#home tuition academy

[musicacademykarachi]

Music teachers available in Karachi, Pakistan

The demand for music teachers in Karachi has seen a notable rise in recent years, driven by a growing interest in music education among students of all ages. With the increasing recognition of music as a vital component of holistic education, many parents are seeking qualified instructors to nurture their children’s musical talents. Schools and private institutions are expanding their arts…

[tutorinkarachi]

Music teachers available in Karachi, Pakistan

The demand for music teachers in Karachi has seen a notable rise in recent years, driven by a growing interest in music education among students of all ages. With the increasing recognition of music as a vital component of holistic education, many parents are seeking qualified instructors to nurture their children’s musical talents. Schools and private institutions are expanding their arts…

[redhoodieone]

I'm in Trouble

A/N: OH, MY FUCKING GOD!!!!! It’s been YEARS guys! But I am back with one sexy ass fic, and I hope it pleases everyone! It’s been a crazy few years for me, but I’m trying very hard to get back on social media, so please bear with me! Here is a fic of our girl (the reader, YOU) having a foursome…orgy?...no, maybe foursome, let’s call it that with Bruce Wayne, Dick Grayson, and Jason fucking Todd! Enjoy, peeps! 

I knew I was in trouble. I may be twenty-one years old, but hearing my adopted father, Bruce Wayne, calling me into his study as soon as I got home from my college algebra class. Being a full-time student at Gotham University takes up most of my time, but I try very hard to be present at home as much as I can. But hearing Bruce call me into his office is strange, considering I haven’t been home all day.

I was adopted by Bruce when I was just sixteen-years-old. My dad worked for Two-Face, and he owed him a lot of money. During a deal gone wrong, Two-Face and his men broke into our home and Two-Face put forty bullets in my dad’s head (he won the coin toss), and my mom was slaughtered by three men (he lost the coin toss, so he had his men do it). When I was next to be killed (he won the coin toss, again), Two-Face was determined to put a bullet through my skull when I tried to escape to safety. Just as I was shoved down onto my knees, Two-Face put his gun against my forehead, and was about to pull the trigger until a rubber bullet struck his hand. Jason Todd A.K.A. Red Hood saved me first.

Sneaking up behind Two-Face,  Bruce Wayne A.K.A Batman tackled him to the ground. 

While Jason and Bruce dealt with Two-Face and his men, Dick Grayson A.K.A. Nightwing scooped me up, and saved me like a princess being saved by her prince. With a dashing smile, we jumped out of the apartment building, and soared through the sky like birds. Eventually, Bruce Wayne adopted me and I was brought to Wayne Manor. Bruce wanted to help me adapt to my new life, and he did tremendously. While I finished Gotham Academy and went to therapy, I was able to move on the best I could with the Wayne family. 

I was beyond grateful that Bruce didn’t try to replace my dad. In a way, he was more than just the guy who gave me a home. I saw Bruce as more than my savior. I saw Bruce as my hero, and I admired  him in so many ways because of that. Maybe that’s when my feelings for him developed more. As soon as I was eighteen-years-old, I admitted that in a whisper one night. That one night was the first night I masturbated to the fantasy of Bruce. It was based on a night where I was worried about my final exams before graduation, and I was stressed and worried about failing and wasting Bruce’s money for my Gotham Academy tuition. 

“Y/N…” Bruce says, before he grabs my wrist to prevent me from walking away from him. 

The warm, tight, and authoritative grip on my wrist stopped me in my tracks. I turned around to face Bruce, and when I expected a frown on his face, he smiled warmly at me instead. He pulls me back to him, and I am forced to stand in front of him behind his desk in the study.

It was strange at first. Bruce was taller than fuck as me, but standing directly in front of him, while he’s sitting down at his desk was different. His legs were parted open, and I was standing in between them his strong, thick thighs, while he was forced to look up at me with those beautiful, ocean blue eyes. With both his hands holding my wrists, he leans in closely.

“You could never disappoint me. As long as you try your best, that is all I could ask for,” Bruce says in that serious tone. Just when I thought he was finished, he chuckles lightly. “And besides, I’m Bruce fucking Wayne. I could literally buy your way into G.U.”

This made me laugh hard. We both shared that laugh that made both our bellies hurt. When the laughter naturally ends, I noticed Bruce never let go of my wrists. His eyes are back on me, but this time, they’re serious once more.

“You’re my girl, Y/N. You should know by now that I’ll always do whatever I can to make you happy,” Bruce vows.

After that encounter, I always imagined being in Bruce’s lap, particularly in between his thighs. Hell, I even rubbed my clit to the thought of grinding on Bruce’s thigh. Fuck…can you even imagine that?

But something happened after that. I began to fantasize about Dick. I figured it started after him and I flew through the sky with Gotham’s lights shining on us. With his arms wrapped around me, and that smile he gave me, just me. I started to imagine him eating my pussy out. He must have an amazing mouth. Amazing smile equals amazing oral skills, right?

And then it happened with Jason. It was definitely when he saved me from Two-Face’s bullet. My infatuation with him had to be because of his arms. Those fucking muscled arms made me clench my thighs, and leak my juices in my panties at just sixteen-years-old. Hey, I was a teenage girl. I couldn’t help myself. And look at me now…I’m just dying to have Jason shove me down onto a bed or desk, and wrap his arms around me and do whatever he wants to me.

And because of all of this, I’m in trouble. I must be in trouble.

Coming back to reality, I hurry into the study and force myself to remain calm. Maybe it’s nothing. Maybe it’s just to check in with me. 

Because the Wayne family has always made it their mission to always check in with me when I go to my classes at G.U. 

Alfred calls me every morning to make sure I’ve had breakfast. I always need to eat breakfast to be ready for the day.

I think Bruce just tracks my phone. I think he even checks in with Alfred to make sure I’m still alive. I’m not even exactly sure what he does. 

Dick texts me. Every day. Even when it’s pointless, he’ll text me random things. Gifs. Pictures. Hell, even emojis. We guess what the other is saying through emojis. (I win most of the time).

Jason texts me as well, but he keeps it brief because he hates texting. Jason prefers talking on the phone, so whenever we’re both free, he’ll call me or I’ll call him. Jason is more old-fashioned than you’d think. It’s sweet, I think.

Tim emails me. He’s so fucking formal and technical that he’ll email me. But since I don’t check my email every day, it’s hard to answer his question when it’s a day or two late. Poor guy…

And Damian. Damian calls and texts me regularly. He does it like a normal person. He’s not overly into texting, but he’s not into talking on the phone either. But he does it enough to let me know he cares in his own way, and that’s just fine with me.

By the time my brain is back into my body, I enter Bruce’s study. There in the study, my eyes zero in on Bruce sitting behind his desk, while Dick and Jason are both seated across from Bruce.

What. The. Fuck. Is. This?

An intervention?

Once I’m fully into the room, I notice I’m underdressed. I was dressed casually, because of a math test I had today. I was wearing just my black yoga pants, and a black tank top. I was in and out of the class, because once the test was done, we were able to leave. I was even planning to work out at the college gym after the test, but once Bruce texted me to go home, I knew I was somehow in deep shit.

So, here I am. In the presence of Bruce, Dick, and Jason, and my nips are hard because I wasn’t wearing a bra. 

Yeah, I wasn’t wearing a bra because I was hoping my hard nipples in the cold classroom could sway my math professor to give me a C. So, sue me.

“Close the door and lock it, please,” Bruce tells me.

I sigh and I do what he says. As strange as it is, I even lock it. By the time I turn around to look at the handsome men. 

Bruce is seated at his desk, in one of his usual black work suits, and he has a dark look in his blue eyes. He appears frustrated at most, but there’s something in his eyes that I can’t detect.

Dick is wearing black sweats, and a blue t-shirt. How typical. But he’s hot and smiling at me, so he gets a pass.

And Jason. Jason just had to be wearing black pants, and a muscle red t-shirt. His hair is messy, and his eyes are zeroed in on my nipples. Good.

Wait. Dick is looking at my chest, too.

So is…Bruce?

Bruce clears his throat.

“What is this about, Bruce? I was hoping to work out,” I say as calmly as I can.

Jason snickers. “Hey, after you listen to what he’s about to suggest, you’re going to get that work out.”

“Jason, don’t. You don’t need her freaking out right now,” Dick scolds.

“What is going on?” I demand, and I look at Bruce. “What is Jason talking about? Why does Dick not want me to freak out?”

Bruce exhales sharply, before he leans on his desk and looks up at me with those blue eyes. The blue eyes that haunt me.

“Y/N, there’s something you need to know. As your adopted parent, I…” Bruce sighs, and he almost looks ashamed. “You need to know that I’ve always tried to fight this. The feelings I have for you…they go farther than what is appropriate. I…I love you. I love you more than anything. You’re my girl, and you’ll always be my girl. I vowed to protect you that night, and to always be what you need and want, but now…I want you more than anything.”

I release a shaky breath. He loves me. Bruce loves me…more than a daughter?

“He’s…not the only one,” Dick confesses. He turns his entire body to look at me. “The night I flew through the sky with you, I just…I’ve never forgotten the feeling of holding you tightly against me. You mean the world to me, Y/N. I…I love you, too.”

I swallow hard. This isn’t a dream, right?

Jason sighs deeply. “Y/N, I don’t…do confessions. I’m a fucking guy. I literally just say what I want, and not really do the whole “deep conversation” thing. I may read books and think thoughtfully, but this is as far as I’ll go because I never anticipated my father figure and dickhead brother being here. I love you,” Jason reveals, before he chuckles. “Fuck…me shooting Two-Face in the hand with that rubber bullet was the best shot I’ve ever done, because it saved you. It brought you into my life, and that’s the best fucking thing ever.”

“I just…you all love me?” I ask, afraid to even say those words aloud.

Bruce finally stands up, and he walks over to where I’m standing. Once he’s close enough to look down at me, he sighs once more.

“If you agree to this, we’ll share you. We’ll be yours equally,” Bruce says.

“You want to…you guys want to share me?” I ask. I must make sure before I look like a horny idiot. My panties are already wet just imagining how this will go.

Bruce pushes a strand of my hair behind my ear, before his hand reaches the back of my neck. Pulling my face close to his, I can feel his breath, hot and minty, against my face. “We want you. We know you want us. All of our feelings go beyond family, and for once in my life, I really don’t give a fuck,” Bruce admits. His lips are barely touching mine. “Do you want us, Y/N?”

There is a short pause. I need to breathe. I give in to my dirty fantasies. “I want the three of you,” I whisper.

Then, Bruce kisses me. His lips are hard against mine. He bites and licks my bottom lip, until my mouth opens, and he kisses me deeply. Our tongues rub against each other’s, and we kiss as if it’s our last one.

I can feel lips kiss the back of my neck. “Fuck yes!” Jason cheers.

“Wait, how’s this going to go?” Dick asks.

Bruce pulls away from me, we’re panting, out of breath. A string of saliva is between us, until it breaks when Bruce kisses me once more.

“I get her pussy. You guys can rock, paper, scissors next time,” Bruce hastily says, and sits back down on his chair. He unzips his pants, pulling down his boxer briefs, and revealing his hard, thick cock. Pumping his cock in his fist, he motions me to go to him. “Sit down on my lap, back facing me.”

 I obviously hurry over. Kicking off my socks and shoes, I pull down my yoga pants and panties. With only my tank top on, I hurry over to Bruce’s lap. 

“I’m wet enough. Put your cock inside me, Daddy,” I say, hoping to sound sexy. Luckily, it works.

“Fuck…” Bruce groans, and he turns me around. Sitting on his lap with my legs over his knees, my bare pussy is revealed to Jason and Dick. 

“Fuck is the right word,” Jason says, unzipping his own pants. Pulling down his pants and boxers enough, Jason holds his own hard cock as he jerks off to the sight of my wet pussy.

Dick moans quietly to himself, as he slips down his sweats and strokes his own cock. 

Bruce finally slips his cock through my folds. After the tip of his dick rubs against my clit, his thick length slips inside my pussy. It’s a tight fit. By no means am I a virgin, but fuck…he’s big enough to where I’ll feel him for a few days. I moan pathetically, and I move my hips; hoping to build a pace where we both can feel good. Bruce breathes hard behind me, and his hands grip my hips to control how deep, fast, and hard I go.

“I call eating her out!” Jason shouts, before he drops to his knees and shoves his face into my pussy. Jason’s tongue licks and flicks my clit a few times, before he sucks it hard.

“Oh! Oh, fuck!” I moan loudly. I can feel my juices running down my pussy, all the way down to my ass.

“Jason! You can’t just call that without us talking about it fairly!” Dick whines.

“Shut-shut up, Dick! If it’s okay with Y/N, maybe she can suck you off,” Bruce chokes out. 

Dick moves close to me, but it’s clear he’s nervous, as if I’ll say no. I nod my head eagerly, hoping Dick hurries before we finish because this is too good. “Come here! I want to!” I cry out.

Dick grins, it’s silly but it’s cute. He gets close enough to where I can lean my head down and swallow his cock almost whole. I move my head up and down easily, I build a rhythm of moving up and down Bruce’s cock, but then Bruce takes over and thrusts up hard and fast. This forces my head down more to swallow Dick’s cock, and he begins to thrust a bit in my mouth. 

 Jason continues to alternate between licking and sucking my clit, even shaking his head back and forth to make it intense enough, only to moan and vibrate as well. I can hear Jason jacking himself off at the same time he’s eating me out. Fuck…he even slipped a finger inside my pussy alongside Bruce’s cock.

“Oh shit! Fuck!!!!” I moan louder. I’m going to cum. It’s too much. This is too much.

“Holy…fuck…I’m gonna cum…can-can I cum in your mouth?” Dick asks and moans at the same time. I hum and nod my head as much as I can. I want to taste him so bad. After a few more thrusts in my mouth, Dick cums; shooting many ropes of cum down my throat. “Fuck…”

After I swallow every drop of cum, Dick pulls out of my mouth. I lick my lips, and whine as well. “Fuck….I’m cumming. Oh, fuck, I’m cumming…” I cry out. Jason sucks my clit once more, and I cum hard. My juices shoot out of my pussy and into Jason’s mouth. He eagerly swallows as much as he can, before he cums as well.

“Fuck…” Jason moans out. He continues to jack himself off, hard and fast, until he cums into his own hand and on the floor.

Despite the hard orgasm, Bruce continues to thrust hard and deep inside me. Then, his hips stutter, and he groans lowly. “Fuck…Y/N…” Bruce growls out. “I’m gonna cum inside you.

“Do it! Do it, daddy!” I moan, rubbing my clit a few more times. Jason notices, and he growls and slaps my hand away to do it himself. I can hear Dick chuckling to the side, but he tilts my head back and kisses me hard. I cum once more, and Jason shoves his face down to taste me once more.

Bruce kisses my neck, and then he does it. He cums inside me; it’s hot and creamy inside me.

The intensity between the four of us slows down. We all pull back. Jason crawls backwards until he secures his cock back into his boxers and pants. Dick even puts his cock away and back into his sweats and sits down on a chair.

But Bruce…Bruce stays inside me. I try to regain control of my breathing and think straight…but I can’t.

I’m fucked out of my mind. 

Bruce rubs my thighs to caress me and show me everything’s okay. And it’s great, because I need that right now. I need to know we’re okay, and everything we did is okay.

Then, Jason breaks the silence.

“Thank God Tim and Damian weren’t included, huh?”

[dearestpartnerofgreatness]

Braah Alrashid and Hibatallah Suleiman are fifth-year medical students at Ahfad University for Women in Sudan. They have been best friends since 2017.

They began their journey at Ahfad Medical School in September 2017. Despite the unstable situation in Sudan — from the Revolution in 2019 through the COVID-19 lockdown and now the ongoing war — they remain dedicated students with two years left to graduate!

On April 15, 2023, when war broke out in Sudan, their lives were shattered and fell apart. They lost everything —  homes, land, loved ones, and most sorrowfully,  dreams. They have been forcibly displaced from state to state, exhausting all family savings, and have now ended up in Egypt.

They once dreamed of becoming a cardiothoracic surgeon and a psychiatrist. Ahfad University has decided to collaborate with the Arab Academy for Science and Technology in Egypt, El-Alamein. Unfortunately, the tuition fees are $4,960 per student, which they cannot afford due to the ongoing financial hardships their families are facing because of the worsening war. They humbly ask for your generous support to help collect the fees before the deadline on September 1.

The goal is extremely attainable! Every little bit helps.

Detailed Budget:

Study fees: $4,960 each

Accommodation and life expenses: $1,200 each

Medical books and scrubs: $1,000 each

GoFundMe transaction fees: $600

TOTAL: $14,920

[daisystwistedgarden]

the prophecy of the noisy upstairs neighbor always rings true, even unintentionally-- and you are riddle rosehearts' most obnoxious peer in the building.

somehow, he has grown fond of it.

the stairwell to the university apartments is, for as much as tuition is at such a prestigious academy, poorly sound-proofed. noise spills in through unsealed door gaps and thin walls. riddle's mother insisted on him avoiding the housing in central campus where trey and cater live-- something about distractions and other such frivolities-- and thus, here he is, in a less-than-luxurious accommodation far from any of his classes or friends. as expected. after switching his major going into his junior year from pre-med to pre-law, his mother's decisions regarding his education were just as icy as the glares she sent his way over silent dinners on holiday breaks. hearing his neighbors have weekend parties or intimate encounters was his punishment for straying from his mother's grasp in his early twenties.

familiar stomps echo up the stairwell. riddle sighs and peels off his glasses, discarding them beside his textbook. the gold rims glint under warm light from his desk lamp. those footsteps are yours, meaning he's been studying for almost four hours and has not retained a single word.

the minutes trickle by. riddle resolves to at least begin preparing for bed while his mind wanders aimlessly-- the lack of discipline is unusual for him, but, in all fairness, his friends have complained about him going overboard in studying for finals this term. but it feels less lonely to know in some way you have, too. your footsteps have woken him from a restless sleep more than once this past week.

it's a dance, almost. he hears your footsteps above him as he too wanders his apartment to settle in for the night. thumps echo above his living room-- you're in your own, assuming the layout of your apartments is the same-- as he's brushing his teeth before bed. your voice is muffled through the walls. you're always talking to something or someone when you get home. a friend on the phone, maybe? a pet? yourself? riddle wouldn't dream of knocking on your door to ask such a pointless question, no matter how his curiosity eats at him when your laugh spills from your open window on warm mornings. you are simply a footnote in his university experience. riddle cannot spare the time to make new friends-- would you even consider the notion?-- as he works overtime to catch up on classes in an attempt to graduate on time. his pride couldn't handle anything less.

and it's a lousy idea, to settle at his desk once more as your footsteps retreat to your bedroom above his. heavy eyes try in vain to focus on the notes he's scrawled in uniform lines across notebook pages. but then a pleasant tune begins to play from above, melodic and sweet...

it's you. inconsiderate of the time, too, as you abandon common courtesy to practice so late at night. that same violin he hears night after night, the one he's seen slung over your shoulder in a decorated case as you scurry off to morning classes, the siren song luring him into an ill-advised nap, just resting his eyes...

in the morning, when he wakes with a start and a crick in his neck, he'll be far less forgiving of your antics. riddle might even finally stomp up to your apartment and chew you out for breaking the curfew for quiet hours. but tonight, to the tune of the piece you've been rehearsing all week, riddle finally finds a restful sleep.

[leonw4nter]

The Cotton Candy Haze Mirrors The Warmth Of Your Gaze

RE2R!Leon x F!Reader

Coming back home from working 4 shifts in a single day for the fifth time this week, you went home looking and feeling like a hot mess– ponytail looking like you got into a fight and lost, eyes sunken in with dark bags underneath them, and pimples breaking out in several spots in your face and back. Despite how much your body craved a deep and restful sleep, you couldn’t give yourself that because grad school, especially medical school, won’t pay its own tuition along with living expenses. Juggling 4 odd jobs, along with working overtime for the sake of getting extra pay is really taking a toll on you: you’ve been cranky lately and you haven’t found proper time to be studying for the upcoming board exams, resorting to bringing all your books and notes in your bags so you’ll have time to read in case you’re free while still at work. Hell, you haven’t even found time to take Leon on dates due to how hectic and overwhelming everything is; you’re certain that the last time you and Leon spent some quality time cuddling together was three months ago. An icky guilt seeps into your weary bones, especially since Leon’s also taking up some jobs on the side to help with your expenses and along with his police academy’s costs but he still manages to make you meals, remind you to drink water, and drive you to wherever you need to be. With a frustrated groan, you fumble through your bag to look for your keys but unfortunately you couldn’t find it and deduced it to your forgetfulness, having left it at the bowl by the door back inside.

“Fucking hell,” you bitterly hiss. You were just about to knock at a neighbor’s door for the spare key you handed them but then you suddenly remembered that you haven’t had the chance to give them an emergency spare key yet since you were procrastinating on it, much to your disadvantage now. Exasperation causes tears to flood your waterline, your vision going blurry as you reach to contact Leon to tell him that you’ve been locked out but you forgo it, thinking that he’s probably had a long day as well and that he doesn't need another thing to be bugging him. You sink down by the door, wiping your tears with the sleeve of your sweatshirt before taking your notes out to start reviewing again since you’re free and waiting for him to come home. A few minutes pass and you hear the pad of footsteps nearing you. Swiftly, you place your notebook back in your bag and sling it over your shoulder, getting up and dusting your legs before seeing Leon’s kind smile beaming down on you like the first few rays of the sunlight on a new day.

“Hey, baby.” you softly mumble as you place a kiss on his cheek.

“Hi,” he says as he pulls you in for a quick hug. “What are you doing here?”

“Got locked out. Forgot to bring the keys. I also didn’t ask the neighbors for the keys since I didn’t give them spares yet,” you quietly admit. You look down at your feet, shame creeping in. “Leon’s had a long day and here you are, worrying him even more. Great job, Y/N. Real girlfriend of the year,” you glumly think to yourself.

“Oh– I forgot to tell you this too but I already gave the spares to the neighbors. You’ve been really busy lately so I decided to do it instead,” he says. “Sorry about that. It just slipped from my mind.”

“No. It’s fine, it really is.” you say with a tired yet genuine smile.

Leon fishes out his key from his backpack before slotting it into the keyhole and unlocking the door, opening it and letting you head in first. You slip out of your work shoes, placing your bag on the couch and collapsing right beside your things with a loud sigh.

“I’m so tired with everything,” you loudly groan as you cover your face with both hands and proceed to groan a little more. Leon walks over to the back of the couch, wrapping his arms from behind you and placing comforting kisses to your hair.

“Tell me what’s going on. I’m just going to sit here and listen,” he softly whispers as he lightly pats your shoulder.

With a deep sigh, you ramble on about everything that’s bothering you. Tears prick your eyes again and there’s more than one occasion to your voice breaking. He stays quiet, arms still wrapped around as he nods to whatever you say, occasionally pressing his lips into your head as you vent about whatever.

“I can’t afford a review center and I don’t have time to study before the board. I’m going to fail, Leon. I won’t end up somewhere,” you finish. You recline back into his touch, feeling like a ton of bricks has been lifted from your shoulders. Leon unwraps his arms around you for a bit, walking over to your place on the couch before pulling you in for a more proper hug as he delicately sways you from side to side.

“It’s okay, sweetheart. It’s fine,” he softly mumbles. “You’ve been working and studying so hard. I can see all the effort you’re putting into making sure you reach your dreams and trust me, you will pass the board. You make time to study each day and I can see that you’ve got the drive to succeed, you can do this. Believe in yourself as much as I believe in you and your capabilities, okay?”

You sniffle, hugging back and staying silent for a bit before your shaky and slightly squeaky voice speaks up, the sound slightly muffled since you buried your face into the comforting scent of your boyfriend’s sweatshirt.

“But Leon, there’s more people who're smarter than me and they’re going to pass and I’m not going to. What if I’m not enough?” you say, which causes Leon to pull away from the hug and cup your cheeks in between his big and calloused hands.

“You’re going to pass. You’re smart, you’re my smart girl. There’s no way you’re not going to pass, okay? You will be a licensed nurse and you will reach your dreams. You’re more than enough for this and for me. Don’t let anyone and anything tell you that you’re not enough because you are. More than you’ll ever know.” He finishes with a small kiss to the tip of your nose before moving to your lips. Your own hand climbs up to lightly wrap around his wrists, maintaining comfortable eye contact.

“I’m sorry,” you softly tell him, your words coming out like a whisper.

“For what?” Leon says with a surprised smile. “You didn’t do anything wrong, love.”

“Yes I did, Leon.” you bashfully respond. “I haven’t been giving you much attention lately. You also do many things for me like driving me to school and doing my laundry but I don’t find the time to repay you. Just earlier, I got you worried because I was sitting just right outside the door when you already have a lot on your own plate. I’m just adding to that list of things that keeps you up at night and–”

Leon cuts you off by placing his index finger against your lips to shush you before gently moving you to be laying on his lap as he plays with your hair and scratches your scalp in the way he knows you love.

“Nope. I understand that you’ve gotta give a hundred percent of your attention to your studies, especially that your future job concerns human lives. I’m just doing my job by being here for you as your number one fan and making sure you still take care of yourself. I’m busy too but you’re not bothering me or causing me more stress, just the opposite actually. Now just lay on my lap and let me make you feel a lot better, yeah?” he softly says as he continues massaging your head, prompting your eyelids to drape over your eyes as you sigh in satisfaction.

“Unless you wanna have dinner first–”

“No. Let’s just stay like this for a bit.”

He continues to rake his fingers through strands of your hair, his fingers gently scratching your scalp and applying a good amount of pressure to your temples in order to effectively massage them. Most of the time, it’s you who’s giving Leon scratches and massages but it feels great to be at the receiving end of some pampering and loving from your boyfriend. He stops for a little bit, your eyes flying open to see Leon reach over to get a blanket to wrap you in it. Snuggling into the blanket, he continues his soothing ministrations to your head. You swear that if you were a cat and Leon was petting you in this way, you would purr so loud.

─────────────────────────────────────────────────────

You finally finished taking your board exams about a month ago and ever since then, you would eagerly open up your laptop or phone just to look at whether or not you passed. Each time, your fingers would wobble and your palms would sweat to the point you frequently wipe them on your pants so your phone wouldn’t slip out of your grip. Your thoughts would shift between the confidence that you passed since you reviewed and studied and practiced so much and the fear of failure, the icky feeling of being a failure with no direction in life eroding at the happiness you built for yourself but luckily Leon was always there to keep those crusty, self-deprecating tendencies at bay.

“You passed!” Leon practically screeches. With quivering hands he shoves his phone back into his pocket and lunges at you, almost toppling over the tables as he wraps you around in one of the best hugs he’s ever given you.

“Huh? What?” is all you could muster in this state of shock and surprise.

He pulls away and opens up your laptop, going straight to your email and the school portal where they released the list of passers. Sure enough, your last name is listed.

“My girl is going to become a licensed nurse!” he shouts with the proudest, most vibrant smile you’ve ever seen him smile. 

Tears of pure, unadulterated joy spilled from your waterline and flowed down your cheeks, a rush of adrenaline coursing through your veins whilst also feeling relief at the fact that you passed. Now it’s your turn to lunge at Leon, springing at him and tackling him with your arms tightly enveloped on his larger frame as you jump up and down, toppling over into the couch and hugging him even tighter due to the renewed sizzle of joy running through your person. After a few moments of laying on top of each other and smiling and pressing kisses into each other’s face, you get up and phone friends and family to tell them that you managed to pass the boards. Leon called up his own friends Ethan and Chris to tell them of your results, sending pictures. You hear Leon and his friends giggling on the other side of the room, squealing and giggling like school girls. His face, the tips of his ears, and neck are flushed a vibrant pink the more he talks about how proud he is of his girl. Many times he showed the email and your name on the passers list to his friends, cheers and congratulations being the reception whenever he did, much to his massive delight. Finally, you finish up phoning friends and family and go to Leon, pressing a passionate kiss to his soft baby lips upon his soft baby face. He could feel you grinning against him with each gentle smack; Leon quite never figured out if the beauty of your lips was more of their softness or their association with whatever words you spoke, which always pulled him under a spell he didn’t wish to surface from. You pull away, gazing deeply into eyes painted a soothing blue watercolor hue and not wanting to break this moment of peace, the sensations feeling intimate in a way more than the physical contact of bodies.

“I’m so proud of my girl. My smart, amazing, lovely, sweet girl who will be a nurse soon,” he softly whispers.

“I’m proud of myself too, Leon. Thank you for supporting me, helping me out, and being there for me when I needed you most. I couldn’t have done this without you,” you sincerely thank him.

“You’re a strong independent woman, Y/N. You don’t need anyone to get you somewhere because you carry yourself with an air of confidence and independence but I’m very thankful and lucky you let me in your life.”

“Gosh, Leon. You’re going to make me cry but thank you. I mean it so much. I love you.”

“I love you too.”

“So… should we eat out? I’ve got some change to spare.”

“It’s on me. I’ve been saving up, I have a surprise for you but it won’t hurt to celebrate my Y/N’s passing.”

You smack his chest playfully, the blond laughing at his little joke.

“You made it sound like I died!”

“Oops. Looks like it might result in a grave misunderstanding.”

“God, let’s just get ready for dinner.”

─────────────────────────────────────────────────────

Leon's POV

I took her out to dinner that night, picking out a nice Korean grill for us to dine in since she enjoys Korean grills so much. Nothing felt more satisfying than seeing all her efforts pay off; all those readings and memorizations giving her the success she rightfully deserves. Right now, I’m seeing her devour her entire plate and in the blink of an eye she’ll get up to get seconds but I don’t mind; seeing her eat good food and indulge makes me feel happy. I feel satisfied, as if I don’t need to eat because her happiness is enough to keep me going for days on end. We’ve both decided to keep working some more jobs to be able to have more savings to add in our accounts so we could afford to move into a better place, probably nearer to Raccoon City since I’m going to be stationed there by next month. She doesn’t know this but I managed to prepare a little surprise for her, which is a 2 day camping get-away; deep in the forest, surrounded by trees, the stars shining above us, and the cold weather. She deserves a little break, we both do, so I planned this. I’m free for the next few days too so this is going to be perfect, I’m grinning just at the thought of it.

“What’re you smiling about?” she asks, but it comes out sounding a little difference since she’s got some food in her mouth.

“Nothing. You look beautiful tonight,” I respond, which isn’t exactly a lie. The buzz of glee just gives her this glow that makes me want to get on my knees and worship her like the goddess she is.

She gets back to eating, doing a little happy dance every now and then. She’s also insisted on feeding me, making sure I finish at least 3 plates because “one can never be too full”, which I appreciate since she just wants me to eat well and I want to have the energy to walk her around town tonight.

After dinner, we took a walk around town. I stopped by at a flower shop, getting her flowers as one of my many little gifts. It feels tempting to tell her about our little camping getaway coming up in a few hours but I want to build up an element of surprise and blissfully catch her off guard. The evening gets cold and a little quiet so I shrug off my jacket, draping it over her shoulders and making sure she’s all warm and toasty.

“You good?” I ask her.

“Yeah. Thanks,” she shyly says as she huddles into my jacket even more. I advised her to bring along a coat since the night could get a little chilly but she refused. As long as the cold won’t bother her and make her feel ill, I don’t really mind because I like seeing her in my clothes and having the smell of her perfume on my things. We take a few more strides, a comfortable settling between us as we walk hand in hand and go wherever our hearts desire. I turn my head and steal a lengthy glance from her; the delicate breeze sends her hair flowing smoothly like a poet’s ink and quill, the fine strands woven from spacetime and starlight as the streetlight’s luminescence bounces off; her body is absolutely perfect, worthy of all praises and respectful admiration with curves that mold in my hands just right but her genuine beauty is from within her heart; God, she’s captivating. She looks at me and I promptly look away, keeping my gaze trained on something else as heat is concentrated on the apples of my cheeks. I can hear a twinkling giggle from her, followed by her fingers pinching a cheek as she giggles even louder.

“You’re too cute, Leon. Gosh, you’re so adorable! You’re like– the most puppy-looking person I’ve ever met and I love that!” she squeals.

“Baby, my cheeks are hurting.” I say in a small voice.

She pulls her fingers away, gently running a hand over where she pinched and gave the spot a peck.

“Sorry.”

“It’s fine. I know you can’t get enough of me.” I quip, followed by a wink.

“You’re not wrong but you’re one cocky person,” she says but a smile tugs at the corner of her lips.

“I’m your cocky person.”

─────────────────────────────────────────────────────

A day later.

Hours ago, I woke her up at 4:45 AM so we could get ready. Of course, she was a bit disoriented because I didn’t say anything to her but after I told her about my little surprise, she practically launched from the bed and got ready immediately. She slept early last night– slept very soundly too, not a single noise rousing her from sleep. While she slept, I carefully slipped out of bed and packed everything we needed, her things included. It was kind of difficult, having to pack things quietly and move them to the car without causing much thudding but I managed to get it done in 3 hours. After several rounds of double checking everything and making sure there was nothing I left out, I finally made my way back up to our apartment and locked the doors to retire for the night. I could barely sleep due to the rush of giddiness coursing through my person but I forced myself to; after all, I’ll be the driver and it’s going to be irresponsible if I don’t.

Now, she’s sitting in the passenger seat with a blanket draped over her lap as she quietly drinks in the view that speeds right past the window. Everytime I see her and she innocently looks right at me, I feel a little antsy and nervous, having to feel around in my pockets and try to calm myself down. In an hour or two, we’ll get to the spot and then finally set our camp up before we start preparing the ingredients we’ll be using for cooking. The campsite we chose is a little more secluded, right by a lake that’s unfortunately too cold to safely swim in but that doesn’t take away the charm of the entire spot. The release of the board passers coincidentally going before the day of the trip I planned is a perfect coincidence, making this whole thing a celebratory trip for her but I want to add another thing to celebrate later so for now, it’ll stay as another secret.

Finally, I pull up at our spot and park the car. We carry our supplies and set up grills, our tents, and a spot to keep all of our food and drinks and utensils. We finish early so we set up the inside of our tent, placing a comfortable blanket on the floor so the bumpy and rigid ground doesn’t cause any of us back pains the following morning. All afternoon speeds past us as we spend the hours cuddling, Y/N saying something like how the weather is “perfect cuddle weather”. Soon, it’s nighttime and we finish up with everything: dinner, a quick towel bath (since the showering in this weather would get us both sick), so now we’re just sitting by the bonfire and huddling close.

“Thanks, Leon. Thank you for all this. A celebratory dinner was enough but I guess you decided to outdo yourself,” she says as she leans her head on my shoulder.

“This is nothing. Besides, you deserve this,” I say.

We sit in silence for a little bit before she speaks up again.

“We should celebrate some more wins in life, y’know. Even the little things, we should celebrate it one way or another. It doesn’t have to be this grand,” she tells me.

“Yeah. You’re right, we should celebrate wins in life,” I agree. This is it. “You’re a big win in my life, Y/N, and I want to celebrate you everyday.”

My hand slips into my pocket, my fingers feeling the velvet of a tiny box holding my promise of the world and forever to Y/N.

I can’t imagine ever growing old without you, nor do I desire to.

If all goes well, we’ve just given ourselves another reason to be celebrating.

NOTE - Woke up today to see that in a month, I've managed to hit a hundred followers!!!!!!! LET'S GOOOOO!!!!!!!!! Srsly so thankful for everyone who decided to follow me and read my fics, I love you and wish you well. I didn't expect to reach a hundred this early into my writing journey so this is so cool. I also told my mom that I write now and she seems supportive so I'm really happy with that. I guess this fic functions as a hundred-followers-special now :)) That's it and I hope you really enjoyed this fic. Again, thank you for the hundred followers!!!!! I couldn't have done it without you <3!!!

The chain dividers are made by @cafekitsune , the images are made by me (sourced from Pinterest).

[roguerogerss]

snow lands on top

pairing: coriolanus snow x covey reader

w/c: 3.2k

warnings: just fluff! a few sexual comments but nothing more, mentions of family deaths, reader is just a poor lil soul

(merry christmas my angels! if you’re having a hard time, i feel you! here’s some soft coryo lovin to help you through it. the holidays r a hard time for so so many people, and my inbox will always be open to anyone who needs someone who’ll understand <3 luv you the most, we’ll get through it all)

-

Christmas Eve. The soft patter of snowfall, the breeze from your half open window, the bustle of the Corso below. You'd been listening to the Christmas shoppers - stressed or unbothered - the kids playing in the snow, mothers and fathers dragging their children to holiday themed events. Laying around in bed all day in old silk had become your go-to on the run-up to Christmas.

You’d come to hate snowfall. It meant the sounds of merry families, playing outside together. It meant mourning for when you could do that, it meant resenting others, something that the Covey would never want for you.

Christmas was bittersweet. It had been for years, now. No gifts under your small, sad Christmas tree, no family gathering, no over-the-top dinner event, sometimes no dinner at all. You lived alone, in your little apartment which you could hardly afford, and had no family left since the war.

You remembered the good times, of course, that was the 'sweet' in all of the bitter. Remembering your mother's baking and the smell of sugar cookies and Christmas cake. The lavish real evergreen tree that made the ridiculously high ceilings of your apartment look low. The gifts, the dinner, curling up with a mug of hot milk on the plush sofa. You even thought of your Christmases back in District twelve. Never too fancy, never too many gifts, but a family, the Covey, music, a home.

Life after the war had been cruel to you. What once was a young girl, with a family wealthy enough to move her to the Capitol, had become a young woman with no one to turn to, and not a penny to her name. You didn't have the luxury of pretending like everything was fine, like you had your family's riches to fall back on. Everyone at the Academy had found out when you'd had to ask for a scholarship loan to pay for your tuition, one which you'd never be able to pay back.

That was something you'd always envied of a particular classmate of yours. Coriolanus Snow. Crassus Snow's baby boy. You knew he must've been penniless, as poor as a church mouse. But maybe you only knew that because your own circumstances were much the same. Coriolanus was smart about it, always looking classy from an outside perspective, never asking for money, never acting hungry. But, when looked into closer, you could easily see cracks.

His shoes were the same ones he'd had since first year at the Academy, and they must've been achingly too small for him. He'd eat only small amounts at school and pretend he was full up, but you'd seen him once, with no shirt on, and his ribs stuck out like a sore thumb. Wherever there was an academic prize that involved money, he was always trying his hardest to win, pulling out every stop, but if there was no monetary prize, he'd only do half as much.

You saw right through his act, always had, but instead of exposing him to everyone else out of jealousy, you'd helped him out whenever you could. Us poor orphans have to stick together, right?

You'd share food, give eachother your spare trolley tokens so you wouldn't have to walk the hour back to the Corso, discuss strategy over how to win said academic prizes, and split them with eachother when you did.

You'd become close friends, over the years, even although it was kept strictly as a secret from all of your other classmates. And so, when you heard a familiar voice floating in through your window, you smiled to yourself.

"Y/N?" You could only faintly hear him calling from the street, but you started up from your bed and yanked the window open fully so that you could hang out of it.

There he was, Coriolanus Snow, in all of his glory. Blonde curls full of white snowflakes, wrapped in what seemed to be a ratty fur coat, chittering away. You laughed when you saw him. "Coryo, what are you doing out? You'll freeze to death!"

"Wanted to come and make sure you were okay." He called back, and then looked around warily, almost as though he was checking the coast was clear before asking, "Can I come up?"

You nodded, "I'll buzz you in." And then you swiftly closed the window. Goosebumps had raised on your arms and chest and you'd be paying for the next year if you had to put the furnace on.

You crossed to your bedroom door, made your way down the hall, and pressed the buzzer, which always made the most abhorrent sound when it let whoever was outside, in.

You waited by the door, and soon enough, Coryo was coming bounding up the stairs, fur coat now in his hand, nose and cheeks bright red. You let him in and laughed as you took his coat from him and hung it up. "It's Tigris'. I don't have anything warm enough, but it's the rattiest old thing I've ever seen."

"It's quite something." You turned back to see him shivering, arms folded around his body to try to warm himself. "Oh, you poor lamb."

Your Covey accent had never faded. The Capitol had always looked down upon you for it, but Coryo blushed every time you spoke. "I'm fine, I'll be fine."

"But it's freezing in here, too. Come here." You opened the small cupboard in the hallway, which held a few random seasonal items, and pulled out two, old blankets. You smiled at Coriolanus as you draped one around his shoulders, and he smiled back, close enough to you that his breath was hitting your cheek.

"Thank you, honey." Coriolanus' eyes scanned your apartment, peering through the living room door and then your bedroom door, and he frowned when he saw just one Christmas decoration - your tiny little tree. His family was poor, but Tigris was creative, and they still managed to uphold some joy in the form of tinsel and stockings at Christmas time.

"What?" Your face dropped and you looked worried, placing a tender hand on Coryo's blanket-clad shoulder. "You look so sad."

"You just..." Coryo's voice trailed off, unsure of how to say what he meant without hurting, or offending you. "I mean, you don't have too much, do you?"

"Well, I thought you knew that." A crease had appeared between your brows and you sounded upset with him, dropping your hand from where it had previously sat. Coryo corrected himself quickly, shaking his head at you.

"No, I'm sorry, that came out wrong." He racked his brain for something to say that would make you feel better. The look on your face made his chest sting. "I don't know, would you want to spend Christmas with us?"

You cocked your head to the side, looking at him as though he was going insane. Maybe he was, he wasn't even sure what he was saying. He closed his eyes and ran and hand over his face, which brightened you up a bit. You laughed, and he laughed, and he felt his shoulders relax. Why was he so nervous? He never got nervous, not like this, anyway.

"We don't have much either, but it'd mean you weren't alone. I know how you feel, especially at this time of year." Coryo noticed the slight tinge of pink that had dawned your cheeks, and, on a whim, he reached out and, with two freezing fingers, tilted your head back so that you were looking at him. "You could come to our house, Tigris makes bread pudding, and we managed to get some beef mince this year, too. Maybe you could even sleep over tonight, and we could wake up together-"

"Coryo, you're rambling." You stopped him, you knew he could go on for hours, and, although the offer was tempting, and you enjoyed the idea of spending even more time around Coryo, you planned on turning him down. "Thank you. That sounds lovely, but I'd never want to intrude. No, the Covey wrote me to let me know they've installed a telephone in the town hall, I can call them for a couple minutes tomorrow, lift my spirits. I'll be fine."

You waved him off, and pulled your mother's old silk robe tighter around your body. You started towards the living room door, expecting Coryo to follow, maybe you'd sit together on the flaky sofa and talk for a few hours, but he didn't let you get far. He snatched your hand from your side, and when you turned to look at him, his blue eyes were filled with concern.

"Call them from our house." He wasn't going to let you off without a yes. "Please. I can't leave you alone, that's not fair. Plus, I've always wanted to meet them, haven't I?"

You took a breath and adjusted your hand in his. It felt nice, to have him be so affectionate. You could admit you were closer than most friends, the line between friendship and love always slightly blurred and maybe crossed over on more than one occasion, but it always felt good to have him near.

After careful consideration, and a few reassuring rubs at the back of your hand from Coryo, you finally gave in. "Are you sure? I don't mean to be a pain-"

"You're not. You could never be." He stepped closer and took your other hand, close enough to you that, if he leaned forward, your foreheads would be touching. "Honest, Tigris will be happy to have someone other than Grandma'am."

"And what about Grandma'am? I'm District, I don't think she'll like that-"

"She respects your family. It's not the right way, I know, but there are very few district people she doesn't mind. She knew your parents, always says they were very respectable people." A grimace crossed Coryo’s face, talking about his Grandma’am’s views in front of you. He’d agreed with her for most of his life, but that was until he met you, and that Covey accent finally made snow melt and changed his mind.

"Really?" Your face had lit up. The idea of anyone from the Capitol accepting you, no, respecting you, was something you’d only ever dreamt of.

"Really." Coryo smiled, now, and then he joked, “What an honour, huh? To have Grandma'am like you."

"An honour, indeed." You laughed. You let go of one of his hands, but kept hold of the other. You started to drag him with you towards your bedroom, but Coryo stayed put, confused. He’d never been inside your bedroom, he assumed it was off limits. You laughed at him, “I’m not trying to get you into bed, darlin’, if I was you’d know about it.”

His face turned a deep shade of red and you approached him and placed a gentle hand on his cheek. “Coryo, I’m messin’. I’m just going to pack a bag, you can come if you like, but if I’m making you uncomfortable you’re welcome to sit in the living room.”

“No. Oh, no. You’re not making me uncomfortable.” Coryo let you lead him to your bedroom, now, and he looked around the almost bare room as though it was a place of worship. There was hardly anything in there, a mattress on the floor, a small, oil lamp positioned next to it. A couple of books, a wardrobe which held your school uniform and your mother’s old performance dresses, which you wore every day you could. He was just happy to be somewhere so intimate, somewhere you allowed only the closest people in your life. “Sorry.”

You got that cheeky look on your face, now. The one that Coryo loved so much. “It’s okay. I know you’re a virgin, anyway-”

“Hey!” He smacked you with the blanket and you giggled and smacked him back. “That’s none of your business.”

“Oh, but it’s obvious.”

-

The walk to Coriolanus’ apartment wasn’t long, but it felt different. You’d never made it obvious that you were close, before, but you walked together, through the snow, chatting away like you’d been best friends for years - which was the case, and now people knew. Even when you passed classmates or their families, you’d both smile and wave, and it felt good to know that people would know.

“Are you excited to meet Grandma’am?” Coryo joked. Your cheeks balled when you laughed and gripped onto his hand in an overdramatic way. Coryo thought his heart might’ve burst.

You bounded forward, still holding his hand, and walked backwards in front of him. “Oh, the most excited. I’m sure she’s got great gossip.”

“Only the best. Did you know she had a fling with the President’s brother when they were in school?” Coryo whispered dramatically, and you gave him an equally as theatrical gasp.

“I hope she’ll tell me all about it.”

You arrived at the apartment cold but happy, noses bright red but laughing. Fingers freezing but locked together. You felt pure joy for the first time in a long time, and Coryo decided he could get used to this.

When Tigris opened the door, you knew this was the right decision. Her face lit up, and she clapped her hands together excitedly as soon as she saw you. She didn’t even bother to greet Coriolanus, just started straight for you, “Oh my! It’s so lovely to see you. Please tell me you’re staying for Christmas!”

“I sure am. Coryo managed to convince me.” You looked up to the boy stood beside you, who’d already been smiling down at you with such love in his eyes.

“Well, we are so happy to have you. Lucky to have you.” Tigris squeezed your shoulder and then stepped to the side, gesturing to both of you. “Come in, please.”

You could’ve sobbed, the feeling of being wanted, not being alone. Coryo touched a comforting hand to your arm as you stepped into the foyer, once grand, but now cracked and tired. Tigris took your coat, and the Grandma’am greeted you with open arms.

“Your dress is beautiful.” Tigris commented, and you did a quick twirl to show off the lace-up detail in the back.

“Thank you, it was my mama’s. I try to wear her dresses whenever I can.” You smoothed the ruffles of your dress, looking down lovingly at the shades of green tulle, handmade by your mother herself.

“And so you should.” Tigris reached out to touch your ruffles, too, and she smiled at you as she did so. “She had great taste.”

Coryo led you through to his bedroom, to let you drop your bag off and familiarise yourself with the place. “Thank you.” You muttered as you placed your bag on his windowsill. “For letting me come here, letting me stay. Your family are just beautiful.”

“Yeah, they’re great.” Coryo stood from his bed to join you as you looked out of his window onto the snow covered Corso, at a fresh snow angel and a family you could hear laughing from the penthouse. “I’m sure the Covey are, too. And your parents.”

“My parents were. And the Covey are. I hope one day, you can meet them.” You turned to him, that crease in your brow back.

“I’d love to.” Coryo took hold of your hand, noticing that you’d taken up an unsettled look. “Should we get some air? Grandma’am keeps roses on the roof, might be nice to see them in the snow.”

You nodded. “Yeah. That’d be nice.”

The roof was nice, you could see the entirety of the Capitol from up there - roofs engulfed in white, and the snow-covered roses were such a beautiful sight. You plucked one of the stems, after Coryo said you could, and simply stared at the thing. Back home, flowers were everywhere, they felt like warm hugs, like trips to the lake, like your mama. It was rare that you saw them growing in the Capitol.

“It’s beautiful up here.” You commented as you took a seat at the edge of the rooftop. “You can see the whole city.”

“It is beautiful.” Coryo sat next to you, shoulders touching, pinky fingers travelling closer to eachother and then pulling back, looking forward but watching eachother out of the corner of your eyes. “You’re beautiful.”

Coryo had let it slip, and he took in a deep breath and held it for a while after speaking. You tried not to let your smile get too wide, worried it would border on psychotic-looking if you let it reach it’s full potential. Beautiful, Coriolanus Snow called you beautiful.

“Oh.” Was all you could say, quietly, only loud enough to be picked up by the soft breeze and carried over to Coriolanus. “Thank you, Coryo. I think you’re beautiful.”

Coriolanus looked down and laughed, shaking his head at you. You let your pinkies intertwine, now. “You’re just saying that because I said it.”

“I mean it. Anyone would be stupid not to think it.” Then all of your fingers were locked together. And you sighed and let your head fall onto Coryo’s shoulder. He smiled to himself, and then, in a quick surge of confidence, he pressed a kiss to the top of your head and decided to speak his mind.

“You know I love you, right?" He blurted out. He didn’t regret it, but he was nervous, now. If he’d learned anything this Christmas Eve, it was that you made him nervous.

"I know." You closed your eyes and breathed in the cold air, “I love you, too."

"But I mean, really love you." Coryo took his hand from yours and, instead, draped his arm around your back, fingers reaching up to fidget with your hair. “You're very easy to fall in love with."

"Hm." You hummed and removed your head from his shoulder to look up at him. Your cheeks were flushed and your breath made little clouds in between your two faces. “I think you're very easy to fall in love with, too, Coryo."

You were so close, noses touching, Coryo’s hand still twirling one lock of your hair around and around. And then your lips were on his, his hand gripping the back of your neck, kissing you with a hunger, a passion, you’d never felt before. Not feverishly, not sexual in nature, just real, raw passion. You’d meant what you said. Coriolanus Snow was incredibly easy to love, and you did. You loved him. And he loved you. Nothing else had ever seemed to simple in your entire life.

Coryo couldn’t imagine a world, now, where your lips hadn’t been on his. Where you hadn’t called him beautiful. He was on a high, an all time high, he was convinced. Snow lands on top.

The snowflakes continued falling, landing on your heads, noses, the roses. And you let them, with no resentment, no upset. Because Coryo was there, everything was easy, now.

[tutorinkarachi]

Home tuition in Karachi 0313-2287896

In Karachi, home tuition has become an increasingly popular educational option, providing students with personalized learning experiences tailored to their individual needs. This approach offers the flexibility of receiving lessons in the comfort of one’s own home, allowing for a more relaxed and focused environment. With the city’s diverse educational landscape, home tuition services cater to a…

[astaracademy]

Maths grade 2 : learn step by step

[didalexiabreakupwitholgaisback]

Do players’ parents/families have to pay for them to go to La Masia?

yes, there are costs associated with la masia, particularly with respect to players who stay on campus (the majority live with their families and commute to training), but most costs are subsidised for players, which is how you are able to get players from all economic backgrounds access to the academy. the club also covers a lot of services for its players. in fact, one of the cost cutting measure in recent years made headlines when barça ended the taxi service that transported non-resident students to ciutat esportiva and back home from around catalunya.

having said that, la masia has affiliates in other countries that can be used as money generators running in parallel. so there's often a hefty fee for students to attend those academies.

for example, the barça residence academy in the usa charges $75,900 tuition for residents, although scholarships are available and private funding can subsidise costs too for some of those students too.

[ersatz-ostrich]

See You Again

Chapter 4: The Waynes

Jason Todd x f!reader

You meet (some of) the Waynes. Things start to get complicated in more ways than one, but you’ll figure something out eventually…right?

[A/N]: AEEOEOEEEUUUGHHHH I'M SO SORRY EVERYONE I'VE BEEN GONE FOR LIKE TWO MONTHS 😩 I guess you guys have seen all manners of excuses by now but I was definitely agonizing over the dialogue for each character. I wanted to showcase all the ~funny stuff~ that's happened to the reader as a side effect of this silly little virus and introduce some conflict between Jason and the reader because a reunion like this can't be all sunshine and rainbows and happy tears. There's got to be sad and angry tears and awkward moments, too (I mean, it's not every day that someone you used to know comes back from the dead, right? And then you discover that they and their whole family are the most notorious vigilantes in your home city...anyways). It doesn't help that I've been pretty busy with other things over the past few weeks. So sorry for the wait and I hope you guys like this chapter!

Warnings: a little profanity

read here on ao3 (tbh I recommend it because this chapter's like 4.8k words)

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masterlist

The Batcave

5:45:03 AM ET

True to its name, the Batcave was damp and bone-chillingly cold. 

Tim knew that it was probably because the Cave’s sensitive electronics and weaponry benefited from cooler environments and that the damp was unavoidable in the enormous cave system, but he liked to think that Bruce kept it that way because it made him feel like he was really the ‘Bat’ in ‘Batman’. 

At least the Batcave didn’t smell of guano.

The cold light of the Batcomputer burned into his tired eyes as he sifted through the computer’s files on the Batfamily’s special guest. He found scholarly articles, a few brief reports from news outlets in your hometown, and of course, the media firestorm that had just begun to pick up speed. 

“Still awake?” Tim felt a firm hand on his shoulder—Bruce’s—but made no move to meet the Bat’s gaze. “Your patrol shift ended hours ago.”

“I know,” Tim replied, fingers flying across the Batcomputer’s keyboard. He knew all of Bruce’s hotkeys and had also programmed his own to expedite his surfing through the supercomputer’s expansive resources. “It’s just…I got curious about our new case.” Standing behind Tim’s chair, Bruce hummed. 

“Yes, well…” He eased his strong but aging body into the chair next to Tim’s with a sigh. “...it is a little more personal this time.” 

“Oh, yeah? Do you know Dr. L/N?” 

“I’ve known her since she was in the seventh grade,” Bruce answered. “She and Jason met when I enrolled him in Gotham Academy. She was there on an academic scholarship—Y/N was very bright, and young for her class. Jason grew very attached to her during that time. From what I understand, she gave him a sense of normalcy in his life and kept him company when he felt isolated from their other classmates.

She took Jason’s loss very hard. Alfred and I did our best to support her, especially since Jason had died during a critical period in her academic career. She’d gained a reputation for her academics and research projects while she was a student at the Academy. There were a lot of eyes on her. She experienced significant pressure to perform. 

Jason’s death made me feel a responsibility to do right by Y/N. I opened the Manor’s doors to her, as well as my connections to Gotham’s academic circles. I helped pay for her tuition when she went to Yale, and then her doctorate at the University of California in Los Angeles. And so…having her here is another way I want to support her, for Jason’s sake.”

“I saw what happened to her. I was just getting off patrol when Jason brought her in. IT looks like he cares for her a lot…I’ve never seen him act like that.” Tim paused. The clicking of the Batcomputer’s keyboard and the white noise of the Cave’s machinery filled the air as the pair fell into a comfortable silence. Finally, Tim spoke. “How much do we know about Y/N’s case?”

“Ah, the Polestar virus. It seems like her vaccine, which was still in an early phase of testing, neutralized the virus in a way that allows it to live within the tissues without consuming it.”

“This is so niche,” Tim muttered as he read your file. “Information almost exclusive to the CDC, STAR Labs, and…the Public Health Agency of Canada?” Tim was used to being puzzled by cases with limited information. This one in particular intrigued him. “What’s Canada got to do with this case?”

“The Polestar virus was discovered by a joint US-Canada expedition into the Arctic,” Bruce answered. He reached over to type in a series of commands into the Batcomputer, which summoned a file window containing an internal government write-up about the expedition. In it were photos taken by the researchers of the remains, mummified by the ice, of three ancient humans, whose hair and nails had remained intact after millennia beneath the ice. One of the mummies—a small girl—displayed peculiar metallic spots, especially on the extremities, which the researchers noted. 

“The mummies have been exhumed from the ice and are currently being held in Canada,” Bruce read off the file. “There’s also a write-up from Canadian anthropologists about the tattoos on the bodies. Traces of the virus were found in the girl’s body, but the samples STAR Labs works with were extracted from an ice core they took from the site.” 

“Do we know why there were humans in the Arctic, thousands of years ago?” Tim asked, incredulous. “That sounds…improbable. But then…we’ve seen weirder things, haven’t we?”

“Precisely. What happened to the media coverage?”  Restings his elbows against the Batcomputer, Tim ran his hands down his face, blinking a few times to stay awake. 

“A break-in at STAR Labs is always troubling news,” Tim replied. “Anchors and analysts are beginning to speculate about the political premises of the situation, but the government’s kept quiet about the details. No one knows what’s been taken or why the break-in happened.”

“So rumors are flying.”

“They’ll die down once people realize the government isn’t going to let slip what happened. You never know what journalists might find, though. They’ve already confirmed independently that all of the surviving staff have been accounted for…except for one missing researcher.” Bruce’s eyebrows shot up.

“Interesting.”

“It might be best for Y/N’s safety if we cooked up a story about an abduction,” Tim commented as he browsed the growing collection of Polestar files. “We should find out who broke in and why they wanted to obtain the Polestar virus.” Tim’s hands stilled over the keyboard. “I wonder what’s so important about this virus. What do they know that we don’t? Why is it so important that it doesn’t leave the government’s hands?”

“Y/N almost gave her life to protect the security of this virus. I suspect she knows something we don’t.”

“She could be protecting something whose potential she doesn’t even know. Someone’s definitely out to get this virus, and she could get caught up in the meantime.” Something flashed in Bruce’s eyes. 

“Even if STAR Labs withheld that information from her, she’d find a way to get it out of them,” Bruce murmured. “She wouldn’t be satisfied with being kept in the dark. She’s relentless. That’s something…”

“I think you see a little bit of yourself in her. Is that why you stuck by her all this time?” Tim prodded in a teasing tone, which earned a small huff out of Bruce.

“Perhaps.” 

You slept deeply and without stirring. To any outside observer, you looked serene. Unbeknownst to them, though, you were caught, body and consciousness, in a bizarre dream. 

You stood under stormy skies, on a set of steps that seemed to reach for the heavens and stretch towards infinity. You could feel the cracks and imperfections of the rough stone beneath your feet; they felt as if they were worn by the beats of hundreds of footsteps that had come before you. You could feel the coming storm in the air and the wind whipped against your skin. You looked down at your hands, still blackened and stained like they were covered in burnished iron, and flexed them experimentally, astonished by your dexterity and control over your body in what you knew to be a dream.

Free me.

Your head snapped upwards. Those words kept echoing through your head, in the way that voices in dreams did, not quite heard as waves rippling through the air but also not completely within the confines of your mind’s realm. 

You stumbled up the steps. The stones dug into the soles of your bare feet. You could feel a pull leading you farther up the steps, as if you were magnetized. With every step, that magnetism became exceedingly strong; what was at first a tug that was barely there started to feel like a harsh hand dragging you. Your arms and legs grew heavier, as if weights had been strapped to your wrists and ankles, and when the burden became unbearable you collapsed on the steps, the worn edges of each stone step scraping your exposed skin. 

Grunting, you willed yourself to lift one hand, and with significant effort, the other. You could still feel the invisible power pulling your chest into the ground. When you finally raised your head, you saw Jason, as he was months before his death, standing before you on the steps. 

“Jason…” You forced through gritted teeth. To your horror, when you blinked again, that image of Jason disappeared, replaced by a crumpled form on the stone steps before you. “Jason!” You cried out. Panic flooded your body, propelling you to crawl up the steps toward where he lay. Slowly, agonizingly, you gripped his shoulder and turned him over. Your eyes widened when you saw his clear blue eyes framed by a tattered domino mask. 

It was then that you realized that he was dressed in the Robin suit you had seen in photos and blurry vigilante-chasing videos while you were in high school. Your panic and desperation peaked when you saw how his body was broken and bloodied, fresh bruises blooming all over his youthful face and the skin exposed by the tears in the Robin costume. 

“Help…me…” He croaked out, and you felt your heart split. 

“Jason, stay with me, please,” You rasped, clutching his bare hand, his gloves lost in a melee you never knew he’d fought in. You could feel the sticky, congealed blood—was it his? Or someone else’s?—coating his palm and seeping into every groove and crevice in his skin. 

Free me. 

The voice returned, compelling you to turn your gaze skywards. At the top of the stairs, which you once thought had no end, was a purple glow.

Free me!

The voice seemed to echo from there, the owner of the voice still obscured from where you were sprawled.

“Please, I can’t let you go…please…” You begged. Jason’s grip on your hand waned as your grip on his tightened. You couldn’t stop the tears from flowing as you screamed,

“JASON!”

Wayne Manor

10:48:39 AM ET

“JASON!” You cried out. Your arms shot forward, outstretched, and you pitched forward into a sitting position. The covers were disheveled and your pillow was on the floor. 

A strong grip caught your flailing arms as you reached out desperately, breathing heavily as your heart hammered in your chest. 

“Easy now, I’ve got you,” Jason’s warm, deep voice soothed you as he let go of your wrists to pull you closer into his arms. Your shoulders shook as he ran a comforting palm up and down your shoulder blades, yet your heart refused to slow as the world came back into focus. 

When you finally pulled back from the embrace, your heart was still thumping wildly. Pinpricks of heat rose in your cheeks and tinting your ears. 

“Jason, you…actually stayed for the whole night?” Now it was Jason’s turn to flush with embarrassment. “I thought you would…”

“Leave?” Jason interrupted. “I slept like a rock.” Truthfully, it had taken Jason at least an hour to tune out the feeling of liquid fire coursing in his veins when he lay next to you. He shifted his gaze to the bedside table, where the vintage clock read 10:48. At the base of the clock was a handwritten note in Bruce’s script.

Sleep in. BB is covering your routes. Come see me after breakfast.

—B.

Jason cracked a small half-smile at the slip of paper. He made a mental note to bring Cass some takeout the next time they went on patrol together as thanks.

You opened your mouth to say something, but the words died on your tongue when Jason’s gaze returned to yours.

Odd, you thought. You thought his eyes were blue, not green.

“Are you hungry?” 

“I’m starving,” You answered. You hadn’t eaten since your lunch break back at STAR Labs, nearly twenty-four hours earlier. You’d elected to skip dinner that night so you could spend an extra-long session running tests in the Coffin, but of course, things just had to go awry.

“Come on, then,” Jason got off the bed—he’d slept on the covers, you noticed—and offered you a hand. “I’m sure Alfred’s prepared something good.”

You followed Jason out of the bedroom and down the long corridors, reaching the Manor’s grand staircase where the late morning sun was already filtering through the windows. Their curtains had been drawn by a single, faithful butler every morning without fail.

“Hey, is everything alright? I heard screaming and—wait a second!” You caught sight of a blonde stopped in her tracks at the foot of the stairs, dressed in what looked like a purple stealth suit with a flowing cape and hood. “Jason, who the hell is she?” She called out, gaping at you both.

“Steph—” Jason began, but she cut him off. 

“Oh, shit, I’m still in my gear! U-uh, don’t worry, I’m just a really dedicated cosplayer—”

“Steph, it’s okay!” Jason exclaimed. “She knows. It’s all good.”

“Oh, in that case, I’m Stephanie. I just got back from patrol, so I’m gonna go shower and I’ll join you guys for breakfast. Or is it brunch?”

“Nice to meet you, Stephanie,” You replied weakly, still wondering what Stephanie had to do with the Waynes—or the Bats. With an exasperated sigh that had no real aggression behind it, Jason led you down the stairs and into Wayne Manor’s bright and airy kitchen. The counters and cabinets were spotless and the enormous stove showed signs of frequent use but also careful maintenance. Freshly cleaned pots hung over the kitchen island where an astonishing breakfast spread was displayed.

“Sometimes I forget you guys are richer than God,” You whispered. “That looks like a week’s worth of my groceries.”

“Probably costs as much,” Jason whispered back. “Definitely took a while to get used to after growing up on Park Row.”

“We feed a large family here at Wayne Manor, Miss L/N.” Alfred materialized in the doorway, putting away a cloth he had been using to polish some silverware. “Please, help yourself.” You grinned as you set about putting together your breakfast, chasing away the stomach pangs with big bites of food.

“What did we do to deserve you, Alfred?”

“I ask myself that every day,” He replied dryly. “Enjoy, Miss L/N, Master Jason.” Alfred disappeared into the mansion, off to perform some obscure chore or aid the Bats with their operations. 

Your focus returned to the ghost sitting across from you. 

“So…what happened last night?” Jason asked. “Were you having a nightmare?”

“Something like that,” You mumbled, gluing your eyes to your breakfast plate. You didn’t dare mention that you saw him, right before his death, even though you had never witnessed it happen. “Probably a side effect of the infection.”

“What happened?” Jason asked, brows raised. “I thought the infection was done with. What did you see?” Your brow furrowed.

“Jason, why do you want to know so badly?” You replied defensively. In your peripheral vision, you could see Jason tense subtly. “I had a nightmare. I don’t remember what happened, only that I was scared and I panicked.”

Jason’s fork and knife rattled on the china.

“You’re lying.” 

“So what if I am?” The hostility in your voice rose. “What happened last night is the least of my problems right now. I don’t want to talk about it.” Jason’s stool scraped against the kitchen’s immaculate floors.

“Fine then. Keep it to yourself,” Jason stalked out of the kitchen. You stood up swiftly, disturbing some of the dishes on the countertop. 

“What—Jason, where are you going?” You shouted frustratedly at his retreating form. He didn’t turn around. You sat back down and put your head in your hands, feeling the turmoil grow inside of you. The emptiness Jason’s loss had created in your heart yawned, threatening to collapse like a sinkhole.

“I hate to intrude, but—.” You raised your gaze from behind your palms to see Stephanie, dressed in flannel bottoms and a Gotham University sweater. “Is everything okay?” 

“Yeah, I just…forget it,” You sighed. “I don’t want to keep you from your breakfast.” At that, Stephanie filled her plate and took a seat next to Jason’s forgotten breakfast. “Did you see where Jason went?”

“He probably went off to the Batcave,” Stephanie replied. “You’ve been there, right?” You nodded.

“It was the first place he took me after I got here.”

“Where are you from?” 

“Los Angeles, but I’m originally from Gotham. I grew up and went to school here.” Stephanie raised her brows.

“Is that how you met Jason?” You nodded again. “Huh. I guess that’s why we never met.”

“Are you part of the Wayne family?” 

“What? No, I’m not a Wayne. I’m just…it’s complicated.” Stephanie laughed lightly. “My name is Stephanie Brown, but you can call me Steph. I used to date Tim, y’know, one of the Wayne kids. Keyword, used to. Now, I just work with the Waynes.” Something clicked in your head.

“I haven’t told you my name; I’m Y/N L/N, by the way. Do you work with the Bats under the alias of Spoiler?”

“Nice to meet you, Y/N. Yeah, I’m Spoiler. Do you follow Gotham vigilante news or something?” 

“Sort of. I live and work in LA now, but I like to keep tabs on what’s going on in Gotham. Most of the stuff that comes my way ends up being updates on Batman and other vigilantes.” 

“Then…whoa, what happened to your hands?” A grin broke onto your face as Steph’s eyes widened. 

“I’m surprised you didn’t notice earlier,” You replied. “This is why I’m here.” 

“What the hell?” She stood up, rounding the kitchen island to inspect your skin. “What happened to you?”

“What the hell is an understatement,” You joked. “Long story short, I got sick. I got treated here at the Cave, but it left…some lasting effects.” 

“Do I even wanna know?”

“It’s so weird! My hands are like metal, but not. They feel normal, but I think they have the strength and properties of metal.” To demonstrate, you walked over to Steph’s almost-empty glass of orange juice and knocked your knuckles against the glass. 

“Wow,” Steph breathed. “Duke’s gonna be so stoked that there’s another meta at the Manor.”

“Who’s Duke?” You inquired.

“Another Wayne kid, Duke Thomas. Bruce took him in not too long ago. He works the day shift, so he’ll be back later today.” 

“Wow, Bruce has been busy collecting strays since I’ve been gone, huh?”

“You have no idea,” Steph laughed. “So, how did you get to know the Wayne family?”

“I met Jason in middle school, at Gotham Academy,” You answered. “I studied there on a STEM scholarship funded by Kane Industries. Jason and I became friends, I came over to the Manor a few times and met Mr.—I mean, Bruce. After Jason died, he paid for me to go to college and grad school.” You smiled sadly at the memory of finding a letter outside your dorm room in Bruce’s script. It was late in April of your senior year, just a few days before you were due to commit to your college of choice—and just a few days before the anniversary of Jason’s passing.

“Wow, I had no idea you went way back with the Waynes,”

“So do you, right?” You replied. “I guess we’re both, you know…bystanders to everything the Waynes have done.”

“I’d say we’re both victims of the Wayne drama. Us and Babs and probably Cass, too.” You laughed lightly, trying to mask your unease as the memory of Jason storming out of the kitchen came crashing back.

“Who’s Cass? And who’s Babs?” 

“If you’re gonna stick around the Manor, you’ll meet them eventually.” Steph collected your empty plate and her own and dropped them in the sink with the silverware and glasses. 

“Wait, let me—” Steph raised her hand, stopping you.

“It’s better if you didn’t. Alfred would never allow a guest to do the dishes in his house.” Grabbing your wrist, Steph led you out of the kitchen, up the stairs and into Bruce’s study.

“Are you taking me back into the Cave?” You asked. 

“If I’m right, Jason is down there with Bruce right now. And if he knows what’s good for him, he’ll apologize to you.” Steph turned the clock hands and the front of the clock swung open to reveal a staircase. “Come on in.”

The Batcave

11:10:44 ET

“So, what do you think?”

“I think this equipment was distributed underground, Jason,” Bruce replied. “Whoever was running this operation knew what they were getting into. But that’s not what I want to focus on right now, because we can’t figure out anything if you don’t calm down first.”

“The fuck do you mean?” Jason bristled. “I haven’t done anything.”

“You might think I’m a bad father, but don’t think I can’t tell when you’re frustrated.” Bruce leaned in over the table covered in illegally-traded weaponry and equipment Jason had taken back from the Los Angeles break-in. “Tell me, Jason. What’s on your mind?”

“Why do you care now, of all times?”

“Because something’s clearly bothering you. I’m doing this because I want you in the best possible state of mind, for the sake of everybody, including yourself.”

“You can just say that you think I’m unstable, Bruce.” 

“Just tell me, please. I want to help you fix whatever is bothering you.”

“Jason?” Jason’s eyes flitted up to a platform carved out of the formations of the Batcave. There, he spotted you and Steph.

“Y/N? Steph?” He called out. “What’s going on?”

“Jason,” You repeated, descending the steps to where he and Bruce stood. “I don’t—I can’t—I’m—” You stammered, struggling to translate your thoughts into speech. You started to fidget, not knowing where to place your hands or your gaze. “I’m sorry I was so defensive earlier. What happened last night was hard to process. I hope you can understand that Iwasn’tcomfortablenoughtotalkaboutitwithyouand—” You rambled, inhaling sharply. “—andI’msorryifImadeyoumad—”

“Y/N.” Bruce cut you off. “Breathe.” 

“I—” Jason sighed deeply, running a hand down his face and grimacing. “Don’t be sorry. It’s my fault I got mad.” 

“I feel like I’m thirteen again,” You complained. “I don’t know what to say.”

“If you’re thirteen, I must be ten. I shouldn’t have walked out on you. That’s the last thing you needed right then. I’m sorry.”

“That’s the first time I’ve ever seen Jason apologize like that,” Steph whispered to Tim, who had floated over from the Batcomputer when you’d arrived. “Like, that’s totally different.”

“I know,” Tim hissed back. “They definitely have history.”

“Like…history?” 

“Still,” Jason pulled a swivel chair away from a nearby terminal and sat down. Nervously, you took a seat across from him. “Will you tell me what happened? All I want is to make sure you’re okay.”

“It’s complicated.”

“That’s okay. Shit, when is anything not complicated?” Jason shifted his arm, as if to reach for yours, but at the last second his arm fell away to rest on the workstation you were sitting next to. “Take it slow. I’m not going anywhere.” 

The Batcave

12:34:08 PM ET

“That’s all I know about the virus. I’ve only been on the team for a few months and the project’s fairly new. I was already crossing a line when I tried to investigate its origins and behavior even further on my own.”

“Still, it helps us figure out who might be interested in it, or why it’s been kept on the down low,” Said Tim Drake, spinning around in the chair in front of the Batcomputer. He looked to be no more than six years younger than you—twenty, maybe twenty-one. His eyes were tired, as if he had been awake all night, but analytical. You could see that behind them, his mind was constantly chugging away, considering different approaches and theories. You understood the feeling—of always contemplating something; of being in constant, restless motion and never being able to stop. “Oracle and Jason are doing their best to trace who sent those guys. Is there anything else that you don’t know that we could try and find?” 

“STAR Labs has my work phone and my work computer, but…I kept all of my personal observations from my tests in a lab notebook that I kept at home. Maybe it would help if we had whatever data I managed to record in my notebook. If there’s anything else, it’ll be at STAR Labs, but I don’t think it would be a good idea for any of us to revisit that place now that it’s been…compromised.” You replied uneasily. “Speaking of which, the authorities still think I’m missing.” You raised your hands to show Tim. “And if I turn up again, they’re definitely gonna notice this.” 

“Yeah, we’re gonna have to finesse this. When you inevitably reappear, we can cover up your skin easy enough,” Tim mused. “And we can definitely get a hold of your notebook. What else has changed?”

“Bruce and Jason told me I’m magnetic now.” Tim cocked an eyebrow.

“Huh…maybe it’s time to run a few tests.”

The Batcave

1:15:56 PM ET

An MRI, a blood test, and many, many fridge magnets later, you and Tim had reached a (potentially publishable) conclusion. 

“So you are magnetic,” Said Tim. “Like, on-and-off, ‘cause this MRI is unreadable because of all the interference but it’s not like every piece of metal you walk by sticks to you.”

“Unless I really concentrate,” You added. “It’s like using the Force. Or whatever Magneto does.”

“It’s like you’re Dr. Polaris or something.” Tim muttered.

“What? Who’s that?” 

“Oh, sorry. He’s some Green Lantern villain.”

“You know Green Lantern?” You blinked owlishly at Tim.

“It’s a long story.” He sighed.

“Okay, you nerds,” Steph appeared beside you, holding what looked like pieces of body armor from her Spoiler suit. “Time for some field testing.” You followed her to the side of the Batcave where an array of training apparatuses had been set up—punching bags, weight racks and machines, life-size dummies, the works. 

“Field testing?” You echoed.

“Yup.” Falling into a fighting stance, Steph strapped on a blocking pad meant for sparring and held it in front of you. “Punch it, not me, to be clear.”

“ Punch it?” You said incredulously. “I don’t…I’ve never…” You faltered. 

“Don’t worry! Chances are, you won’t hurt me. This stuff’s built to withstand a lot. I’m already wearing my gauntlets, too.” You made a face and wound up, landing the punch half-heartedly on the cushioned, reinforced material. 

“That all you got? Punch it, hard as you can.” 

“Okay,” You replied uneasily. “Here goes.” You drew your fist back again and swung with all your might, and yelped when the impact produced a louder sound that you’d expected and made Steph stumble back.

“Y/N? You okay?” Jason called out from where he and Bruce were communicating with Oracle, who was stationed at the Belfry.

“Y/N? Why isn’t anyone asking if I’m okay?!” Steph argued, tossing aside the blocking pad. “Holy shit! I was not prepared for that. Not the first time I’ve been punched by a super. You never get used to the feeling, though.” 

“I…I had no idea I could do that.”

“Are you kidding? You’ve got fists of steel…literally. That virus definitely did something to you.” 

“We’ll know more once I get a biopsy and more scans. In the meantime, maybe try the punching bag instead of Steph.” Tim remarked, walking over to you and Steph. 

“Wait, try this first,” Steph hurried over to a corner of the Cave and returned with a piece of wood. You suspected it to be part of a crate. 

“She’s not some black belt martial arts master…” Tim grinned mischievously. “...hit it as hard as you can.” 

From across the cave, the sound of splintering wood made Bruce and Jason jump. 

“Holy shit!” You yelled.

“Are you okay? Do you have any splinters?!” Steph exclaimed, holding the crate lid, now split into two jagged pieces where you tried to smack-slash-karate-chop it. Tim grabbed one piece and raised it as if to smash it over your still-outstretched fist, and you held your hand still, bewildered. Upon impact, the wood was reduced to smithereens, only a small piece left in Tim’s hands. You had barely felt the impact on your hand.

“No! Yes! I mean, no! No, my hand’s fine!” You stared at your hand, all shiny and discolored, with wonder. “What the hell is wrong with me?” Out of the corner of your eye, you saw Tim approaching with a sheet of metal. “Oh, don’t you fucking dare … ”

~~~~~~~~~~I REALLY NEED A BETTER DIVIDER HELP~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Jason, walking past Y/N, Tim, and Steph: …what are you guys doing? Y/N, covered in fridge magnets: *peels off a magnet saying “I Beat The Riddler And All I Got Was This Stupid Magnet”* Y/N: Um…scientific experimentation?

[A/N]: LOL the ending of this chapter is so unserious I swear, I couldn't have pulled this off without all of the kind comments and support. Yall are amazing ♥️ Thanks again for reading! x

~~~~~~~~I MEAN IT THIS LOOKS SO WEIRD ON MOBILE~~~~~~~~~~

See You Again taglist:

@witchymomfrien

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[slaymitchabernathy]

Sweet Girl

Coriolanus trudges down the sidewalk on his way back from the Academy. His shoes are too tight and a small hole is wearing its way through the front of his right shoe. Although it’s the middle of June his black suit jacket remains over his white button-up shirt. It’s probably the nicest thing he owns and he wants nothing more than to take it off.

But Coriolanus Snow wants a lot of things.

He wants a hot bath for starters. He’s sick of the cold showers he’s forced to take. And don’t even get him started on cabbage for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

He wants the elevator in his apartment building to start working again so he doesn’t have to climb up twelve flights of stairs every night.

Coriolanus wants a lot of things. But dinner is a top priority right now.

There wasn’t any dinner provided at Heavensbee Hall much to his chagrin. He’d hoped there might be some punch or even a slice of pie. But nothing.

He’d been invited to a small open house for the University. Even though he still had a year left at the Academy it was never too early to start planning for his glorious future.

If only he could get there.

He began to formulate some sort of plan to win him the Plinth Prize. Professor Clay had barely mentioned it, only as a way to excite Academy students going into their last year which included him. Those words kept replaying in his head.

“A full ride for the University. Tuition paid in full.”

Many parents had been in attendance and he’d heard them mumbling to their children about how nice it would be if they won. How they’d be able to go on an extra vacation to the District resorts with that extra bit of money.

That extra bit of money would change the trajectory of Coriolanus Snow’s life and these people planned to use it for vacation funds.

If there was ever another war, he’d be the first to eat the rich.

These families didn’t know struggle. None of his classmates did. They all had parents for starters. He had none. They also had siblings. He had none. His father died first. Then his mother died trying to give birth to his sister. Two birds with one stone. His grandmother had died only last year leaving him the sole heir to the Snow fortune.

If only there was any fortune to inherit.

Coriolanus would never admit it, but he was almost relieved when his grandmother died. She had been a mouth to feed and was unable to work and provide. They’d been living in squalor and all she wanted to talk about was when they used to live in fortune.

He’d been hasty about getting to the bank once her funeral was over. He’d heard about children inheriting large sums of money once they were the last remaining members of their family.

With grandmother out of the way, any inheritance was his to keep.

His hands had been shaking as he unlocked the creaky metal box the clerk had brought him along with the key. The box had a faded white label on it that read:

‘Snow Family Inheritance’

He held his breath as he opened the box and tears pooled in his eyes when he found the box empty. Not even a coin was left to him.

He wallowed in his self-pity as he walked home, the heat was sweltering so it was a lovely distraction from his current financial predicament. He simply had to win the Plinth Prize. Even if it meant strangling Sejanus Plinth who seemed to despise the fact that he was filthy rich.

Again, eat the rich.

He was so caught up in his plan that he nearly ran into an older gentleman wearing a long black coat and a black hat.

“Oh excuse me. I should’ve watched where I was going,” he apologized, ducking his head when the man turned around.

Coriolanus was as tall as they came but this man was slightly taller than him. He gave the young boy a small smile, “No need to apologize. I’m just waiting on Miss Dovecote.” He gestured to the townhouse to their right where two girls stood on the doorstep illuminated by the front porch light.

Coriolanus had walked this street hundreds of times. It was a block away from the Corso and the townhouses were beautiful. This one in particular seemed to be a true beacon of Capitol wealth.

It was pristine and white with a perfectly manicured front lawn and shrubbery. The pathway leading up to the front door was clean of any litter and the steps looked like they were marble.

Coriolanus finally drew his attention to the two girls standing on the steps and recognized both of them. The raven-haired girl was Clemensia Dovecote, a friend of his from the Academy. She was hugging a blonde girl, and it was only when they pulled away that he was able to pin her down with confidence.

Soarynn Nightingale.

He didn’t really run in the same circles as her, but he knew she was very sweet and well-liked. It was a little funny to see that she was friends with Clemensia who could be quite snippy when she wanted to be.

The girls finally parted ways and Clemensia turned and made her way down the steps. Coriolanus quickly put two and two together and realized the man he’d bumped into was her driver.

How nice it must be to not walk everywhere.

Clemensia’s eyes locked onto his and her face visibly brightened, “Coryo! I haven’t seen you since May!”

Coriolanus gave her a polite smile and nodded, “It has been quite a while, Clemmie,” he agreed.

In all honestly he preferred summers over the school year. He could stay hidden in his penthouse for weeks without having to talk to anyone and pretend that the Snows were still as wealthy as ever.

Clemensia grinned up at him, “Well you should go in and say hi to everyone then,” she tilted her head towards the townhouse where Soarynn was still on her front steps, watching them it seemed.

Coriolanus swallowed nervously as he looked around the street, suddenly noticing all the cars parked along the curbs. “I…say hi to who Clemmie?” He asked nervously, more sweat forming on the back of his neck and this wasn’t from the heat.

Clemmie rolled her eyes and huffed, “Practically everyone from school is here Coryo. Soarynn’s throwing a little get-together. I only have to leave early because my little sister has a dance recital and my mother says I have to go.”

Coriolanus resisted the urge to tell her to be happy that at least she had a little sister. He’d never gotten to meet his.

He hummed and glanced over at Soarynn who was still lingering. Didn’t she have to get back to her guests?

“Well I actually have to get home but thank you for the invi—“

“Soarynn! Coryo’s going to stop by for a moment!” Clemensia called out, cutting him off before he could properly decline her invitation.

Coriolanus tightened his jaw but relaxed it and plastered on a fake smile, “Enjoy the recital, Clemmie.”

꧁ ꧂

He all but trudged up the walkway where Soarynn was patiently waiting for him. His eyes were focused on the ground and they slowly traveled up her tan legs. She was wearing heels and a blue dress that hugged her small frame perfectly. Her blonde hair was framing her face and her eyes.

Her eyes.

This might’ve been the first time Coriolanus had ever looked into the eyes of Soarynn Nightingale and heaven knew she had the most stunning eyes he’d ever seen.

Blue and gray went perfectly together for her eye color and they made the rest of her features pop.

Soarynn was already looking up at him even though he was a step down from her. Both literally and financially.

Her lips curled up into a sweet smile, “Hello Coryo, I don’t believe we’ve been properly introduced.”

She held out her hand and Coriolanus took it and gave it a soft squeeze before shaking it. He tried to hide his sweaty complexion and his stressed state but if he failed to do so, Soarynn didn’t let on.

“I do apologize for dropping in on you like this,” he said hastily, “I know you have guests to tend to and Clemmie can get pretty assertive sometimes and I think I might just go home if that’s alright with you…” his voice died as she gently squeezed his hand.

Mostly because she was still holding his hand. And it was so small compared to his. So soft.

“Coryo it’s alright,” she said with a light laugh, “we have more than enough refreshments and everyone will be so glad to see you. Besides you’re already dressed for the occasion,” she gestured to his outfit.

He worried she might be able to see right through him. The too-tight shoes and the white button-up shirt with stains on the sides and the black suit jacket that was beginning to tear at the seams.

He scratched the back of his neck, “I won’t be able to stay for long.”

Soarynn waved him off and tugged him into her home, a cool wave of air rolling over them. He let go of her hand as he slowly made his way into the entryway of her house, foyer was a better term for it. This townhouse was beautiful. Tall ceilings, chandeliers, and a tiled floor that shone under his shoes.

He felt terribly out of place.

Soft music could be heard along with laughter and conversation and Soarynn beckoned him to follow her further into the home.

The tiled floor turned into a hardwood floor and Coriolanus took in every little detail of the Nightingale’s house. Soarynn led them to the right of the foyer which led into what seemed to be the formal dining room. A large mahogany table sat inside it surrounded by chairs. Fine cutlery adorned the table and there was a cabinet to display even finer pieces.

They then walked through a small hallway, to the left was a set of stairs. They looked to be hardwood that was painted over work white paint. The paint was chipped and worn and carpet ran down the center of the stairs. This was clearly the route the servants took he decided. Not that he’d seen any servants, but he doubted they lacked anything where help

To the right was a door with a window where he could see hedges. The backyard most likely, or the side yard leading to the backyard.

They continued through a set of sliding doors with intricate glass panes and into the kitchen where several adults were conversing.

Coriolanus felt himself inwardly cringe when realizing he’d have to explain his presence to Soarynn’s father, a man he had never met or heard anything about.

All heads turned towards the two and the friendly conversation ceased. Coriolanus put on his most charming smile as he and Soarynn approached the adults. “Daddy, this is Coriolanus Snow, we go to school together,” Soarynn said to one of the men.

Coriolanus immediately held his hand out to Mr. Nightingale and nodded, “It’s a pleasure to meet you, sir.”

So many things could happen. The man could yell and demand he leave his property at once. He could laugh at his attempt to fit in with the Capitol’s most wealthy families. Or he could ignore him entirely.

The man did none of those things.

He placed his hand in his and gave it a firm shake. “Pleasure to meet you Coriolanus. I apologize for not greeting you at the door.”

Coriolanus was quick to shake his head, “I’m afraid I sort of dropped in sir. I ran into my good friend Clemensia Dovecote and…”

His voice trailed off when Mr. Nightingale held up his other hand, “No need to explain son. I know how headstrong Miss Dovecote can get. You were a smart man for going along with her plan.”

The other adults chuckled and Coriolanus glanced around the kitchen and was able to spot a few familiar faces. The Vickers and the Creeds were here which meant Lysistrata and Festus were here.

“Make yourself at home Coriolanus,” Mr. Nightingale said, before releasing his hand. Coriolanus managed a polite nod, “Thank you sir.”

He followed Soarynn out of the kitchen and to the left where he could clearly see the living room where people his age had gathered. “There’s food set up in the sitting room,” Soarynn said, pointing to the left of the living room where another set of glass doors were slid open.

Coriolanus nodded and looked down at her, “Thank you, I truly hope I’m not imposing.”

Soarynn shook her head, “You’re not. And look, Festus is already waving you over.” She disappeared from his side before he even had the chance to respond and left him no choice but to walk over to Festus who was, in fact, waving him over

He had mastered the casual stride. Walking as if he had all the time and money in the world. Ironic since he had neither.

“Festus,” he greeted as if he planned on coming to this party all along. The living room was large yet cozy at the same time if that was possible, allowing people to break off into private conversations.

Festus grinned, giving Coriolanus a slap on the back, “Coryo! It’s been so long. How have you been? Where have you been all dressed up like that?” Coriolanus gave him a casual shrug while looking down at his outfit as if realizing how well he was dressed.

How well he tried to dress.

One look at Festus’s outfit told Coriolanus that his friend had thrown on whatever he first saw in his closet, not caring a bit how he looked. As long as everything on his person costs the same as a month’s rent for Coriolanus, Festus would fit right in.

“I was invited to an open house for the University,” he said, glancing into the sitting room where tables of refreshments were on tables, just waiting for him. Festus let out a low whistle, “They must think of you as a top contender if you got invited already.”

Coriolanus felt a small grin spread across his lips. If Festus thought that then other people must too. It brought him some relief to know that no matter how horribly he was doing in private, he still looked like he was doing wonderfully in public.

“We’ll see where it goes,” he said, “we still have one more year left.”

Festus grunted before he looked over at the giant windows looking out into the backyard, “So you got invited here by Soarynn?”

Coriolanus let out a bitter laugh, also glancing over to the windows where Soarynn was talking to Livia Cardew and Arachne Crane. Two girls he did his best to avoid at all costs. “I was forced to come here. I ran into Clemmie,” he said, knowing he needed no further explanation.

Festus raised his eyebrows and nodded, he was well versed with how bossy Clemensia could get, “Then it appears you made the right choice. And this party isn’t half bad, you have to try the champagne.”

Well, if Festus insists.

Coriolanus walked into the sitting room, grabbing a plate as his eyes scanned the different foods. He couldn’t take too much, couldn’t look like he was starving even though he was. He’d seen the way his ribs poked out whenever he took too deep of a breath.

He started out with some bread. Bread was always good. Then he grabbed some small meats, slices of ham, finger foods really. He took some crackers too, for the ham of course. He also took some fruits, berries, orange slices, and grapes. There were lots of desserts. Pies, custards, cakes, tarts. He took a tart because goodness knows he was already overdoing it. Lastly he took a glass of champagne because if he was going to be forced to conversate, he needed to be properly buzzed.

He surveyed the living room while he was sipping his champagne. He saw many familiar faces, all people he’d grown up with. All people who kept giving their condolences it seemed. The last ones he had gotten were for his grandmother after she passed away.

Everyone came to the funeral. They were all too familiar with funerals after the war and everyone could be counted on having something black to wear.

His grandmother hadn’t left him much like other grandparents. Some grandparents left behind their entire fortunes or some jewelry they’d held onto.

All he got were roses.

He didn't linger in his bitterness for too long because Sejanus Plinth of all people was coming up to him with a glass of juice in his hand it seemed. How juvenile.

Coriolanus forced a polite smile, "Sejanus, how nice to see you." It really wasn't, he despised people like Sejanus Plinth. People who had everything in the world and still found a way to complain about it. Sejanus let out a sigh, further confirming his beliefs that the rich would be the first he'd go after, "Oh you know, just dragged along to another gathering," he gestured to the living room, "my Ma says it's good for me. But it helps that Soarynn's nice."

It certainly did. From what he had seen, Soarynn Nightingale was a sweet girl who tried her best to be kind to everyone. She was a rare bird. He'd have to avoid her though, ironic since he was standing in her house. Coriolanus wasn't trouble per se, but he certainly couldn't help her move up in the world. He had nothing to his name, no assets, no money, nothing but a penthouse falling apart.

She'd be better off without him.

꧁ ꧂

Coriolanus took to hiding on the staircase they had passed when Soarynn brought him to the kitchen. He would've much rather to sit on one of those comfortable-looking sofas but that would mean having to talk to people and he was exhausted both mentally and physically. He chewed on bread while listening to the chatter of the party. No one had come looking for him so he figured he might as well slip out the front door once he finished with his food. He'd be damned if he didn't eat his entire plate.

As he was chewing, he could hear a set of footsteps growing closer to the small hallway and he tensed, hoping it wasn't Mr. Nightingale who would then bear witness to the sad sight of Coriolanus eating whatever he could get his grubby hands on. Finally, he laid eyes on Soarynn Nightingale who gave him a look of concern, "Are you alright Coryo?" She asked, worrying flooding her voice. Coriolanus feigned a look of normality as he nodded, "Oh yes, just a bit overwhelmed is all," he waved her off, hoping she'd go back to her rich friends and leave him in his self-pitying thoughts.

Soarynn, much to his horror instead came closer, in fact, she sat on the step above him as if this was a perfectly normal occurrence. He couldn't stop himself from giving her a questioning look. Had someone put her up to this? It was Livia, he was sure of it.

Soarynn brushed her hair behind her ears, giving him a small smile, "You know, you don't have to lie to me, you can trust me." Coriolanus scoffed, what did she know about trust? "I don't mean to offend you, because you've been a lovely hostess but I promise that we have nothing in common," Coriolanus told her flatly. He didn't want to hurt her feelings but he needed to keep her at arm's length along with the rest of his classmates and really everyone in the Capitol for that matter.

Soarynn raised her eyebrows, giving him an almost defiant look that made him question his assumptions about her, "Tell me something about yourself," she said, "and if I can't find something in common with you then I'll have my driver take you home."

Now that was a bet worth taking.

Coriolanus felt a smirk tugging at his lips, finally, his horrible childhood was paying off because there was no way Soarynn would be able to relate to him in any way, shape, or form.

He knew it was cheap and quite dark but he needed something to guarantee that Soarynn wouldn't be able to relate to him. "Alright, when I was little my mother died during the war, it was childbirth, too much blood, I was going to be a big brother to a little sister."

The slightly amused look on Soarynn's face fell and he knew he had her. This girl clearly didn't know what it was like to grow up without a mother, although he had yet to meet Mrs. Nightingale. Soarynn swallowed, looking down at the stairs for a moment before giving him a sad smile, "Then I'm afraid you'll be walking home."

Coriolanus furrowed his eyebrows, what was she talking about?

Soarynn sighed and kicked off her heels, so casual in the midst of a somewhat formal setting, "My own mother died during childbirth, although not during the war, but from the same thing as yours, too much blood." Coriolanus felt his throat tightening up. He missed his mother dearly, all he had to remember her by was her silver compact with the rose-scented powder that he only brought out in moments of stress.

"What was she like?" He asked, his voice scratchy. Soarynn shrugged, "I don't know, I've never met her." Now he was terribly confused, "But how is that possible? If you never met your mother and she died during childbirth then that means..." His voice died off as he put the pieces together. The oh-so tragic pieces.

"I killed her," she whispered, pulling her knees up, "not many people know that so I'd appreciate it if you kept it to yourself."

Coriolanus nodded, knowing how much of a burden it must be on the girl next to him, "Your secret's safe with me."

Soarynn cleared her throat, "Well what do you remember about your mother?" It was hard to think of someone he hadn't seen or spoken to in so long, he really only had distant memories. "She could sing," he said, "she'd sing me a lullaby, something about roses and birds."

Soarynn perked up, "Oh! My dad used to sing me a song like that when I was little. Roses are red, songbirds are blue, heavens know I love you." He found it nearly impossible not to fall in love with her at that very moment.

"You have a pretty voice," he mumbled, feeling his cheeks tinge with redness. Coriolanus couldn't sing to save his life, most of his classmates couldn't but it seemed that the one capable person sitting next to him didn't feel like sharing her talent with the world. Soarynn shrugged, "I get kind of nervous, I don't do too well in crowds. I can play the piano just fine though."

Coriolanus felt himself slightly sulk at the fact that she was rich enough to know how to play the piano, to own a piano. His stomach grumbled and he looked down at his half-eaten plate and he caught Soarynn looking too, "Sorry if the food isn't very filling," she said, "we decided on mostly finger foods but maybe we should've gotten more."

Coriolanus shook his head, "Don't apologize Soarynn I...I wasn't even invited and yet you brought me in. You've been very sweet and here I am talking about my dead mother and making you talk about yours when I should be focused on winning the Plinth Prize."

Soarynn tilted her head, "The Plinth Prize?"

Had he said Plinth Prize? Well, the cat was out of the bag now so to speak. "Yes, it'll be awarded to one student at the end of the upcoming school year and I'm going to win it." Soarynn raised her eyebrows, looking very impressed, "What'll you do with the money if you win?"

Coriolanus let out a hollow laugh, trying to imagine coming into that sort of money, being able to give away that sort of money "I'll fix everything," he said, "fix my penthouse, my wardrobe, fill my fridge up, hire some staff. Hell, I might even run for President." A frown tugged at her lips as she shifted closer to him, "Your fridge is empty?" Coriolanus felt his complexion slightly pale, he shouldn't have let that slip.

All his hard work just went down the drain because of a pretty girl.

He might as well go out with a bang, "Yes I'm actually quite broke," he admitted, figuring there was no use in hiding it, "this suit is practically falling apart, along with the rest of my life but I'll win the money and everything will change."

He studied Soarynn's face for any sort of reaction. She could laugh at him, or go and tell everyone that Coriolanus Snow didn't have a cent to his name. But instead, she reached down and took his hands in hers, they were so soft and warm, and small, "Oh, Coryo why didn't you tell someone?"

Coriolanus shuddered at the thought of asking for help. He'd rather drown. "Snow lands on top," he said, "and Snow doesn't ask for help." Soarynn sighed, squeezing his hands gently, "Boys and their egos," she muttered. Coriolanus couldn't help but laugh at her comment, he didn't know she was capable of being sassy but Soarynn Nightingale was just full of surprises.

Soarynn smirked, "Don't tell me you haven't thought about telling someone, I know I wouldn't be able to hold it in if we suddenly had no money." Coriolanus sighed, he barely remembered what it was like to have money, but he sure knew how to pretend like he did. "I have," he agreed, worrying if he was holding her hands too tightly or too loosely, girls were difficult to understand at this age.

"Were you planning on keeping it a secret for the rest of your life?" Soarynn's question causes a frown to tug on his lips. Coriolanus planned on living for a very long time so being broke when you were old sounded like a horrible nightmare to him. He remembered how weak his grandmother got in her final weeks, how he gave her every bit of food he could scrounge up. Being young had its advantages, and the Academy often provided food at events so he could always count on that. But no, being a grown-up would come with its own challenges, broke or rich.

"Well I don't plan on being poor for the rest of my life, so to answer your question, no, but I certainly won't tell people about my past once I'm bathing in my riches," he decided then and there. Soarynn's thumb brushed over his knuckles and Coriolanus felt his breath hitch in his throat, "What if you don't win?"

What a horrible question to ask someone.

But Coriolanus had thought about that on his way home tonight, about the possibility of him going home a sore loser, second place most likely to someone who was already rich and would be spending the Plinth Prize on their vacation. "Failure isn't an option," he said, his voice steady as his blue eyes stared into her blue-gray ones. They were so enchanting, he'd be happy to drown in them for the rest of his life.

Soarynn nodded, biting her lip for a moment before speaking up, "I believe in you Coryo, and I'll do whatever it takes to help you win."

Well, he certainly hadn't expected that. He thought she might give him a pat on the back, wish him luck, and send him home with some leftovers. Not to pledge herself to help him no matter what the cost.

Coriolanus swallowed, his hands suddenly feeling so sweaty, "You...you really don't have to do that Soarynn, you've already been so sweet." And she had been, she listened to him, and goodness did it feel good to get all of that off his chest.

Soarynn shook her head and pulled him towards her until they were inches apart, the same height even though she sat on one step above him, "You're a good person Coryo," she said softly, "and it's not your fault that your family fell on some hard times. You deserve to win, to be happy, and not have to worry about your next meal."

Coriolanus couldn't believe that a person like Soarynn Nightingale existed. So kind and selfless, so generous and sweet. This was the type of girl you wanted to spend the rest of your life with. Which is why he was suddenly leaning in and she was too and then he was kissing her. He was kissing Soarynn Nightingale and she was kissing him back.

It lasted maybe ten seconds but she tasted so sweet, smelled so sweet, was so sweet. And the smile she gave him after was sweeter than anything he'd ever tasted. "You should ask me out on a date," she whispered, her lips inches away from his lips.

Coriolanus licked his lips, his mind still clouded from that kiss, "Okay," he whispered back. He'd do anything she asked him to do. Maybe this was good, something new, something kind. He could see it now, their dates, the stolen glances, the dinners he would have here with her dad. They'd make a good couple, they'd graduate together, he'd win the Plinth Prize with her by his side.

His sweet girl.

| tumblr oneshot/drabble |

[sarusstudio]

SARU OURAN HIGH SCHOOL HOSE CLUB

---

Name: Saru (No last name since they do not wish to be associated with their parents.)

Age: 16

Birthday: February 22nd

Star sign: Pisces

Gender: Gender Fluid (They/Them pronouns)

Height: 160 cm tall

Ethnicity: Asian

Favorite Subject: English and Visual Arts

Favorite Food: Chocolate Icecream or Chocolate mochi (that isn’t too sweet)

School: Ouran Academy

Occupation: Highschool student and other part-time jobs (they change all the time out of boredom, they aren’t particularly bad at any job unless it involves mathematics)

Club: Ouran Host Club

Saru is a 2nd-year student at Ouran Academy who was recruited by Kyoya Ootori the vice president of the Host Club. Saru is the child of a unethical businessman and a mentally and physically abusive mother, after their father fled because of debt issues, their mothers became even more mentally unstable and ended up staying long-term at the hospital.

Saru’s grandfather (on their father’s side) had paid for all of Saru’s tuition and necessities at Ouran Academy as well as paid for a small house for them and their family to live in before passing away.

Saru’s mother has a poor relationship with her side of the family despite them being wealthy hence Saru does not speak to them often.

What is Saru’s Host Title?

Saru would be the “The artist delinquent” due to their rebellious and untamed nature and their interest and talent in art.

Appearance

Saru has slightly dark skin and striking purple-dyed hair that fades into darker purple hues, a bold choice made in rebellion against their strict mother. Their dark purple bangs often cover their forehead, which they find annoying but rarely bother to fix. They avoid headbands due to headaches, only wearing them at home or while drawing. They also rarely style their hair or bother combing it since it is short (doesn’t even reach their shoulders) but Kyoya always insists they do.

Saru's normal style is edgy and punk-inspired unlike the other hosts who wear designer clothes (Saru doesn’t have the money nor interest in purchasing designer clothing)

However, at school, they are often seen in their Ouran uniform that usually dirtied with paint smeared over their sleeves and pants (accidentally from spending time painting in the art room) and small holes from getting into fights with other students that dared talked badly about saru (it really pisses them off when they compare them with their family or saying they are similar) but with fingerless gloves and black painted nails.

Saru’s Rose Color

Saru’s rose color in the Host Club is yellow. In Japan, yellow roses' meaning goes a bit beyond happiness and cheer to also mean courage or inner strength. In Western culture, Yellow roses usually signify friendship. Though there are many ways to interpret yellow roses, today, they are most commonly associated with friendship and platonic love. Presenting someone with yellow roses is a way to show you care about them. Yellow roses are chosen to represent Saru because they want to mask their love for Kyoya Ootori as platonic love and ironically Saru doesn’t like wearing the yellow dresses for female students at Ouran Academy.

Personality

Saru is an extroverted, talkative, and fearless individual, often described as “the life of the party.” They thrive in social settings, giving nicknames to everyone and preferring to be surrounded by friends rather than alone. However, beneath their cheerful facade lies a deeply conflicted soul. Saru struggles with self-doubt, depression, and PTSD, often suppressing negative emotions and feeling guilty for experiencing happiness. Their emotions frequently burst out in hyperactive behavior or tears, even in non-confrontational situations. Saru copes by using humor and fake confidence, but their boredom and need for stimulation often lead them into trouble, such as picking fights with other students who talk behind Saru’s back.

Their manner in dealing with clients is playful and teasing, they often flirt with clients of all genders creating a rather well-rounded fan base. Saru would often sketch portraits of clients (for a price) and they commonly initiate physical contact eg. tilting their client’s heads towards them or kissing the back of their hands, with their consent of course. They act boastful and confident most of the time but can be seen as egotistical at times, they also have a habit of not properly tying their tie and would ask clients to do it for them (much to Kyoya’s dismay)

Beneath the bravado, though, Saru is a kaleidoscope of contradictions. Their humor masks a deep-seated fear of vulnerability, their impulsiveness a defense against lingering scars from a fractured past. They'll joke about their own insecurities or be the butt of the jokes willingly. Saru observes everything despite their loud nature and would be quick to point or help out if necessary. Relationships terrify them, not because they fear commitment, but because they're terrified of being truly seen.

Relationships

Tamaki Suoh

Saru met Tamaki through Kyoya and they became friendly rivals ever since, Saru often gives nicknames for Tamaki such as “blonde idiot” or “professional dumbass” all in good fun of course, they have no idea why this idiot is the most popular, and requested host however and took it as a challenge (due to Saru’s competitive nature)

Saru had been his biggest wingman ever since his obvious crush on Haruhi, other than that Saru thinks he is really endearing and funny, but Saru also has an underlying jealousy towards Tamaki when it comes to Kyoya. Saru knows that Kyoya has a special fondness for Tamaki and Saru is internally jealous of that fact.

Haruhi Fujioka

At first, Saru thought Haruhi posed a threat to them since well she was the only “girl” in the host club and might steal clients away but Saru quickly dismissed that idea.

Saru and Haruhi developed a sibling-like bond with Haruhi becoming the little sister, they live only 15 minutes away from each other and Haruhi would often invite Saru over for dinner ever since she found out Saru lives alone. Saru grew quite close with the Fujioka family and they enjoy both Haruhi and her father’s company very much. Out of all the host club members Saru and Haruhi talk the most with each other.

Hikaru Hitachiin and Kaoru Hitachiin

Saru is normally disgusted by their twincest act during the host club but learned to just ignore it (after all it was just an act to attract to clients) Saru and the twins are all troublemakers at heart so they get along quite well with mutual teasing, admittedly Saru cannot tell them apart since they are lowkey face blind and it’s even harder with the twins.

Mitsukuni “Honey” Haninozuka

Saru absolutely adores Honey for his cute nature, Saru probably has the biggest soft spot for him (second place compared to mori of course) Saru often takes breaks eating cake (Saru likes chocolate while Hiney likes strawberries) with him and treats him like a cute little brother.

Takashi “Mori” Morinozuka

Saru has always secretly admired Kori for his strength and secretly thinks he is quite cool, Saru may or may not have developed a little bit of a puppy crush for him but didn’t act upon it. Mori has also a little fondness for Saru but both of them are too shy and uncertain to do anything.

After a while, Saru realized both of them would be incompatible since Mori would be too quiet for Saru’s liking and they knew he would be better off with someone more traditional.

Even after that, they remained good friends and Mori often trains Saru in combat when they have free time and Saru would visit him at his estate to play with his pet tanuki and baby chick.

Renge Houshakuji

Saru at first found renge to be a bit overwhelming, it took a while for them to be friends, renge often encouraged Saru to love their more feminine side and sometimes if Saru was in a good mood would let her dress them up. Renge also introduces Saru to her favorite dating sim game (In which the main love interest looks like Kyoya Ootori) and Saru gets secretly addicted as well.

Kyoya Ootori

Saru at first hated Kyoya, kyoya didn’t leave a very good first impression on them since he basically made use of the fact the hospital where Saru’s abusive mother was residing under the Ootori family, he offers that only if Saru joined he would help fund the bills.

Although it was not Kyoya’s intention to appear that way he did not make an effort to correct himself, after all, he achieved his goal of recruiting Saru into the host club, in his mind they would be his perfect host, under his guidance and care. Even after joining Saru found his personality to be bothersome since he would always correct Saru, and Saru didn’t like the fact that Kyoya seemed to only make friends with people who benefit him. Additionally, Kyoya in Saru’s eyes only helps if he is at gain and once Saru caught him taking pictures of them(which they thought he was going to sell for merchandise but he surprisingly didn’t and only kept them for himself)

But over time they grew to care for one another more than platonic friends…Saru also helps Kyoya with the club’s merchandise so they’d often stay behind at school together.

[lev1hei1chou]

Fun fluffy animes that I loved

This is basically a list of animes that helps get over or deal with the trauma inflicted by various animes. At the moment, I guess fellow JJK fans might need this, and prolly AOT fans on November 5. Have fun watching

Haikyuu

Short Synopsis: Determined to be like the volleyball championship's star player nicknamed "the small giant", Shoyo joins his school's volleyball club.

Episodes: 85 + 5 OVA

The worst thing that can possibly happen is either the 3rd year students graduating or you being unable to support a specific team (nah cuz bro how do you pick and root for one? I end up being happy for the team that won and depressed for the team that lost)

Two movies are coming up soon

Highschool Babysitters

Synopsis: After the sudden death of their parents on a plane crash, two young brothers named Ryūichi Kashima (a freshman in high school) and his younger brother Kotarō (a preschooler) are left orphaned and having no place to call home. The chairwoman of the prestigious Morinomiya Academy offers to take the boys into her care, giving them a new house and free tuition, on the condition that Ryuichi helps out with the school's daycare center while also attending normal classes during school hours.

Episodes: 12 + 1 OVA

Note: Plane crash seems sad but trust me, its only mentioned in the first episode, and the rest 11 is just fluffy goodness. Nothing can prepare you for the cuteness.

Cells At Work

Synopsis: One newcomer red blood cell just wants to do her job. Between bacteria incursions and meeting a certain white blood cell, she's got a lot to learn.

Episodes: 31 + 7

A good mix of science and entertainment. The episodes dont have to be watched in any specific order.

Mr. Osomatsu

Synopsis: The everyday lives of identical sextuplets who cause mischief.

Episodes: 75 + special eps + movies

Has a good amount of 18+ jokes, but its not too overwhelming. It doesnt necessarily follow a plot, and each episode is usually two different stories combined. So, skipping episodes should be fine. Also, it features very popular voice actors for the sextuplets (Geto's VA, Gojo's VA, Levi's VA, Koro sensei's VA, Erwin's VA and Haku/ Sugawara's VA), Iyami (Obanai Iguro's VA), Totoko (Shoko's VA)

The Vampire Dies in No Time

Synopsis: The story follows the famed vampire hunter, Ronaldo, who receives a job to destroy the supposedly invincible vampire lord Draluc and rescue a human boy he allegedly kidnapped.

Episodes: 24

Note: Its a hit or miss, the running gag is used constantly and gets tiring at times, but the overall anime is a good watch. I personally loved John the Armadillo

Buddy Daddies

Synopsis: Assassins Kazuki Kurusu and Rei Suwa meet Miri, a girl looking for her father on Christmas Day. Kazuki, Rei, and Miri unexpectedly end up living together.

Episodes: 12

May get dark at times, so I wont guarantee that itll be a smooth sail, but we get a wholesome conclusion so you can count on that! Otherwise VERY fluffy

Blue Lock

Synopsis: High school soccer players from across Japan gather for a controversial project designed to create the best and most egoistic striker in the world.

Episodes: 24

Isnt exactly true football, but yeah. The anime is pretty fine. It doesnt exactly go under the fluffy anime like i mentioned in the title, but you can check it out if you want.

Free!!

Synopsis: The story is centered on high school student Haruka Nanase, a gifted swimmer. After encountering his childhood rival, Rin Matsuoka from Samezuka Academy, he and his friends revitalize Iwatobi High School's swim team.

Episodes: 37 + specials and movies

This anime to me, personally is what haikyuu is. A great comfort anime which knows how to make the viewer connect with the characters. I dislike it when the whole anime gets reduced to just fanservice, like guys lets look beyond that and actually enjoy the plot.

Life Lessons With Uramichi Oniisan

Synopsis: From smoking and exercising to nihilistic outbursts, everyone's big brother Uramichi always brings up the not-so-moral side to his life lessons

Episodes: 13

This one is very real and relatable in many levels. Theres a lot of screenshots and panels available online, so you can check a few out before watching!

Obey Me

Synopsis: Brothers Lucifer, Mammon, Leviathan, Satan, Asmodeus, Beelzebub, and Belphegor are among the most powerful demons in the Devildom, serving as officers on the student council at the Royal Academy of Diavolo (RAD). However, being avatars of the seven deadly sins, their behaviors often tend toward the extreme. Their everyday antics belie their high status and fearsome reputations among others of their kind. When viewed behind the scenes, the members of this family are more lovable—and laughable—than they first seem!

Episodes: 24 + 1

It's based on a popular otome game, and can be watched as it is even if you havent played the game. The basic idea is that theyre based on the 7 sins, so their personalities are really amusing. As for the plot, its pretty wholesome.

Play It Cool Guys

Synopsis: Despite their distinctive personalities, Souma Shiki, Hayate Ichikura, Shun Futami, and Takayuki Mima all have one thing in common: though naturally clumsy, the four disguise their embarrassment from tiny slip-ups by maintaining a composed demeanor. However, it is actually the guys' airheaded natures that makes the girls' hearts throb. No matter what happens in their daily lives, the boys do their best not to lose their cool!

Episodes: 24

Each episode is barely 10-13 minutes, so it just doesnt feel enough lol. Most of their slip ups are relatable and could get a chuckle from the viewer. The art style is a little different but its good. Definitely worth watching, once or even multiple times.

Tanaka Kun is Always Listless

Synopsis: For high school student Tanaka, the act of being listless is a way of life. Known for his inattentiveness and ability to fall asleep anywhere, Tanaka prays that each day will be as uneventful as the last, seeking to preserve his lazy lifestyle however he can by avoiding situations that require him to exert himself. Along with his dependable friend Oota who helps him with tasks he is unable to accomplish, the lethargic teenager constantly deals with events that prevent him from experiencing the quiet and peaceful days he longs for.

Episodes: 13 + specials

Not gonna lie, Ive wanted to act like Tanaka. The characters are lovable and the anime is worth giving a try. An underrated gem. I personally loved the school festival episode.

@satoruukisser hope this helps!

[clairebonnet]

POKEMON GRANADA AU ARVEN INFO DUMP‼️

Arven was behind to say the least. Despite being the son of the two greatest minds in the world—and only 22–, he was thought of and treated like a complete dud. Really, Arven was very smart, he was just never taught how to properly read or write, or do math. Her brain was never nurtured in a loving environment. He had no support in his early schooling, but still tried desperately to catch up. He spend long nights with Maschiff, trying to catch up with the class, but always falling short. Other kids thought he was weird, and he was often the subject of tormenting. Arvens clothes were all old and dirty, he was always sick, as he never knew how to properly feed himself, and he always got into trouble for falling asleep in class. Arven was a complete punching bag, and would often cry when others picked on him. Really, he just wanted the acceptance of his peers, but he always seemed to draw the short straws in life.

High school changed a lot of things for Arven. For one, he grew- like, a LOT. He stood at just about six and a half feet, and towered over the people who used to call him cruel things. Arven was much too gentle for his own good, and still tried his best to connect with peers. School didn’t get any better, Arven was held back his freshman, and senior year. Maschiff evolved, but was no longer all Arven had in the world. His Home EC teacher, Mister Sugaro became Arvens role model. Sugaro took Arven under his wing, seeing his potential, and taught Arven how to cook properly, take care of himself, and would even help as much as he could with reading, writing, and math. Professor Sugaro eventually transferred to teach in the culinary program of Granada Academy. He offered Arven a spot in enrollment with reduced tuition (He was paying for it).

By some miracle, and intervention from a divine force (Sugaro), he was accepted into Granada Academy. Arven, for the first time in his life, excelled at culinary arts. He’s the best in his class… but just that one. He still struggles heavily with all the extra courses he takes. Arven had friends for the first time in his life, everyone seemed fascinated by him due to his parents. Arven spent much of that first year figuring himself out. He turned out to be quite smooth with girls—and guys, before he realized he was only an ally—. However, many of his friendships fell to the wayside after he realized that people only wanted to be around him just because they thought he was a big deal. Pretty soon, most people got bored of him, and moved on, leaving Arven all alone again.

Arven is now enrolled in Granada University! He still totally sucks at school, but was initially very popular with students! Arven found himself surrounded a majority of the time. He even played up the fact that he’s the son of the professors to get in good with groups. He even turned out to be quite the laddies man—and what the heck? It’s college, he’s exploring—guys man, before discovering the same gender wasn’t something he was interested in. (Straight ally) Arven finally found his footing, but almost IMMEDIATELY got dumped by those said groups. It turned out people who wanted to know him because of his family’s supposedly wealthy status are not the sort you want to hang around. They kicked him to the curb after they found out he was blowing hot air, and Arven was yet again all alone.

During the summer of his first year, Arven went out looking for his mother, determined to find her and… well, he wasn’t exactly sure. Yell at her?? Cry and hug her?? To see why she had abandoned him for most of his life? But all he knew is that he nodded to see her. He traveled to Area zero, encountering a terrifying Pokémon that was unlike anything he had ever seen, his partner Mabosstiff pushed him aside, and charged the creature, sending himself and it deep into area zero. Arven stayed for weeks, waiting for his first and only friend. Finally, Mabosstiff returned to him… in a state. Dark black crystals jut out from under mabosstiffs skin, which caused his trouble walking, and mobility. Slowly, over the course of the next year, mabosstiffs condition would worsen. Mabosstiff must’ve been subjected to terastilization, but his desire to return to Arven allowed him to overcome it— not without damage. Now Mabosstiff stays in his pokeball, unless it’s time to eat, or try a new treatment. Arven is desperate, and is willing to try anything… he HAS tried everything… until he finds a scarlet book while searching through the lighthouse. Things look grim.

Suddenly, going into his second year of college, Arven isn’t concerned with friends or grades—all he wants to do his help his buddy. Claire Bonent, his new roommate, initially buts heads with Arven, their strong personalities bashing against each other. He finds out that she has Koridon, the strange creature that took his mom away, and he heard her talking with the professor about it. It deepens his distain for her— for hanging a relationship with her that he had longed for. Eventually, growing desperate enough, he begs her for her help searching for the mystical herba mystical hidden all over Paldea, bugging her until she begrudgingly agreed. He still hasn’t told her why he was so desperate.. but he promised it would help Koridon.

[dalekofchaos]

How is Blackwell even a school?

Blackwell is insanely weird.

It has dorms but also lockers.

A barely functioning staff. We have two teachers, a principal, a custodian and a head of security. There is Mrs Hoida, but we never see her in LIS or BTS. Mr Keaton exists in BTS, but we never hear about him in LIS. There’s a nurse, but we never see her. There’s a coach for the Otters and Bigfoots, but neither Max nor Chloe are athletic, so we never see them. According to Chloe’s report card. There is an Art teacher, Phy Ed teacher, Practical Math and Life Skills Teacher, Social Sciences teacher and Personal Health Teacher. But we never see any of them.

Only two whole classrooms in the whole game.

It’s apparently the only school the town has and also is a super expensive exclusive private school.

It’s a high school that recruits world renowned artists and scientists to teach basic high school level classes.

It’s graduates supposedly go on to become famous successful people yet the school itself resides in a tiny rundown coastal Oregon town.

It costs a fortune to attend and yet it looks like it hasn’t been seriously repaired or renovated since the 1970’s.

Hell it doesn’t even have security cameras on campus.

According to google

"According to a student survey from the National Center for Education Statistics, 86 percent of middle school and high school students have security cameras installed in their schools."

Despite David being an asshole, it's standard procedure to have cameras up in the first place. David is wrong to put cameras in his home to spy on Chloe, but not wrong to have cameras in the school. If there were cameras already placed in Blackwell.

Frank Bowers would never be able to sell on school grounds

Frank never would've been close to Rachel

Nathan never would've gotten away with bringing so many illegal drugs to the Vortex Club

Kate never would've been dosed

Speaking of David. Why is he just a security officer? Why isn't he a cop? Wouldn't it make sense for David to work two jobs since the Prices are in debt? As a cop and as a security officer? The most unrealistic thing about LIS. David was too unstable to be a Arcadia Bay cop. The police have no standards and I'm shocked that David wasn't an instant recruit considering how the police in America wants people with low IQs and doesn’t care for obvious red flags.

Also, School Resource Officers exist.

Then there is the fact that Max…BARELY uses the school of her dreams. We get one or two classes at best. Going to Ms Grant’s class does not count cause Max only went there to help Warren.

Chloe not using Blackwell makes sense. She hates the damn place and would rather learn about Rachel’s anatomy break the rules and chill in the junkyard.

But with Max, shouldn’t she actually be attending classes? I mean if I were attending a big private school at Blackwell, but didn’t attend classes. I think my ass would’ve been suspended within weeks and my tuition set on fire.

What kind of school, a HIGH school lets their students freely roam the halls, leave school grounds or chill in the dorms instead of doing class work?

For that matter. Why the fuck is Blackwell Academy a fucking High School? Why not a college? Art Colleges exists. I'd rather Blackwell be a college and for everyone to be of age, it'd explain a lot of stuff such as the drugs, parties, guns, and just a lot of stuff. Not to mention going through college you are still figuring out stuff, what you want to do with your life, and still figuring out who you are. Would've imo a lot better and explained why half the shit that was happening was.

I get this is an episodic game and there are more pressing concerns, but honestly Blackwell should’ve been like say Bully. We do the day’s worth of classes and then progress to the story. Hell, you could even implement a sort of friendship system. Maybe you pick who you sit next to and that raises Max’s friendship with them. Anything would’ve been better than Max skipping school altogether and just focusing on Chloe. Like we have an entire school, we should not have our focus be on Chloe. There could’ve been ways to work classes into the main story, but no. Blackwell is just background noise and it shows.

But the lack of a full faculty staff or an actual care that anyone actually attends class? What kind of fucking school is this?