#decided to assign me two mini articles

[the-jackalope-coffee-co]

my internship is gonna make my hair fall out from stress, I just know it

[riley-travels]

August 4- Final free day and final day in Kaohsiung

Today was our final free day of our entire trip, I am pretty sad about that and I feel like it flew by. This morning Sabrina and I slept in a little bit and then had our breakfast together at the hotel, I got my normal rice bowl with some added vegetables, but the hotel did not have my favorite rolls out today so I had a mini croissant instead. I had to have my morning coffee but I also grabbed a matcha latte to bring back to our room and the foam with the tea created a moon shape which definitely made it taste even better.

We both decided yesterday that today we would work on our independent excursion writings at the Kaohsiung Main Public Library. I was so happy to do this, it has been a very long time since I was able to go to a library to work on assignments, as my local one was closed for renovation that were significantly delayed by the last two hurricane seasons. I was able to write over 800 words again and really enjoyed the research article that I had found for it. I also got to do a bit of work on the script for my final project. Though I have started on the actual video, I have not made much headway beyond the script. I am planning on working on that as much as I can to finish before I go to Japan, as I will not be there until after the due date. My mother messaged me last night asking for a tote bag or a bookmark from one of the libraries that we visit (she works at a public library in the US). I was kind of already one step ahead and had picked up a tote bag for us to share, but I decided to also look for one that seemed more like it was from this specific library as I think she would enjoy both.

After going to the library we decided to head to a cafe for our late lunch. It was a great atmosphere with amazing food as well, we both got eggs benedict with different toppings. I also got a grapefruit iced latte, which was surprisingly really good, I am going to have to find a good way to make the citrus coffee that I have been drinking here back home. After that we went back to the hotel to pack, do laundry, and get ready for our travel day.

[dreamersdreamloud]

Coming Home To You (Part 2)

AN: Kara is not Supergirl. She’s human and a reporter :) 

Many of you have requested a part two so here you go! This is part of a book that I’m working on so enjoy this sneak peek 

“This was a mistake.” Lena paces around inside her penthouse. 

Kara stands awkwardly in the middle of Lena’s living room. She watches her lover in distress, her mind running into a million thoughts. What would Alex say when she finds out? What would Eliza think of her when she finds out? 

She betrayed her oldest sister. It looks bad but most importantly she feels terrible. Kara let her temptations get the best of her. She shouldn’t have gotten so close to Lena when (Y/N) was away. She shouldn’t have comforted her most of the time when they heard the news that (Y/N) went missing during a mission. 

They shouldn’t have assumed that the person they care and love for was dead without any hard evidence. 

“Did you know?! Did you know that she was alive this whole time?!” Lena yells at the blonde Danvers. 

Kara was taken by surprise that Lena is yelling at her. She never yells at her. She never experienced her anger toward her. 

“What? No! Of course not!” Kara quickly replies. 

“How could you not know?! You literally write about international news, war stories, political topics, Kara!” 

“I’m just a reporter, Lena! I’m not a damn government spy! When I heard about my sister going missing. . . I tried to find leads, Lena! I TRIED! Nothing came out. No trace. No witnesses. No clues of what happened to my sister and her team!” 

Lena shakes her head in silence. Her tears were starting to form again. The young CEO thinks about the decisions she has made that have come to this very moment. She shouldn’t have accepted the youngest Danvers’ help and comfort when (Y/N) wasn’t around. She was a fool for falling for Kara’s touch and caring words. 

She tragically replaced (Y/N)’s kisses with Kara’s. 

“I need to find her. . . I need to find (Y/N).” Lena frantically says. “I just need to explain to her that this was a mistake. None of this was serious.” 

Kara looks into the floor and shakes her head in disapproval. 

“Lena . . .” 

“I’m sure she’ll understand. She has always been reasonable, right? God where could she be. A local bar! I just need to look up the local bars. She can’t be far. I-” 

“LENA!” Kara interrupted. 

The raven haired stops rambling and looks at Kara with frustration. 

“WHAT KARA?! I need to find your sister! I need to fix my relationship with her!” 

“What about us?” Kara questions her actions, her reasoning. 

Lena huffs out a laugh, “Us? There’s no us, Kara! This was a mistake. I MADE A MISTAKE. I love your sister, Kara. You know that!” 

It pains Kara to hear those words coming out of Lena’s mouth. Kara fell in love with Lena. In all truth, she fell in love with her while you were dating Lena. She kept it to herself. The youngest Danvers didn’t want to ruin the relationship you have with Lena. She thought that you being “dead” was an opportunity for her to have a chance being with the young CEO. 

Lena sobs, her knees falling to the ground. The stress and frustrations are getting to her. Kara didn’t hesitate to be by her side, comforting her the best she could without making the situation worse. Lena cries against Kara’s shoulder. 

“It’s not ideal to go out and find my sister, Lena. We should probably wait until tomorrow. Let her cool off. I’ll find her first thing in the morning and make this right.” 

“Okay.” Lena mumbles. 

**** 

It’s been three whole days that you haven’t stepped out of your hotel room. You have cried endlessly. Scream multiple times. You even broke a couple of items in the room. You drank until you blackout and woke up repeating the same thing you did yesterday. 

You have decided that you need to put your hurt feelings aside. You need to reunite with your family and friends. You mentally think about how you’re going to pretend that you didn’t see Kara and Lena a few days ago. You will keep your distance. You will maintain your cover. 

Your captain has already arranged your new deployment. You will be leaving at the end of the month and have a new assignment to take over. Your plan is to just get away from here. 

You've been in the bathroom for a while. Looking at yourself in the mirror. It’s obvious that it looks like you have gotten no sleep. You can just pass it off and just say that your military position doesn't give you enough sleep

You fix the imperfections of your new set of uniform before heading out. You take a deep breath and hope that no one catches you acting differently. 

*** 

Location: Lena’s Office 

“I can’t find her, Lena.” Kara desperately says. 

Lena looks out to the window, standing straight as possible. She was keeping her distance from the youngest Danvers. She can’t trust herself being near the reporter. 

“HOPE can’t find her too. The face recognition hasn’t picked up her face anywhere. . .” 

Kara’s phone rings out loud. The reporter sighs because it’s her sister, Alex. She hasn’t talked to her since you confronted your youngest sister. Kara hopes that Alex hasn’t found out, she can’t bear to handle Alex’s lecture and disappointment. 

Kara answers the call and puts it on speaker for Lena to hear as well. 

Kara: “Hello?” 

Alex: “Kara! Where are you?!” She said cheerfully. 

Kara: “I’m following a lead for my article. Why what’s up?” 

Alex: “(Y/N) is back! She’s alive, Kara! She’s alive!” 

Kara fumbles her words, not knowing how to react or say. She didn’t want to ruin her sister’s excitement. 

Alex: “Get over here at the DEO. J’onn have already picked up Eliza. They’re on their way back here. Bring Lena!” 

The call ended without Kara saying another word. Alex was too happy and excited to see you again. She’s happy that she gets to see you “first.” 

*** 

*A few hours earlier*

You didn’t head straight to the DEO to surprise your sister, Alex. You made a quick stop despite the situation you were in. The Uber car pulls up to the two story house that you were looking for. There’s physical changes to the house last time you came here. The grass was looking more green and the roses were more full. By looking at the driveway, the two people you wanted to see are still home. 

You rang the doorbell once and you can tell that someone is on their way to answer the door. You mentally ready yourself before they open the door. 

A woman gasped as they answered the door and saw you standing firmly in the middle. 

“(Y/N)?” Eve can’t believe her eyes. 

“Eve, who’s at the door?” Lex calls out in the background. 

Eve was speechless that she couldn’t answer her husband. Lex was a tad worried that Eve wasn’t answering him right away. The man makes her way to the door and gives the same shocking reaction as his wife. 

“(Y/N)! You bastard! You’re alive!” He shouts with joy. 

You smiled at both of them. You step in to give Eve a hug and then give Lex the same affection. Immediately, Lex can tell that there’s something wrong. He just knows. The man has always been like a brother to you and he feels the same way too. 

The married couple lead you to the living room to have a more comfortable environment to catch up. They didn’t have to worry about being late to their work since they’re technically the bosses of their own department at L-Corp. Eve comes in with some tea and mini sandwiches for everyone. The three made small talk, giving them the truth about what really happened in the months you were missing. 

Lex and Eve felt sorry for you how much pain and recovery you have to go through alone after that accident happened. You assure them that it wasn’t a big deal and that you’re very happy to live another day. 

After the good catch up, Lex thought it was time to find out what was bothering you. 

“(Y/N). . Why exactly are you here? Aren’t you supposed to see your sisters first? Or perhaps Lena?” 

You looked to the side, took a deep breath and sighed loudly. Your mind goes back to Lena. 

“Did you know?” You vaguely ask your ex-girlfriend’s brother. 

“Know what?” Lex replies, Eve looks equally confused. This confirms that no one knows, especially your mother and Alex. 

“About Kara and Lena. . .” Lex thinks for a moment before he replies. 

“All I know is that they’re close. When you were away, Kara had been keeping Lena company.” 

You nodded. He’s telling the truth. Small anger was inside you but you’re mad at Lex. You start to get mad at yourself for not being around much. 

“I caught them. . . I found your sister with my sister. It was clear that the love bites and the flushed redden cheeks on Lena were from Kara. . .” 

Lex suddenly feels stupid for not seeing this. He thinks about how he didn’t see the little hints that his sister was having a lover, becoming a cheater. Eve looks at you with sad eyes, she gets up and wraps you in a hug. 

“(Y/N) I don’t know what to say . . . I just - I really didn’t know. If only I have seen it sooner I would have prevented Lena from making those-” 

“Lex no.” You interrupted him. “Your sister is her own person. She can decide what she wants to do. You couldn’t have prevented her feelings for someone else. I’m not mad at you Lex. You’re always like a brother to me. You have helped me so much and I will continue to do the same. Despite the situation. This is between Lena and I.” 

Lex sucks in his lips and nods, “Did the two of you officially break up or talk about it?” 

“No. I left right when I found out. My heart is really fragile at the moment but I promise you like I promised to Lillian years ago that I will not harm Lena in any way. I have never physically abused her and I will not let this dictate my actions.” 

“You’re a good person, (Y/N). I’m sorry that it had to come out like this. I was desperately waiting for the two of you to get married someday. Getting the chance to call you my sister-in-law.”

You sadly laugh. You almost forgot about the ring that was attached to your military dog tags. You reveal your necklace to Lex and Eve. Eve was the first to react fast. 

“(Y/N)! That ring looks so beautiful!” Eve focused on the diamond on the ring. It wasn’t too small nor too big. It was the perfect size. 

“Damnit Lena.” Lex says under his breath while his wife talks to (Y/N) about the ring. “You better realize that you threw out the best Danvers sister. This one was going to marry you.” 

[187days]

Day Thirteen

So, the math teacher next door, Mr. F, acquired a mini-me when Mr. Z joined the faculty last year. I’m saying, it’s eerie how much they look and act alike. So, obviously, for today’s spirit day- dynamic duos- they wore the same outfits (red shorts, plaid shirts, orange hats- it’s kind of their iconic look). And Mrs. R and I decided to dress up as them, so we wore the same thing. The Principal said we “won” this spirit day. We certainly amused ourselves and our students. Ms. A, who has to deal with Mr. F and Mr. Z in PLC on Thursday mornings, took one look at us, shook her head, and walked away. Heh. 

Some of the other excellent duos: Lilo and Stitch, Coke and Pepsi, ketchup and mustard, Pooh and Tigger, Brady and Gronk. And some folks who couldn’t find another person to dress up with them got creative on their own, Like, one of my ninth grade boys dressed as Luke Skywalker and had a Yoda doll perched on his desk. That was pretty excellent. 

The students have been discovering that I’m a Star Wars fan. The convo I had with “Luke Skywalker” today clued them in, and a few have spotted the stuffed porg on top of my cabinet (sidenote: my default response when they ask me why there’s a porg on top of my cabinet is “Why wouldn’t there be?”). Soon they will learn I am, in fact, a Jedi Master. Heh. 

Anyways.

The teaching was good today! I mean, there was a test in GOV, so I didn’t really teach a lot, but the homework is to read the Articles of Confederation, so I fielded a few questions about that after students were finished with their tests. And I showed off my lights peed grading by returning the tests before the block was over (it’s a short test- other ones will take me a day). Some students crushed, some did not, and it was an opportunity for me to talk about how studying effectively for tests in AP classes might be different than it is for their other classes. In GOV, there are a lot of very precise terms, processes, and so on that students have to be able to recall quickly, and for some of them it’s a challenge. I’m encouraging them to meet with me, figure out some strategies, and do a retake if that’s the case.

Meantime, my World students continued to explore the SDGs and do some related research. I had them pick a goal to read about in detail, asked them what they thought of the targets, and then had them find out where countries stand- like, if they chose the goal “no poverty,” I had them find out which countries in the world are the richest and poorest, and which currently have the most rapid poverty reduction. It’s a quick assignment- and one that allows for more research and citation practice- but it sparked students’ curiosity. Some of them called me over so they could ask questions, some looked up more information on their own (to identify where various countries are, find out how rapid improvements are occurring, etc, etc...) So that was pretty cool. 

I really like the vibe in both my sections of World right now. Block 2 is huge (22 kids, two paras, and me), and I definitely have to project my voice to teach it, but it’s a lot of fun. I have some really eager learners in that section, as well as a few who find the course content or the strict structure of high school (or both) really challenging. So far they’ve been willing to trust me and at least try to do whatever I’m asking, though. Today I even made progress with the one I mentioned yesterday. Block 3 is a smaller class, but it’s no less lively. That’s my hands up all the time class. They have so many great questions and comments. I’m sure both sections will have rocky patches- it happens- but, so far, things are going really well!

[drmmyrs]

Dropped (Becca x MC) Part 2

Hey guys, thank you for the support on the first part of this series (Yess I’m planning to turn it into a mini series). It was hard to write just because I could feel Emily’s heartbreak throughout this chapter but I know a lot of you thrive on the pain like I do 🥲🥲. This chapter might be a tad boring for your taste since I’m kinda setting the scene for the next part but I still hope you enjoy. Let me know what you guys think and I’d really appreciate feedback/constructive criticism.

tag list: @wlwplaychoices  @alexlabhont @woltk @alexroyard @red-queen1013 ( including those who reblogged and replied to the 1st part. If you want to be included in the tag list just let me know ☺️)  

Read Part 1

Pairing: Becca x MC (Emily)

Word Count: 1742

Warnings: Some swearing

You don't love me anymore, do you?

Emily quickly gathered her things as well as some of her clothes, not wanting to spend a second more in that room than she needed to. She dialed Kaitlyn's number as she walked away from the place she had called home for almost a year. She was now crying full-blown tears with her hand covering her mouth as passersby looked at her with sympathy. Kaitlyn picked up on the third ring.

"Hey, Em— Are you crying?"

"Can I stay with you for a while? I just had to get out of there. I'm sorry. I don't know where else to go."

"Hey, hey, of course, you can. Where are you right now? Do you want me to pick you up?" Kaitlyn said gently, her voice full of concern.

"No, it's okay. I can get there on my own."

The walk to Kaitlyn's apartment was a blur. Emily vaguely remembered someone calling out to her, but she was too busy replaying the last few hours to even notice.

When Emily arrived at Kaitlyn's apartment, Kaitlyn immediately pulled her in for a hug.

"Hey, what happened? Did you and Becca get into a fight?"

Emily nodded, unable to speak as tears were now falling uncontrollably down her face. After some time, Kaitlyn pulled away and gently guided Emily to the couch, and fetched her a glass of water.

"Whatever happened between the two of you, I'm sure you'll be able to fix it," Kaitlyn said comfortingly as she gently rubbed Emily's back.

"No, I don't think we can fix it this time." A fresh set of tears emerged. "You should have seen her face, Kaitlyn. She... she... she looked at me like I was..." Unable to finish the sentence, Emily buried her face in her hands, sobbing.

"Oh, Emily." Kaitlyn pulled her in for another hug. They stayed like that for a while until Emily's cries died down to quiet sobs.

"I'm sorry. I think I ruined your shirt," Emily said weakly.

"Eh. It's not my style anyway. I was actually just about to burn it when you came," Kaitlyn jested, attempting to lighten the mood. Emily managed a weak smile.

"Are you feeling better?" Kaitlyn said softly.

Emily nodded.

"Do you want to talk about it?"

Emily shook her head. "I think I just need to lie down for a while."

"Let's get you to bed then."

"It's okay. I can sleep here on the couch."

"Nonsense. I'm not leaving you here like that. Come on."

Kaitlyn smiled gently at Emily as she took her hand and guided her to the bedroom. "You can stay here for as long as you need to."

"Thank you, Kaitlyn," Emily murmured, tired from all the crying. After she had settled into bed, Emily took out her phone and stared at the wallpaper as a lone tear ran down her cheek. It was a photo of her and Becca with Becca's arm wrapped around her waist and Becca's lips pressed against her cheek. Emily released a trembly breath as she turned off her phone and drifted off to sleep. — "Why the long face?" Becca asked, wrapping Emily in her arms.

"Just a tiring day is all," Emily replied, melting into the embrace.

"I know what'll make you feel better. How about I go out and buy your favorite ice cream real quick, and then we can watch any movie you want. How's that sound?"

"Really? You'd do that for me?"

"I'd do anything for you. In all honesty, though, I'd rather do things to you," Becca teased.

Emily giggled and playfully smacked Becca. "You're terrible."

"One more thing. Give me your phone."

"Why?" Emily asked as she hesitantly handed her phone to Becca. Becca then shifted behind Emily and wrapped her arm around her waist as she pressed her lips on Emily's cheek, taking a photo. Becca made a series of taps on her phone until Emily was greeted with a new wallpaper.

"So that when you're having a bad enough day, you can just look at your phone and remember that at the end of the day, someone will be waiting for you at home, someone who loves you so crazy much." —

Emily woke up late in the morning when she faintly heard Kaitlyn speaking on the phone outside. "—I don't think she'll want to talk to you anyway... Yeah, I will. Don't worry."

Kaitlyn came back to the room minutes later. "Hey, you're up."

"Yeah. Was that..."

Kaitlyn looked at Emily apologetically. "You heard, huh?"

"What did she want?"

"She wanted to talk to you. She sounded really sorry, Em."

Emily sighed. "I don't think I can talk to her yet."

Kaitlyn nodded understandingly. "Take as much time as you need to. By the way, I know you have class a while ago, but I wasn't sure if I should wake you up. Sorry."

"It's okay. I wasn't planning on going anyway."

"I have classes soon, but I can stay here if you want," Kaitlyn said sympathetically.

"No, you should go. Don't worry, I'll be fine," Emily replied with a weak smile.

"Alright. But text me if you need anything. There's food in the fridge and feel free to use the shower. What's mine is yours. I'll be back soon." Kaitlyn gave Emily a quick hug before heading out.

***

Becca's POV

Becca glanced at the clock- 11 AM. Her head was pounding as she recalled the previous night's events.

"Ughh. I'm never gonna drink again," she muttered to herself.

She glanced around the room and noticed that the sheets beside her remained untouched. She managed to get out of bed and walked out of the room sluggishly.

"Babe? Yesterday I-" She looked around the apartment and found that it was empty. Oh, right it's Monday. She's probably in class.

Becca went back to their bedroom and as her eyes adjusted, she noticed that half of Emily's things were gone. She immediately opened Emily's closet and found that some of her clothes were missing. At that moment, she knew she fucked up.

Becca quickly charged her dead phone and as soon as it lit up, several texts and voicemails from yesterday popped up. They were from Emily. Crap. Becca immediately dialed Emily's number but it went straight to voicemail. Becca paced around the room as she recalled their fight yesterday and it just dawned on her how serious it was. She remembered Emily shouting at her and oh god she looked so heartbroken. Rebecca Davenport, you stupid bitch. Becca then proceeded to call Kaitlyn.

"Hey Kaitlyn, have you seen Emily?" "Yeah, she went here crying last night. What happened, Becca? She was a mess." "I fucked up. Is she with you right now? I really need to talk to her." "She's still asleep, and I don't think she'll want to talk to you anyway." "Can you at least tell her I'm sorry? Just please make sure she's okay." "Yeah, I will. Don't worry."

***

Emily's POV

"You have to eat something."

"I'm not hungry."

"And I'm not gonna let you starve to death."

"Well, there are worse ways to go."

Kaitlyn sighed. "Okay, that's it. We're gonna talk about this now. What the hell happened between you two?"

Emily bit her lip. "We were supposed to celebrate our anniversary, but then she forgot. Instead, she went home hours later, drunk. Then we got into this huge fight. Most times I feel like she's just sick of me. Like... she doesn't love me anymore."

"Did she tell you that?"

"No. She doesn't even wanna talk anymore. And honestly, I'm tired of being a doormat at my own home."

"So, is that it? Are you gonna break up with her?"

"Yes. No. I don't know. What do you think I should do?"

"I can't make that decision for you, Em. But one thing's for sure. You have to talk to her before you make one." —

Emily decided that she could no longer run from her responsibilities. She turned on her phone and was immediately greeted by several texts. Some were from James but most were from Becca. Emily sighed, putting the phone in her pocket.

When she arrived at the university, Emily first went to check in on James. As James saw her approach, he stood up with concern in his eyes.

"Em, we were so worried about you. You weren't answering your phone."

"Sorry. Got caught up in something."

"Yeah... I uhh ran into Becca yesterday. She told me you guys got into a fight?"

Emily nodded. "You said that you were assigning me an article to write this week?" Emily asked, changing the subject.

"Right. But you don't have to, I can get someone else to do it."

"No, I want to."

"Okay then. Well, the only article left is about--

James paused to look at a piece of paper and his eyes widened.

"Like I said, you don't have to-"

You snatched the paper from James, suddenly furious.

College Relationships. Great. Just my luck.

"We can change it. I'm sure someone else-"

"It's fine, James. And I don't appreciate you treating me like a fragile piece of glass. I said I'm fine." Emily snapped.

Emily walked away before James had a chance to speak. —

Emily was running with her laptop in her hands with Becca in hot pursuit.

"Come on just a little peek."

Emily giggled as Becca caught up to her hugging her from behind.

"Hey! Why'd you close it?"

"You'll be the first to read it when I'm done, I promise."

"Well, it better be worth it," Becca said as she turned Emily around. She cupped her face and pulled her in for a slow and deep kiss. Emily broke up the kiss and touched her forehead with Becca's.

"It is."

—

Back in Kaitlyn's apartment, Emily stared at the blank screen, thinking of what to write or how to even start.

This is ridiculous.

Emily stood up and grabbed her jacket and strode across the room towards the door

"Em? Where are you going?"

"I'm gonna talk to Becca," Emily said with a determined look on her face. — Emily was walking on the sidewalk towards their apartment when a familiar figure caught her attention. As she turned to look inside a bar, all the time in the world couldn't have prepared her for the hurt that was to follow. Emily grabbed the wall for support as she watched the woman she love kiss someone else.

Read Part 3

[sleepyboisinc]

soo,,, the secret au huh?

its a band au. its a fucking band au. im posting this super impulsively, and it has no editing i think so if there are any mistakes,,,, fuck it idc

also this ends in a sort of cliffhanger i was gonan write more but i got tired of writing and never got the motivation to again im sorry lul

this au isnt just by me, theres other ppl involved in it too!! mainly bad timezone gang in technohive but others also helped :)

anywaysyysyshdhsh yea read if u want to ig

wilbur soot was discovered by a record label when he was 15 after he wrote the squid song. they didn't care that the lyrics were objectively bad, it was wilbur’s voice that grabbed their attention. they interviewed him and decided that they were gonna give him a chance. wilbur, who had always dreamed of being a singer, jumped at the opportunity. the interview went very well. they even asked him to sing a few songs and he nailed it. however, he wasn’t perfect. he still needed some vocal training. they spent an entire day discussing and signing paperwork. the label ended up arranging for wilbur to attend music classes to enhance his voice and get better at the guitar.

time-skip about 3 years. wilbur is 18 and is phenomenal at singing and the guitar. he starts going to uni and meets his roommate, an american student named technoblade who plays the violin. wilbur and techno quickly become friends, bonding over music and other mutual interests like video games. techno plays mini gigs on the street and at bars close to campus to make some money for himself. particularly at a little bar called “the harpy’s nest”

one day, wilbur gets bored sitting at home alone, so he goes to watch techno’s gig. he arrives halfway through the set and watches for about 5 minutes. after the gig is over, he watches as techno interacts with the bartender, a young man only slightly older looking than the two of them. techno notices wilbur and calls him over, introducing him to the bartender, philza. the two immediately hit it off and by the end of the night, they’ve exchanged numbers and a promise to meet up phil’s next shift.

-

over the next few months, the trio became best friends. wilbur learns that phil plays the drums and has several eps. one ep in particular, “hardcore2” blew up a bit in their general area and phil gained a bit of traction as a musician. the three boys spend most of their time hanging out at wilbur and techno’s dorm, or at phil’s bar. they stay up till ungodly hours playing video games and talking. their other friends dub them the sleepy boys, because of how tired they all are the next day. 

however, as the months fly by, the date wilbur is supposed to finish training and write his first songs draws closer. he worries he’s bitten more than he can chew and he wonders if he’s even ready for fame. a month later he is assigned a manager, pete. pete says that his training contract has expired, meaning that he's ready to start writing his album. wilbur says that he needs to think a bit before he starts. pete was about to tell him he can’t have extra time to think because he signed a contract, but seeing the look of stress on wilbur’s face, he allows him 2 days before he starts. wilbur goes on a walk to think. he curses himself for second-guessing himself now. he realizes he doesn’t wanna do this alone. then he thinks of techno and phil. 

what if they formed a band? that way he wouldn’t have to do this alone. he’s sure that they'd love to make a band together as well. he goes to them and… they agree. he goes to pete and asks him if they can be a three-piece band. pete says he needs to ask his higher-ups first. wilbur doesn’t hear from pete for 4 days and starts to worry. what if they won’t allow it? it wasn't part of the agreement so they have every right to turn him down. at the end of the fourth day, pete calls him and says that the higher-ups have agreed. they had to choose a group name by the end of 2 days. the trio was over the moon.

this was the start of sleepy bois inc.

-

their record label wasn’t massive, so the boys took to playing on the streets and in bars to gain some traction. they slowly started gaining recognition and grew faster when they made a youtube channel. they released several eps and a few albums, and gained a following over the next few years.

their first big break came 3 years after the band was formed. they had a decent following, about 50k subs on youtube and slightly less on other platforms. one day, jschlatt from lunch club, a massive boy band, got their music recommended to him on youtube. he’s intrigued and listened to it, and was surprised at how much he liked it. he liked it so much, that he decided to shout them out on twitter. 

sleepybois inc’s popularity skyrocketed, and the members of both bands grew close. when lunch club announced their next tour, they revealed that sleepybois inc would open for them. the fans freak out, and many iconic moments and inside jokes form from this tour. 

-

tommy innit was 19 years old and was preparing to become a musician. he was almost done with the 4 years of vocal and keyboard training provided by a record label and had to make a decision: be a solo artist, or join a band. if he chose the band, he has another 2 options: be assigned into a band that already exists under this label or make a new one with people that he knows. 

tommy is also a massive fan of lunch club, and sees that jschlatt shouted out a band called sleepybois inc. he likes them a lot and becomes a fan of their stuff too. what tommy didn’t know is that they were at the same label he was training at and were open for a 4th member. 

back on the music, tommy ended up going with band. he debated between making a band or being assigned one. after a while, he ended up going with being assigned. he was nervous about this because he'd have to integrate himself into their dynamic and feared that fans won’t like him, but he figured it’d be easier than making his friends all learn instruments.

being assigned a band is a process, so tommy had a couple of months free. during this time, lunch club was on tour with sleepybois inc and tommy got vip tickets to a show. so he went to the meet and greet and gave his number to sleepybois inc saying ”hmu if u need a keyboardist lul” as a joke (this is a very important detail i will include it f u)

so come around the day of tommy getting assigned. he has to do auditions for the bands that the record label selected for him to join. management has narrowed it down to the youngest 2 bands at their label who are open for a member: one of which is sleepybois inc. 

-

it had been a month since tommy interviewed for sleepybois inc. he did pretty well at it, and had been talking to the boys a lot since then. he still hadn’t had news on whether he joined though. 

it was 3 am. tommy had been working on school work for hours and had only just managed to finish up for the night. he settled into bed and was about to fall asleep when his phone rang. not bothering to look at who was calling, tommy picked it up

“who the fuck is calling me at 3 in the morning i swear to god-” tommy whispered angrily. 

“tommy?” wilbur’s voice rang out “wait shit- this is probably a really bad time im sorry. but we have something important to tell you.”

tommy’s eyes widened. 

“we’ve decided that you can join the band”

-

the band and their label spent a few weeks discussing how they would go about this. they boys decided they would need a name change too, and ended up settling on the name ‘purple pandas’. however, a new member and a name change would practically transform the band completely, so they had to go about announcing this the right way.

they ended up settling on posting a youtube video titled ‘making some changes’. seeing the announcement for this sent fans into a frenzy, frantically tweeting about what it could be. many rumours spread fast and it even got into a few news articles. conspiracies started floating around about what changes could possibly be taking place.

-

i cant write this shit no more bye

[avengersandco]

So I stumbled upon a prompt list for august bc apparently its writers month, so i’m gonna try and do it to get back into writing (@writersmonth). While most of the prompts will most likely end up being iron dad, stony, or superfamily, they honestly maybe whatever I feel like that day in the MCU. But yeah, here we go!

Found on AO3 here

Word Prompt: Annoyance

Tony could tell that something was off the moment Peter walked into the lab. Instead of his usual “Hi Mr. Stark!” as he walked up to his mentor to see what Tony was working on, all he got was a small ‘hey’ as Peter threw his backpack on the couch before sitting on it as well.

“Hey kiddo, how was school today?” 

“Boring as usual. Can you please talk to May about letting me graduate early?”

“Nope. We’ve had this conversation before. It’s not my place to comment and I happen to agree with her,” Tony reminded him, looking back at Peter who was glaring at him from the couch. “Wanna come work on my suit with me?”

“Can’t. Got homework,” Peter mumbled, turning to his backpack to pull stuff out. Tony shrugged, turning back to his work as well, turning the music back on. Neither of them talked for a little bit, both wrapped up in there work, when Peter spoke up, a harsh tone in his voice.

“Can you turn off the music. It’s annoying as hell.”

While he didn’t really consider ‘hell’ cursing, Tony wasn’t used to hearing Peter say it.

“Yeah, of course. Everything okay though?”

“I’m fine,” Peter snapped, turning back to his homework.

The kid was a bit hit or miss when it came to the music playing while he worked, but he always asked politely, knowing that Tony preferred it the other way. Not that Tony minded turning it off for the kid, but still. He decided to ignore the attitude the teenager was showing, for now, but still choosing to pay a bit more attention to Peter working to see if he could figure out what was wrong.

Tony didn’t have to wait long for another mini outburst to happen though. Dum-e had been rolling around, helping Tony with some tools and stuff, but now the robot was just wandering around. He eventually found his way to Peter, trying to get the teenagers attention. Unfortunately for Peter, Dum-e only really understood clear verbal commands, so Peter’s shooing him away and angry mumbles weren’t really doing much. Tony was about to call Dum-e away when Peter beat him to it.

“Go the fuck away!” Peter shouted at the poor robot.

“Hey!” Peter looked back at him, first looking a little taken aback by the shout, then glaring again. Tony was finally done with Peter’s attitude. He was going to get to the bottom of it and now. “First of all, watch the language. Second, that was rude, apologize to Dum-e.”

Peter gave him a look like Tony he had three heads. 

“It’s a robot, and it was annoying and not leaving me alone.”

“And you’ve been rude and coping an attitude since you’ve got here. So apologize to him and tell me why you’re acting this way.” Tony said as he walked to the couch where Peter was sitting. Peter just glared at him, closing his laptop before crossing his arms and glaring forward, refusing to look at Tony. Now it was Tony’s turn to roll his eyes.

“Is it spider-man or something at school? Have you slept and eaten en-”

“Can’t I just be in a shitty mood for no reason!” Peter snapped, turning towards Tony. “I’m a teenager! We’re moody, and can be cranky, and people are allowed to have bad days for no reason! It doesn’t mean something is wrong or that I can’t take care of myself!”

Part of Tony understood what Peter was saying. It could get frustrating when people wouldn’t respect his bad mood. He wanted to dwell, and just accept that bad days sometimes happened for no reason. However, the healthy part of him, the part of him that had gone to a number of therapists throughout the years, currently seeing a therapist regularly, knew that deep down, there was always a reason for a bad day. They don’t just happen because of off days, something is always eating away at a person having a bad day, whether it's conscious or subconscious.

“You’re right, you’re allowed to have a bad day for no reason, but sometimes things exacerbate it, and fixing them can make the day a little less bad. So, first of all, take a deep breath because I am not the enemy here and I will not be talked to that way.” Tony explained calmly. Peter looked like he was about to argue for a moment, but soon turned away from Tony, let out a sigh, and took a few deep breaths. After a couple of minutes, he turned back Tony, look a bit less ready to kill someone.

“Thank you. Now, how much did you sleep last night, and when was the last time you ate.”

“Ummm, I had a toast with peanut butter and banana for breakfast this morning, but I overslept and didn’t have time to make lunch this morning. And I didn’t go to bed until around 4am, so I think I got a bit over three hours of sleep.” Tony had to bite his tongue to keep from snapping at his mentee, knowing that wouldn’t help the situation.

“Why didn’t you buy lunch? And why were you even up that late? Was it because of spider-man beca-”

“I haven’t gone on patrol for the past three days.”

That, Tony wasn’t expecting. Peter didn’t go out on patrol every day, but if he missed a day he always went the next day. Three days in a row was a lot for him to skip, not unless there was some outside factor playing into it.

“I’m not grounded or injured or anything,” Peter said before Tony could ask. “I just have this big research paper for English that’s been stressing me out. Like, minimum of 20 pages and 5 academic articles big.”

“Did you procrastinate or something? You’re usually pretty good about that sort of thing.”

“That’s the thing! We only got it a little over a week ago and it’s not even due for over a month! But we have to get our topic approved, and have at least 3 academic articles, and the last day to do all of that is tomorrow.”

“So what’s the problem? There’s plenty of research out there and you love reading journal articles. Why not something on spiders.” Tony was really struggling to see the problem when he knew his kid loved learning things more than any other person he knew.

“It has to be based on a humanities or social science topic. No hard sciences. And I had a topic that my teacher liked, but she said it was way too broad, but now I can’t find enough research to support a smaller topic,” Peter explained, looking close to tears from his frustration, and starting to speak more quickly. “And I was going to go talk to her today during lunch, but she was out so I went to the library to try and work on it some more. But that’s why I haven’t been on patrol because all my time has gone to trying to figure out a smaller topic and I keep changing the topic slightly to try and find enough articles except there’s never enough. And now I’m probably going to get marked down or get detention for not having this part of the assignment turned in and then I’m gonna fall apart on the rest of the paper.”

Tony’s heart wanted to break for the kid. Peter wasn’t one to struggle much academically, so this probably wasn’t something he was used too. But Tony also knew that it wasn’t something that a little problem solving wouldn’t be able to fix.

“Yeah, that sounds frustrating kiddo. Research can be finicky sometimes. What was your original topic on?”

Peter looked at him for a minute, cheeks getting a little pink, and voice just loud enough for Tony to hear.

“The impact of superheroes on society.” Tony wanted to laugh when he heard what Peter said. Not because it was a bad topic, it was actually a very interesting and important topic, especially when they didn’t really exist until about 10 years ago. But Tony definitely saw where his teacher was coming from. That was too big of a topic for any one paper, for a PhD dissertation or a study on it’s own, let alone a 16 year old just trying to write a paper for his AP english class.

“That is a huge topic, buddy. But I can imagine that there isn’t much research on it in general.”

“There’s barely any! And it’s too late to change my topic and it’s really one of the only things I can think of that I’m interested in, and I just don’t know what to do.”

“Well the topic hasn’t even been approved so it’s definitely not too late to change the topic, but also I think you have a really interesting topic. Have you talked to your teacher about how you’re struggling with this? Well, actually, first is she an understanding teacher or is she usually more of a stickler for rules and deadlines.” Peter shook his head.

“Nah, she’s really understanding most of the time as long as you haven’t abused her kindness. That’s what I was going to talk to her about today at lunch though, so I could get some help with doing the topic.”

“So assuming you’ve been pretty good in this class and haven’t abused her kindness,” Peter shook his head when Tony gave him a pointed glare, “Then I think we have a good place to start with emailing your teacher and seeing if you can get a bit of an extension. Then we can eat, you can probably take a little nap, and finally, I can help you look for some articles so you can narrow down your topic. And even if we don’t figure out a topic, you should go out on patrol for a little bit tonight. Not long because you haven’t slept enough, but an hour or two won’t kill you, and it’ll be good to release some of the stress instead of just letting it bottle up. How does that sound?”

Peter smiled for the first time that day, making Tony smile as well. “Yeah, that sounds pretty good.”

“Perfect. You get started on that email while I order some pizza.”

[svaturns]

hiii everyone!! i’ve just gotten back from a mini hiatus i put myself on while i got myself settled into the near year and i’m ready to start plotting out some things with people!! i’ve been reading a lot these past few months and would love plots based on a few book’s i’ve read!! if you’re interested in any or want any further explanation of some plots, just give this a like and i’ll come to you!

from lukov with love by mariana zapata | rivals to friends to lovers; two figure skaters that have always been at odds with each other (one was actually secretly in love with the other hehe) decide to pair up for the season and encouragement and cuteness ensues. if you’ve seen spinning out on netflix, it’s briefly like that!!!

the hating game by sally thorne | rivals to lovers; two publisher assistants for the same group that had always taunted each other compete to get a promotion and become the boss of one another. they fall in love and swoon. 

charlotte holmes series by brittany cavallaro | friends to lovers; two descendants of the holmes & watson lineage (doesn’t have to be that for the plot, maybe just two wannabe detectives or whatever) meet each other and get tangled in webs of mystery and solve crimes, no matter the consequences to each other. - this plot works well with my muse wren, as i’ve based her on charlotte holmes!

addicted series by krista and becca ritchie | childhood friends to lovers, fake dating; two affluent college students that have known each other since they were kids are fake dating to hide their unhealthy vices from their families. meanwhile, they’ve both been dumb and madly in love with each other and confessions happen and blah blah they start to date and realize they have to get better and stop hiding from their families. - this plot also works well with my muse gia because i’ve based her on this plot!

kiss the sky by krista and becca ritchie | rivals to lovers; two affluent, know-it-all college students that have always been academic rivals since high school start dating. one muse is really closed off and doesn’t understand the concept of loving someone and uses people for their business connections rather than for normal interaction ad respect. the other muse just cant lose the other, despite that they believe their significant other can never love them. 

anything you can do by r.s. grey | rivals to lovers; two muses have always been rivals, ever since they met when they were younger. they move on in their lives after high school graduation until they both arrive back after graduating med school and both being offered the same position at their hometown’s medical practice. they both compete to take over ownership after their boss reveals they’re retiring and handing over the practice to one of them. there was a cute subplot that one of them was always secretly in love with the other and wrote them cute lil emails that were never sent all during college :( <3

after the kiss by lauren layne | idk what the trope is considered??; one muse is a popular women’s magazine columnist whose articles make her nyc’s queen of flings. she has never been in love and usually dip before it gets too serious but when she gets assigned an assignment that tackles serious relationships, she can’t back down from the test. the other is a business man who always settles down but is trying to prove to his friends he can date casually. he doesn’t realize that the other is in it for the long haul, or at least until the article is over. lots of angsty stuff that makes me BREATHE and cute moments, loosely like the plot of how to lose a guy in ten days but reversed kinda??? ahhhh - this works well with my vira muse because i’ve also based her a bit on this plot!

[outofnewjersey]

Start Spreading The News |College!Shawn AU

Summary: You meet Shawn at a bar/club, then walk to a cafe and talk all night. A few weeks later he’s taking the summer Jounalism course you’re the TA for.

Word Count: 2,212

Warnings: None

A/N: Hi Shawnblr!! This is my first fic ever! I’ve spent a lot of time working on this piece, I hope it shows.💕

Part 1

You really didn’t feel like going out. You just wanted to stay home in your fuzzy pjs, eat popcorn, and watch a murder documentary. Yet, your best friend had bigger plans.

It was 9:30PM when you heard a knock at your door. You decided to ignore it and get settled on the couch. The knock got louder and then you heard your friends voice from the other side.

“Y/N it’s Kelly open the door! I know you’re in there!” I groaned as I stood up from the couch, I walked up to the door wrapped in a blanket. I opened the door to Kelly in a mini dress and heels just as high as my expectations in a man. She looks me up and down somewhat annoyed as she lets herself in. I close the door as I roll my eyes and turn back to walk to the couch. As I sit down Kelly is staring at me.

“Y/N what are you doing? It’s Saturday night! We’re going out!” She said as she sat down next to me.

“No we’re not I’m getting ready to watch the Ted Bundy documentary I told you about!” I replied sass clear in my voice. Kelly looked me up and down, I have a messy bun and my glasses on as well as my fuzzy pj pants, a T-shirt, and a blanket wrapped around me.

“No Y/N we’re going out! I’m not letting you stay cooped up in here all night!” Kelly said as she made her way to my room. I groaned and rolled my eyes as I followed behind her. She whipped open my closet to pick out an outfit. I plopped on my bed and just stared at her.

“Kelly, seriously I’d rather just stay in tonight. I’m not in the mood, and just look at it outside! It’s supposed to storm soon!” I said as I pushed up my glasses looking toward the window hearing the rain fall on the fire escape. She already had 2 outfit options in her hand. She threw them at me as she went to the bathroom to grab my makeup bag. I groaned in annoyance as Kelly made her way back with my makeup bag. She rolled her eyes at me and asked “Did you pick what you’re wearing yet?!”

I looked down at the clothes in my lap, Kelly had picked out 2 dresses. A little black strapless dress and another dress similar in blue. I sighed and looked up at her. “The only way I’m going with you tonight is if I’m wearing jeans.” I said flatly hoping she would argue, disagree, and go by herself. Luckily for me she agreed and was so happy I “changed my mind about going out.”

It was now 11:15PM when the rain finally let up and we made our way to the bar a few blocks from my apartment. I ended up wearing minimal makeup despite Kelly’s protest. As well as high-waisted jeans with a Yankees T-shirt and an Adidas windbreaker. Just incase it’s going to rain/storm some more like the weatherman said it would, but you never know. I mean, it’s New York. We finally got to the bar after what felt like forever. Kelly wasn’t missing a beat despite her ridiculously huge heels, she practically dragged me inside. When we walked up to the bar Kelly grabbed one of the bartenders attention and ordered.

“I’ll have a cranberry vodka!” Kelly said with a smile.

“Sure thing! Coming right up.” The bartender replied as she took Kelly’s order. I immediately recognized her voice.

“Zoraida?!” I say excitedly looking up over the bar.

“Oh my god! Y/N! Hi! Long time no see!” Zoraida replied with a smirk as she walked away to grab the bottle of vodka. Zoraida is a friend you met in your Biology class 2 semesters ago. She became a good friend and study buddy, but with your two crazy schedules you weren’t able to see each other much recently. Zoraida handed Kelly her drink, but before Kelly could grab you to scout out the place for cute guys you told her you were going to catch up with Zoraida. You told her you’d find her later as she walked away toward the dance floor. Zoraida made her way toward you as you leaned against the wall at the end of the bar.

“Would you like anything to drink Y/N?” Zoraida asked leaning closer so you could hear her better. “A water would be great!” You said with a smile.

Zoraida sat down the glass in front of you and said, “So what’s been up with you? We haven’t had the chance to talk in a few weeks!” After taking a sip of the water you nodded and said, “I know! Since the semester ended Professor Sanders asked me to be his TA for his summer Journalism 101 class at NYU. Even though the class doesn’t start for another 2 weeks, he’s been driving me crazy! He’s given me lesson plans and notes for the class already. He’s even made me create some of the assignments!”

Zoraida was about to reply, but she looked behind you with her eyes open so wide they looked like they were going to pop out. “Hottie 12 o’clock!” Was all she said as she walked back to the other end of the bar. My own eyes went wide at the realization a guy was about to come up and talk to me. I quickly calmed down as I felt his presence next to me.

“You like the Yankees, eh?” The stranger said with a smirk.

“Yes, and you like the Blue Jays.” I replied with an expectant look in my eyes, while holding back a smirk.

“How’d you know I like the Jays?” The stranger replied with knitted eyebrows while rubbing the back of his neck cheeks turning rosy.

“Nobody from New York says ‘eh’.” I said with a chuckle. I look up at the stranger meeting his eyes. I felt heat creeping up my face. I’d be lying if I said he wasn’t making me nervous. He was breathtaking with his hazel eyes, curly brown hair, and pearly white smile. He was wearing black jeans and a Calvin Klein hoodie with a leather jacket. He pulled me out of my gaze with an out stretched hand saying, “I’m Shawn!” A blush growing on his face matching mine.

“I’m Y/N!” You say biting your bottom lip holding back a smile as you shake his hand.

After you two release the hand shake, you grab Shawn’s attention starting a conversation. Which was so unlike you, you were on the shyer side; yet something about Shawn drew you to him. “So... what brings you to New York?” You said looking up at him. Despite the dim lighting you couldn’t help but notice his facial features. You noticed everything from how his lips curved to how sharp his jaw was. Shawn reply’s, “I actually go to college here, I go to NYU!”

“Ohhh, that makes sense why I haven’t seen you before!” You said with a smile. “I go to Fordham, and most people that come to this bar go there as well!”

Shawn nodded and said, “Yeah, I had to switch apartments for the summer. My friend Brian, his dad owns the apartment we’re renting and he wanted to fix it up a little bit for us. So, we’re staying around here until it’s done!”

Shawn smiled while looking around the room. He adverts back to you and says, “Would you like to go somewhere quiet? We can go to the cafe across the street?” You were a little shocked to say the least, but you happily agreed. You both got up from the bar and headed for the door, Shawn with his hand on you shoulder so he wouldn’t lose you through the crowd. You had forgot you came with Kelly, hopefully Zoraida will let her know you had left.

Walking into the cafe you offer to wait in line, but Shawn said he would and asked for you order. While he was online you went and found a booth. Shawn returned with your coffee as well as one for himself.

You talked for what felt like hours. The two of you talked about anything and everything, you eventually got to the topic of your majors plus the stories behind them. You explained your lame story about how you feel in love with the Yankees and baseball which lead to you wanting to be a journalist. You explained how you would write down all the hits, and important moments of the game. You would then make it into an essay, which sat on the kitchen table waiting for your dad to read with his morning coffee.

Shawn admired how you knew so much about the game and the teams starting at such a young age. You just blushed and gave all the credit to the New York Daily News and New York Post sports sections, but Shawn wouldn’t let it go.

“Y/N seriously I bet your articles are amazing!” Shawn said looking out the window. You didn’t have the courage to look up at him with your face turning into a tomato, yet you managed to mumble “Thanks.” Shawn then looked back at you with a smirk like a light bulb went off in his head. He took his phone out of his pocket and went on Google.

“What are you doing?!” You asked with a curious smile. “I’m looking up your articles from Fordams newspapers website, duh!” Shawn said with a laugh as he pulled up the link. “Shhaawwwwwnnnn!!” You whined as you face palmed. “What? I wanna see how good of a story teller you are!” Shawn beamed looking up at you from over his phone.

You rolled you eyes trying to hide the smile creeping on your face. Shawn started to read the headline of your latest article. “Bed Bugs at Lincoln Center, McKeon Hall.” Shawn looked up at you with shock all over his face and said, “Oh shit, are you kidding?” You started giggling and said, “Nope! I even had to go there and interview people, I even had to bring the photographer with me!” Shawn just looked at you in disbelief that you actually had to go inside the building.

“I was so creeped out and scared one of the little suckers would jump in my purse or something!” You added with a giggle. “I mean they are tiny, and yeah they’re gross. Maybe one did jump in your purse without you noticing.” Shawn said with a smirk and a shrug of his shoulders. You shook your head trying to hide the smile that appeared on your face looking anywhere but at him. Something about Shawn made you feel like you could be you. Unlike how you normally act around new people. You were always so shy at first which you never understand with being a journalist. You tried to think of what drew you to him, maybe it was his aura and energy? After shaking yourself out of your thoughts you decided to ask Shawn the story behind his major.

Shawn was happy to start telling his story, his eyes lit up to a beautiful golden brown despite the dim lighting. You could see how much passion he had for his major just through his eyes, and he hasn’t even started talking. Shawn explained, “I knew I wanted to do something with music, but it became clear while on a family vacation to Portugal when I was younger. It was my first time there, we were visiting my dads side of the family. We were in the middle of the city and I just randomly decided to start singing. I never truly understood why, but I just knew it was something I needed to do.”

Another hour passed by and you never realized it had started raining. “Oh no Shawn, it’s raining!” You said staring out the window. You then checked the time, 2AM. “Shawn, it’s getting late we should get back home.” You said disappointed. “Of course Y/N! Let me walk you home.”

So, there you were running down the street in the pouring rain with Shawn only a block away from your apartment. You couldn’t stop giggling. You would catch a glimpse of each other behind your hoods, quickly looking away with smiles on our faces. You just shook your head keeping your thoughts to yourself, on how much you hoped you’d see him again. The thought slipped your mind when you finally got to the front door of your building. You turned and asked Shawn if he wanted to come. He was just as soaked as you were. He politely declined and said “Thank you Y/N, but I should get home. I’m actually only another block from here!” You nodded and thanked him for the coffee and being great company. Shawn gave you a huge smile and a hug to your surprise, but you happily returned the gesture. He then waved goodbye and said he’d see you around.

Boy did you hope you would.

————————————————-

Authors Note:

I hope you all enjoyed Part 1!! It would mean the world if you could reblog and share with your friends! I’m currently working on part 2, please comment if you’d like to be apart of the tag list!💕

[nctloveclub]

lie to me

pairing | nakamoto yuta x reader

prompt | based off ‘lie to me’ by 5 seconds of summer ; idol reader!au

genre | angst ; mentions of cheating!!

words | 2.1k

Everything reminded you of Yuta to the point where it was annoying. Everywhere you went the littlest things reminded you of the guy who broke your heart. You had broken up almost a year but you couldn’t find yourself getting over him.

You remembered seeing the godforsaken article. You had just got home from practice and you just wanted to relax. You took a brisk shower and changed into more comfy clothes. You were gonna go message Yuta to see if he could call but was met with a bunch of tweets and sympathetic messages from friends.

You furrowed your brows in confusion, quickly opening Twitter. You were met with an article that read “Nakamoto Yuta With Mystery Girl?” You quickly read it, knowing that you haven’t seen Yuta in a couple of days.

Your relationship with Yuta wasn’t public, the both of you deciding it would be best that way. The first couple months felt like a dream. The two of you were happy, but it was exhausting sneaking around from the public. Maybe the relationship was destined to fail, but in the moment it felt right.

You and Yuta laid in king sized bed, the two of you tangled up inbetween the sheets. Your head laid on his bare chest and you could hear the calm beating of his heart. You looked up to see Yuta already looking at you. You see him smile brightly at you, which you also return. You move up to press a kiss to his soft lips.

You break the kiss, the two of you slowly catching your breath. You lay back down, intertwining your fingers with his. “I’m gonna have to leave soon.” You speak, seeing Yuta pout at your words. “Why can’t you just stay with me?” He whines and you laugh at his childishness.

“Because I have to work and I’m having a comeback soon you dork.” Yuta rolls his eyes at your words, “Just reschedule your flight. Stay with me please.” He whispers, pressing a kiss to your knuckles. You contemplate staying but your mind is made up once you look into his eyes. His eyes were beautiful, and you found it hard to say no to him.

You let out a dramatic sigh, “Fine. I guess i’ll stay with you.” Yuta smiles brightly once again and moves you up to wrap his arms around you. You lay your face at the crook of his neck and place soft kisses on his skin. “I love you.” Yuta murmurs into your head.

“I love you too.”

His words felt like a lie. You remember seeing all the sad messages from your close friends.

“I’m sorry y/n.” “I can’t believe that dickhead.” “You deserve so much better.”

It felt like a punch in the face at the time. You quickly exited Twitter and furiously texted Yuta.

To the loml <3: [20:07]

what the fuck is this?

is this true?

[link attachment]

From the loml <3: [20:09]

I’m sorry y/n

I was gonna tell you

To the loml <3: [20:09]

forget about it

we’re through

goodbye yuta

That was the last thing you’ve ever said to Yuta. The other members had tried to reach out to you but you always replied half heartedly. You felt bad, they didn’t do anything wrong. But you knew if you kept in touch you’d most definitely see Yuta and you couldn’t put yourself through that.

After the article was released, you’d seen another a month later.

“Nakamoto Yuta Announces His Relationship!”

You burst into tears after reading it, seeing everyone be so supportive of it. Why couldn’t he announce his relationship with you? How could he? You wiped your tears away and continued to work on your music. The room was quiet except for the constant ‘ding’ coming from your phone. Just seeing the sympathetic messages brought you back to tears.

Yuta had broken your heart but you couldn’t bring yourself to hate him.

Now here you are, sitting on your bed with papers scattered all over it. It had been months since your last comeback and everyone noticed your sudden change in appearance and mood. But you finished promotions and decided to go on a short hiatus, to the dismay of your fans.

You had written some songs during the hiatus, all of them referencing your relationship with Yuta. You really did try to get over it but it was tough. NCT was getting more popular and you literally started seeing his face everywhere. You kept in touch with some members though. Johnny and Mark occasionally checked up on you.

So now you were in a slump and your company wanted you to have a comeback. The songs you had written were all love songs and it made you angry. What had gone wrong with your relationship with Yuta? Was it something you did?

You decided to scroll through social media and you noticed a picture that appeared on your timeline. It was a picture of Yuta and his girlfriend. The one that he had cheated on you with. You feel yourself getting angry and your eyes start to tear up.

You quickly jotted down lyrics and decided that this song wasn’t gonna be a love song.

A couple of months had passed and your mini album had just been released. Your feedback to the album was mostly positive and multiple articles had started appearing about you.

“Who is Y/N singing about in song ‘Lie To Me’?”

Soon you had to go to broadcasts and sing your song live. You were partially excited, since you were singing your new song, but you found out NCT 127 was also gonna attend. It was gonna be a long night.

You arrived at Inkigayo and walked the red carpet. The flash was blinding and quickly made your way to your assigned table. You stop in your tracks when you spot a familiar face. You see Yuta nearby, his arm wrapped around his girlfriend. You see him turn around and his eyes meet yours.

Your heart nearly stops and you quickly turn around, making your way to your seat. You try to steal quick glances towards Yuta–who was sitting two tables away from you–but he doesn’t look twice.

It’s nearing your performance of Lie to Me and you’re fucking nervous. This was the first time you’re performing it live and the person you wrote it about is sitting in the crowd.

You hear the MCs announce your name and you’re quick to move. You make your way to the microphone and the band starts to play.

I saw you looking brand new overnight

I caught you looking, too, but you didn't look twice

You look happy

You look happy

Your eyes move over the crowd, and you could feel Yuta’s eyes burning into you. You quickly avert your eyes to anywhere but him.

Flashing back to New York City

Changing flights so you'd stay with me

Remember thinking that I got this right

The memory flashes in Yuta’s mind and he finds himself smiling, but the smile is gone as quick as it came.

Now I wish we'd never met

'Cause you're too hard to forget

While I'm cleaning up your mess

I know you’re taking off her dress

And I know that you don't

But if I ask you if you love me

I hope you li-li-li-lie

Lie to me

Yuta wasn’t dumb. He realized that the song was about him the moment he heard it. But seeing you sing it live, right in front of him, made it feel different.

It's three A.M. and the moonlight's testing me

If I can make it 'til dawn then it won't be hard to see

That I ain't happy

I ain't too happy

Your eyes are starting to feel glossy and you think almost everyone can notice. They probably think that it’s part of the act. But your eyes land on Yuta again and he’s staring right at you.

Flashing back to New York City

Changing flights so you'd stay with me

Problem was I thought I had this right

Yuta knows that your tears are real, that the emotion is actually real. No one knew that this song was about him. And now he saw how much he really affected you. Your eyes meet his and you quickly look away, but Yuta can’t help the slight pang he felt in his heart.

Now I wish we'd never met

'Cause you're too hard to forget

While I'm cleaning up your mess

I know you’re taking off her dress

And I know that you don't

But if I ask you if you love me

I hope you li-li-li-lie

Lie to me

Yuta feels his heart getting heavy and he can’t help the guilt he feels. He feels guilty for cheating and he wishes he never did. He wished he acted like an adult and told you. But he couldn’t go back. ‘Why are you so guilty now?’ He asks himself, but he can’t answer the question. He doesn’t think he can ever answer it.

Yuta couldn’t deny the guilt because he knew that he deserves it. He couldn’t deny that he still had feelings for you.

Singin'

Li-li-li-lie, li-li-li-li-li-lie

Li-li-li-li-li-lie, li-li-li-li-li-lie

Yuta feels himself look away from you, turning towards his girlfriend who was invested into the song. Yuta places his hands on top of hers and she turns to give him a bright smile. Yuta forces a smile back but couldn’t help the feeling of longing in his heart.

And I know that you don't

But if I ask you if you love me

I hope you li-li-li-lie

Lie to me

You finish the song and you could feel the tears that fell from your eyes. You hear everyone clap and you bow multiple times before leaving the stage. You quickly wipe your tears and make your way to the closest restroom.

You decided to let your manager that you were gonna leave early. You were glad they didn’t ask why and ten minutes later you were on your way home. You entered your apartment and went to go shower.

After you changed and decided to eat dinner, ordering some food from your phone. You sit on your couch wrapped in blankets and watch a movie, waiting for your food to arrive.

Thirty minutes later you hear a knock on your door. You rush to open the door and your heart stops at the sight. Yuta is standing at your door, his girlfriend nowhere to be seen.

“Y/n-“ You quickly go to shut the door but he catches it. “Please let me in.”

“Why should I? What are you doing here?” You ask angrily. “Please let me in.” He pleads, giving you sad eyes, something that you couldn’t ever deny. You let him in and he goes to sit on your couch. You slowly make your way towards him, sitting a reasonable distance away from him.

“What are you doing here?” You ask timidly. Yuta moves to bring you into arms, pulling you into a hug. He buries his face into your shoulder, murmuring quietly. “What?” You ask, trying to pull away from him.

“I miss you.” You freeze at his words. You feel several emotions at once. You feel anger first. How could he miss you when he was the one that left? He cheated and broke your heart, he doesn’t get to miss you.

You feel confusion next. Then you feel sadness. You break down into tears at his words and he’s quick to comfort you. “You’re an asshole Yuta.” You whisper, wiping away your tears.

“I know. I’m sorry. I miss you so much.” He speaks. “Why now? You seemed better off without me.”

“Don’t say that y/n. She was never you. I heard your song when it first came out and I never realized how much I really hurt you and it killed me seeing like this.” He pauses to wipe the stray tear that fell. “I miss you so much Y/n. I still love you.”

You wrapped your arms Yuta and the two of you laid on your couch, which was not big enough for the two of you. You laid on top of Yuta, your face at the crook of his neck. His hands rubbed smooth circles on your back and you fingers interlocked with his.

You feel yourself getting sleepy and you eyelids start to close. “What about your girlfriend?” You ask. “We’ll talk in the morning.” Was the last thing you heard from Yuta before you fell asleep.

The two of you slept peacefully. It felt comfortable. It felt natural. You felt safe in Yuta’s arms and Yuta felt at home with you. You could only hope for so much the next morning. But for now, everything was fine.

[inthepantheon]

Where is the Party?

I didn’t want to, but I eventually decided to open one eye, and then the other, and then looked around in the dusty tomb. I sat up slowly, trying to shake the cobwebs from my mind, then stretched languidly with a big groan. “Ohhhh, my head,” I said to myself just to be sure I could still talk. “I don’t know who, but someone definitely spiked the punch last night.” Donning my sandals and reaching for my thyrsos, I walked over to the table, picked up my ivy crown, and placed it on my head crookedly. Who cares about isometry, after all? Not me. Looking around, I let out a soft laugh that turned into a cackle in the next breath and eventually died into a cough. I made my way outside to the narrow street and took a few steps before a lot of yelling was directed my way, followed by a trumpeting bellow. Turning, I had barely enough time to side-step the laden elephant lumbering down the street. “Oh great,” I said out loud, adding an eye-roll, “I must be in India again. No wonder the bike lanes are on the wrong side of the street. Leave it to me to get plastered in a place where the only alcohol they sell is the rubbing kind.” I laughed heartily at my own joke until I ran out of breath and then leaned heavily on my thyrsos. Slowly—every step took me closer to the edge of the village—and a few more steps after that led me into the woods. Once safe in the darkness of the forest, I swayed for a few seconds and thudded my thyrsos against the ground three times. I waited with my eyes closed, quiet and unmoving. A few minutes passed when suddenly everything around me went quiet. There was no more chirping and no more rustling about. Another silent moment passed before the reason for the hush announced itself with a low but powerful growl.  Opening one eye, and then the other, I smiled broadly and did a little jig at the massive male panther standing in front of me. He gave me a bored look, licking his maw. Looking the huge beautiful cat in the eyes, I made a circular motion with my index finger, pointing down. The large beast gave me a look, and I swore he rolled its eyes at me! A few seconds passed before the panther gave up with a snort and turned his back.  “You better turn around…” I returned the panther’s snort and reached out to scratch behind his ears. Heaving a leg over his back, I slid down close to his haunches, getting comfortable. I leaned forward a bit and grabbed him by the scruff of the neck. “To the airport, Jeeves,” I said with a chortle, “I have family that isn’t expecting me.” The panther rolled his eyes at me for real this time, but I ignored the gesture. Moving along with the gait of the beast, I closed my eyes, trusting the cat’s sense of direction. I thought back on times of old...times of very old. The call of Olympus had not reached out to me for a long time…until recently. I couldn’t guess at what this calling I had felt the past months was all about. All I knew was that I had avoided it long enough, and it had gotten to the point where it was drowning all the other voices in my head.  When I opened my eyes, I was already standing where I wanted to be standing: in front of one of the many sliding-door entrances to the airport. I walked in with a mumble, leaning on my thyrsos, and made my way to the kiosk. I stared the tired-looking employee in the eyes. “I would like one ticket to Athens, please. Yes, the original one. None of the copies they made ages later. And of course, I want it to be first class. That’s where you get wine for free, isn’t it? Tell them to stock up on extra bottles of red. What’s that? Name? Dionysos. Yes, like the god. Last name? Don’t have one. I’m like…Cher, but prettier. No. What makes you think I was kidding? Do you take a check?”  The ride on the plane was a mix between drool-on-myself-more-than-usual boring and tear-my-beard-out-and-feed-it-to-someone annoying. Things started off well enough after the whole check-in fiasco...the airlines do not take checks. I am not in the mood to rehash that nonsense. Since when is a piece of paper with the name of a god on it, worthless? I bet if my name were Justin Bieber, she would have accepted the check. I really need to work on my celebrity status! The person assigned to serve me in first class was a tiny little thing with smooth sepia-toned skin, straight raven-black hair, and the most beautiful pale green eyes. The tag pinned to her vest read Shiree, but after the third time I blurted out a bit too loud for everyone’s liking, “More wine, sweet Cherry!” She walked up to me, puckered her lips, and narrowed her eyes, asking me politely to call her “Stewardess.” Two hours into the flight, after her eighteenth trip to my seat for more wine, she finally resigned to me calling her “Bartender.” She did threaten me once by telling me she’d have the flight marshal put me in handcuffs, but backed off when I waggled my eyebrows at her and told her she could use my set if she wanted. As we began our final approach and started getting ready to land, I looked out the window. It took me a minute to register that I was nowhere near the water south of the city, but further west, past the hills where Pallene used to be back in the day. I laughed to myself, and Cherry, the Bartender, gave me a stern look from her temporary seat, all buckled up. I gave her the stink-eye in reply and looked back out the window. A new airport out in the middle of nowhere would make it a lot easier for me to find transportation a la Dionysos. As soon as we landed, I walked through the gates and out the doors.  Suddenly, the trip I dreaded so much is filling me with excitement, and I can’t figure out why.  Leaning on my thyrsos, I turned right, walked past the overpass leading to the parking lot, and kept going until my feet touched earth. I am not going to lie. As soon as I smelled the open air, saw the pine trees sway, and heard the cicadas chirping in the sun, my heart quickened. My lips tried to repeat out loud what my heart told my brain to say. “It has been too lo…” was all I got out before a tear escaped my right eye and trickled down to water my beard. Before I knew it, I was on my knees, bawling, like the time sweet Ikarios was taken from us sooner than expected. Steadying myself on my thyrsos, I jabbed at the earth with my left thumb, where my tears fell and murmured softly. Finally making it back up to my feet, I looked around and realized that no one had noticed me. Walking under the bright sun, I headed for the closest thatch of trees. When in the shadows, I turned back to the path I took and cackled in delight at the small vine that popped out of the ground, right where my tears had fallen. Those grapes will be sour to eat, but they will make a hell of a retsina…if anyone bothers to cultivate them. Hidden in the small forest, I closed my eyes, trying to concentrate as much as my brain would allow. I pounded my thyrsos into the ground three times and waited, unmoving. I tried to picture a bull, or even better yet, a donkey. Even though I was not in the city, I was close enough that I would be lucky if I could summon a chicken. Another few minutes passed, and sweat started to roll down my back. Just when I was about to give up and go look for a taxi, I heard a low growl. For the second time in minutes, I found myself on my knees again, but this time laughing like a toddler. “What in all the Mavrodaphne grapes of Patra are you doing here?” I asked the very same panther that answered my summons thousands of miles away. I headbutted him while tickling him right under his jaw. His bright emerald eyes looked back at me and blinked once, then he moved to lick the hand that was still holding on to my thyrsos. I patted him on the head and smiled. “Don’t think that showing up here will excuse you for giving me attitude, mourgo mou,” I admonished the cat which of course, scared him so much that he yawned and gave me a bored look.  I laughed one more time and snapped my fingers. “That’s it! That will be your name from now on! Mourgo you shall be! Oh, hey now…” I snatched back my hand before the ungrateful panther bit it off after a loud growl. I waited a few seconds for Mourgo to get over himself before I looked him in the eyes and made the same circular motion with my index finger pointing down. The cat openly rolled his eyes at me again but turned around to let me sit. A minute later, I was perched, and I concentrated on daddy dearest. Mourgo started a slow, steady walk, while I closed my eyes and trusted my bond with the panther to get me where I wanted to go, once again. When I opened my eyes, I stood where I was supposed to be standing, but not where I was expecting to be standing since I thought I’d be standing a lot higher up from where I was standing right then. And that made my head hurt as if I was suffering from brain freeze. I could sense the power of the immortals, but…not from where I expected. “Wait a second…I’m not on the mountaintop…” I stood on a small hill under the shadow of the mountain I knew so well. Sprawled in front of me, I saw what looked like a brand new mini-city with patches of homes and stores and streets and cars. In between them, a huge tower that stretched up and up and up.  I whistled and then heaved a big sigh as my neck craned up the shining tower, designed with as much pomp and circumstance as the family could muster. I rolled my eyes and started mumbling to myself as I made my way toward the big tower.  “Some things never change. Now I know where the party is. Leave it up to Daddio to make the new place look like a big…”   Read the full article

[freespiritdani]

"But I didn't mean for this to happen..." Part 1 of 2

NOTE: I teach AP English at a high school in the USA. When I began this class this semester, I gave my class an assignment to write a fan fiction essay based on their favorite story, movie, show, or game. All but one of my students are Choices fans and wrote accordingly, Two of them (my daughter and my daughter-in-law) decided to team up and write one 2-part story. They gave me permission to share it here.

The story: The Senior, with parts inspired by The Haunting Of Braidwood Manor

The Pairing: Becca X MC (Alex)

The time: 7 years after MC graduated from Hartfeld

The premise: Assumes that Becca did not follow MC to London and try to reconcile the relationship.

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

Becca walked into Fenton''s Bar in Northbridge and sat in a booth at the rear of the bar. It was the same booth where a beautiful redhead had taken everything Becca thought she knew about life and love and knocked it into a cocked hat.

The waiter came over to the booth and Becca ordered a Scotch and soda. While she was waiting for her drink to arrive, her mind began to wander.

When I first met Alex, I knew we wouldn't get along, Becca thought. She was so beautiful, so smart, she had a body that was so hot that I knew every boy on campus would want her instead of me. She smiled to herself. Took me six months to figure out she was into girls and only girls, and that she was interested in me...and that a woman could satisfy me emotionally and physically better than any man ever did. -- and that lesson began right here in this very booth.

The waiter brought her her drink. She took a sip, then ordered another. A double this time. She was trying to work up the courage to do something she should have done seven years ago...go to Alex and beg forgiveness for being such a selfish bitch when she transferred to a law school in California without even talking to Alex about it. It had caused such a fight that Alex left her. And instead of going after Alex, Becca immersed herself in school, then her career.

I drove away the only person that ever made me truly happy, Becca thought ruefully, and I was so self-centered that I didn't try to stop her. She went on with her life without me, and now she's a best-selling author. Yeah, I may have a great career that's set to go on to greater heights, but what good is it? My life is so empty without her.

The waiter came back to her booth with her double just as she finished her first drink. As she was raising it to her lips, she heard a drunken but familiar voice call out, "Bring me another one, Tracy!"

Becca slowly looked toward the bar. Sitting at the far end of the bar sat the beautiful, sexy redhead that was once her lover.

Oh my god! She's here! Alex is here! What do I do? What do I do???

Becca took a deep breath and got up from the booth. She picked up her drink, walked over to the bar and sat on a stool near where Alex was sitting. Oh God, please don't let me screw this up, she thought, then she spoke.

"Alex?"

Alex looked blurry-eyed in Becca's direction. "Who wants to-- well, well, well, if it ain't Perry Mason with a pussy!" Alex said loudly, the signs of her inebriation showing clearly. "What in the mortal hell are you doing here, Rebecca? Come to rub your glorious successes in my face??"

"Alex, I--" Becca began, but was interrupted.

"Or did you come to just come to show me how wonderful the great Becca Davenport is and how much of a pathetic loser I am?" Alex sneered.

"No, Alex, I just--"

"Seven years! Seven goddam years since you decided that damn West Coast law school was more important to you than the woman who loved you with all she had in her and would do anything in her power to make you happy! Seven motherfucking years since you showed me I was nothing more to you than an easy piece of ass!" Alex yelled at Becca, then she began to cry. "Seven long, miserable, lonely years that I craved your touch...longed to be in your arms...pined away for your love...prayed it was all just a horrible nightmare...but I'd wake up to an empty bed, a hole in my heart the size of Russia, and no you...you have no idea how much that hurts..." she said softly through her tears.

Becca bowed her head, tears starting to roll down her face. She started, "Yes, I--"

Alex rose unsteadily to her feet. "I can't take this! I gotta go!" she said, then made her way to the door.

Becca got to her feet. "Alex! Wait! Please!"

Alex wordlessly opened the door and left, slamming the door behind her. Becca began sobbing. "But I do know how it feels, baby. I do know..."

A few hours later, she was sitting in her hotel room, replaying what happened earlier that evening over and over in her mind. She went to the mini-bar in her room, grabbed a bottle of vodka and took a swig, then set the bottle back down. Getting as plastered as she is won't help matters any, Davenport, she thought to herself.

As she put the bottle down, she heard a knock on the door. She opened it to find Madison standing on the other side. Madison came in.

"Thanks for coming over," Becca said quietly. "I need somebody to talk to."

"What's wrong?" Madison asked.

"I....saw Alex this evening," Becca replied. "I came to town to find her and to talk to her...try to make things right between us..." She walked over and leaned against the balcony doors, gazing out over the city of Northbridge. "She lit into me like a starving pit bull in a meat locker...she wouldn't even listen...I know I deserve it... Maddie, she was the best thing that ever happened to me, and I blew it by letting her go...I'm such a fool...I never should've let her go..."

"Deep down, you still love her and want her back, don't you?" Madison inquired.

"Yes I do. I never stopped loving her," Becca answered. "She was the only person who saw through my tough exterior down to all my weaknesses and insecurities and still wanted me. Despite all my flaws, she still loved me completely. She's the only one who ever made me feel truly loved......but I don't stand a chance to ever have that again because I was such fool..."

"Why don't you call her and tell her what you told me? I'm sure she'll listen," Madison said.

"The way she chewed me up and spit me out, no she won't."

"Call her and see, Becca. Sounds like she feels like you do," Madison told her gently. "What do you have to lose?"

Becca walked over and grabbed her phone. When she brought the screen to life, a notification popped up:

BREAKING NEWS: NOVELIST ALEXANDRA DAY FOUND DEAD IN HER NORTHBRIDGE APARTMENT

Becca dropped her phone in shock. "Oh dear God noooooooooo...." she moaned. "What have I done???" she wailed as she started to cry uncontrollably.

"What's the matter, Becca?" Madison asked with genuine concern.

Becca was silent. She turned and walked slowly toward the balcony door as Madison picked up Becca's phone and saw the notification.

"Oh my God!" Madison said as she clicked on it. She skimmed through the article quickly, found what she was looking for, then called out, "You didn't do anything, Becca. Says here it was a case of acute alcohol pois--.....…Becca?"

Becca wasn't in the room. The balcony door was open. Madison raced to door and called "Becca!!" She peered over the railing...then she slid down to the floor of the balcony, leaning against the railing and sobbing uncontrollably. "Becca, noooooooooo....."

On the sidewalk 18 stories below, a crowd of onlookers began gathering around the spot where the shattered, lifeless body of Rebecca Davenport lay.

[shogan1464]

Readerly Exploration #3 October 9, 2019

Course Reading 1: Miller - Chapter 4: “In October“

The Big Take-Away: Teachers should be involved in the students learning and not just look at it as something that is benefiting them but also look at it as something that is benefitting us as teachers also.

Nugget: What stood out to me while reading was how the book selection is very important for students but also for the teacher.  Debbie Miller talks about how you can’t fake it and it does not matter how great of a lesson you teach on that book because it won’t be perfect unless you connect the book on a personal level with the students. This is a major part of planning the instruction we provide our students because we need them to be able to connect and understand the text.

Course Reading 2: Worthy et. al - “What Are the Rest of the Students Doing? Literacy Work Stations in Two First-Grade Classrooms”

The Big Take-Away: Students need to have meaningful experiences in order to learn and achieve more in the classroom.

Nugget: While reading this article, I found it interesting that the article goes back and forth between the lack of productivity and productivity based upon when the teacher is leading a small group and the rest of the class is working on independent work during that time. I feel like the small groups are needed but at the same time, I can see where students could get off track while the teacher is helping the other students. This was just very interesting because I’m not sure what the solution to this would be.

Readerly Exploration: Engage in the reading process to increase the likelihood of text comprehension (pre-reading, reading, responding, exploring, applying). Before you read, skim the assigned course reading(s) for unfamiliar terms. Then, take the time to look up the definitions of those terms.

In chapter 4, I scanned through the chapter to see if there were any terms that I was unfamiliar with. I did not come across very many with just skimming however, I did look up two words. The first word I looked up was anchor charts. I found that anchor charts provide us with information to support a lesson that the teacher has taught their students or to remind students of procedures, expectations, and routines in the classroom. The second word I decided to look up was not because I didn’t know the word but because I’ve heard this word be used in different contexts and explained many different ways and I wanted to see if I could find an actual definition. I looked up needs-based groups. I found that this is a group of students who are at different ability levels but are experiencing difficulty in the same area. So the teacher pulls together these students and makes a small intervention group.

In the second reading “What Are the Rest of the Students Doing?” I did not find many words I did not know. I decided to look up analytical memos because that is what they used to collect their data and I did not know what that was and I was curious about the authority of the source. When I looked it up I found that it is write-ups or mini-analyses about what you think you are learning during the course of your evaluation. They are typically written during and after the data collection.

By skimming the readings and coming across unfamiliar terms, I was able to understand the text better after I looked up definitions of the terms. Since I knew what these words meant, I was able to think more deeply about what I was reading and think about how I could use these practices within my own teaching and learning.

[k-conner-1016-blog]

Map of The Soul: Persona / Boy With Luv - BTS Although I typically get requests from my fellow students, for this post I decided to discuss a song that has had a larger impact as of late. This post isn't going to be a lyrical analysis, like I've done before, but rather my attempt at explaining the impact this song, album and group has had recently. 'Boy With Luv' (the english title of the track - more on that later) is the title track to South Korean group BTS's most recent mini album, Map of The Soul: Persona- an album that has been popping up all over the US, the internet, and even my own campus. This week I've had multiple professors bring the topic of BTS into their lectures, discussing the group's societal impact in terms of globalization. To quote one Wingate University professor directly- Dr. Jim Coon said - "One of my COMM 110 (Mass Communications) classes chose to study Race and Ethnicity in the Mass Media. Since KPop, has become a global phenomenon, I assigned the students an article to read about the rise of the genere and its parallel to the "British Invasion" of the 1960s. Because BTS has two top hits in Billboard's Hot 100 Top Ten, I showed the "Boy With Luv" video." Speaking of, since the album's release, the music video for the title track has broken two massive streaming records on YouTube. The first being the totalled veiws withing the first 24 hours of release, which tallied at over 74 million. The second record broken,being the fastest video to reach 100 million veiws, which the music video did in less than 48 hours of it's release. Chart wise, the group is making waves as the first non-english group to hit #1 on US music charts this year, as well has holding down one of the largest sales weeks thus far in 2019. More than just the numbers, however, the group is the first South Korean group to actually perform on SNL (the video above), at the American Music Awards, and at the Billboard Music Awards. In fact, the group is set to return to the Billboard stage for a second time next week to perform 'Boy With Luv' along side the track's featuring artist, Halsey. But with all the hype that surrounds the group, it begs the question, what is their music saying? According to the groups leader, RM, the korean title of 'Boy With Luv' and the title of the mini album itself, hold a strong meaning to him that he wants to share with their audience. The Korean title of 'Boy With Luv' when it's directly translated to English means "A Poem For Small Things". This title was a perfect match to the meaning behind the album as a whole, as RM discussed in a recent V Live broadcast, because the album is meant to show pieces of the groups true self's behind their personas. Map of The Soul: Persona is believed by fans to be the first album in a series- much like the group's Love Yourself series. RM has hinted that, where the Love Yourself Series created a message of self acceptance on it's various levels, the Map of The Soul Series will take that message one step further by projecting small pieces of the group from behind their masks or personas. This collective message is projected to millions of fans worldwide and has even been presented in front of United Nations General Assembly. No wonder the group was added to TIME's "100 Most Influential Peoples" list. Personally, I think the recent rise of KPop within the U.S. is just a crack in the doorway to new cultures and diverse representation for media- and BTS might just be paving the way. For further reading and discussion feel free to look into the links I've provided below. And as always let me know what you think and what I should cover next! Links: For BTS's performance on US charts https://www.forbes.com/sites/hughmcintyre/2019/04/25/bts-on-the-u-s-albums-chart-four-ways-theyre-making-waves-this-week/#61d6adb331f3 For BTS discussing Map of The Soul: Persona, working with Halsey on Boy With Luv, and working with Ed Sheeran https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eAOXvD86Azk For RM discussing the meaning of his titles https://www.teenvogue.com/story/bts-rm-korean-title-boy-with-luv For BTS discussing the Love Yourself Series (Specifically the second piece Tear) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ne2x0P4u3H8 For RM's V Live broadcast on Persona's meaning https://www.vlive.tv/video/125174 For BTS on keeping thier own Identity (This ties into the personal notes of self acceptance) https://www.teenvogue.com/story/bts-wont-change-their-identity-sing-exclusively-english-grammy#intcid=recommendations_default-similar2_86c30d6d-7472-4df5-936b-2f7b81e92a03_text2vec1_text2VecSimilarity For RM presenting in front of the United Nations General Assembly https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZhJ-LAQ6e_Y For the Article written by Halsey including BTS TIME 100 List of influential people http://time.com/collection/100-most-influential-people-2019/5567876/bts For BTS as part of TIME's 2018 Next Generation's Leaders Series http://time.com/collection-post/5414052/bts-next-generation-leaders/

[andimackshitposts]

30 Days of Jyrus, Day 6

Title: Hard Hitting Journalistic Integrity 

Summary: Cyrus, a reporter for a celebrity news magazine and website, gets roped into interviewing pop sensation Jonah Beck. (This fic is epistolary, it’s all emails and email attachments). 

To: Cyrus Goodman (cgoodman@celebritylifemag.com)

Subject: Can you cover for me?

Hey Cyrus,

I know this is last minute, but I really need someone to cover my interview assignment next week. My parents are coming into town, and I really need to make time to see them, or I’ll never hear the end of it. Metcalf says I can take the week off if I find someone to cover my assignments.

It’ll be easy. You just meet the guy, talk with him for a bit, ask some questions that I’ve already put together from the research I’ve been doing, and then write it all up. I’ve heard that he’s really nice, as pop-stars go.

Thanks so much,

Andi

To: Andi Mack (amack@celebritylifemag.com)

Subject: Re: Can you cover for me?

I’ll do it, but you so owe me. You know I hate interviewing. 

To: Cyrus Goodman (cgoodman@celebritylifemag.com)

Subject: Re: Re: Can you cover me?

You’re the best!! I sent the questions to Mr. Beck’s manager, and he’s gonna send you back the ones he approves of. I promise I’ll make it up to you!

To: Cyrus Goodman (cgoodman@celebritylifemag.com)

Subject: Approved Interview Questions & Topics

Dear Mr. Goodman,

Attached are the approved questions for the interview with Mr. Beck. DO NOT, under any circumstances stray from these questions. Mr. Beck requested that I also give him your email so that he may reach out before the interview, so expect something from his soon.

Respectfully,

Marty Evans

APPROVED QUESTIONS

• Question One: How does it feel to sell out stadiums?  

• Question Two: Tell me about your new album. All follow questions should be about the music and the music only. He writes his own music, so focus on that.

• Question Three: How does your family inspire you? This is something he’s talked about before in interviews, it’s important to him.

• Question Four: How long have you been playing music?

• Question Five: Favorite album?

• Question Six: I hear you like to play Ultimate Frisbee, is that true?

APPROVED TOPICS

• Music

• Family

• His fans

• His upcoming tour

• His hobbies, cooking and frisbee

DO NOT MENTION

• Amber Diamond/The breakup

• Amber’s accusations

• Anything personal

To: Cyrus Goodman (cgoodman@celebritylifemag.com)

Subject: Hi!

Hi!

This is Jonah Beck. I wanted to touch base with you before the interview. I’m thrilled that you’re interviewing me, because I love to read your articles in Celebrity Life. It’s one of the reasons I agreed to this interview in the first place. Most websites and magazines are very invasive, but I always found Celebrity Life to be trustworthy. But you usually don’t do interviews. Are you a fan? ;)

Jonah  Beck

To: Jonah Beck (jbeck36@gmail.com)

Subject: Re: Hi!

Mr. Beck,

Thank you for reaching out. I assure you that I am only covering for a coworker. I do enjoy your music, but I would never intentionally seek out an interview. I’ll see you on Monday.

Cyrus Goodman

To: Cyrus Goodman (cgoodman@celebritylifemag.com)

Subject: How was the interview?

Hey, Cyrus!

Thank you again for covering for me. How did it go? I hope it went well. I know you hate pop-stars, but he seems pretty down to earth and I know you listen to his music, so I was hoping that it wouldn’t be too much of a disaster.

Andi

To: Andi Mack (amack@celebritylifemag.com)

Subject: Re: How was the interview?  

It was good. I’ll send you the rough draft by tomorrow.

To: Buffy Driscoll (bdriscoll@celebritylifemag.com)

Subject: I fucked up

I attached my rough draft of the Jonah Beck interview, please read it. You’ll see. It’s too personal. His publicist won’t like it. I’m so screwed. Help.

JONAH BECK INTERVIEW ROUGH DRAFT

It’s a crisp September morning when I walk into the Belvedere Hotel to meet Jonah Beck. He’s sitting on the bed of the hotel room, strumming his guitar. Jonah Beck is a handsome and charming young man, but his demeanor is not that of a confident pop-star, instead he quiet and polite, offering me a sparkling water from the mini-fridge. He himself has apparently decided on tea with honey and lemon, probably to preserve his voice for the night’s concert. “The truth is I hate sparkling water,” he says. “I’m just trying to pawn it off on you.”

CELEBRITY LIFE MAGAZINE: You’re playing a sold out stadium show tonight. That must be a crazy feeling.

JONAH BECK: It’s absolute insane. I’m so lucky to have this life. Music is so

important to me, and it’s a dream come true to be able share this important part of my life with so many people. And I really do have the best fans in the world.

CLM: Best fans in the world? Even the crazy fan-girls?

JB: [laughs] Even them. Everyone has to fan-girl over something.

CLM: What do you fan-girl over?

JB: Truthfully? Professional Ultimate Frisbee players. But please, don’t publish that.

CLM: Sorry, buddy. This is all on record.

JB: [laughs] There go all my fan-girls.

CLM: You mentioned that music is a big part of your life. How long have you been playing music?

JB: I started playing music when I was thirteen years old. I, uh, struggle with some anxiety and music was, is, very therapeutic for me. It helped me find a little more confidence in who I really am, as opposed to who the people around me wanted me to be.

CLM: People around you? Like your family?

JB: My family, and honestly everyone in my life. My parents divorced when I was fourteen, but it was a longtime coming. I was a profoundly unhappy teenager, but I hid it really well. Music was the one outlet I had for all my negative emotions. I’m not sure how it became a career, but here we are.

CLM: Here we are indeed. I’m sorry to learn about your parents’ divorce. How has coming from that kind of background influenced your music?

JB: I think a lot of my love songs are more bittersweet than you expect from pop-music. My family is a huge inspiration—I talk to my little sister at least once a week—and I try to go home to my dad’s house for a few holidays. Without their support I never would’ve made it this far.

CLM: It’s going to be a challenge for you to make it home while you’re on tour.

JB: Unfortunately, that’s true. But I’m extremely lucky to be kicking off a world tour in six months. I get about six weeks off before the tour, so I’ll be spending it all with my family.

CLM: Where are you most excited to go?

JB: Germany. I have some extended family there.

CLM: Are you excited to meet fans from all over the world?

JB: Absolutely. Like I said, best fans anyone could ask for.

CLM: What will you be listening to on the tour bus? Favorite album?

JB: To be perfectly honest? Arianna Grande. God is definitely a woman. [laughs]

CLM: Oh, isn’t Amber Diamond going on tour with Arianna Grande?

JB: Uh…Yeah….

CLM: Shit, sorry. I wasn’t supposed to talk about her.

JB: It’s okay. I don’t hold any resentment towards Amber. We weren’t right for each other, but I handled it poorly. I don’t blame her for lashing out in the press.

CLM: That’s very emotionally mature of you. I mean, she told the tabloids that you’re gay. Which is a fucked up thing to do. If you’re straight, it’s a lie that will follow you for the rest of your career. And if it’s true, she outed you to the whole world.  

JB: Yeah. It’s not true, for the record. I’m not gay. I’m bisexual.

CLM:: Wow, uh. Wow. I won’t print that if you don’t—

JB: Print it. I don’t care. I was never really hiding it. I don’t fall in love with someone because of their gender. I fall in love with someone because of the color of their eyes, the way they smile, how they talk to me. It doesn’t matter what gender someone is or how they present. What matters is who they are.

CLM: That’s beautiful.

JB: I do write my own lyrics, y’know.

CLM: From deep and poetic to totally sarcastic in five seconds flat. Impressive. That must be what the fan-girls like about you.

JB: I would hope they’d like my music.

CLM: That too.

To: Cyrus Goodman (cgoodman@celebritylifemag.com)

Subject: Re: I fucked up

Calm down, Cy. There’s a salvageable interview in here. You just need some editing. I’ve got this. But holy shit, he came out in this interview. That’s huge. He must’ve really liked you.

Buffy

PS: You owe me one.

To: Buffy Driscoll (bdriscoll@celebritylifemag.com)

Subject: Re: Re: I fucked up

What do you mean, “he must really like me”?

To: Cyrus Goodman (cgoodman@celebritylifemag.com)

Subject: Re: Re: Re: I fucked up

I mean, based on that transcript, you two were totally flirting. Tell me you got his number. You have to go out with him.

To: Buffy Driscoll (bdriscoll@celebritylifemag.com)

Subject: Re: Re: Re: Re: I fucked up

HA. You are absolutely out of your mind. I’m not going to go on a date with Jonah Beck. 

To: Cyrus Goodman (cgoodman@celebritylifemag.com)

Subject: Interview follow-up.

Dear Cyrus,

I just read the article! It came out great. But I think we need to do an interview follow up as soon as possible. Maybe this Friday night over dinner? I can pick you up at 7.  How does that sound?

Jonah Beck

To: Jonah Beck (jbeck36@gmail.com)

Subject: Re: Interview follow-up

I’d love to.

[rhythmbastard]

STATE OF THE BASTARD 2019!!!

Better late than never! I'm 31! Wooo... For me, 2018 was a year where I tried out a lot of stuff and it worked. As shitty as things were otherwise, and at times, I felt like I was just spinning my wheels, I have a better idea of what to do going forward. The con front was quiet, but the few shows I did put on (Mini Iwai, Anime Iwai and Holiday Matsuri), went over very well, particularly because I've got my shenaniganing down pat. I've also put out quite a few songs out on Patreon, and managed to get to a few conventions I wasn't required to play at. Like, I can just hang out and shit. So I have a better feeling going into 2019. Here's to 10 More Years! Yeah, I've been at this for 10 Years. MOST RECENT SONG: "Death's Blossom" Youtube-

Soundcloud-

I JUST rendered the video and cover out today so I can have this for you guys. You're Welcome! FAVORITE SONG I MADE: "Thrash Panda" A song that's still Patron exclusive, but I feel REALLY good playing this song live. The ONLY reason I haven't dropped it yet is because I do want to make a cool piece of art to go along with it. OTHER COOL SHIT I DID: 2017's 3000 Brigade Show is finally out!

This was a good one. I still have the Wii Fit Trainer stuff, in my closet. 2018's show was even better since I had more to do! Amanda if you're reading this I still have all of your acoutrements in my closet I've also joined a DnD Campaign long time internet friend Luke Herr is running, which leads me into... PODCAST STUFF: RPG Pals Club- By the time you read this, it'll be out for the public! My character is Oi! A Drow Monk who chose the punk life over the underdark. So now he's a punk monk. NOW HE'S A PUNK MON- I'd Rather Not- The last episode was... not fit for human consumption, but we're nearing on 100 episodes, so the shaningans will Pentuple! TREND I LIKED THE LEAST: Coddling Bigotry Being A Cottage Industry Oh, wait? That was last year? And it still persists this year since all social media companies worry about is "engagement", content be damned, since 4chan Nazis have nothing better to do all day than harass transgender people and other minorities? TREND I LIKED THE LEAST PART 2: Articles About "Going Too Far" You know the trend: "SANTA SHOULD BE GENDER NEUTRAL!" "THEYBIES?" "EXACTLY ONE WOMAN WITH FEMINIST IN THEIR TWITTER BIO SAID A THING SO IT'S NEWS" You've seen these articles a million times shared by friends on Facebook, usually accompanied by a "WTF?", and in the comments go something like "I'm not racist/sexist/hating on x group here, BUT..." These stories serve a purpose to make you think that a certain marginalized group is going "too far" in the pursuit of equal rights. And when you have the fear of going "too far", its two fold: 1. You're afraid of anything being tried in the first place 2. It leaves the door open for someone more agreeable to the status quo to come in with an ineffective solution. So the only response is to drag them to the main point kicking and screaming, "Well don't you think X should have the same rights as the rest of us?" TREND I LIKED THE MOST: Furries Being The Comrades We All Need In This Shittastic World This year's Internet Hero was not a man, but a fox. A black, gay fox (everything Republicans hate) who was really, really good at fighting games. Second place goes to a guy who shat on Elon Musk: I've mentioned that the furry fandom/subculture is more creator focused than anime fandom, which means that is is decentralized, and all media considered "furry" is not produced by a singular entity. There may be pieces of media popular amongst furries, like Disney movies, Star Fox, etc., but the fandom itself owns the means of production, meaning it's socialist as hell, which is a good thing.    Since there's no singular entity that produces the art, there's no reason for them to ignore bad actors in the name of profit. Video game and comics companies and the like can look at bullshit like Gamergate and Comicsgate and go, "Hey, their money's just as good as anyone else's! But since the talent pool is widely distributed, and everything is done on a person to person basis, you can tell the Nazis to fuck off:

And yes, there are Nazifurs/Altfurries. When the entire pull of a fandom is "You don't have to be the default you", it can be a good, like a safer space for LGBTQ+ people to express themselves and feel more out (i.e. their fursona is a different gender than the person was assigned, sexuality is different, etc.). Or it can be a bad, meaning "Hey, I was kicked out of my usual group because I was a dipshit who kept making holocaust/attack helicopter/racist jokes, SURELY these people will accept me!" As mentioned earlier, you can kick out the latter group. It's fine. When you've been an internet punching bag for so long, you can either be a shittier person, or keep on keeping on and learn to be better on your own. Same for the juggalos. LET'S COMBINE THE TWO, SHALL WE? FAVORITE SONG OF 2018: "Make Me Feel" by Janelle Monae

So, the runner up for this was "She's Kerosene" by The Interrupters, but while that a lot of energy and I crank up it my car all the time, "Make Me Feel" wins out because it has sexiest buildup to any song ever, and of course, Janelle Monae at her most fun. TOP 40 SONG I HATED THE LEAST: "Thank U, Next" by Ariana Grande

My thought process: "Ugh, OK, like, I haven't listened to a lot of Top 40 Radio, so I guess 'Feel It Still' is in the running, but let's see what Todd In The Shadows thinks..." "Thank U Next? That Ariana Grande song? It's a meme, but I'll give it a listen." "DAMN THIS IS SO GOOD! Her voice is so soothing! And the song expresses a sentiment so unique! Haha! I wonder what movies I'd parody for my thank u next equivalent?" THE "WHY DID NOBODY TELL ME ABOUT THIS SOONER?" AWARD: The Shadowrun Games by Harebrained Schemes Shadowrun is a TTRPG setting that's basically when two designers didn't want to decide on making a cyperpunk game, or a fantasy game so they're like "FUCK IT, WE'LL DO BOTH!" and have a game where you can play as orcs who can cast magic and elves who can hack into shit. Since 2013, Harebrained schemes have been making games based off the brand and have done so with X-Com style combat mixed with Neverwinter Nights style exploration, and while not very long, they've been fun to play and get into. Dragonfall is the best out of the three with a better story, and more connections to your usual shadowrunning squad. GAME OF THE YEAR: See Above ANNUAL REMINDER I SHARE A BIRTHDAY WITH MC BAT COMMANDER: via Blogger http://bit.ly/2Ht1MZJ