#high grade Worst Influence in the party

[mariacallous]

In 2023, the fast-fashion giant Shein was everywhere. Crisscrossing the globe, airplanes ferried small packages of its ultra-cheap clothing from thousands of suppliers to tens of millions of customer mailboxes in 150 countries. Influencers’ “#sheinhaul” videos advertised the company’s trendy styles on social media, garnering billions of views.

At every step, data was created, collected, and analyzed. To manage all this information, the fast fashion industry has begun embracing emerging AI technologies. Shein uses proprietary machine-learning applications — essentially, pattern-identification algorithms — to measure customer preferences in real time and predict demand, which it then services with an ultra-fast supply chain.

As AI makes the business of churning out affordable, on-trend clothing faster than ever, Shein is among the brands under increasing pressure to become more sustainable, too. The company has pledged to reduce its carbon dioxide emissions by 25 percent by 2030 and achieve net-zero emissions no later than 2050.

But climate advocates and researchers say the company’s lightning-fast manufacturing practices and online-only business model are inherently emissions-heavy — and that the use of AI software to catalyze these operations could be cranking up its emissions. Those concerns were amplified by Shein’s third annual sustainability report, released late last month, which showed the company nearly doubled its carbon dioxide emissions between 2022 and 2023.

“AI enables fast fashion to become the ultra-fast fashion industry, Shein and Temu being the fore-leaders of this,” said Sage Lenier, the executive director of Sustainable and Just Future, a climate nonprofit. “They quite literally could not exist without AI.” (Temu is a rapidly rising ecommerce titan, with a marketplace of goods that rival Shein’s in variety, price, and sales.)

In the 12 years since Shein was founded, it has become known for its uniquely prolific manufacturing, which reportedly generated over $30 billion of revenue for the company in 2023. Although estimates vary, a new Shein design may take as little as 10 days to become a garment, and up to 10,000 items are added to the site each day. The company reportedly offers as many as 600,000 items for sale at any given time with an average price tag of roughly $10. (Shein declined to confirm or deny these reported numbers.) One market analysis found that 44 percent of Gen Zers in the United States buy at least one item from Shein every month.

That scale translates into massive environmental impacts. According to the company’s sustainability report, Shein emitted 16.7 million total metric tons of carbon dioxide in 2023 — more than what four coal power plants spew out in a year. The company has also come under fire for textile waste, high levels of microplastic pollution, and exploitative labor practices. According to the report, polyester — a synthetic textile known for shedding microplastics into the environment — makes up 76 percent of its total fabrics, and only 6 percent of that polyester is recycled.

And a recent investigation found that factory workers at Shein suppliers regularly work 75-hour weeks, over a year after the company pledged to improve working conditions within its supply chain. Although Shein’s sustainability report indicates that labor conditions are improving, it also shows that in third-party audits of over 3,000 suppliers and subcontractors, 71 percent received a score of C or lower on the company’s grade scale of A to E — mediocre at best.

Machine learning plays an important role in Shein’s business model. Although Peter Pernot-Day, Shein’s head of global strategy and corporate affairs, told Business Insider last August that AI was not central to its operations, he indicated otherwise during a presentation at a retail conference at the beginning of this year.

“We are using machine-learning technologies to accurately predict demand in a way that we think is cutting edge,” he said. Pernot-Day told the audience that all of Shein’s 5,400 suppliers have access to an AI software platform that gives them updates on customer preferences, and they change what they’re producing to match it in real time.

“This means we can produce very few copies of each garment,” he said. “It means we waste very little and have very little inventory waste.” On average, the company says it stocks between 100 to 200 copies of each item — a stark contrast with more conventional fast-fashion brands, which typically produce thousands of each item per season, and try to anticipate trends months in advance. Shein calls its model “on-demand,” while a technology analyst who spoke to Vox in 2021 called it “real-time” retail.

At the conference, Pernot-Day also indicated that the technology helps the company pick up on “micro trends” that customers want to wear. “We can detect that, and we can act on that in a way that I think we’ve really pioneered,” he said. A designer who filed a recent class action lawsuit in a New York District Court alleges that the company’s AI market analysis tools are used in an “industrial-scale scheme of systematic, digital copyright infringement of the work of small designers and artists,” that scrapes designs off the internet and sends them directly to factories for production.

In an emailed statement to Grist, a Shein spokesperson reiterated Peter Pernot-Day’s assertion that technology allows the company to reduce waste and increase efficiency and suggested that the company’s increased emissions in 2023 were attributable to booming business. “We do not see growth as antithetical to sustainability,” the spokesperson said.

An analysis of Shein’s sustainability report by the Business of Fashion, a trade publication, found that last year, the company’s emissions rose at almost double the rate of its revenue — making Shein the highest-emitting company in the fashion industry. By comparison, Zara’s emissions rose half as much as its revenue. For other industry titans, such as H&M and Nike, sales grew while emissions fell from the year before.

Shein’s emissions are especially high because of its reliance on air shipping, said Sheng Lu, a professor of fashion and apparel studies at the University of Delaware. “AI has wide applications in the fashion industry. It’s not necessarily that AI is bad,” Lu said. “The problem is the essence of Shein’s particular business model.”

Other major brands ship items overseas in bulk, prefer ocean shipping for its lower cost, and have suppliers and warehouses in a large number of countries, which cuts down on the distances that items need to travel to consumers.

According to the company’s sustainability report, 38 percent of Shein’s climate footprint comes from transportation between its facilities and to customers, and another 61 percent come from other parts of its supply chain. Although the company is based in Singapore and has suppliers in a handful of countries, the majority of its garments are produced in China and are mailed out by air in individually addressed packages to customers. In July, the company sent about 900,000 of these to the US every day.

Shein’s spokesperson told Grist that the company is developing a decarbonization road map to address the footprint of its supply chain. Recently, the company has increased the amount of inventory it stores in US warehouses, allowing it to offer American customers quicker delivery times, and increased its use of cargo ships, which are more carbon-efficient than cargo planes.

“Controlling the carbon emissions in the fashion industry is a really complex process,” Lu said, adding that many brands use AI to make their operations more efficient. “It really depends on how you use AI.”

There is research that indicates using certain AI technologies could help companies become more sustainable. “It’s the missing piece,” said Shahriar Akter, an associate dean of business and law at the University of Wollongong in Australia. In May, Akter and his colleagues published a study finding that when fast-fashion suppliers used AI data management software to comply with big brands’ sustainability goals, those companies were more profitable and emitted less. A key use of this technology, Atker says, is to closely monitor environmental impacts, such as pollution and emissions. “This kind of tracking was not available before AI-based tools,” he said.

Shein told Grist it does not use machine-learning data management software to track emissions, which is one of the uses of AI included in Akter’s study. But the company’s much-touted usage of machine-learning software to predict demand and reduce waste is another of the uses of AI included in the research.

Regardless, the company has a long way to go before meeting its goals. Grist calculated that the emissions Shein reportedly saved in 2023 — with measures such as providing its suppliers with solar panels and opting for ocean shipping — amounted to about 3 percent of the company’s total carbon emissions for the year.

Lenier, from Sustainable and Just Future, believes there is no ethical use of AI in the fast-fashion industry. She said that the largely unregulated technology allows brands to intensify their harmful impacts on workers and the environment. “The folks who work in fast-fashion factories are now under an incredible amount of pressure to turn out even more, even faster,” she said.

Lenier and Lu both believe that the key to a more sustainable fashion industry is convincing customers to buy less. Lu said if companies use AI to boost their sales without changing their unsustainable practices, their climate footprints will also grow accordingly. “It’s the overall effect of being able to offer more market-popular items and encourage consumers to purchase more than in the past,” he said. “Of course, the overall carbon impact will be higher.”

[floosies]

Radio

early 2000s au

eddie munson x fem!oc

warnings: mentions of drugs, cursing, eventual smut, mentions of abuse, friends to lovers 18+

a/n: i just wanna say this fic is an ode to what i wish i could have be doing in the early 2000s if I hadn't been in elementary school. i know alot of us twenty somethings wish we would have been older than we were.

Sophomore year, 2007

Eddie had repeated the eighth grade, so when he started high school, he should have been sophomore, but his uncle was determined that kid needed to be held back, his teachers too, he's wasn't stupid but living with his dad in the early years of his childhood had fucked with his education. He either did or didn't go depending if his dad was on the run for jacking a car or something. So much for no child left behind, and in Hawkins of all places, they would hold him back as much as they could, not just in school, but in life too. Most of the student body saw him as trailer trash and nothing more. His uncle had taken him in before he entered middle school, and while he tried his best to stay out of trouble, he wasn't gonna let assholes bad mouth the only real father figure he had.

It didn't matter though, he'd gotten his shit somewhat together to get into high school. Barely passing and not really caring, he wanted to at least try and get his diploma for his uncle's sake. System of a down was blasting from his best friend's room. He'd known Jeff for some time and even though his parents didn't like the 'influence' Eddie had on him, he was thankful for him. Jeff had been one of the few kids who actually thought Eddie was cool. They'd been friends since, and he was kind enough to let him hang at his place afterschool, where'd they'd use his computer to post band stuff and update their myspace accounts.

Today though Ed had gotten lucky. He'd jacked some kid's locker and scored an ipod in there. Sure stealing was wrong, but he was broke, too broke at least to afford an ipod. He'd spent the summer trying not to get caught working for his dad's friend to make enough for the iphone. It was easy money in reality, but he knew his uncle wouldn't have been happy to know he was selling drugs to people. The phone was easier to hide than what'd he'd been up to in the summer, even then he still sold every once in a while. Band equipment and his car were never ending needs he had to deal with.

The plan had always been the band, he'd learned to play the guitar on his own accord, rock music was his home away from home. It helped having friends like Jeff who understood what music was really about. Anything they ever earned at a gig was saved in a one of those gallon jugs, they were midway but the hope was to make enough to get to LA or New York and get a studio session. Their live demos and shotty youtube videos got them some online views but not enough to call the attention of anyone yet.

-

Julie had a whole different life from his. Her parents were loving sociopaths, who controlled her life as best they could. Nevertheless, it didn't do much. She would still sneak around and hang at house parties on the weekends or get drunk at sleepovers with her best friend. She was well known online as a party girl and whether it was her myspace or livejournal she had somewhat of a following for her antics.

At most she was thankful her parents had no clue about the internet. They'd gotten her a digital camera and an ipod with no clue what she really did with them. They were naive at best but could be ruthless at worst. They'd take away her things for months on end if they felt she had been on some sort of weird or rude behavior. It didn't stop her though. Despite her popularity online, in school it was a whole quieter ordeal. Sure she was known, but people only want to associate with others under certain circumstances. Her group was small, and the outfits she'd wear on a friday night weren't what'd she'd been seen in on a monday morning in class.

She wasn't a genius by any length but she wasn't an idiot, she was getting by with decent grades and fake persona for her teachers and parents. It's the only thing she had to keep them from really looking into who she really was, or was at least trying to be.

-

Blame the internet, they met through their myspace accounts. She had mentioned one of their songs or more like she was looking for one of their songs because they had played at a party she had gone to the weekend before. Eddie couldn't believe he didn't know her, they went to the same high school and were in the same grade. They started talking almost immediately, about everything and anything.

It didn't take long for cellphone numbers to be exchanged and to agree to finally meet at lunch. She had told him not to ditch for her lunch period but he didn't really care about it. To Eddie she was someone who finally understood what he was trying to do here. They were both surprised when they finally met up, she swore she could feel her heart racing out of her chest. It was one thing to talk on the phone or through text, but being actually with him felt like something else.

He felt the same way about near her, she had mentioned to him that he probably didn't recognize her because she wasn't wearing the kind of stuff she usually wore on the weekends out. Its what they ended up talking about that whole lunch period, about how few moments they had where they could really be themselves. Only difference is Julie still felt her parents held the control in her life. That's something Eddie no longer tied him down. Still, he felt for her, from their long talks on the phone and at lunch, he was getting to know this girl for who she really was and that mattered to him. He even ended up walking her to class.

Her friends did give her a couple of glances when she walked into class that day. Questions on why she was hanging out with him and who even was he? One of her classmates heard her mention his name and said Eddie had always been chaotic and liked to start shit for fun. Sure she could have listened to them, but all the stuff they were saying didn't matter because she knew him well enough after a month or so of talking to him, to know that if he came off that way it was intentional.

From that point on, they would try to hang out as much as they could. Parties and after school days when she would go over to his place, despite him initially saying that she probably wouldn't wanna be seen at a trailer park. She honestly didn't care, all that mattered was not being near her hellhole house and that she was able to do her homework. Meanwhile he played guitar hero for her and showed her songs he was working on. Every now and then she would try and get him to do his homework too, which would in turn lead to them not doing anything because he'd use anything as a means of distraction.

Then there was a week when he got suspended for accidentally bringing a pocket knife to school. He told her he had been helping his uncle fix up a patch on the roof and forgot he had left the knife in his jeans pocket but they probably just wanted an excuse to get him out of their hair. His teachers ended up confused when she showed up that week asking for the notes and missing assignments he would have. Maybe she shouldn't have but she did them for him and when they met up on friday night she handed them in exchange for a couple of pre rolled joints and some tabs.

He watched as she went off with her girlfriends that night and got blacked out. They were only getting to know each other though, he didn't wanna overstep anything with her, but he made sure she got home alright. The following Monday it was as if it had never happened and he didn't really mind.

Sophomore year had been a trial and error of getting to know each other and figuring out how the friendship would work. By the summer they had it down, they were comfortable enough with each other to not really care too deeply about things, but also were practically glued to one another. She met the rest of the band and his other friends. She'd shoot their sets for them and post them on their youtube, hell she even added them to her top five. Of course everyone around them could see that there was more going on between the two but neither Eddie nor Julie were going to ruin whatever they had going on already to start something intimate.

[myhahnestopinion]

THE AARONS 2023 - Best Film

85 films are eligible for The Aarons this year, although it would only be 83 films if you counted every Part One I watched as half a movie. Here are The Aarons for Best Film:

#10. Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret.

Margaret is a modern coming-of-age classic, no question about it. It may have taken a long time for Me to be realized on the big screen, but the universal themes of Judy Blume’s seminal novel easily transcend the 1970s period in which the story is set. Director Kelly Fremon Craig brought the right edge to the material, sacrificing neither its complexity nor its comforting qualities, and was blessed to find the perfect star in Ant-Man’s Abby Ryder Forston. Rachel McAdams and Kathy Bates round out the film’s odyssey through identity crises no matter one’s age. When seeking reassurance in such times of struggle, Are You There God? can be viewed as an answer to those prayers.

#9. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem

The latest TMNT film was obviously spun off the success of Sony’s Spider-Verse series, but it quickly mutated into its own beast. In fact, it’s others that should be green with envy: the sketchbook aesthetic of Mayhem’s grungy New York City and its monstrous human inhabitants looks twice as good as films that shelled out twice as much cash. By placing more emphasis on their juvenility than past portrayals, writer Seth Rogan and director Jeff Rowe imbue the Turtles with newfound power: the brothers’ banter has never been better and their search for belonging has never been more affecting. Even those never taken with the Turtles before will find themselves wanting to chime in with a hearty ‘Cowabunga!’. 

#8. John Wick: Chapter 4

Wearing classic cinematic influences on its bulletproof sleeve, John Wick: Chapter 4 is maximalist moviemaking at its finest. The assassin’s ongoing vendetta against the nefarious High Table organization upped the ante once again in its fourth installment, dedicating its indulgent runtime to one killer set-piece after another without ever losing a step. Newcomers Donnie Yen and Rina Sawayama leave their mark on the weapons-grade world tour, but nothing compares to how Keanu Reeves continues to throw himself into the stunt work. With hit after hit, the warrior deserves a rest; creatively though, Wick shows no signs of burnout.

#7. Talk To Me

Talk to Me, in contrast to recent trends of ‘elevated horror’, doesn’t hold one’s hand through unpacking a deeper meaning at the expense of inflicting sheer terror on its audience. An addiction metaphor is hardly a reach for the film that treats communing with the dead like the latest party drug, but even then that takes a backseat to its nightmarish bouts of brutal body horror. With a focus on social media clout-chasing, directors and former YouTubers Danny and Michael Phillipou seek engagement from a new generation of moviegoers. The film is just as likely to scare these prospective viewers off of the experience forever. For horror fiends seeking such macabre stimulation though, Talk to Me is speaking their language. 

#6. How to Blow Up a Pipeline

Even beyond giving xXx a run for its money as the worst movie to try to Google, How to Blow Up a Pipeline is a daring work of cinema. Pipeline channels the spirit of the non-fiction book of the same name into a slick thriller spearheaded by an ensemble of skilled young actors. Despite the direct title, the film doesn’t try to lead audiences to any particular conclusion. Rather, it simply removes any safe distance preventing them from engaging with its characters’ protestations. This ability to play coy is subsequently built upon to ratchet up tension and discharge a mind-blowing finale. From an entertainment perspective alone, it’s worth placing on your watchlist… that is, if you don’t mind possibly being placed on a watchlist yourself.

#5. Killers of the Flower Moon

Martin Scorcese has no shortage of stories on the corrosive power of greed; America is a land of opportunity after all. Killers refines the ideas with which he’s long grappled through a larger focus on the victims left in the wake of that ruination. Along with his expected collaborators Leonardo DiCaprio and Robert DeNiro, the director worked closely with The Osage Nation to bring an appreciable authenticity to the harrowing historical account. The other secret to Moon’s success revolves around Lily Gladstone’s Mollie Burkhart; through her mourning, the magnitude of the crimes becomes ineluctable. Like Scorcese’s last effort The Irishman, Flower flourishes within its extended runtime, patiently intensifying the impact of its conclusive gut-punch. 

#4. Anatomy of a Fall

Anatomy doesn’t stop at dissecting the purely physical aspects of its pivotal event; it would have been far easier on everyone if it had. Instead, the French courtroom drama is just as concerned with how quickly people can tear each other down in both private and public settings and the far-reaching consequences of doing so. The film has unimpeachable judgment in its use of ambiguity when placing a writer on trial for the suspected murder of her husband, with their blind son as a key witness. Propelled by pointed dialogue and a legitimate award-winning performance by a dog, the dramatic twists and turns taken by Fall reason out enough doubt to forever keep one up at night.

#3. Nimona

Nimona rose like a phoenix from the ashes of its initial cancellation during the Disney-Fox merger ready to warm one’s heart and stoke a righteously rebellious attitude. The adaptation of ND Stevenson’s acclaimed graphic novel is made even more animated by the voicework of a fiery Chloë Grace Moretz as the titular shapeshifter and a distinguished Riz Ahmed as her reluctant companion seeking to clear his name. The strength of the science fantasy film lies in its subversive bite, which toys with traditional tropes of myths and monsters. The movie never shies away from supporting everyone’s quest to transition into their best self; the authenticity of this extended allegory is its most transformative element of all.

#2. Oppenheimer 

One half of the phenomenon that blew up the box office this past summer, Oppenheimer may be director Christopher Nolan’s most earth-shattering project yet. The nuclei of his filmography have long been humankind’s evolving understanding of physics and the psyche of tormented men; the story of the atomic bomb perfectly splits the difference between the two. Nolan makes a compelling case for all of human history, with time flowing both forward and backwards, being tied to that moment as well; the film’s fractured storytelling revolves all our petty interpersonal conflicts around an inevitable instance of incomprehensible annihilation. The scale of those couldn’t seem more different, but both are turned into equally incendiary IMAX viewing here by the genius.

AND THE BEST FILM OF 2023 IS…

#1. Past Lives

The best of last year is Past, and next year may very well have nothing better either. Director Celine Song’s debut feature, which follows a married Korean immigrant who reunites briefly with her childhood sweetheart, is far from the flashiest film, but there are few that are this profound. Its remarkability is rooted in an intense empathy for all parties involved, including the woman’s beloved American husband, as they each contend with the questions of choice the situation provokes. It’s as grand a reflection on roads not taken as previous Aaron-Award winner Everything Everywhere All at Once, though Lives, in contrast, deliberately confines itself to the mortal agonies of unknowability. Something that is for certain is that one should not let Past Lives pass them by.

NEXT UP: THE 2023 AARONS FOR WORST FILM!

[haruhiheart]

(took the opportunity to do this writing exercise with a series of fake reports and a letter. Enjoy!)

[Entry Number 1]

On the date [REDATCED], agent codename Plasma was found interacting with another cyborg outside our mercenary agency. We have confirmed this individual was not part of the local authorities, so we have judged to report this to you immediately.

Due to interference with our visual feeds, we were unable to get proper identification. However, from the audio data we were able to salvage, we could determine that the subject is an adult male of [REDACTED] descent/nationality. Nothing conclusive was drawn from their conversation. While it appears at first to merely be fraternizing, we advise to monitor codename Plasma for further investigation.

Additionally, we have discovered that the plasmic discharge coils have been damaged during maintenance and need replacement immediately. Until then, it is advised that codename Plasma should avoid confrontation with other advanced cyborgs.

While we understand the necessity of keeping our best agent on the field due to our complicated involvement with [REDACTED], doing so without the necessary repairs could place our contingency measures in jeopardy.

We will await further instructions.

[Entry Number 2]

As instructed, we have installed a bypass system in codename Plasma's optic while performing maintenance. This has permitted us to better monitor our agent's interactions. Our latest revelations have proved to be quite alarming.

Upon completing facial recognition, we have determined that the subject in question is none other than [REDACTED], who has joined [REDACTED] quite recently. This is an extremely dangerous individual. Contrary to our previous report, the subject is not a cyborg. This individual has found access to military-grade equipment prior to joining [REDACTED]. We should stay on high alert whenever our agents are around this man.

Moreover, this has drastic implications regarding agent Plasma. If their loyalty to our group has been compromised, it means we are defenseless if our relations with [REDACTED] deteriorate any further. We urge you to send a diplomat to Senator [REDACTED] as soon as possible to avoid this outcome.

[Entry Number 3]

Things have taken a turn for the worst. Codename Plasma has learned about the bypass and has destroyed the cybernetic implant. Nine of our technicians have died in the confusion and five more are in a critical state. We have lost billions of dollars worth of cybernetic augments and we are still updating inventory to determine what has been stolen and what has been destroyed.

From the report of the diplomat you've sent, we can be certain that the Senator's group, [REDACTED], was not involved in this case. We suspect this attack was done on impulse rather than a planned betrayal. That being said, it is possible that their psyche was influenced after the encounter with subject [REDACTED].

If agent Plasma has chosen to become a neutral party in this, we are finished. I do not want to die and my team did not accept this job to be exposed to danger. Consider this our collective resignation letter.

[A letter found under a pillow, opened]

Hello to you, mi amor. I believe it is time we resolve this conflict of interest our time together has caused. And while my employer really likes you for standing up to him, I would prefer you make your own decisions on your next job. So let's take this matter in our own hands, shall we? Your friends have been spying on you through your augmented eye. On your next checkup, you can take the opportunity to confront your friends. After you resolve the situation, let's cause a commotion together. Big enough to scare those show-offs away. After this, take everything you can and leave the country. I'll drive you to the border where you'll have your fresh start. Now now, I know you would rather stay with my good self, but it's better if we part ways until this mess is resolved. Go kill for a rebel group somewhere, like you always wanted. I promise we'll meet again, Alex. In person, or in a casket. Forever yours, ~Samuel

[kvercetti]

writing my current situation to myself from 1 year ago.

here goes nothing..

hey kevin,

your summer break is about to end in a few days, and you'll be going into your sophomore year at mesa high. there's alot to say about that but let me tell you about freshman year for a sec. in detail.

your breakup with taylor was rough over the summer, but it's coming to an end soon. you're actually gonna start dating nicole in the first week of school, and you're gonna try your best for a while to truly fall in love with her, but that's never gonna happen. you're still hung over taylor even if you don't want to be so that's gonna be a problem with you and nicole. you're gonna stay with her for about 2 months; until the end or beginning of october. you guys break up. and you won't truly grasp the situation until way later.

at the start of the year, you're gonna think that your buddy aaron is really cool and you're going to try to get close to him. and it works. you guys are best friends and talk pretty much 24/7. that first month of school is as chill as it gets, so enjoy that. you're gonna have some fun times with the gang at superstition mall and things will be going pretty smoothly. that's until september, when things really start to change the course of your school year. aaron starts plotting on taylor, and at first you're gonna be pissed because she's your ex obviously, but because you're still hung over her you're gonna be in on it with aaron and you guys will become like a trio friend group. lots of texts, facetimes, and stuff of that nature. you develop hope that you and her could be together again because of how much you begin to talk to each other, but you're delusional.

you actually become a pretty bad person in a way. you break up with nicole because you feel like she's holding you back and that you have way better options (like taylor). you don't. actually, you don't even break up with her, she breaks up with you for good reason. she tells you after school that she thinks you guys are better off seperate. she says you've become immature and that aaron is a bad influence on you. you and aaron are best friends so you won't understand what she means and you'll think she's dumb. this is when things take a turn. you basically become like a replica of aaron. you obsess over being strong and going to the gym, your ego is huge, you add everyone and their momma on snapchat, and you start to treat women like objects. oh and you're horny as hell. this goes on for a few months. aaron starts dating taylor, and you become extremely jealous. they sit together during lunch (at the same table you and the guys sit at), they talk all the time during science, and basically they're eveything you wanted to be with her. these are some of the worst months of your life in all honesty. you hate everyone and everything and the only thing that matters to you is the gym. homecoming comes around, aaron and taylor are going together, and it was just a bad experience. oh and your kitchen burns down that night. during this time, you're kinda in a talking stage with macey, and you plot on her, but at the same time you don't put in much effort. she invites you to watch the fnaf movie, and you don't go. this is a cannon event. if i rememember correctly, you guys talk throughout october and november. at the end of november, you guys stop talking. oh and taylor breaks up with aaron at this time aswell.

december is an interesting time. you lock in with your classes a little bit, but to be honest you haven't cared about grades up until then and you continue not to for the rest of first semester. you start plotting on taylor again, and you kinda go through this weird wannabe model phase. nothing really crazy happens this month. you go to a party and the fit is tuff. oh, and you start talking a bit with someone you've had added on snapchat for a while. hailey. you guys talk here and there throughout december and you're basically leading her on during this time. christmas is lovely, and you get an amazing present. a trip to las vegas.

january 2nd. you adore the trip, as you're going through your brent faiyaz luxury phase, and it turns out to be a great experience. lots of photos and fun memories. you post a whole bunch on instagram. when you get back and the school year starts up again, you're still kinda plotting on taylor. but, hailey sends you a wake up call sort of paragraph that eventually leads you guys to be extremely close. you kinda lock in with her, even though you still fuck around and talk to a lot of women during this month. you also let your feelings get the best of you and make a really stupid decision (i won't say what). by the end of this month, you and hailey are talking a lot and she invites you to her school's sadies dance. you feel kinda obligated to go, as you believe that she deserves a good time with you after all the time she's been loyal to you. february comes around. you're lonely on valentine's day this year but it's okay, you have the chance to text and call hailey.

february 22nd comes around, the day of sadies. you actually had to go through hell and back just to get permission both from your parents and from your school. dad takes you, you arrive, and it's every so slightly awkward at first but that later goes away. you are LOCKED IN. you really believed that confident luxury aesthetic so much that you became it. you had aura. that night was lovely, and this is when you truly become close to her.

you and her are basically in a relationship, just not officially. it's intangible. you guys live an hour away and at least until you're older you can't be together. but you guys are so obsessed with each other that you just have faith that one day you will be together and continue to talk digitally until then. this doesn't happen, as far as i know. oh, i forgot to mention, the reason you start plotting on hailey is because of aaron. you know you've had her added but you don't care about her until you see aaron talking to her. you kinda want to compete with him and prove to yourself that you're better than him so you make an effort to mean more to hailey than aaron does. when you lock in with hailey, things became clear. you realize how bad of a person you were during first semester and you truly understand what nicole meant when she said that aaron was a bad influence. you get it now. he tried to use hailey in a way so now you guys have beef and you seperate yourself from him. the next couple months are all the same in a way. you start to love basketball again, which causes you to decide to move to mesa high for the upcoming school year. up until april, things are smooth. this changes, however, when hailey "breaks up" with you. you guys fall out and stop talking, and because you're gonna be hung up on her, you desperately try to be someone your not. fortunately, this version of you is short-lived. you eventually realize that's just the way things go, but that doesn't make it much better. your heart will be so broken and it will hurt so much that you cry to your mother about it during a late night, something you thought you'd never do.

eventually though, things will be alright. you wrap up freshman year at heritage with good grades. oh and you're now like best friends with levi and rudy. lovely people. summer break starts, you attend basketball camp at mesa high, and you still think about hailey every once in a while. you actually write her a text 2 months after not talking, you chat for a tiny bit, and for fun you send her an 8 ball game. she doesn't respond. but it's okay. part of you didn't want her to respond in the first place. things are okay this way. the rest of summer break is chill, no stress whatsoever. you talked to annie from heritage for a while but you don't have any intention to take things anywhere. you're okay not being in a relationship right now. your summer break is about to end, and school will start up again. things will be different soon, but for now..

everything is as it should be.

[strikeslip]

Sometimes you diablerize a 6th generation malkavian while in a hunger frenzy brought on by getting a little too into impersonating a baali cult leader with fleshcrafting and a demonic knife someone handed you, and THAT’S VALID.

[creativestalkerrs]

emily’s big character sheet

add as much or as little as you want to your character. here is some ideas for what you can add to your character to make it as fleshed out as you want them to be (here is a link to another helpful character sheet that inspired me to make this post; link here this sheet goes more in depth as well as explains what some of these pieces can mean, highly recommend to save!)

here we go! ⬇️⬇️

CHARACTER SHEET INFORMATION:

Date Sheet Was Completed:

Verse In Witch The Character Is In:

BASIC INFORMATION:

Name:

Nicknames/Alias:

Meaning of Name/Story Behind It:

Pet Names:

Gender:

Pronouns:

Gender Role:

Sexual Orientation:

Age:

Birthday:

Deathday:

Zodiac Sign:

Birth Place:

Currently Lives:

Religion:

Nationality:

Relationship Status:

Language Spoken and Native Language:

FAMILY, FRIENDS AND FOES:

Immediate Family:

Distant Family:

Parents Names:

In Contact with Parents?:

Upbringing:

Siblings:

Number of Siblings:

Relationship with Siblings:

Children:

Best Friend(s):

Other Friends:

Acquaintances:

Pets:

Followers:

Bosses:

Enemy(s):

Why Are They Their Enemy(s)?:

PHYSICAL APPEARANCE:

Species:

Ethnicity:

Facial Types:

Eye Color:

Hair Color:

Hair Styles:

Skin Tone:

Complexion:

Makeup:

Body Type:

Build:

Height:

Weight:

Bust Size:

Facial Hair:

Tattoos:

Piercings:

Shoe Size:

Birthmarks and Scars:

Distinguishing Features:

HEALTH AND MENTAL:

Blood Type:

Health Level:

Energy Level:

Memory:

Scenes:

Allergies:

Physical Disabilities:

Medications:

Phobias:

Addictions:

Mental Disorders:

Smoker:

Drinker:

Drug Use:

STYLE AND GROOMING:

Usual Style:

How They Style Their Clothes:

Grooming:

Posture:

Habits and Mannerisms:

Scent:

MOOD:

What Mood Would You Catch Them In:

Attitude:

Mood Stability: 

Expressiveness:

How Are They When Happy:

How Are They When Sad:

How Are They When Angry:

Note to Any Other Moods They Are In:

ITEMS AND THINGS:

Wardrobe (Describe Their Closet):

Equipment:

Accessories: 

Good Luck Charm:

Funds:

Neighborhood:

Transportation:

Most Valuable Possession (Cost):

Prized Possession:

SEX:

Lovers:

Marital Status:

Sex Life:

Their Type:

Turn Ons:

Turn Offs:

Position (Dom/Sub):

Plays:

Fetishes:

Virginity:

CAREER AND EDUCATION:

Occupation:

Qualifications:

Degree(s):

University:

High School:

Frats/Sorority:

Clubs:

Rank In Workplace:

Title/Rank:

Work Ethic:

Income:

Wealth Status:

Experience:

Organizations/Affiliations:

IQ:

Grades:

Social Stereotypes:

Special Education (Held Back, Honor Role, ect.):

Intelligence:

IDEOLOGYS:

Religion:

Morals:

Philosophy:

Motivation:

Priorities:

Crime Record:

Political Party:

Other Political Ideals:

Etiquette:

Culture:

Influences:

Traditions:

Superstitions:

HOPES, DREAMS AND FAILURES:

Main Goal:

Minor Goals/Ambitions:

Dream Career:

Desires/Wants:

Shopping Wishlist:

Accomplishments:

Greatest Achievement:

Biggest Failure:

Secrets:

Regrets:

Worries:

Best Dream (Non-Sleep):

Worst Nightmare (Non-Sleep):

Best Memories:

Worst Memories: 

STRENGTHS, WEAKNESSES AND OTHERS:

Strengths:

Mental Weakness:

Flaws:

Perception:

Conflicts:

Instincts:

Lures:

Soft Spot:

Cruel Streak:

FANTASY ELEMENTS:

Powers:

Origin:

Source:

Ability:

Physical Weakness:

Immunities:

Restrictions:

Alternate Forms:

Extra Anatomy:

FAVORITES:

Colors:

Animals:

Mythological Creatures:

Places:

Landmarks:

Flavors:

Foods:

Drinks:

Characters:

Genre:

Books:

Movies:  

Games:

Shows:

Music:

Album:

Bands:

Songs:

Sports:

Stores:

Subjects:

Numbers:

Websites:

Words:

Quotations:

LEAST FAVORITES:

Colors:

Animals:

Mythological Creatures:

Places:

Landmarks:

Flavors:

Foods:

Drinks:

Characters:

Genre:

Books:

Movies:  

Games:

Shows:

Music:

Album:

Bands:

Songs:

Sports:

Stores:

Subjects:

Numbers:

Websites:

Words:

Quotations:

SOUND, VOICE AND OTHERS:

Languages:

Accent:

Voice:

Speech Impediments:

Greetings and Farewells:

State of Mind:

Compliment:

Insult:

Laughter:

Tag Line:

Signature Quote:

OVERALL IMPRESSIONS:

Overall Reputation:

First Impressions

Stranger Impressions:

Friendly Impressions:

Enemy Impressions:

Familiar Impressions:

Compliments:

Insults:

ALIGMENTS AND MISC.:

For this section, I recommended looking at the link so you can understand more of what these items means.

MBTI Personality Type:

Enneagram:

Ego/Superego/Id:

The Self:

The Shadow:

The Anima/Animus:

Persona/Mask:

Role:

Fulfillment:

Significance:

Alignment:

Comparison:

Symbol:

Song:

Vice:

Virtue:

Defining Moment:

Tropes:

Originality:

One Word:

A MESSAGE FROM CREATIVESTALKERRS:

I hope this post proves useful to you and your characters. I do suggest saving the original post for any more information on these items if you’re unsure what something means: here is the link. Thank you all for being passion with this post as this took me longer than usual to compile. 

If anyone wants me to make a Google Doc for you guys to use, I’ll make it and post it here, but for now, I think you should be able to copy and paste everything. 

If you have any items to add or suggestions, my asks are open!

Happy Holidays and Happy Character Making. 

-emily (creativestalkerrs)

[royalrebelpropaganda]

I’d like to hear more about your modern!EAH au please!

Apple White is the daughter of President White, the acting president of the United States. He was elected right before her freshman year, making her switch schools for her to be closer to DC and the White House. She transfers to Ever After High, which is a very prestigious boarding school full of incredibly rich kids and a few in on grant, to be surrounded by people who are supposed to be “good influences” for her. She’s valedictorian of her freshman class, as well as freshman class president. She’s pretty, smart, kind, and all around, kind of both the most envied and most loved person at the entire school. Everyone’s constantly watching her — either because they just want to see what she’s doing, or because they’re just waiting to see when she’ll finally crack under the pressure.

(tw // mentions of serial killers + murders (not explicit, just referenced -- will do a "---" before and after))

Raven Queen was never liked, not really — just kinda lurked in the background and quietly made friends with the other weirdos. But in the summer in between her freshman and sophomore year, her mother gets sent to jail after she was caught --- for murdering easily a dozen people in a trail now called the Queen Murders, much to the upset and horror of her daughter. --- Her dad, shaken, continues sending her to school, because he thinks that maybe a familiar environment would be good from her. Raven agrees, but the students at school are wary of her, scared of her, call her names behind her back and bully her with thinly veiled excuses that the teachers don’t call them out for. Her mother’s fortune, being mostly generational, is still sound, so her standing with the school is intact, but she’s miserable and no one will talk to her besides Maddie, Cerise, and Cedar, who were already her friends before.

Quick other summaries:

(tw // mentions of/references to underage drinking + alcohol. again, not explicit, but still marked with a "---" in front and a "---" where it ends)

- Briar has a neglectful mom, eight younger brothers, and horrible narcolepsy that flares up and gives her hallucinations, makes her unable to drive or do anything that spikes her anxiety, --- so she drinks, so she goes to parties and actively makes her condition worse despite everything, because she "wants to live her life to the fullest" at best and self-destructive at worst. ---

- Faybelle wakes up at 4 a.m. every morning to work out and practice for cheerleading, because she has to pay attention to school all day, she can't do that much after school, if her grades slip even a notch her mom will take her off of the team. she's in on scholarship, after all. she's constantly making her mother disappointed with everything she does, with every fight she gets in, but she's just trying to be wanted.

- Cerise is deaf and, unrelatedly, illegitimate (a secret, sort of. a lot of people gossip about it); Cedar uses a wheelchair. being some of the only disabled kids at the school, they were forced to room together, but they bonded and Cedar quickly picked up ASL. because of the aforementioned reasons, they're fairly unpopular, but they stuck together and slowly picked up Maddie and Raven. Maddie is the outlier among them as she's sort of well-known around the school and kids in their classes don't really pick on her -- no one dislikes Maddie -- but they judge her for who she hangs out with, specifically. But they're all besties !

- Darling's relationship with gender and sexuality is... complicated, at best. At the beginning of the school year, once she gets to school, she cuts off all her hair, and doesn't let a single photo be taken of her that would get back to her parents. By the time they pick her up at the end of the year, it's back down to shoulder length or whatever, and she starts again the next year. For the most part, Darling uses she/her but also prefers sir, boy, dude as gendered words and doesn't mind he/him, and is definitely into girls, all things that would get him sent home so fast. she goes by Dash, for the most part, short for Dashing and something easy enough to say Ha! it's a nickname. (and also she definitely, definitely does not at all have a crush on Apple White, golden girl. haha. what? no,,)

...

so they're all having a great time.

I don't really have a "plot," nothing like Legacy Day, though the comparison between "royals" and "rebels" in this modern AU is just... a class gap. Kids who are in on grants vs those who aren't. Kids of new money (Blondie, Duchess, Cupid) vs old money (Apple, Briar, Ashlynn), people who are desperate to be seen as high-class and know what it's like to struggle vs those who have lived in luxury and ignorance for functionally their entire lives. The "royals" are rich kids who have to face their parent's expectations that they will take over their companies, and the "rebels" are poor kids on grant that have to fight to be recognized for anything. Raven starts some type of anarchist rebellion etc etc everything goes wild and everyone's gay. I don't know I haven't thought that out yet I've more just been playing with character dynamics.

Anyone feel free to send in asks about individual characters/relationships or anything like that, because I kind of skimmed over everything here, but I hope this is what you were asking for!

[dreamescapeswriting]

Pumpkin Juice ~ JJK [Request]

WORD COUNT: 5K

PAIRING: slytherin!Jungkook x Hufflepuff!Reader

GENRE: HogwartsAU, Harry Potter Universe, friends to strangers, strangers to enemies, enemies to lovers who have secret crushes on one another, touch her and I’ll kill you vibes, there is no wizard war in this so shhh, everyone is happy...Fred is Fred .

A/N: I used the “Wheel Of Names” to generate who would be used for this imagine and I got Jungkook, I thought since I didn’t give anyone a chance to request him I would do this as a one off for now :) 

Ever since you could remember it had always been you and Jungkook together, since you were kids you were always hanging out together and having fun. You'd met when you were younger, both your wizarding families had been friends for hundreds of years so it was fate that you and Jungkook would get along with one another. The two of you could never be separated, spending time with one another so much that people considered you siblings or some would even assume that you were dating. Your parents hoped you would date Jungkook since he was one of the best wizards in the country along with you by his side, the two of you were exceptionally smart and everyone had high expectations of you but once you began attending Hogwarts however, all of it changed. Instead of being your rock as he had been for all those years, Jungkook became a total stranger to you, being placed in Slytherin changed his personality for the worst. He began hanging around with all of the wrong people, Draco and Pansy influencing him to become one of the worst people you'd ever had the displeasure of knowing. 

Even in your final year, he was still pretending as though he'd never even known you, escaping to talk to you whenever he could though and in the summer he would attend parties at your home as if nothing had changed. As if he hadn't spent the entire school term torturing you and your friends with mean nickname and chants that they had been coming up with. The worst one being a song they had curated around Cedric's death in The Triwizard Tournament when he knew that you and Cedric had been dating for some time. 

"Look who it is, the book worm." You heard a familiar coo as you sat in the library one day during a free period, this voice didn't fill you with dread as many others did within the school grounds. 

"Fred," You greeted coldly, pretending to be mean to him as you tried to focus your mind on the potions book in front of you trying to get everything to set in your mind, Snape was always on at you for being behind in his class but it wasn't your fault. Potions weren't something you wanted to take but it was forced upon you by your family, almost every member was a master at potions except for you. Quidditch was where your skills laid and you could have been a professional if you could keep your grades up but you kept getting "D"'s in your potions class, 

"Another Dreadful?" George chimed in as he sat down beside you on one of the wooden chairs, glancing over at the latest potions report card you had gotten back, you slid it under your book not wanting anyone else that was inside of the library to see or overhear what was being spoken about.

"Snape hates me, that's all there is to it." You grumbled as your eyes continued to scan over the same sentence again and again but it was as if your head wasn't taking anything in that you were reading. 

"You just need a good tutor, someone who is exceptionally brilliant at potions," George said as he began straightening out his robes, brushing them off as he was clearly speaking about himself, 

"Someone who is also exceptionally good looking, charming and funny." He added as he put his elbow onto the desk, staring at you as he waited for you to take the hint. You smiled at him pretending as though you were taken in by everything he was saying, 

"You're so right Georgey...But where would I find someone like that, Hogwarts is filled with Idiots." You winked at him pushing his elbow out from underneath him and laughing in sync with Fred as George hit his head onto the wooden desk below him. 

"You're so mean to me," George began pouting out his bottom lip you were about to give him a sarcastic comment back when a shiver ran up and down your spine and the nearby candles blew out. 

"Well, well, well, it's the Weasleys and their little Weasley Whore." You shuddered at the sound of Pansy's voice, it was like nails on a chalkboard to you as she made her way over to the desk. Glancing you up and down as she spotted the report card sticking out from under your book.

"How was your Potions exam?" She asked as she pulled out a chair across from you, you knew she didn't care about your exam so you began to slowly pack your things up in silence, wanting nothing more than to get away from her and study in peace.

"Not so fast!" She called out, slamming her hand down onto the book in front of you and dragging it towards her with a giant smirk across her lips. 

Sliding out the report card the smirk only began to grow as she saw the large blood-red D written on the top of your card, 

"I would have given you a T so it would match you," She tilted her head to the side faking sympathy as she said something mean to you,

"T for troll...Get it? I thought I would explain seeing as you're so stupid," Fred went to step forward to say something but you clutched his wrist, it wasn't worth the fight or the detention you would no doubt get from Snape if he heard you were standing up to one of his favourite students. 

"Oh, this is a recent development," She snickered, staring down at your hand that was wrapped around Fred's pale wrist, the boy began to shake with anger but you tightened your grip. 

"I'm sure Jungkook would love to hear about this, maybe we could add a verse to the Weasley Is Our King song with Y/n in it as well!" She jumped up from the chair with excitement and began giggling as she walked out of the hall, humming the tune to the song she had referenced. 

"Not worth it, if Snape hears someone stood up to her there'll be hell to pay," You reminded Fred who was beginning to rant on about how Pansy had the face of a dog and the breath of one trying to get you to laugh. 

"It's nothing, I need to go and study some more in the common room, maybe I can convince one of the house-elves to sneak me some food," You nudged George as you got up from the table walking out of the library and down to the moving staircases. 

While on your way to the Hufflepuff common rooms you passed Jungkook who was standing outside the kitchen as if he was waiting for you to come by which would have completely outlandish to everyone else but to you it was normal. His leg was kicked up against the wall, nose down in a book as his eyes scanned over the text that was inside, 

"Struggling with something?" You questioned making him jump a little as he looked up from the Astronomy textbook, his leg dropped to the floor as he nodded at you. 

"I'll meet you at the Astronomy tower tonight but keep Pansy away from me, that was my deal with helping you with your studies," You reminded him of the deal you had made that summer between the two of you. 

Trapped inside your bedroom you waited for Jungkook to say something first, all-year-long he'd been torturing you relentlessly with Pansy and Draco. The name-calling and the persistent annoying pranks he would do were starting to get to you but in the summer he was the old Jungkook you knew and loved pretending as though nothing had happened. It was the same every year and you hated it. You couldn't see any reason why he acted the way he did in school,

"It would be nice if we could still be friends at school instead of pretending that you hate my guts," You mumbled as you watched him, he was sitting on the floor in front of your dresser, knees pulled into his chest as he listened to the party that was going on downstairs for your mother. The two of you were supposed to be doing the summer reading but your head was starting to pound with all of the new information and Jungkook was struggling with his Astronomy textbook.

"I can't...If I did that-"

"They would all hate you and you would feel like an outsider in your own wizarding house," You repeated what he had to you over a thousand times back to him in a mocking tone and he sighed looking at you, he never meant to hurt you when you were in school. It was all just supposed to be a joke but this time it had gone too far, joking about Cedric was one of the worst things he could have possibly done. Jungkook had known how much you and Cedric liked one another which was one of the reasons he was rooting for Cedric to lose in the tournament he'd never been good at placing his feelings but he knew jealously when he felt it.

"I am sorry about Cedric, he was a good guy." He mumbled not believing what he was saying but he knew he had to be there for you, deep down he had no idea why he was so jealous of you and Cedric all he knew was that he was and it made him feel like he had to be mean to you about the boy you liked. 

The room fell into silence as you both listened to the faded music playing downstairs, you never knew what to say when someone bought up the reminder that your ex-boyfriend was dead.

"Will you help me study this year?" He asked out of the blue, making you glance up at him and nod without thinking about it first. The two of you would normally study together in the summer, what difference would it make in the School year. 

"I'll make you a deal, we help each other study and I'll keep Pansy and Draco out of your way." He offered, reaching out his hand for you to shake if you accepted the deal he was making.

"Sounds like a good idea to me," You shook on it before sliding off the bed and sitting beside him, where Jungkook struggled in Astronomy you were great and where you struggled in Potions Jungkook was great it was the perfect combination. 

"I do keep her away from you but I can't watch her all of the time," He laughed softly as he looked at you but you weren't laughing, you were too angry from the fact that she had been mocking you again when Jungkook had promised to make all of it stop and for the most part it had. He wouldn't torture you as much as he had done for the last few years and he had done his best to keep Pansy out of your face, 

"Keep her on a short leash or Dogface will get a punch," You poked his chest as you began walking towards the entrance to your common room, it was no secret to where it was hidden since everyone and their great aunt seemed to know where it was located. Not to mention most Hufflepuffs allowed all of their friends to come and go whenever they wanted, 

"I've never been inside the common room," Jungkook hinted as you reached the barrels, 

"And you never will," You smirked evilly at him waiting for him to leave but he continued to stand there waiting for you to go inside so he could follow you in but you weren't going to move. 

"Jungkook, what are you doing down here?" Taehyung's voice rang out from the top of the hall, he had a tray of what looked like baked goods in his arms as a house-elf pushed him and Jimin out of the kitchen. 

"Torturing the house-elves again?" You questioned the two of them, folding your arms over your chest as a blush crept onto the two Hufflepuff's cheeks as they made their way over to you,

"We needed sustenance for our all-night-long study session," Jimin whined as you hummed at him, taking a cake from the top of the tray Taehyung was holding and began eating it waiting for Jungkook to leave once again. 

"I'll see you in Divination class," Jungkook whispered as he walked back down the hall backwards, his eyes never leaving yours despite being stared down by Taehyung and Jimin who turned to you as soon as the dark-haired boy was out of their sight.

"Flirting with a Slytherin, how scandalous," Jimin wiggled his eyebrows but you pushed him to the side, knocking on the barrel in the correct order before heading into the common room.

Instantly greeted by the warmth of the fireplace that was burning and the small chatter from everyone in the room, sitting beside Scarlet - one of the girls in your year - was Jin from Ravenclaw as they studied together...Well, it looked like they were staring down into the root of a plant but since they both loved Herbology so much you assumed they were studying.

"That's what it looked like to me," Jimin mumbled as he followed you over to one of the giant armchairs where you sat yourself down and took out your book to prove you were ignoring him. 

"You need classes then, there is and never will be something going on between me and Jungkook." You snapped as you looked up at him with piercing eyes as if you were daring him to say something else but he stopped speaking and you went back to reading. 

Divination class was normally one of the most laid back subjects you had taken in the school, it was all mostly a bunch of guessing work as well as skillfully avoiding getting asked to demonstrate by keeping your head in the book and avoiding Professor Trelawney's gaze as much as possible but today you could sense something was going to happen. 

As soon as you first walked in and saw Pansy on your table you knew there had to be something going on that involved pairs and bonding with other students for different Houses. 

"Pansy dear, you go first." You held back a snort at the idea of someone calling Pansy dear, Professor Trelawney was attempting to get everyone to read one another's future. A crystal ball was the only thing standing between the two of you on the table and it was taking everything inside of you not to pick it up and launch it at her face, maybe it would have made an improvement if you had.

"I see that Y/n is..." Pansy began staring into the ball intensely as she squinted a little everyone began to watch her as she dragged on the anticipation of everything,

"Y/n is going to get a "T" in the next potions exam," You scoffed out as everyone else in the room began to erupt in laughter, everyone that was except for you and Jungkook who was staring at you with "I'm sorry" eyes. 

"Do you know what I see?" You asked sarcastically as you looked at the ball in front of you and then back up to Pansy who had one eyebrow raised at you, 

"That the stupid dogface will fall off her broom in the next quidditch match this weekend," Pansy stood up ready to fight when Professor Trelawney clapped her hands together loudly and asked for the next pair to try and do it properly this time. Meanwhile you and Pansy exchanged looks as she threatened you with her eyes, you knew she was plotting something inside of her mind and you couldn't wait to see what it was. Not. 

Later that night when everyone was asleep you'd managed to sneak out of your common room and make your way up to the Astronomy Tower, you would have apparated yourself there but you still didn't have your license thanks to George and Fred distracting you one time and getting you caught between a wall.

"Took you long enough," You hissed playfully to Jungkook as he made his way into the tower and sat beside you, you had a blanket laid out on the floor beside the telescope that was already pointing where it needed to be for him to study Jupiter's moons. 

"I set everything up so you don't have to worry about it," You brushed off your legs as you raised up to greet him, he smiled at you. Even in the low light, the smile he was giving you sent your stomach into a whirlwind of butterflies, ever since Jimin had mentioned you flirting with him you'd began to see Jungkook in a different way and the romantic setting of the moon wasn't helping you fight back those feelings.

"You didn't have to, I just need help remembering which is which." He sighed as he walked over to the telescope with you, peaking through it to see that you'd already put it into the perfect position for him to see each moon.

"Which is why I did this, you can focus on remembering...Now, start with the red one."

The studying had gone brilliantly Jungkook was well under his way to remembering the moons and some of the named stars that surrounded it.

"Thank you again...and I'm sorry about Pansy earlier, she's just being a bitch because Draco has started to ignore her," You laughed at the thought of Draco ignoring Pansy, everyone knew how much of a crush she'd had on him for years. 

"It's fine, I'm used to her, but you're all going down in that match at the weekend," You teased as you placed a grape into your mouth, laying down on the blanket as you looked out at the night sky, Jungkook laying beside you so close to you that you could feel his chest rising and falling with every breath that he took. 

"You're on," He chuckled, turning to look at you as he watched you. He adored the way your eyes would light up whenever you looked up into the sky, the way your eyes seemed to shine no matter what light they were in, it made his head spin and his stomach do flips whenever he caught you.

"Thanks again...For helping me study," He whispered as he watched you waiting for you to look at him, 

"Well it's no problem-" You stopped when you realised how close you were to one another, your faces inches away as you stared into his eyes. Both of you so lost at how close you were that you hadn't heard the door to the tower open and Pansy making her way up the staircase, 

"I-I want to do something," He whispered to you as he moved a little closer, you stayed perfectly still as if you moved it might scare him away and you licked your lips. 

"Go for it," He leant closer to you, his breath touching your lips and making you shiver from how cold it was on your now wet lips. The two of you stayed like that, lips hovering above one another until you finally smashed your lips together, having enough of playing the waiting game. He smiled against your lisp, pressing his body against yours as he wrapped his arms around your body your heartbeat danced as he held you close to him. This was your first real kiss with someone and it had been someone you'd loved all these years without knowing it until right now until his lips were brushing against yours and your heart was trying to leap out of your chest. 

Pansy froze as she saw the two of you making out on the floor, she knew Jungkook had been meaning to study and was going to "accidentally" bump into him tonight so she could help him only to find this. While everyone thought she had a crush on Draco it was the opposite, she'd been crushing on Jungkook since the beginning of time but what wasn't there to love about him. Once she saw you weren't going to pull away she stormed off in an attempt to find Snape and lead him to the tower.

The weekend quidditch match had come faster than you expected it to, the week seemed to pass in a blur and Pansy, for the most part, had left you alone. You figured she was training for the match and focussing on that instead of focussing her attention on you so much which had been nice since you were trying hard not to focus on the kiss that had happened with Jungkook. It wasn't that you didn't want to think about it you did but he was insisting on telling everyone you were dating which meant everyone would know you were together. The pro to that would be that the teasing would finally stop and you could be with the man you loved but the con would be that everyone would know, the teasing could increase and you knew your parents would instantly start planning a wedding. Not to mention the two of you were up against one another in a quidditch match and you were both highly competitive against each other. 

"Here," George said as he handed you a small weaved basket filled with cupcakes inside, 

"What is it?" You laughed thinking it was one of their inventions but George shrugged his shoulders before pointing out the gift tag that was on the side of it, your name was written in cursive writing. 

Dear Y/N,

Good luck today, if I kick your ass please don't be too mad, I'll take you out on a date for it...Astronomy tower? ~ JJK 

A warm feeling spread through your body as you saw the note from him, quickly throwing it away before any of your teammates could sneak a look. 

"Cupcakes for us?" Fred called out loudly gaining the attention of the whole Hufflepuff tent who swarmed around you for the cupcakes, leaving one for you to take as you shook your head. 

"In the lead, we have Hufflepuff by 3 points, all we need is for someone to catch the golden snitch," Lee Jordan yelled out as you flew under Jungkook winking at him before doing a turn on your broom and heading over to Fred and George who high fived you. 

"Rub it in their faces," George laughed as he watched you steadying yourself, the match had been going on for almost an hour now and you were starting to get a little light-headed but you weren't going to let up, your team needed this win.

"Y/n?" Someone called out but their voice was faint as you felt swear pooling around the top of your head as you tried to focus on what was happening. The match was going on around you but it felt as though you were even there, you felt sick, faint and as if the whole world was upside down on you.

"She's going to fall!" Someone screamed out from the crowds right as your grip loosened on the handle of your broom, suddenly there was a rush of air coming at you as you fell towards the quidditch ground, the cold air cooling you down as you fell freely. 

"Catch her!" You knew that was Jungkook which only made you smile as you fell, it was nice that he was showing his caring side for you despite wanting to hide it all those times before whenever you would get hurt in a match. You could still remember the first injury you had, 

"You should have been watching where you were flying," Cedric barked at you as he sat beside you in the hospital wing, you were getting your arm stitched up since you'd accidentally flown into one of the stands in the match, cutting your arms and legs open but nothing too bad.

"You okay?!" Jungkook's panicked voice called out as he burst into the hospital wing thinking that you were alone, as soon as he saw Cedric bis blood boiled. If he'd been training you properly you never would have flown into the stands so this was his fault, 

"Showing a caring side for a puff?" Cedric laughed sarcastically as he watched Jungkook storm over to you, if there was anyone else in the wing he wouldn't have bothered coming near you but Cedric was Cedric. 

"You could have hurt yourself a lot worse than this," He mumbled as he looked at your arm and then into your eyes as his eyes filled with tears at the thought of you being injured even a little.

"Jungkook? Came to torture pipsqueak?" Draco taunted as he opened the door, your arm was dropped and you looked away from Jungkook who instantly began to pretend he didn't care that you were hurt when it was obvious that he did. 

"You should have heard the scream she made," Draco laughed loudly as he began to imitate you in front of everyone. 

Waking up to a bunch of hushed voices you groaned, your head felt as though you'd been hit over it by a cauldron around fifty times and you were praying Madame Pomfrey wasn't going to give you any more of the disgusting-tasting medicine she had been. You'd been in and out of sleep most of the night and you couldn't remember anything that had happened, it was all a blur from the tent to the pitch. 

"She'll be a little groggy but she's okay," Pomfrey announced to whoever was standing beside the bed, your eyes blinked open as you adjusted to the light coming through the windows. Taehyung and Jimin were standing by the bed holding a basket of cakes and fruit and on the other side was a worried looking Jungkook who was still in his quidditch gear despite the match ending yesterday.

"He hasn't left since he brought you in," Jimin smirked as he placed the basket down on the nightstand beside your bed, 

"I told you, you liked him." You would have picked up one of the cakes to throw at him as he left with Taehyung if you didn't feel so weak but you rolled over to face Jungkook. 

"That stench is you then." You laughed weakly as you sat up in the bed, leaning against the metal frame as you tried to remember what had happened in the match. You hadn't hit your head and there were no curses that you knew of that would do this to you. 

"I'll get you some water," Jungkook whispered as he got up and placed a small kiss on your forehead, he headed behind one of the curtains and began pouring a drink in silence when the doors flew open. 

"Well if it isn't Little Miss Y/n," Pansy squawked as she sat down beside you on the bed, almost crushing your leg which was still healing from the fall.

"Did you enjoy your cupcakes?" She smirked and that was when it hit you, the cupcakes that had been from Jungkook, It had been the only thing that could have done something so harsh to you but why hadn't it done anything to anyone else who had eaten them? It didn't make sense,

"Don't go looking too confused, if you paid attention in potions you would know why it only worked on you," She quipped, placing a cupcake from Jimin's basket into her pocket. Jungkook's grip on the jug of water tightened from behind the curtain, Pansy had no idea that he was even there and it made his blood boil. 

"Stay away from Jungkook and it'll never happen again," She told you as she got back up ready to leave when she was suddenly thrown against the wall by a blast of blue coming from Jungkook's wand. 

"Kookie!" You gasped out as he walked over to her, pinning her to the wall by her robes as he stared deep into her eyes, 

"Don't come near her, don't even breathe in her direction! If I even find out that you so much as glanced at her I will kill you." He pushed her a little before stepping away, 

"She's an ugly, good for nothing loser and I will kill her-" You flinched at the thought of her trying to kill you and it didn't go unnoticed by Jungkook. Before Pansy could continue on her mouth was suddenly zipped shut and you froze looking at Jungkook who shook his head, 

"You insulted her, threatened her and made her flinch...I won't forget that and neither will my parents." He whispered as she shuddered, walking away from him. He knew how much his parents meant to her since they were some of the most well-known wizards in the community and she so desperately sought their approval.

"You're intimidating when you want to be," You laughed softly as he walked back over to you, running his hand over your cheek and smiling to himself. 

"I have to protect those I care about," He whispered before leaning down and kissing you once again. Your heart skipping a beat as soon as your lips connected but just as soon as it started it was over, he pulled back and made a disgusted face, 

"Pumpkin juice," You laughed as you realised he could probably taste the medicine you had been having since the night before.

Tagline: @lyoongx @mitzwinchester @rjsmochii​ @taestannie​ @kneel-begyourpardon​ @sw33tnight​ @sweeneyblue1​ @innersooya​ @jin-from-the-block​ @acciocriativity​ @mwitsmejk​

[iamwhoami]

Triple Trouble (One Chicago)

One Chicago

   17 year old Y/N Halstead gets injured while under the influence at a party and has to deal with the wrath of her two older brothers.

Warnings: None besides anything that could be a warning in the summary

Requested = Yes

   So it’s not exactly what the request was, but hopefully it’s close enough! I’m really sorry!

   You were a good student at school, and both your brothers knew that. Your grades were good, your friend group was good, and neither of them could deny that.

   However, you were human and humans are bound to make not so good choices every so often.

   The three of you were close and your brothers practically raised you, so naturally, you asked to go to the party.

And naturally, they weren’t so keen on the idea.

“Please, please, please, please, please,” You begged when you noticed they were skeptical, “It’s just a party.”

“The phrase ‘just a party’ does not exist in high school,” Will told you, “I mean, when did you start becoming interested in parties anyways?”

“And when did you start getting invited to them?” Jay added.

   You glared at Jay, “That was a low blow.”

   Jay nodded, “You’re right. I’m sorry.”

“Anyways, back to what I was talking about,” You decided to just move on, “You’re really going to make me go through high school without attending a single party? Really?”

   Will shrugged, “We’d do anything to keep you safe.”

   As sweet as it was, and as much as you appreciated your over-protective brothers, you really wanted to go.

“Come on,” You whined, “It’s one party...you can’t tell me neither of you went to any high school parties.”

   Jay and Will shared a look and you immediately knew you had made a point. Finally, Will nodded.

“Fine, you can go,” Will told you and you squealed with delight, “But don’t go doing anything stupid.

“I won’t,” You promised.

~~~

   Despite promising your brothers that you wouldn’t do anything stupid at the party, you ended up getting drunk and well...did something stupid.

   You were so drunk that you could barely walk and somehow managed to knock your head into the counter, probably from stumbling around, and now had a cut on your forehead that was bleeding.

   You didn’t know how you got here or who took you here, but you were sitting on a hospital bed.

“Y/N, how did you hit your head?” A doctor asked you as he shined a light in your eyes.

   You squinted, not fully sober yet. 

“How do you know my name?” You asked, not realizing you were at a hospital, specifically Chicago Med, which was where your oldest brother worked.

“Well, it doesn’t look like you need stitches but we’re going to clean that cut out,” The doctor skipped over your questions.

   You nodded, “Smile with your teeth.”

“Pardon?”

“Smile with your teeth,” You repeated, your voice dead serious. You paused for a quick second before suddenly bursting into a fit of giggles.

   You weren’t sure what happened next because at this point, the whole night was a blur. Somehow though, you found yourself laying in the hospital bed with your two brothers standing next to you.

“What did you do Y/N?” Will asked you.

“Nothing...” You replied still all giggly. 

   Will and Jay exchanged looks before returning their eyes back to their drunken little sister sitting on a hospital bed with a concussion.

“She should be okay but we’d like to keep her here overnight,” Dr. Choi explained to your brothers, even though one of them was a doctor and knew the protocol.

“Of course,” Will nodded.

~~~

   The next morning, you woke up with a worst headache you’ve ever had and to the realization that you were laying in a hospital bed.

“Nice to see you’re up.”

   You looked over to your right to see Jay sitting in a chair with a small smile on your face.

“What happened?” You rubbed your eyes.

   Suddenly, you stopped as you remembered last night. Flashes of it, but still, it was enough for you figure out what you did.

“I’m so dead,” You groaned and smacked your palm to your forehead.

   Jay chuckled, “Dead? No. Grounded? Definitely.”

“Will’s going to be so mad!” You went on and shook your head just thinking about how he was going to react.

“And I’m not?” Jay feigned shock but both of you knew that between Jay and Will, Jay was the “nicer” one.

   As if on cue, Will decided to walk into the room at that moment.

“You’re awake,” He commented and then looked at his watch, “About time too.”

   You moaned, “I know, I’m grounded for the rest of my life.”

“That’s correct,” Will nodded, “Now, what happened?”

“What?” You looked up, confused, “What do you mean?”

   Jay raised an eyebrow, “How more straightforward does he have to be Y/N?”

“How did you get that cut and a concussion?” Will asked you and crossed his arms.

   You let out a breath of air as you tried to remember what did happen. You must have been pretty drunk...

“I...I had a few too many drinks and I think I tripped over something and hit my head on the counter,” You replied, not too sure if that was what happened.

“You think?”

   You shrugged, “Yeah, I think. Does it really matter?”

“Cut the attitude Y/N,” Will told you and you glared at your older brother.

“What attitude?” You exclaimed, starting to get frustrated with Will.

   Jay figured this would be a good time to cut in before things got too heated between his other siblings.

“Okay, okay,” He held his hands up, “We should probably talk about this when everyone is as cool as a cucumber. 

   You and Will stopped to stare at Jay. Did he really just say “cool as a cucumber”?

“You can make fun of my word choice later,” Jay understood that ‘cool as a cucumber’ was going to lead to endless teasing now but right now, that wasn’t what was important.

“We’re just worried about you Y/N,” Will sighed and let his arms drop to his side.

   You took a deep breath and nodded, “I know. I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have gone to that party.”

“I don’t agree with that,” Jay told you, “You can’t go through high school and not go to any parties. What kind of big brother would I be if I let you do that?”

“So I’m not grounded?” You asked, your voice hopeful.

   Will and Jay both laughed.

“No, you’re still grounded,” Will told you and you made a face. You understood, but it still was a bummer.

   The three of you were silent for a moment before Will sighed.

“Alright, bring it in,” He said and him and Jay wrapped you into a hug as best as they could considering you were laying in a hospital bed.

“We love you,” Jay whispered as you were snuggled in between your two brothers.

   You nodded, “I love you guys too.”

[ofkareenas]

.  ∘ ∗   :   🐝   𝙸𝙽𝙲𝙾𝙼𝙸𝙽𝙶   …

JANHVI KAPOOR, CIS WOMAN, TWENTY-FIVE, SHE / HER  ⟨  ✽  ⟩   hey, you haven’t bumped into  kareena puri  lately, have you? they have been living here for the past  two years  and during that time, locals have gotten to know them as  charismatic  &  creative.  a little birdie told me they can be quite  stubborn  &  opinionated  though. explains why they’re an online fashion brand owner and designer .  they really remind me of  morning beach walks, sketchbooks filled with new designs, the sound of a sewing machine running.  if you’re ever looking for them, i bet you can find them around port briar lighthouse.

hi again, it’s tally ! this is my second baby kareena !! she’s very new to me and it’s pretty exciting bc i tend to just recycle characters kjhfgkj again, if you’d like to plot, please reach out to me on dms, or you can like this and i’ll reach out. you can also talk to me on discord if you’d prefer that. ( gowon face insurance company#8416 ) also pls excuse how messy this is, i havent written a proper full intro in a while.

.  ∘ ∗   :   🐝   𝙱𝙸𝙾𝙶𝚁𝙰𝙿𝙷𝚈   …

kareena puri

march 30th, 1996 - 25 yrs old ; aries

cis woman, she/her, bisexual (closeted to her family, not so much to anyone else)

born in mumbai, india. raised in seattle, washington.

currently residing in port briar, maine

pinterest board: here

TW / CW: none, other than a controlling family, which idk if it even should be tagged but yuh

kareena knew it, she was lucky compared to others. she had it better than some of her peers, and she recognized that privilege. but if she could trade her family life for a “normal” one, she would in the quick snap of a finger.

kareena’s family was pretty much old money. she came from a long line of doctors in almost every medical field, and they own so many private hospitals and clinics in many countries. if you happen to hear the Puri family name, you probably would associate it with these things: a big hospital that you probably drove by with your car or a surgeon that your doctor wanted to refer you to.

every child in the family was expected to go to med school. it was the only way to keep the family legacy and pride going. of course, the more new generations came in the family, the more there were those who decided to take different fields of work instead. and of course, the eldest members in the family would always voice their disappointment in them, and would always make sure to remind them that they’re a disgrace no matter how successful they are in whatever field they went into.

kareena didn’t know what she was doing at the young age of sixteen. her parents would boast about how she would be a successful doctor when she grows up, just like her older siblings, and how her younger siblings would be the same as well. all kareena did was nod and smile. she didn’t want this.

the thing is, she was a naturally great student with really good grades, and yet her parents would be disappointed if she got a B+ or even an A- on a subject every once in a while. she didn’t get it. she thought she was doing her best. although the complaining about her report cards was getting a bit too much coming from her mother, and that’s when kareena really started to not give a fuck. yes, she still got good grades for her own sake, but she started to do whatever she wanted. she hung out with kids her parents would call a bad influence, and started to skip some school days or go to parties on the weekends. it was fun and liberating to her.

once her senior year was over and kareena was graduated with a high school diploma, her family was back at it again, trying to get her to apply to all the notable medical schools out there. she had protested about it, and family fights ensued, and with some threats, kareena was forced into applying. next school year, she was in another city, studying to be a surgeon, and her mind wasn’t into it at all. she only lasted one year before she decided to drop out and transfer to FIDM, a fashion school in L.A, instead.

kareena has always been into fashion. the way she dressed would tell you so. how she was always on the latest fashion, and how she would have so many sketchbooks and scrapbooks of fashion related things. she loved making her own clothes at home with her sewing machine. her mother would tell her that it’s a nice hobby, but she never guessed that her daughter would want to pursue it as a career. the color drained out of her face when she saw what kareena had done. she was angry and disappointed, and mostly worried about what the rest of the family would say, more than she cared about her daughter’s wants and needs. kareena, however, didn’t care. she was happy. she moved out to be closer to campus, and soon enough after graduation, she left everything behind and decided to go somewhere quieter: port briar, maine. this was completely different from everything she was used to, it was so quiet and small, but she loved it. she finally feels at peace with herself.

now, kareena is a successful fashion designer. she started an online business, and it has been booming, with fashion influencers promoting her work. she was hoping that someday she would get to do bigger things, like making custom items for celebrities and being featured in fashion magazines and fashion weeks. she could only wish and work towards that for now.

and even with all of that, even when kareena had picked herself up from the ground on her own and built her own business, her family still didn’t approve. they still pretended to care about her, but would make sure to remind her of how disappointed they are in her and the path she’d taken. they would sit and wonder what it would’ve been like if she continued to go to med school, and how successful she could’ve been. and all kareena would do in response is smile and say that she’s successful anyway, but at least now she’s doing something she actually loves.

.  ∘ ∗   :   🐝   𝙷𝙴𝙰𝙳𝙲𝙰𝙽𝙾𝙽𝚂   …

born in mumbai, india. moved to seattle, washington when she was still a baby, and was raised there for the rest of her life, all while still visiting family back home.

kareena is the middle child of 5 siblings. two older brothers and two younger sisters

she is bisexual, and she’s pretty open about it. except to her family. shes not out to them

she believes in working hard, but she also believes that everyone deserves to have fun and get a break every once in a while. she currently is the only main person doing all the work for her business, but she’s hoping to soon hire anyone who has the same interests as her

her designs are mostly evening wear dresses and such. think teuta matoshi or marionela type of dresses, all flowy and puffy, giving fantasy feels

altho i would say her success is more like early hope macaulay, when she was still starting out. if no one is familiar with her, she is an irish fashion and textile designer who got famous for her knit wear on instagram, and she’s p young !! u might recognize her work if u look her up <3

she currently lives alone port briar, with her rented home facing the beach. exactly how she likes it. it was different and definitely not lavish like her home growing up, but she liked it better. she could’ve lived somewhere more expensive, but she didn’t want that.

owns a studio where she usually works. there is more space for her there than what she used to have at home. all the design process, sewing and even photoshoots take place there usually

if not working, kareena could be found at the rocky beaches near the port’s lighthouse or off somewhere on an adventure. she is always here to have a good time

honestly kareena is still such a new character for me, so if i think of any other hcs, i’ll add them here

.  ∘ ∗   :   🐝   𝙲𝙾𝙽𝙽𝙴𝙲𝚃𝙸𝙾𝙽𝚂   …

friends from school, could be from seattle or L.A: kareena would’ve kept in contact with those friends tbh shes the type of person to keep her friends around. even if they were just added to her snapchat or followed on instagram. she would keep up with them

toxic relationship / gf: THIS

exes ?? we could definitely plot this out

high school ex perhaps 👀

FWB: no strings attached 

neighbors: she lives on sea sprite lane

family members? kareena would be hoping that left them all behind in the past, but it can’t be denied that she has a big family and she could possibly run into any of them at any moment

omg crush perhaps ! idm if it’s one sided, and it could either be kareena having feelings or the other person

a friend she had a falling out with: she probably met this person two years ago when she first moved here. something might’ve happened and one thing after another, they dropped each other and it was probably the worst falling out for both of them

clients / customers for her business perhaps. or maybe a helping hand!! 

literally anything u wanna do, lets gooo

[layevs]

LAYLA EVANS has been accepted to participate ! she is a 24 year old all the way from NEW YORK, UNITED STATES. SHE is currently studying CREATIVE WRITING at the interchange.

tw: mentions of death and child neglect.

i. about

born from meredith and roberts evans, her childhood started off with happiness and joy. it was filled with ballet performances and having parents in the front row each time, going out to see movies, eating homemade food at the dinner table, and each birthday and christmas felt like she was in a family friendly movie. this happy feeling didn’t last long forever though as by the age of eight, her father passed away. it broke her heart for the longest time and it broke her mother’s heart even longer. every time they were together, meredith saw her daughter as a reflection of her husband. it was often she would hide away in her room or attempt to avoid the young child. it soon became a routine that her mom would have layla stay with neighbors or family friends during the day because she was “busy at work” to take care of her. 

as she grew older, the brunette took it upon herself to take care of herself by learning to do chores. cooking, cleaning, laundry, etc. by the time she turned fourteen, she was able to get a part-time job and planned on saving money for her own future. her goal was to move out as soon as she’s turned eighteen. during her high school life, she became influenced by kids who sought out trouble during her sophomore year. the type of group to party every night and wasn’t serious about school. she hung around them for quite some time up to the point where her grades were dropping, teachers began worrying, and she was close to being expelled. however, it was her dream to be a best-selling author and after being lectured about what her future could look like, she got her act together and studied her ass off. she went to tutors and study groups, always asked what she could do for extra credit, and aimed to get the best grade. soon, her efforts paid off and was able to graduate.

as things may seem to be going well for layla, a new chapter entered her life the moment her mom re-married. sure, she could have cut ties with her, but deep down, she hoped things would change. she still wanted her mom to be happy and if it means marrying someone else, then so be it. however, as she spent time with the new family, she didn’t feel quite at home. instead of sticking around, she continued to go down her own path. she moved out of her hometown and began studying at nyu while majoring in creative writing, only wanting to improve her skills.

ii. details

pinterest

aesthetics: a journal filled with pages and pages of ink, matching lace bras & thongs, waves crashing against the shore, piggyback rides, the comfort of someone being there, wanting to hear the words ‘i’m proud of you’, hands gripping bed sheets, police sirens, worn out ballet shoes, crying in the bathroom, feeling warm sand underneath your feet

every year on january 26, she visits her father’s grave and always brings tulips with her

when it comes to relationships and love, she feels she has the worst luck and tends to make things complicated. she’s cheated in the past and for most of her life, she’s felt she’s not good enough for others since then. other times she just wouldn’t want to ruin friendships. at this point, she’s uncertain about love

she’s been bullied in the past, but no matter what’s been said about her, she always toughens it out and tries not to let it get to her

sometimes she would end up visiting relatives during summers. it was an excuse for her to be elsewhere aside from home and so her mom wouldn’t have to deal with her

she has this tattoo on her left arm and this tattoo on her right side

she’s bisexual and is proud of it

labels that can define her: the phoenix, the dirtbag, the halcyon, the promiscuous

one of her most prized possessions is a necklace her dad gave her

her favorite holiday is christmas, even if she may feel lonely at times

her list of hobbies: surfing, going to the beach, writing, reading, drinking, partying, dancing, going on road trips, boxing, baking, cuddling, having sex, destroying property, stealing, breaking the law in general

she’s currently learning how to play a guitar

[shepherds-of-haven]

College!Au of Shepherd members? What likely are they (i.e. jock, player in the soccer team, bad-boy, the clichès.)? definitely not thinking of writing an au, and im certainly not thinking of maybe making a small edit about it. nOt aT aLl cApTAiN

Hi there! Have you seen the college AU asks? This one is pretty detailed about what kind of students they are, and this one is more succinct with their majors/minors! But I’m always happy to go more in-depth about AUs! 😉

In my imagination, Blade, Trouble, and Chase were suite-mates freshman year and get an apartment together when they’re not living on campus. (Halek, Red, and Riel are also roommates and then Riel can’t stand living in a dorm anymore so he buys a townhome with his family’s money and allows Halek and Red to live there to give himself some semblance of a social life.)

Blade is the scion of a very wealthy family who’s expected to take over the family business one day. Instead he majors in Criminal Justice and--in my imagination--secretly aims to become either a detective or a prosecutor because he suspects his family is involved with criminal organizations. He’s generally quiet, solemn, broody, and troubled (just like in the game lol) and is only dragged out to do “normal” college things by Trouble and Chase’s persistence! He’s in the fencing club and also goes to a mixed martial arts gym off-campus, sometimes with Trouble, which also happens to be the one Briony goes to. 

Trouble is in ROTC and majors in mechanical engineering, with dreams of joining the Air Force and becoming a pilot after graduation if he can keep his grades up. For some reason I have this idea that he got into this university on a soccer scholarship? He plays guitar and later gets a dog because fuck it, he’s always wanted one, and he’s rebuilding an old motorcycle in his spare time at this garage where his old school friends work. He definitely wears bomber jackets and letterman jackets like, a lot. He’s very popular and considered a “jock,” but a friendly one! He has an English class with Red and a math class with Riel, going to both of their study groups and then driving them crazy because he either doodles instead of studying or texts. Part-time, I feel like he delivers pizzas for some reason...

Chase is the third part of their trio and is more lax about his studies than the other two (which is a bad influence on Trouble). He does not talk at all about his family or home life and generally spends the holidays with either Blade or Trouble’s families. He’s an undeclared major and has no idea what he wants to do after college and is not worrying about it. He pays smart kids to do his homework for him, so he has an excellent GPA, much to the class president’s (Riel) fury. He’s part of a frat but doesn’t actually drink at parties, more concerned that everyone’s having a good time and making fun memories than he is about himself. He doesn’t allow any scummy behavior in the frat and secretly, on a whim, auditioned for a student play and is surprisingly very into it, to the point where he asks Briony and Trouble for help with his lines. After throwing a huge party where [x] happens, he starts a group chat with everybody involved in this story and it’s sort of how they all become friends, even though many of them already knew each other individually. Oh, and he’s very into Tinder, much to the chagrin of his other two roommates.

I think Briony, Ayla, and Lavinet are also roommates, and so are Shery, Tallys, and Mimir. Briony-Ayla-Lavinet’s place (BAL? Brionaylavi?) is Party Central, whereas Shery-Tallys-Mimir’s place (STM? Shallir?) is Quiet Coffee-Drinking Art Loft Sometimes Hipster Slam Poetry Book Clubs Central. 

Briony is either a journalism student or a law student, I can’t really decide. She takes a lot of extracurriculars at their university as a way to blow off steam, including a painting class (which is where she met Shery) and a horseback riding class, because why not? She has been training at the same mixed martial arts gym since she was a teenager, and she starts bringing Ayla and Lavinet there so they can defend themselves when they’re not altogether. Despite her cheerful attitude and popularity around campus, she seems to be running from a past back in her hometown that she doesn’t talk to anyone about, not even her closest friends: an obsessive ex and a dark past are just some of the things she doesn’t want catching up to her. Sometimes she earns part-time money covering shifts at the cafe Shery works at. 

Ayla is a journalism/communications student who will later switch majors to hospitality and hate it. She gives wilderness tours and white-water-rafting tours in the summers as a seasonal job and plays volleyball on the university team during the spring seasons and track and field during the fall. Her grades are abysmal and she goes to the tutoring center often for help, which is how she meets Red and Riel. She rides a Vespa around town and also attends the yoga class that Tallys teaches. Yes she wears leather jackets and occasionally beanies. She was too cheap to a buy a meal plan at the university cafeteria so she often skims from others or uses their extra meals before the week runs out. She is a lover of junk food and crams their apartment pantry with all manner of chips, soda, ramen, packaged mac and cheese, and etc! She also definitely games. 

Lavinet is a wealthy socialite daughter of the CEO and founder of a huge conglomerate: think a Paris Hilton, but more grounded. She’s majoring in business and political science, being groomed to take over her father’s role, but she wants a taste of “normal” life before that happens. All of her rich friends from high school thinks she’s slumming it with the other kids, but Lavinet’s having the time of her life. She tries not to stand out too much, but she unconsciously does, anyway: wearing designer coats and sunglasses to class, driving a flashy convertible, and keeping her books in a high-end handbag, because backpacks are “schlubby.” She means well but can sometimes be a bit of a drama queen to her roommates. She also loves juicy gossip and eats it up! She has been known to take her roommates’ phones and flirt for them with potential dates. She has a popular vlog and Instagram account, which I imagine is how Briony’s dark past catches up to her. She loves to get coffee at the shop that Shery and sometimes Briony work at and always seems to have a latte in her hand. She can point at any given person and name what lipstick they would be if they were one. She’s fairly good at her studies and loves to be in charge of study groups and gets into a war with another girl who tries to ‘poach’ her study partners. She absolutely takes French and fashion design classes and heads all over campus turn when she walks past!

Red, Riel, and Halek live in what is known as the “Nerd House.” Red is pretty much always at coffee shops and libraries, studying and reading, so much so that he doesn’t notice multiple other students checking him out in his rolled-up sweater sleeves and messenger bag. He’s got a bit of an “Academic Hipster” vibe and definitely has hipster tastes in music and books. He goes to poetry readings at cafes (of which Mimir is a staple) and goes on a lot of first dates that don’t lead anywhere, giving him the reputation of either a really picky person or a playboy. Does he wear glasses? Absolutely. Is it because he needs them? Probably not. On some subconscious level he is probably aware that he looks smart and cute in them. Sometimes he plays pickup soccer with Trouble’s practice team (he played in high school) when he realizes he’s been sitting around too long reading and needs to get some blood pumping! He studies philosophy and history as a double-major. 

Riel is the class president and later valedictorian of their class. He majors in math, business and finance, history, and psychology as one of the university’s only “quadruple majors”. He comes from an extremely wealthy family that has donated so much money to the school that many of the buildings have his last name on them. Occasionally he volunteers at the tutoring center, where his worst and most rebellious student is Ayla, who he vows to break. You can often find him in the music building, reserving one of the practice rooms to play beautiful classical piano, which he doesn’t like to play at home with his roommates around. He abhors eating or studying outside because, mysteriously, every time he walks through the quad, a frisbee hits him in the head. He is the head of a business fraternity that is constantly being pranked by Chase’s frat. 

Halek initially attended their university as a Food Science major, but dropped out and now attends the culinary arts institute across the street. (His twin brother, Naolin, goes to a prestigious university across the country and is studying to become a doctor.) He works as a barista at the cafe where Shery and sometimes Briony work as servers: the one with sleepy eyes that you end up spilling your life story to when you sit at the counter to drink your frappe and study. Plays the drums in a band that performs at open-mic nights and owns a tank of fish. In class he was constantly falling asleep at his desk but has no trouble now. Definitely smokes weed in his room occasionally and has a litany of tattoos up and down his forearms and hands (and for that matter, Ayla does too).

Finally, the Art Loft trio, Tallys, Shery, and Mimir, who definitely have a garden on their roof and hang their clothes up to dry in the sun up there, which Lavinet for whatever reason refers to as their “solarium.”

Tallys is a plant biology major who aims to be recruited into the country’s top holistic/nature-based pharmaceutical company. She teaches yoga outside of class to make money (and Ayla and sometimes Lavinet attend her morning classes). For whatever reason I feel like she smokes and looks really freaking cool doing it but decides to quit after a relative has a cancer scare. She enjoys classical music and plays the violin when she can. She is shares cooking duties with Shery and picks her up from her job at the cafe so she doesn’t have to walk home at night, leading many to mistakenly assume they’re girlfriends. She constantly has AirPods/earphones in, listening to music, and rarely speaks to others outside of class. Strangely, she owns a flip phone and owns no social media. 

Shery is a nursing student who loves to cook and bake as a hobby. She’s a natural introvert and prefers to stay in with her roommates, watching TV while she embroiders, or something, but one day she decides she wants to be more social and that’s how she befriends Halek and Briony. She owns a cat who rules the roost in their apartment as well as a hamster. She keeps detailed diaries and also writes poetry, but is too shy to share it with anyone, including Mimir, her roommate who’s an art major. She always wears pastels and very cute clothing and is a straight-A student. Her parents are pretty stingy so she works at a coffee shop, the Haven, as a way to earn money. She’s also helping with costume design for Chase’s play and rides a bike to campus and to work. She’s close with her professors and often visits them during office hours just to chat.

Mimir is an art student who’s making a big splash in the local scene, as she’s regarded as something of a young genius for her bizarre slam poetry and cryptic, surrealistic paintings. She often does readings at the Haven coffee shop during open-mic nights, and she constantly wears a hoodie, even to class. She paints her nails black and rocks that goth artist aesthetic, complete with dark eye makeup and black lipstick. She rarely speaks, but when she does, it’s usually to say something startlingly-insightful or incredibly mysterious. She feeds birds in the main quad on campus, to the point where they recognize her and will fly to her hand. She smells constantly of incense and can sometimes be seen rummaging around in trash cans on campus for her art installations. There is a mysterious cloaked figure on campus who rides a unicycle while blowing on bagpipes that also spew fire that everyone thinks is her, and she only smiles and fades away when anyone asks. 

[morningfears]

Television Romance [Chapter One]

Rating: PG-13 (some swears, nothing major)

Summary: Natalia Adler is a stressed out grad student who attempts to escape the noise of her office by visiting her favorite coffee shop. However, instead of a few hours of writing, she gets a lap full of coffee and a date with the most gorgeous guy she’s ever met.

Word Count: 3.4k

Chapter Two

The graduate student office was usually busy, bustling with activity and overflowing with graduate students working on various research projects or grading coursework as well as undergraduate students seeking assistance with assignments. It was always difficult to concentrate among the din, there was always some conversation or another taking place that was much more interesting than writing yet another proposal, but Tuesdays were the worst.

On Tuesdays, the graduate teaching seminar met in the student office. For an hour each week, the teaching assistants dragged whatever chairs they could find to the center of the room and formed a circle to discuss problems that had arisen in their classrooms, questions they had about university policy, and an article on teaching practices they were assigned to - but never actually did - read. The class was supposed to be useful, a way for them all to prepare for their futures as academics, but it usually turned into a shouting match as the stronger personalities argued over one another about best practices in classroom management. And after, when the dust settled and the faculty facilitator was gone, students who didn’t have a one o’clock class stuck around to catch up on whatever departmental gossip they’d missed throughout the week.

Most days, Natalia was able to tune it all out. Her desk was in the corner, hidden behind a flimsy partition, and her noise cancelling headphones worked wonders to drown out the arguments. She didn’t love catching snippets of pointless conversations about which departmental policies were outdated - they all were - or which graduate students were sleeping together but she made it work. However, today was not one of those days.

She had several important deadlines looming over her head - conference submissions, revisions for a potential publication, the first draft of her thesis proposal, all due within days of one another - and she was feeling overwhelmed. The argument as to whether the department was too hard or too soft on students - or whether professors played favorites - was only making things worse. Instead of subjecting herself to two more hours of torture, she decided to pack up her bag and head to the coffee shop across the street. Even if it was loud, it had to at least be less hostile than the office.

She stood, satchel slung over one shoulder with her cellphone and headphones in hand, and glanced over the top of her partition at the girl who sat across from her. Nicole, like Natalia, wore headphones whenever she worked in the office and only glanced up when Natalia tossed a paperclip at her.

“I’m going to Molly’s,” she announced when Nicole pulled her headphones away from her ears and glanced up at her. Natalia struggled to keep her voice quiet in an attempt to avoid drawing attention to herself, though she was half certain she could yell and still not be heard over her colleagues. However, she remained cautious as the last thing she wanted was for anyone to join her. “You want anything?”

“A new job, a better salary, a husband who takes out the trash… I could go on,” Nicole answered, rolling her neck and grinning tiredly at Natalia’s deadpan expression. “I’ll settle for a caramel latte, though. With almond milk and extra caramel, please. I’ll Venmo you.”

“I’ve got it,” Natalia assured her with a wave of her hand as Nicole reached for her cellphone, “you got me boba last week. You have class at three, right?”

“Don’t remind me,” Nicole sighed as she dropped the device, straightened up in her chair, and pulled a face as she glanced at the syllabus tacked to her partition wall. “We’re going over how Marxism influenced Burke today. I think I’d rather chew off my own foot than try to teach a group of undergrads about either Marxism or Burke.”

“I know the point of college is to make kids think,” Natalia began as she hoisted her bag a little higher on her shoulder and ambled around her partition to stop beside Nicole’s desk, “but I’m glad I got the class that’s a little more, ‘well, duh,’ than that. We’re going over how fundamentally fucked the US healthcare system is today.”

Nicole paused for a moment, staring at Natalia with a look that reeked of both annoyance and exhaustion, before she dropped her head to her desk and asked, “Is it too late to drop out?”

This was a conversation they’d had at least once a week since their first semester of graduate school and Natalia bit back a laugh as she nodded. “Yep. You’re halfway through your thesis proposal, no quitting now,” she pointed out as she nodded toward the stack of books on religious rhetoric that Nicole had stacked on her desk. “Anyway, only eight more months until we’re free.”

“I’m three pages in,” Nicole informed her, a pitiful whine erupting from her throat as she lifted her head and ran a hand through her unwashed curls. “This is going to be a long semester.”

Natalia, who had been under the impression that she was impossibly behind although she only lacked a completed methodology section, grimaced upon learning just how far behind Nicole was. She gave her friend a gentle pat on the shoulder and, although she had her own deadlines to meet, offered her assistance. “I’ll probably be sticking around after class tonight,” she informed her as she thought about the papers she still needed to grade, “if you need me to help with anything, just let me know.”

“Thanks,” Nicole sighed as she turned in her chair and smiled at Natalia, the exhaustion evident in her features although they were only a month into the semester. “I’m thinking about a writing party on Friday so that people can submit conference papers and then go get hammered after. You in?”

“Always down for drinks after opening myself up for rejection. You can send out an email and maybe follow up with a GroupMe or something. Your husband won’t mind you spending Friday with us?” she asked as she glanced over at the group of students, now talking instead of arguing, that still remained in the room. Although they got on her nerves sometimes, she had grown to love most of them.

“He’s going to a football game with some friends. If I stay home, I’ll just end up falling asleep in the tub with a glass of wine. I’ll send the email after class,” Nicole answered as she grabbed her headphones and moved to reposition them onto her ears. “Go, get out of here before someone stops you. You’ll be back by three?”

“Yeah, I’ll be back before you have to leave. I’ll text you when I’m on my way over. See you in a bit,” Natalia hummed as she tapped the top of Nicole’s partition before maneuvering around the group that crowded the doorway and stepping out into the hall.

The building itself wasn’t that busy, it rarely was, but campus was teeming with students as Natalia stepped outside. They typically opted for afternoon classes rather than morning ones and it was obvious that classes held after lunch were the most populated as she watched students wander from building to building. Her own undergraduate experience had been very different - classes as early in the morning as she could get them and work in the afternoons until late at night - but she understood the desire to take advantage of the opportunity.

As a graduate student, her schedule was a little different. She was usually the first one to arrive in the office, just to get a little work done, and held office hours during lunch. She was a TA for a class that met on Tuesdays and Thursday at three and had her own classes to attend, with each of the three meeting once a week, starting at six p.m. and ending at around ten. 

She was busier than she had ever been, even busier than the two years she spent working two jobs and overloading her class schedule. It was harder and lonelier than undergrad had been. She had little time to feel human or socialize without anyone outside of her program, however, she told herself that it would all be worth it when she finished and had a master’s degree under her belt.

Natalia made the most of the few minutes it took her to walk from her office to Molly’s, the closest coffee shop to campus that wasn’t the always crowded Starbucks in the library. She rarely got to enjoy her days. They were usually spent locked in the office or cooped up in the library, neither of which had enough windows. Although it was September, fall still seemed a lifetime away. 

She could still smell summer as an occasional ocean breeze wafted through campus. The sun was bright and high in the sky and the air was warm. It felt like the height of summer, as it usually did in Los Angeles, and she was grateful that she’d chosen to wear a dress instead of pants as the slight breeze kept her from overheating as she entered Molly’s.

The little coffee shop was every Instagram obsessed student’s dream. The exterior was nondescript with plain white walls and a small patio with string lights and a few small tables, however, the interior more than made up for it. There were walls covered with ivy - though Natalia didn’t know if it was real or not - and neon signs littered around the space. There was also a loft with tables and chairs that always seemed to be quieter than the rest of the shop.

It had all been too much for her the first time she visited. It seemed gimmicky, not the kind of place she wanted to frequent even if it was convenient, however, her opinion changed the moment she tried the coffee. Her predecessors in the program hadn’t been wrong in telling her that it was the best coffee she could get and that it served as a good hideout when the office got to be too much to handle. She understood why it was frequented by both students and the outside community, even if it took them too close to campus.

Although the coffee shop was bustling with students rushing in and out between classes, filled with the sounds of conversation and the excitement that came with a new school year, it still seemed quieter than the office. After ordering her iced coffee and settling into a table near the entrance, Natalia slipped her headphones back on and bit her lip in concentration as she opened her laptop and began working on the revisions she’d gotten back from her co-author.

It was difficult, not paying attention to the patrons that entered the shop as she loved people watching, but Natalia kept her eyes on her screen and typed away. If she had glanced up, she might have seen the looks that people threw one another as two men entered the shop. She might have seen how a few snuck pictures with their cellphones or how others whispered excitedly as they passed them by. But she didn’t. All she saw was the cursor on her document blink as she tried to string together a coherent sentence.

She focused on typing a new explanation for a concept she thought she’d covered well enough to need no further explanation, a metaphorical dark cloud hanging over her head as she let the reviewer’s comments weigh on her pride. However, as she got into a groove, her word count quickly climbing, she felt something cold splash against her right side.

She sat, stunned, for a few seconds, before she pulled her headphones off and blinked at the coffee that stained the right side of her dress and dripped from her skin. Ice cubes gathered in her lap, cold seeping through the fabric of her dress as she attempted to process what happened. It took a few more seconds of staring at the mess before she picked up her laptop and held it away from the growing pool of coffee. Ice cubes clattered to the floor as she stood and she grimaced as she watched them fall. She looked over the computer, sighing in relief when nothing appeared to be wet, before she lifted her head and looked at the person responsible.

Any other time, her attention would be on how beautiful the man in front of her was. He stood a head taller than her, easily, with broad shoulders and a surprised expression that she was sure matched her own. His blonde curls had fallen into his eyes, obscuring the blue slightly, and his cheeks and upturned nose were tinted pink in embarrassment as he looked over the damage he’d done.

They stared at one another for longer than necessary, his eyes lingering on her face just as hers lingered on his, and she was glad that he at least had the decency to stare at her face instead of the wet fabric clinging to her. The man beside him, slightly shorter and more amused than embarrassed, nudged his friend who moved as if he were a video that had been taken off pause.

“I’m so sorry,” he breathed, his words rushing together as he watched her place her laptop on a neighboring table to keep it out of harm’s way before she reached for a few napkins. “Fuck, here, let me help you with that.”

His hand bumped into hers as he reached for more napkins and began wiping at the table and, as cliche as it was, she felt a jolt of something shoot down her spine as she quickly pulled her hand away. It was easy for Natalia to ignore the feeling as she watched him make matters worse. She tried to hide it, however, she couldn’t help but grimace as she moved her bag away from the table, slipping it over her head in an effort to avoid him sweeping coffee inside it.

She shook her head at his apology and reached for another handful of napkins. “It’s okay,” she sighed, not wanting to be rude even though she knew she’d have to take time she was planning on using to write to go home and change before class, “at least it was iced coffee.” She tossed the soaked napkins into the trash and bent down to pick up the ice cubes and cup from the ground. “What happened, anyway?”

“He tripped,” the shorter, dark-haired man informed her before he took a sip of his coffee. He still looked amused, positively delighted as he watched his friend struggle to find the right words to say, and Natalia bit back a laugh as she realized everyone had a friend like him.

“I didn’t trip,” the taller man defended with a roll of his eyes, cutting his eyes at his friend before returning his attention to Natalia. He met her eyes sheepishly, the embarrassment softening his features as he explained, “Someone bumped into me on their way in and I, uh…” He trailed off, clearly having planned on saying that he tripped, and dropped his gaze to the floor as Natalia laughed.

“Tripped?” she finished, a smile on her lips despite the situation. When the taller man grimaced, bringing the hand not full of soaked napkins up to rub at the back of his neck, she laughed once more.

“Fine, I tripped,” he acknowledged, “but it wasn’t just being clumsy. Someone really did bump into me.” He gave his explanation more to his friend than to her and she wondered how often he found himself tripping over thin air. He looked solid, like he wouldn’t be the type to trip over his own two feet, but looks could be deceiving and she knew from personal experience how annoying it was to be the clumsy friend.

“It’s okay,” she assured him, a little more sincere in her assurance this time as she offered him a genuine smile. “Nothing spilled on my laptop and it wasn’t boiling so, worst case scenario was avoided. I think I’ll just not sit near the door next time, though.”

“Yeah, that’s probably a good call,” he agreed. His lips were quirked in a smile, grateful that she wasn’t yelling at him, and he still held the soaked napkins in his hands. “I still feel bad, though. Can I make it up to you; buy you a coffee or something?” he asked, a hopeful lilt to her voice that told her he wasn’t just looking to make up for spilling coffee on her.

As much as it pained her to turn him down - and it hurt quite a bit as she found him to be beautiful, even in basketball shorts and a t-shirt - she didn’t have time. “That would be great,” she began, a rueful smile on her lips as she grabbed her laptop and slid it into her bag, “but I have to run. I need to go get changed before class. It’s really okay, though. No big deal.”

She didn’t miss the nudge his friend gave him and raised an eyebrow as she watched him swat at his friend’s elbow. “I, uh, how about dinner, then?” he asked, his eyes meeting hers. 

He looked so earnest, his skin still tinted pink and his eyes wide, and she felt a giddy excitement bubble in the pit of her stomach. He was gorgeous, the kind of guy she never imagined would be interested in her, and she wanted to give him a chance. She didn’t know him, didn’t know if that chance would turn into a disaster, but she found herself wanting to take that risk.

“I have class until ten tonight,” she told him, biting back a coo when his face dropped at what he assumed was her rejection, “but if you tell me your name, I think I could free up my Friday night for dinner.”

He blinked, surprised at how her sentence ended, and smiled at her. He had a unique smile, his teeth on full display and tongue pressed to the back of them, and his eyes brightened as he nodded his agreement. “Right, yeah. Luke,” he introduced, moving to offer her his hand before realizing he still held the wad of napkins. “This meeting isn’t really going that well, huh?”

“I’d say it went south when you dumped coffee on her,” the friend commented, not even bothering to hide his grin as he watched the interaction unfold before him. “All downhill from there, mate.”

“I’m Natalia,” she introduced, pointedly ignoring his friend’s comment with an amused glance in his direction. “I’ve had worse first meetings, don’t worry. My freshman year roommate opened a door on me and gave me a concussion. You just stained a dress.”

“Oddly, that makes me feel better about this, thanks,” Luke laughed as he reached out and dropped the napkins into the garbage. “Can I get your number? That way you can go change now and we can make plans later,” he clarified, smiling at her as he offered her his cellphone to put her number in.

She felt Luke’s gaze on her as she put her number into his phone and she offered him a smile as she handed the device back. “I have one request for Friday,” she told him as she grabbed her own phone from the table and grinned at the text he sent her with his name, “no tables near the entrance.” Luke laughed at her request, a sound that she found endearing, and Natalia grinned at him. “I’ll see you on Friday, then.”

“See you on Friday,” he confirmed, grinning as he watched her step around him.

Natalia and Luke maintained eye contact for a moment, each giddy and grinning as they felt the butterflies of something new on the horizon, before Natalia bumped into something solid on her way out and made a face before quickly turning to apologize. She tossed Luke a wave over her shoulder, her own cheeks burning in embarrassment, as she heard his friend mumble, “Wow, she’s perfect for you.”

As she stepped out into the world once more, she grinned at the encounter. It made her lose an hour of writing time - and ruined her favorite dress - but maybe this wasn’t such a bad thing. She’d been single for years and hadn’t had any luck with dating apps. She knew that a boyfriend wasn’t the most necessary thing in her life, however, it might be nice to be the girl with a date for once. And it certainly didn’t hurt that Luke was gorgeous.

Whatever the future held for them, she found herself looking forward to it. 

____________________________________________________

Author’s Note: If I try to start another series, someone fight me. Like, actually, genuinely fight me. I’m focusing on Rose Tattoo, These Violent Delights, and this. (And MF if I get inspiration but those updates are more sporadic, never meant to be regular, sorry. :() I want to write a few one shots but they’ll likely be shorter and just fun, you know? Not super plot heavy. I may or may not update the next chapter of this sooner than a week because this is kind of short. But, hey, I’ve got all the time in the world because after I defend next week, I’m done with grad school and that’s mildly terrifying. Anyway.  Here we go.

Tag List (like this post or message me if you want to be added!): @toolazymyguy , @irwinkitten , @jamieebabiee , @glittersluke , @spicycal , @lusbaby , @everyscarisahealingplace, @brokenvirtualheartcollector , @if-it-rains-it-pours, @blisshemmings , @calumscalm , @lovemenowseemenever , @ijustreallylovezebras , @rhiannonmichelle, @p0laroidpictures , @tomscuddles , @loverofmineluke , @harrytreatspeoplewithkindnesss , @blueviiolence , @loveroflrh , @empathycth , @luckyduckydoo , @tobefalling , @bandsandbooksaremykink , @watch-how-she-burns , @megz1985 , @wokeupinaustralia , @lucidlrh , @canterburyfiction , @cal-is-not-on-branding , @t-i-n-y-d-i-n-o , @jaacknaano , @findingliam-o , @old-zeppelin-shirt , @idk-who-i-am-anymore1 , @sammyrenae68 , @flowerthug , @calumsphile , @caitdaniels, @drummerboy794 , @writingfortoomanyfandoms , @x-lover-of-mine-x , @miliefayy , @sunaaii , @canterburyfiction , @sebrox40 , @nati-nn , @opheliaaurora23 , @bitterbethany , @sunnysidesblog​ , @333-xx​

[cxmetery-gates]

OBSESSIVE TEACHINGS - DARK!TOM HIDDLESTON

CHAPTER ONE: FAKING IT

SUMMARY: Lynn Moore dreads the beginning of her greatest fear: the first day of senior year. WORD COUNT: 2.3k NOTE: Get ready for typical teenager angst. Let’s all bully Lynn. WARNINGS: dark!tom hiddleston, teacher!tom hiddleston

OBSESSIVE TEACHINGS MASTERLIST

JUST LIKE EVERY YEAR AROUND the middle of August, my mom tells me the same advice; have a good first day. Of course, most mothers, fathers, or whoever tell their child this, but it's as pointless as a circle. Whoever has a fantastic first day of school? There are new teachers to impress, you're stuck with the same bunch of losers you sit with at lunch, and there are more jerks and morons to pick on you, despite the status quo you fall under. High school is frankly really awful all the way around and there's no way someone can deny or even try to argue that. These are the four years of utter hell and we're all dying to get out. I've stepped through those heavy doors, resembling the gates of hell, on a first day three times now. My anger and hatred have only been fueled rather than dying down. I'm sure nothing will ever change.

"Don't forget--" Mom tries to tell me from the porch in sweats and a maroon t-shirt. Her unnatural dirty blonde hair piled on the top of her head with an old red clip. There are tears welling in her eyes, seeing her only child almost grown up. I have one last year of school and mere months until I'm an adult. For me, it may pass by far too slow, but I bet it's a whole different story for her. In all honesty, it's ridiculous that the woman is so upset and not to mention annoying. I have done this routine twelve times now, for Christ sake, she should get a grip on herself by now. I don't mean to belittle my mother but one of her greatest achievements is being able to replicate every single stereotype women have, including having no control over her emotions. An outsider looking in may say I'm a bit to harsh. All I can say to that is no one has loved with her for almost eighteen years like I have.

"I got it!" I yell against the wind as it smacks my face while I walk across the grass. "Christ on a bike," I curse tossing my messy light brown hair from my field of vision.

The bus would take another five minutes to get the corner, but I'd like to not look stupid on my first day by running to catch up with the metal rectangle of devilry Peter Parker style. Well, maybe it would turn into an interesting story at the least. Spiderman is my favorite superhero of all time after all. Despite this, I only allow an angry face to part my path. It's totally fake but faking it is the only way to survive.

Down at the intersection, there are already kids waiting. I think it's safe to assume that all of the puberty-sicken teenagers are freshmen or sophomores since most junior and seniors are still asleep at this early hour, knowing the good majority are able to drive. I take a good look at all of them. The fact that they find throwing bits of gravel at squirrels or birds makes me want to go over and smack them upside the head. That thought crosses my mind a lot. The world is so full of morons; it's hard to pick out which ones are actually tolerable. They're almost as bad as kids in letterman jackets with expensive sports cars. Those fuckers are the worst. All they care about is their ego and how much money they can wave around coming right from mommy and daddy's wallet.

Take the kid in the striped shirt tucked into his hand-me-down jeans. He looks like a nice kid; after all, he's got nothing to brag about. His parents are probably office workers or maybe nothing too difficult. Nothing too important. That's all we are, right? I mean, once we're dead and gone. No one is gonna care what car you drove or what brand your plain white shirt is. People who think they're hotshots or something special are the real morons.

Besides, who thinks it's cool to spend thirty bucks on a t-shirt?

An old car passes, a teenage girl in my grade sits in the driver's seat. I sort of duck out of the way. Not James Bond-like, but I move my already shitty hair in front of my face as if it's going to help hide my identity. The chick probably didn't even see me. I watch the car drive on, kinda imagining what sort of car I would drive once I get one. I suppose I would have to learn first. I personally am not a fan of getting behind the wheel. Hell, I can't even ride a bike without falling over. I'd rather move to a large city and order cabs to get me places. They seem more convenient and, if you get in a wreck, it's not your fault and it's not your money coming out of pocket. No car equals more money. Then again, no car also is equivalent to no freedom and taxis and Uber's can get expensive. It seems like each idea is flawed these days.

Upon scanning the area again— this time ignoring the idiots— I notice only one person who seems excited out of the group. Her dark brown hair and dark skin contrast to the majority of our town, including those waiting nearby. Her curled hair bounces with each stride she takes, happier than the step prior.

Some say it's strange that the girl and I are such good friends. You don't see God and Satan going out and having coffee every weekend or anything.

"What's got you in a good mood?" I question as I readjust my dark blue shirt underneath the flannel. Flannels are my favorite personal quirk. I own at least fifty, most being cool or dark colors. I don't have an obsession; just an interest that I care way too much about. Flannels are to Lynn Moore as controversy is to famous influencers. Looking back up, my eyebrow is still raised. I'm shocked to see her here, assuming her parents would have given her a lift. After a second, it dawned on me that this, riding the bus to school, was her punishment for getting into an accident she won't take responsibility for.

Posting memes and vines references are fun and all, but doing it while going 60 down a highway isn't the smartest. Forgive me for not following the strict millennial handbook but I don't actually want to die nor do I want my friends to.

My best friend, Ellie Graves, gives a small glare. "Why does it always seem like you're on your period?" I shrug my shoulders, and played with the wire choker I always wore. As my fingers slip underneath the necklace, it is evident how to lose it has gotten since I bought it a few months ago. I make a mental note to take a quick trip to the shopping side of the internet sometime soon.

I click my tongue before answering. "Probably because I'm closer to hell than you are," I say, referring to my obvious lack of height. I'm only five feet and just barely three inches off the ground while Ellie is at least five feet and seven inches. Personally I think we would make a cute couple given our attitudes and the extremities of our heights, except for the fact that dearest Ellie is not interested in people other than men. What a party pooper. For me, anyway. "But lets do our best to not reinforce stereotypes," I say referring to her comment.

She nods her head. "Yes, mother." I snort at her sass, leaning my body weight onto my right leg. "But hey! We have one year left! That's something to be excited about, am I right?"

Yes, I would say she is right. Freshmen, sophomore, and the dragged out junior year have come and passed, full of useless information and embarrassing memories with it. It's mostly embarrassing if I have to be honest. School isn't my thing, however falling up and down the main set of stairs apparently is. Who knew?

"Yeah, I suppose so. At least we're considered adults now," I reply trying to find some positive about the situation.

Ellie begins to lightly laugh, "True. That's kinda a scary thought, though." Her body shudders, either because a breeze just blew passed or out of what she just said.

The age of freedom is so close, I can nearly touch it. Despite my longing to finally buy a lottery ticket and spray paint, the fear of adulthood gnaws at the back of my mind. With eighteen comes responsibility, something I lack to a high degree. I muse the idea of getting a degree of irresponsibility. However, I don't think such diploma could help me get into a creative writing career.

I make a thinking face and bring my shoulders to my ears preparing for an exaggerated response. "Well, you aren't wrong," I reply in a forced high pitch noise, catching the attention of the guys. Now I notice they are all matching in basketball shorts and a jacket. Men's fashion, ladies and gents. Ellie chuckles at my utter dorkiness while I continue to make some weird face I'm sure she will get a picture of sometime within the next few seconds.

It's crazy how time is able to fly. Just last week, so it seems, the outgoing, beaming chick I have as a best friend and I were in third grade, the year I moved to a new house, a different school, and a very different town. Although my eight-year-old-self hated it at the time, I'm glad I left the northern state of Maine, all the way across to the midwest. That is if you consider southern Missouri part of the midwest. If I hadn't, who would have the privilege of being my first smack in the face? Or first sleepover (with an actual girl)? Who knows, and I honestly wouldn't like to. Ellie's my best friend; I would be dead if she didn't have my back. And I'm honestly positive she would say the same about her tiny best pal.

Little time passes after the picture was indeed taken and posted on Elle's Snapchat before an ugly shade of yellowish-orange appears entering the neighborhood. Ellie is practically fidgeting, fighting the urge to run up the bus even if it is some distance away. My eyes roll trying to not say anything to kill her spirit but I do let out an accidental groan as its loud hum draws nearer. The bus came to a screeching halt and I already want to turn on my heel and head home. When I step on, I notice there is a new driver this year. After Ellie got her license and could legally drive me around, I never bothered with the bus unless I needed space or she was busy, which was hardly ever. Ellie and I mostly spend our time together with our group of friends. Despite this, I still easily took notice of a different person in the seat. Instead of a balding old man with a face like alligator skin, a woman sat in the brown leather seat and looks roughly in her forties. She, like all of us except for Ellie, looks tired but fakes a smile anyways. The same rules apply; middle school and junior high in the front and high school in the back. It seems as if sitting in the back always made you cool of some sort. Every time a kid got away with it in middle school, he or she was automatically the bad kid, the cool kid, or the king of the bus. God, how stupid is that theory? These thoughts remind me how annoying and stupid we all were at ten and eleven years old. I'm sure if I had a duplicate of myself at that age, I'd shoot either one of us to cease me from the utter pain.

Instead of going all the way to the back, I turn to sit in the seat half way down the aisle while plunging in an earbud, leaving one open to listen to Ellie. I instantly scroll through an select a playlist that mixes rock, punk, and even some emo. Given today being my last first day, I figured early morning jams would be appropriate to get me pumped up even though I tend to listen to this genre quite often as of lately. I enjoy the heavy guitar and double bass pedal and lyrics I can either relate to or wonder who hurt the singer so bad. Needless to say, I'm definitely more of a rock person however there's still a lot of other types of music on my device, including orchestra and folk or indie. I don't like to limit what I listen to; whatever makes me feel good ends up on my phone. Simple as that.

"So, Lynn," Ellie says sliding in right next to me. I look in her direction, which was to my right, waiting for her to respond. She looks at me, but nothing came out of her mouth. Slowly, I arch a brow. Still, there was nothing. "I had nothing to say, I just wanted your attention." Ellie gave a stupid grin while I glare kindly at her if there is such a thing.

My head shakes and I reach out to pat her cheek, "You, my darling, are an absolute dumbass."

I feel her grin grow against my hand since I haven't moved it yet. "Not as big as you, though." I can't argue; she has a point.

As the bus lunches forwards, I look out the window and watch the world go by. Something settles in my gut about then, the feeling both familiar and foreign. I can't tell what it is, but as I watch the clouds roll in over the sun and birds flying through the sky, I only hope my last year of high school will be memorable.

[augustusgreen]

Get to know Augustus, basically his vogue interview.

Part 1: The Basics

What is your full name? August Romeo Green

Where and when were you born? Austin Texas, November 12th.

Who are/were your parents? Tom and Anne Green, both still living but I have gone very low contact.

Do you have any siblings? What are/were they like? No siblings that I am aware of.

Where do you live now, and with whom? I live in a kind of small apartment alone.

What is your occupation? A member of the hospital board.

Write a full physical description of yourself. -  White, 5 foot 10, regular weight, clearly visible muscles, dresses smart casual most of the time.

To which social class do you belong? Middle class.

Do you have any allergies, diseases, or other physical weaknesses? A slight intolerance to gluten. No diseases or physical weaknesses.

Are you right- or left-handed? Left handed.

What does your voice sound like? A little rough around the edges, deep.

What words and/or phrases do you use very frequently? Fuck, shit, damn.

What do you have in your pockets? Keys, wallet, sometimes chewing gum.

Do you have any quirks, strange mannerisms, annoying habits, or other defining characteristics? I would say no but some would say that my incessant pen clicking is pretty irritating.

Part 2: Growing Up

How would you describe your childhood in general? Not the worst, but most spent time with babysitters as opposed to parents.

What is your earliest memory? Falling off a wall in the play area of an apartment complex we were living in.

How much schooling have you had? All the way to college.

Did you enjoy school? Very much so.

Where did you learn most of your skills and other abilities? Going through life.

While growing up, did you have any role models? Not necessarily.

While growing up, how did you get along with the other members of your family? Got on better with aunts and uncles rather than my parents.

As a child, what did you want to be when you grew up? An astronaut.

As a child, what were your favorite activities? Soccer, karate, baseball.

As a child, what kinds of personality traits did you display? A lot of impulsivity and fearlessness.

As a child, were you popular? Who were your friends, and what were they like? Not overly popular but I had a lot of friends.

When and with whom was your first kiss? A girl called Mabel Arias when we were fourteen.

Are you a virgin? If not, when and with whom did you lose your virginity? No. I lost my virginity in high school at a party.

Part 3: Past Influences

What do you consider the most important event of your life so far? Graduating college ranks pretty high.

Who has had the most influence on you? My tenth grade English teacher.

What do you consider your greatest achievement? Again, graduating college.

What is your greatest regret? Not having a better relationship with my parents.

What is the most evil thing you have ever done? I wouldn’t class anything that I have ever done as evil.

Do you have a criminal record of any kind? None at all.

When was the time you were the most frightened? At the age of four when a tornado hit my town.

What is the most embarrassing thing ever to happen to you? Getting rejected for the high school prom.

If you could change one thing from your past, what would it be, and why? I would try more with my parents.

What is your best memory? Playing in a park with my cousins, I don’t remember it too well, I just remember being the happiest I ever had been.

What is your worst memory? Losing my grandma at the age of sixteen.

Part 4: Beliefs And Opinions

Are you basically optimistic or pessimistic? Optimistic mostly.

What is your greatest fear? The unknown.

What are your religious views? I don’t believe in any higher power but I would like to believe in some kind of afterlife.

What are your political views? I am either here not there, definitely democrat.

What are your views on sex? I love it.

Are you able to kill? Under what circumstances do you find killing to be acceptable or unacceptable? No.

In your opinion, what is the most evil thing any human being could do? Hurt another, or hurt animals.

Do you believe in the existence of soul mates and/or true love? I would like to but I don’t think I do.

What do you believe makes a successful life? A good well rounded education.

How honest are you about your thoughts and feelings (i.e. do you hide your true self from others, and in what way)? I try to be as open and honest as I possibly can.

Do you have any biases or prejudices? No, I don’t think so.

Is there anything you absolutely refuse to do under any circumstances? Why do you refuse to do it? Drugs, will never do it because drugs are bad.

Who or what, if anything, would you die for (or otherwise go to extremes for)? No one.

Part 5: Relationships With Others

In general, how do you treat others (politely, rudely, by keeping them at a distance, etc.)? Does your treatment of them change depending on how well you know them, and if so, how? I like to treat everyone with respect but will always hold the people I love higher than others.

Who is the most important person in your life, and why? Myself because if you don’t love yourself, you can’t expect anyone else to love you.

Who is the person you respect the most, and why? My grandfather because he worked his entire life.

Who are your friends? Do you have a best friend? Describe these people. I don’t have many friends, the friends that I do have are more acquaintances than anything. 

Do you have a spouse or significant other? If so, describe this person. Nope.

Have you ever been in love? If so, describe what happened. Once, around six years ago, I feel deeply in love and have never loved anyone like it since. It was simultaneously the best and worst feeling in the world, it just didn’t work out.

What do you look for in a potential lover? Humour, kindness and obviously some sort of attraction.

How close are you to your family? Not very.

Have you started your own family? If so, describe them. If not, do you want to? Why or why not? No and I do not want to because of my own parents.

Who would you turn to if you were in desperate need of help? A cousin or one of my aunts.

Do you trust anyone to protect you? Who, and why? Myself.

If you died or went missing, who would miss you? I’m not too sure.

Who is the person you despise the most, and why? I wouldn’t say that I despise anyone.

Do you tend to argue with people, or avoid conflict? Some conflict is healthy.

Do you tend to take on leadership roles in social situations? A little.

Do you like interacting with large groups of people? Why or why not? Not necessarily, I find it hard to fit myself in to conversations.

Do you care what others think of you? Not all the time.

Part 6: Likes And Dislikes

What is/are your favorite hobbies and pastimes? Working, reading, drawing.

What is your most treasured possession? A watch from my grandfather.

What is your favorite color? Blue, but like sky blue.

What is your favorite food? Anything that isn’t necessarily healthy.

What, if anything, do you like to read? I like to read anything fiction.

What is your idea of good entertainment (consider music, movies, art, etc.)? A film or a book with a very good plot twist, music with a good beat.

Do you smoke, drink, or use drugs? If so, why? Do you want to quit? I drink but not to excess. No drugs or smoking.

How do you spend a typical Saturday night? If I am not working overtime, I will be at home with my feet up watching tv.

What makes you laugh? People falling over, as long as they’re not too hurt.

What, if anything, shocks or offends you? Nothing in particular.

What would you do if you had insomnia and had to find something to do to amuse yourself? Well.....

How do you deal with stress? As above.

Are you spontaneous, or do you always need to have a plan? I like to have a plan but I can be spontaneous at times.

What are your pet peeves? Rudeness, someone chewing with their mouth open.

Part 7: Self Images And Etc.

Describe the routine of a normal day for you. How do you feel when this routine is disrupted? Getting up around 6am each day, starting with a coffee and then a shower and then work. Come home from work, have another shower and then dinner and then relax. Routine isn’t all that important to me.

What is your greatest strength as a person? Empathy.

What is your greatest weakness? I’m not sure.

If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be? My relatioships with others.

Are you generally introverted or extroverted? A little here and there.

Are you generally organized or messy? More in the middle than anything.

Do you like yourself? Yes.

What goal do you most want to accomplish in your lifetime? Find true love.

Where do you see yourself in 5 years? Still doing the same thing.

If you could choose, how would you want to die? Peacefully in my sleep.

What is the one thing for which you would most like to be remembered after your death? My hard work.

What three words best describe your personality? Fun, Kind, Honest.