro saving Ishu by absorbing the poison from her into himself was pretty good, but it was held back by how repetitive it felt for Gakuro to use his new power twice in one chapter rather than having it spread out, plus the weird turn that Gakuro has to marry Ishu now. I'm gonna let Kawae cook before I assume that the poly ending is dead in the water, but that's a hell of a hiccup along the way!

[dolliemarionette]

OC INTRO PART I !! — Kennedy Siblings

leonard wayne kennedy jr.

first son, first grandson, first child. he was born with all the pressure of succeeding.

and he did.

straight A+s (100% or higher)

QB of the school's football team, got into varsity in freshman year

4.0 GPA

36 on the ACT

5s on all AP exams

Valedictorian

1600 SAT

Graduated at 16, got into Harvard.

He's basically the "burnt out gifted kid" who never really had the chance to burn out. he didn't let himself. he just kept going and going and going until he got where he was expected and beyond.

He doesn't really care for fictional things such as movies or stories or even fictional books. Even when he was in elementary school, he would always check out books from the non-fiction section.

The only fictional books that interest him are the classics.

Not very much of a smiler.

He was always an older brother/authority figure to his younger siblings. As the years went by he just kept losing his inner child and was basically forced to mature by the time he got to 5th grade.

He gets frustrated at people who don't use common sense.

He is a very "you have to see it to believe it" type of person. So in his mind Santa Claus isn't real. Neither are unicorns or fairies. :(

He won't tell anyone but he LOVES American folklore. It's probably the only story he could listen to again and again without pointing out how unrealistic it is. (examples: Paul Bunyan, John Henry, Johnny Appleseed)

He doesn't really tolerate crying. It makes him uncomfortable and he doesn't know what to do or how to comfort the person crying. So he just walks away.

He's never really free to do anything.

He's hardest on Nate & Marion but in different ways.

In high school he was actually quite popular.

He's always in a rush. He gets an assignment, it's completed before class ends. He's always packing up fast, walking fast, he studies for tests fast. Hr has never had a problem with procrastination.

He drinks his coffee black.

He hates sugar, hates anything sweet. Dark chocolate is the way to go for him.

He's one of those people that texts with punctuation and proper grammar.

andrew robert “drew” kennedy

3 (almost 4) years later drew was born!!

don't ever call him andrew.

he hates full names. he will call you a nickname even if you don't have one.

he only really calls people by their full names when he's upset at them.

he believes that everyone has one soulmate whether that be romantic or platonic.

life of the party.

reading is his no.1 opp. he physically can't sit still long enough to get past 3 words. same with movies. he has to be strapped down.

he's a people person, he might not be the smartest person but he always knows what to say to make someone feel better.

he has purple-ish eyes (think elizabeth taylor)

his inner child is also his exterior child.

he loves drag races & speeding. (monthly speeding tickets...)

he doesn't really drink but he acts drunks.

he plays baseball :>

he loves horses! he has a horse named Dippy Dawg.

he ignored his problems, and bottles up his feelings.

he needs to be positive 25/8. serious situations make him super uncomfortable.

d1 yapper. nothing can get him to stfu.

sundays are his least favorite day of the week because he tweaks out trying to sit still during the sermons.

he doesn't understand why school is so important. he believes in learning basic math & english and dipping.

he also tells everyone about how young people should party and have fun and start going to school when they get older.

he cant spell to save his life. txting him is like having to decode ancient ruins.

michael thomas “mike” kennedy

another 3 years later mike was born !!

he is the star quarterback of his high school football team, and is also the captain.

he enjoys teasing and pranking Marion but is more cautious with leo and drew.

he has a small scar on his chin from a football accident in middle school.

his favorite foods are hamburgers and steaks.

he has a bad habit of cracking his knuckles and neck.

when he goes to the gym he always makes sure to do 600 curl ups, 300 push ups, 200 pull ups, a trunk lift and back saver sit & reach that are at least 12 inches, and a flexed arm hang for about five minutes

gym bro lmao

kisses the homies gn

he's been banned from two pizza places for starting “accidental” food fights

he pretends not to care about school but always crams the night before a big test and somehow aces the test.

he refuses to take no for an answer when it comes to convincing his friends to join pickup games after school

he text replies are either lightning-fast or hours late, depending on how distracted he is by football or flirting.

he's one of those people that takes PE games seriously

he has a habit of “borrowing” snacks from his siblings without asking and acting surprised when they notice

his idea of dressing up is swapping his hoodie for a polo shirt and calling it fancy

He always insists on driving during family outings—even if everyone else is nervous about his lead foot.

he secretly has a soft spot for family movie nights (as long as it’s an action movie).

he will never say no to a dare, it doesn't matter what it is, he will be doing it

marion aurora evangeline “mari” kennedy

two years later a girl was finally born.

she's literally babied by all her brothers even if they all show it in different ways.

she LOVES the color pink

screenager

she's either the bitchiest or sweetest person there's kind of no in between

she knows everything about everyone. all the tea. all the secrets.

probably most popular girl at her school

she's learning not to hate greasers so much

sweetest tooth ever.

she gets scared easily

don't piss her off she'll be a bitch to u

she's friends with like everyone

knows everyone's birthdays

heh i'll keep hers short n' sweet (yes that's a sabrina ref) bc ill make more posts on her in the future

I HOPE YOU LIKED THIS YAYAYAYAY

[foreversnews]

1:am July 4th, sitting here flipping this Tamia I'm so into you song in to a slow sample

thinking of new ways to trust myself

this song has always reminded me of a special kinda of feeling around love. or infatuation at least right now this specific scope of "love" feels more to me like alice millers cover of spell on you by Nina Simone

or frank ocean seigfeind

or looks good with trouble by Solange

slow sample just going on loop as I write this

" I can't realllyyy exxxxplaainitttt"

slowed down at about 45.5 bpm

I used to hear this and think of the most life affirming guilty embarrasingly mushy love

where my young imagination could only think of me walking in the sunlight with a pretty girl, not even touching her, just walking

funny how I always thought romance could save me from something

even as a kid I would almost stay up all night before the first day of school, finally I get to see girls !!

I could get a girlfriend !!

life was simple like that then, elementary school me lol

wanted to feel like something to somebody so baddd

"iiii rreeaallly liiikke what youuu dooonne too meee"

as slowed sample plays*

this song it still hasn't lost its shiny touch

makes me think of someone that I haven't spoke to in while an

meiby in a way I thought she could save me from myself

if I pretend enough

if i talk enough

if i give enough

if I tell you any and everything

nothing stopped the inevitable end

as the loop still runs *

"doooonnee toooo meee"

I think of the countless beds I found myself in the search of the comfort of the that little kid that just wanted to feel like that song feels

cords and rhythms bouncing off my shoulder blades

quick as a lie Is told

as love is perceived

I've ran out of rhythms to not see in this

"whhhaaat youuuu Donnee too meee "

as the sample plays on loop *

playing out the cyclical natures of my most intimate desires coverd by cathexis of pretty faces and gentle misreadings

but to young people who like each other isn't there any more to think a out??? haha my young mind thought it was that easy

making Valentine day cards. hiding them in desk and sing to girls during recess lol

I found (Mei)self dreaming this person again.

how can I begin to think about this in a way the keeps me intact ?

because after all this is who I built for better or worst

become charming people will forget how you've warn that same unwashed uniform shirt to school 5 days In a row

maybe she might look past the body odor you quite don't know how to get in order yet lol

ive always found myself obsessing over what my first time would be like

would it be like one pf those songs of the weekends trilogy ? high school me would think about lol

after all it seems like the perfect sounds track to this double reality I found myself in from a young aspiring towards everything and hopping to find home

'IIIII ammmsoooo iii inn too you"

sample still runs *

being a young boy not really aware of my innocence

didn't feel like I had anything worth seeing

like I was guilty from the first perception of others

the only thing that I could see for myself was desire of romance

maybe I could think about this all day and nothing else

I remember one day my dad would update me on his latest sexual prized catch and how sexy she was, how ,such she pleased him

"iccaannnntt reallly exxplaainne It"

Sample does on *

.........................................................

now my conquest for the ultimate I immature romance, devided in two sexual prowas and power.

after all if my dad is telling me all these details it must be somthing worth doing right?

was he only telling me this to escape his own feelings of loneliness

maybe if he reflects some sort of cool posture ill look at him in a way that helps him look at himself

funny how that goes

bc here I am now hoping to see my value in bodies, faces,ect

but how can I ask them to see omthing I havnt deeply interrogated ?

I know now that love feels more like Alice Coltranes going home

unknowable, only lived and acted out in my own personal being

romance is just a extent of ritual maybe

the coldness of my young self non knowing how to cope with poverty, with abuse and misuse of my young body, mind.

its not far off that, that became the only motivating factor win my life but I deeply want to know myself in everyday possible

not from a automated idea in hopes of finding someone

im not personality package, a body to be used, an idea to be exploited

but then again.

'iiiii reeallly liikkke whhaat youuuuu donnneee to mee iii cannnnt rreealllly exxpllaainne iiit iiiimm sooo iiinn too youuu"

last sample flip*

maybe this coldness is what ive never recognized.

(im rambling and speaking in fragments but I wanted to be honest with how many turns my brain was making "

[fullofgutsndopamine]

Maybe I'll Feel Better (Give Me Forty-Five)

or: the one where you two are elementary school teachers "judging" a gingerbread house competition. hasan takes it very seriously.

listen: the bad news is all i'm watching now is hallmark movies. this was like, super briefly mentioned in a movie i watched tonight so here's: something?

anyways y'all seem to like my teacher AUs (or at least tolerate them) so

more hasan here

the email ping got you first.

my room. noon. sharp. sharpened pencil and other supplies provided -Piker

you snort. your fingers hover over the keyboard, considering what to say next. hasan’s emails usually seem like he wrote them in between passing periods, as kids tug on his shirt sleeves, begging for milk containers to be opened and for shoelaces to be tied.

you stare at the email, start typing something, realize it sounds dumb, backspace and delete it. there's not much time to think about it, before the bell rings and the students pile back into the room.

Noon comes quickly. If you weren't lying to yourself, you'd be honest about how your dragging your feet across the hallway to Hasan’s classroom, where the near constant cheering and songs he makes up makes your head ache and pound at the end of your day.

You feel as if you can feel your kids eyeballs on the back of your head as you finally go to Hasan’s room, but you push it down quickly.

Hasan is pacing around his room.

Correction: Hasan wears a crooked Santa hat on his head as he paces back and forth.

"Hey," You knock gently, "Am I interrupting something?"

You seem like you're interrupting something, and you fight the urge to take your phone out of your pocket to check the time, even though you know you're right on time.

"Finally!" He smiles, a lopsided grin on his face, "Time to get down to business."

You hesitate in the doorway.

"Come on," He laughs, "Have to show you everything, we have a whole procedure to go over."

You walk to his desk, where he stands, a clipboard in his hand before he nudges you a small wooden clipboard, a small stack of stapled papers under the clip, little boxes that were obviously handmade that say: rating, student, comments its obviously made in MS Paint, and was thrown together last night, but as you run your fingers over the lines, you think of hasan, in his pajamas after a long day, his laptop on his lap, glasses crooked on the tip of his nose as he stays up half the night, putting together this paper to try and make the day a little more magical for all his students.

"Here, my class made this for you too." He looks down as he passes it, but it's a homemade ribbon out of construction paper; blues and reds and yellows, is pinned to his chest, says: #1 judge in slanted writing.

He slides one across the table to you, matches his, and a little safety pin is fixed to the back of it.

"I guess you take this very seriously." You tease as you pick it up, your hands fumble with it as you try to pin it to your shirt with no success.

"May I?" Hasan is at your elbow, his voice is low and gentle as he takes it out of your hands gently, pinches your shirt as he carefully pins it, his fingers are long but work perfectly to pin it with practiced ease.

He talks as he does so.

"Class worked all period on this," He mumbles as he pins it, adjusts it carefully, "Said we should at least act like we care about the cold war, but I think they were a little pre occupied."

He takes a step back, tilts his head: "Beautiful, it's perfect."

And you speak so he doesn't see your bright pink face: "I think they spelled judge wrong." you tease gently.

He tsks, like he didn't see it, "Amateur hour, I'll get to the bottom of it. Here-"

He slides you a small collection of pre sharpened pencils, all that have Mr.Piker’s Favorite Student etched into the side of them, sparkle when you turn them around in the fluorescent lighting.

"Nice pencils." You tease, and he beams, lets it roll off his shoulders, only seems embarrassed for a second:

"Thanks! Made 'em myself. Follow me, I'll explain everything to you when we walk to the auditorium."

It's a short walk.

The school is small, the auditorium even smaller, his class load only in the twenties, but he holds the door for you into the small room, and ignores his students squealing when they see him, a wink and a nod to them, like they're all involved in some inside joke that you aren't a part of-

the rules are simple enough. follow him with the clipboard, rate the art, try and narrow it down to the winner. he explains everyone's a winner, doesn't have the heart for everyone to walk out without some sort of award, even if it's most creative, or most frosting on the side of a house or-

"Hell," He'll even say, throwing his hands in the air as you get to the first house, "Most creative use of a gum drop, it doesn't matter. Everyone's a winner when I'm judging."

and you realize how he's so loved among the students, as they run to his side and pull on his shirt for him to kneel on the filthy floor and listen to them, speaking through broken teeth as they tell him the random gossip happening-

"This is a good one." You say at the second one.

The roof is crooked. Half hanging on, except through a prayer and an approximate shit ton of frosting and red and green skittles, it's still cute, well coated with candy-you think of hasan in a little apron running around his room as he makes sure all the students have gingerbread, frosting, all the candy and fixings-

"Most creative use of frosting, l'd say." hasan nods, scribbles something onto his clipboard.

You snort.

"Most creative use of skittles, obviously." You scribble something as he does, suddenly feel like you should be doing it as well.

He snorts now. "come on. The frosting job."

"The council has spoken, Hasan. I'm so sorry."

"The council," He laughs, "And you're the council, I take it?"

"Obviously."

"And any way to object the council?" He pushes.

"Give me five minutes, I'll bring it to the council." you tuck the pencil behind your ear.

It feels good, finally laughing. Being a first year teacher and spending most periods holed up in your room, eating a peanut butter sandwich at your desk, craning your neck and face turning bright red every time you hear someone passing your room, always afraid that it's you, that you're the punchline.

"And?" hasan pushes after a few houses.

"Bad news, bud." You tease gently, "Council denied it."

He groans, "Fuck. Let me see your notes."

you glance at his; for the most part, he takes it seriously, little notes in the boxes on the placement of frosting and color patterns, enough for any child to feel appreciated-

but in the corners are little flower stems and hearts, litte scribbles you can barely make out-

"No way," You giggle as you hold the clipboard close to your chest, trying to not laugh too loudly, because this seems dangerously close to flirting, and you aren't here for that-

"Come on," He pulls at your sleeve gently, "We gotta announce winners."

You nibble your lip.

Even being a teacher, teaching in front of these kids it's different then talking to these peers that you're terrified of, terrified of being a punchline to a joke-

"Come on," His voice comes quieter, gentler, no edge to it, "I'll be right here, l'm not going anywhere."

And you barely know him. Like, besides him popping his head into your classroom occasionally, gives you supplies when you need it, helped you hang decorations once in passing-

"Okay," you nods, "Yeah, okay."

and you follow as he leads to a makeshift stage.

Somehow, everything is less scary with hasan by your side now.

"Everyone," He clears his throat, "We have the winners. Now- you all are winners to us two-"

Load groans are heard around the room, boos from his students, but he puffs his chest out and smiles widely as he calls the students to the stage, little make shift awards he obviously spent lots of time creating out of different brightly colored construction paper as the two of you take turns pinning it to the children's shirts.

"We make a good team." hasan declares as he holds your hand to help you off the stage, the winners still get pats on the back and photos for the year book

You shrug, to downplay it all, "Yeah, I guess. You're pretty okay."

He lauahs "I'll take it. Come on I made the hot chocolate, and not to brag, but it's my best batch yet."

He doesn't let go of your hand as he leads you away from the stage, even with all eyes on you two

[galahadenough]

In reference to your names in svsss question, they don't really register to me as that similar. There are, however, some reasons that you probably see them as similar not being a Chinese speaker. (for transparency I am a native English speaker who has been learning Chinese since elementary school)

The "qing" names. It's not uncommon in Chinese families to have a generational prefix, and as the peaks operate like a family, all the peak lords have the same first part to their names. So the "qing" is similar in all the peak lord names because it's the same

Tones make somethings different in a way that's not perceptible to English speakers, especially because the names are written in phonetic English, which has no tones. There are a lot of similar syllables in Chinese that sound different to people familiar with the tones.

You learn to hear syllables used in your language when you're young and have to train yourself to hear different ones. There are different neural pathways that allow you to distinguish English syllables but not Chinese ones, so just like you might think someone is crazy for not being able to distinguish between an "r" sound and an "l" sound (which Chinese speakers can actually but it's the first one I thought of off the top of my head) a Chinese speaker is hearing more difference and nuance in Chinese syllables than you are, just because of the way each of your brains are wired

Similarly, the names in svsss are spelled according to pinyin, which is the Chinese romanization system. Notably, because Chinese has some sounds that don't appear in English and vice versa, this *isn't English* and doesn't operate by it's phonetic rules. So for example the syllable "tie" in pinyin is pronounced more like "t-yeh" than the "tie" in "bowtie" you'd be expecting as an English speaker. This is also compounded by what you're expecting vs what you see. So I often see people misspelling "luo" as "lou" because "uo" isn't really a vowel sound you see in English. So "luo" and "liu" could be pronounced the same in English (many English speakers see "liu" as pronounced "loo" and same with misreading "luo" as "lou", where they'd normally be pronounced "lihw" for "liu" and "lwoh" for "luo") where they're really different in Chinese. Even if you're not misreading, which again is perfectly reasonable given that they're syllables and sounds the average English speaker isn't familiar with, you probably don't have a very accurate idea of what each syllable sounds like unless you know Chinese or pinyin.

Some names are intentionally similar for Symbolism. So QIU JianLUO has the same character as Shen QingQIU and a similar sound but different tone iirc to LUO Binghe as like a cycle of violence thing. But from what I know this is mostly not the case. I might be missing something though

i might have missed something about similar names because again I am a native English speaker and read this book mostly in English while having a fever so this is possibly an inaccurate impression. Also I really hope this doesn't come across as rude or a "well actually" or blaming you for not having an encylcopedic knowledge of Chinese syllables this is just something that fascinates me. Hope this helps!

I don't get a lot of "asks" so I hope this is the best way to respond.

Thank you so much for such a detailed/interesting answer! And no worries, you didn't come across as rude or anything. If anything, I felt like you were very empathetic of the fact that languages go even deeper than knowledge, with the bits about brains being able to recognize sounds they aren't used to. And I'm the one who asked for info, whether it was language or meta.

I am fascinated by this. I'm very bad at fluency, but I enjoy getting familiar with languages, at least. I'm actually working on learning a little Japanese, and they have the same/similar "r" sound that is so hard to try and get right. And I was very happy when I finally (probably~?) got down the German "ch" sound.

The fact that so many pinyin (thanks for the new word!) words seem to be pronounced as an english "s" sound is both fascinating and maddening because I know there's nuance that I just don't hear/know. But I also love getting to learn about all the variations languages and cultures have!

So thanks again for all the info! ♥️

[tscottl]

Letter to Diane Duane

I'll admit, posting this letter openly online wasn't what I had originally thought would happen - when I drafted this, I had been hoping I'd be able to find an email address, or work address I could physically mail it to, since a part of me is still nervous about the thought of putting this somewhere everyone can see it rather than just the intended recipient and her business associates. It doesn't help that I was born an old man and that using social media like this is not something I am used to. Using my real name especially, even if it's just my first, is not something I like to do online - but this letter is personal enough I wouldn't feel right utilizing a username.

On top of that, I had not imagined that you would be going through such a loss upon receiving this letter. To read that you are dealing with the death of your husband was dreadful news, and I doubt, even were I to put my all into trying, that I could fully comprehend the feelings you have in this moment. I wish I had better words, and though I do not know you personally, I say with as much sincerity as text will allow that I am sorry this has happened to you.

I wonder if I should wait - hold off for some theoretical future ideal time to send the letter instead because doing it now will lead to it having been screwed up and the thoughts and feelings I put into it will have been for nothing. But even as the back of my mind says this, I know that doing so will just leave this letter to sit on my hard drive collecting metaphorical dust, and that those ideal circumstances will never arrive. And I know I will ache if I don't share these feelings.

So, even if I can't know there will be a response, or even know if this will be read, I have to fling this message out into the world and hope it reaches its destination.

---

Dear Diane Duane,

When I was in elementary school, I found a copy of an audio recording of So You Want to Be a Wizard at my local library. Though passing years had erased some of the finer details, I distinctly remember renting it on multiple occasions to listen to as I played with toys like Lego, as I drew, and as I lay in bed trying to sleep. And the finer details that did stick stuck very hard.

I remember being enthralled by the approach to magic requiring careful planning, and how the spells were more akin to mathematical equations than the flicks of the wrist and simple incantations I was familiar with through other wizard focused media. I remember thinking that Fred, a sentient white hole, was a fascinating concept (I imagine he is at least part of the reason I have a long standing interest with black holes and the strange ways their intense gravity bends our understanding of physics), and that his sacrifice introduced the conflicting feelings of being sad that he was separated from Nita and Kit, yet comforted in the thought that he would in some way live on in Timeheart because they cared about him so deeply. I remember finding the other New York and the Lone Power simultaneously terrifying and yet utterly captivating. Above all, I remember loving the book and wishing I could spend more time in its world with its characters.

It wasn't until a few years ago, once I was several years out of college and fully employed, that I discovered the rest of the Young Wizards series. Doing so was a fluke – I was working an unsatisfying job which had just recently changed their policies to allow employees to wear earphones to listen to music/podcasts while in the lab. Even all these years later, So You Want to Be a Wizard remained in the back of my mind, and the drudgery of my time at work made me ache for the kind of wonder it had inspired when I was a kid. Upon completing it, I was recommended Deep Wizardry, and upon starting it I was immediately thrust back into the wonder of its world.

Since then, I have found a job in which I feel more fulfilled, have gotten married, and have been regularly rereading your stories. I've been sharing them with my friends, incorporating ideas from them into the tabletop role-playing games I play in and host, and have been letting them absorb me whenever I feel stuck in my own creative writing endeavors.

Though a part of me yearns to have been able to explore this world as I grew older alongside it, getting to encounter these stories as an adult has helped me recognize details in the writing that I couldn't as a child. I adore the theme of 'words have power' used throughout the series, particularly the return to the idea of changing a name in the first book – the rule that you must ensure your name in a spell is written correctly lest it change you, and using that rule to allow the Lone Power to change himself by Nita altering his name in the Book of Night with Moon is a beautiful bow in the story. I love how the characters react to each other and to the events around them throughout the series. The scene of Nita and Kit revealing wizardry to Nita's parents in the second book is so expertly paced – I appreciate how sincerely and seriously it is handled without becoming mired in being dour. There's no 'get out of jail free card' that allows Nita and Kit to get away with ignoring the consequences of how their parents perceive their actions, and the story doesn't revert to a full status-quo either. I appreciate that them revealing wizardry means something, and how this alters their relationship in scary, yet ultimately good, ways. There are so many details in your writing of this series that I love, I think that were I to record and list all of them here I would start rivaling the series in length.

Ultimately, beyond all of the wonder of diving beneath the sea as whales, beyond the horrors of finding yourself lost within a hive of alien insects as the threat of the universe growing cold looms above, beyond the fascinating thought experiment of how a computer based lifeforms might think, and beyond the tragedy of losing your mother despite doing everything in your power to stop it, the core feeling within the stories resonates with me in a way that I feel I can't fully convey. I appreciate how your stories portray that communicating with and working to understanding the world around us and the people that inhabit it is difficult, can feel thankless and leave you lonely at times, and that the world changing around you can be scary, and yet despite that, or even at times because of it, the connections that are forged in doing so are so much more valuable. That the world is a better place because of your individual efforts to make it so and your efforts are in some way recognized by the way you work to shape the world into something better than it is.

I hope that with this letter I am able to at least partially convey both the longstanding and newfound love I have for the work you put into your stories. The world you have crafted is a beautiful one, and the characters that occupy it have been a joy to see grow and change into better versions of themselves. I want to hold that core feeling tightly within me and introduce it to others because I find it so valuable and worth sharing (though he has not made it far into your series, I am determined to get my husband to read more - his own philosophy matches that of the Wizards and he, like everyone, could do with more of it in his life).

Finally, I want to thank you so very much for writing these stories and putting them out into the world. I wish I had better words to say than what I am about to write, as I feel they are not sufficient in expressing everything; the Young Wizards books are truly special, and the world is so much more magical because of your work.

Sincerely,

Trevan L.

[fleurmariiz]

i am here to debunk the age of all the spelling bee kids

A lot of the fandom has been saying they're all 12 according to "why we like spelling". I AM HERE TO DISAGREE. All of the kids range from 10-12; and i will imply their age, grade, and why according to their school they attend and some irl information. According to the cut song, "Why We Like Spelling", the spellers are implied to be 12. The only person that could canonically imply to this is Chip Tolentino. Since Chip’s parents are apart of the PTA (mentioned in his lament) and the location of the spelling bee is at Putnam Valley Middle School; he cannot be younger than 11 & cannot be older than 13; so he would be 12 and attending Putnam Valley Middle School. (his school theory is now fixed). Chip is a 12 year old boy, a 6th grader attending Putnam Valley Middle School; he is apart of the Boy Scouts, his little league team, and parents are apart of the PTA . He is as well, canonically going through puberty. [kids usually are 11-12 going through puberty; but there are some rare excpetions; he's not a rare exception.] Leaf is canonically homeschooled, but he is the speller that sings the verse "The chaotic life of a 12-year-old is too hard and you never know what's coming next". This can imply Leaf is 12 years old; and a 6th grader that's homeschooled. [this is the one i had most trouble to find evidence.]

Marcy is on-track of becoming the youngest high-school freshman in parochial school history. Our Lady Of Intermittent Sorrows is most likely a catholic secondary school; which makes her around 11-12 years old; where the average freshman would enter their first year at 14-15 years old. Marcy Park is an 11 year old girl, an 8th grader, attending Our Lady Of Intermittent Sorrows. [being 12 and a 9th grader just seems like a high probability & a little too common. so 11 fits it. ] [she wouldnt be 12 bc she hasnt experience puberty yet & that's the peak age of change & marcy's the lightest in her class.]

William attends Cold Spring Country Day. Country Day schools usually range in the in the elementary age-range. Since elementary schools range from 4-11; I would like to imply William is an 11 year old boy, a 5th grader that attends Cold Spring Country Day. [country days nearly apply the age range; it'd just make sense he'd be an 11 year old; close to graduating & moving to middle school.]

The same rule really applies to Olive; but the elementary is more implied for her. Olive is an 11 year old girl, a 5th grader that attends Garrison Elementary. Last but not least, Logainne. Logainne is canonically 10 by her constitutional amendment; lowering the voting age to 10. Logainne is a 10 year old girl, a 4th/5th grader that attends Magna Magnet Grammar School.

okay i am finished with my little rant enjoy; if anyone would like to disagree or talk abt their opinions abt the spellers ages in the comments; i will open to hear!!